Morning began the way it always did.
Aurex moved through the motions with ease,waking up, showering, eating breakfast at the table with his smiling family. His father with his coffee, his mother with orange juice, his sister dressed for work, and his little brother chattering cheerfully about school.
The sun rose behind pale curtains. The toast was dry but warm. The kitchen smelled faintly of soap and something clean, like everything had been wiped too many times.
At 7:30 sharp, Aurex and Jeno left for school, walking the familiar path past quiet houses and smiling neighbors.
Once inside, they split toward their respective classrooms.
Aurex took his seat. His face held a perfect smile, practiced through seventeen years of repetition.
The teacher entered with that same polite energy and began, as expected, with a lecture not just on the rules, but on why they mattered.
> "This is the safest place in the world. A place of order, of joy. Rule One keeps us together and happy. Rule Two protects us from chaos. Rule Three—"
Aurex barely heard the words.
His thoughts drifted again to the idea that had quietly taken root inside him,escape. The more he thought of it, the more the idea tangled around his mind like thorns.
But where would I go?
That single thought terrified him.
He didn't know what was beyond the town walls. He didn't even know how big the town was. No one ever talked about it. Geography wasn't taught. No maps. No travel stories. No visitors.
His breath caught in his throat.
Why am I only realizing this now?
Why had no one ever asked? Why had he never asked?
His heart began to pound. His smile strained. A thin sheen of sweat gathered at the back of his neck.
Don't break. Don't show anything.
His teacher's voice faded into a muffled drone. Aurex could only hear his own heartbeat thudding in his ears. The floor felt uneven beneath his shoes. The desk felt too close.
The class dragged on.
Each minute passed like it was daring him to slip. To fail.
But he didn't.
Years of practice kept his face in place, though his knuckles were white from gripping the edge of the desk.
Finally, the bell rang for break.
---
He took his tray to the cafeteria, just like always. Sat down at the same corner. Smiled. Ate.
But this time, he wasn't focused on the food.
He was waiting.
Waiting for him.
And, like yesterday, the boy appeared. Same uniform. Same seat. Same red eyes. Eating slowly, as if time moved differently around him.
Aurex stood, tray in hand.
His feet felt heavy. His chest, hollow.
But he walked.
He approached the boy's table and asked, quietly, "Why are your eyes red?"
The boy turned his head, his expression calm, like he had been expecting the question. His mouth curled into a grin.
Then, without hesitation, he laughed.
Not too loud. Just enough to draw a few heads. And then he answered in a playful voice that still held something strange behind it:
"I keep my eyes open. It's good for my health."
Aurex laughed too.
It felt automatic. Hollow.
He laughed the way the other students had the day before. A surface-level response, nothing genuine. But as his head turned, he caught something that made the smile falter for half a second.
No one else was standing.
The cafeteria was full—but everyone was already seated, already eating, already smiling.
When did the food arrive?
Aurex blinked.
He couldn't remember.
He always came last, and the food was always there when he arrived. But… no one lined up. No trays were being handed out. No cafeteria staff or maybethey were in the back. No noise. Just quiet chewing and cheerful expressions.
Maybe they bring food from home, he told himself. Like I do.
Still, the unease stayed with him.
He sat back down, kept eating. The rest of the break passed in silence.
---
After school, Aurex didn't stray.
He had planned to explore again, but something about today,about the red-eyed boy, about that sudden, creeping awareness,had shaken him.
Home felt safe. Or, at least, predictable.
When he returned, his mother welcomed him with her usual warmth. The table was already set. His father and sister were already home, finishing their meal.
They ate.
Then came the one-hour "discussion",praises of the rules, the same way they always did it.
He smiled. Nodded. Agreed.
At 6:00 p.m., everyone went to their rooms. It was a house rule,part of the family's personal version of order. Doors closed. No noise.
Aurex sat at his desk.
His books were neatly stacked. His journal waited, the cover worn at the edges from years of use.
He stretched. Then sat down and began to write.
> Diary Entry, Day 2
I asked a question today. For the first time, I spoke without permission.
He answered with a joke. But I think it wasn't a joke.
My smile almost slipped in class. It scared me how fast my thoughts were racing.
I started wondering about the outside world. And I didn't stop.
That thought is still here. It's quiet, but it's loud enough that I can't ignore it.
I'm afraid I'll be caught just for thinking this. But I'll keep thinking anyway.
I'll keep writing.
I'll keep watching.
He paused.
Then added, in a line separate from the rest:
I think everyone is pretending. But what if some of them aren't?
He closed the book, placed it under his mattress, and lay back on the bed.
The bell would ring at 10:00. He had four hours alone.
He didn't know what his father did in his room. Or his mother. Or Lira. Or Jeno.
Maybe they all did the same thing. Maybe not.
But Aurex had been raised never to ask.
So he didn't.
He stared at the ceiling, keeping his eyes wide open until they started to sting.
Just like that boy.