The moment Mark came into the classroom, most attention drifted over to his presence as some gossiped and murmured when he passed their seats over to the one in the last corner beside a window.
He always preferred to stay next to the window for clear ventilation and a nice, clear view outside in certain cases, but he was always taken as a back bencher.
The desk next to him was empty due to the isolation and discrimination that he received from many because of his status in the school. But he was already accustomed to it like a daily bread.
"What a pathetic loser, can’t even summon a thing. But his father could."
"His father had a Great Three-eyed Cyclops with the ability to shoot powerful lasers from its golden eyes, which was also able to sight over thousands of kilometers away. But in the end, he was killed by his own summon, what a joke!"
"I heard that this loser still has hope of becoming a summoner from today’s awakening ceremony for the freshmen, after his failed trial last year. He’s still in some kind of delusion that isn’t good for his mental health."
"Guys, what if he actually makes it, you know as a late bloomer. And you always know the luck that they come with."
"Maybe he’d have a good chance this time, sixteen as an age isn’t too late for him. C’mon let’s hope."
"What’s there to hope for, anyways? He’s trash that shouldn’t be here."
Mark had endured the years of pain from the fall of his father, which had even occurred before his birth. True, his father had a powerful and mystical summon that gave him prestige and admiration over the world, he had made incredible feats with his abilities during dangerous high-stake missions and even saved millions of lives.
But not until one particular day, something strange happened when his own summon that had grown much stronger suddenly became monstrous and caused damage over the cities that resulted in the loss of tens of thousands before he greatly sacrificed himself to end it all.
Some took his legacy as a symbol of justice and heroism, but it was a drop in the ocean to the majority that perceived it as irresponsibility and menace.
This was just one of the multiple weighing problems he had over his shoulders as a child.
A girl that was chewing bubble gum blew a pink bubble that popped with a snap before she walked over to his seat and slipped it under his desk.
"Hmm, a nice spot to always leave my collections of used gumballs." She hissed at him.
Mark scowled and moved his desk away. "So you were the one that had been plastering gummies under my desk like a kid?" He asked.
"Don’t act like you never knew it was me in the first place; you can’t do anything about it." The girl turned and walked away.
Mark only shook his head before noticing Kai shot a glance at him. Roman and Max only chuckled mischievously at his ridicule.
But Mark merely shrugged. ’Woah, I never thought that I was this humorous. It’s nice to see others amused by me.’ he said to himself inwardly with bitter sarcasm.
Unbeknownst to him, Mia’s hard gaze remained on him from where she sat, before glancing at Kai with a regretful expression of his dominance.
"Damnit, I hate when someone else overshadows me before an inferior, I won’t let it happen next time."
"Wait, did that mundy just shrugged over us? That’s it!" Max rose up with clenched fists and went straight to Mark who stood from his own seat.
The launching fist of Max was deflected by Mark’s defense who grabbed his arm and swung him over the desk with a wooden crack.
He was really fed up by their flaunting intimidation over him as one of their victims, so he had to showcase some part of his improved martial arts to them.
Max’s eyes widened at the retaliation Mark had used on him. He felt rage boil within him as he stood back up, only to receive a spear strike from the same person that slammed him to the concrete wall.
Before anything could go further into chaos as the whole class erupted into ruckus, a female teacher came into the classroom alongside an unfamiliar student with a school bag slung over her shoulder.
Olivia, the female teacher who had a bun hairstyle, wore a black suit jacket and skirt that stopped over her knees. The form-fitting attire clearly accentuated her graceful figure, but she always had the upper side unbuttoned to reveal large cleavage that could spill out.
It seemed that she prioritized ventilation and comfort over her body more than anything else. She wasn’t insecure of herself towards the students for whatever they thought.
But it wasn’t Olivia that really caught the attention of the entire class, it was the student next to her.
She had auburn bushy hair that best fitted her ruby-red eyes that changed in shades over sunlight. She also wore the Amstral jacket over her shirt, a high-waisted pleated skirt with hold-up stockings and sandals.
Even Max paused for a moment to admire her intense beauty that left him frozen, the same wasn’t different for Mark and the entire class. Gasps and murmurs rose among them like a flowing river.
Olivia smiled softly as she gestured for her to introduce herself before the class, which she did by turning to face them with welcoming eyes, and hands clasped behind her.
Everyone scrambled to compose themselves into their seats to receive her introduction with keen interest.
Something about her had stirred the entire class like a charm spell and Olivia was genuinely impressed by it.
The new student inhaled softly. "Hello everyone, I’m Hermione Phoenix, a transfer student that would like to mingle with all of you as friends."
The eyes of some people widened in shock and awe, but it wasn’t just from her presence this time, it was from her name that belonged to one of the most influential and elite families across the region!
The Phoenix family had mighty potential and value over the world, with their powerful bloodline and the Great Phoenix as their most ranked summon. With the power of the Phoenix, one could heal from severe physical damage and grave illness in most cases.
They were rumored to inhabit a luxurious and rare dungeon as their home, outside the world. With most of the members as dual summoners with great abilities.
And here was one of their likely heirs in front of them, just like any normal student. They were extremely surprised over her decision to be transferred into somewhere like here, if not any other elite places to learn and train.
A brief round of applause rose into the air after her introduction, her gaze moved across the students with purpose as she scanned them.
If it was imaginary or real, Mark could have sworn that her gaze lingered over his with some kind of strange flicker that made his heart pound. He felt like it was something deep and heavy that caused this, other than any mediocre reaction of his body.
A smile appeared on her beautiful lips as Olivia permitted her to pick a seat. But as she moved forward, Mark suddenly realized that she was coming for the one beside him with a racing heart over his chest.
A/N: if you enjoyed, please don’t forget to support with powerstones and adding to your library.