Chapter 8— MY FIRST CLASS AND ALREADY A DISASTER
1321 Words
Morning came far too early. Again. I rolled out of bed like a defeated pancake, stared blankly at the floor, and wondered if I could fake illness. Or death. Or both. But Cael knocked on the door before I could even attempt being dramatic. “Elion,” he called through the wood, “your first class is in twenty minutes.” I threw myself face-first onto my pillow. “No. I won’t go. Send my apologies. Tell the Headmaster I’m allergic to education.” Cael opened the door anyway. “I told you to knock AND wait,” I groaned. “I did knock,” Cael said calmly. “And the waiting?” “I didn’t agree to that part.” I glared weakly at him. He looked annoyingly awake—hair glowing, armor polished, aura shimmering like morning sunlight. I looked like the ghost of a tired cat. He held out a folded uniform. “Put this on.” “This looks flammable,” I muttered. He didn’t respond. --- ⭐ The Walk of Shame to Class I reluctantly followed Cael through the Academy halls. Students whispered. A lot. “There he is…” “That’s the cursed one.” “Cael Arclight is escorting him?” “Why is his face so pretty? Villains shouldn’t look like that.” “Is he going to turn into a monster in class?” “I HEARD THAT!” I yelled back. The whisperer screamed and sprinted down the hall. Cael sighed beside me. “Elion… ignore them.” “I can’t ignore loud trauma.” We finally reached the classroom. The door swung open. Inside were thirty students and Professor Lyrian. Fantastic. Worst combination possible. Lyrian’s sharp eyes immediately landed on me. “Elion Vaelor,” she said coolly. “Trying not to explode today?” “I’m TRYING every day, thank you.” Cael stood behind me, radiating silent disapproval. His presence alone made half the students sit straighter. Lyrian raised a brow. “Hero Arclight. Will you be supervising all his classes?” “If necessary.” “It won’t be necessary,” I muttered. “Yes, it will,” Cael corrected. I glared at him. He remained calm. --- ⭐ A Suspiciously Friendly Student Appears I sat at an empty desk in the back. Near the window. Far from responsibility. Before class could begin, a boy slid into the seat beside me. He had messy brown hair, bright green eyes, and a smile that felt… too friendly. “Hi!” he whispered. “You must be Elion. I’m Ren!” I blinked at him. Ren grinned wider. “I saved this seat for you!” “I didn’t know I was coming,” I said. “I did!” That was suspicious. Too suspicious. “Why… did you save it?” Ren shrugged. “New students always need allies. Especially ones everyone is afraid of.” “Thank you,” I said carefully, “but you don’t need to risk your social life for me.” “I don’t mind,” Ren said. “I like dangerous people!” I choked on air. Cael turned sharply. “Ren,” he said in warning, “do not interfere with Elion’s training.” Ren raised his hands defensively. “I’m not interfering! I’m befriending!” “It’s the same thing,” Cael replied. “It is NOT the same thing,” I argued. Cael ignored me. Ren leaned closer and whispered, “Does he always guard you like you’re a baby phoenix?” “Yes,” I whispered back. “He’s my babysitter.” “I HEARD THAT,” Cael said without turning around. Ren snorted. I liked him already. Which was dangerous. Because in this world, friendly people were often secret villains. --- ⭐ Professor Lyrian Tests Me Lyrian tapped her staff against the floor. “Today,” she announced, “we will practice controlled mana release. A simple, safe exercise.” Everyone looked excited. I sweated through my shirt. Lyrian’s gaze slid to me. “Elion. You will go first.” “NO.” “Yes.” Cael stepped forward immediately. “I object.” Lyrian smirked. “Of course you do. But we must assess his baseline abilities.” “He is unstable,” Cael argued. “This exercise could trigger—” “That is precisely why we test,” Lyrian said. I raised my hand weakly. “Hi. Person with unstable mana here. Permission to stay sitting and do nothing?” “Denied,” she said simply. Ren patted my shoulder sympathetically. “You got this! Probably!” Not comforting. At all. I stood in the center of the room. Twenty-nine students leaned back in their chairs. One ducked behind his desk. Cael stood ready to tackle me if I combusted. Lyrian pointed to a target dummy. “Channel a small amount of mana. About one percent. Nothing more.” My mark pulsed. I inhaled. Exhaled. And— FWOOM. A burst of dark mana shot from my palm, not toward the dummy— BUT STRAIGHT UP INTO THE CEILING. A loud crack echoed. A student screamed. Another fainted. Ren clapped quietly. Cael dragged me backward by the collar. Lyrian stared at the smoking ceiling. “Well,” she said, “at least it didn’t explode.” “That’s a SUCCESS?!” I cried. “For you? Yes.” I fell to my knees. --- ⭐ The Entity Whispers Again As the class continued (with me benched like a malfunctioning magical weapon), my hand tingled. Then pulsed. Then— A whisper crept into my head. You cannot control what is destined to awaken… little star… I flinched. Ren glanced at me. “You okay?” “No,” I whispered. “Someone is whispering in my skull.” He blinked. “Can I help?” “Do you know exorcism?” “No.” “Then no.” I gripped my desk as the voice slid deeper, smoother. You are incomplete. Broken. Let me in… Let me show you. My breath hitched. Cael turned instantly. “Elion?” I shook my head violently. “I-I’m fine—” No I wasn’t. The room darkened around my vision. The shadows under the desks stretched. The mark pulsed again—harder. Awaken… “No!” I hissed under my breath. “Not here!” Cael appeared beside me so fast it broke physics. His hand wrapped around mine. Warm. Steady. Pure. Holy energy flooded my veins— and the voice vanished instantly. The room brightened. The shadows shrank. My breathing steadied. “Cael…” I whispered. “Thank you.” He didn’t let go. He whispered back— “You don’t have to face it alone.” My stupid heart fluttered. Ren watched us curiously. Lyrian watched us suspiciously. --- ⭐ After Class: A New Problem When class ended, Cael escorted me out. Ren waved dramatically. “See you later, Elion! Don’t explode!” “I make no promises.” But as we reached the hall— The mark burned. Sharp pain jolted through my entire arm. “Cael—!” He caught me before I fell. Dark mana surged under my skin, swirling uncontrollably. Not outward. Inward. Cael’s eyes widened. “Elion—your mana—it’s collapsing!” “W-WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!” “It means the entity inside is pulling at your core.” I screamed. Not because of the pain. But because a terrifying realization clicked into place: The entity… the thing whispering inside me… the thing calling me vessel… It wasn’t trying to escape. It was trying to merge. My vision blurred. Darkness crawled up my arm. Cael wrapped both arms around me, flooding me with holy energy. “Elion, stay with me!” “I—I’m trying!” The pain grew sharper— And then— Everything snapped white.
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