The sleek, glass-and-steel building loomed ahead as the group stood at the gates of the school. Leo could feel the hum of the place even before stepping inside—sharp, sterile, almost too perfect. The air smelled faintly of antiseptic, like a hospital or lab, which made the excitement swirling around him feel out of place.

  His fingers brushed the edge of the gate, and a shiver ran down his spine. Kit was already grinning, practically bouncing on his heels, while Cal was quieter than usual, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

  Leo could hear the distant chatter of other students arriving, but his mind was focused on the promises that had led them here—a cure, and a future none of them could’ve imagined.

  They were eventually led into the orientation hall, with Cal tight on Leo’s heels and Kit guiding him from the front. Leo found his assigned seat and sat down, slipping on the provided headphones. A video began playing on the screen in front of him.

  “Welcome to Ravenswood Academy!”

  “I’m sure you all have questions. We have answers. But please wait until the end of the video before asking them—you may find many are answered before we finish. Thank you.”

  Leo tensed. Something about the overly smooth voice and the canned enthusiasm rubbed him the wrong way. It reminded him of infomercials trying too hard to sell hope in a bottle

  “We will begin by explaining the history of the school and what exactly we aim to achieve here. Then, we’ll move on to what your lives will be like during your time at Ravenswood.”

  “To begin, we must go back—back to our head researcher, Melissa Marigold. She was born with a rare genetic condition that left her nearly paralyzed from the waist down. But she didn’t let that stop her.”

  “She believed the key to fixing her condition could be found in nature. So she searched—relentlessly—until she made her breakthrough: selective gene editing through nanotechnology. Her patented nanotech allows for the precise modification of every cell in the body simultaneously, essentially rewriting a person’s DNA.”

  “But she needed a template—something to stabilize the changes. Once again, she turned to nature, using the regenerative DNA of a starfish to heal her body. In doing so, she realized the full potential of her discovery: a future where humanity could evolve beyond its limitations.”

  “Stronger. Faster. More agile. Capable of regeneration. Enhanced senses—sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch—all possible through controlled genetic treatments.”

  “And so, Ravenswood Academy was born. A place designed to create the next generation of genetically superior humans—enhanced beyond natural limits. Every student who walks through our doors will receive genetic modifications that make them better than ever before.”

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  “Yes, that’s right. You will be enhanced.”

  “You may now begin the Genetic Affinity Assessment to determine which animal DNA is most compatible with you.”

  “And remember: You are the future of humanity.”

  Leo was handed a piece of paper and a pen, then instructed to answer the questions honestly.

  1. If two of your friends are fighting, what would you do?

  2. If you were being chased by a large, dangerous predator, what would your first instinct be?

  3. Do you enjoy the look of water, fire, earth, or air best?

  4. If a robber entered a store and told everyone to get on the ground, would you comply, flee, or fight?

  5. If you were falling from the sky and a flock of birds surrounded you, what would your first instinct be?

  There were more questions—each one stranger than the last. Leo dutifully filled them out, then turned in the test.

  He was led into another room, where a strange helmet was connected to an ominous machine. The staff gently strapped it to his head and explained that it would scan his brainwaves, risk tolerance, and personality traits.

  Then the strangeness began.

  Weird images and warped sounds pulsed through his mind. His body tensed. Something deep inside him stirred. He began to growl—snarling unintentionally—until darkness closed in and he passed out.

  When he awoke, he was back in the original testing room. The same headset was placed on his head once more, and the screen flickered to life.

  “Congratulations!”

  “You have been found genetically compatible with several matches. Your highest compatibility is with a fox, selected for you due to your lapse of consciousness. You have 24 hours to decide whether you wish to proceed and become the next step in human evolution.”

  “If you do, return here tomorrow morning for your procedure.”

  Procedure Overview:

  “You will be led into the lab and submerged in a tank of nano-liquid, filled with specialized nanobots. These nanobots will enter your bloodstream and infiltrate every cell in your body.”

  “You will be sedated for the duration of the process. When you awaken, you’ll find yourself in your dorm room—still within the pod. The liquid will drain, and the door will open.”

  “From there, you may step out and begin your new life.”

  “An onboarding process will guide you through your new enhancements.”

  “Thank you. This concludes the orientation.”

  The moment the orientation ended, Leo tugged off the headphones and sat in stunned silence, the last flickers of the video still echoing in his head. His fingertips tingled faintly—whether from nerves or leftover static from the machine, he couldn’t tell.

  Footsteps shuffled all around him. Chairs scraped. Voices rose in uncertain conversation. But Leo stayed still until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

  “You good?” Cal's voice was low, steady. Familiar.

  Leo nodded slowly. “Yeah. I think.”

  “Crazy, right?” Kit chimed in from somewhere to the left, practically buzzing with energy. “Genetic modifications. Nanobot soup. Choose-your-own-animal adventure. This is nuts.”

  Leo cracked a small smile. “Didn’t feel like much of a choice.”

  They followed the current of students out of the room, until they finally stepped into a quiet hallway just off the main auditorium. Glass walls lined both sides, the sterile white light making everyone look just a little paler than usual.

  “That test was weird,” Cal said. “I don’t even remember half the stuff I wrote. Something about fighting birds while falling through the sky?”

  “I got one asking if I’d rather dig tunnels or climb trees.” Kit rolled his eyes. “They’re not even trying to hide it.”

  Leo hesitated before speaking. “I blacked out during mine. The second part.”

  “What?” Cal stopped walking.

  “Some machine scanned me, then everything got loud and… weird. Next thing I know, I’m back in the first room and they told me I got matched with fox DNA.”

  “Fox?” Kit grinned. “Okay, that’s kinda cool though.”

  Cal clapped a hand on Leo’s shoulder. “Guess that makes you the sharpest one here now.”

  Leo chuckled quietly, but his fingers tightened into a small fist by his side. “I’ve got twenty-four hours to decide if I want to go through with it.”

  A brief silence followed.

  “Are you going to?” Kit asked.

  Leo didn’t answer right away. He didn’t have to. The tight set of his jaw and the flicker of something unreadable behind his eyes said enough.

  Cal broke the silence with a lopsided grin. “Well, I already signed the form. No way I’m doing this without you.”

  Kit nodded. “Same. We came this far together. We stick together.”

  Leo exhaled through his nose, a flicker of warmth spreading in his chest. “You guys are insane.”

  Cal just laughed. “Takes one to know one, Fox Boy.”