I follow them into the hallway, surrounded by chatter, footsteps, and the smell of cafeteria fries drifting from below.
Everything feels normal.
Everything looks normal.
Then the morpher pulses again.
A slow… steady… heartbeat.
I stop for half a second.
Not in fear—
in recognition.
Like some part of me, some instinct born from the Grid and this new world, is whispering:
Pay attention.
Peter turns slightly. "Hey, you spaced out for a sec. You good?"
"Yeah," I say, though my fingers tighten around the strap of my bag.
The pulse comes again—warmer this time.
Almost like it's pointing at something.
Not a threat.
Not danger.
Just… importance.
Like the people walking beside me matter.
Like today matters.
Not because I know the future.
Not because I recognize anything.
But because something deep inside me senses that this moment is the start of something big.
The calm before the storm.
The quiet before everything begins.
And I don't know why—
I don't know how—
but I feel it in my bones:
My life is about to change.
And whatever's coming… I won't be facing it alone.