Hi. I'm Qin Mu. I'm 16 years old, and I go to Westview High School.
This is just how my days are.
My phone wakes me up at 6:30 AM sharp. I sit up and stretch – my hair's sticking up everywhere like I slept funny. I run my fingers through it and head to the kitchen.
Mom's at the stove making pancakes. She slides a piece of toast to me.
"Qin Mu," she says, not looking up, "your lunch bag's on the counter. Try to get to class on time today, okay?"
"Got it," I say, grabbing the lunch bag and heading out the door.
The morning air is cool – fall's just starting in Oriethion. I walk down our street, dodging a classmate's little brother chasing a soccer ball into the road. Everyone's busy with their own things: walking dogs, heading to work, waiting at the bus stop. I fit right in – just another schoolmate heading to class.
I spot Mia at the coffee shop on the corner. She waves when she sees me.
"Qin! Over here – I saved you a seat!"
I sit down across from her, and she points at my hoodie.
"Still wearing the same one every day?" she laughs.
"It's comfortable," I say with a shrug. We talk about our classes – history with Mr. Chen, math with Ms. Liu, and whether the new gym teacher is as strict as people say. All normal stuff we've talked about since middle school.
Westview High looks exactly like always – red brick walls, scuffed floors, crowded halls. I go straight to my locker: 217. I twist the lock open and shove my backpack inside.
Mia leans against the next locker. "Ready for history? We're starting on old civilizations today."
"Sounds okay," I say. "As long as it's not all dates to remember."
The bell rings, and schoolmates fill the halls. We squeeze through the crowd to get to class – just two regular classmates heading to their first lesson of the year.
After school, I head home, toss my bag on the chair, and boot up my computer. Games are waiting, and for a while, that's all that matters.
I'm in the middle of a match when my phone starts buzzing like crazy. A message from my friend pops up:
"Yooo, look at this shit!"
I click the link, and a video opens on Bottub. People are fighting, and… one of them makes fire appear on his hand. My eyes widen for a second.
"Whoa… what the—?" I mutter, leaning closer. The flames look almost real, but something about it feels… off. The movements are just a bit too smooth.
I scroll through the comments and search other forums about it. Nothing confirms it's real. Some call it CGI, others just memes.
"Whatever… it looks so freaking AI," I say, leaning back on my bed, letting out a quiet sigh. My thumbs hover over the controller, but I stop playing. The excitement dies down, leaving me relaxed and staring at the ceiling.
I must have dozed off because the next thing I hear is a soft knock on my door.
"Qin Mu? Dinner's ready! Have you done your homework?" Mom's voice comes from the hallway.
I groan, stretching and rubbing my eyes. "Ah… not yet, Mom," I mumble, sitting up on the bed. My hair sticks up in every direction again.
"Alright, come eat first," she says, a little laugh in her voice. "Homework can wait a bit, but don't fall asleep again!"
I swing my legs off the bed and stand up, yawning. "Okay, okay… coming!"
The smell of food drifts under the door. Pancakes from the morning are replaced by something savory tonight. I shake my head with a small smile, grabbing my bag to head downstairs.
The next day at school, the video is the main topic of conversation. Everyone in class is talking about it, sharing theories and laughing.
I glance toward the corridor and see a girl walking with her head low, moving quietly as if she wants no one to notice. Something about her catches my attention. She feels… invisible.
I lean over to a classmate. "Hey… do you know her name?"
"Chen Wei," they whisper. "Kinda creepy, isn't she?"
I chuckle. "Okay… got it."
The bell rings, and we pack up. I head home, noticing smoke and people running nearby. There's a fire a few blocks away, but I just keep walking, glancing at the chaos without paying too much attention.
Then I bump into someone.
Books and papers scatter. I stumble and fall. And when I look up…
Chen Wei.
We're both on the ground, her knees bent, my hand pressed against the sidewalk. Everything seems to slow. Her eyes meet mine.. dark, serious, and… beautiful. Hair falling across her face, sunlight catching just right.
"Uh… sorry," I mutter, fumbling to sit up.
She stays still, gaze holding mine. My heart thumps faster. This… this is a moment you don't forget.
I take a careful breath, sneaking one more look at her face before finally trying to stand.
After the bump, I keep walking home, glancing back once. Chen Wei moves quietly, head down again, disappearing across the street like she's trying to vanish from sight.
I shrug and continue my walk, but I can't stop thinking about her.. and the video from yesterday. Everyone at school was talking about it. Some said it was fake, some argued it looked real. I wasn't sure what to think.
When I get home, I drop my bag on the floor and boot up my computer again. My curiosity gets the better of me. I open my browser and check Buttob, looking for the latest discussions on the video.
Then… my jaw drops.
It's a new global news story. A live video. People are gathered outside somewhere, staring at a man with his arm frozen in flames.. or at least, it looks that way. My heart skips a beat. "What the—" I mutter.
I can't believe it. Everything online… it's happening now.
I grab my phone and message Mia, sending the link. Seconds later, my phone rings. It's her.
"Qin? Did you see this?!" she blurts out.
"Yeah… I… I don't even know what to say," I reply, staring at the screen. The live feed shows the crowd murmuring in shock, the man standing motionless, flames dancing unnaturally on his arm.
"Are people… really seeing this?" Mia asks, her voice shaking a little.
"I… I don't know. It looks so real. But… come on, it has to be some trick, right?"
But as I watch, part of me wonders if this is something… bigger than any prank.
I lean back in my chair, eyes glued to the screen. Outside, the wind brushes against the windows. Somehow, it feels like the world I know is getting just a little… stranger.
The live feed cut off. Just like that. The screen went black, and every link—even the one Mia sent me—was gone. Nothing. Poof.
My phone rang again. It was Mia.
"Qin? Did it… disappear for you too?" she asked, her voice low.
"Yeah," I said, rubbing my eyes. "Everything's gone. The live, the clip… even the one you sent me. It's like it never existed."
"Mmm… maybe the government took it down?" she suggested.
"Could be," I said. "Or… I don't know. Something weird is happening."
We talked for a while longer, going back to our usual chatter. I told her about what happened on my way home—the fire, people running, bumping into Chen Wei, that moment that felt like everything slowed down.
"Hmmm…" she said. Just that. One sound. But I knew what it meant. That soft, drawn-out 'hmmm' of hers.
Ow… freakin' Mother Heavenly Aetherion, I thought to myself. I laughed and said, "So… sorry I should've shared that with you earlier. And… yeah, I know… I'm a man. Not a grown man, but a man."
I laughed so hard at myself that even my mom knocked on my door.
"Qin! What's going on in there?!" she shouted.
I waved at the door, still chuckling. "Nothing, Mom! Just… just laughing at life!"