Morning started the same way it always did.
Aurex went through the routine without thinking,woke up, showered, got dressed, and ate breakfast with his family. His father had his usual coffee. His mother drank orange juice. His sister was already dressed for work, neat and precise. His little brother, Jeno, chatted happily about school between bites of toast.
The sun slipped through the pale curtains. The toast was a little too dry, but warm. The kitchen smelled faintly like soap,clean, overly clean, like every surface had been scrubbed one too many times.
At exactly 7:30, Aurex and Jeno left for school, walking the same route past the same quiet houses, waving at neighbors who smiled the same smiles they always did.When they got to school, they split off toward their classrooms.
Aurex took his seat. His face held the same practiced smile he'd worn nearly every day of his life. Seventeen years of habit made it easy. The teacher came in, all polite energy, and began the day the usual way,with a speech about the rules and why they mattered.
"This is the safest place in the world. A place of order, of joy. Rule One keeps us together and happy. Rule Two protects us from chaos. Rule Three..."
Aurex wasn't listening. Not really.
His mind had drifted again to that strange thought that had been growing lately.
Escape.The more he tried to push it down, the more it wrapped around him. Like thorns.
But where would I even go?
That part scared him. He didn't know what was outside the town. No one ever talked about it. No maps. No lessons. No visitors. Geography wasn't taught. There were no stories of "other places."
His chest tightened.Why am I only just now noticing that?Why had no one ever questioned it? Why hadn't he?
His heart started pounding. His smile felt too tight. A bead of sweat formed at the back of his neck.
Don't break. Don't show anything.
The teacher's voice blurred into background noise. Aurex could only hear his heartbeat and the low hum in his ears. The desk felt too close. The air too still.The class dragged on. Each minute crawled by, like it was waiting for him to slip. But he didn't.
Seventeen years of smiling made sure of that. His hands were locked on the edge of the desk, knuckles white, but his face held.
Finally, the bell rang for break.
-----
He carried his tray to the cafeteria. Same as always. Took his usual seat in the back corner. Smiled. Ate.
But this time, he wasn't paying attention to the food.
He was watching. Waiting.
And, right on time, the boy showed up. Same uniform. Same seat. Same red eyes, eating like he wasn't in a hurry, like time moved differently for him. Aurex stood. Tray still in hand. His body felt heavier than it should've. His chest felt oddly hollow.
Still, he walked.
He stopped at the boy's table and asked, quietly, "Why do you always look tired?"
The boy looked up. Calm, like he'd been waiting for it. He smiled,just slightly and then laughed.
Not loudly. Just enough for a few people nearby to glance over.
Then, still grinning, he said, "I keep my eyes open. It's good for my health. you should try doing it too."
Aurex laughed too. Reflex, not feeling.
It sounded right, like the kind of polite laugh you'd give when someone cracks a joke you're not sure how to respond to. But as he turned to go, something caught his attention. His smile faltered, just a little.
Nobody else was standing.
The cafeteria was packed,but everyone was already seated, already eating, already smiling.
When did the food get here?
He blinked.
He didn't remember.
He always showed up last, and the food was always waiting,but there was never a line. No trays being handed out. No staff in sight. No noise, no chatter. Just the sound of forks tapping plates and those ever-present smiles.
Maybe they bring food from home, he thought. Like I do.
But the unease lingered.
He sat back down and picked at his food. The rest of the break passed in silence.
---
After school, he didn't go exploring like he'd planned.
Something about today had shaken him,something about the boy's answer, about that creeping sense of wrongness in a place that was supposed to be perfect.
Home felt safer. Or at least more familiar.
When he walked in, his mother greeted him with the same warmth as always. The table was already set. His father and sister were eating. Smiling. Jeno was bouncing in his seat, talking through mouthfuls.They ate. After dinner came the "discussion" an hour of praise for the rules, just like every night. A family tradition, his parents called it. Aurex smiled. Nodded. Repeated the words like he was supposed to.
At 6:00 sharp, everyone went to their rooms. Another rule. Doors shut. No talking. Just silence.
Aurex sat at his desk.
His books were stacked neatly. His journal waited, tucked into its usual spot, the cover soft and frayed from use.
He stretched, then sat down to write.
---
Diary Entry,
I asked a question today. First time I've ever done that without permission.
He answered with a joke. But I'm not sure it was a joke.
My smile almost slipped in class. My thoughts were racing.
I thought about the outside world. About leaving. And I couldn't stop thinking about it.
It's still in my head.
I feel like I'll be caught just for thinking it. But I'll keep thinking.
I'll keep writing.
I'll keep watching.
He paused. Then added a single line:
I think everyone is pretending. But what if some of them aren't?
He closed the book and slid it under his mattress.
Then lay back on the bed, arms behind his head.
The bell would ring at ten. He had four hours alone.
He didn't know what his father did in his room. Or his mother. Or Lira. Or Jeno.
Maybe they all did the same thing. Maybe not.
But Aurex had been raised not to ask.
So he didn't.
He stared up at the ceiling, eyes wide open, and let them burn.
Just like that boy.