In an instant, Mr. Nick disappeared. Before he vanished, he was handing over the list of topics for an essay. Just like any normal cloud of dust, it all seemed like a magic trick. It was so sudden that all the students looked at each other.

Greyson Newman smirked and glanced at Scarlett Russell, who was staring down at her phone's black screen. She had been charging it before their teacher vanished. Now, it was dead.

One student named William Conley opened the classroom door and peeked down the hall. "No teachers! It's time to party!" he shouted with a grin.

Some students hopped onto the desks and began jumping around, howling like wild animals. Others raided Mr. Nick's desk drawers, stuffing chocolate bars and confiscated items into their pockets.

Scarlett looked up at Greyson with her dark blue eyes. "Well, isn't this an unfortunate situation? All the teachers just happen to disappear," she remarked. "Is the Dauntless Leader going to deliver his moving speech?"

"You know me well," Greyson replied, rubbing his thumb on her cheek.

Scarlett smoothed her skirt and stepped back, watching Greyson stride to the front of the room. This was nothing new—ever since she arrived at Uden Academy, he had always taken charge.

Uden Academy was where the troubled—and the rich—were sent when their parents wanted them gone. If your parents couldn't handle you, they shipped you here. Many wealthy families sent their children here, even if they didn't have any problems.

Her mother had always more about men than her, which was why Scarlett was here. Funny how 'trouble' and 'rich' got you shipped like a luggage.

"Scarlett, let's check the halls. I want to see what else is going on," Greyson said, turning to her.

They walked together down the long corridor, lined with maroon lockers and walls painted in Uden's colours—maroon and black. They passed students peeking out of classrooms, some whispering and others wandering around.

"Greyson!" Preston Ellis exclaimed, waving a hand and holding a bunch of magazines. He walked towards them and handed one to Greyson. "Victoria Secret magazines!"

Greyson hit Preston hard with the magazine, causing Scarlett to laugh and raise her eyebrows.

"I'm not a pervert like you," Greyson said sharply as Preston picked up the magazines from the ground. "Did your teacher disappear?"

"Apparently, everyone's teachers are gone," Preston explained. "I haven't checked downstairs, but Mia told me that nobody was in her class."

"So, people over the age of fifteen just disappeared?" Greyson asked.

None of it made any sense. People fifteen and older were gone. Teachers. Staff. Adults. Anyone who'd ever told Scarlett what to do. Nobody knew why it happened, but it brought a sense of joy.

Scarlett watched as Greyson re-entered the classroom and came back with a wooden desk chair without a cushioned seat. He climbed onto it. A shoe lifted from the floor without him touching it and slammed into a locker.

She didn't flinch, but everyone else went quiet, every head turning toward Greyson.

"I know we are all worried," Greyson began, standing tall on the chair. "The reality is that everyone aged fifteen and over has disappeared. We need to gather information first, then head to Simcoe. This might be their doing. We need to group together and make sure a few of you bring the children to Simcoe. I'm sure some of you know how to hijack cars."

He flashed that charming smile—the one that made people nod before they realized they were agreeing with him. Scarlett noticed it worked faster now.

Greyson jumped from the chair like it was nothing, and the chaos unfolded exactly how he wanted. Scarlett rolled her eyes—he made it look so easy.

"What an excellent speech. So moving," Scarlett mocked, hand to her chest.

"We need to find Luke and Emma. They will have information," Greyson remarked, already scanning the hall.

Greyson wasn't the type to throw punches. He just had a power that made people listen. He had the supernatural ability of telekinesis. Many students had gained powers as well before their magical disappearance.

Scarlett could rank the level of people's power. Her power was a low rank, while Greyson's was a high rank.

Preston had the ability to turn invisible, which was a medium rank. He couldn't do anything special but spy on people. That was why Greyson kept him close, which Scarlett hated.

"I assume you have a plan?" Scarlett asked, raising an eyebrow.

Greyson nodded, leading the way down the maroon corridor. She followed alongside him with Preston just behind.

Inside the classrooms, kids were scribbling drawings on the chalkboard or rushing outside to gather the younger students into the school's SUVs.

"I need information. Then we're going to Simcoe," Greyson muttered.

"Oh, you're going to confront him, I assume?" Scarlett asked, her voice sly.

"People usually refer to him as a hero. We are going to find Luke and Emma. Then we go to Simcoe," Greyson said, glancing back at her.

Jason Harp blinked, struggling to process what he'd just witnessed. One moment, Mr. Cranley was explaining covalent bonds with his usual enthusiasm, and the next, he vanished—no flash, no sound—just gone, as if someone had flipped the universe's invisible switch.

"The teacher was in the class, right?" Vicki asked, scanning the room with wide eyes.

Jason rose, the chair scraping loudly. He stepped into the hallway of Simcoe High that was packed with confused students—some wandering aimlessly, others frantically at their lockers.

Bella Foster emerged from a nearby grade ten classroom, her long blonde hair swinging behind her. She was known as the prettiest girl in their grade, but right now, even she looked pale and uncertain.

"Everyone in the fashion class is gone," she said. "Including the teachers."

Jason hesitated at the door before stepping inside. The fashion room looked frozen in time with its circular tables neatly arranged, sewing machines lined up, threads still looped through needles. A half-finished scarf hung awkwardly on a mannequin. No buzzing, no chatter, just silence.

All the seats were empty.

"Our teacher's gone too," said a girl from the doorway, her voice trembling.

They hurried back into the main hallway, the walls painted in Simcoe's trademark dark green and white. More students were pouring out of classrooms now, eyes wide, mouths half-formed into questions no one could answer.

He darted classroom to classroom, checking each door. Desks sat empty. Chalkboards were untouched. No teacher at the front, no older students at the back. A cold knot of dread tightened in his stomach—this wasn't just one classroom. They were all gone.

Then someone shouted, "That means no teachers!"

The words rippled through the crowd like electricity. A nervous energy surged—some kids cheered, others just stared. Voices rose, echoing off the walls, blending into chaos.

Bella turned sharply toward Jason. "If it's not just the teachers, then it's age, isn't it? It's got to be."

Jason didn't answer. He stepped toward the large hallway window and peered out. In the schoolyard, a few kids ran after each other, their voice rising in short bursts. Others stood in small clumps, glancing down at their phones or looking up at the sky.

He turned from the window, his mind spinning. He headed for the black double doors near the washrooms.

He looked outside, but the world felt wrong. The traffic light at the intersection blinked red again and again, its rhythm mechanical and endless. A silver sedan sat crumpled against a streetlight pole, hazard lights clicking in the still air. Across the street, the park lay empty—swings motionless, sand undisturbed.

"Jason..." a small voice whispered.

He turned to see his stepsister, Ashley, clutching the straps of her backpack. He noticed her wide green eyes shimmering with tears.

Ashley was in the fifth grade, the daughter of Jason's mom and his stepfather, John Iverson. After his mom's divorce, Jason had lived with her for most of his life. His biological father had died in a car accident just a week after Jason was born.

He looked down at Ashley and felt a sharp ache of uncertainty twist in his chest. Were his parents at home or had they vanished, too?

"It's okay, Ash," he said softly, resting a hand on her head. "We're going to find out what happened. I promise."

"Yo, Jason!" someone shouted over the noise.

Jason turned to see Mark Riggs cutting through a group of panicked students. They'd been best since the third grade, ever since Mark moved from Ohio and declared lunchroom pizza "a national tragedy."

He was hard to miss with a green t-shirt, ripped jeans, red sunglasses, and a black bucket hat. His phone was raised like a lifeline.

"No signal," Mark said grimly. "No bars, no Wi-Fi, nothing. Do you have any idea what's happening?"

Jason shook his head. "No clue." He glanced at Bella. "Do you have any siblings?"

Bella shook her head, glancing around at the swarming students. "Only child. But it looks like everyone fifteen and older has disappeared. Some vanished during class, others had already turned fifteen. So it must be that age group."

"Hey! Everyone, listen up!" Jason called, climbing onto a bench. "I know this is scary and confusing, but we have to think smart. Some of us should check the daycare and the grocery store. Others should go house to house to make sure no one's stuck or hurt. We need to stay in groups."

Jason's voice carried over the crowd. He was used to people listening ever since sixth grade, when he performed CPR on his teacher while everyone else froze. That had been instinct. Fast. Life or death.

This was different.

"Hey! There's an Uden Academy car!" someone shouted near the windows.

Students surged toward the glass.

A sleek black SUV rolled to a stop at the curb, its paint glinting under the afternoon sun. Jason watched as the passenger door opened, and a girl—maybe in eighth grade—stepped out. Her short amber hair caught the light, and her eyes, lined with dark makeup, seemed to pierce him.

Behind her, five younger kids in maroon-and-black uniforms spilled out, clutching stiff backpacks and blinking against the light.

A younger student followed. He struggled with a pile of chocolate bars, his blonde hair sticking out in all directions.

"No fair! Why do they get chocolate bars?" someone called.

"It's probably to control their behaviour," Matthew Fields—better known as Stick—muttered. "Right, Bella?"

Bella shrugged. "Wouldn't surprise me. That school's a circus."

Uden Academy had a reputation—half elite prep school, half reform centre. Its students were either rich, troubled, or both. Rumours of fights, theft, and lockdowns circled constantly. Their brochures called it an excellent education system. Most people called it a dumping ground.

The amber-haired girl walked up with an expression that was more irritation that fear. The small kids clustered behind her, confused and exhausted.

The boy with the chocolate bars pointed to the front doors Jason had gone through earlier and pushed one open.

"I'm Lucy from Uden Academy," she said flatly. "We don't know what to do with the younger. They're the littlest and someone needs to watch them."

Jason nodded slowly. "Yeah. Same thing here. Everyone over fifteen is gone."

Lucy glanced at the boy, who was now corralling three tiny kids into a row. Their maroon blazers gleamed under the sunlight, gold buttons polished to perfection. The girls wore black skirts and tights; the boys had pressed slacks and shiny loafers.

"This is Oscar, and we don't exactly know much. We were sent here because no one really knows what to do with them," Lucy said flatly, turning and walking back toward the SUV.

Oscar lined the kids up in front of them. "Put them somewhere," he said in a monotonous tone, then turned and walked back to the vehicle.

Jason watched the SUV glide away, its dark windows reflecting the empty street. His stomach knotted at the sight of the little ones—tiny backpacks slipping off their shoulders, legs too short to keep up. Some were barely old enough for kindergarten. He clenched his fists, unsure how anyone could possibly keep them safe.

The hallway had quieted, but the silence felt like a weight pressing against Jason's chest. His heart thumped rapidly, and his hands itched to move, to do something—anything. Everyone was staring at him, even the little ones, and the thought expect him to know what to do next made his stomach twist.

Jason could feel that pull again, the one he thought he'd buried years ago. Back then, it had been instinct: CPR, adrenaline, a single moment that decided everything.

But this wasn't one life. This was hundreds. And if he stepped up now, it wouldn't just he quick thinking—it would mean responsibility. Decisions. Mistakes.

He looked at Ashley, standing close to his side, her small fingers twisting the strap of her backpack. Her eyes were wide and wet.

He couldn't let her down. Not her.

"I think we should start by checking our houses," Bella said, breaking the silence.

Jason nodded slowly, the weight in his chest deepening. "Yeah. We'll figure it out from there."

Outside the air felt strange—too still, too hollow. The sunlight hit the windows in bright, empty flashes. Students began scattering in all directions: some crying, others shouting names.

Jason pushed open the heavy doors and stepped into the open air with Bella and Ashley beside him. Around him, the noise of panic was growing, spilling across the school grounds like a tide.

He glanced down at Ashley. "Stay close," he said softly.

She nodded.

The chaos was about to begin.

Greyson paced back and forth in the ruby-painted office of the headmistress. Portraits of past principals and the academy's founders lined the wall.

He was waiting for Lucy and Oscar. It wasn't a long drive from Simcoe, but Uden Academy had been built on the outskirts for a reason.

"Stop pacing," Scarlett snapped, looking up from her phone.

All the phones had gone out and wouldn't charge, which put them out of social connections. The traditional landline phones in Simcoe were out of service, cutting them off from the outside world entirely.

Greyson narrowed his eyes at her as she crossed her legs in her seat. "It helps," he replied curtly.

Greyson would consider Scarlett someone who was always there for him. She would never truly upset him, other than mock him. It was one of her specialties, being in Uden, due to her personality. Plus, telling him people's rank in power compared to his helped. It showed the difference in balance between him and the others.

Suddenly, the door swung open to reveal Emma, Luke, Lucy, and Oscar entering the room.

"Well, it's about time," Greyson snapped, dropping into the black leather office chair behind the desk.

"Children have been dropped off," Lucy remarked. "The two of them were there, along with that slut Bella."

"Luke hijacked the dean's convertible," Emma added quietly. "We can head out whenever you want."

"I think that's a great idea," Greyson replied, turning to Emma, Lucy, and Oscar. "I want you three to hang back. We don't need everyone attending like it's a parade. Get the convertible started; we're going early. We need to get the rankings of some children there."

Greyson strode from the office, Scarlett, Preston, and Luke trailing close behind. The maroon and black halls of Uden were lined were lined with lockers, echoing faint chatter from students still inside.

As they stepped into the sunlight, Greyson's gaze landed on a red convertible gleaming in the lot. He climbed into the driver's seat and ran his hand over the wheel.

"Scarlett, shotgun. Luke—make sure the pervert doesn't do anything stupid," he said.

Luke grinned and flicked open his pocketknife, holding it close to Preston's face.

Preston's eyes went wide; the magazines he'd been clutching hit the ground. He sat bolt upright.

"Do you even know where you're going?" Scarlett asked, one eyebrow arched.

Greyson tightened his grip on the wheel. He'd driven golf carts on vacation, but this was no golf cart.

"There are signs," he snapped. "I know what I'm doing."

The gear clicked forward, and the car jerked into motion. The convertible sped down the deserted road toward Simcoe. Wind whipped through Scarlett's hair as fields rolled past in long streaks of green and brown.

Here and there, a tractor rusted in the distance. A few cars overturned in ditches, alarms wailing faintly nearby.

"This is insane," Preston muttered, eyes wide.

"There are so many crashes," Scarlett said, scanning the road ahead.

Greyson kept his eyes forward, jaw tight. "Whatever caused this... it isn't normal."

They passed a park with a stone fountain bubbling at its centre. Red and pink sky tulips ringed the path, their petals trembling. Children played tag near the oaks, while another kicked a soccer ball in the grass.

"No, really?" Scarlett mocked, her voice edged with amusement.

They car rolled into the LCBO parking lot, where three boys lounged in chairs outside the beige building. One stood lazily as Greyson slammed the brakes.

"Asshole," Preston muttered under his breath.

The group climbed out, forming a line as they walked toward the boy.

"Day drinking already?" Scarlett whispered, smirking.

"You know what to do," Greyson murmured.

A pudgy boy with a plastic cup stepped forward."Can I help you?" he asked gruffly.

"I'm looking for your leader," Greyson said, arms folded. "We're from Uden Academy, if you couldn't tell."

The boy stiffened. "I'm the leader."

Greyson's patience thinned. "Name?"

"Henry Moore."

"Scarlett," Greyson said smoothly.

She stepped forward, smiling sweetly as she took Henry's wrist. He blushed instantly. A tall, unsteady boy stumbled toward them.

"Nice to meet you," Scarlett said with false sweetness, letting go. "None."

"Everything okay, Henry?" he slurred.

"Just fine," Scarlett replied, still smiling. She reached for his wrist next. "And you are?"

"The golden boy of Simcoe High," he said with a crooked smile. "They call me Stick."

"Of course you are," she said, leaning in closer.

Greyson's eyes flickered to Luke. The knife flicked open again.

"We'll stick around for a bit," Greyson said casually.

Henry and the other boy continued to stare at Scarlett. Greyson narrowed his eyebrows and tilted his chin up. Henry suddenly fell backwards onto the grass with a thud.

"See you around," Greyson muttered, already turning away.

"Someone's jealous," Luke taunted.

"I'll throw you into that building," Greyson shot back.

"Relax," Scarlett said, still smirking. "Stick was a low rank. Enhanced hunger."

They went walking toward the park, where many people were gathered around the large fountain. Most were trying to use their cellphones or iPads to try and contact someone, but from what he observed, it didn't seem any of them were working.

Preston nudged him. "Hey, isn't that him?" he asked.

Jason Harp was walking toward a group, eyes on his hands.

"That's him." Greyson's voice went cold.

As they went through the crowd, many people stepped aside to give way to them. Everyone seemed to know they were students from Uden Academy based on their uniforms.

"Are you Jason Harp?" Greyson called out, his voice cutting through the noise.

Jason looked up, his eyes wide with shock, and his caramel hair a mess.

"Yes." His voice wavered as they stopped in front of them.

"I'm Greyson Newman, from Uden Academy," he said warmly, smiling.

Scarlett stepped forward confidently, taking hold of Jason's hand with a gentle grip. She then placed her other hand against his chest with a smile. "No need to worry," she purred.

"Scarlett is just ranking your powers. It's an ability she has," Greyson explained.

He watched as Jason's eyes widened in surprise. The conflicted feelings in his eyes made Greyson raise an eyebrow.

Meanwhile, Scarlett reached out and grabbed Ashley's wrist before releasing it immediately. However, Bella put her wrists behind her back and slowly shook her head.

"It's a quick process; there's no need to worry," Scarlett said.

Bella stood her ground, shaking her head with her wrists still behind her back.

"Luke," Greyson ordered.

Luke walked towards her and opened his pocket knife, placing it against her neck with a devious smile.

"Give the wrist, or he'll stab you. I highly recommend giving your wrist," Greyson taunted as Jason dashed towards Bella.

Before Jason could reach Bella, Greyson threw him back with an invisible force.

Trembling, Bella held out her wrist as Scarlett grabbed it. "Thank you. We'll be heading back, but we'll see you soon," Greyson stated.

Scarlett winked with a smirk, and Luke took the knife away from Bella's throat.

"Wait!" Jason called, slowly standing as Ashley rushed to his side. "What was that?"

"I can control matter with my mind. You've probably seen it in movies," Greyson explained, walking towards Jason. "You have a high rank like me. We haven't encountered anyone with a high rank before, which makes things different."

Scarlett had told him that someone named Jason might have a high rank. She could figure out a person's power just by being near them.

Greyson knew that most people were ranked at medium, like Emma, who has the ability of healing. However, her power cannot heal mental wounds.

"Bella has none, and Ashley is very low. A none means she has no ability, and very low means her power is not strong or useful," Greyson spat with a cold smile.

He didn't have to worry about those two when it came to abilities. If other people in Simcoe were just as low, the only person he would have to deal with would be Jason.

"Ashley can make tissues, and you have... I don't even know... We'll be coming back soon," he growled, dropping his hands to his sides.

"Oh," Scarlett started as she looked back toward Bella. "I wasn't going to hit on him," she smirked at the girl. Bella narrowed her eyebrows as she travelled away from them.

Knowing Jason was a high rank was trouble. Someone was powerful like himself, but his ability was controlled. He had no idea if Jason's abilities were controlled.

Maybe his power just came out in a panic. There were still many intentions as they walked down the sidewalk. There were large streetlights with oak trees behind them. There was a Burger King and a variety store nearby, where kids were rushing out with candy and soda.

Many children and teenagers played or sat in the street, delighted or sobbing. It seemed like nobody in this place had a leadership role. This is where his time to shine came.

"Back to Uden?" Preston asked.

Greyson saw a couple sitting on a bench, sharing candies. It was something he had rarely seen at Uden, since they prevented relationships at the academy. The reason for this is that some students get enrolled for sex or sexuality purposes.

"No, we need to know what's going on," Greyson spat, walking straight to the Burger King.

He wanted to see what other types of people could be used. Better yet, take away Jason's chances of leadership, since there isn't going to be an easy way to have two different sides.

The building was small, with black and beige on the outside. The Burger King logo was planted up top, bare of people and workers up front.

Luke pushed opened the aluminium handle, and they all walked toward the front. The dining room was dark brown, with booths and tables surrounding it. You could smell the burning burgers still cooking in the back.

"Seems empty," Luke remarked with a smirk, jumping over the black counter.

They all jumped the counter, walking into the back. There were incomplete sandwiches and beeping fryers. Preston carefully lifted the crispy fries out of the bubbling fryer using a silver basket and drained the cooking oil. There was another basket of fries next to it, but when he pulled them up, they were all black.

"It looks like we can take whatever we desire!" Preston cheered.

Scarlett grabbed the chicken nuggets that were already bagged and placed them into paper bags. Luke began making sandwiches of all sorts with various condiments, mainly ketchup. Preston poured soda and iced tea and took drinks from the mini fridge under the black counter, placing them on drink trays. Greyson loaded up all the food together as they grabbed all the cooked food they could get.

"Thank gosh, they have food because I literally haven't eaten since those nasty eggs this morning," Scarlett irked.

"Pack as much food as we can," Greyson ordered.

They kept filling large bags with chicken nuggets, mozzarella sticks, fries, and onion rings until there were none left. They stuffed in different sauces for the chicken nuggets and ketchup for the fries.

Preston's arms trembled with all the drinks he placed on the trays. "What's your suggestion, Greyson?" he questioned.

"Luke and I will give the food to you and Scarlett. If you do perverted actions, I'll throw you into the fryer," Greyson snapped.

Preston tensed at those words as he took some trays to the convertible.

Scarlett and Preston slid over the counter, where Luke and Greyson gave them the food. They walked toward the convertible, which was still parked close by.

As they waited for them to come back, Greyson leaned on the counter. This could take a while, considering they had about fifteen large bags filled.

"Your flirting is disgusting," Luke said, rolling his eyes.

"What the hell?" he snapped, almost dropping the food.

"Please don't act oblivious. It's annoying as hell the way you two flirt," Luke groaned as the glass door opened again. He began carrying a large bag to the car as Greyson handed a tray of drinks to Scarlett.

"What's got you looking sour?" she asked with a smirk.

"Nothing," he spat, turning his back away from her.

There were many ideas floating in his mind, but flirting? It was important that he focused on getting Simcoe from under his fingers.

The adults have vanished, but where to? Who knows, but keep reading to find out.
-Lexi

Cover done by _chanceuxx_