The rest of the first day settled into a steady rhythm. After the exchange students’ introductions, the lecture began. The professor, an older man with silver-rimmed glasses and a crisp navy-blue suit, launched straight into the material without wasting time.
Franz, Orion, Zane, Lena, Celeste, Iris, and Emphera sat together near the center. Their presence, especially that of the special exchange students, drew more than a few glances from the other students. Some whispering was inevitable, but after the first ten minutes, most lost interest and focused on the lecture.
Franz leaned back in his seat, one hand idly spinning a pen. His notes were sparse, consisting of brief bullet points that captured only the most essential details. In contrast, Lena and Iris wrote diligently, filling their notebooks with meticulous handwriting. Celeste kept up but looked unimpressed, while Zane tried his best to follow along, occasionally shooting side glances at Franz, who seemed unfazed by everything.
Midway through the lecture, a loud creak came from Zane’s seat. The entire row stiffened. Before Zane could react, the chair gave way beneath him.
Then, before he could hit the ground, a firm hand grabbed his collar, steadying him. The fall stopped just in time, and Zane barely managed to land back in his seat. Blinking, he turned to his side, meeting an all-too-familiar pair of glasses and an expression of complete indifference.
Franz casually let go as if nothing had happened.
"Careful," he said, turning back to his notes.
Zane swallowed, his heart pounding. That was weird. Normally, if something unlucky happened, he’d somehow get out of it at the last second. But this time, it wasn’t his own luck saving him—it was someone else.
Meanwhile, Emphera smirked. "It must be fate. Maybe Franz is destined to be your knight in shining armor, Zane."
Orion let out a low whistle. "Guess Zane’s got a guardian angel."
From the corner of his eye, Celeste and Lena exchanged glances, clearly noticing what had happened. Iris, ever perceptive, tapped her pen against her notebook, deep in thought
Zane scowled, rubbing his face. Great. Just what he needed.
Cafeteria - Third-Person POV
Lunch break arrived, and their group naturally ended up together in the cafeteria. The presence of the special exchange students made them an immediate focus for attention, but Franz and Orion seemed completely unbothered by the extra eyes on them.The moment they entered, Franz and Orion both made a beeline for the meat section, loading their plates high with steak, chicken, eggs, and anything protein-heavy. When they finally sat down, their trays were piled so high that it made the rest of the group pause.
Zane, seated between the two, looked like a child with his much more modest portion. He eyed their plates before muttering, "Do you guys even taste your food, or do you just inhale it?"
Orion grinned. "Gotta fuel the machine, man."
Franz, unbothered, simply started eating.
Meanwhile, Celeste and Emphera were mid-conversation when two guys from another table approached, carrying an air of casual confidence.
"Hey," one of them said, flashing a relaxed smile. "You’re new here, right? Thought we’d come over and introduce ourselves."
Celeste barely spared them a glance. "No need."
The guy chuckled, clearly used to a bit of resistance. "No harm in making new friends, right? We could show you around, make sure you settle in properly."
Emphera tilted her head slightly, an amused glint in her eyes. "Tempting, but we’re good."
His friend nudged him lightly. "Come on, no need to rush off. We—"
The two guys didn’t seem deterred, still standing with relaxed confidence—until their eyes flicked over the table properly.
Two tall guys. Silent. Eating nothing but meat.
Franz, with his hood still up, calmly slicing through steak like a man with nowhere to be. Orion, towering and broad-shouldered, wolfing down eggs like he hadn’t eaten in days.
The approaching students stiffened.
They weren’t doing anything wrong, but something about the sheer presence of the two made the conversation feel awkward. Like they had just walked into the wrong neighborhood.
"...Uh, anyway," the first guy cleared his throat. "We’ll just—yeah."
His friend quickly nodded, and before they could say another word, they both turned and walked away—just casually enough to make it seem like their decision.
Zane was about to stand, already preparing some cool one-liner to shut them down but it was over before that.Celeste took a sip of her drink. "That was easy."
Emphera watched them leave, amusement flickering in her eyes. "Didn’t even need to say no twice."
In a realm beyond mortal comprehension, divine figures loomed over a swirling cosmic pool, gazing at the events unfolding below.
Beyond the veil of mortal sight, a presence stirred.
"The threads of fate are shifting," the Mist God observed.
The Fire God hummed. "Zane’s luck is fluctuating. Unstable."
A deep voice rumbled from the void. "Because of him."
"If left unchecked, it may lead to unexpected consequences," the Mist God mused. "We should intervene soon."
The day finally came to an end.
As the group prepared to leave, Lena turned to everyone. "Since we’ll be in the same class, we should exchange numbers."
Orion grinned. "Now that’s a great idea."
Numbers were exchanged, goodbyes were said, and soon, Franz and Orion walked off together.
He arrived home, tossing his bag onto the couch before collapsing into the seat himself.
Then, out of nowhere—