The first class of the day was the Summoners Battle Class, and like clockwork, all students had returned to the routine of waking up early and preparing for their respective schedules. The air was heavy with that usual academic morning haze—silent yawns, half-hearted steps, and minds slowly adjusting to a rhythm they never truly mastered.
Kairos, Carlos, and Darnell stirred from their rooms, each moving through their personal routines. Clothes straightened. Weapons checked. Faces washed. Yet, something felt slightly off.
Kairos noticed it first. Carlos, despite finishing his morning preparations quicker than anyone else as usual, didn't immediately leave. He lingered in the hallway, calmly leaning on the doorframe as if waiting for them—something he hadn't done in weeks.
It was unusual.
Too unusual.
Carlos was acting the exact same way he had when the academy term began. Friendly. Cool. Charismatic. Almost… not suspicious.
And that was what made him even more suspicious.
