After breakfast, Jason quietly entered his room. Time was slipping away faster than it should, and at this pace he was going to be late on his first day.
Jason stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the collar of his uniform. It still felt stiff, probably because it was new… or because of the nervousness sitting in his chest. He had to look sharp on his first day of school.
From the hallway, he could hear his sister moving around, her footsteps quick and careless. The faint clatter of dishes followed—she and Mom were probably clearing the table.
Normal morning.
He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder, hesitating for just a second before stepping out.
The ride to school was quiet. His father drove, while Lily sat in the back seat scrolling through her phone, occasionally laughing at something Jason couldn't see. His mother stayed home today—still unpacking, probably.
Jason leaned his head slightly against the window as the city passed by in slow motion—shops opening, people walking, traffic building. Ordinary, like before the anomaly in the sky had even appeared.
Then his eyes lifted.
The Gate hung in the sky.
It looked no closer than it had yesterday. No different. Jason stared at it for a moment… then another.
"…You're doing it again," Lily said suddenly.
He blinked. "What?"
"Spacing out." She glanced back briefly. "You've been staring at that thing for like a full minute."
Jason looked away. "It's nothing."
"That's what everyone says," she muttered, already turning back to her phone.
His father didn't comment, but Jason caught the brief glance in the rearview mirror.
The car slowed to a stop at the school gate. Jason reached for the door handle, but his father spoke first.
"First day nerves?"
Jason didn't answer.
Behind him, Lily leaned forward from the back seat, grinning. "Don't get lost."
Jason clicked his tongue and stepped out as the car rolled away.
The school gates were already crowded. Students gathered in clusters—talking, laughing, moving like they already belonged. Jason stepped forward, adjusting his grip on his bag.
"I won't."
She didn't respond.
He stood there for a moment after the car pulled away, taking in the building in front of him—large, clean, and unfamiliar.
Jason exhaled.
"A fresh start," he thought.
He walked in.
The classroom buzzed with noise. Conversations overlapped. Chairs scraped. Phones flashed in hands before quickly disappearing as teachers passed by the open door.
Jason paused at the entrance for half a second… then stepped in.
A few heads turned—just for a moment—then looked away, like he barely registered.
He moved toward an empty seat near the back and sat down quietly. No one said anything. No one needed to.
"Alright, settle down everyone."
"Settle down," Mr. Daniel said as he walked in.. The room gradually quieted.
"Let's keep things simple."He said scanning the room briefly, before his eyes landed on Jason.
"You're new."
Jason nodded slightly.
"Name."
"Jason."
A pause.
"Full name."
"…Jason Thorn."
A few students glanced his way again—not curious, just acknowledging.
Classes began.
Classes settled into a routine of introductions, subjects, and expectations.
Jason listened. Took notes when needed. Answered when called. Ignored when not.
Time passed slowly.
By midday, the rhythm had settled—lessons, silence, and occasional laughter that didn't include him.
At lunch, the noise returned in full.
Jason walked into the cafeteria, tray in hand, scanning for somewhere to sit. Every table was already claimed—groups formed, conversations flowing easily.
He chose an empty spot at the edge of the room and sat down.
Alone.
It wasn't new. He'd eaten alone before.
Just… familiar.
He had friends once, but moving to a new city had erased that faster than he expected.
From across the room, fragments of conversation drifted in.
"—still there though—"
"—obviously, it's not going anywhere—"
"—my cousin said scientists are still studying it—"
"—bro, imagine if it actually opens—"
Laughter followed.
Jason didn't look up. He already knew what they were talking about.
"…It won't," someone said.
"Won't what?"
"Open. It's just there."
"Yeah, that's what they said months ago."
More laughter.
Someone shrugged. "Even if it does, what's it gonna do?"
Jason paused mid-bite.
The words reached him… then faded.
He didn't know why.
He forced himself to relax and continued eating.
Afternoon classes dragged.
At some point, the sunlight shifted just enough to hit the classroom windows directly. Jason's seat gave him a clear view outside.
He didn't mean to look.
But he did.
The Gate was still—unmoved and unchanged.
Yet—
For a split second—
something about it felt… different.
He frowned.
His pen paused mid-note. The light around it seemed—
"Jason."
He blinked.
The teacher was looking at him.
"Answer the question."
A few students turned.
Jason straightened slightly. "Sorry… could you repeat it?"
A brief pause.
Then the teacher sighed and repeated it.
Jason answered. Correctly.
But the moment had already passed. When he looked back outside, nothing had changed. The Gate remained motionless.
Just like always.
The final bell rang.
Chairs scraped. Conversations resumed. The room emptied quickly.
Jason packed his things without rushing.
No one spoke to him. No one stopped him.
He walked out into the open air, the noise of students fading behind him as he moved away from the crowd.
For a moment, he just stood there.
Then—
He looked up.
The Gate filled the sky.
Frozen against the horizon.
Jason stared at it longer than he meant to. Longer than he should have.
A strange feeling settled in his chest—not fear or curiosity, but something else… something he couldn't name.
"…Why does it always feel like that?" he murmured.
No answer came.
Of course not.
It was just the sky. Just something everyone else had already accepted.
Jason exhaled quietly, then looked away.
As he walked home, the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the road. Everything looked normal. Everything felt normal.
And yet—
that feeling didn't leave.
If anything… it grew.
That night, Jason lay on his bed, staring at the faint glow slipping through the curtains.
His eyes didn't drift away this time. They stayed fixed.
The room was quiet—too quiet.
Yet—
he couldn't stop staring.
His thoughts drifted somewhere between awake and sleep. The silence stretched.
Then—
A voice.
Cold and distant.
Not loud… but clear.
"Soon."
Jason's eyes snapped open. His body tensed as he pushed himself up slightly, heartbeat quickening.
The room was empty. No movement. No sound. Just the faint glow beyond the curtains.
He listened.
Nothing.
"…Just my imagination," he muttered.
But it didn't feel convincing.
He lay back down slowly, pulling the blanket up while keeping his eyes fixed on the window.
For a long moment, he didn't blink.
Outside, the Gate remained motionless against the sky.
And somewhere far beyond what anyone could see—
A presence stirred.
"Soon… we begin."