Oscar's gaze drifted out the window, his thoughts lost in the vast expanse of the world beyond. The monotone voice of his teacher, Mrs. Johnson, faded into the background as his mind wandered. What lay beyond the confines of this mundane world? He felt an inexplicable pull, as if a hidden truth lurked just beneath the surface of reality.
Mitch, a classmate sitting in the back, observed Oscar with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. There was something different about him – a quiet intensity that made Mitch uneasy. A sly smirk spread across his face, sensing a hidden power beneath Oscar's calm exterior.
The school bell rang, its shrill sound jolting Oscar out of his reverie. He quickly gathered his belongings and joined the throng of students spilling out of the classroom. The weight of the world seemed to press upon him as he walked through the bustling hallway, lost in thought.
As Oscar moved through the crowd, snippets of conversation and laughter filled the air. He caught Joyce's eye, a girl with long, curly black hair styled in tight, Afro-textured coils, chatting with her friend by her locker. Their eyes met for a brief moment, a fleeting connection, before Joyce's gaze quickly shifted away. Her cheeks flushed, and Oscar couldn't help but smile to himself.
Near the door, Sam, a tall, lanky boy, fumbled with his locker, muttering under his breath. He caught Oscar's eye and gave him a quick nod before returning to his search.
Oscar's footsteps slowed as a melody reached his ears. The sound of a guitar, soulful and rich, echoed through the hallway. Drawn by the music, he followed the sound to a secluded corner of the school yard. There, sitting on a bench, was a boy with spiky black hair and piercing blue eyes, his fingers deftly strumming the strings.
Their eyes met, and Oscar felt a strange jolt run through him. The boy's face lit up with a warm smile. "Hey, you're the new kid, right?" he asked, his voice easy and friendly.
"I'm Kaito," he continued. "I've got an ability – fire manipulation. Pretty cool, huh?" Oscar blinked, taken aback. "Yeah, that's amazing. I'm Oscar."
Kaito grinned, his expression lighting up. "Nice to meet you, Oscar."
Before Oscar could respond, a group of rough-looking teens emerged from the shadows, their eyes narrowing as they approached Kaito. The leader, a burly boy with a menacing scowl, sneered at him.
"Well, well, well. Look what we've got here," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "You think you're special with your little fire tricks?"
The group closed in, their intentions clear. Oscar felt a surge of unease, but his instincts kicked in. He stepped forward, ready to protect his new friend.
The burly boy raised his hand, crackling with electrical energy. With a malicious grin, he fired a bolt directly at Oscar. But before it could reach him, Oscar's hand moved as if guided by an unseen force. The energy surged toward him, and he yanked it back into the thug's body.
The boy's eyes widened in horror as his own power turned against him. His body convulsed, the electrical energy shocking him from within. He stumbled back, panic spreading across his face, while his friends looked on, too stunned to act.
In an instant, the group retreated, the air still crackling with tension. Kaito, wide-eyed and clearly impressed, turned to Oscar.
"Thanks for having my back, Oscar," Kaito said, his voice filled with excitement. "You're definitely not your average student."
Oscar smiled, feeling a sense of camaraderie. "No problem. I just did what I had to."
As the two walked away from the scene, Kaito threw a glance at Oscar, his eyes twinkling with curiosity.
"Hey, you want to grab lunch? I'm buying."
Oscar grinned. A new friendship, forged in the heat of an unexpected conflict, was beginning to take root.
"Sounds like a plan."
Little did Oscar know, his actions had set in motion a series of events that would pull him into the hidden history of the world. Beneath the surface of everyday life, the balance between the races – Hollow, Nile, and Vast – was fragile, held together by the relics that had once been bestowed upon humanity by the omnipotent Absolute. Those relics, ancient and powerful, were tied to the very fabric of the universe itself.
Oscar's powers, though seemingly unremarkable to him, were part of a larger legacy, one that reached back eons to a time when the gods governed the balance of life and death.