“Yes, you four are going to school like any another teenager.”

“What? School? But we’re not any normal teenagers. Look at us.” Jiro said, pointing back at his wings.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got a plan. Don’t you want to discover the world you’re living in? It’s not only about doctors and scientists going around and grafting animal DNA’s on humans. The world is more than what you expect it to be.”

“But...”

“We are not sure about trusting you yet.” Arron said firmly.

“Please. You really have to trust me on this. Or you’d rather live your own world out there, where the men are always ready to hunt you down? Listen, I can protect you.”

“We don’t need your protection. We wouldn’t know if you’re still one of them anyways.”

“Arron, I think it’s better if we trust him. We need all the help we can get. Besides, he promised to turn us back to our whole human selves. What more do we want than to lead a life like any other?” Hebe whispered into Arron’s ears.

“But, Hebe…” Arron stared at the pair of innocent, convincing eyes in front of him. At last, he led out a big sigh. Maybe… just maybe, he could give Dr. Chen a chance.

“Fine. You’ve got our trust. What are we supposed to do now?”

“You’re going to live here from now on. Follow me. I’ll bring you to your rooms.”

The four of them followed the doctor, though one of them was still hesitant about the whole thing. ‘I hope I made the right decision…’ He thought, hoping things to get better.

-

“Have you found them?” Dr. Alan asked, fury wrapping his voice.

“No... sir…” A few men strutted, trembling in fear.

“WHAT?!” Dr. Alan’s voice boomed abruptly.

“We’re sorry… sir… Their chips are untraceable. Someone must’ve got rid of them… But… Don’t worry sir, we’ll do our best to find them.”

“Then what are you doing here?!”

“Sorry sir… We’ll proceed now.” The men saluted Dr. Alan and scampered away from the midst of the forest.

-

Arron took a glimpse at himself in the mirror. There he stood, a typical young boy readily wearing a school uniform and a sling bang hanging on his shoulders. He felt a slight pain on his back as his wings were crunched between his coat and his backbone.

Though, his heart sensed some warmth as he really loved the feeling. Finally, he got the chance to become a normal human being. It was a start of a brand new life for him. No more The Institution, no more Dr. Alan and his mad followers, and sooner, he’s no more a human avian. He breathed out a sigh, with a hint of enthusiasm and determination behind his eyes.

“Arron, are you ready?” Jiro entered the room, excitement filling his voice.

“I’m ready.” Arron gave Jiro a thumbs-up and grinned.

“Let’s go then. Selina and Hebe are waiting for us downstairs.”

Arron and Jiro made their way downstairs, as they saw two girls in coats and short skirts in the dining hall.

“Hey, Arron!” Arron saw a sweet-looking Hebe smiling while waving at him. He returned her smile with a big grin. Perhaps his eyes were very comfortable, looking at an adorable Hebe in her school outfit.

“Good morning, how was the night?” He heard Dr. Chen’s voice trailing in from the kitchen.

“Hmm… good.” Arron replied, tucking his hands in his pockets.

“Very well. Here, have your breakfast and get ready to see a whole new world.” Dr. Chen said, adding a smile.

The four of them stared at each other with mixed emotions. Excitement, nervousness, enthusiasm and… tension. Well, at least for one of them.

-

“Woah.” Jiro gaped, as he looked at the busy hallway from the front door, filled with people his age and wearing the same outfit as him. “So… this is school.”

“Seems like it. Let’s go in and blend in the crowd before anyone recognizes us as the new kids. Remember what Dr. Chen told us? We need to try to lay low for these few days until the situation becomes normal.” Arron replied, reminding his three companions.

As they made their way through the crowd, they started to hear murmurs around them.

“Oh my god those guys are so hot!”

“Woah he is so tall for a 17-year-old!”

“Dude, that girl is soo pretty!”

The four of them gulped nervously, noticing the hundreds of eyes staring at them.

“Arron, I don’t think things are supposed to be like this. Maybe we should walk faster.” Jiro quickly whispered.

The four of them paced faster into the crowd. But they seemed to draw attention from the crowd even more. From small steps, they had to start jogging to escape. As they jogged across the hallway, Hebe saw an opening at a corner with the sign ‘janitor’s room’ attached above the entrance. She quickly pulled Selina into it, causing the guys to follow them from behind.

Jiro quickly closed the door and locked it.

“Phew, that was close!” The girls heaved a huge sigh of relief, as Arron switched on the light of the dark room.

“Things are NOT going good right now. How are we supposed to enter the classroom like this?” Arron uttered in anxiety.

“Tell me about it. Plus, the pain is killing me with my wings crunched behind my back.” Jiro replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I know right. But we can’t back out right now. We decided to do this, in fact we had no other choice. Let’s just try our best to lay low from now. Things would be fine soon, I hope.” Arron assured the others.

Hebe and Selina nodded, as they brushed off the dust on their skirts after sitting on a dusty box.

Jiro looked out of a small hole noticing no one near the door, or even in the hallway. “Guys, the coast is clear. Let’s move out.” He said, while opening the door.

They made their way out the room, to hear pin-drop silence in the hallway. That was weird. Where had everyone gone to?

“Well, well. Look who’s breaking the school rules.” An ironic yet a very familiar voice came from behind them.

They turned behind to look. And their eyes widened in horror.

This. Could not. Be happening.