1 Chapter 1: Weird Day

Shivering under the blankets, Ace woke up from the sound of his alarm. He sat up quickly, turned off his alarm, and hugged himself to keep warm. "Such a cold day..." He mumbled under his breath barely even audible. His phone lit up notifying him that he has a message. After seeing that, he helped himself to it and read the text. The message came from his mom, saying that they won't be home till next Christmas. Ace turned his phone off. "Why am I not surprised." He said as he grabbed his blankets and walked towards the kitchen.

Ace had been living alone for almost three years now. His parents have a company abroad and they have been working there since then. Ace was left behind to live by himself. Well, his parents always send money to him. And it's always more than what he needs, so he doesn't even bother to worry about the bills and other expenses for his parents pay them for him always. But leaving an eleven-year-old kid to live for himself for three years is an act of being highly irresponsible for their child.

Ace walked downstairs and started to do his everyday routine. Starting from cooking his food to taking a bath. He went out of the bathroom rubbing his head dry with his towel. He took his uniform hanging on his closet and began putting it on. Grabbing his jacket and wearing it, he picked up his bag and went to the front door. He walked out locking the door behind him and shoving his keys inside the pocket of his jacket, then started making his way to school. He looked around and noticed that no one is even walking outside nor cars bustling about. While walking to school, he felt something weird. The feeling was like someone or something was watching him. He stops for a moment and swiftly turns around. He started scanning everything behind him but to his surprise, no one was there. He shifted his gaze to his feet and turned back to continue walking once more. "It's so cold today, most of the time it would be warm." He thought to himself. "Today is a weird day" He mumbled and continued walking to schoolAce was nearing his school when someone jumped on him, arms wrapping around him making him unbalanced and jerk forward. He turned to look at the idiot that almost made him fall to his face. He saw his friend Azi. "Hey, Ace!" Azi shouted in a so-high-pitched tone that you'll get irritated before you even got to hear it. "What the hell! I almost died!" His response to the greeting. Azi laughed and grins mischievously at Ace. "Hey, Azi! You left me behind." Ace heard it and turned to look and see his other friend Athena. "Oh hey there Ace." Said, Athena. She checked her phone and looked at the time. She ran towards Ace and Azi as she grabs their hands and pulled them with her. "We're going to be late!" She yelled as they all sprinted towards the entrance of the school, with their wrists still tangled with Athena. Dashing through the halls they made it to their class and sat down their desk panting. The bell rang signaling students and teachers that classes are starting. "Looks like we made it." Ace said to Athena that was sitting beside him. "Yep! Fortunately, but almost even failed" She negatively replied before rolling her eyes.

As the lesson went on Ace was sketching on his spare notebook. "The atmosphere's freezing..." Athena said while attempting to shrug the coldness off. "Yeah it is cold but it's not even raining" Ace replied looking at the window. "Kinda weird right?" "Yeah pretty weird.." Athena said. "But I'm way prettier" she added after a second, they burst out into laughter.

Unfortunately, their laughter was a bit too loud making the class turn their heads to them. The teacher also noticed them and glared at the two. She got mad at them for disturbing the class and surely, this won't end well for them. "Ace and Athena." The teacher said in a stern voice. "Leave the classroom until the end of the lesson. I will not tolerate such behavior." Ace and Athena looked at each other, with guilt welling upon their faces as they slowly walked towards the door heading outside. Both of them leaned against the outside walls of the classroom thinking about what they've just done. "You know... it's all your fault." He said breaking the silence. "What? Me?! It wasn't my fault!" She said. "Both of you better stay quiet out there!" The teacher said as she continued her lesson. Both of them sighed in defeat looking at the ground. A moment later Azi walked out of the room smiling at them. "So... How's being thrown out of class feels like?" He said smirking. "Shut it. Ain't my fault." Ace replied. "Oh, so you're blaming me?" Athena said as if she was about to cry. She then crossed her arms looking agitated. "And how did you even get out of the room? Did you get thrown out too?" Ace asked Azi. "What? Me? Get kicked out of class? Uhh no. I asked the teacher that I will guard you two." "All the teachers in this school would do what you ask. You're practically the king of this school." Athena said butting in the conversation.

"Yeah, I know. I'm just way too handsome for them that they can't even resist." Azi said continuously with pride and confidence that's above the roof. Athena rolled her eyes. After a long while of joking and quarreling the bell rang again. "Next class." Ace said to himself. The teacher went out of the room and gave Ace and Athena another glare telling that she is mad. However Athena didn't seem to notice it for her gaze was fixed on the ground, acting like something went out of hand and it'll kill her. The teacher then looked at Azi, gave him a small smile, and bid a small wave to him before turning around. The three stood there in silence thinking about what just happened. Breaking the awkward silence, Athena suddenly grabbed Ace's wrist and walked with him back into their room, Azi following behind them. "Soooo... what's the next class?" Ace asked looking at his notebook and picking up a pencil. "Uhhh I don't know I forgot," Azi replied sitting behind Ace. "It's Geometry idiots," Athena said. "How can you forget a simple schedule?" She said going through her notes. "Well, she's sick so she won't be here anyway." Ace hummed in reply saying that he knows.

Minutes passed and every second feels like hours when there's no teacher. It doesn't seem strange to others but for the three, they knew something was wrong. "This is the last class isn't it?" Azi asked Athena sleepily. "Nope," she replied with her gaze still fixed on her notebook. "Do-" Ace's words were cut off as the bell rang. "Oh come on," he said as he rolled his eyes and picked up his things. "Yeeeees! Come on! Lunchtime!" Azi yelled pulling Ace with him. Ace was then dragged and Athena stood up following them. As they walked through the corridor, Athena saw someone, no- not someone-- she saw something through her peripheral vision. She slightly twisted her head towards the direction of it but she saw nothing. "Umm, I uhh, am just going to the- comfort room" Athena suddenly blurted out. "Uh okay, meet us on our favorite table-" Ace attempted to say but Athena stormed off as if she didn't hear him. "Is she okay?" Azi asked anxiously as he slung his arm on Ace's shoulder. "I guess?" Ace replied and shrugged. "Hold up- you're worried, aren't you? Hahaha" asked Ace with a smirk on his face. "Wait what me? No- I'm just-- uhh, curious, yeah curious" Azi replied. "Okay?" Ace replied still keeping his playful smirk as if trying to irritate his friend. "Whatever" murmured Azi as they then head off towards the cafeteria.

Athena's in the bathroom fixing herself up with the mirror. She placed the comb back to her bag and lifted her eyes to see herself in the mirror but instead, the weird thing she's been seeing for a while caught her attention. She acted like she wasn't shocked but her heart was pounding and her airways feel like it was blocked by something. "I think I'm just imagining". She whispered to herself and blinked. After a second the thing was gone. "I can't take this anymore" she breathlessly said and ran out of the restroom to meet her friends.

She arrived at the place of Ace and Azi, sat down, and held her inhaler. "Are you okay?" They said in unison. "Yeah, uhh, j-just h-ha-having p--pan-panic attacks," she said gasping. "I- I'm f-fine," she told the two. Ace looked at Azi and shrugged. After a while, Athena eventually calmed herself down and started eating with the two. She placed her lunch on the table and "Woaaah, that looks yummy" Azi blurted out. "Do you want some? I can share it with you, I don't have much appetite anyway" She replied as Ace munched down his food and Azi unhesitatingly forked the veggies he wanted from Athena's lunch. "Do you prepare those?" Ace asked. "No, my mom does" Athena replied. "Ah, cool. You're fortunate, my parents are abroad. Like- all the time. They barely even see me or check on me." He started telling them. "Well my parents are like that too, but they come home every holiday" Azi told Ace. "Wait, no way. My parents are almost likely to be that way too- but yesterday they went home, probably feeling bad for me being alone especially with this sickly condition" she unconsciously said and realizing she slipped off too much information then making a shocked expression. "You're sick?" Azi asked her and Ace gave him a smirk again. "Uh no- I Uhm just not feeling well yesterday. So- do you like the food?" Athena replied changing the topic. "Yeah I wish my parents cook the same way too," He said. Athena managed to crack a smile. Moments after they continued eating-- "What the hell." they all blurted out as if they all felt the same for a second. Ace dropped his utensils while Athena started hyperventilating again and Azi went shivering. "Did you see that?" "Did you hear that?" "Did you feel that?" The three said in unison. "Hear what?" "See what?" "Felt what?" The three once again said altogether. The bell rang so it broke their silence and moment of being shocked.

Azi and Ace threw their stuff away while Athena was having a hard time fixing and keeping her things because her hands were shaking. Ace and Azi, however, waited for her. The three were the only ones left in the cafeteria because everyone headed to their classes already. "Come on we're freaking late," Ace told Athena that's already turning pale. "Are you sure you're okay? You look like you're about to pass out. I'm going to hold that for you." Azi offered but Athena refused politely and thanked him. As they were heading off, the sky became dark as if an eclipse was happening, but the strange thing is, the sun doesn't look like a sun anymore. "Ohmygosh." Athena murmured looking at it. It was colored bloodshot red, the one where you see in the movies when monsters of the night will start lurking in, but today was different because it isn't nighttime yet.Azi was locked in his place when Athena grabbed him to continue walking. "Something is wrong," Ace said while the sudden cold wind brushes his hair off his face. Luckily he and Azi have their jackets. "Here," Azi offered his jacket as soon as he saw Athena shivering with the cold. "Are you sure? It's cold" she replied. "You're needing it more, besides, the cold never bothered me anyway" Azi sang acting like Elsa the ice queen of frozen."Thanks" Athena greeted him and ran to catch up with Ace with Azi following behind. "Yow the sun is getting worse" Ace told his two friends but now, in a not-so-calm-and-chill way. "This- i-is crazy" Azi said covering his ears while Athena and Ace heard some weird noises. The footsteps like sound echoed through the hall and small growls can be heard. They turned their backs and--