The classroom buzzed with the usual low hum of restless students, chairs scraping against the worn floor, and scattered whispers carrying across the room. Jayde sat in the middle of it all, tapping her pencil lightly against her desk. Today felt no different than any other day, but there was something in the air—a tension, a crackle of something just beneath the surface.

Her teacher, Mr. Reeves, stood at the front of the class, tapping a finger on his datapad with more intent than usual. He wasn't exactly the type to command attention, but today he seemed more serious, his gaze sharper as he scanned the room.

"Alright, everyone, settle down," he said, his voice cutting through the chatter.

Jayde exchanged a quick glance with Kyle, who was sitting two seats to her right, slouched back in his chair, looking half-bored and half-interested. Wes, on her other side, had already leaned forward, eyebrows furrowed in curiosity. It wasn't like Mr. Reeves to take this tone.

"We need to go over some important changes," Mr. Reeves continued, his voice steady but with an undertone of urgency. "You're all familiar with the assessment tests we've done every year. Well, starting next week, there's going to be a new format."

"New format?" someone muttered from the back of the room, and a few others exchanged skeptical looks.

Mr. Reeves nodded. "Yes, a more in-depth version. You'll still be tested on your usual academic skills, of course, but the Regime wants to ensure we're placing students where they truly belong. This test will... dig a little deeper."

Jayde sat up straighter, her attention caught. Where they belong? That phrasing felt off. She could feel the unease creeping up her spine, like the atmosphere in the room had shifted, even if the words seemed innocuous. It wasn't like the assessments were new—they'd taken them every year since they could remember. But this... this sounded different.

Mr. Reeves didn't elaborate much more. "The test will apply to all students between the ages of fourteen and seventeen. You'll receive instructions on where and when to report. Just make sure you're prepared."

Jayde's stomach twisted. There was something in his tone that didn't sit right with her, like there was more to this than he was letting on. When the bell rang a few minutes later, signaling the end of class, she wasn't the only one who left with a lingering sense of discomfort.

---

Lunch was a quiet affair, at least quieter than usual. Jayde, Wes, and Kyle sat at their usual table in the courtyard, the buzz of the other students fading into background noise. Jayde stabbed her fork into her salad, but her appetite had all but disappeared.

"Does anyone else think that whole 'new assessment' thing is weird?" she asked, breaking the silence.

Kyle leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest. "It's definitely different. They never said anything about 'where we belong' before. It was just about grades and stuff."

Wes nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Yeah, that's what got me too. They made it sound like we're being... sorted or something. Like they're looking for something else."

Jayde glanced between them, her mind racing. "I don't like it. What if they're trying to—"

"To what? Divide us?" Kyle interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "They've always tried to divide people. This is just another way to figure out who's useful and who's not."

"That's what bothers me," Wes said quietly. "What if it's not just about academic skills? What if they're looking for something else? Something in us."

Jayde's pulse quickened. Wes always had a knack for seeing things others didn't, and right now, his unease only made hers grow. She didn't like the idea that this test could be more invasive than they realized. More... dangerous.

"We'll have to be careful," she muttered, casting a glance around the courtyard to make sure no one else was listening. "I don't trust it."

Wes leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I've been looking into some things. Old records. I think there's more to what the Regime's doing with these assessments than they're letting on. And... I want to show you something after school."

Kyle raised an eyebrow. "Show us what?"

"The library," Wes replied. "There's a section with old fiction books—stuff from before the Regime really cracked down on what we're allowed to read. I found something interesting there."

Jayde felt a flicker of curiosity. Wes was always digging up things that no one else could, and it wasn't unusual for him to find hidden truths in the most unexpected places. Still, there was a nervous excitement in his voice she hadn't heard before.

"We'll meet there," Jayde agreed. "After school."

---

The library was quiet, the faint scent of old paper and dust hanging in the air. Jayde, Kyle, and Wes slipped through the stacks, making their way to the back corner where Wes had promised to show them his discovery.

"You're sure no one else knows about this?" Kyle whispered, his gaze darting around the room.

"Positive," Wes assured him. "This section's been neglected for years. No one cares about fiction anymore."

They reached the back of the library, where the shelves were lined with worn books—most of them ancient by modern standards, their pages yellowed and fragile. Wes pulled out a thick volume and set it on the table.

"This," he said, "is a collection of old stories. Magic, adventure, all the stuff the Regime tries to suppress now. But there's more to it. Some of the stories... they're not just fiction."

Jayde frowned, flipping through the pages. "What do you mean?"

"Some of these stories talk about real things. Magic that existed before the Regime locked everything down. People who had powers, like... prophets."

The word made Jayde's heart skip a beat. She froze, her mind flashing back to the dream she'd had the night before. The vivid colors, the figure in the distance... her father.

"I had a dream," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Last night. For the first time ever. It felt real—like more than just a dream."

Wes' eyes widened. "Jayde, that's... you might be like him."

"Like who?" Kyle asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Her dad," Wes replied, his voice serious. "He was a prophet. If Jayde's having dreams now, maybe she is too."

Jayde swallowed hard, her heart racing. She had never really thought about her father's abilities before. They had always been a part of a distant past, something she didn't fully understand. But now... it felt closer, like it was reaching out to her.

"I don't know," she muttered, shaking her head. "It was just one dream."

"Dreams are important," Wes insisted. "They mean something."

Kyle, who had been quiet up until now, suddenly shifted in his seat, his expression unreadable. "Jayde... I know we don't talk about this stuff much, but I've been thinking a lot lately. About you. And I just—"

He hesitated, then reached out, gently taking her hand in his. Jayde's breath caught in her throat as she looked up at him, his usually confident demeanor replaced by something softer, more vulnerable.

"I'm worried about you," Kyle said quietly, his thumb brushing over the back of her hand. "I've seen the way all this stuff is weighing on you, and I... I care about you. More than just... as a friend."

Jayde felt her face heat up, her heart pounding in her ears. She had always known Kyle cared, but hearing him say it out loud like this—so direct, so honest—it caught her off guard.

"I—" she started, but before she could finish, Kyle leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.The gesture was simple, but it made Jayde's chest tighten, her thoughts a jumbled mess. She wasn't sure what to say, how to respond. All she knew was that in that moment, with Kyle's quiet confession and Wes' talk of prophets and dreams, her world felt like it was shifting beneath her feet.

Everything was changing, faster than she could keep up with.

And somehow, deep down, she knew this was just the beginning.