The school was empty at six in the morning.

  Kaito walked through the front gate. The security guard sat in the booth, drinking tea, reading a newspaper. He didn't look up. He never looked up.

  Kaito climbed the stairs. Third floor. The air was colder here. The lights flickered once, then steadied.

  He stopped in front of Locker 17.

  It was behind the supply closet. A blind spot. Cameras didn't reach here. Students rarely came here unless they were hiding.

  The air shimmered.

  It looked like oil on water. Swirling. Silent. A vertical line, three feet high, hovering inches from the metal lockers.

  Kaito set his bag down. He checked his watch. Six-fourteen. First period started at eight. He had time.

  He reached into his jacket. His fingers found the Two of Clubs.

  The card was cool. Less powerful than the Ace. Less dangerous. Good for small leaks.

  "You're early." Kuro's voice echoed from the Ace in his pocket. "Trying to impress someone?"

  Kaito ignored him. He held the Two of Clubs against the shimmer.

  The air hissed. A sound like steam escaping a valve.

  "Don't press too hard." Kuro sounded bored. "You'll tear it. Then you'll have to explain to the principal why the wall is bleeding shadow."

  Kaito pressed harder.

  The shimmer resisted. It pushed back. Cold seeped through the card, into his fingers. Numbness crept up his hand.

  He focused. He pictured the crack closing. Stitching. Sealing.

  The card glowed faintly. Blue light traced the edges of the shimmer. The oil-like swirl slowed. Stopped. Reversed.

  The line vanished.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  The locker looked normal. Metal. Grey. Scratched.

  Kaito lowered his hand. The numbness faded. He slipped the card back into his deck.

  "Sloppy." Kuro commented. "Took you forty seconds. Last week you did it in thirty."

  Kaito picked up his bag. "Getting old."

  "You're eighteen."

  "Old."

  "Keep telling yourself that." Kuro settled back into the card. "Wake me when something interesting happens."

  Kaito stepped back. He ran a hand over the locker. Cold. But solid. No residue. No trace.

  He walked to the window. He opened it. Fresh air flowed in, washing away the scent of ozone and old dust.

  He closed the window. He checked the hallway.

  Empty.

  He walked down the stairs. He stopped at the vending machine on the first floor. He bought a black coffee. He drank it standing there, watching the entrance.

  Students began to arrive at seven-thirty.

  The hallway filled with noise. Shoes squeaking. Bags zipping. Voices overlapping.

  Ryota came through the door at seven-forty-five. He saw Kaito. He waved. He jogged over.

  "You're always here first. It's creepy. Do you sleep here? Be honest. Jin says you don't, but Jin lies sometimes. Not really, but he could."

  Kaito took a sip of coffee. "No."

  "No what? No sleeping? Or no creeping?"

  "No sleep."

  Ryota winced. "That's worse. You need sleep. Brain function declines without sleep. I read that somewhere. Maybe it was a cereal box. Anyway, Hana's looking for you."

  Kaito looked toward the entrance.

  Hana walked in. She saw him. She smiled. She started walking over.

  "She says you missed the study group yesterday. She says you promised. Did you promise?"

  Kaito finished the coffee. He crushed the can. "Forgot."

  "You forgot. She's going to kill you. Metaphorically. Probably."

  Hana reached them. She held a notebook in her hand. She tapped it against Kaito's arm.

  "You forgot."

  Kaito looked at the notebook. Then at her. "Sorry."

  "Sorry doesn't fix calculus." She opened the notebook. Pages filled with notes. Neat handwriting. Highlighted sections. "I copied my notes. You can borrow them. But you owe me."

  "Owe."

  "Yes. You owe me. Lunch today. Cafeteria. No escaping."

  Kaito looked at Ryota. Ryota shrugged. He looked excited about the lunch plan.

  Kaito looked back at Hana. She waited. Her eyes were bright. Expectant.

  "Fine."

  She smiled. It was a victory smile. Small. Satisfied.

  "Good. Don't be late." She turned to Ryota. "You too. Both of you. Or I'm telling Jin."

  She walked away. Her hair swung behind her. She disappeared into the crowd heading for the stairs.

  Ryota watched her go. He shook his head.

  "She's scary when she wants to be. You know that? Like a general. A tiny, nice general."

  Kaito pushed off the wall. He started walking toward the stairs.

  "Coming?" Ryota asked.

  Kaito didn't answer. He just kept walking.

  Ryota followed. "That means yes. I'm learning the language of Kaito. It's very complex. Mostly nods. Sometimes grunts."

  They climbed the stairs. They passed the third floor.

  Kaito glanced at the hallway behind the supply closet.

  Nothing.

  Just lockers. Just light. Just dust motes dancing in the sun.

  A group of first-years laughed as they walked past. One of them leaned against Locker 17. He didn't flinch. He didn't feel the cold. He didn't know what had been there an hour ago.

  Kaito kept walking.

  He reached the classroom. He sat by the window. He put his bag down. He put his hand near his pocket.

  The cards were quiet. The city was quiet.

  The bell rang.

  Mr. Sato walked in. He started talking about derivatives.

  Kaito opened his notebook. He picked up his pen.

  He wrote down the date.

  He listened to the lecture. He listened to the scratch of pens. He listened to the breathing of thirty students who had no idea what walked in the walls.

  His phone vibrated in his bag.

  He didn't check it. He knew what it was.

  A notification from the city grid. Power fluctuation in the Grey District. Substation four.

  It was small. Insignificant. The news would call it a glitch.

  Kaito knew better.

  Something had pushed through. Something small. Something hungry.

  It would wait until night.

  He put his hand back on the desk. He focused on the board.

  For now, he was a student.

  For now, the world was normal.

  He wrote down the equation. He solved it.

  He waited for the bell to ring.

  He waited for the sun to go down.