Today, Alterius slept for four hours and a half. He was not feeling tired, however, as he was being kept awake by the thought of the old man waking up and strolling around his home, he could not put his eyes to rest.
For the first time in ages, he woke up before his mother did. However, he kept low, lying on his bed, and tried togrind for some last minutes of sleep before Grace came to wake him up for good.
Grace at 7:00:00, showing clockwork precision. She entered the dark room and called for Alterius to wake up. While feigning a groan, the lad asked himself when was the last time she missed the timing even by one minute, but couldn’t recall.
The rest of the ritual was the same everyday. Shower for 15 minutes, put clothes on and make backpack: 5 minutes. Breakfast: 20 minutes. And into the school bus you go. The routine was nearly always respected for years, and only slightly changed on weekends and days off, Grace believed that perfection was a way of life.
Today, however, was different, Alterius not only hid a man under his bed, but also did not sleep enough to function for a day. This immediately reflected on him, as he entered the bus, took the closest empty place and fell into a deep sleep.
The girl that was sitting in the seat next to him threw a pff around and walked away. It was then that a tall figure approached him.
(Hm ?)
(Where am I ?)
Alterius felt like someone was shaking his body rather violently.
“Ya seem not okay today, buddy.”
(Oh man… Edwin.)
He was a friend of Alterius, or so was told to everybody.
He transferred to Red Star High 2 years ago, and the unusually burly Edwin “befriended” Alterius until they were “besties”.
Alterius did not really care about all this, having someone like him around was actually good to push off bullies. When you’re the weird kid with no Soul Shard, nor with a Second-Hand Ability, you're surely going to become everyone's scapegoat.
What was notable, is that Edwin never showed his Shard. As intimidating as he was, nobody wanted to know what he hid behind this mask of a gentle giant.
“Ya' look like ya' didn’t sleep well. Did something happen to you?”
“Hmm, you did notice after all. I had a nightmare.”
“Oh, okay.”
(I just want you gone, can you get out ?)
Alterius started snoozing, missing the usual scenery that extended from his home to the academy. The city he lived in was bordered with beautiful sceneries, that ranged from lake St. Irene to a forest called "the Rose forest".
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After moments, the bus arrived to its destination.
Alterius was woken up by a "light tap" of from Edwin.
He grumbled.
"Ya' were saying buddy?"
"Ah nothing."
Red Star High School was one of most highly ranked academies in all of the New World, and its students were hand picked to be the smartest minds of all, or, in Alterius’ case, the most influencial.
Alterius was the bane of every teacher at Red Star, and like his math teacher liked to put into words : “A dumb, useless brat, with no talent whatsoever, who fed exclusively on his parents’ money and status.”
(It’s easy insulting others when your Second-Hand ability is a goddamn mind enhancer, eh? Calculating a 10 digits multiplication doesn't make you a better person. Like at all...)
The morning went smoothly (and by smoothly, I mean that Alterius could enjoy some piece and quiet, and sleep as much as he wanted.), and lunch time came to be.
This was when the day started going downhill.
Lunch was the only time of the day when he could enjoy some lone time in this damned place, but today, his ephemeral peace was disturbed by one of the most hated students of the whole school, Elusium Maestro.
“Hey Alty! Long time no see !”
Alterius started grumbling something about furries without even interrupting his meal.
“I’m talking to you Alty ! Look at me at least !”
It was then that Alterius started feeling intense stimulation.
(Why am I suddenly feeling like I wanna punch this guy ? This is so unsettling… )
Alterius' mind started getting clouded, he did not raise his head, he was sure that if he did, Elusium was going to take a trip to the school nurse office.
“Hey Alty, I’m talking to you !”
As sudden as the surge of adrenaline that rushed through the body of Alterius 2 minutes ago, two rising fists took root into Jack’s clothes.
“Look at my eyes. Look at them!”
A grave stare welcomed Jack, but instead of being anything near fazed, he just responded with a cunning grin.
“What’s up Alty? Why so serious?”
“Don’t call me Alty !”
Alterius’s head was going right into Jack’s, but at the last moment, was intercepted by a large hand.
“Yer’ out, Alterius.”
When he looked up, a blank stare met him, Edwin was unusually weighty.
The tension Alterius felt immediately fell to zero,and his grip loosened, He could think straight again.
Edwin then walked slowly until he was at the doors of the cafeteria, and made a sign to Alterius.
(That was... Clutch.)
He was amazed at Edwin’s intervention. From the day he knew him, no one dared to go and threaten him. This part of Edwin is completely new to Alterius.
They walked together until they arrived to a hallway with a soda vending machine.
“Ye' like coke ?”
“I know you. That is not like you at all.”
Edwin, who has regained his usual facial expressions, became serious again.
“That kid, Elu-whathever… He’s nuts.”
Alterius was giving a perplexed look.
“His Second-Hand ability is' quite the thing, its name is Subliminal.”
“How do you know that ?”
“School network. Ya' don’t know how easy it was to get to those files from the computer room. There’s no security at all .”
(Hacking? That seems a little offhand for you... )
“Subliminal makes people angry by manipulating the brain’s secretions. He used it on me too while I was walking out. ”
“He just wanted a reason to not go to the evening classes. What a waste of power… “
“Now that we’re on the subject of powers. I’ve never understood something about ya' .”
“Hm ?”
“Even if ya' listed to have no power, yar' eyes are always glowing yellow, like someone using his-”
“I dunno. I don’t know if I have powers, or if that is my eyes natural color-”
“Glowing yellow is no natural color.”
“And I don’t have the slight idea what the hell is happening with me ! I didn’t ask you about your power
Edwin’s expressions softened, he then turned his back to Alterius and started walking, while shrugging.
“Well, I got ya' off this time. Don’t go near him anymore.”
Alterius spent the evening with an empty stomach.