The admissions office at Rothswood High School was small and quiet.
A single window let pale afternoon sunlight spill across the room, illuminating the neat stacks of folders and paperwork covering the front desk.
Adrian Vale stood calmly on the other side of it.
Across from him, the school secretary adjusted her glasses while flipping through a thick file binder.
Her nameplate read Mrs. Dalton.
She frowned slightly as she checked another page.
"That's strange," she muttered.
Adrian leaned casually against the desk.
"What is?"
Mrs. Dalton continued scanning the paperwork.
"I don't see your transcripts here," she said. "New student files usually arrive ahead of time."
Adrian didn't look surprised.
He had expected this.
After all, forging documents across decades could only get you so far.
Eventually, something always slipped through the cracks.
Mrs. Dalton closed the binder and looked up at him apologetically.
"I'm afraid you might have to wait until the school receives the proper records," she said. "Maybe tomorrow or the next day."
Adrian nodded slowly.
"That would normally make sense."
Mrs. Dalton blinked.
"Normally?"
Adrian stepped slightly closer to the desk.
His movements were calm. Unthreatening.
He rested one hand lightly on the counter.
"Mrs. Dalton," he said gently.
The woman looked up.
"Hmm?"
Adrian's dark eyes locked onto hers.
For a brief moment, the room felt strangely still.
"You're going to check again," he said quietly.
Mrs. Dalton frowned slightly.
"I already did—"
"You're going to check again," Adrian repeated softly.
His voice had changed.
Lower.
Smoother.
Almost hypnotic.
Mrs. Dalton's expression slowly relaxed.
Her eyes became distant.
"Yes…"
Adrian continued calmly.
"And when you check again, you're going to find that my transcripts are already there."
Mrs. Dalton nodded slowly.
"My transcripts are already there."
"And everything will be in order."
"Everything will be in order."
"And I start classes today."
"You start classes today."
Adrian gave a faint smile.
"Good."
Mrs. Dalton turned back toward the filing cabinet beside her desk.
Her movements were slow and mechanical as she opened a drawer and began flipping through the files.
After a few seconds, she stopped.
"Oh," she said.
She pulled out a folder.
"Here they are."
Adrian watched calmly.
Mrs. Dalton walked back to the desk and placed the folder down.
"Looks like everything is here," she said matter-of-factly. "Your transcripts are already on file."
She opened the folder and skimmed the pages quickly.
"Perfect grades," she added with mild approval.
Adrian shrugged lightly.
"I try."
Mrs. Dalton scribbled something onto a form before sliding a printed schedule across the desk toward him.
"Well then, Mr. Vale," she said pleasantly, "everything seems to be in order."
She pointed at the paper.
"You start classes today."
Adrian picked up the schedule.
"Thank you."
Mrs. Dalton smiled politely before returning to her paperwork.
For her, the conversation was already fading from memory.
Adrian glanced at the schedule briefly.
History.
Chemistry.
Literature.
Typical high school routine.
He slipped the paper into his jacket pocket.
"Have a nice day," Mrs. Dalton said without looking up.
"You too."
Adrian walked calmly toward the office door.
But just before stepping outside, he paused slightly.
For a moment, his gaze drifted toward the window.
Toward the forest beyond the school grounds.
The wind moved softly through the tall trees.
Adrian narrowed his eyes slightly.
He could still feel it.
That same strange presence he had noticed when he first entered Rothswood earlier that day.
Faint.
But ancient.
Like something buried deep beneath the town had begun to stir.
He pushed the feeling aside.
There would be time to investigate that later.
Right now, he had something far more interesting to deal with.
Adrian stepped out into the hallway of Rothswood High.
Students moved through the corridors, lockers slamming, conversations echoing through the building.
Ordinary life.
Normal life.
He adjusted the sleeve of his jacket slightly.
Then he started walking toward his first class.
And somewhere outside, in the courtyard beneath the old oak trees…
A girl named Lena Hart was about to cross paths with him again.
Whether either of them realized it or not—
Their meeting had never been an accident. 🌙