I started to stir in my bed, today… what day was today? I get up, the pure pristine white room greets my eyes. A lovely sight. Then, I heard an annoying buzzing. Beside me was the wisp, the only non-white thing in my room.

It stuck out like a sore thumb, its yellow light truly infuriated me. Guess it’s time to get rid of the thing huh? I get up, a menacing aura surrounding me. The wisp, feeling the bloodlust, quickly flew away, into another room. I followed.

We ran around the room for a good five minutes before I finally cornered it. Haha! Now you di-

*Knock Knock*

I groan and make my way to the door. The wisp flew away, passing through the walls of the building. The wisp got lucky this time, however, if I ever see it again, I’m going to make sure it gets an express delivery straight to the clouds!

I open the door and I’m met with another dorm member. “Hi! I’m just going around making sure everyone is awake and on time for our classes! Just a reminder, they start in thirty minutes!” A strange girl wearing the schools uniform said this. Ugh.

Aenios: “Oh no! I must have overslept, thank you, truly!”

I close the door and sigh. Classes huh? I proceed with my morning activities. The breakfast today was a plain piece of bread with milk and pale cereal. My favourite. After everything was ready, I head out.

Already, there were tons of students outside, the socialization had already begun. I looked around and found the group I was with before, I walked over to them. Something felt off though.

When I arrived at the group, they all looked at me, their faces strange, like they were hiding something.

Student #1: “Ah… hi…”

Aenios: “Hello! Is there something wrong?”

The students looked at each other. “Uh, we… we were just going to head to class, see you around.” They smiled awkwardly and left. Huh… that’s strange…

Yeah right. They’re clearly avoiding me. They weren’t even that good at lying either. The nerve! However, when I look around, lots of the students were staring at me, not like before. They were, nervous almost. No… they were… sorry? Their voices were much more quiet than before, careful, distant.

Whatever, the semantics of weaklings don’t bother me. I leave the dorms and emerge in the halls of the school. They were full too, and talking normally. I was relieved to see that not everything changed.

???: “Hey! Aenios is here!”

I heard a loud whisper and suddenly the halls went silent. All eyes turned my direction. My face only expressed confusion and ignorance. I walked up, smiling, greeting every stranger I met, they all expressed an inability to react and only responded with simple gestures.

Outside, I looked clueless.

Aenios: “Shouldn’t everyone be in class by now?”

But, inside, my brain was boiling.

They… they’re avoiding me? What for? What did I do? Did they learn about my powers? Did they learn about my misdeeds? Why else would Luciana follow me?! My mind racked the possibilities, trying to grasp the situation. My answer came sooner than I thought.

The group of students, who only parted for me, parted for one other. The green-haired boy from the tournament. The one I smacked. Things are falling into place, just need him to confirm it for me.

Just need him to confirm his death wish.

Magna: “Aenios! I just wanted to congratulate you on your victory in the exam!” Behind him followed other students from the exam, the second half. “Us other final contenders just had to come visit the one who beat all of us. Right guys?”

The people behind him only sneered at me. Ha! They’re holding a grudge? That’s it? So they didn’t find out about me. I smiled. Thank god. Well, time to play along I guess.

Aenios: “Oh, thank you very much but me winning was just luck. I just stayed in the back and hid until I found a chance.” My smile started to draw in the people around, but the anger seething from Magna drowned my influence.

Magna: “I know.” Magna spoke through gritted teeth. At this point he wasn’t even trying to hide his anger. The people around us started to back off. I of course, have to play true to my character and play the super-nice, absent-minded idiot who would walk into danger. That’s who I am on the outside.

I approach Magna, extending a hand and smiling. “It was a good match!” I rub it in his face further, however, he can’t see the malicious smile behind the mask. His rage blinded him. He smacked away my hand and walked away, furious. The other exam members following him.

Magna: “See you in class.”

The crowds filled in after he left and the silence resumed. That felt… good? Huh, never knew bragging could feel so awesome! Of course, this is just going to strengthen his anger for me but I don’t really care. I can break him whenever I want.

I pull out my map and skip happily toward my class. As I got further and further toward my destination, the amount of students decreased more and more, the students that remained were always stronger than the ones before. The rooms must be sorted alphabetically huh? But why does S class have to be so far away?

I silently complain to myself as I enter the two large doors. Inside, I saw six desks. Six desks for the only six students in class S. Luccanon, Julius, Luciana, Magna, Anatos and me, the star pupil. Strangely enough, no one was inside the class. Luciana, was just outside, still watching me.

Huh. I figured that class would have started about now. Didn’t that girl say it would start in 30 minutes? I figure that the teacher should be here at least, even if the students are late. Then, Magna entered, with his lackeys behind him. One of them appeared to be that strange girl from the morning.

More pieces started to fall in place. Oh… Ha. Well played Magna. Even I couldn’t see the hate behind that girl’s eyes.

Magna: “We meet again. Aenios, you, out of everyone who participated, you were the won to come first in the exam. You, the one without offensive spells. Doesn’t that strange to you?”

Observatory magic filled the room. This room was being closely monitored. It wouldn’t be long before I teacher noticed and came rushing down, I would only have to stall till then and using my magic is out of the question. I can’t risk my identity being found out.

Aenios: “I know… you must all feel angry. You all worked so hard and I.... I just took it away from you. If you must know, I didn’t cheat. I only hid in the back. If… if I were to do it again, I would have forfeited before the second round, I never wanted this hate.”

I look down, sullen-faced. The people gathered around Magna, they start to loosen their fists and I could feel their anger slowly subsidize. Magna himself however, the anger seemed to form a demon around him, his mana signature was wild and tainted a horrible colour. There was no calming him down.

Magna looked around at the people behind him, who were losing the will to go with his plan. “You, don’t try to trick us with petty words.” But why not?

Magna: “The fact that you admitted to us, that you didn’t cheat. That’s more infuriating than anything. You, you never should have won. You have no strength, no power. You’re weak! I can tell, you have barely any mana leaving you right now, you’re weak!”

Able to sense mana signatures eh? That’s pretty good for a kid your age. Oh wait.

The other students clenched their fists tighter, nodding along with him. His words didn’t convince them, it was his passionate anger. Ah, damn. I hate the passionate types. If only everyone were dead on the inside. It would be so much easier like that.

Magna: “Even now, you’re mocking us. You smile like nothing happened. YOU FUCKING IDIOT. OUR LIVES DEPENDED ON THAT FIGHT. THESE PEOPLE, THEY FOUGHT HARD. I FOUGHT HARDER. THEY WOULD HAVE ACCEPTED ME WINNING. NOT YOU! WHAT DID YOU DO? YOU HID. YOU HID IN THE DUST. YOU HID AND WAITED. YOU HAVE NO SENSE OF HONOUR. NO, YOU’RE JUST A PARASITE. FOREVER WORTHLESS. YOUR PARENTS MUST HAVE BEEN SO DISAPPOINTED WHEN THEY FOUND OUT ABOUT YOUR TRUE WORTH. YOU ABSOLUTELY DISGUST ME.”

I can only look down. Well, not really. I can look wherever I want, it's just that if I want to maintain my outer personality, I have to continue looking down.

Aenios: “I-I’m sor-”

Magna: “YOU THINK I WANT YOUR APOLOGY? YOU SELF-ABSORBED BASTARD.” He starts panting, his voice rough and sore, his eyes bloodshot, his ego egged on by the trash behind him.

Then, he calms down, his emotions disappear, almost instantly. The anger that had ravaged his face, was replaced with a horrible smile and a cruel intent behind his eyes.

Magna: “There is something you can do for us however.”

He approaches, menacingly. His malicious intent is obvious. This situation could quickly escalate into something worse if I let this happen. Thankfully, I don’t need to do anything.

The doors burst open and Luciana walks into the room. “What’s happening here?!”

The other kids back off and Magna stood unmoving, speechless. I put on a smile and walk up to her. “Hello Luciana! We were just talking about the written exam.” I said a blatant lie. She knew I was lying, but since she burst in here to protect me, she couldn’t say anything.

The other kids walked out of the room. Unsure if they should be glaring at me menacingly or if they should continue with the charade I made. They were obviously confused as to why I helped them. Luciana is the daughter of the head priest. If she had reported them to the teachers, there would have been severe repercussions.

Magna was the last to leave, his face was blank as he walked past Luciana. I could feel his guilt from where I was standing. He felt bad? There was no way he could feel bad about beating me up. Maybe… maybe he felt bad because Luciana saw him? Strange…

I smiled. “Class is starting soon, isn’t it?”

Luciana, who continued to glare at the students who left nodded her head. “Yes, we should take probably sit down.”

And so we did. We sat and waited for the class to start.

---

I woke up early in the morning. Watching the sun rise always helped me think. I looked out the window and I could feel something horrible was going to happen. I didn’t get a message, a premonition or a dream. It was just a feeling, “something horrible is going to happen” it said.

I cleaned up as quickly as I could and I exited my room. Other students had already started to form groups and talk. When I walked up, groups naturally formed around me.

Girl #1: “Hey, Luciana? It’s pretty early huh?”

Girl #2: “Luciana! How was your exam! I probably failed mine.”

Boy #1: “Lu-Luciana… ho- hi there!”

The large groups were natural for the social butterflies that were light elementals. I would usually enjoy listening to their conversation, but today, something was off. It was from the corner of my eye that I saw a girl walk up to one of the doors. I remembered her from the exam, she was one of the students Magna had fought. I don’t remember that being her room. 221, who lives there?

Then, a face I couldn’t forget walked out. It was Aenios, the boy who beat Magna and won the exam. When I saw him, I was filled with disgust. He shouldn’t have won. That’s all I could think. Magna was the one who beat me, not him. Magna fought hard, not him.

I couldn’t help but watch the two talk for only a mere moment, before he closed the door hurriedly. He came out in his uniform and walked over to one of the groups, who, strangely enough, backed away from him. That’s odd. Large groups are natural for the social butterflies that are light elementals… so why are they rejecting him.

I ask the girl beside me what was happening. Every group Aenios visited turned him away.

Girl #1: “Haven’t you heard? Magna was so furious about the results that he told everyone in the first grade to ignore him. He threatened to ruin our lives if we didn’t comply. At the time, we couldn’t say anything. He had the backing of the class A students as well as some of the teachers! I just really don’t want to get into any trouble so I agreed.”

This is not good. The students would obviously harbour anger but the teachers as well? This is madness. “When was this?”

Girl #1: “Yesterday. Apparently, Aenios left the building and returned later. Magna used that as an opportunity.”

I looked at Aenios. The blissfully ignorant smile on his face, that beautiful aura around him. Oh no… something bad was going to happen. If I need to, I will intervene.

I watch as he exits the light dorms. I follow, I need to see what's happening.

Girl #1: “Hey, wait, Luciana? Where are you going?”

The halls were silent. All eyes were on him. Then, Magna came, followed by some class A students. I look around, looking for god’s divine eye. I saw it before, but now… its not here. This was… a bad omen.

Magna and Aenios start to talk. Aenios was so brilliantly lost in the clouds, he couldn’t feel the anger Magna directed towards him, nor could he understand the current situation. Their conversation ended quickly, with Magna stomping away.

Magna… where was that honour I saw on the battlefield? What were you planning to do?

Aenios continued down the halls, where less and less students stood. I kept far back, just watching. I couldn’t let him be aware of my presence.

Finally, he approached our class. What was he doing here? Classes aren’t for another hour! Then I saw Magna, followed by class A students walk down the hall. This was… this was… something horrible was going to happen, I could tell, I could tell, I need to do som-

No you don’t. Sit down and keep watching, Francis. These… these were someone else's thoughts. Despite the invasive messages in my mind, I couldn't disobey. Not that they were forcing me, its because I agreed with them, at least a part of me.

Magna closed the door. I couldn’t see what was happening inside, so I used a scrying orb. One time use items, extremely expensive, but…

Aenios… apologized. Magna blew up. He tried to apologize again. Magna grew angrier. Then, I could feel an evil taint surround him. I knew, that I could wait no longer. I burst through the door. “What’s happening here?!” I tried to impersonate Father when he was angry. It seemed to work well enough.

Magna and his lackeys stood in absolute silence. Unable to move, unable to talk. Then, Aenios walked up to me. “Hello Luciana! We were just talking about the written exam.” I stood there, staring at him. Why…. why did he try and protect these savages? Magna was clearly going to attack him and with the teachers disapproving of his status here in the school, Magna would have gotten away with it.

The A-class students left silently, I glared at them as they walked through the door, I hope their guilt corrected their ways, they were only manipulated by Magna after all. Magna was the last to leave. I locked eyes with him, his head didn’t look up. I wanted to give him a tirade, I wanted to send him to the teacher, attacking an unarmed student, especially someone like Aenios… that’s despicable.

Aenios: “Class is starting soon, isn’t it?”

I continued to glare at Magna even as the door closed. “Yes, we should take probably sit down.”

He took a seat in the corner, I sat down right beside him. I felt so much anger. How could Magna do something like that and why isn’t Aenios doing anything about it. I didn’t understand anything. There is one thing I know however.

I won't let any injustice manifest itself in this school.