Chapter 39: A Hint of Control

The tension in the common area hung thick in the air, but beneath it, there was something else—a quiet, buzzing curiosity from the students around them. The whispers hadn’t stopped since the selfie incident, and Jake Foster could feel the weight of every gaze on him and Levi.

Levi leaned in a little closer, his crimson eyes gleaming with dark amusement. “You feel that, right?” he said, his voice low and teasing. “They want something from us, Jake. They want to see what we’re made of.”

Jake clenched his fists, the weight of the stares pressing down harder. He wanted to keep his head low, to avoid making things worse. But Levi’s words were digging under his skin. It wasn’t just the other students watching them—it was the Academy, always watching. They had been controlled since the moment they walked in, and now Levi was poking at the edges, trying to push him.

“They already know what we’re made of,” Jake muttered, trying to keep his cool. “They don’t need a reminder.”

Levi’s grin widened, and Jake could see the challenge in his eyes. “Maybe not,” he said casually, “but don’t you think it’s time we showed them anyway?”

Jake shot him a look, but Levi didn’t back down. He was toying with him—this was new. Jake knew this was a bad idea. He knew that acting out here would only get them into more trouble, but the tension in his chest was building, and the pressure was starting to claw at him. He could feel the energy inside him, humming just beneath the surface, like a caged beast waiting to be let out.

Levi leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms and smirking. “You scared?”

Alright fuck it. Jake’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, all the whispers, all the eyes on him, all the tension that had been building since they entered the common area boiled over. Without thinking, he reached for the energy inside him, letting it rise to the surface. He could feel the familiar rush, the surge of raw power that had always been there, just waiting to be unleashed.

But the moment he tried to push it further, something stopped him. It was subtle, but unmistakable—a wall, invisible but solid, that blocked him from accessing the full extent of his power. It felt like trying to push against a door that wouldn’t budge, no matter how hard he shoved.

He froze, confused, as the energy fizzled out, leaving him with nothing but a faint hum of static in his fingertips. He frowned, glancing at his hands, then at Levi, who was watching him with a raised eyebrow.

“Something wrong?” Levi asked, his tone mocking but curious.

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Jake didn’t answer right away. He could still feel the eyes of the other students on him, but his focus was on what had just happened. He’d reached for his power—he knew that much. But the way it had stopped, the way it had been cut off… it didn’t make sense. It wasn’t normal.

“I felt… something,” Jake said quietly, his voice barely audible. “Like a block.”

Levi’s smirk faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression. He tilted his head slightly, considering Jake’s words. “A block?” he repeated, his tone less teasing now. “What do you mean?”

“I mean…” Jake trailed off, trying to make sense of it. “I tried to access my power, and something stopped me.”

Levi’s eyes narrowed, and for a brief moment, the amusement in his expression was replaced by something darker—something more calculating. “So you can’t control it anymore?”

Jake shook his head, frustrated. “No, it’s not that. I could feel it, but it was like there was… a wall. Something holding me back.”

Levi didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he leaned back in his chair again, crossing his arms as he glanced around the room. The other students were still watching, though they seemed to have realized something was wrong. They weren’t getting the show they expected.

After a long moment of silence, Levi let out a low chuckle. “Interesting.”

Jake shot him a glare. “This isn’t funny, Levi.”

“No,” Levi agreed, still smirking. “It’s not.”

Jake clenched his fists under the table, his frustration mounting. He didn’t understand what was happening, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. The Academy had been controlling them since they arrived—through isolation, surveillance, and now, apparently, something more. The realization was like ice water pouring over his head. They weren’t just prisoners here. They were being controlled in ways they hadn’t even realized.

“You feel anything?” Jake asked, his voice low.

Levi raised an eyebrow. “Feel what?”

“I don’t know. Anything off. Any blocks.”

Levi shrugged. “Not really. But then again, maybe I haven’t been trying hard enough.”

Jake’s frustration grew, but before he could say anything else, Levi’s smirk widened. “But if they are trying to control us, don’t you think we should figure out just how far they’re willing to go?”

Jake’s stomach twisted. He knew what Levi was implying. Pushing the limits, seeing how much control the Academy really had over them—it was a dangerous game, but Jake had never been one to shy away from danger. And the worst part? A part of Jake wanted to push too. He wanted to know what was stopping him. He wanted to know what the Academy would do. What they were doing to him…

“Don’t,” Jake warned, his voice low and tense. “You don’t know what’s going on.”

Levi chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of amusement and something more dangerous. “Maybe not. But there’s only one way to find out.”

Before Jake could stop him, Levi’s red eyes glowed brighter than usual, and he leaned forward, locking eyes with one of the students at a nearby table. The girl—probably no older than sixteen—froze, her eyes widening as Levi’s powers brushed against her mind. Jake could almost feel the shift in the air, the way Levi’s influence seeped into her emotions, twisting them.

For a moment, the girl’s face went blank, her expression empty as Levi toyed with her emotions. But then, just as quickly as it had started, Levi’s powers fizzled out, cut off by the same invisible wall that had stopped Jake. The girl blinked, confused, before quickly looking away, her face flushed with embarrassment and fear.

Levi leaned back again, his smirk fading into a frown. “Huh. You were right.”

Jake’s chest tightened. It was the same—something was blocking them. But how? And what?

Before either of them could say anything else, one of the Academy’s guards moved toward their table, his posture rigid, his eyes locked on Jake and Levi. He didn’t say a word, but the warning was clear. They were being watched. Closely.

Jake met the guard’s gaze for a moment before glancing at Levi. “We need to stop.”

Levi shrugged, still looking amused despite the situation. “Whatever you say, boss.”

As the guard backed off, Jake could feel the tension in the room starting to ease, but it didn’t make him feel any better. Something had been wrong, and now he knew it for certain. The Academy wasn’t just keeping an eye on them—they were actively controlling them. He didn’t really know how yet, but he was going to figure it out.

For now, though, he leaned back in his chair, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside him.