The alarm went off at 6:00 AM.
Rix's arm shot out from under the blankets and smacked it without opening his eyes. He lay there for a few more seconds, staring at the ceiling.
It was Friday....
One more day before the weekend.
If he skipped today, that was three days off in a row.
To be honest he'd already done that once-twice, actually.
Procrastination was his specialty afterall.
If there was a championship for it, he'd be the reigning champion.
But alas today was different. He had an assignment due. No way to skip it,
He dragged himself out of bed and showered, got dressed, and stood in front of the bathroom mirror for a moment. His hair was still a mess, but at least he was awake now, kind of.
Back in his room, he noticed the family photo on his desk, there were four people in the picture-his parents, his younger sister Siya, and him at some beach trip years ago.
He smiled looking at it without thinking, then felt a small pang of guilt twist in his chest.
His phone buzzed.
He didn't need to check. Mom always called around this time.
"Hey, Mom," he answered, sitting on the edge of his bed.
"So you actually woke up early," she said, and he could hear the amusement in her voice. "I'm impressed."
"I'm always up early," Rix said, which was obviously a lie.
She laughed. "Sure you are. You're going to college today, right? No skipping?"
"Yeah, I'm going. I promise."
"That's what you said last time," she said, but her tone was gentle. "Living alone isn't easy, but I'm really proud of how you're managing everything."
Rix felt the guilt tighten. "I know, Mom. I'm doing fine. Really."
There was a brief pause. He could hear the exhaustion in her voice even when she tried to sound cheerful. "Your dad's still buried in work. Leaves early, comes back exhausted. And Siya..." she laughed softly. "She acts like she owns the apartment now. Won't admit it, but she asks about you constantly."
"Tell her I miss the trouble machine," Rix said, smiling despite the guilt pressing on his chest.
"I will," she said. "Just promise me you're eating real food. Not just cup noodles."
"I promise."
"Alright, I won't keep you. I just wanted to hear your voice."
"I'm glad you called," Rix said, and he meant it.
"Love you, okay?"
"Love you too, Mom."
He hung up and set the phone down on his desk.
For a moment, he just sat there. Then he placed his phone on the table and headed out the door to get ready .
He lived alone in his house just a few minutes from campus. With the college that close, staying in a dorm like most students simply didn't make sense to him.
A modest two-story place with a kitchen and bathrooms scattered across-nothing too fancy, just enough.
He headed downstairs, threw together some breakfast he couldn't identify, ate it -though only god could know what it was. After eating he came back upstairs.
Standing infront of the mirror, he saw what he always saw. Average height. Average face. The kind of guy people forgot about immediately. A perfect guy who is suited for background character role. But his eyes were different-sharp and observant. He noticed things others didn't. Small details. Inconsistencies. It made up for the laziness.
He pulled on a plain white hoodie and grabbed his backpackand stepped out of the house .
He grabbed his backpack and headed out to the so called garage or atleast what he called a garage anyway.
It just a small sheltered space that fit his bicycle.Yep Pedal-Powered cycle.
Just a two-wheeler he'd owned for years.
The thing is, Rix Alder didn't grew up swimming in money.
His family wasn't poor, just... not rich. His parents had moved to some far-off city for a better-paying job, taking Siya with them. They'd wanted to keep the family together, but Rix had already been admitted to college in Ashford. The house was close enough that staying made sense. Uprooting would've been pointless.
His parents trusted him to handle it alone.
The house felt quieter without them. Emptier. But he'd gotten used to it.
He brushed off the cycle's seat and swung a leg over it.