Jett Boone sat at his cramped desk in his modest apartment. The dim light of his desk lamp was on as he typed away on his laptop. The apartment, though small, was a sanctuary for Jett. He did not like going outside and quite frankly, outside did not like him. The world was harsh and it felt even harsher to Jett.

It was still a bit early in the morning yet outside; the city of Allentown was already filled with noise of several activities. However, Jett’s apartment was filled with only silence as he typed away on his laptop. He was working on his latest assignment for his part-time job, a job he had taken to help pay the rent and make ends meet.

Jett glanced around the room. It was filled with scanty furnishings and his walls had a faded wallpaper. He didn’t have enough money to buy a better apartment. It wasn't much, but it was home. He then turned to look at a framed photograph of his family, sitting on his bedside table. It reminded him of happier times.

He suddenly began to remember memories of his childhood. He remembered memories of a time when life was simpler. He had just been a scrawny kid with big dreams to become an astronomer. But those dreams seemed further and further away now.

*KNOCK*

Suddenly, a loud knock on the door shattered his thoughts, causing Jett to jump in his seat. He hesitated for a moment, wondering who could be visiting him at this hour. With a sigh, he pushed himself away from the desk and made his way to the door.

Opening it, he was greeted by a group of his classmates from college. They looked at Jett with sneers on their faces. Cruel sneers.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't little Jett," Jake, one of the them, jeered, pushing past him into the apartment.

Jett felt his stomach churn with fright as he realized what was about to happen. It was the same routine, day in and day out. The bullying, the taunts, the endless torment.

"Leave me alone," Jett muttered, trying to keep his voice steady despite their fear he felt.

But his words fell on deaf ears as his classmates closed in around him, laughing.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from behind the group of bullies.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

The bullies turned to see a tall figure standing in the doorway, his eyes ablaze with anger. It was Jett's neighbor, Mr. Thompson. He was a retired military veteran who had taken a liking to Jett.

"We were just having some fun," Mark, one of the bullies, stammered. Mark slowly took a step back.

"Fun? Is that what you call it?" Mr. Thompson's voice was cold. "Bullying someone half your size? That's not fun, that's cowardice."

The bullies glanced at each other nervously.

"Now get out of here before I call the authorities," Mr. Thompson growled.

Without a word, the bullies turned and fled. Jett just stood there in silence.

"Are you alright, son?" Mr. Thompson asked, as he approached Jett.

Jett nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Thompson. I don’t know what would’ve happened if you didn’t show up."

Mr. Thompson smiled, placing his hand on Jett's shoulder. "Don’t worry about it. I’ve got your back, kid."

As Jett watched Mr. Thompson walk back to his own apartment, he heard the sound of his alarm. It was not reminding him to wake up; it was reminding him to go to college.

Did time go by that fast?

As Jett hurriedly gathered his books and backpack, he could feel unease. He felt like something bad was going to happen. Jett simply ignored it as he slung his bag over his shoulder and headed out the door.

As he walked towards the college campus, Jett felt the same unease return again. A knot in his stomach tightened with each step he took. He was probably just afraid or maybe the bullies were waiting for him again.

Arriving at the college gates, Jett scanned the crowd, hoping to avoid seeing the bullies. However, his heart sank as he spotted the four familiar bullies loitering near the entrance. The moment Jett saw them; they turned to look at Jett also. They all immediately gave a grin. Jett felt fear and hatred at the same time.

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The bullies were a motley crew, each one more intimidating than the last. There was Jake, the ringleader, with a towering height of 6’ 3”. Jake also had his trademark death glare. Beside him stood Mark, his lackey, with a devilish smirk across his face. Mark was shorter than Jake was, being at 5’10”.

Then there was Sarah, the only girl in the group, her sharp tongue and quick temper made her just as scary as the other males in the group. Sarah was a definite tomboy and she was about the same height as Jett was. Finally, there was Max, the silent one, with cold and dead eyes.

"Look who decided to show up," Jake sneered as Jett approached.

Jett approached the four of them. There was no escaping them now.

"Back off, Jake," Jett muttered.

But Jake just laughed.

"Aw, what's the matter, Boone? Can't handle a little fun?" Sarah taunted.

Before Jett could reply, the bullies attacked him. Jett tried to fight back, but it was no use. They were too strong, too ruthless. By the time the one-sided beating was over, the four bullies walked away, laughing triumphantly.

Jett just lay there bruised as he thought, ‘This is my life now, isn’t it?’

Jett picked himself up, dusted off his clothes, and walked wearily to class. His body ached all over from the beating he had endured.

As he entered the lecture hall, Jett easily noticed the stares and chuckles directed his way. He ignored them as best he could. He soon found a vacant seat at the back of the class. Sitting alone had become second nature to him. He was reminded constantly that he was living a life of isolation.

Throughout the lecture, Jett's mind wandered. He kept thinking about the bullies, the stars, his family and other random topics. He barely listened to the words of the professor teaching. He was lost in his own thoughts.

When the class finally ended, Jett made his way out of the lecture hall. As always, Jett felt like a ghost. Nobody really cared about him. The only time Jett received attention was whenever he was publicly humiliated one way or the other. The sky outside was dark. It was probably going to rain. Jett cursed his luck as he pulled his jacket tighter around himself. He was lucky to have brought an umbrella.

But as he walked, his luck took another turn for the worse. A sudden gust of wind caught hold of his umbrella. The wind sent the umbrella out of his hand and into the busy street. Jett watched helplessly as it was crushed beneath the wheels of a passing car.

"Great, just great," Jett muttered frustrated. The rain suddenly began to fall in torrents now.

But the worst was yet to come. Just as Jett rounded the corner towards his apartment building, he felt a sharp pain shoot through his ankle. The pain made him stumble and fall to the ground. He looked down to see that he had stepped on a loose stone, which made him twist his angle.

"What sort of joke is this?”

Jett grimaced in pain then he cursed his luck once more. There was never a day when things went his way. For him, bad luck seemed to be a shadow that followed him wherever he went.

As Jett limped along the sidewalk, he suddenly heard familiar voices behind him. His heart sank as he turned to see the bullies from earlier. Were they stalking him or something?

"This is a terrible twist of fate, huh, Jett?" Jake sneered.

Jett was not ready for another beating. He was going to take his stand here and now. Jett quickly assessed the situation. He knew he couldn't take them on physically, but perhaps he could outsmart them.

Without hesitation, Jett lashed out with a swift kick to Mark's cheek. Mark stumbled back with a yelp of pain.

Mark held his injured cheek, glaring at Jett with venom in his eyes. "You're gonna pay for that, Boone!"

With adrenaline coursing through his veins, Jett turned and ran. He could feel the pain from his injured ankle but it did not matter. No way in hell was he going to stop now.

As he ran, Jett recited the profiles he had built on each of the bullies aloud. It helped him think of his most logical way to escape.

"Jake is impulsive and easily provoked. Sarah is aggressive but easily manipulated. Mark is physically strong but lacks coordination. Max relies too much on brute force."

Jett’s mind was as sharp as ever as he dodged cars, evaded people on the road and easily navigated the streets.

But just as he thought he had lost them, his bad luck struck once more. Jett suddenly slipped and stumbled on the wet pavement. That small slip-up was enough time for Jett to see the bullies slowly catching up to him once more.

Cursing his luck, Jett picked himself up and continued to run, his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to run even faster.

Soon, he found himself at the top of a steep slope, the result of a recent construction project in the area. His heart pounded in his chest as he thought of his next move. His broken ankle hurt like hell now. He needed to find somewhere to hide.

Spotting a small alcove behind the edge of the slope, Jett scrambled towards it. He pressed himself against the rough stall, praying that it would provide enough cover.

However, as the bullies drew closer, Jett panicked. Because of his panic, he slipped and fell off the edge, heading straight for the ground very fast.

As he fell, the world around him felt blurry. His heart was pounding like crazy, and tears started rolling down his cheeks as he prepared to crash.

"Is this how it ends?" Jett wondered feeling scared and hopeless.

Suddenly, he heard a strange voice in his head. "Jett, accept it now," the voice said calmly.

Confusion hit Jett like a truck as his dull blue eyes suddenly flashed a brilliant sapphire light.

Then, everything went dark.

It felt like the world just disappeared, leaving Jett in total darkness. No sounds, no feelings, just endless nothingness.

For a moment, Jett felt like he didn't even exist, like he was just some made-up thing in his own head.