The halls of Hollow Creek Elementary buzzed with the usual midday clamor: slamming lockers, murmured gossip, and the distant echo of a pop quiz being groaned over in Mrs. Penley's science class.
Jake Tetravin tapped his fingers on his desk. Normally, science was one of his favorite subjects. But today, after everything they'd been through—fighting monsters, unlocking powers, and stepping between dimensions—learning about the water cycle just… didn't hit the same.
Across the room, Reggie sat scribbling in his notebook. But it wasn't class notes. He was working on sketches for something new—a hidden module for the Phantom Bands. A cloaking projector? Maybe a psychic jammer?
Vanessa Simpletin sat two rows down, flipping through her English textbook with one hand and gently spinning a strand of violet-pink hair with the other. She was the very picture of focus, but every so often, her eyes drifted toward Jake's desk—and she smiled quietly.
Isabella Sherman, at the front of the class, raised her hand to answer a question. Her voice was calm and clear, as always, but her eyes held a different spark now. Power hummed under her skin—barely restrained.
And somewhere on the roof of the gymnasium, Remy Moneyclip leaned back against a skylight, eating a snack bar and watching birds fly past. He'd skipped his last period using a minor Arcanodrive illusion.
> "Normal life," he muttered, smirking. "Tolerable, now that I've got magic."