Kayn remained seated at his desk near the window of the classroom, his eyes flickering between the textbook of advanced physics in front of him, and the serene sky outside.
The background consistent of students talking, laughing, and the teacher's chalk writing on the board in front of them, yet Kayn paid little attention to it, his mind running through ORION, what they would do? How would they react?
Yet despite the ever-present danger, today, Kayn had other things on his mind.
Kayn's eyes casually drifted towards Kara, watching as she sat at her own desk, her brow furrowed in concentration as she scribbled notes.
She glanced his way for a split second, and their eyes met. There was something in her gaze, curiosity and maybe shyness. It was the same cute look she had given him earlier that morning.
Kayn leaned back in his chair, closing the physics book with a quiet thud. His gaze shifted to Kara, who remained focused on her work, her blonde hair hanging loosely around her shoulders. He considered his approach for a moment.
"Hey," he said softly, knowing she could easily hear him. Kara glanced up, her blue eyes meeting his for a moment before she quickly looked away, a slight blush rising in her cheeks.
"Oh, hey Kayn," she replied, her voice soft but steady. She straightened in her chair, clearly caught a little off-guard by his sudden approach.
"You've been really focused today," he said with a half-smile, his tone casual but warm. "What's got you so deep in thought?"
Kara let out a small laugh, though there was still a nervous edge to it. "Just trying to keep up with this physics stuff. It's… a little more complicated than I expected."
Kayn laughed internally? High-School physics? Complicated to her? With his knowledge, he knew that was an insane and obvious lie. Growing up in Krypton, Kara had easily learned this level of physics by at the latest 9 years old.
Of course, he couldn't confront her about that now. Kayn just nodded, leaning against the desk beside hers. "Physics can be tricky, but I could help you if you want. I've got a pretty good grasp on it."
Kara blinked, clearly surprised by the offer. "Oh, um… that would be really nice, actually. Thanks, Kayn."
"No problem," he replied easily, leaning a little closer, "Besides, it gives me an excuse to spend more time with you Kara."
Kara's blush deepened, and she looked lost herself in his eyes, clearly unsure of how to respond. Kayn's heavy, deep voice boomed in her ears. Whenever she heard her name called by that voice, it made her feel special, captivated even. There was a calm confidence about him that she found… comforting.
As Kara stared at him, Kayn continued, in a voice just above a whisper with a playful tone, "You've been staring a lot lately. If you keep it up, people might start thinking you're interested."
Kara blinked, caught off guard, before her cheeks flushed slightly. She adjusted her glasses, pretending to be focused on her notebook, but there was a small smile tugging at her lips.
"I wasn't staring," she mumbled, though the faint tremor in her voice betrayed her embarrassment. "I was just… thinking."
"About me?" Kayn's grin widened, enjoying her reaction. He kept his voice low so no one else would hear. "Because if that's the case, I wouldn't mind. It's kind of flattering."
Kara bit her lip, clearly trying to suppress a grin. She shook her head, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation.
"You're so full of yourself," she replied, though there was no malice in her words. In fact, she sounded amused.
"Well anyhow, how about this weekend?" Kayn suggested, his voice low enough that only she could hear. "We could grab coffee or something, and I could help you with physics. Maybe after, we could hang out. I really enjoyed the last time we went out."
Kara glanced up at him again, her eyes wide with a mix of surprise and curiosity. "Are you… asking me out? Officially?"
Kayn smiled, his dark eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief, "Maybe. Does that sound like something you'd be interested in?"
There was a moment of silence between them as Kara considered his words. She could feel the flutter of nerves in her stomach, but there was also a strange sense of excitement.
"Yeah," she said finally, her lips curving into a shy smile. "I think I'd like that."
Kayn's smile widened, his heart racing a little faster than usual, "Great. It's a date, then."
As Kara opened her mouth to respond, the air around them shifted, subtle, but noticeable. Kayn's senses, always on high alert, suddenly sharpened. He straightened, his smile fading as he cast his gaze around the classroom. Something wasn't right.
It was subtle, like a distant ripple in the air, but Kayn recognized the feeling immediately. DANGER. His senses, honed from years of training and countless battles, immediately went on red alert.
Then, Kayn felt it, a faint, malicious energy, barely perceptible but growing stronger with each passing second. His mind raced, quickly connecting the dots. ORION. They were making their move.
Kara must have noticed Kayn's demeanor changing because she leaned closer, looking into his now calculating eyes.
Before he could respond, his senses flared again, stronger this time. A threat was closing in fast. Without wasting a second, Kayn flicked his wrist, a transparent barrier immediately shimmered and covered their classroom. Then....
~BOOM~
A deafening BOOM reverberated through the school, shaking the walls and rattling the windows. The students around them screamed, ducking under desks or bolting for the exits. Chaos erupted in an instant, the ground shaking as the air was thick with dust and debris.
The explosion was massive, shaking the entire building. Windows shattered, and a plume of smoke erupted from somewhere down the hall. Students screamed, panic spreading like wildfire as they scrambled to understand what was happening.
Kayn's barrier held, the force of the explosion slamming against it but failing to penetrate. Immediately, he removed the barrier, not wanting to draw attention to their particular classroom as he zeroed in on the attackers.
Meanwhile, Kara's eyes were wide, her breath shallow but she didn't scream, she was still processing everything and now Kayn could see her demeanor shift. He grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, protecting her, "Stay calm." His deep voice boomed into her ears.
Kayn's mind raced. His eyes narrowed, catching sight of the attackers descending into the school courtyard. Four figures, clearly not ordinary criminals. They radiated power, and even without revealing their faces, Kayn could tell they weren't here for a simple heist.
Conclave.
The realization hit him like a wave, but there was no sign that they recognized him as Harbinger. Not yet. To them, he was just a high school student, another scared kid amidst the chaos. That anonymity was his greatest asset right now.
Kayn immediately recognized the four Conclave members, Dracon, Vira, Marovik and Zeek, he knew of them from Silas' memories.
Dracon was a towering figure, well over 7 feet tall with a physique that seemed carved from stone, with ashen gray skin and crimson pulsing veins. He had jagged bone-like protrusions along his forehead and jawline, giving him a demonic appearance alongside those fiery red eyes.
Vira was only a little over 6 foot, with a lithe and graceful figure. Her skin was an eerie shade of dark lavender, almost translucent with entirely pitch black eyes, void of pupils, like endless pits of darkness, and she had long silver-white hair. Her fingers were more like sharp claws that crackled with violent dark energy.
Marovik meanwhile, was draped in dark, metallic armor, more machine than man, with wires and mechanical appendages protruding from his back and arms. His skin was sickly green whenever visible, and covered in intricate necromantic tattoos.
Finally, Zeek was the shortest of the bunch, under 6 foot tall, but he had pale blue skin, sunken yellow eyes and shark like teeth and thick long hair that moved more like water snakes.
As soon as they arrived, they began spreading out, smirking as they looked towards the various defenseless children.
"Well, well," Dracon sneered, his voice dripping with condescension, "Guess you all wished your pathetic hero was here to save you huh? Don't worry, when we're done, Harbinger will be no more."
Kayn's jaw clenched. This wasn't just a confrontation. It was a message. His heart pounded, but not out of fear. His mind was calculating, running through a dozen scenarios at once.
The Conclave wasn't just here for destruction; they were targeting the students. They would have no hesitation in using hostages to draw him out, if they realized he was here.
He immediately understood their intentions. Take over the school, kill any resisters, and defeat Harbinger when he arrived. Fortunately, they didn't know Kayn was Harbinger, and he could use that to his advantage.
His thoughts immediately shifted to Kara in his arms She was tough, but inexperienced, and clearly still not over her traumatic past.
Kayn clenched his fists, barely containing his power as he kept the barrier stable. The explosion had come as a surprise, and while it hadn't caught him off-guard completely, he knew he couldn't afford to expose himself, at least, not without a plan.
His mind continued to race. I need to get them out of here. Keep the students safe. If I transform now, they'll know I'm here, and the whole city will be at risk.
A second explosion followed the first, even closer now. Dracon's voice boomed as he barked orders to the others, "Round them up. Draw Harbinger out. It's time to end this."
Kayn's eyes flicked toward the exit. There was time to escape, to gather his bearings, but he couldn't just abandon the students. Not with the Conclave's brutality looming over them.
He took a quick breath, glancing at Kara in his arms who was still recovering from shock, "Do you trust me?" Kayn asked, and Kara nodded. "Good, we need to get out of here," he said softly, making sure his voice conveyed the right amount of urgency without panic, "Hold on tight."
With that, he began slowly moving out, using subtle illusions and light telepathic commands to trick the members of The Conclave into ignoring him.
Think, Kayn. You need to strike, but not as Harbinger.
For now, he would have to rely on strategy over strength. Harbinger could wait.