The next morning came like a quiet lie.
The countdown in their minds read [5 Days Before Outbreak], glowing faintly at the corner of their system interface like a crimson scar.
School carried on as usual—bells ringing, students laughing, gossip spreading through the corridors. None of them knew what was coming. But for Arin, Liora, and Kael, the world already felt foreign. Every laugh, every careless smile, was a luxury about to be devoured.
Recess came. The three sat by the window of their class, pretending to scroll through their phones while their system interface flickered in their eyes. A few students whispered about their distant attitudes lately, but they didn't care.
Then the classroom grew quiet.
A ripple of whispers spread like fire through the room.
> "It's the student council president…"
"She's with the vice president too."
"Why are they here?"
Two figures stepped in.
Ayla Frost, the school's president—long silver hair tied neatly behind her head, sharp blue eyes like shards of winter. Even without powers, she carried an aura that made people straighten their backs.
Beside her was Rhett Blaze, the vice president—lean, tall, his dark red hair falling loosely over intense amber eyes. His presence was hot where hers was cold, confident where hers was calculated.
Rumors about them were constant—the Ice Queen and the Fire Lord, the untouchable pair. In their past life, they had risen as two of the strongest ability users in the apocalypse. They had commanded their own faction, burned through hordes, and froze entire armies. And now… they were walking straight toward the three reincarnators.
Liora raised an eyebrow. "Well. That's new."
Ayla stopped in front of their desks, her cool gaze flicking from Arin to Kael to Liora. "We need to talk."
Rhett folded his arms casually, but his eyes were sharp. "In private. Not here."
The class collectively sucked in a breath.
"W-What did they do?" someone whispered.
"Are they in trouble?"
Kael sighed, standing first. "Fine. Lead the way."
---
They ended up behind the school gym, an empty corner where few students wandered. The wind carried the faint scent of grass, and the distant sound of a basketball hitting the court echoed faintly.
Ayla didn't waste time.
"I saw what you three were doing," she said flatly. "The other night. Your powers."
Liora's fingers twitched, a faint pulse of necrotic energy rippling beneath her skin.
Arin didn't react outwardly, but his shadow slid across the ground, subtle as a threat. "And?"
Rhett gave a half-smile. "You're not very subtle, you know. Most students can't sense anything yet. But Ayla and I… we're different."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Different?"
Ayla met his gaze head-on. "Let's just say… power is not entirely unfamiliar to us."
The three exchanged quick glances. They remembered this. In their past life, the student council duo were among the first awakened, rumored to have been "chosen." It had made them terrifyingly strong later on.
Liora tilted her head, a cold glint in her eye. "Why are you telling us this?"
Rhett shrugged lightly. "Because whatever's coming… we're not blind. And you three are hiding something big. Power like that doesn't just appear out of nowhere."
Ayla stepped closer, her aura sharp as frost. "I'm not here to expose you. Not yet. But I don't like unknown variables in my school."
Arin's lips curved into a faint smile, though his eyes were steel. "And what makes you think you can handle us if we are a problem?"
For the first time, a flicker of respect crossed Ayla's cold features. "Because I'm not weak."
Rhett smirked. "Neither am I."
The tension was thick enough to snap.
But after a heartbeat, Ayla took a step back, her voice even. "We're not enemies. If anything… we might be the only people worth trusting when the world burns."
She turned away. "Think about that."
Rhett shoved his hands in his pockets, flashing them a grin that didn't quite hide the edge in his tone. "See you around, shadows."
They walked off, leaving the three standing under the quiet afternoon sun.
Liora exhaled slowly. "Well… that was intense."
Kael's hands curled into fists. "They're strong. Even now."
Arin watched their retreating backs, the faint flicker of shadow dancing at his feet. "…They'll be a problem," he muttered. "Or an ally. Maybe both."
Above their heads, the system clock ticked silently.
[5 Days Before Outbreak]
And somewhere, the world prepared to break.