The soft hum of conversations and the shuffle of footsteps filled the school’s main hallway as students filed out of their classes and headed for their next period or their lockers. Victor walked with his head slightly bowed, avoiding the clusters of chatter. His mind buzzed with fragments of the project he and Rhea had started.

The moment shattered when raised voices echoed from a side hallway. A knot of students had gathered, forming a loose semicircle around the scene unfolding. Victor hesitated, his instincts urging him to keep moving, but curiosity got the better of him. He stepped closer, weaving through the onlookers to see what was happening.

At the center of the commotion stood a group of three boys, led by none other than Zeke Oswin—the school’s infamous bully and Gravity Affinity showoff. Zeke loomed over a smaller student, a wiry boy clutching his backpack tightly against his chest. The kid’s face was flushed, his eyes darting around in panic as Zeke sneered down at him.

“C’mon, Danny,” Zeke drawled, tossing the boy’s notebook lazily in the air with one hand, letting it fall to the ground. “You really think anyone’s gonna take you seriously with that pathetic excuse for a project? Maybe you should just quit school altogether.”

The two other boys laughed, their expressions matching Zeke’s cruelty. Danny stammered, trying to reach for his notebook, but Zeke’s foot landed on it, pinning it to the floor. The gathered students exchanged murmurs, but no one stepped forward. The air bristled with the faint ripple of Etherion energy radiating from Zeke.

Victor’s hands curled into fists at his sides. His chest tightened at the sight—the cowardice in Zeke’s arrogance, the way everyone else turned a blind eye. Before he could second-guess himself, he stepped into the circle, his voice cutting through the tense silence.

“That’s enough,” Victor said, his tone even but firm.

Zeke turned, his sneer widening when he saw Victor. “Oh, look who it is. The new kid thinks he’s a hero.”

Victor ignored the laughter of Zeke’s lackeys and crossed his arms, his dark eyes steady. “Pick on someone your own size, Zeke. Or are you too scared to?”

A murmur rippled through the crowd. Zeke’s smile faltered, replaced by a flicker of irritation. “You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. But you’ve got no idea who you’re messing with.”

Zeke raised his hand, the air around him rippling as he channeled Etherion energy into a faint gravitational pull. The students nearest to him instinctively backed away.

Victor stood his ground, his voice low but unwavering. “Last chance. Let him go.”

Zeke chuckled, glancing at his friends. “This guy’s delusional. What’s your Affinity, new kid? Maybe I’ll go easy on you.”

Victor didn’t answer. His posture shifted subtly, his weight balanced on the balls of his feet. Zeke stepped closer, and that was when Victor moved.

The speed of his attack was shocking—almost too fast for anyone to follow. Victor ducked under Zeke’s outstretched arm and drove his fist into the bully’s gut. The force of the blow sent Zeke stumbling backward, his Etherion field faltering.

Victor didn’t stop. He pivoted, hooking his leg around Zeke’s knee and sweeping it out from under him. Zeke hit the floor with a loud thud, his eyes wide with shock as Victor stood over him, his stance steady and calm.

The crowd erupted in gasps and murmurs. Zeke’s lackeys froze, clearly unsure of what to do without their leader standing.

Victor turned to Danny, extending a hand to help him up. “You okay?”

Danny nodded shakily, his face a mix of relief and disbelief. Before anyone could say more, a sharp voice cut through the chaos.

“Victor Campbell.”

Victor turned to see Ms. Bennet standing at the edge of the crowd, her expression unreadable. The students parted as she approached, her gaze fixed on Victor.

“Come with me,” she said simply.

Victor glanced down at Zeke, who was still clutching his stomach, then back at Ms. Bennet. He exhaled, the adrenaline in his veins beginning to fade, and followed her down the hall.

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Victor sat in a stiff-backed chair, his hands clenched on his knees as the heavy door to the headmaster’s office closed with a definitive click. The room was imposing, a stark contrast to the noisy chaos of the hallways. Dark oak shelves lined the walls, filled with tomes that looked as if they hadn’t been opened in decades. The air smelled faintly of varnish and stale coffee.

Behind a polished desk sat Headmaster Collins, his steely eyes boring into Victor with the kind of intensity that made most students shrink in their chairs. His thinning gray hair was combed back meticulously, and his lips were pressed into a thin, unforgiving line. To his right, Ms. Bennet stood with her arms crossed, her expression unreadable but her posture rigid.

“Victor Campbell,” Collins began, his voice low and deliberate, each word cutting through the silence like a scalpel. “This is your first week at Hawthorn High, and already you’re making a spectacle of yourself.”

Victor’s throat tightened. He opened his mouth to respond, but the headmaster raised a hand to silence him.

“I don’t need excuses,” Collins said, his tone sharpening. “I need an explanation. You assaulted another student in front of half the school. Would you care to elaborate on what possessed you to behave like a common street brawler?”

Victor straightened in his chair, his jaw tightening. “Zeke was bullying another student—Danny. No one else was going to do anything.”

“And you decided that made it your responsibility to intervene?” Collins leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk. “Tell me, Campbell, are you the school enforcer now? A vigilante?”

Victor clenched his fists, struggling to keep his voice steady. “He was using his Affinity to intimidate Danny. It wasn’t a fair fight.”

Collins’s eyes narrowed, his expression hardening further. “Life isn’t fair, Campbell. Do you plan to punch your way through every injustice you encounter? Is that how you solve problems?”

Victor’s face burned, but he didn’t look away. “I didn’t have time to find a teacher. Someone had to step in.”

“Convenient excuse,” Collins said coldly. “But this is a school, not a boxing ring. We have rules, and you broke them. Whether your intentions were noble or not is irrelevant.”

Ms. Bennet finally spoke, her tone calmer but no less firm. “Headmaster, Zeke was using Etherion in an unauthorized manner. That shouldn’t be overlooked.”

Collins’s gaze flicked to her, his voice biting. “And Campbell’s response was to escalate the situation with violence, which is equally unacceptable.” He turned back to Victor, his glare unyielding. “Do you understand the position you’ve put us in? Zeke’s family is influential in this town. Do you think they’ll let this incident go without complaint?”

Victor’s stomach sank. He hadn’t thought about the consequences beyond the immediate moment.

Collins sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “This is not just about you, Campbell. Your actions reflect on this school. And quite frankly, your behavior is not the impression we want to give.”

Victor’s voice was barely above a whisper. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

“Well, trouble seems to follow you regardless,” Collins snapped. He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands together. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’ll serve a week of detention, effective immediately. During that time, you will not participate in any extracurricular activities or school events.”

Victor nodded silently, his chest tightening.

“And one more thing,” Collins added, his voice dropping ominously. “If there’s even a hint of another incident like this, you’ll be expelled. No exceptions.”

Victor’s heart thudded heavily in his chest, but he forced himself to meet the headmaster’s gaze. “Understood.”

“Good,” Collins said curtly, waving a hand toward the door. “You’re dismissed.”

Victor stood, his movements stiff and deliberate, and turned toward the door. As his hand touched the doorknob, Collins’s voice stopped him.

“And Campbell,” the headmaster said, his tone quieter but no less piercing. “The next time you think about playing hero, ask yourself if it’s worth throwing away your future.”

Victor didn’t respond. He pushed the door open and stepped into the hallway, his pulse pounding in his ears.

----------------------------------------

The hallway outside the headmaster’s office was mostly empty, save for a small cluster of students lingering nearby. As soon as Victor emerged, their hushed whispers and sidelong glances intensified.

“Is that him?”

“He really took down Zeke?”

“Can’t believe he actually did it.”

Victor’s face burned as he walked past them, their voices buzzing in his ears. He didn’t feel like a hero. He felt like a fool.

As he rounded the corner, he spotted two familiar faces leaning against the lockers. Nate was grinning, his arms crossed, while Rhea had her hands on her hips, her expression a mix of concern and exasperation.

“About time,” Nate said, pushing off the wall to fall into step beside Victor. “Thought they were gonna lock you up in there.”

“You okay?” Rhea asked, her voice softer.

Victor nodded, though he didn’t feel okay. “One week of detention. Could’ve been worse.”

“Could’ve been better,” Rhea muttered, shooting Nate a glare. “And you could’ve avoided all this if you’d kept your head down.”

Victor shrugged, his steps slowing. “I couldn’t just stand there.”

Rhea sighed, but there was a hint of admiration in her tone. “Yeah, I figured. You’re impossible.”

Nate clapped him on the back, his grin widening. “Well, at least you’ve got a story now. The day Victor Campbell knocked Zeke Oswin flat on his ass. I’ll make sure everyone remembers it.”

Victor groaned, shaking his head. “Please don’t.”

“Too late,” Nate said with a wink. “The legend’s already spreading.”

As they headed back to class, Victor couldn’t help but feel the weight of the day pressing down on him. But beneath the exhaustion and frustration, there was a flicker of resolve. He didn’t know what lay ahead, but one thing was certain—he wasn’t going to back down.