As Ichigo walked to Kuoh Academy, he tried to shake off the lingering feeling of déjà vu that clung to him like a mist. The trees lining the sidewalk rustled gently, their branches casting dappled shadows over the pathway. It felt surreal—too peaceful, too mundane. It was a stark contrast to the constant danger and alertness he'd once been accustomed to. But from what, exactly? The thought slipped through his mind like water through his fingers, impossible to grasp.
The academy loomed ahead, a modern building with a bustling campus that was full of students milling about, laughing, shouting, living ordinary lives. For a brief moment, he felt something pull at him—a whisper of another time, another place. A lingering feeling of purpose he couldn't name.
Inside, he quickly blended into the rush of students hurrying to their first classes. As he navigated the hallways, Ichigo noticed strange energy signatures emanating from certain students. It was subtle, but he felt a tickling in his mind, an instinctual awareness that he couldn't ignore. It reminded him of the way he once sensed Hollows. But there were no masks here, no oppressive spiritual pressure… just students.
As he sat down in his homeroom, Ichigo glanced around, eyes settling on a group of students in the far corner. They had an almost magnetic quality about them—tall, confident, and somehow… powerful? He couldn't put his finger on it, but something told him they weren't your average high schoolers.
One of them, a red-haired girl with an air of authority, glanced his way, her eyes briefly meeting his. For a second, he thought he saw recognition in her gaze, but she quickly looked away, resuming her conversation with a black-haired girl beside her, who giggled at something she said. There was something oddly familiar about her presence, though he couldn't place it.
The bell rang, jolting him from his thoughts, and he settled into the rhythm of his classes. But the odd energy signatures and strange students remained at the back of his mind, gnawing at him.