*BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!*
Finnian Ravenswood's arm shot out from under his blanket like a pale snake, fumbling blindly across his nightstand until his fingers found the snooze button. The shrill alarm died with a satisfying click, and blessed silence returned to his cluttered bedroom.
He rolled over, pulling the covers up to his chin with a contented sigh. Just five more minutes...
*Thud. Thud. Thud.*
Footsteps in the hallway. Getting closer.
Finnian's eyes snapped open, his body moving on pure instinct. He threw off his blankets and leaped out of bed just as his bedroom door creaked open.
"Oh my!" His mother's cheerful voice filled the room as she peeked inside, her auburn hair catching the morning sunlight streaming through his window. "You're up early today, Finn. I like this change."
Finnian stood there in his wrinkled pajamas, trying to look like he'd been awake for hours instead of seconds. He managed a sheepish smile. "Yeah, well... you know me, Mom. Always full of surprises."
Mrs. Ravenswood's knowing smirk suggested she wasn't entirely convinced, but she didn't press the issue. "Get ready and come have breakfast before you leave for practice. You'll be late soon." She glanced at the clock on his wall. "Master Chen doesn't appreciate tardiness, as you well know."
"Right, right. I'll be down in a few minutes."
His mother nodded and closed the door behind her. Finnian waited exactly three seconds before diving back onto his bed, burying his face in his pillow.
*Click.*
"I knew it."
Finnian's head shot up to find his mother standing in the doorway again, arms crossed and eyebrow raised in that universally maternal expression of 'I'm not angry, just disappointed.'
"Mom, I was just—"
"Bathroom. Now." She pointed down the hall with the authority of someone who had perfected the art of dealing with teenage sons. "Before I drag you there myself."
Finnian scrambled off the bed, nearly tripping over his practice bag in his haste. "Okay, okay! I'm going!"
Twenty minutes later, freshly showered and dressed in his gi, Finnian bounded down the stairs with his practice bag slung over his shoulder. The smell of pancakes and coffee filled the kitchen, and his stomach growled appreciatively.
His mother was setting plates on the small dining table, humming softly to herself. Finnian dropped his bag by the door and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks for breakfast, Mom."
"Just sit down and eat." She ruffled his damp hair affectionately before heading back to the kitchen. "And don't think that charm will make me forget about your little sleeping stunt upstairs."
Finnian slumped into his chair, grinning despite himself. A stack of golden pancakes sat before him, still steaming from the griddle. "Aren't you eating?"
"I'm not done with my work in the kitchen yet," she called back. "I'll eat afterwards. Just be quick so you won't be late."
He started eating at his usual leisurely pace, savoring each bite. The pancakes were perfect—fluffy and sweet with just a hint of vanilla. His mother always made the best—
His gaze drifted to the kitchen clock.
8:47 AM.
Practice started at 9:00 AM.
The training center was a fifteen-minute bike ride away.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" Finnian shoved three pancakes into his mouth at once, cheeks bulging like a chipmunk's. He grabbed his bag and bolted for the door, calling through his mouthful of food: "Bye, Mom! Love you!"
"Finnian, don't run with food in your—"
The front door slammed shut behind him.
Mrs. Ravenswood sighed and shook her head, but she was smiling as she cleared his half-empty plate.
---
Finnian's bike tires screeched as he rounded the corner into the training center's parking lot. The Jade Dragon Karate Academy stood before him—a modest building with traditional green roof tiles and wooden accents that gave it an authentic martial arts atmosphere.
Near the entrance, two familiar figures were stretching on the steps.
"Guess who isn't late today!" Maya called out, her black ponytail swishing as she looked up from touching her toes. Her dark eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Come on, I'm never late," Finnian protested, parking his bike and grabbing his bag. "Master Chen is just too early."
David snorted with laughter. "Right, because 9 AM is practically dawn."
"Exactly!" Finnian said, joining their stretching routine. "Who practices martial arts before the sun is properly up?"
"The sun's been up for three hours, you vampire," Maya shot back.
All three burst into laughter as they headed inside, their voices echoing in the academy's polished wooden halls.
The main dojo was spacious and clean, with mirrors lining one wall and traditional weapons displayed on another. The scent of incense lingered in the air, mixed with the familiar smell of well-used training mats.
Finnian was adjusting his belt when something caught his eye—a figure sitting alone in the corner, watching the other students with an intensity that made Finnian's skin crawl.
He leaned closer to David, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Who's that?"
David followed his gaze. "New student. Started today." He paused, then added quietly, "Kind of creepy, if you ask me. He just keeps staring at everyone from the sidelines."
The new student was about their age, with sharp features and pale skin that looked like it had never seen sunlight. His dark hair fell across his forehead in a way that shadowed his eyes, making it impossible to tell exactly where he was looking. But Finnian could feel those eyes on him, studying him with an uncomfortable focus.
"What's his name?" Finnian whispered.
"Didn't catch it. He barely spoke during introductions."
Before Finnian could respond, the dojo fell silent. Master Chen had entered the room.
The elderly instructor moved with the fluid grace of someone who had dedicated his entire life to martial arts. His weathered face was stern but kind, and his presence commanded instant respect from every student present.
"Good morning, students," Master Chen said, his voice carrying easily across the room. "Today we will focus on precision and control. Remember—martial arts is not about defeating your opponent through brute force, but about understanding yourself and your limitations."
He led them through a series of warm-up exercises, then kata practice, before finally announcing the part of class Finnian both loved and dreaded.
"Sparring time. Everyone find a partner."
Students began pairing off around the room. Finnian turned toward David, but Master Chen's voice stopped him.
"Finnian, you'll spar with our new student today. This will be good practice for both of you."
David shot him a sympathetic look. "Lucky you," he muttered. "I was hoping to get paired with the newbie myself."
"Maybe next time," Finnian replied, trying to hide his unease.
The students formed a circle around the sparring mat. Finnian walked to the center, bowing respectfully before taking his stance. Across from him, the new student moved with an odd, fluid grace that didn't match his earlier stillness.
"Ready?" Master Chen asked.
Both students nodded.
"Begin."
The bell rang, and immediately Finnian knew something was wrong.
The new student moved like water, flowing around Finnian's attacks with impossible ease. His strikes came from angles that shouldn't have been possible, and his movements seemed to defy the basic principles of human anatomy.
But that wasn't the worst part.
As they fought, something began to change in the new student's appearance—at least, in Finnian's eyes. His pale skin seemed to take on a grayish tint, and his features grew sharper, more angular. His fingers appeared to lengthen, and when he smiled, Finnian could swear he saw too many teeth.
Finnian blinked hard, trying to clear his vision, but the transformation only became more pronounced. The thing wearing a student's gi moved with predatory grace, its movements too fluid, too quick, too *wrong* for any human being.
Around the circle, his classmates cheered and offered encouragement, completely oblivious to what Finnian was seeing. To them, it was just a normal sparring match between two students.
But to Finnian, he was fighting something that definitely wasn't human.
The creature's—no, the *student's*—lips curved into what might have been a smile, revealing those impossible teeth. And in that moment, Finnian realized with growing horror that whatever this thing was, it knew that he could see it.