The first lesson began with Indonesian Language class. However, unlike usual, no one was really paying attention.
Alvano, Theo, and Joshua were lost in their own thoughts.
The name William Aubert kept haunting their minds.
Theo occasionally tapped his fingers on the table, Joshua stared blankly at the board, while Alvano simply rested his chin on his hand, gazing at the open notebook in front of him.
Even Joshua, who usually greeted the teacher politely at the end of every lesson, forgot to do so.
The whole class watched him in surprise.
The usually polite, rule-abiding student now looked completely different.
When the bell for the first break rang after the second period, the three of them gathered again.
Theo threw himself onto his chair casually, Joshua crossed his arms, while Alvano remained sitting in the same position as before.
"So, what do you guys think William wanted from me?" Alvano finally asked, breaking the silence.
Joshua shrugged. "Maybe he's just curious?"
Theo shook his head. "But if that's the case, why did he say you'd find out later? It sounds like something bigger than just curiosity."
Alvano fell silent.
Their conversation slowly turned into a deeper discussion, filled with speculation and directionless theories.
But in the middle of it all, something strange happened.
Alvano's head suddenly felt heavy.
As if something was trying to enter his mind—something he couldn't explain.
He felt a sensation like an invisible barrier blocking his thoughts from receiving something, yet at the same time, something was trying to force its way in.
"Tch…"
Alvano frowned and pressed his fingers against his temple.
Theo, noticing the change in his expression, narrowed his eyes. "Oi, what's wrong with you?"
Joshua also glanced over. "Your face just turned pale, Al."
Alvano sighed, trying to ignore the strange sensation. "I don't know, I just suddenly feel dizzy."
Theo looked at him suspiciously. "Don't tell me you stayed up all night thinking about William?"
Alvano snorted softly. "Not really… it's just a normal headache."
He didn't want to worry them.
"I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up when the bell rings."
Joshua and Theo exchanged glances before nodding.
"Alright, we'll head to the cafeteria first," Theo said.
"You want us to bring you something?" Joshua asked.
Alvano shook his head. "No need, I just need some sleep."
Theo and Joshua eventually left the classroom, while Alvano rested his head on the desk, trying to ease the dizziness that lingered in his mind.
Alvano drifted into sleep, but his dream was not an ordinary one.
The world around him turned gray—empty, silent, yet suffocating.
There was a presence there.
A faint voice echoed, soft but clear.
"Alvano Darwinson…"
His full name was spoken with a tone that somehow sounded familiar, yet foreign to his ears.
Alvano frowned.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice echoing through the void.
But there was no answer.
Only the faint hum that kept repeating his name.
"Alvano Darwinson…"
He tried to move, searching for the source of the voice, but his steps felt heavy.
As if something was holding him back, binding him to the spot.
"Who are you?" he repeated, louder this time.
Still, there was no response.
Then, everything suddenly shattered in an instant—like glass breaking into countless pieces.
---
Alvano woke up, his breath slightly ragged.
He found himself still in class. His head felt a little lighter now, but the dream remained vivid in his memory.
Before he could think further, Theo patted his shoulder, jolting him fully awake.
In Theo's hand was a melon jam sandwich and a small carton of milk.
"Eat this," Theo said casually, handing them to him.
Alvano looked at him for a moment, then sighed before taking them.
"Thanks."
Theo simply shrugged, sitting back down beside him.
Meanwhile, Joshua hadn't returned yet.
He had been called over by a girl—their class secretary.
Joshua stood in the corner of the room, talking to the girl, who looked rather serious.
After a few moments, he finally came back to them, his face carrying an expression hard to read.
"What's wrong?" Theo asked, noticing his look.
Joshua glanced at Alvano with slight hesitation before speaking.
"The class secretary said a student council member was asking about you."
Alvano immediately straightened up.
"Who?"
Joshua sighed. "She said it was a second-year girl with round glasses. She was wearing a student council pin, but our secretary didn't know her name."
Theo raised an eyebrow. "So it's not just William looking for Alvano—there's someone else now?"
Joshua continued, "That girl also asked for your photo from our class secretary."
Alvano and Theo immediately exchanged glances.
"Asked for a photo?" Theo repeated incredulously.
Joshua nodded, then mimicked what the class secretary had told him.
"I was shocked too. I mean, are you really that interesting? In their eyes, I mean."
Joshua chuckled after saying that, trying to lighten the mood.
But Alvano didn't laugh.
He stared blankly at the desk, his mind now filled with new questions.
Theo let out a slow sigh, trying to hide the growing unease inside him.
"So, the secretary actually gave her the photo?" he asked again, just to confirm.
Joshua shrugged. "I'm not sure, but most likely, yes. You know she loves gossip."
Alvano leaned his head back against the chair, exhaling deeply.
His mind felt increasingly heavy.
Arwen was still a mystery.
The student council was suddenly looking for him.
And that man in the jacket—someone he still held a grudge against.
All of it spun endlessly in his head, without a single clear answer.
Meanwhile, Theo sat silently, pretending not to care.
But in truth, he had already started piecing things together since yesterday.
William Aubert…
He wasn't just anyone.
To most students, William was just a normal member of the student council, working in the security division. But Theo knew better than that.
He was a monster.
A predator who'd been around since middle school. Theo knew exactly how terrifying someone named William Aubert could be.
Someone like William wouldn't suddenly take interest in anyone without a very strong reason—and now, that person was Alvano.
Theo knew this wasn't a coincidence.
He didn't know how the student council learned something about Alvano, but most likely… they knew Alvano had a superpower.
Just like him.
And if that was true…
Then the student council was a threat.
Not just to Alvano, but to himself as well.
For now, he could only pretend not to understand.
Let things unfold naturally—for now. Later, he would act in his own way, for Alvano's sake.
One thing was certain: Alvano must never meet the student council alone, because that would be dangerous. The students of Velmont High School came from wealthy families—especially the student council members, who came from important ones.
They were usually the children of famous and successful entrepreneurs, and some had major political influence.
So when all that power was passed down to their children, it was inevitable that Alvano would be used according to their will.
All of this flowed like a river through Theo's mind, as he imagined the worst possible outcome.