I woke up to the shrill sound of my alarm. I groaned, my face still pressed against my pillow. Sunlight cutting through the curtains, illuminating my mother's photo beneath scattered papers,my fingers trembled—just slightly—as I tucked it away, keeping it close.
Yesterday's events—Lidia, the strange book—still lingered in my mind like a distant memory.
I glanced at the clock—8:47 AM.
"Holyshit!" I jumped up from my bed, panic rushing through me.
"We're going to be late!"
"Mike! Get up!" I shouted, tossing a pillow at his head.
Mike groaned, rolling over, his face a mess of tangled hair and blankets. "Seriously? Dude, it's like... the first week. They're not gonna care if we're late."
I wasn't convinced. "Yeah, well, I care," I said, pulling on my hoodie and grabbing my backpack.
"Come on, man," I said, pacing by the door. "You don't want to make a bad impression on day one, do you?"
Mike grumbled, then finally sat up, his messy hair sticking in all directions.
""Fine, fine. But if I flunk this class because I missed the first five minutes, I'm blaming you."
"Deal. Now hurry up," I said , slinging my bag over my shoulder and heading for the door.
"Wait!" Mike jumped up, a panicked look in his eyes. "Shouldn't we at least, I don't know, shower first?"
I paused, briefly considering it.
Damn it... I thought. First week of being normal, and I'm already screwing it up.
**************************************
Classroom— 9:02 AM
By the time we made it to class, we were already a few minutes late. The door creaked open just as the instructor, a sharp-eyed woman with a no-nonsense look, was in mid-sentence. Her gaze snapped toward us, and the room fell silent.
"Nice of you to join us," she said, her tone oozing with sarcasm. "Care to explain why you're so late on your very first day of my class ?"
Mike opened his mouth, but before he could blurt out some half-hearted nonsense, I stopped him and forced a polite smile.
"Sorry, ma'am. We got lost."
She raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it.
"Name?"
I hesitated. Ethan...Ethan Hel—
Mike Reynolds!" Mike blurted, elbowing past me with an exaggerated bow. "Future philosophy major and punctuality enthusiast. This is my first and last tardiness, I swear."
Ignoring mike, the instructor narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at me.
"Shit".
I braced for the usual "Like Van Helsing?'* crap."
"Helsing..." she murmured, staring down at the ring on her finger as if lost in thought before shaking her head.
Take a seat, and try not to let this happen again."
Yes, MA'AM.
As we shuffled to the back, I couldn't help but notice Lidia sitting near the front, her eyes flicking over toward me for a brief moment before she turned her attention back to the instructor.
I felt a strange flutter in my chest.
No, I told myself. Focus. I don't even know how to talk to girls. Besides, it's not like I'll ever have a chance with her, right?
Meanwhile, Mrs. Shaw wrote her name on the board.
Mike leaned toward me, trying to stifle a laugh.
"Colleen Shaw? Sounds like a character from a bad soap opera."
I smirked, keeping my face neutral, but I saw Lidia's lips twitch upward in a barely-there smile. I wondered if she had heard him.
Then, the lecture began.
**************************************
"This class is about change," she said, pacing in front of the room. "It's about embracing new beginnings and adapting to life's challenges. It's not just about academics-it's about your personal growth."
Her words hit me harder than I expected: change, new beginnings. That was exactly what I was trying to do-leave behind my family's dangerous legacy and carve out a life for myself that was safe and... normal.
But there was the book. His mark.
Could I really outrun it all?
As the lecture dragged on, some students began to zone out, particularly a group of football players who clearly weren't interested in the subject while mike yawned seeming bored out of his mind in the corner.
My mind wandered back to the library, to the book I couldn't stop thinking about.
Suddenly, I felt that tug again-a faint calling at the edge of my consciousness. I clenched my fists under the desk, nails biting into my palms.
Not here. Not now.
But the pull sharpened, as if something was approaching.
I spun around, half-expecting to see something, anything.
Mrs. Shaw's sharp gaze caught mine, and she paused mid-sentence. "Mr. Helsing, are you looking for something? Am I boring you?"
My stomach dropped, and I quickly shook my head. "No, sorry ma'am... just... spacing out."
She eyed me for a moment, then continued. But that pull—it only grew stronger, more urgent, like something I had to follow.
Finally, the bell rang, and I practically leapt out of my seat, desperate to leave. I hastily shoved my stuff into my bag.
The library. I needed to go there. I needed answers about the book.
As I was about to make a break for it, Mrs. Shaw called after me.
"Ethan, a word?"
I froze, my heart pounding. I turned around slowly.
"Yes, ma'am?"
She studied me for a moment, her gaze softening as she seemed to assess something beneath the surface. "Is everything okay? I know starting college can be overwhelming. You don't have to have it all figured out right now."
Her concern threw me off guard. I didn't expect it. But I nodded, trying to sound calm. "I... yeah, I'm fine. Just adjusting, I guess."
She smiled gently. "It's a big change, but you'll find your way. Just give it time."
I left her class, her words still echoing in my mind. Maybe she was right. I didn't need to have everything figured out just yet. But the pull from that damn book-it was still there. I couldn't ignore it.
I walked quickly to the library, my thoughts tangled . Mrs. Shaw's words had helped, but the unease wouldn't leave.
**************************************
The scent of old paper and ink filled the air as I stepped into the Library—Special Collections section. Amid the towering shelves,I spotted Lidia— her face twisted in frustration as she rifled through books.
I hesitated—then walked towards her.
"Hey," I greeted, my approach seeming to startled her, as if not expecting someone to be here.
She turned toward me, narrowing her eyes slightly, trying to place me. "Oh. It's you. The guy who was late for class."
"Yeah," I replied, hoping I didn't look as awkward as I felt. "I, uh... I was looking for you."
Her brow furrowed. "For me? Why?"
I hesitated. How the hell do I explain this?
"I, um... wanted to ask about the book I had yesterday."
She blinked at me, then gave a small, puzzled frown. "That book? It's just an old, rusty thing. There are tons like it in here-some look even older. Why do you ask?"
I shrugged, trying to sound casual. "I was just curious. It looked... interesting."
She smirked, clearly teasing. "What, are you into old books now or something?"
I nodded, feeling both relief and disappointment. If Lidia thought it was just another dusty book, maybe I was overthinking it. But still the feeling didn't go away.
She then glanced at her watch. "We should get going now. It's almost time for lunch, the cafeteria is normally really crowded once you arrive late."
"Yeah"
Along the way, we met up with Mike in the hallway, and we made our way to the cafeteria. Mike was jabbering on about some "hot girls" he'd seen in class.
"There's this redhead," Mike said, practically bouncing with excitement. "She's, like, super quiet. Kinda mysterious. I think I'm gonna talk to her next class."
I chuckled, shaking my head. "Good luck with that."
The cafeteria was buzzing with activity, with students lining up for food and chatting at tables.
We then hurried over to get our lunches, as many students were already rushing in.
"Dude, move faster," Mike said as he ran over.
I then sped up, accidentally using my enhanced speed and beating everyone to the counter.
I smiled awkwardly at the cafeteria lady, who looked like she'd rather be anywhere else.
"Dude, what the hell? Were you an athlete before?" Mike said, struggling to catch his breath.
"Uh, yeah. Track. In high school."
Shit. Why did my voice crack?
Umm....are you okay?
"I'm fine, just need to catch my breath," he said, looking like he would fall at any time.
Lidia appeared beside us— not even winded." That wasn't just fast," she murmured, her fingers brushing her pendant.
"That's, it's nothing," I said, feeling a little flustered.
"You were pretty fast too," I said, changing the subject. Now that I thought about it, she'd been running almost as fast as me.
Moments later, as we sat down to eat, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen.
The pull of the book, Mrs. Shaw's words-it all felt like pieces of a puzzle I couldn't quite put together.
But for now, I pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the moment. After all, this was supposed to be my new beginning. I just have to figure out how to make it work.