White Cat

Ethan walked down the hallway, clutching his books, when he suddenly heard a blaring alarm echo through the school. The sound was sharp and jarring, contrasting with the otherwise mundane atmosphere of the building.

Principal Jin glanced at his watch, a look of mild concern crossing his face. "That's the bell for class," he said, his voice steady, "but luckily, we've just arrived at your classroom."

Ethan looked at the door the principal was pointing to and took a deep, steadying breath. This was it—the moment he would officially start his new school life.

Principal Jin knocked on the door, and a moment later, a woman with a warm smile opened it. Teacher Soo Young looked past the principal and immediately spotted Ethan standing behind him.

"Hello, Principal," she said brightly. "Is this my new student?"

The principal nodded, offering a brief introduction before stepping aside and leaving Ethan in her capable hands.

"Welcome!" Mrs. Soo Young said, her enthusiasm infectious. She turned to the class, raising her voice to grab their attention. "Alright, everyone, settle down. We have a new student joining us today. Let's make sure to give him a warm welcome."

Ethan felt a mix of excitement and nerves as she gestured for him to come forward. Turning to the class, she encouraged him, "Would you like to introduce yourself?"

Taking a deep breath, Ethan stepped forward. "Hi, everyone. My name is Hyun Woo, but my family calls me Ethan. I look forward to getting to know you all. Thank you."

The class responded with a supportive round of applause, encouraged by their teacher's warm smile.

Feeling a bit more at ease, Ethan chose a seat at the back of the room, methodically arranging his books. As he settled in, he noticed a red-haired boy next to him, completely fast asleep, his head resting on the desk.

A girl wearing glasses, seated in front of Ethan, turned around and whispered urgently, "You'd better keep your distance from him, and whatever you do, don't wake him up."

Ethan raised an eyebrow, glancing at her with a mix of curiosity and seriousness. He nodded, lowering his head to continue organizing his things, his mind already drifting into thought.

The girl's face flushed with irritation, but just as she opened her mouth to say something else, Mrs. Soo Young's voice rang out. "Quiet down, class. Let's get started." Frustrated, the girl turned back around with a huff, leaving Ethan to focus on the lesson without further interruption.

Hours Later

The bell signaling the end of class rang, echoing throughout the room and breaking the spell of concentration. Ethan quickly packed up his things, standing and stretching. To his surprise, he noticed the red-haired boy who had been sleeping earlier was now gone.

As he headed out of the classroom, he muttered to himself, "I knew starting in the middle of the year would be tough, but I didn't expect it to be this hard." His voice was low, almost lost in the buzz of students filing out.

Sighing, he walked toward his bike, his thoughts still swirling. As he closed the classroom door behind him, he failed to notice the flickering overhead light burning out, as if a thin, invisible thread of electricity was inexplicably connected to him.

Inside, the remaining students exchanged puzzled glances. "Why did the light go out? Was there a power outage?" one of them asked, looking around in confusion.

Ethan hopped onto his bike and followed his usual route home, the familiar streets comforting him as he pedaled. When he reached his neighborhood, something caught his eye—a white cat sitting regally in front of a tree. He stopped, curiosity piqued, and climbed off his bike, approaching the feline cautiously.

The cat hissed as he drew closer, ears flattened against its head, but Ethan spoke to it gently, as if it could understand him. "Hey, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to help."

To his surprise, the cat stopped hissing, allowing him to pet its head cautiously. Ethan knelt down, inspecting the creature closely. It was then he noticed the kitten's hurt leg, a slight limp that spoke of an unseen injury.

"Poor thing," he murmured, feeling a surge of empathy. "I'll take you home and fix your leg, okay?" The cat remained wary but surprisingly didn't resist as Ethan gently scooped it up.

As he turned to leave, still unaware of the strange transformation happening behind him, the cat's eyes began to shift. The blue orbs flickered and slowly morphed into a soft, glowing purple, their brightness contrasting with the mundane world around them. Ethan walked home, oblivious to the magical transformation unfolding in the air behind him, focused only on the small life he had decided to rescue.