The morning air was crisp, carrying the distant hum of the city below.

"Morning!" a girl chirped, stretching her arms as she looked at her companion. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

The boy beside her yawned. "Not much. That quake this morning? Sure woke me up."

"Where are those ruins we're going to again?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Hold on, I’ll check the maps…" she replied, pulling out her phone.

Before she could unlock the screen, a loud voice boomed behind them. "Gooooood mornin'!"

They both flinched, turning sharply to see Ali grinning mischievously. The girl clutched her chest. "Ali! Don’t scare me like that! Right Sufian"

Ali laughed heartily. "Aahahaha! Yeah, yeah, sorry. My bad."

Sufian smirked. "Off to an early start, huh?"

Not far from the trio, another girl sat in the same classroom, her attention fixated on her phone. The classroom buzzed with chatter as students prepared for the day ahead, the sound of honking cars rising from the busy street below.

Meanwhile, across town, the quiet of a household contrasted sharply with the school’s energy. An older brother stepped into his younger sister’s room and called out, "Your food’s gonna get cold."

Silence.

He sighed and pulled back the blanket on her bed—only to find an ugly plush toy staring back at him. His heart sank. "Oh no. She went out by herself again!"

Laughter echoed outside. His little sister was hopping from tree to tree, her feet barely touching the branches before springing to the next. She paused for a moment, glancing back at the house, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. She stuck out her tongue, pulling one eyelid down. "Nyah nyah!"

As she giggled, something cold landed on her nose. She blinked. A snowflake? She looked up at the sky, her expression shifting. "It’s... snowing?"

Elsewhere, a group of girls huddled together, preparing to take a selfie. "Okay, I’m taking it in one, two, three—"

The classroom door suddenly slid open. A tall boy with slicked-back hair loomed in the doorway, his face twisted in an irritated scowl. The girls froze, staring at him.

"Sorrrrrrrrrrrrry!" one of them blurted, before grabbing her friends and scurrying away.

The boy scoffed, clicking his tongue in annoyance. He shoved his hands into his pockets, tilting his head slightly as he glanced toward the classroom window. His friend, still glued to her phone, smirked. "Wow. You’re such a charmer. No wonder all the girls love you."

He pulled a chair in front of her desk and slumped into it. "Oh, shut up," he muttered.

She ignored him, turning her attention back to the tele. The news played on the screen. "At roughly 3 AM this morning, a magnitude 3 earthquake hit Pearl City."

Ali’s and Sufian’s friend, Malak, perked up. "Wait. Isn’t that here?"

The news anchor continued, "It caused a landslide in parts of the region. Police and fire departments urge caution due to the risk of further seismic activity. Everyone in the area is encouraged—"

The classroom erupted into murmurs. Students exchanged nervous glances, whispering about the morning’s quake. The annoyed boy turned to his friend. "Bayan! is it really safe for us to go on this trip?"

Before she could respond, an older student walked in, clapping his hands to get their attention. "All right, everyone, it's time to head out. Make sure to listen to your group leaders. Remember, this isn’t a vacation. Stick to the schedule."

Bayan sighed as she walked out of the school. "This sucks," she muttered, holding up her phone to snap a few selfies, her irritation momentarily forgotten.

As I passed through the school gate, I hesitated. For a fleeting moment, I thought I saw someone watching me from the classroom window. I squinted, but when I focused, there was nothing there.

"Sufian?" Malak nudged me.

"Ah, sorry. Just got a little distracted," I mumbled.

Meanwhile, in the now-empty classroom, Layla sat quietly, humming a tune. She gently stroked her younger brother’s head as he dozed off on the desk. Her voice was soft, almost lulling herself to sleep as well. Outside, the excited chatter of students boarding the buses filled the air, but inside, it was peaceful.

The day was only just beginning.

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