"I hate this school," a boy with piercing blue eyes and messy white hair muttered. He wore his black blazer unbuttoned, the red stripes sharp against his white shirt and black trousers. He walked through the massive gates of the academy, his face twisted in a permanent scowl of annoyance.
"You hate everything, don't you?" a girl followed close behind him. Her jet-black hair caught the light, and her amber eyes narrowed playfully. she wore the same blazer, paired with a white shirt and a pleated black skirt.
"Of course not. I just hate this place for no reason," the boy replied, not looking back.
"Silas, you're at the Aurelian Crown Academy, one of the top international academies. How do you already hate it on your first day?" Zara asked, a graceful smile tugging at her lips.
"Good question, Zara. I don't know... maybe it's because of what I see," Silas said, his gaze flickering.
Zara moved closer, invading his personal space. "Are you having one of your schizophrenic moments again?" she asked, her playful tone vanishing into a look of genuine worry.
Silas immediately looked away, his pale face flushing a deep red. "No, I'm fine," he said in a shy, strained voice. "Why is she so close?" he thought desperately.
Suddenly, the school bell rang, echoing with a loud chime. Students began sprinting past them.
"We are going to be late on our first day of school and this is all your fault!" Zara cried, her lower lip out in a dramatic pout.
"If you're really troubled by that, why don't you run with the others?" Silas suggested, casually shoving his hands into his pockets. "At least we have an assembly on our first day."
"You can't even let me tease you anymore!" Zara laughed, finally breaking into a run. She looked back over her shoulder, waving brightly. "See you inside!"
"I still wonder how I got a crush on her," Silas thought, watching her disappear into the crowd.
Inside the grand assembly hall, Silas and Zara sat in the tiered rows, looking down at the sleek podium below. The hall was a roar of conversation as elite students took their seats.
Zara turned her gaze toward Silas, her expression skeptical. "Are you sure you don't need to take your medicine? I don't want you talking about random stuff again."
"I'm fine. And I don't say random stuff. All the things I say are true," Silas snapped, his jaw tightening.
"Oh, someone is being affected by puberty a bit too late," Zara teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Zara!" another girl shouted, walking over and sliding into the seat next to her.
"Hello, Lisa!" Zara greeted her with a radiant smile, her tone shifting instantly to a bubbly warmth.
Silas watched the interaction with a flat stare. "How can someone change their personality so quickly?"
"Oh, it's you," Lisa said, her smile vanishing the moment she noticed Silas.
"There's no need to get angry at a fool. Silas, stay calm," he thought, closing his eyes and taking a steady breath.
"It seems you still don't have any manners. Can't even say hello to someone?" Lisa remarked, her green eyes boring into him with disdain.
"Today is already a horrible day; I don't want another problem," Silas muttered. He forced a plastic, fake smile onto his face and looked at her. "Hello, and shut up please."
"Zara! He's bullying me again! Do something!" Lisa wailed, clinging to Zara's arm.
"There, there," Zara said, patting Lisa's hair with an indulgent expression. "Bad Silas. Don't bully Lisa."
"I hate this," Silas thought, sinking into his seat.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Please settle down," a voice boomed from the speakers. A student stood at the podium, adjusting the mic. "I hope you're all having a good morning."
The boy at the podium beamed with a polished, politician-like charisma. "I'm your Student Council President, Nolan. It's a pleasure to meet you all. As you all know, the people who have enrolled in this academy are the brightest minds in their fields. I hope you all do your best and become a better version of yourselves. Even if you fail, you should keep trying, because winners are people that fail and keep trying!"
As Nolan's voice became more energetic, Silas suddenly clutched his forehead. "My head... Not this again," he thought, gritting his teeth and shutting his eyes tight against a rising surge of white noise.
"Are you really okay?" Zara asked, her hand instinctively finding his.
"I'm fine, it's just a headache," Silas groaned.
He forced one eye open. Immediately, the world fractured. Static flickered across his vision and glowing circles appeared over every student's head. His left eye began to glow with an eerie, unnatural light. "It's this again..."
His vision glitched into neon colors; the people around him were being replaced by cascading lines of green and white code.
"That's all I have to say," Nolan concluded from the podium. "And one more thing: today you won't have any classes. You can memorize the school layout and find a few clubs to join. Have a nice day, and don't get lost."
As the crowd stood up, talking excitedly, Silas bolted. He pushed through the sea of students, his hand clamped over his right eye as if trying to hold his skull together. Zara tried to follow, but Lisa grabbed her wrist.
"Where are you going? You can't leave me alone here!" Lisa protested.
"I'll be back! I need to go and check on something!" Zara said, firmly removing Lisa's hand and darting into the hallway.
Silas slammed into a bathroom stall, his hands shaking as he fumbled with a pill bottle in his pocket. He threw the pills into his mouth, swallowing hard. His breathing was ragged as he gasping for air.
Warm liquid trickled down his cheek. His left eye was bleeding.
"Why does it always hurt so much? No matter how much I go through the pain..." Silas thought, looking into the mirror. For a split second, his reflection distorted, his face dissolving into a mess of digital glitches before snapping back to reality.
The door swung open. Two boys walked in laughing, but they stopped dead when they saw Silas.
"Are you okay?" one of them asked, his voice filled with concern.
"I'm okay. It's just a thing that happens sometimes," Silas said, staring at their reflections in the glass rather than turning around.
"Your eye is bleeding," the second boy pointed out, stepping closer.
"You don't really look okay. I think you need help," the first one added.
"They talk too much. I told them I'm fine. What else do they need?" Silas thought, his pulse pounding in his ears. One of the boys reached out to touch his shoulder.
"I said I'm fine!" Silas snapped, his voice echoing off the tiles.
The boy jumped back, startled. "Okay..."
"Let's go," the boy whispered to his friend. They hurried out, casting one last nervous glance back.
Silas took a deep, shuddering breath. He turned on the tap, letting the cold water run as he washed the blood from his face. He dried his eye and walked back out into the hallway, trying to blend in with the passing students.
"Mood swings too?" Zara's voice came from the wall beside the door. She was waiting for him, leaning back with a knowing look.
"Where did you come from?" Silas asked, visibly startled.
"I saw two people walk out; they were talking about some crazy person," Zara said.
"I'm not crazy," Silas said, brushing past her and walking away.
"They have a fighting club," Zara said with a sharp, enticing smile. Silas stopped in his tracks.
"What do you take me for? A violent man?" Silas asked, turning back. Zara just stared at him with a deadpan, bored expression.
A moment later, they were standing in a massive training hall with four boxing rings and the hum of aggressive conversation.
"I thought you weren't a violent man," Zara said, pressing her hand over her mouth to hide her laughter.
Silas ignored her, his eyes scanning the room until he spotted the two boys from the bathroom. He walked straight toward them.
"Where are you going?" Zara asked, trailing after him.
"Excuse me," Silas said. The two boys turned around, their eyes widening.
"Oh, it's you," the first boy said, looking wary.
"Yes, it's me. I just wanted to say sorry for what happened," Silas said, his voice flat but sincere.
The two boys looked at each other, surprised. "It's okay. And... who's the person beside you?" the second boy asked.
"This is Zara, my childhood friend," Silas introduced.
"And your name?"
"I'm Silas."
"Anyone who wants to challenge the second ring?" a referee shouted, his voice cutting through the noise.
"I have to go," Silas said, his pace quickening as he headed toward the ring. "I'll challenge him," he called out in a calm, focused voice.
"Why does it look like he's happy to fight someone?" the second boy asked, watching Silas climb through the ropes.
"That's because he is," Zara said, letting out a long, weary sigh.