The dismissal bell finally rang, marking the end of the second day since the new school year began. The corridors filled with the lively chatter of students hurrying out of class, while some teachers began packing up and leaving their rooms. Alvano gathered his belongings, getting ready to go home as usual. But before he could step out of the classroom, Theo stopped him.
"Hey, wait a sec," Theo said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I want to take you somewhere before we go home."
Alvano gave him a puzzled look but eventually nodded. "Okay."
Without asking further, he followed Theo, who had already started walking toward the elevator at the end of the hallway. On the way down, neither of them spoke. Only the hum of the elevator filled the silence between them. Alvano began to feel uneasy. He thought maybe what he did earlier in the cafeteria had made things awkward. Worse, maybe his actions could put both him—and Theo—in danger.
Once they stepped outside the building, Theo headed straight to his motorcycle parked in the school lot. He handed a helmet to Alvano, who accepted it and got on the back seat. Theo started the engine, and without saying a word, they rode off through the city streets.
The sky had turned orange-red, painting the horizon in shades of dusk that brought a strange sense of calm. The soft breeze brushing against his face slowly relaxed Alvano. Without realizing it, his thoughts drifted to the past—to the days when he and Theo were still in middle school. The memories were hazy, fragmented like broken pieces of a photograph. He could only recall bits and pieces of their moments together.
After about thirty minutes, Theo finally stopped his motorcycle at a place that felt strangely familiar. Alvano looked around, his eyes widening slightly when he realized where they were—their old middle school. Theo got off first and motioned for him to follow.
"Do you remember this building?" Theo asked, gazing at the school in front of them.
Alvano stared quietly, then nodded slowly. "Yeah, of course. Though… there are a few changes I can't quite describe."
Theo smiled faintly. "This building was rebuilt when we were in the second semester of first year, remember? Then it got renovated again when we started third year."
Alvano furrowed his brow, trying to recall. "I remember the first renovation, but the one in third year… not so much."
"I see," Theo murmured with a small chuckle. "Well, at least you remember the first one. That's enough."
He then invited Alvano to walk around the schoolyard before heading home.
They began to explore every corner of the campus that had once been part of their everyday lives. Their footsteps echoed softly down the hallway, which now looked cleaner and more orderly than it had back in their day. Theo peeked through a few classroom windows, occasionally chuckling to himself as old memories resurfaced.
"That's our old classroom," Theo said, pointing to a room with the same brown wooden door they used to see every day. "Remember that time I fell asleep in the middle of math class, and you got blamed just because you sat next to me?"
Alvano gave a faint smile and nodded. "Yeah… and I had to stand in front of the class even though I didn't do anything."
Theo laughed and kept walking. They made their way to the school canteen—smaller and simpler than Velmont High's cafeteria, but full of nostalgia. Theo pointed toward a corner table near the window.
"We always sat there during breaks, remember? You'd bring lunch from home, and I'd just have enough coins to buy bread."
Alvano smiled again and nodded. That memory, at least, remained vivid.
After leaving the canteen, they walked to the basketball court. Theo's gaze fell on the hoop.
"This is where I lost a bet to you for the first time," he said, grinning. "You were always better at three-pointers."
Finally, they made their way to the music and theater room—where they had once joined an extracurricular club, even if only briefly. Every place seemed to hold fragments of their shared past, giving Alvano a rare sense of calm amid the storm of thoughts that had weighed on him lately.
After walking around for a while, Theo actually wanted to take Alvano to one more place—a room that held special meaning for him. But before he could say it, he stopped. His gaze lingered on the school building, thoughtful and distant. Maybe this was enough, he thought. No need to dig too deep. This wasn't about the place—it was about what he wanted to tell him.
There were things Theo couldn't say out loud. Worries he couldn't put into words. So instead, he chose to show them—to remind Alvano of who they were, where they came from, and what they used to be. That, in itself, was his way of showing sincerity.
Then, he led Alvano up to the rooftop. There, the two of them stood side by side, looking down at the wide, quiet field below. The evening breeze brushed gently through their hair.
Theo finally spoke, his voice calm but steady. "If you want to live like before—go to school like normal—then just do what we used to do. You don't need to change."
Alvano turned to look at him, slowly understanding the meaning behind those words. Theo didn't want his power to change who he was. He didn't want his friend to lose himself to emotion or fear.
"Use your power to help people," Theo continued, meeting his eyes. "Not to take revenge. Not to hurt anyone. As long as you can keep your secret, then keep it."
Alvano listened in silence, then nodded quietly. A faint guilt stirred inside him—for feeling like he'd caused Theo too much trouble.
"Thank you… for always listening to me," Theo said sincerely.
Without another word, he placed a hand on Alvano's shoulder. "Come on. Let's go home."
They walked down the stairs at an easy pace, chatting lightly about little things they remembered from middle school. The tension from earlier on the rooftop slowly melted away, replaced by soft laughter echoing between them. When they reached the ground floor, they passed through the main corridor toward the school gate. The evening air had turned cooler, and the sky was now shaded with soft gray.
When they reached the guard post, they saw a middle-aged man in a security uniform sitting inside, sipping a cup of tea. The guard looked up at the sound of their footsteps, then broke into a broad smile as he recognized one of them.
"Hey, you're the kid who was always late, aren't you?" he said jokingly, pointing at Theo.
Theo laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Wow, you still remember me, sir."
"How could I forget? You were late every Monday morning. I even memorized the sound of your bike," the guard replied, making both boys laugh.
"Well, now I'm the most punctual guy around," Theo said proudly, though still joking.
"That's good. You've really grown up," the guard said with an approving nod.
Alvano smiled, watching the exchange with a warm feeling. There was something comforting about such simple conversations—something that reminded him that behind the burden of his power and the chaos within him, an ordinary, peaceful life was still something worth cherishing.
After saying goodbye to the guard, they walked back to the parking lot. Theo started his motorcycle, and together they rode off, ending the day with lighter hearts than when it began.