New Beginnings

Ethan's Morning

When Ethan woke up that morning, he wished for one thing: normalcy. But things had never really gone the way he wanted. His father was always buried in work, barely looking up from his projects, while his mother had been absent for as long as he could remember. He and his sister, Lina, had practically raised themselves. Ethan's life up to age sixteen had been all about books and tests. His thin frame and pale skin gave him the look of someone who'd been locked away for years, more a shadow than a teenager.

Despite his good grades and the respect he earned for being the smartest kid in school, Ethan's world felt small and suffocating. His family's distance pulled him into long silences, where he'd question if he'd ever escape the life he was living.

When he imagined attending the prestigious high school he'd dreamed of since he was a kid, it felt like a promise of something better. But one wrong move shattered that dream. A mistake on his application landed him in the roughest high school in the city—a place with a reputation for gangs and trouble. The kind of place where even the streets whispered stories of danger. Ethan's hope felt like it had slipped through his fingers.

Lina, on the other hand, was everything Ethan wasn't—confident, vibrant, and fiercely independent. At fifteen, she seemed older than her years, with a presence that drew people in. Ethan's worry for her only deepened because he knew how much she stood out. The thought of her getting mixed up in this dangerous world gnawed at him, but he didn't want her anywhere near this mess he was in.

Tension Between Siblings

The breakfast table was quiet that morning, a silence heavy with unsaid words. Lina's eyes glimmered with that familiar defiance, waiting for Ethan to speak. He finally took a deep breath, staring at the untouched plate in front of him.

"Lina, you shouldn't stay here. This place isn't right for you," he said, his voice soft, almost pleading.

Lina's eyebrows knitted together. "Seriously? You're going to stay in a house by yourself and think I'm just going to go? That's ridiculous, Ethan. I'm coming with you."

Ethan clenched his jaw, still avoiding her eyes. "This city's dangerous, Lina. You... you stand out too much here. I just want to keep you safe."

She rolled her eyes, clearly tired of this old argument. "I'm not some helpless little kid, Ethan. I can handle myself. You need to stop acting like I'm made of glass."

Ethan opened his mouth to argue but stopped, a sigh slipping out instead. He looked at her, wanting to say more, to convince her somehow. But he knew that look on Lina's face—stubborn and unyielding.

"Fine," he said, voice low and resigned. "Just promise me you'll keep your head down. No unnecessary risks. This place... these people... they're not like us."

Lina gave a small, almost triumphant smile. "I promise," she said, but Ethan wasn't sure he believed her.

Ethan's First Day

Ethan's walk to school was a blur of anxiety. He kept his head down, shoulders hunched as if trying to make himself invisible. The neighborhood around him seemed like a movie set for a crime thriller—gang tags scrawled over walls, shattered windows, empty streets that felt like they were holding their breath.

When he reached the school, his stomach twisted tighter. Groups of kids stood in clusters, some brawling out in the open, while others watched with hollow eyes. Ethan tightened his grip on the strap of his backpack, silently chanting to himself, "Just keep walking, don't make eye contact, stay invisible." He slipped into the building, hoping he could stick to his plan of blending in.

The inside of the school was even worse—walls covered in graffiti, the air heavy with the smell of sweat and tension. As he neared his classroom, Ethan paused for a moment, then straightened his back, taking a slow breath before pushing the door open.

Aren's Morning

Meanwhile, across the city, Aren woke up with the sun barely creeping into his room. The first thing he did was splash cold water on his face, then stare hard into the mirror. Bruises peppered his ribs, the kind that were more like trophies than injuries. Fighting was his life; each scar, each ache, a reminder that he was getting stronger.

He ran a hand through his short, tousled hair, leaving it just the way he liked it—rough and careless. Pulling on his usual black jacket with the crown-shaped insignia, he felt a rush of adrenaline. That outfit was like armor, loose enough to let him move the way he needed to in a fight. His dark eyes met his own gaze in the mirror, steady and cold, giving away nothing.

When he stepped out of his house and headed to school, he let his eyes scan the scene around him. Groups of wannabe thugs lingered near the entrance, some sizing each other up, others looking like they were just trying to survive the day. Aren's hands twitched at his sides, the itch to start something bubbling up, but he swallowed it down for now. The day was just getting started.

The Meeting

Aren entered the classroom like he owned the place. Most of the students didn't even bother looking up, too wrapped up in their own business. Ethan glanced up for a split second, then immediately looked away, hoping not to catch anyone's attention. He slid into his seat, head down, doing his best to disappear.

Aren's eyes swept the room until they landed on Ethan, taking in the kid's slight build, the glasses perched on his nose, the way he seemed to shrink into himself. "What a weak-looking guy," Aren thought, almost disappointed. He turned his gaze back to the front of the room, dismissing Ethan without a second thought.

But Ethan had felt it—that quick, judging stare. His hands clenched beneath the desk, and he forced himself to breathe evenly. "Did he notice me? Is he sizing me up?" The question burned in his mind, feeding a tension that made the room feel smaller than it already was.

Something told Ethan that this day was just the beginning of a different kind of test, one he hadn't studied for at all.