#3 Chapter Three: Sparks in the Hallway

Adrian barely slept that night. His mind kept replaying everything—Elias’s voice, the shimmer of floating leaves, the touch on his wrist that had felt like electricity and calm all at once.

By morning, he was a zombie in a hoodie.

The moment he stepped into school, he spotted Elias leaning against the lockers, talking to a girl from their class. Elias’s laugh was easy, that same quiet thunder that made everyone nearby turn their heads.

Adrian’s stomach twisted again, but he pretended to rummage in his bag. Totally casual. Totally normal.

Elias caught his eye and grinned. “Morning, magic boy.”

Adrian froze mid-step. “Don’t call me that,” he hissed, cheeks burning.

Elias chuckled, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve. “Relax. No one heard. You ready for another test?”

“Test?”

Elias nodded toward the empty stretch of hallway. “Try feeling something small. Something simple. Like curiosity.”

Adrian raised an eyebrow. “That’s… not how emotions work.”

“Sure it is,” Elias said, stepping closer. “Just think of something that makes you curious. Me, for example.”

Adrian’s brain short-circuited. “You—what—”

Before he could even finish, the locker door next to him swung open by itself, papers spilling like confetti.

“Oh no,” Adrian groaned, rushing to scoop them up. “That was curiosity?”

Elias crouched beside him, smiling. “That was adorable panic disguised as curiosity.”

Adrian shoved the papers into a pile. “You have a weird definition of adorable.”

“I stand by it.” Elias’s voice softened. “You’re learning fast.”

The compliment hit harder than expected. Adrian looked up, meeting his gaze for half a second too long—and suddenly the hallway lights flickered.

Elias blinked. “Okay, maybe too fast.”

“Sorry!” Adrian said quickly, heart pounding. “I didn’t mean to—”

Elias held up a hand. “Hey, hey, breathe. Remember what I said yesterday?”

“Yeah,” Adrian mumbled. “It’s all about how I feel.”

“Exactly. And right now, you’re feeling…”

“Embarrassed,” Adrian muttered.

Elias’s grin widened. “Then let’s call that progress.”

The lights steadied again, leaving only the faint hum of fluorescent bulbs. Adrian exhaled. For a moment, it almost felt peaceful.

Until a spark of energy zipped past his ear and singed the edge of a poster.

Elias snorted. “Okay, maybe mostly peaceful.”

Adrian buried his face in his hands. “I’m a walking disaster.”

“More like a storm learning to dance,” Elias said. “And storms don’t apologize for existing.”

Adrian looked at him, startled by the warmth in his voice. The world seemed quieter again—except for the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

Then the bell rang, loud and jarring, and the moment broke apart like glass.

“Meet me after class,” Elias said, shouldering his bag. “We’ll try something new. Something that might show you why your powers exist.”

Adrian blinked. “Why they exist?”

Elias smiled that same secret smile. “You didn’t think this was all random, did you?”

And with that, he walked away, leaving Adrian standing in the flickering hallway, heart pounding and head spinning.

Whatever this connection was—it was growing stronger.

And Adrian wasn’t sure if it thrilled or terrified him more.

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