Era decided not to dwell on Gerald and Barbara's strange behavior. There was something far more pressing to deal with at the moment—the strange looks from her fellow students. They were clearly staring at her with a different intensity than before.

Her forehead was furrowed. Their eyes darted around. Then Era's voice questioned Seth in a hushed tone. "Is it just me, or is there something different about the way they look at me, Seth?"

Seth sighed as he scratched the tip of his temple with his index finger. "Actually, that's what I wanted to tell you," he said, causing Era to turn and look at him curiously. "There's been...