Matt's eyes fluttered open to the soft hum of his phone alarm vibrating on the bedside table.
For a second, he just lay there, staring at the high, ornate ceiling of his bedroom, the early morning light painting golden strokes across the walls.
4:00 AM sharp.
He reached out, silenced the alarm with a lazy tap, and yawned so hard his jaw cracked.
"Great.." Matt muttered to himself, voice still thick with sleep. "Absolutely fantastic."
And oddly enough... he meant it.
Today felt different, electric somehow buzzing under his skin for reasons he couldn't explain.
Dragging himself out of the warm cocoon of his bed, Matt shuffled over to the walk-in closet the size of most people's apartments.
Inside, rows of neatly pressed uniforms waited under soft, automatic lighting.
He grabbed today's pick: a sleek, navy blazer stitched with silver threading at the cuffs, a crisp white dress shirt, fitted charcoal slacks, and polished black leather oxfords that gleamed even in the dim light.
The school crest, an intricate emblem of a phoenix and laurel wreath, was pinned perfectly on the left chest.
Matt smirked at his reflection, "Damn, I look pretty good." ran a hand through his messy dark brown hair, and headed for the bathroom.
Steam soon filled the marble floored space as he stood under the rainshower, letting the hot water blast the sleep off his skin.
By 4:30 AM, Matt was already dressed and making his way downstairs.
The mansion, a modern palace tucked inside the exclusive Wodrews Estate, sat silent under the dim glow of chandelier lights.
$70 million (₱3.9 billion) of glass, steel, and manicured gardens, guarded by walls, motion sensors, and a small private security team.
He lives here alone.
Not literally, since he has housekeepers, the chefs, the drivers, and the guards around.
But he was the only De Villion currently living there.
His parents would swing by once or twice a month.
The housekeeper, Ms. Lana, greeted him at the dining room with a soft smile.
"Morning, sir. Breakfast is ready."
Matt nodded and slid into the chair.
On the long, gleaming table lay his usual: Fried rice, sunny side up egg, fresh berries, yogurt, and a bright green smoothie.
He took a bite, humming with satisfaction.
"This is still the best way to wake up," he said aloud, more to himself than anyone.
As he ate, Matt scrolled through his phone: Messages, notifications, random memes from group chats.
He paused at one ad for the new Samsung S24 Ultra.
"Oh right," he muttered to himself between bites. "Supposed to upgrade today. Guess I'll grab one after school."
He had been tolerating a basic phone for way too long.
It was time for a little self-reward.
By 5:00 AM, Matt was outside, slipping into the back seat of a black Honda Civic, his driver already behind the wheel.
Two bodyguards, dressed in casual jeans and jackets, blending in perfectly for security without screaming "bodyguards."
"Morning, sir," the driver said.
"Morning. Oh, after school, we're heading to the mall." Matt added, tapping away on his phone.
"Understood."
The ride to Vandeloz University was smooth, the world outside still half asleep.
The city skyline shimmered with sleepy lights, the air cool and crisp.
They exchanged small talk, dry and half hearted, but enough to kill time, before finally pulling up in front of the towering marble gates of Vandeloz University.
Matt slid out, adjusted his blazer, and took a breath.
"Just another day." he muttered, stepping onto the polished stone pathway toward the High School campus.
Inside, the halls were already buzzing.
The chatter of students bouncing off the grand pillars.
Matt weaved through the crowd like a ghost, unbothered by the noise.
He glanced around and remembered.
"Right, there's an event today. No classes. Basically free day. Why did i even go.."
"Plenty of time to kill. Might as well find Rob."
He tossed his bag onto his seat by the wall and scanned the area.
There, Rob was sitting cross legged on a bench, fully engrossed in Genshin Impact, thumbs tapping furiously.
Matt snuck up behind him, leaning in close, saying nothing.
He waited.
And waited.
Finally, Rob jolted, feeling the presence over his shoulder.
"Holy shit, Matt, you're creepy as hell,"
Rob said, dramatically clutching his chest.
Matt just smirked. "Let's walk around. This place is dead."
Rob sighed, closing his phone with a reluctant swipe.
"Fine, fine. Lead the way, Your Highness."
They wandered out into the open courtyard, joking, teasing, poking fun at each other like it was breathing.
Fountain water danced in the center, the early sun catching the droplets like crystals.
The school's loudspeakers suddenly crackled to life.
A voice, smooth and commanding, echoed over the campus.
"All Junior High students, please proceed to the stadium. The event will begin shortly."
Matt glanced sideways at Rob, raising an eyebrow.
"Showtime?" he said.
Rob shrugged. "Guess so."
They headed toward the stadium, joining the throng of laughing, shouting students pouring inside.
"It's starting."
a voice said right behind them.
Matt and Rob turned around.
It was Tashira Cortes, their Japanese-Filipino classmate.
She stood there casually, wearing the Female version of the Junior High Vandeloz uniform.
Tashira was about 5'4, slender but athletic, with sharp, bright eyes that somehow looked both curious and guarded at the same time.
Her black hair was tied into a clean high ponytail, a few strands framing her face just enough to soften her sharper features.
The sunlight caught the light gloss on her lips.
She didn't try too hard, and somehow, that made it worse for everyone around her.
Rob froze immediately, trying not to make direct eye contact. His whole posture stiffened like a soldier at attention.
Matt noticed other guys nearby fidgeting too, awkwardly adjusting their collars, pretending to check their phones, pretending not to stare.
Meanwhile, Matt just blinked at her like she was any other student.
Beautiful girls?
Matt had seen them his whole life: Actresses, politician's daughters, CEO's heiresses, etc.
At some point, you either get used to it, or you lose your mind.
He got used to it.
"Tashira's cool, but she's still just a person." Matt thought.
Without another word, she gave a tiny nod and casually walked off toward her own group of friends, leaving a trail of broken attention spans behind her.
Rob let out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding.
Matt didn't say a word.
He simply patted Rob's shoulder once and kept walking, finding seats.
The place was packed.
Every single Junior High student had gathered, buzzing like an overcharged beehive.
Security guards moved along the edges of the field, forming a loose perimeter.
Students yelled across aisles, laughing, joking, tossing paper planes or slapping each other's backs.
The stadium screens flashed the school logo.
And then —
the buzz started to die down.
Everyone turned as a figure walked out onto the center of the field.
Chancellor Fedilino Abunsinto Ramos II.
Old guy, 57 years old, with graying slicked back hair, wearing the traditional dark blue academic robe lined with gold.
The guy was always trying to look intimidating, but Matt just thought he looked tired most of the time.
The mic screeched once before the Chancellor tapped it and started speaking.
"Students of Vandeloz University... Today, we stand at the precipice of greatness..."
Yada yada.
The usual inspirational crap.
"Just start already." Matt slouched in his seat, pulling out his phone and pretending to check something.
Rob was half-asleep next to him.
Five minutes passed.
Ten minutes.
The speech started getting... weird.
The words stopped making sense.
Sentences broke apart, like they were being stitched together by someone who forgot how grammar worked.
"...A light shall burden would heavy waters of expectation... through the doors of endless flame and fortune... the everlasting beat of—"
Matt frowned.
He looked around.
No one else seemed to notice.
Everyone was nodding along like the Chancellor was still making perfect sense.
Time felt... heavy.
Like the air itself thickened.
Matt's hands clenched the sides of his chair.
The hairs on his arms stood straight up.
His heart started thudding faster, harder.
His vision blurred, then sharpened, then blurred again.
And then —
his eyes lit up.
Bright, burning purple, so intense you couldn't stare directly into them.
It felt like something inside him cracked open.
Suddenly, the Chancellor's appearance twisted right before Matt's eyes.
A dark red aura oozed out of the man's body.
One jagged black demon horn grew from the Chancellor's forehead, curling backward.
His face twisted, eyes hollow, mouth grinning in a way no human mouth should.
Matt recoiled instinctively.
"What the hell...?"
Fedilino flinched, as if he felt Matt see him.
He turned his head sharply, staring straight at Matt.
His mouth moved, but the voice that came out was wrong: Distorted, layered, deep, and furious.
"You're not supposed to be here." it growled.
Matt barely had time to process before something else appeared.
A huge knight, clad entirely in dark purple armor, materialized out of thin air.
It stood about 9'0 tall, its body outlined in crackling purple light.
The knight didn't hesitate.
It moved in a blur, faster than anything the naked eye could process.
BOOM.
In one instant, the knight's massive sword pierced through Fedilino's chest.
Time froze for a split second.
The Chancellor's face twisted into shock.
The world snapped back.
Matt blinked.
His eyes were back to normal now, but his forehead was slick with sweat.
His hands trembled slightly.
He looked back at the field.
The Chancellor was collapsed on the ground, completely unconscious.
Faculty members were already sprinting toward him, panicking, helping to lift him off the ground.
The students around Matt gasped and whispered loudly, but none of them acted like they saw what he just witnessed.
Rob leaned toward Matt, confused.
"Bro... What just happened?"
Matt wiped his face with the sleeve of his blazer, his heart still hammering.
"I... I don't know." he muttered, voice low.
He stared at the field, blood still roaring in his ears.
"No fucking way."
--TO BE CONTINUED--