“Are you fucking stupid?!” Edylra jabbed her hand over to my right eye. My eyes jittered over to the fist swarmed in the white aura. I instinctively dodged without thinking, just as it was about to reach. I turned from looking at the fist back to her, reading her hysterical, doomed face. Edylra froze. The only movements were her feverish eyes. Her eyes were so rich that I could see the blood rushing the sclera like shattering bolts.

“You just tried killing me, didn’t you?” I cocked her arm backwards so far that if I moved it back further, I could break it. Edylra groaned in pain, dropping onto her knees as she glared at me, pushing her hand onto my hip.

“N-No! I was trying to get those GPDDs off you! In rare cases, the GPDDs make the user’s emotions dim or sensitive based on how they were feeling before putting them on,” Edylra moaned, struggling as she gritted her teeth to bear the pain.

I felt slightly bothered before putting them on. I wanted to explore the city to get that feeling off my chest. For a microgram of aggression to be heightened this much where I had intrusive thoughts of ending the world, I started to feel my emotions flooding again.

Anger, sadness, fear, disgust, surprise, happiness. Branches of many more complex emotions reinforced themselves as I released Edylra free.

“Jesus, how can you be dumb but terrifying in other moments?” Edylra hissed, rubbing around her arm sheathed in pink, “At least you weren’t completely lost, you twat,”

“Is there a need to insult me post-existence crisis?”

“Yes, you deserve it for being a cunt. I wanted to give you good news, but I got attacked instead,” Edylra said, sitting on the edge of my bed.

“Ok, what is the good news? It’s not even been a day since we last saw each other,” I sat on my chair I pulled out from underneath the desk.

“As you were the highest in Level 7 Education. Level 7 classes are short-staffed of students, and you have an offer to speed up the process of entering the school,” Edylra enlightened, brushing her fingers through her hair.

“That doesn’t say much. How many days will I have if I accepted it?”

“Uh, this Friday. You’ll go this Friday,”

“What?! Why would I want to go on a Friday?! Decline that offer and set up another date!” I protested, throwing up my arms.

“I thought so too, but that is only the time you can enter just before the new wave of students join, pushing you down the list,” Edylra considered.

“If you do accept, we have Raghav downstairs setting up his laptop to mess up your DPDD ranking and make you a B Rank with a Green danger level.” She continued.

“I’d be in the Sense and Visionary category?” I sought more answers.

“Yeah, uh, your power would be Enhanced Intelligence. Higher than the Green danger level will have you arrested,” Edylra winked, showing me a thumb.

–

I expected my adopted parents would be waiting downstairs, but when I reached the living room and caught Raghav crooked over fixing up some sort of program. I didn’t see them. Raghav told me they went out to the shop for the upcoming visit from their son - they preferred a son instead of a grandson - at the end of the month. Without words traded, I postured myself on the couch, and Raghav thoroughly plugged a USB into my two RPDDs attached to the red laptop.

He set up a program where green codes flung down the screen n a matter of seconds as he twisted around to attach the two GPDDs under my eye again.

Edylra cringed as the GPDDs shot open after contact with my skin. I went through that water-splashing sensation again as I saw Edylra slip out of the room. Raghav paid no attention to her shenanigans as he landed his index finger on the enter button.

“Could take a while as your power is SSS-Rank- Oh, never mind, it is happening,” Raghav stopped himself as the red flash on his face glibly lightened into the green colour.

“Y-You don’t care he is SSS-Rank?” Edylra said what was on my mind, entering the room to sit beside me.

“Not really. I figured Alvin was a dark elf with his eyes. Dark elves have blue, while normal elves have green. A lot of people don’t know, though,” Raghav answered unruffled, looking at the screen saying ninety per cent done.

“I didn’t know that,” Edylra mumbled. I glanced at her in disappointment and shook my head.

“All done, don’t do something rash and get expelled now,” Raghav patted my back after taking off my GPDDs.

–

Nope, I don’t like the way I look. I was in a pose inspecting the school uniform on me, checking up on myself in the mirror. The royal blue suit jacket looked oversized, with the sleeves drooping past my hands. I looked smaller than I looked with the baggy trousers with a button-up white shirt that outgrew me in length. The best part was my black pointy shoes and the brushed hair, where my fringe bordered my glaring navy blue eyes.

I placed the GPDDs on my chest and dragged my unenthusiastic limbs outside, where everyone was waiting for me. As I stepped onto the front yard with the brush of the warmth, my cheeks flustered when everyone clapped their hands and complimented me like I was a celebrity walking the streets.

Technically, I am a celebrity, right?

No. Just no.

Terrible thinking.

“Stop cheering. None of the clothes fit me,” I complained like a spoilt child.

“You’ll grow into them, lad. Your body still hasn’t stopped growing yet!” Lucas laughed. He was standing on the far right with his wife.

“Those were the only clothes that could fit your skinny ass!” Edylra grinned at me, I frowned at her, but I couldn’t stop but to smirk at the little insult. The more I look at her, the more she is a big sister to me.

“Sorry that I couldn’t find you clothes that could fit you,” Elijah said with a smiling appal, collecting my hands into his palms, messing with my hair a little. I unconsciously smiled back as my heart fluttered.

“You look amazing in a suit, though,” Glenda complimented, stepping up from behind Elijah.

“Thank you, guys. I know we have known each other for a month, but it’s like I have always been here from the beginning. I truly thank you for bringing me in,” I snickered like a child, finding myself pulled into a group hug with the two elders.

No, they aren’t elders. They are my parents, who I am grateful to have, one of the kindest guys ever. I love them dearly and no matter what. I will protect them and the village. Even if it meant me dying, My father and mother, that brushed aside the fact I was an escape culprit, opened their arms wide and accepted me. They and the village taught me a person is not just a thing to manipulate and be taken for granted. I may have started with a calculated tactic to abuse everyone’s emotions and escape a world that isn’t mine.

But I don’t think I need to do that anymore. I will stay here as a guardian. I will protect them like a creator, and I desire to make sure I love them as a son. Until my time is up and I can leave. These people are my family.

And whoever hurts them shall suffer for eternity.