THE GIRL THE SYSTEM COULDN’T READ
1250 Words
Ava and T. L were assigned the same dorm room.
It was only a temporary dorm, one of the many shared rooms prepared for all new students until the academy completed their classification tests. The room itself was modern and spacious, with two neatly arranged beds, golden wall lights shaped like the H symbol, and a large window overlooking the training grounds far below.
Ava dropped her bag on one bed and flopped backward dramatically.
“This is ten times better than Starhaven.”
T. L sat quietly on her own bed, staring at the polished floor.
Ava noticed immediately.
She sat up. “Hey.”
T. L looked at her.
“You okay?”
T. L forced a small smile. “Yeah.”
Ava narrowed her eyes. “That sounded like a fake yeah.”
T. L sighed and leaned back.
“I don’t even know what type I am.”
Ava frowned.
“What do you mean?”
T. L looked at her hands.
“I’ve never shown any power before. Not at Starhaven. Not ever.”
Ava blinked.
“Wait… seriously?”
T. L nodded.
“Everyone in the orphanage had some strange ability. Billy teleports. Derek can sense emotions. You have three powers. James too. But me?”
She gave a hollow laugh.
“Nothing.”
Ava moved closer and bumped her shoulder.
“Maybe you just haven’t discovered it yet.”
T. L raised an eyebrow.
“And if I don’t have any?”
Ava smiled warmly.
“Then maybe when you see yours, you’ll know.”
T. L looked at her for a moment.
Then nodded slowly.
“Yeah… maybe.”
---
A few hours later, the academy speakers echoed across every building.
“All first-year recruits report immediately to the Grand Assessment Hall.”
Students poured out of their dormitories, excitement filling the air again.
The hall was larger than before, but now something new had been set up.
At the front was an enormous glowing screen divided into sections.
Each section had a label:
NORMS
HYBRIDS
TRIBRIDS
QUADRIPS
HEXADRIPLES
At the center of the hall was a circular metallic platform.
That was where each student would step.
A machine suspended above it scanned anyone standing there. If it detected powers, one of the categories on the giant screen would glow green and display the abilities.
The process began.
One by one, students stepped onto the platform.
Some became Norms.
Some Hybrids.
A few Tribrids.
The crowd cheered each time the screen flashed.
Then James’ turn came.
Ava smiled. “You got this.”
James stepped onto the platform.
The scanner glowed blue around him.
A loud electronic voice announced:
“HYBRID CLASS DETECTED.”
The hybrid section lit green.
Then beneath his name, two powers appeared on the screen:
Electricity Manipulation
Super Speed
James’ jaw dropped.
“No way.”
T. L grinned and shouted, “Knew you weren’t normal!”
James laughed and jogged proudly to the Hybrid side.
Next came Ava.
She took a deep breath and stepped onto the platform.
The scanner glowed brighter this time.
The hall fell silent.
Then—
“TRIBRID CLASS DETECTED.”
The tribrid section flashed bright green.
Three powers appeared:
Telekinesis
Teleportation
Water Formation
Ava gasped.
She turned to T. L with a huge smile.
“Told you I was special!”
T. L laughed despite herself and clapped for her.
Ava moved to the Tribrid side, but her eyes stayed fixed on T. L.
Then—
“T. L.”
Schizzel called her name.
T. L froze.
The entire hall suddenly felt too big.
She slowly walked forward.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.
She stepped onto the platform.
The machine scanned her.
Everyone stared.
Nothing happened.
No light.
No voice.
No category.
The hall became awkwardly silent.
T. L blinked.
She stepped off, confused.
Then stepped back on.
Still nothing.
A few students began whispering.
“Did it stop working?”
“What happened?”
Schizzel frowned.
She leaned toward the control panel.
“Try again.”
T. L nodded nervously.
This time, all eyes were on her.
She stepped forward once more.
The scanner passed over her.
Again—
Nothing.
No result.
No reading.
The silence was worse than noise.
Ava looked worried.
James stood from the Hybrid section, confused.
Merson leaned toward Schizzel and whispered sharply.
“What a mess.”
Schizzel kept her eyes on the machine.
Merson continued in a low voice.
“This girl has no power. Why would they place her in an orphanage for gifted children?”
Schizzel replied quietly.
“Keep your voice down. Maybe the system malfunctioned.”
Merson smirked coldly.
“For only her? It worked for everyone else.”
He crossed his arms.
“And suddenly stops because she’s what? A princess?”
Kaiden stepped forward.
“Enough, Merson.”
But Merson shook his head.
“This is a facility for HEROES. If we test her again and it still fails, she either leaves… or joins the human technical division.”
He turned.
“That’s final.”
And walked away.
Kaiden watched him go, then sighed.
He didn’t defend T. L.
He simply nodded slightly in agreement and left too.
Schizzel remained where she stood, staring at T. L with a strange expression—almost like she wanted to say something, but couldn’t.
T. L stepped off the platform.
Her face burned with embarrassment.
She couldn’t look at anyone.
The testing continued.
Student after student stepped up, and the machine worked perfectly for all of them.
Every single one.
The hall only grew louder, while T. L felt smaller and smaller.
---
At the end of the session, Schizzel stepped to the front.
“Tomorrow morning, all classified students will move to their permanent quarters.”
She pointed to the glowing categories.
“Each division has its own building. Norms, Hybrids, Tribrids, Quadrips, and Hexadriples all train separately.”
She paused briefly, glancing toward T. L.
“Dismissed.”
Students began leaving in groups, excitedly talking about their powers and new placements.
T. L walked away quietly, keeping her head low.
Ava ran to catch up with her.
“Hey! Wait!”
T. L kept walking.
Ava stepped in front of her.
“Talk to me.”
T. L forced a smile.
“It’s fine.”
Ava shook her head.
“No, it’s not.”
T. L looked away.
Ava gently held her hand.
“Listen. One machine not reading you doesn’t mean anything.”
T. L gave a weak laugh.
“It means a lot when it reads everyone except me.”
Ava’s smile faded.
T. L continued walking.
The hallway suddenly felt colder.
Students passed by, some staring, some whispering.
She pretended not to hear.
But every word hit.
No power.
Why is she here?
Maybe she slipped in by mistake.
Ava stayed beside her, trying to cheer her up.
She joked.
She nudged her shoulder.
She even imitated Merson’s serious face, making it look ridiculous.
T. L laughed a little.
Only when she was with Ava did the weight lessen.
But deep inside…
The thought stayed.
Maybe she didn’t belong here.
Maybe if HEROES had never come to Starhaven…
She would have gone on believing she was gifted like everyone else.
Instead, now she knew something terrifying.
Maybe she was just ordinary.
Just a human among legends.
As they reached their dorm room, T. L turned away from Ava and wiped her eyes before she could notice.
- Writer
