The classroom was too bright for Lauren.
Even with his sunglasses on, he sat in the back of the room, hugging Ash'vour tightly. He had hidden the teddy bear inside his backpack before class began.
Everyone whispered.
"Look, there he is..."
"He looks like a vampire..."
"He must be some kind of weirdo. He doesn't talk and he's always covered up."
That's when the teacher entered.
He was a tall man with spiky gray hair and a white lab coat. His gaze was serious, but there was a vibrant energy behind it.
"Good morning, students. I am Professor Zarkos."
He walked to the front of the classroom.
"Before we begin, I have something important to say. We have some new classmates joining us today. I want everyone to treat them with respect and dignity."
He gestured for them to come to the front.
First came a thin boy with dark skin and messy hair, walking with a white cane.
"This is Janio. He lost his sight in an accident, but he is one of the most intelligent young people to have ever studied here."
Right after him, a boy with a wide smile and red hair tied in a ponytail sped into the classroom in a wheelchair.
"This is Felix. Despite using a wheelchair, his ability allows him to move faster than most of the school's runners. Be nice to him."
Felix raised a hand and flashed a peace sign.
"Hey, class! If you want a selfie, just ask!"
The class laughed.
Lauren also gave a shy little smile.
Beatrice, sitting two seats ahead, looked back at Lauren and whispered,
"Look, Mino. The wheelchair user is already more popular than you."
Lauren blushed slightly and hid his face beneath his hood.
"Tsk... So cute. He looks like a little girl," one of the students muttered.
Lauren's expression changed.
Zarkos slammed his hand against the desk.
"Hey! No stupid comments. Everyone here is different—including you, who think you're 'normal.'"
The room fell silent.
"Today's lesson will be about controlling your energy. I want each of you to come forward and explain, if you can, what your ability is."
Lauren trembled.
He couldn't speak.
The first student came forward and demonstrated a small burst of wind.
The next showed an ability that allowed them to manipulate paper.
Others simply introduced themselves and briefly explained their powers.
Then it was Lauren Valenheart's turn.
He slowly stood up.
Everyone watched him.
He was still wearing his black cloak and sunglasses.
"That's the boy who doesn't talk," someone whispered.
Lauren walked to the center of the classroom with Ash'vour in his arms.
He remained silent for a moment.
Then, carefully, he placed the teddy bear on the floor.
Lauren took a deep breath.
His eyes began to shine.
A strange feeling stirred inside him.
Then—
For an instant, absolute silence filled the room.
The clock froze.
A mosquito hanging in the air stopped moving.
Everything stopped.
Ten seconds later, everything returned to normal as if nothing had happened.
The class was stunned.
Professor Zarkos quickly wrote something down in his notebook.
"Ability: Temporal Freeze."
He paused.
"Interesting. Very interesting."
Lauren picked up Ash'vour and returned to his seat.
Beatrice watched him intently, quietly playing with the ends of her hair.
"Next, Photoriam Felix."
"Get ready, everyone!" Felix said excitedly.
He pressed a button on his wheelchair.
Yellow energy began to flow around the wheels.
In an instant, he disappeared from the front of the classroom.
Everyone looked around in confusion.
A moment later, Felix appeared at the back of the room with a piece of chalk in his hand.
He wrote a single word on the wall:
Hi.
The class burst into laughter.
"And that's without even getting up, huh?" Felix said with a wink.
"Oh, and this beauty here..."
He pointed to the camera hanging around his neck.
"It can remove objects and people from photographs."
"Impressive..." the teacher murmured.
"Now it's Janio Tosuke's turn."
Janio slowly walked to the front, guided by his cane.
The class fell silent.
"I'm blind. My ability is night vision, but it's useless now."
He paused.
"I'm trying to hear the world instead."
He raised one hand.
The sound of the wind coming through the window began to gather in his palm, vibrating as if it were living energy.
"I can feel sound... and channel it."
The teacher made a more serious note this time.
"Channeled auditory energy..."
He looked at Janio.
"Rare. Very rare."
Beatrice came next.
She raised a small vanity case containing several bottles.
"I chose cherry blossom today!"
She spun one of the bottles through the air.
A sweet scent filled the room.
Then, a translucent scythe formed in the air, made of pure pink energy with details resembling flower petals.
"And yes, it's just a demonstration. Don't worry. I won't decapitate anyone."
Everyone laughed nervously.
Lauren watched, fascinated.
Then it was Kaiya Haru's turn.
"FINALLY! PREPARE FOR THE PERFORMANCE!"
She leaped forward with all four arms.
She pulled out her phone, started playing music, and began dancing energetically.
All four of her arms moved in perfect rhythm, creating bright energy trails that formed webs across the walls and ceiling.
"My power is energy webs! I use them to dance, fight, and..."
She paused dramatically.
"...scare people!"
"Very expressive," the teacher said, scratching his head.
Professor Zarkos looked around the classroom.
"Very good. This class is going to be quite chaotic, but full of potential."
He closed his notebook.
"Tomorrow, we'll begin the duels. You'll get to test how well you perform in an actual fight."
The class was dismissed.
After class, Lauren walked to the schoolyard.
He sat down on a stone bench and lowered his head.
He felt embarrassed.
It seemed like everyone was staring at him because of his cloak and sunglasses.
But at that moment...
That wasn't his biggest problem.