Oliver
The morning sun peeked through the clouds, casting a soft glow into my room. By 7:29 A.M., I was already up, too eager to wait any longer to learn my mission. I glanced in the mirror, running a hand through my light brown hair to make sure it wasn’t a mess. Deciding on a simple white shirt and hoodie, I finished getting ready. The letter mentioned that the school would provide me with a uniform once I arrived.
As I was tying my shoelaces, the doorbell rang, followed by Harper’s familiar voice greeting my parents. Before I could stand, she yelled from the bottom of the stairs, “Hurry up already, or we’re going to be late!”
Smirking, I called back, “I’m coming down, you’re just impatient.”
When I reached the kitchen, Harper was casually sitting at the table, eating an apple. She was already dressed in her uniform—a pale purple jacket over a white shirt. To my surprise, she was even wearing a skirt, something I’d never seen her in before. Her long red curls were half-up, half-down, framing her face in a way that made her look... cute.
“Finally. Now we can go,” she grumbled, still sounding half-asleep.
Before we could leave, my father stopped us, his expression serious. “Since reports of sightings have gone down in recent months, your job is to gather information—listen to the students, the teachers, anyone who might know something.” His sharp gaze settled on both of us. “Do I make myself clear?”
Harper, always quick to speak, responded before I could. “Crystal clear, sir,” she said with a bright smile.
Satisfied, my father turned to me. “One more thing, Oliver. I have a gift for you.”
He pushed a small brown bag across the counter, white tissue paper peeking out from the top. I quickly tore into it, making a small mess on the floor. Inside was a dagger—silver with a golden handle, gleaming even in the dim kitchen light.
Harper let out a quiet gasp of admiration. Her first weapon had also been a dagger, but not nearly as nice as this one.
“For emergencies only,” my father reminded me firmly. “Now, you two need to get to school.”
I carefully placed the dagger into my bag, gave my parents a final glance, and waved goodbye. Since the school wasn’t far, Harper and I decided to walk.
After about ten minutes, the sidewalk grew more crowded. Students in blue or purple uniforms filled the street, making me stick out like a sore thumb. As we approached the school gates, I felt dozens of eyes on me. The building itself looked like something from medieval times—tall, black stone towers with flags waving in the wind.
Inside, lockers lined the walls, students hurried to their classes, and the air buzzed with conversation. But no matter where I looked, people were still staring.
“Where’s the office?” I asked Harper, shifting uncomfortably.
She pointed toward a set of double doors. “That way.”
As I walked in, a woman at the front desk, dressed in a cream-colored blouse, barely spared me a glance. “Excuse me, sir, can I help you?” she asked, sounding already annoyed by my presence.
“I’m new,” I explained. “I need my schedule.”
She typed away at her computer before responding. “Sit over there. Someone will come to give you a tour and help you find your classes.”
With nothing else to do, I sat down and glanced at the clock. The bell rang, signaling the start of the day. And now, the waiting game began.
James
We all piled into my car and headed toward the school. The drive was long since our house sat right at the edge of town where the forest began.
As soon as we arrived, a strange scent caught my attention. I leaned over to Owen, who was hurriedly finishing last night’s homework. “Do you smell that?” I asked, frowning. He barely glanced up. “Nope,” he mumbled, still focused on his paper.
Ava, however, gave me a curious look as we started walking inside. “What smell?” I stopped for a moment, inhaling deeply. The scent was faint but unmistakable—sweet honey and wildflowers. It felt calming and safe. I’d never smelled anything like it before. The twins were staring at me now, waiting for an explanation. Not wanting to seem weird, I forced a small smile. “Probably just someone’s perfume.”
I was supposed to be giving the new kid a tour today, but that scent—it was pulling me in. I needed to find out where it was coming from. As we walked down the hall, I stepped in front of the twins, making Owen nearly crash into me.“So, you guys know I have to give that new kid a tour,” I started, keeping my voice casual. “But I just remembered—I promised Amelia I’d do something for the debate team. And you know how she gets.” I looked at them expectantly. “So, can you guys cover for me just this once?”
Owen groaned, shaking his head. “Dude, no. We always do it.”I turned to Ava, hoping she’d be more agreeable. She crossed her arms. “Sorry, James, but Owen’s right.”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdk3zUwuNpP
“Come on, guys, this is important,” I pleaded. They weren’t budging. Desperate, I tried one last trick—puppy eyes. But they weren’t falling for it. As they started walking away, I called after them. “Fine! I’ll pay you twenty bucks.”That made them stop. Ava adjusted her glasses, considering. “Make it thirty, each.”
I sighed dramatically but pulled out my wallet. “You guys aren’t cheap.”The moment they headed into the office, I turned my attention back to the scent. It was still lingering, but faint, lost in the sea of students moving through the hallways. I had heard of this before—the unmistakable pull, the feeling of warmth, the scent that felt like home. My father had told me about it when he met my mother. It meant only one thing.
My mate was here.
I searched for them for nearly thirty minutes, but the scent disappeared, leaving me with nothing but frustration and questions. And now, I was late for class. Still, as I walked toward homeroom, one thought lingered in my mind. Whoever they were… I hoped they were someone I could spend the rest of my life with.
10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwTzh9BF24
