Yawning…
Isaac leaned back in his chair, legs stretched out beneath the desk, arms lazily folded behind his head. His golden eyes scanned the ceiling with disinterest.
"I know I prepared myself mentally… but still, this is boring," he muttered, voice low enough for only himself to hear.
The teacher's voice echoed through the classroom, droning on about basic safety regulations and mana stabilizing theory. Garbage, all of it. At least to him.
Maybe the rest of these sheep found it useful — wide-eyed, clueless, thinking they're on the path to greatness. But Isaac? He'd heard it all before. He lived it.
He shifted slightly in his chair, eyes sliding to the left.
There it was again.
That girl with the thick glasses — staring.
Again.
He shot her a glance, and she quickly looked away, cheeks red. Isaac sighed and rolled his eyes. He hated this.
He hated being here — this fake normal life.
The bell rang, jolting some of the class upright like puppets.
Ding-ding-ding.
Lunch break.
Finally.
Isaac stood, brushing invisible dust from his shirt, ignoring the excited chatter around him. His plan was clear: grab a bland sandwich, slip behind the gym, and enjoy some silence. Maybe even meditate a bit — not because he had to, but because he liked the quiet.
A perfect plan.
Or at least… it was.
As he stepped into the cafeteria hallway, the noise hit him like a wave. Shouts. Movement. Footsteps scrambling.
A crowd had gathered near the center of the room, forming a tight circle.
"Another fight?" Isaac muttered.
He took a step closer, curiosity piqued despite himself.
In the middle of the chaos stood a red-haired boy — cocky, broad-shouldered, and clearly loving the attention. His knuckles were bruised.
And at his feet were two kids — twins.
One of them, Isaac recognized: Liam. He was standing — barely — arms outstretched protectively in front of his brother. His breathing was shallow, sweat rolling down the side of his face. A cut on his cheek bled slowly, but he didn't seem to care.
Leo, the younger twin, sat behind him on the floor, hands trembling as he clutched his side. His lips quivered, and his wide eyes darted nervously between his brother and the aggressor.
He looked terrified.
Too terrified to cry.
Tch.
Isaac's eyes narrowed, irritation rising.
A pathetic display. And yet…
He turned to walk away.
Let them kill each other. The red-haired brute was a wannabe hunter, and the twins? Well, they were weak. Naive. Pointless.
None of his concern.
Then, just as he reached the door — it happened.
> "What are you doing, you poopy head?! Leave Liam and Leo alone!"
Time stopped.
Isaac blinked. His hand froze mid-push on the door.
"…Poopy head?" he echoed softly, lips twitching.
He turned back slowly, like someone rewinding a film.
That voice…
No way.
It was her.
Maya.
His sister stood defiantly at the edge of the crowd, fists clenched, eyes burning, and a furious scowl on her face. The insult was ridiculous — childish even — but the intent behind it was anything but.
Isaac stared at her, stunned, for half a breath.
Then reality returned — and with it, a storm of emotions.
Shock.
Annoyance.
But above all — curiosity.
How did she know the twins?
He could already feel it: his plan of laying low, of quietly observing and staying off the radar… shattered.
A perfect plan.
Ruined.
And honestly?
Maybe that was for the best.
A crooked smile crept across his face, slow and sharp. His pupils dilated just a bit — not with rage, but with interest.
Excitement, even.
It had been so long since anything stirred his blood. Since he'd felt that familiar itch under his skin — the one that whispered for chaos, for experimentation, for control.
Old habits die hard.
He rolled his shoulders, letting his bag fall to the floor. His posture relaxed, but there was something off about it — too casual, too loose, like a predator pretending to nap with its eyes half open.
One hand slipped into his pocket, fingers twitching slightly.
The red-haired punk was awakened.
Meaning he had potential.
Meaning he had use.
Maybe not as an opponent, but as data. A stress point. A stepping stone.
A lab rat.
Isaac's footsteps echoed as he moved toward the crowd, each step deliberate, each one more intrusive than the last.
No one noticed yet.
But they would.
Oh, they would.
And as the smile twisted wider across his face, only one thought circled in his mind like a broken record:
> So now… how should I take care of this?