An annoying ringtone coming from the phone woke up Trevor. His whole body was hurting, and he quickly realized that he had to fall asleep during the meditation. The clearest indication of that was the fact, that he still had his clothes on.

Groaning, with his face twisted by pain, he somehow got out of bed and went to get some clothes, to then go to the bathroom to take a shower.

Water made him somehow regain all his brain function, and made him feel refreshed. With rather low expectations, he decided to open the overview window.

- Status.

To his surprise, next to 'Energy and 'Control' now were standing proud ones instead of zeros. He couldn't help but started laughing, which he cut short by covering his own mouth, as his parents could probably hear him from the kitchen, despite the noise caused by the water.

With completely new energy, he finished washing up and quickly dressed himself to get some breakfast.

His father was sitting by the table, basking in the rays of the morning sun getting inside through a big window, placed in the front wall of their home, drinking his morning coffee from a white mug, with a newspaper in the other hand, which he immediately put down when he noticed his son.

He was a tall white male, with dark, short-cut hair, and ever-present pair of glasses on his nose. He was wearing his usual job-related attire. A light blue shirt, with a darker tie, and a suitable elegant, black pair of pants. Something you would expect from a lawyer.

- Good morning Trevor – he said, putting a smile on his face.

There was more to it, and the kid had some suspicions as to what it was.

- Good morning – added his mother, from the side, as he came from the kitchen area holding two plates with scrambled eggs and bacon.

- Good morning mam, good morning dad – he replied, forcing himself to smile too, and sat by the table.

Mother put his breakfast in front of him. Fork and a cup of orange juice were already there, waiting for him.

The father focused on Trevor, turning towards him.

- I know you probably don't want to talk about this, so I'm not gonna force you. I just want to tell you that we are here to support you, but first, you have to let us - he stated.

- I know Dad. I'm fine. I'm handling it.

The man just slowly nodded, but it was plainly obvious that he thought otherwise. For a moment he opened his mouth to add something, but then he didn't, and instead just picked up the newspaper.

The rest of the breakfast continued uneventfully, and Trevor quickly got ready to leave. By that time his father was already gone. He and his mother packed themselves into a car and drove to the school. They parked right in front of the building.

The kids were all gathering, just like the adults working there. Slowly getting inside through the front entrance, which was quite noisy with all the talking and sometimes laughing. The two of them left the car and headed to the entrance, joining the big group. That was when Trevor spotted Liv, clearly waiting for him, leaning with her back against the wall on the side, with her backpack on the ground.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

- I'm gonna talk to Liv – said Trevor.

- Ok. Just… Just watch out, stick to teachers, ok? - asked the mother, and gently touched his shoulder while smiling.

He also responded with a smile. That's how they split. The boy walked straight to his friend.

- I was waiting for you, mister secret – said the girl.

- I've noticed. Let's go inside before I get into trouble.

She chuckled but picked up her backpack, and kicked herself off the wall, to then throw the bag over her shoulder.

- Fine.

Trevor sighed, letting her walk past him, then followed her.

- By the way – she added, as they made the first couple of steps, joining the already much thinner crowd, pushing its way inside. - Maybe you got lucky, and you don't have to be worried so much about Billy and Joe. I heard that they had a long conversation with the principal after school yesterday.

- I wouldn't be so positive about it – the boy argued. - After all, they can just ignore whatever he told them. After all, their parents are from the third.

- Maybe. Or maybe not. I wouldn't be surprised if they got sick of pulling their kids out of trouble – said Liv with a smirk on her face.

The two of them made it inside and immediately joined the line for the daily evaluation.

- I'm not gonna take my chances. I'm sticking to the teachers for at least a couple of days. Maybe then they will leave me alone.

She glanced at him for a long moment but didn't say a thing. He had the urge to ask her why, but then he realized that the answer was quite obvious. She still wasn't giving up on his little secret, but she also knew that he wasn't just gonna tell her when he had already done so much gymnastics to avoid the topic.

They both patiently waited for their turn. Liv went first, touched the swirling ball, and then went inside, but instead of going to her class, she waited for Trevor on the side of the corridor. When his turn came, he placed his hand on the device, and for the first moment ever the shining blue particles reacted to his touch.

It was barely visible, but for somebody like him, who always watched so carefully, hoping for a miracle, it wasn't that hard to spot. Then his evaluation came, and instead of the regular zero, there was a strong one there.

Not impressive by any means in the case of anybody in the fourth district, since anybody up to 70 would still be living there, but it was a beginning. The beginning of a journey.

He couldn't help but smile seeing the number, and in a very jovial mood, he then joined his friend.

- You little shit – she hissed at him as they reunited. - Tell me why you are so happy, at once.

- It's nothing – he responded, and the smile vanished from his face.

He fixed the backpack on his shoulder and started walking to his class, suddenly ignoring her, but Liv wasn't giving up. She moved right next to him.

- I'm gonna find out sooner or later, so just tell me.

- It's nothing I swear.

- Nothing? - she asked pretending to be surprised. - Because I could swear that a kid who usually was so disappointed after every single evaluation he had from the beginning of this semester, now is smiling like a baby who just got a nice, sweet candy. Your number changed, and I know it. You are no longer Mister 'Zero'. I would even congratulate you if you weren't a liar. Hmpf – she said, looked up showing her superiority of character, and accelerated, leaving him, to go straight to her own first class.

Trevor for a few seconds watched her, slowing down and making other kids overtake him, but then he quickly got a hold of himself, and rushed to his first lesson, not wanting to get ambushed in the corridor for no reason.

The rest of the day passed him on sticking to the teachers whenever it was possible. Liv was avoiding him, but he knew that she wasn't really angry with him, just tried everything in her repertoire to squeeze the secret out of him.

After school ended, he reunited with his mother, and they headed back home, not talking much. She clearly didn't want to bother him by starting the awkward conversation he didn't want to have, but also clearly wanted him to start it, so they could talk. On the other hand, Trevor's attention was completely focused on returning to his room, and properly meditating to increase his 'Energy' much higher than one. He wanted to finish the quest and get his first spell, so he would be able to manifest his powers.