Chapter 2 — Ripples in Ordinary Days
The evening air was cool as Lior and Kai stepped out of Lior's apartment building, backpacks slung carelessly over their shoulders. For anyone else, it was a normal day winding down—but Lior felt a subtle weight pressing at the edges of his perception. The Veil hummed faintly beneath his skin, a secret pulse only he could sense.
Kai kicked a pebble along the sidewalk, grinning. "You've been weird all day. Staring into space again. What's up with you?"
Lior forced a small smile. "Nothing. Just… thinking." He adjusted the strap of his bag, careful not to let the cube inside shift. This was the first time he was taking it home. Its metallic surface caught the streetlights for a brief instant, glimmering like it had a heartbeat of its own.
Kai frowned. "You always say that, but you never really tell me. Come on, man, I'm your friend. You can trust me."
Lior shook his head, forcing his mind back to normal. "I know. Just… some things aren't easy to explain."
They walked in silence toward their favorite park, the path familiar yet strangely heavy in Lior's mind. Every rustle of leaves, every distant honk of a car seemed slightly out of place. The Veil was stirring, though Lior had yet to fully understand it.
Once they reached the park, Kai tossed a small soccer ball toward him. Lior instinctively caught it, and for a fleeting instant, the world seemed to pause. A single droplet from the fountain hung in the air, motionless. Lior blinked rapidly, and it fell as usual. His heart raced—not from the catch, but from the sensation lingering under his skin. The Veil… he thought, hiding his reaction from Kai.
Kai laughed. "Hey! You okay? You froze for a second there."
"Yeah, I'm fine," Lior said quickly, tossing the ball back. He could feel the cube's faint thrum in his bag, reminding him that it was more than just a trinket.
They wandered to their usual bench, and Lior sat down heavily, still sensing the subtle hum of his hidden ability. Kai plopped down beside him. "Seriously, man. You've been acting like this all week. Something's happening, isn't it?"
"Just… learning," Lior said vaguely. He stared at the horizon, shadows stretching lazily across the grass. "Sometimes the world feels… off. Like it's waiting for something."
Kai shrugged, unconcerned. "You're getting way too deep for a normal Thursday evening."
Lior chuckled faintly, letting the cube rest against his chest inside the bag. The faint glow of the runes pulsed slightly, almost as if the cube itself were aware of him. The Veil whispered softly in his mind, its subtle pull reminding him that this was only the beginning.
Somewhere in the distance, the first ripple of attention passed, imperceptible to anyone but Lior. The world around them was ordinary, but he knew that ordinary was just a veil for something far more dangerous, far more intricate, waiting just beyond the edge of perception.
Kai kicked the ball again, oblivious. "Come on, man, play with me. Don't let your brain turn into mush out here."
Lior stood, catching the ball with a faint smile, and for the first time, let himself enjoy a small fragment of ordinary life. Even as The Veil hummed quietly, reminding him that secrets and shadows lurked everywhere, he felt a fragile calm—a brief, fleeting moment of stillness before the storm.