You’d better wake up, if you don’t you’ll miss the bus. A voice echoes out through Tri’s head.

He jumps up and looks around and finds himself on the floor of his room confused and concerned. He looks around dazed and confused as the events of the previous night flow through his head.

“That was a weird dream.” He says standing up. “I must’ve been tired from staying out so late looking for Saffy, I didn’t even make it to bed.”

He sniffs at his clothes and immediately pulls his head away. “I reek, it smells like sweat and BO, I’ve gotta wash this, and take a shower.”

He leaves the room and heads towards the bath passing a mirror and taking a glance at his wrist. He stares looking at the watch that was given to him the previous night and placed on his arm, the former rusty child’s toy now gleaming with a metal finish.

“What the? What’s this?” He asks confused. “Is this that thing the old man gave me? And if this is here then….”

The images of the battle flash through his mind as he shakes his head trying to snap back into reality. “This has to be some joke, monsters like that don’t exist…. do they?”

They are uncommon but they are certainly as real as you are I. A voice says echoing through his head.

“What, the? I must be going crazy now I’m hearing things.”

A while later Tri taps on the watch staring at it and the coin lodged within the odd device. Giving up on his curiosity he stares out of the window with thoughts of the watch and the voice in his head. As the bus stops Saffy walks onto the bus and rushes to Tri as he stares into space.

“How’s it going?” She asks with a smile.

“It’s okay, I was wiped last night since I went out looking for you all night.”

Saffy lowers her head. “Yeah, I tried to sneak off last night, but Dad caught me and forced me to go back to my room.”

“Good on him. I wish I knew that since I was up all night thinking you were gonna show up.”

Saffy smiles. “Well, at least I can tell you're worried about me.”

“Of course, you’d have done something stupid, and you’d get yourself hurt. I can’t help but worry whenever you talk about stupid crap like doing things for the greater good.”

“Yeah well, I can’t turn people away.”

“Either way, just stay out of trouble it stresses me out too much.”

If you’d admit that you care about her then I’m sure she won’t cause trouble anymore. The voice says.

“Did you say something?” Saffy asks.

“What?”

“I thought I heard a voice just there, maybe I’m imagining it I’ve kind of been hearing things for a while now.” She says blushing slightly. “It’s almost worrying, but I can never make out what they say.”

“Your hearing voices?” Tri asks concerned. “Well never mind it too much, it’s probably nothing.”

“Yeah, it’s probably nothing.” She says staring above Tri. “But it seems like I can almost see something above you, but it’s probably my imagination.”

“Yeah, don’t say something so concerning. Makes it seem like I’m haunted or something.”

Saffy laughs slightly. “Oh, come on afraid of ghosts now?”

“No, monsters and ghosts don’t exist.”

“Monsters?”

“What I’m just saying, there’ve been weird rumors about monsters and crap.”

“Yeah, I have heard about some monsters showing up and some other weirdness, it makes you think about how crazy the world is getting.”

Tri rolls his eyes. “Or what if it’s not the world, but that people themselves are getting crazier?

“Oh, come on.”

Of course, there’s always the possibility of it being both the world and people going insane, it’s very possible that everything is falling down the drain. The voice says.

“I’m well aware of that,” Tri mumbles to himself.

A while later Tri and Saffy walk off of the bus and towards school as Saffy waves at everyone passing by them. As they walk along a group of boys crowd around another pushing him downwards as they crowd around him. Saffy looks on and steps forward with Tri grabbing her shoulder to stop her.

“Why?” Saffy asks.

“Those guys are serious trouble, it’s best we don’t get involved with their types,” Tri scolds.

“But he’s obviously being bullied,” Saffy says.

“Yeah, and we’d be putting targets on our backs and then we’d be the ones getting bullied,” Tri says cautiously. “Anyway, just drop it for now.”

Saffy rolls her eyes. “Fine, but if we don’t do anything soon, it’ll get even worse and it’ll never stop.”

“Yeah but as long as we’re not affected that’s all I can ask for,” Tri says walking ahead.

Saffy glares at him. “You know sometimes you’re a jerk you know.”

“I know,” Tri says sadly.

A while later Tri sits in class staring ahead as the teacher goes about his lesson as Tri’s attention fades. He glances across the classroom looking at the various students as they either letting their thoughts wander or paying close attention. As he looks around, he notices a figure floating across the classroom as it stares down at him.

“What the?” Tri whispers to himself.

“Tristin Butler, you have something to add?” The teacher asks as he turns towards Tri.

Tri stands and holds his mouth and stomach. “I’m sorry, sir, but I have to go to the restroom. I’ll be back later!”

Tri rushes ahead as everyone watches on curiously and the Teacher looks on concerned. “Just make sure you come back before the bell rings.”

“Yes, sir!” Tri yells out.

Tri rushes down the hallway towards the room with the figure follows behind him watching on curiously.

Tri walks onto the roof looking on concerned as he looks on over the rails with a chain-link fence blocking his further advance. He wraps his hands around the fence as he stares at the figure as it comes increasingly into view.

“What, what am I looking at?” Tri asks.

Ah, you can finally see me. The voice says as it becomes clearer and clearer. That’s good it means you're becoming more acclimated to the power of Phantoms.

“What the?” Tri asks as the figure reaches out to him.

Suddenly a man with short blond hair in armor reaches his hand out towards Tri as he smiles. My name is Edmond, and from this moment on we are partners. Because if we don’t join together the world itself will be enveloped in chaos.