Kayn trudged toward the towering gates of the university, his bag hanging carelessly over one shoulder. The chatter of students, mingling with the crisp morning air, did little to lift his spirits. Staring blankly at the bustling campus, he let out a heavy sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the world.
"Ah, studying is so exhausting," he muttered under his breath, his voice thick with fatigue. His expression was a blend of resignation and weariness, like a man bound by an inescapable fate.
As he made his way toward Room 209, the sound of laughter and casual banter filled the air, growing louder with each step. He pushed the door open and, as expected, found his best friend Kiyan lounging in their usual spot by the window.
Kiyan's smirk was immediate, his gaze sharpening at the sight of Kayn's slouched figure. "You're hopeless, you know that?" he teased, shaking his head in mock dismay. Then, leaning forward with a conspiratorial gleam in his eye, he added, "Let's ditch the books after this. You and me—time to have some fun."
Kayn rolled his eyes as he slid into his seat. For a moment, his exhaustion seemed to melt away, replaced by the familiar flicker of amusement. His lips quirked up in a knowing, albeit tired, smile.
The final bell rang, its echo signaling the end of another monotonous class. Kayn and Kiyan stepped out into the open, ready to fall back into their usual routine. But as they moved to take their next step, something in the air shifted—an unnatural stillness spreading across the campus.
The sky above them dimmed, the vibrant blue replaced by an eerie twilight, casting an unsettling chill over everything.
"What the—?" Kiyan's voice faltered, his usual bravado slipping as his feet froze to the ground.
Suddenly, a shimmering hologram appeared before them, glowing faintly in the dimmed light. It hovered in mid-air, its edges flickering with strange energy.
"System successfully imported."
Kiyan's eyes widened, his confidence now replaced by unease. "Kayn, what's going on? Why did it just… get dark? And what does that even mean?"
Kayn stood rooted to the spot, his mind racing to make sense of the inexplicable sight. The words from the hologram hung in the air, heavy and ominous, but offered no answers. He turned to Kiyan, his expression mirroring the same confusion, the same bewilderment in his friend's eyes.
Before they could even begin to process what was happening, the hologram flickered again, shifting with a strange, almost foreboding sense of finality.
"Prepare yourselves, because the world is changing."