Behind Her Identity

Hatchling 2: A Strange Beginning

“I’m heading out, Mommy!”

Rikka’s cheerful voice echoed through the house as she pressed a quick kiss onto Aunt Glenda’s cheek before rushing out the door, her excitement impossible to miss.

I lingered for a moment before moving. There was no time to waste.

Quickly, I cleared the table, gathering the dishes and setting everything aside. Today wasn’t a day I could afford to be late.

It was the first day of school.

And for me, it was more than just that.

It was my first day in an unfamiliar place—the very school Rikka attended.

Aunt Glenda had transferred me without much discussion. She said it would be easier this way—that if Rikka needed anything, I’d always be nearby.

I didn’t question her decision.

There was no point.

The school wasn’t far anyway. Close enough to reach on foot.

As I walked along the quiet street, the morning felt calm—almost too calm. But that stillness didn’t last long.

Not when the school gates came into view.

A crowd had formed outside.

A large one.

Voices overlapped—excited, loud, almost frantic.

Most of them were girls.

I slowed down, my brows knitting slightly as I tried to make sense of the commotion.

Then I spotted a familiar figure.

Rikka.

Right at the center of it all.

I sighed under my breath, a faint grimace crossing my face.

Of course she is…

Whatever was going on, I had no intention of getting dragged into it. So I kept walking, choosing to ignore the chaos.

That was when a car sped past me.

It was sleek—far too elegant to go unnoticed.

And for some reason…

I stopped.

A sudden, intense heat flared across my forehead.

“Ah—what…?”

My hand rose instinctively, pressing against the spot as confusion settled in.

Then, almost instantly—

The noise surged.

Screams erupted, louder than before, sharp and piercing.

And unmistakably—

Rikka’s voice rose above the rest.

The same car that had just passed me slowed to a stop in front of the school gates. The moment the doors opened, the crowd reacted like a wave crashing all at once.

Six individuals stepped out.

Three boys.

Three girls.

They carried themselves with quiet authority, as if attention naturally gravitated toward them.

Their uniforms were different.

Black.

A stark contrast to the white uniforms worn by the rest of us.

Are they… special students? I wondered. Or something more?

“Good morning.”

The voice came from beside me—calm, distant, and cool enough to send a small jolt through me.

I startled, my hand flying to my chest as I turned abruptly.

And froze.

“H-Hotaru?!”

She stood there, composed as ever, her expression unreadable.

“Surprise,” she said, her tone flat as she gave a small, almost lazy raise of her hands. “I transferred here too.”

My thoughts stumbled over themselves.

Before I could say anything, she added quietly,

“Where you go… I follow.”

I blinked, once… then again.

Trying to convince myself she was real.

But the moment it sank in—

I pulled her into a tight embrace.

A laugh almost escaped me as relief and joy flooded through my chest. I even bounced slightly in place, unable to contain the sudden burst of happiness.

Hotaru didn’t resist.

Slowly, she wrapped her arms around me in return.

And just like that, the unfamiliar didn’t feel so overwhelming anymore.

At the sound of the bell, we walked toward the gate together, our hands lightly clasped. A smile lingered on my lips, brighter than before.

But as we passed through the crowd, something shifted.

I felt it.

Saw it.

The students dressed in black—

They weren’t looking at the crowd.

They weren’t looking at Rikka.

They were looking at Hotaru.

A quiet unease settled in my chest.

I turned to her, silently questioning.

She met my gaze… and smiled.

A faint smile.

One that felt like it carried secrets.

Then—

The heat returned.

Sharper.

Stronger.

I flinched, pressing my hand against my forehead once more.

The stone embedded there burned—

As though it had finally begun to stir.