Kael stood in the class, as he basked under the intense gaze of his classmates. Jealousy, annoyance, and even anger; he wasn't picky, he would gladly accept them all.
It was the first day of High School, and the teacher had thrown out a question, perhaps as a formality or simply as a way of introduction.
But who cares?
'I certainly don't.'
He spent his entire holiday immersed in reading, partly because he had nothing better to do and because he enjoyed doing so. He was an introvert, and his family was no different. He rarely left the house, and considering they had to manage electricity to reduce their light bills, he could only bury his head in books.
Aside from the fun time he spent playing with his little sister, if it could even be called that, considering she derived joy in pranking him, especially when he was asleep...
'That mischievous little munchkin.' Kael couldn't help but grit his teeth slightly.
He had no choice but to find a way to while away his time.
With all that said, how could he not show off his efforts?
Kael raised his head slightly and puffed his chest out, his eyes trained on his teacher. Yet his mates couldn't help but feel as if he was looking down on them. Sensing their reaction, Kael's body was filled with a sense of satisfaction.
By the time he was done with his tirade, the teacher brought out his handkerchief, which he used to wipe off the sweat pooling on his forehead like a leaking faucet.
With a cough, the teacher flashed what Kael could only describe as a wretched smile.
"A-A round of applause for Kael! What a remarkable answer."
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Kael ignored the half-hearted claps he was given and simply sat down quietly.
A few tense seconds followed before the teacher continued, "Cough... so, let us write the note first, then I will explain in our next class." He quickly turned to the whiteboard, his eyes evading Kael's, the sound of a black marker dancing across the smooth surface soon echoing in the silent room.
'What a farce!' Kael harrumphed. 'Didn't he say he would explain the topic first?'
Seeing his mates already jotting down into their books, he sighed before standing up and walking to his teacher.
Feeling his approach, the teacher's body visibly tensed as he inched closer to the board, almost as if he wanted to merge with it.
'Seriously? Just that much is enough to intimidate him?' Kael was really disappointed at this point.
Sure, compared to the other two continents, theirs was looked down on. That showed in their education system, where the metric of excellence is simply measured by knowledge, with little to no practical experience. They could only blame themselves for losing the great war.
Still, this was a teacher! Or at least, he was supposed to be one.
Despite how he felt inwardly, Kael's face was a mask of calm.
"Excuse me, Sir," he bowed respectfully, "I want to use the restroom."
The teacher coughed once more, and Kael could almost swear he glimpsed a shade of red on his face.
'Wow! That can't be, right?'
Receiving a quiet wave, Kael took it as approval, turned, and quietly moved towards the open door of the class. At the very last moment before his body vanished, he turned his head towards his seated classmates and flashed a toothy grin.
'What a bastard!' All the students shared the same thought, the teacher no different.
"How boring!" Kael muttered under his breath as he moved towards the staircase. Instead of going down in the direction of the restroom, he climbed upstairs, ignoring the occasional students who moved past him. Soon after, he arrived at the highest floor of the school that housed the locked laboratories. He moved to the left extreme corner and quietly leaned on the concrete railing.
Appreciating the grassy fields that surrounded the school, Kael couldn't stop his thoughts from wandering.
His family condition wasn't great, as they had barely enough to survive. The thought of how he could support his parents had always been on his mind. Despite their circumstances, Kael loved his parents so much, and he knew his sister shared the same feelings. It was the main reason why he put much of his effort into his books. He wanted to become someone big when he left school—well, he hoped to be one, considering how rigged the system was.
Besides, his life consisted of going to school, returning home, helping with some chores, and studying before going to sleep, with the occasional time he spent with his family.
His shoulders sagged slightly as a resigned sigh escaped his lips.
"It's just so boring and monotonous."
Looking at the clear blue skies, he couldn't help but mutter,
"How I wish life could be more exciting..."
And as if fate could hear his words, Kael, who was about to close his eyes, saw something streak across the sky. His eyes widened as he subconsciously tried to make out what passed when he noticed...
A thin line across the path of the streak that had already vanished.
Slowly but surely, Kael's eyes continued to widen, and as if mirroring his action, so too did the thin line.
A spatial crack, a few meters wide, formed across the sky, a dark abyss hidden within its depth.
As a chill ran down Kael's spine, a massive burst of energy erupted from within the crack and, in what felt like an instant, moved past Kael's figure before washing across the world.
"Huh?"
Kael released a pained grunt as he clenched his chest tightly, his white shirt ruffling inward from his action. A prickling sensation filled his skin, his heart thumping rapidly against his ribcage as if knocking on a door and pleading to escape.
He stumbled backward and fell on his back, his vision slowly fading around the edges.
But just as it came, the sensation suddenly disappeared, as if it were only a fragment of his imagination.
But Kael knew that couldn't be the case.
"Haa haa."
His breath came in rough pants.
The fear he felt was real—not to mention his sweat-drenched uniform.
And while his heart rate had calmed down, he still couldn't help but feel like something was off.
Just as he sat upright, a violet interface suddenly lit up across his vision.
[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE AWAKENED SUCCESSFULLY!]
'W-what?'
His mind didn't even get a moment to register the message as...
—ROOOOOOAR!
—ROAR!
—GRAA!
Kael flinched, his body soon trembling.
He quickly scrambled towards the railing in a kneeling position, and what he saw between the gaps almost made him faint from fear.
The interface, as if sensing his emotions, silently flickered out—Kael not even giving it a thought.
His already pale face turned white when he felt violent movements below him. His head turned stiffly and mechanically behind him as a chorus of savage growls, panicked screams, and the sickening sound of flesh being ripped apart finally drifted into his ears.
"It can't be..."
AN: Thank you for reading. Click on love if you enjoyed the chapter😁.