Chapter Two: Day Walker

Raymond rolled his eyes at Olivia's joke, but couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his gut. Something weird was definitely going on.

"Alright, Liv. What's our next move? I can't exactly walk around school with a creepy eye on my chest without freaking everyone out."

Olivia tapped her chin thoughtfully, her black-painted nails contrasting sharply with her pale skin. "Well, for starters, we should probably keep this on the down-low. No need to alert the entire student body that you've suddenly grown a third eye."

"Yeah, because that was totally my plan," Raymond quipped sarcastically.

Just then, the bell rang, signaling the start of first period. Raymond groaned. "Great. Now I get to sit through Biology while worrying about whatever the hell is happening to me."

Olivia patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Look on the bright side, Ray-Ray. Maybe you'll develop some cool superpowers to go with your new body art."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure having an eye on my chest will grant me x-ray vision or something equally useful," Raymond muttered as they gathered their things and headed out of the library.

As they walked down the crowded hallway, Raymond couldn't shake the feeling that everyone was staring at him. He hunched his shoulders, trying to make himself as small as possible in his baggy anime t-shirt.

"Dude, relax," Olivia whispered. "You look like you're about to have a panic attack. Just act normal."

"Easy for you to say," Raymond hissed back. "You don't have a magical tattoo that appeared overnight."

They reached Raymond's biology classroom, and Olivia gave him a reassuring smile. "I'll do some more digging during study hall. Try not to freak out too much, okay?"

Raymond nodded, taking a deep breath before entering the classroom. He made his way to his usual seat near the back, trying to ignore the prickling sensation on the back of his neck that told him he was being watched.

As he sat down, he noticed Sophia Rodriguez, the most popular girl in school, glancing his way. She quickly averted her gaze when she saw him looking, but Raymond could have sworn he saw a flicker of... something in her eyes. Concern? Fear? He couldn't quite place it.

Mr. Harris, the biology teacher, cleared his throat to get the class's attention. "Alright, everyone. Today we'll be starting our unit on genetics. Can anyone tell me what determines a person's genetic makeup?"

Raymond's hand shot up automatically, his brain shifting into nerd mode despite his current predicament.

Mr. Harris nodded at him. "Yes, Mr. Gillies?"

"DNA, sir. Deoxyribonucleic acid, which contains the genetic instructions for the development and functioning of all known living organisms," Raymond rattled off, earning a few eye rolls from his classmates.

"Excellent, Raymond. Now, can anyone tell me-"

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over Raymond. The classroom began to spin, and he gripped the edges of his desk, trying to steady himself. A high-pitched ringing filled his ears, drowning out Mr. Harris's voice.

And then, just as quickly as it had come, the sensation passed. Raymond blinked, realizing that everyone in the class was staring at him.

"Mr. Gillies? Are you alright?" Mr. Harris asked, concern evident in his voice.

Raymond nodded weakly. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just felt a little dizzy for a second there."

Mr. Harris frowned. "Perhaps you should go see the nurse."

"No, really, I'm okay," Raymond insisted, not wanting to draw any more attention to himself. "Please, continue with the lesson."

Mr. Harris hesitated for a moment before nodding and returning to his lecture.

Raymond tried to focus on the lesson, but his mind kept wandering back to the strange mark on his chest and the odd sensations he'd been experiencing.

As the class dragged on, Raymond found himself hyper-aware of his surroundings. He could hear the steady thrum of his classmates' heartbeats, smell the lingering scent of their various shampoos and perfumes, and even sense the slight shifts in the air as people moved around.

It was overwhelming, and Raymond found himself gripping his pencil so tightly it nearly snapped in half. What the hell was happening to him?

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the bell rang. Raymond bolted from his seat, nearly knocking over his chair in his haste to get out of the classroom.

He rushed to the nearest bathroom, locking himself in a stall and leaning against the cool metal door. His heart was racing, and he could feel sweat beading on his forehead.

"Get it together, Gillies," he muttered to himself, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths.

After a few minutes, he felt calm enough to leave the stall. He splashed some cold water on his face and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He looked pale and a little wild-eyed, but otherwise normal.

Lifting up his shirt, he examined the strange mark on his chest. It seemed to pulse slightly, as if it had a life of its own. Raymond quickly dropped his shirt back down, feeling nauseous.

As he exited the bathroom, he nearly collided with someone. "Oh, sorry, I wasn't-"

He froze as he realized who he'd bumped into. Ethan Blackwood, the mysterious new guy who'd transferred to their school a few weeks ago, was standing there, his dark eyes fixed intently on Raymond.

"No worries," Ethan said smoothly, his voice low and oddly melodic. "You seemed to be in quite a hurry."

Raymond nodded, suddenly feeling tongue-tied. There was something about Ethan that had always made him feel on edge, and now that feeling was amplified tenfold.

Ethan leaned in slightly, his nostrils flaring as if he was... sniffing Raymond? "You smell different today, Raymond. Is everything alright?"

Raymond took a step back, alarm bells ringing in his head. "I'm fine," he said quickly. "Just, uh, trying out a new cologne."

Ethan's lips curved into a small, knowing smile. "Of course. Well, take care of yourself, Raymond. These halls can be... dangerous for the unprepared."

With that cryptic statement, Ethan brushed past Raymond and disappeared down the hallway, leaving Raymond standing there feeling even more confused and unsettled than before.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur. Raymond found it increasingly difficult to concentrate on his classes, his heightened senses constantly bombarding him with information.

By the time lunch rolled around, he felt like his head was going to explode.

He made his way to the cafeteria, scanning the crowded room for Olivia. He spotted her sitting at their usual table in the corner, her laptop open in front of her.

"Please tell me you found something," Raymond said as he slid into the seat across from her, not even bothering with getting food. His stomach was too tied up in knots to eat anyway.

Olivia looked up, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Well, I've got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?"

Raymond sighed. "Hit me with the bad news."

"Okay, so the bad news is that I couldn't find any concrete information about spontaneously appearing magical eye tattoos," Olivia said, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she spoke. "But the good news is that I did find some interesting folklore that might be related."

She turned the laptop around so Raymond could see the screen. It showed an ancient-looking illustration of a figure with various symbols etched into their skin, including an eye-like mark on their chest.

"According to this obscure mythology website I found, there are legends of people marked by the gods to serve as bridges between the mortal world and the supernatural realm," Olivia explained. "These 'Chosen Ones' were said to possess incredible powers and were often sought after by both benevolent and malevolent forces."

Raymond stared at the illustration, his chest tightening. "So you're saying I might be some kind of... supernatural chosen one?"

Olivia shrugged. "It's just a theory, but it's the best lead we've got so far. It would explain the weird sensations you've been having and why everyone seems to be staring at you."

"Great," Raymond groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "Because my life wasn't complicated enough already."

"Look on the bright side," Olivia said, reaching across the table to pat his arm. "If you really are some kind of chosen one, maybe you'll develop cool powers. Like being able to ace tests without studying or something."

Raymond couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Yeah, because that's totally how mystical powers work."

Just then, a shadow fell over their table. Raymond looked up to see Sophia Rodriguez standing there, looking uncharacteristically nervous.

"Um, hi Raymond," she said, fidgeting with the strap of her designer bag. "Can I talk to you for a second? In private?"

Raymond exchanged a surprised glance with Olivia before nodding. "Uh, sure. I'll be right back," he told Olivia, who was eyeing Sophia suspiciously.

He followed Sophia out of the cafeteria and into an empty classroom. She closed the door behind them and turned to face him, her expression serious.

"Look, I know this is going to sound crazy," Sophia began, her voice low and urgent. "But I need to know if anything... strange has happened to you recently."

Raymond's heart began to race. Did she know something about what was happening to him? "What do you mean by strange?" he asked cautiously.

Sophia bit her lip, seemingly debating how much to reveal. Finally, she sighed and said, "I saw you in Biology earlier. The way you reacted... it was like you were overwhelmed by something no one else could sense."

Raymond's eyes widened. "How did you-"

"Because I've seen it before," Sophia interrupted. "My family... we have a long history of dealing with the supernatural. And what I saw today... it reminded me of someone who's just coming into their powers."

Raymond felt like the floor had dropped out from under him. "Powers? What are you talking about?"

Sophia took a step closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "Raymond, I think you might be a Daywalker. A human with vampire-like abilities."

For a moment, Raymond just stared at her, waiting for the punchline. When it didn't come, he let out a slightly hysterical laugh. "Okay, very funny. Did Olivia put you up to this?"

Sophia's expression remained deadly serious. "This isn't a joke, Raymond. You're in danger. There are others who will be able to sense what you are, and not all of them will be friendly."

Raymond's laughter died in his throat as he remembered his encounter with Ethan earlier. The way he had sniffed Raymond, the knowing look in his eyes...

"Oh god," Raymond breathed, suddenly feeling lightheaded. "This can't be happening."

Sophia reached out and grabbed his arm, steadying him. "I know it's a lot to take in, but you need to listen to me. My family can help you understand what's happening and teach you how to control your abilities."

Raymond's mind was reeling. Vampires? Daywalkers? It all sounded like something out of one of his favorite anime series. And yet... the mark on his chest, the heightened senses, the way people had been looking at him all day...

"Why should I trust you?" he asked, even as a part of him already knew he did.

Sophia's eyes softened. "Because right now, I might be the only person who can keep you safe from what's coming."

As if on cue, a loud crash echoed from the hallway, followed by screams. Raymond and Sophia exchanged alarmed looks before rushing to the door.

They peered out into the hallway to see students running in panic. At the far end of the corridor stood a figure Raymond recognized – Ethan Blackwood. But he looked different now. His eyes were glowing red, and sharp fangs protruded from his mouth.

"Oh shit," Raymond breathed, his heart pounding in his chest.

Sophia grabbed his hand, her grip tight. "We need to get you out of here. Now."

As they turned to flee, Raymond caught Ethan's gaze. The vampire's lips curved into a predatory smile.

"Run all you want, Daywalker," Ethan called out, his voice carrying easily over the chaos.

"But you can't escape your destiny."

With that ominous declaration ringing in his ears, Raymond allowed Sophia to pull him down the hallway, away from the monster that had once been his classmate. As they ran, one thought kept repeating in Raymond's mind:

His life would never be the same again.