Thomas leaped from side to side through fluffy cotton-like clouds and rivers that shimmered like liquid glass. The wind brushed against his face as he flew effortlessly, paws spread wide, tail balancing his body as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Wheee!” he shouted, spinning in midair.

Seagulls flew past him — white, loud, and carefree.

“Hi, seaguuuulls!” Thomas waved, laughing.

“Hi, Thomaaas,” they replied in chorus. “It’s time, you know.”

“Time for what?” Thomas asked, confused.

But they were already gone, dissolving into feathers that slowly turned into clouds.

Thomas kept flying higher and higher. The sky grew brighter, warmer. Ahead of him, the sun appeared — huge, round, with a smiling face.

The sun looked straight at him.

“Hey…” Thomas began.

The sun opened its mouth.

BEEEEEEEEP!

“AAAAH!” Thomas jolted awake, sitting up in bed, heart racing.

The sound kept going.

It was his alarm clock.

Peter stood beside the bed, arms crossed, far too serious for that hour of the morning.

“It’s time, Thomas. Get up. Your mom already left for work, and you’ve got thirty minutes before you need to leave for school.”

Thomas blinked, still halfway between dream and reality.

“Dad… class doesn’t start until seven. It’s only six…”

“Go get ready, champ,” Peter replied, his tone unchanged. “You’re grounded. You’re walking to school today.”

Thomas groaned and flopped back onto the mattress.

“Aaah…”

“No ‘aaah.’” Peter pulled the curtains open, letting the morning light flood the room. “We leave at six-thirty. That way you won’t be late.”

He was already heading for the door when he stopped and added casually,

“Oh—and maybe Carry’s in your class.”

Thomas froze.

“What?” He sat up instantly.

Peter smirked, clearly pleased.

“Get dressed.”

The door closed.

Thomas stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, his heart beating faster than it should for someone who definitely didn’t care.

“Okay… fine… new school… new people…” he muttered, taking a deep breath. “No big deal.”

His tail, however, swished on its own, betraying his nerves.

The first day had begun.

Still a little groggy, Thomas shuffled into the bathroom to brush his teeth. His mind drifted between clouds, talking seagulls, and screaming suns, but his tail wouldn’t stop moving — restless, anxious, giving him away.

Well… at least Carry’s going to be with me, he thought, staring at his reflection. I don’t even remember how long I’ve known her…

She’d always been his neighbor. They grew up playing on the same street, chasing imaginary bugs, inventing adventures that never quite worked out. And as if that weren’t enough, her dad was his dad’s best friend. Carry had always been there. Constant. Familiar.

That helped.

He finished brushing his teeth and passed by the next room. Peeking through the half-open door, he saw his little sister Emily sleeping peacefully. Her fur was a soft mix of white, black, and orange, colorful patches rising and falling with her calm breathing.

“Daaad,” Thomas called from the hallway. “Why is Emily still asleep?”

“She goes to school in the afternoon, champ,” Peter replied from the kitchen.

“Oh…” Thomas frowned.

He ran toward the living room, grabbing a piece of toast along the way.

“Then why do I go in the morning?” he asked, mouth full.

Peter appeared, fixing his suit — tie crooked, face already tired.

“You go all day, champ. You don’t get out until four in the afternoon.”

Thomas froze.

“…What?”

“Full-time school.”

It took Thomas’s brain a few seconds to process that.

Then—

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

At that moment, a blur rushed through the room.

“Relax, worm-brain!” shouted Matews, his older brother, already slinging his backpack on. “You’ll love it!”

“I WILL NOT!” Thomas yelled back.

Matews stopped near the door, patting his pockets.

“Dad, have you seen my keys? I’m late for college, it’s already eight, I—”

“They’re in the garage. On your bike,” Peter said without looking.

“OH!” Matews bolted out, the motorcycle roared to life, and he sped down the street.

Thomas watched from the window, thoughtful.

“Dad…” he said slowly. “Wouldn’t it be better to tell him there’s no class today?”

Peter laughed while putting on his watch.

“He’ll figure it out when he gets there.”

Then he looked down, narrowing his eyes.

“Now get dressed, Thomas.”

“But I alrea—”

“You’re wearing underwear.”

Thomas looked down.

“…AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

He sprinted down the hallway as Peter shook his head, laughing.

The first day of school really wasn’t helping.

At exactly six-thirty, Thomas left the house. He wore his black shirt with the blue lightning bolt, simple gray shorts, and carried something even more important: a stubborn hope that the day wouldn’t be that bad.

The moment his paw touched the sidewalk—

“Beep!”

He turned.

Peter’s car was parked beside him.

Thomas crossed his arms, squinting.

“Seriously, Dad? You’re not even letting me in?”

Peter leaned on the window, smiling.

“Nope. You lied, remember?”

Thomas lowered his ears slightly.

“…Sorry, Dad.”

Peter chuckled.

“Apology accepted.”

A pause.

“But you’re still walking.”

The car pulled away, leaving Thomas alone on the quiet morning street.

He sighed… and kept going.

As he passed Carry’s house, his heart jumped. She was there, wearing a dark blue dress, getting into Logan’s car.

“Hi, Thomas!” she called from the window, smiling.

“Hi, Carry!” he replied, trying not to sound too excited.

The car drove off, and Thomas continued walking.

The walk to school would be long. Very long. But knowing Carry would be there made it a little less scary. That huge, unknown new school… maybe it wasn’t such a monster after all.

About twenty minutes later, he finally saw it.

The school.

Huge. Massive. Two enormous buildings stood side by side, connected by wide hallways. A vast courtyard stretched out front, and an even bigger sports field lay behind. The place was alive — voices, footsteps, laughter, shouting, backpacks, colors everywhere.

Thomas swallowed hard.

Wow…

His eyes darted around, desperately searching for a familiar face.

“Carry… Carry…” he murmured.

Before he could spot her, a car parked near the entrance. The door opened, and Peter stepped out, adjusting his suit.

“Come on, champ,” he said, standing beside Thomas. “I’ll walk you to your classroom.”

Thomas nodded, relieved.

They entered through the main doors, and the noise doubled. To Thomas, it felt like thousands — maybe billions — of kids. Or maybe it was just panic talking.

After a few hallways, Peter stopped in front of a sign.

Building 1 — Room 2 — Sixth Grade B

“This is it,” Peter said.

Thomas took a deep breath and went in.

He chose a seat near the wall, close to the front, and sat down. For the first time that day, he stayed still. Paws on the floor, eyes fixed on the door.

Waiting.

Waiting for the teacher.

Waiting for Carry.

His tail wagged so fast it looked like a helicopter blade about to take off.

At seven-thirty, students began filing in.

A completely white-furred cat with striking green eyes entered, surrounded by others who laughed and talked with her. She was so pretty she seemed to glow under the classroom lights.

Soon after, a small labrador puppy came in alone. He looked curious and slightly lost. He sat in the empty desk beside Thomas.

“Hi… I’m Jake,” he whispered.

Thomas just nodded.

Then, almost silently, a thin sparrow wearing round glasses slipped in and sat at the desk behind Thomas. The name tag on his backpack read: Igor.

Thomas kept watching the door.

Waiting.

The teacher entered.

But Carry didn’t.

Thomas’s heart began to race.

He raised his paw almost instantly.

“Um, teacher,” he said quickly, before losing his nerve. “A Siamese cat with blue eyes named Carry… is she absent today?”

The teacher smiled at him.

“I didn’t even get to introduce myself yet!” he laughed. “I’m Tim, your math teacher.”

He paused, thinking.

“And you must be talking about a student from the other school where I teach. I’m sorry, but… she doesn’t study here.”

She doesn’t study here.

The words echoed in Thomas’s head, over and over.

He sank into his chair, silent.

An entire day at that school.

Without Carry.

Without friends.

Surrounded by strangers.

Thomas stayed quiet through the whole first class.

The teacher left.

The bell rang.

Then the door opened again.

“Chiiiildren!” the next teacher announced, far too energetic for that hour. “Let’s make groups! Today is introduction day, okay? Come on, gather up!”

Thomas swallowed.

Groups…

He looked around.

For the first time, he realized the day was far from over.

The sparrow behind him tucked his head between his arms, trying to make himself as small as possible.

Then the labrador beside him leaned over and spoke — way too fast.

“I’m Jake! Wanna be in a group with me?”

Thomas blinked, surprised, and nodded.

Jake didn’t even wait.

“Awesome! I think we could be best friends. Like, you, me, and Igor here. We can present together and maybe talk about books or cartoons—there’s this show I love, but there’s one really bad episode, and then there’s another that’s amazing, but then the fandom—”

“I like Heroes of Destiny,” the sparrow said softly.

Igor’s voice was gentle, almost musical.

Thomas smiled.

“I know it! It’s really good.” He pointed to himself. “I’m Thomas. And this is Jake.”

Igor lifted his head slightly.

“Nice to meet you… I’m Igor.”

At the front, the teacher clapped.

“Alright, kids! Form your groups and come introduce yourselves! Then I’ll give you an activity!”

Thomas felt his tail sway slowly behind him.

For the first time since arriving at that school…

He wasn’t alone.

The first group was called.

“Group One!” the teacher announced.

Three students walked to the front.

A tall goat with curved horns cleared his throat before speaking.

“Uh… I’m Bruno.”

Beside him, a bee with an enormous backpack waved enthusiastically.

“I’m Mel! I like flowers, math, and—”

“I’m Rafa,” interrupted a monkey, already swinging from side to side. “And I can climb anything in this school.”

Some kids laughed. The teacher smiled and clapped.

“Very good, Group One!”

“Group Two!” she called next.

A cat named Mary spoke first, carefully fixing her hair.

“My name is Mary.”

Next to her, a chameleon slowly shifted colors, turning half green, half blue.

“I… I’m Theo.”

Finally, a large tiger crossed his arms.

“I’m Leo.”

Short. Direct. Silence.

“Thank you, Group Two!” the teacher said, not quite sure what else to add.

“Group Three!”

A frog made an exaggerated hop to the front.

“I’m Pingo!”

A lion spoke next, his voice confident.

“My name is Arthur.”

The rabbit beside him simply smiled and waved.

“I’m Luna.”

More applause.

Meanwhile…

“Dude, remember that episode where Atlas fights the Vortex?” Jake whispered—far too loud to count as a whisper.

“THAT ONE IS AMAZING!” Thomas replied, almost shouting. “When he activates the final power—”

“No, no, the best part is when they think Orion died,” Igor jumped in, excited. “That changes everything in the story!”

“EXACTLY!” Jake slammed his paw on the desk. “Heroes of Destiny is just perfect!”

“Except episode twenty-three,” Thomas added. “That one’s kinda bad.”

“BAD?!” all three said at the same time.

The teacher stopped in the middle of the room.

She looked toward Group Eleven.

“Thomas, Jake, and Igor…” she said awkwardly, trying not to laugh. “Could you please sit down?”

The three of them went silent instantly.

“But I do like your enthusiasm,” she added with a smile. “Alright, class—congratulations! Let’s move on to the activity.”

She wrote on the board:

“Write a short text about your parents’ jobs.”

Thomas swallowed.

His smile faded just a little.

But when he looked to the side and saw Jake already whispering something excitedly, and Igor carefully adjusting his glasses…

He realized the day still had a lot left to happen.

The three of them were in the cafeteria.

Igor and Jake were already seated while Thomas approached carefully, balancing a bowl of chicken soup. Steam rose from it, tickling his nose. He weaved between crowded tables—seventh, eighth, and ninth graders mixed with sixth—an endless tangle of voices, laughter, and clinking cutlery.

As he passed one of the busiest tables, Thomas slowed down.

Mary was there.

Surrounded by several students, laughing loudly, drawing attention as if the space around her belonged to her. Thomas’s heart started beating faster. Before he could stop himself, the words slipped out.

“Hi, Mary!”

Louder than he meant to.

Nearby conversations softened. A few students turned to look. Mary turned, surprised, then smiled.

“Hi, Thomas. You doing okay?”

His face burned.

“Y-yeah… I’m fine.”

And he practically ran off, dodging chairs, until he reached Jake and Igor’s table.

“All good?” Jake asked, barely holding back a laugh.

Thomas just nodded and started eating.

The soup felt hotter than before.

Between spoonfuls, the three of them went back to talking about the show. The conversation flowed easily, like they’d known each other for years.

“The best part is when the Vortex shows up for the first time,” Jake said.

“I still get chills,” Thomas added.

Igor stirred his soup, thoughtful.

“I really wanted to bring my Vortex figure to show you guys… but I lost it near the entrance.”

“You lost it?!” Thomas’s eyes widened.

“We’ll find it!” Jake said immediately.

Thomas stood up.

“Then let’s go look for it!”

The three of them ran toward the school entrance.

The courtyard was packed with parents. A true sea of heads, overlapping conversations, backpacks hanging, arms waving.

For a moment, everything changed.

In their imagination, the ground became a wooden deck. Backpacks turned into treasure chests. Parents became massive waves, swaying back and forth.

“Captain Jake,” Thomas whispered.

“At your command!” Jake replied, straightening his posture.

Igor adjusted his glasses.

“The treasure was last seen near the gates!”

The three advanced through the “ocean,” dodging the “waves,” alert for any sign of the lost figure.

The treasure hunt had begun.

The imaginary ship creaked like old wood as they leapt from adult to adult, dodging arms and bags like treacherous waves.

“Hey! Get out of there!” someone complained below.

Too late.

“CAPTAIN JAKE! A WAVE!” Thomas shouted, pointing at a group of parents moving together, forming a massive wall.

“FORWARD!” Jake ordered firmly.

Igor’s eyes widened.

“There! A giant rock!”

“TURN THAT WAY, NOWWWW!” Jake yelled.

The ship swerved sharply, climbing the “rock”—a long bench near the entrance. It sped up, faster and faster, like a car climbing an impossible hill, until—

“HOLD ON!” Thomas shouted.

The ship leapt.

Time slowed in midair.

Then—splash!—they crashed back into the imaginary sea, sliding over the top of the giant wave.

“THAT’S IT! KEEP GOING!” Thomas raised his arms, cheering.

That’s when the water darkened.

A massive shadow moved beneath the “sea.”

“…Do you guys see that?” Igor whispered.