The alarm blared.
Raze's eyes snapped open instantly.
Another day of school.
Summer was right around the corner. Just one more week.
"I'm up, I'm up," he groaned, sitting up and clapping his hands three times.
He swung his legs off the bed and froze for a split second at how light his body felt.
He stood up too easily.
"Oh right…" he muttered, rubbing his face as he headed toward the bathroom. "I'm not fully human anymore."
The mirror confirmed it.
His features looked… refined. Sharper, cleaner, like his body had been adjusted overnight. Not dramatic. Not obvious. Just better.
"That's strange…" He hesitated. "…but I guess I should've expected that."
He didn't finish the thought.
Raze changed quickly. He wore a simple black hoodie, dark jeans, and sneakers. The door sealed shut behind him automatically as he left his room, a soft click echoing through the house. One of the perks of advanced home tech.
His footsteps barely made a sound as he moved downstairs.
"Strange… usually I'm starving in the morning." He frowned, glancing at the kitchen. "Might as well skip breakfast."
Outside, the door locked itself behind him.
The walk to school passed by in a blur.
'The system. Becoming a half-ling. Keeping secrets. Something hunting me. An emergency broadcast.'
It was way too much for Raze to swallow and accept at the moment.
When he arrived at school the atmosphere was wrong.
Groups clustered together, voices low but tense.
"We'll finally be able to push our abilities further than ever!" one boy said, excitement practically radiating off him.
"Don't get carried away," another replied.
"People are scared. Millions saw that broadcast. Nobody knows what's coming."
Raze walked past without saying a word.
Then he saw them.
Original bloodlines.
A girl with fiery crimson hair leaned against the lockers, flames dancing lazily across her fingertips as she laughed. Emberfall. Fire so intense it could melt steel.
Further down, a boy with pale blue eyes streaked with silver flexed his fingers. Each movement sharp. Electric. Lightning reflexes.
And stomping down the hall like a walking wall was a massive boy.
Every step he took rattled lockers. His skin looked dense and heavy. Almost stone-like.
Dreadhorn.
Names that were supposed to stay in books.
Now they filled the hallways.
And for the first time, Raze wondered if the thing hunting him… might not even be looking at students like them.
The classroom went quiet when he entered.
Dozens of eyes turned toward him. Bored. Unimpressed. Some sneering.
Just Raze.
No awakening. No bloodline.
He ignored them and slid into his seat by the window.
The teacher arrived moments later, clapping once.
"I assume everyone saw the emergency broadcast?"
Most nodded.
"You three," the teacher said, pointing toward the back.
A boy smirked. "Didn't see it, sir. I was asleep."
Lilac bloodline. They were known to be able to control beasts.
"And you?"
"I was asleep too," a girl said quickly.
"And you?"
"I was gaming, sir."a boy said with a nervous grin.
"Fair enough," the teacher said. "Now listen carefully. Everyone sixteen and older will be placed into Military School. Mandatory. This threat isn't just real—it's close."
The room buzzed.
"And today," he continued, "we'll conduct an assessment. Awakenings allowed. Everyone participates… except Raze."
Relief slipped out of Raze in a quiet breath.
Cheers erupted. Excitement. Fear. Bragging.
"We'll be joined by other classes. Perform well. Reports go straight to the military."
The teacher paused, eyes flicking briefly to Raze. "Raze, stay behind."
The room emptied fast.
No one looked back.
Raze sat there alone for a moment.
"…Honestly," he muttered, standing. "If I'm not needed, I might as well go home."
He did.
Back home, he dropped onto the couch and turned on the TV.
The news channel was already playing.
Gilbert Nightwing filled the screen.
"We are coordinating with allied nations to construct hundreds of military schools in record time," Nightwing said. "All facilities will be operational within one week. Every citizen aged sixteen and older will be enrolled. No exceptions, aside from the elderly."
Raze's stomach dropped.
One week.
"Today's the last day of school…" he whispered. "…before summer break."
And my last normal week.
He leaned back, chest tight for no clear reason.
Somewhere out there, something had already noticed him.