Life Beyond the Mask
The school bell echoed through the hallways, signaling the start of another day. Tyr sighed as he slid into his seat in homeroom, his violet eyes scanning the classroom. Students were busy chatting, laughing, and catching up on homework they should have done the night before.
To most of them, this was just another ordinary day. To Tyr, it became a welcomed reprieve from the chaos of his double life.
---
The morning started with biology, a subject Tyr found mildly interesting but far too easy. His teacher, Mr. Hollis, was explaining DNA replication with a level of enthusiasm that suggested he thought he was hosting a TED Talk.
"So," Mr. Hollis said, pacing the room, "if you think about it, the human genome is like a code. A beautiful, intricate code that makes you... you!"
"Or a cheat code," Jake whispered from the seat beside Tyr, leaning over with a grin. "Do you think there's an undo button for bad decisions?"
Tyr smirked, not looking away from the board. "If there was, you'd have worn it out by now."
Jake laughed a little too loudly, drawing the attention of Melany, who turned in her seat to glare at both of them. "Can you two stop? Some of us are trying to pay attention."
"You? Paying attention?" Jake teased. "What, are you planning to become a geneticist now?"
Melany rolled her eyes. "Better than whatever you're planning. Does wasting oxygen count as a career?"
Tyr leaned back, trying to hide his amusement. "Can we not fight before lunch? It's too early for this."
Melany shook her head, her fiery hair swaying as she turned back to the board. Jake just shrugged, leaning back with a smug grin.
---
Lunch was always a chaotic affair. Tyr sat with his usual group—Jake, Melany, and Oliver—at their table in the corner of the cafeteria.
"So, Tyr," Jake began, stabbing at his slice of pizza with a plastic fork, "are you ever going to tell us what you do for fun? Or are you just secretly a robot who charges overnight?"
The red-haired girl groaned. "Jake, give it a rest."
"No, seriously!" Jake said, leaning closer to Tyr. "You're always so... serious. Like, do you have any hobbies? Or is it just books and looking broody in the corner?"
Tyr took a bite of his sandwich, chewing slowly before answering. "I like to build things."
Jake raised an eyebrow. "Build things? Like what? Birdhouses?"
"More like gadgets," Tyr replied, keeping it vague. "Electronics, small machines... stuff like that."
"Cool," Oliver chimed in, adjusting his glasses. "Like engineering? That's actually pretty awesome."
Jake snorted. "Yeah, until he builds a killer robot and takes over the world. I'm calling it now—Tyr is going full evil genius."
Tyr smirked. "If I was, you'd be the first test subject."
The table burst into laughter, and even Melany cracked a smile.
---
The afternoon classes dragged on, with history being the worst offender. The teacher, Mrs. Green, was discussing the American Revolution in a tone that suggested she'd been alive to see it firsthand.
Jake, who sat behind Tyr, leaned forward and whispered, "If she says 'founding fathers' one more time, I'm throwing myself out the window."
"Don't tempt me to help you," Tyr whispered back, eliciting a stifled laugh from Jake.
Melany, sitting a row ahead, shot them another glare. "Will you two stop? You're going to get us all in trouble."
"Relax, Melany," Jake said, leaning back in his chair. "If they call on me, I'll just say my ancestor was one of the founding fathers. They can't fail me for that, right?"
Oliver chimed in from across the aisle. "Your ancestor was probably a potato farmer."
Jake clutched his chest dramatically. "Wow, Oliver. Betrayal hurts the most when it comes from family."
---
By the time the final bell rang, Tyr was ready to leave. As much as he appreciated the normalcy of school, it was hard to keep up the act sometimes. His mind constantly wandered back to his projects, his training, and the threats lurking in the shadows of the city.
As he walked toward the exit, Jake jogged up beside him. "Hey, man, we're all going to grab burgers after school. You in?"
Tyr hesitated. Spending more time with his friends sounded appealing, but he had work to do. The boots needed fine-tuning, his telekinesis training was behind schedule, and there was always the looming threat of Silvermane to consider.
"Rain check," Tyr said, offering a small smile. "I've got some stuff to take care of."
Jake frowned but nodded. "Alright, but you're missing out. Best burgers in the city."
"I'll survive," Tyr replied, heading toward his usual route home.
---
As he walked, Tyr reflected on the day. His friends were relentless in their teasing, but it was all in good fun. For a few hours, he'd been able to forget about the weight of his responsibilities and just... be a kid.
But the moment he stepped through the door of his workshop, the reality of his situation came rushing back.
"Back to work," Tyr muttered, his violet eyes hardening with determination.