I was still at the table, thinking about what my mom said.

  "He never left us… we left him."

  What? Yeah, I don't even get it… but why is Mom telling me now… and not before?

  I still don't feel anything for my father. After that, I hugged her, trying to stop her from crying, and whispered sorry. I hate it when I see her cry like that.

  So… yep. Need to man up and stop being a jerk.

  I guess I understand why she's like that. Maybe it really is us who left him… but the questions? They're still spinning in my head.

  After dinner, I did the dishes and helped Mom back to her room. She was still sniffling, but at least she wasn't sobbing anymore.

  After helping Mom back to her room, I finally collapsed on my bed. Everything felt… heavy. Not physically, just my head. So much weird stuff today—flying people, soldiers, Dad stuff… yeah, brain overload.

  I grabbed my phone and checked the notifications. Ding. Mia.

  "Yo, you alive or floating with the immortals?" her message read.

  I laughed. Texted back: "Still alive. Definitely not immortal though."

  Almost immediately, another notification popped up: a group chat created by Deng Cui—the guy from the TV news. The chat name? "Sky Freaks & Soldiers."

  Messages were flying fast.

  Deng Cui: Did anyone else see that? People in the sky… like straight-up flying.

  Liu Hao: Yeah… and the soldiers… they just… let them? What the heck is going on.

  Zhang Min: I swear… those people are like immortals or something. You can't be human.

  Chen Wei: (just reading… nothing typed)

  I scrolled down, reading all the speculation: some thought it was magic, some thought it was government experiments, some joked the world went full anime. Most of them were just confused teenagers trying to make sense of chaos.

  I typed quickly: "Magic? Maybe. Or maybe we're all screwed. Not sure which is worse."

  Mia: ?? ?? ?? "Always the pessimist."

  I smirked. At least some normal reactions here. Even if "normal" now felt weird.

  The chat continued buzzing. Some were talking about the soldiers—apparently, regular staff had been just standing around, letting things happen, while the higher-ups had guns and thermal cameras. Everyone was analyzing like pros, even though none of us knew what the heck was really going on.

  I leaned back, staring at the ceiling. Everyone else was panicking, theorizing, losing their minds a little… and I was here, scrolling, laughing, trying not to freak out too much myself.

  Then Mia called. I answered.

  "Qin! You see this group chat? Everyone's losing it."

  "Yeah… kinda funny," I said, shrugging, though my heart was still racing. "People think we're in some magic world now."

  Mia laughed. "Magic world? More like chaos world. Soldiers, flying people… I don't even know anymore."

  "Exactly," I said, lying back on my pillow. "I just… need a minute to chill before thinking about it."

  Then my phone pinged again. A new friend request. I opened it.

  Chen Wei.

  Co-incidence, right? I accepted it, and then noticed a message from her:

  "sorry about before… i never say sorry cause"

  …that's it. That's all she wrote.

  I typed back: "It's okay. Whatever it is."

  To lighten the mood, I shared a little of what I thought about those flying people, typing quickly:

  "Honestly… if people can fly, maybe the world's just catching up with magic or something. Or we're all screwed. Either way, funny to think about."

  A second later, she sent back… a smile emoji.

  I stared at it for a moment, smirking. Yep… Chen Wei really knows how to be mysterious.

  I leaned back, scrolling the group chat again, trying to relax and laugh a little at how weird everything had become.

  The next morning, I dragged myself out of bed, still thinking about last night's group chat and Chen Wei's smile emoji. Weird day yesterday… but today? Who knew what was waiting.

  School felt… tense. Not normal tense, like before exams, but something in the air. The hallways were crowded as usual, but there were soldiers. Actual soldiers. Scanning IDs, talking quietly in groups, some pointing at kids who looked "different."

  I shoved my backpack over my shoulder and made my way to class, trying not to look nervous. Mia was already there, leaning against the lockers with her phone out.

  "Yo, it's getting weirder," she whispered. "Apparently they're doing some kind of sweep. Everyone's freaking out online."

  I nodded. "Yeah… I saw. Guess we're in some official observation or something. Fun times."

  Before I could say more, a loud voice echoed through the school speakers.

  "Attention students: all classes will remain in session. Students are not to leave their classrooms. Staff and security are conducting standard checks."

  Everyone froze. Some kids groaned, others whispered. I caught Deng Cui smirking, probably thinking he looked cool while everyone panicked. Chen Wei… well, she just sat at her desk, head down, quietly watching.

  Then something weird happened. A drone-like device floated into the classroom, small but buzzing like a tiny angry bee. A few students gasped, some ducked. The device scanned the room, its lights flickering over everyone's faces.

  I raised an eyebrow. "Okay… that's new."

  Mia leaned over. "Do you think they're looking for those… flying people?"

  "Or us," I muttered, glancing around. My heart skipped a beat. The soldiers outside didn't look like they were joking.

  The teacher walked in, calm as ever. No reaction to the buzzing drone. Just started the lesson like nothing was happening. Some students tried to whisper about it, but the teacher's stare shut everyone up instantly.

  I sighed and sat back, trying to focus. Chen Wei glanced up briefly, just a flicker of her eyes, then back down. Something about her made me feel like she already knew more than anyone else.

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  My phone buzzed. Mia.

  "Dude… are you seeing this? The drone just scanned Liu Hao."

  I glanced. Yep. Liu Hao's face on the drone's screen, scanned in a few seconds, then nothing. He sat down, trying to act normal, but his hands were shaking.

  The drone finished scanning Liu Hao and floated out of the classroom, buzzing away. For a second, everything seemed calm. Liu Hao just sat there, smirking like nothing happened.

  Then… the soldiers' guns raised. One pointed directly at him, barrel steady, trained.

  Liu Hao laughed. Loud. "Ahahahaha… you mortals are getting smarter, I suppose."

  My stomach dropped. Something… wrong. The air shifted.

  A sudden pressure erupted from him. I could feel it in my chest, even from across the room. The chair beneath him compressed, the desk groaning under the invisible force. Everyone froze.

  One of the soldiers shouted over the comms:

  "Target anomaly at 12 o'clock, 15 meters, male, seated—high threat! Weapons locked! Engage if necessary!"

  Another soldier barked urgently:

  "Visual confirmed on anomaly! Thermal signature spiking! Tepelcorp HQ, requesting immediate assistance—Level 10 anomaly!"

  I glanced around. Mia's face had gone pale, hands clutching the edge of her desk. Deng Cui looked way too excited, like he couldn't believe he was seeing this in real life. Even Zhang Min had stopped whispering, eyes wide.

  Then… a rift suddenly tore open behind Liu Hao, the air shimmering like broken glass. My heart skipped a beat.

  Liu Hao didn't flinch. He turned his head slowly, and his gaze… met mine.

  It wasn't just a look. It felt like he was peering straight through me, reading every thought, every hesitation. My stomach knotted. Something in that gaze… warned me, challenged me, dared me.

  The rift behind him shimmered and began to shrink, almost like it was closing on its own. His smirk faded, replaced with a sharp frown.

  He raised his hand slowly, deliberately, and the air seemed to ripple around it.

  Then, right in front of him, a sword materialized. Not a trick of light. Not holographic. Solid, real, gleaming metal catching the classroom lights. My jaw dropped.

  Before I could blink, he waved his hand again. Another sword appeared. And then another.

  Soon… ten swords hovered in the air around him, spinning slightly, aligning like they were following an invisible choreography. It looked like a magic show, elegant and impossible… except this wasn't magic. This was real life, solid objects floating against gravity, controlled entirely by him.

  But the way he moved… precise, smooth, almost effortless. His hands didn't twitch or hesitate. Each sword obeyed without a command, circling in perfect formation as if guided by some invisible force inside him, not random magic.

  The classroom went completely silent. Mia's eyes were wide, hands frozen on the desk. Even Deng Cui had gone pale. The soldiers' comms crackled in alarm:

  "Level 10 anomaly confirmed! Object manipulation—multiple weapons in free-flight! All units proceed with extreme caution!"

  I felt it too—the pressure in the room spiking even higher. The floating swords didn't just hover; they bent the air, creating a faint hum that vibrated through our ears. Every desk, every chair seemed to lean slightly under the invisible force Liu Hao exuded.

  Then… Liu Hao's lips curled into a cold smile. He spoke, calm but sharp:

  "Can we let these ants in here leave first?"

  The soldiers snapped to attention. One of them shouted:

  "EVERYBODY LEAVE THIS PLACE NOW! MOVE! GO! GO!"

  Classmates scrambled, chairs sliding as they pushed themselves toward the doors. Mia grabbed my arm, pulling me up, eyes wide with panic. Deng Cui's excitement had vanished, replaced by pure fear.

  I wanted to move too… wanted to get out of there with everyone else.

  But then… Liu Hao's gaze landed on me.

  I froze.

  Before I could even take a step, it was like something invisible held me in place. My legs refused to move. My chest felt heavy. My hands shook.

  Why me…? I thought, my mind spinning. My body trembled, and a faint sting of tears pricked my eyes. I didn't even understand why I felt this way—fear, confusion, maybe… something else.

  I sank back into my seat, head lowered, trying not to draw attention. The swords hovered around him, spinning like a deadly halo, and the rift behind him pulsed faintly, as if the room itself knew I was frozen there.

  Even Mia, running past to the door, glanced back at me, worry written all over her face. But I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything.

  All I could do was sit there… small, powerless, and shivering.

  But then… something caught my eye in the nearest window seat.

  There she was.

  Chen Wei.

  Sitting there like it was completely normal. Flipping through a notebook, calm, completely unfazed by the chaos around us—the floating swords, the pressure, the soldiers shouting. Like nothing was wrong at all.

  I whispered, careful not to draw attention:

  "Hey… everybody's out now. Why are you still here?"

  She looked up, eyes locking on mine. A small, mysterious smile spread across her face.

  "Come with me," she said softly, almost like it was just between us. Her gaze made me feel… like I was the only one in the room.

  And then… I noticed something that made my heart skip.

  Every soldier.

  Down.

  Swords pressed against their bodies. Not a single sound. Not a twitch. Just frozen, immobilized under Liu Hao's invisible power.

  Liu Hao's eyes flicked to Chen Wei, and his voice dropped slightly, polite but carrying a hint of unease:

  "…my qi… it's being detected," he said, almost in a whisper, looking only at her.

  I froze, stunned. Even he sounded… careful, wary. The swords still rotated around him, but now his posture stiffened just a little, a shadow of tension in his otherwise calm movements.

  Then, without warning, he grabbed me, firm but not crushing. My heart jumped, and my body trembled.

  As we walked, he pulled a small vial from his pocket and drank from it. Just a sip, but it made him regain some composure. The swords circled him smoothly again, like they were part of his very being.

  Chen Wei didn't move. She just watched, her calm gaze locked on me, her smile unchanged. It was like… in the middle of all this chaos, she was untouchable, and somehow, I was the only one she cared about.

  "Come with me," she whispered softly, and I felt it deep in my chest.

  The floating swords… gone. Just like that. The air was still thick with pressure, but the immediate danger from the weapons vanished.

  The soldiers lay immobilized, frozen under his power. No one was moving. Not a single sound.

  Liu Hao tightened his grip on me, his eyes still flicking briefly to Chen Wei, before focusing on the nearest open window.

  "Move," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else, and we started rushing.

  The room blurred past as we hurried across desks and chairs, the window ahead growing larger with every step. I could barely catch my breath, my legs trembling under him, my chest pounding.

  Chen Wei was already standing by the window, calm as ever. Her gaze met mine, and that same faint smile tugged at my chest. Why does she stay so calm…?

  I tried to steady myself, lowering my head, my body still shaking from the fear and confusion. Liu Hao's hand around me was firm but guiding, and somehow… we were moving, escaping the chaos that had filled the classroom just moments ago.

  Just as we neared the open window, soldiers came rushing in, their guns raised, eyes wide with caution and alarm.

  "Stop them! Don't let them escape!" one shouted, voice cracking under the pressure.

  But Liu Hao… he didn't even flinch. Instead, he raised his hand, slowly, deliberately, and gave them a middle finger, like he was enjoying every second of their panic.

  Before anyone could react further… everything changed.

  In the blink of an eye, the space around us shifted. The room disappeared, replaced by a swirl of countless tiny floating lights, stretching in every direction. It felt like a tunnel of glowing threads, twisting and spinning around us.

  I stumbled in mid-step, eyes wide. Chen Wei's hair fluttered as if caught in a soft breeze, but she didn't flinch. She looked at me and smiled faintly, calm as ever.

  Then… in an instant, Liu Hao and Chen Wei's clothes changed. The new outfits wrapped perfectly around them, sleek and flowing, elegant but practical, moving with their bodies like it had always been a part of them. Sharp lines, layered fabric, subtle glimmers in the material—they looked impossibly stylish, almost unreal in their perfection.

  I froze, my eyes darting between them. My own clothes didn't change. I was still in the same hoodie and jeans, feeling completely ordinary amidst their surreal transformation.

  Liu Hao chuckled quietly, his grip on me firm. The middle finger was gone, replaced with the same calm, controlled presence as before.

  Through the glowing tunnel of lights, the outside world felt… distant, irrelevant, like it had never existed.