There was a crowd of students already formed behind Trevor, waiting for their turn to touch the device for their daily evaluation. He placed his hand on the sphere filled with the swirling blue particles. They moved, slightly more than a day before, and he got a number, identical to the one displayed in the overview of his system. A solid eight.

With a smile, he left, and made it past the checkpoint, joining others who were already heading to their respective classes. Then he noticed her, Liv waiting clearly for him, leaning with her back on the corridor's wall. Without a word, she joined him.

- Are we done with the theater? - he asked her with a smirk on his face.

- Sure, just tell me your secret.

- Would you believe me if I said that by accident I found an old witch, hiding in a hole I hid myself from Joe, that taught me how to meditate to wake up my magic powers out of pity for me?

- No – she said firmly.

He shrugged his shoulders, and they walked for a moment together a bit deeper into the school building.

- Wait… You really found a witch? - she asked, as a bit of surprise started to show on her face.

- All that matters is, that I found a way to wake up my magic – he replied, with a smile. - Now I'm not a 'Zero' anymore. I'm a solid eight.

- Not bad, not bad. A bit more and you will catch up to me - she moved her eyebrows.

- Yeah, then you won't have to be ashamed of me anymore.

She stopped and punched him in the shoulder.

- I was never ashamed of you – she almost shouted at him.

- I know, I know. I'm just bickering with you - he replied, still smiling.

The truth was, he just spoke without thinking, and now he regretted his words, which clearly hurt her.

- Yeah – she said, with sourness still hearable in her voice.

- Let's talk later. I have a history in ten – he quickly changed the topic and pointed toward the classroom.

- Biology in fourteen here – she replied.

They split, heading to their separate classes to have their lessons, briefly stopping by their lockers.

In classroom number ten the teacher was already present and preparing himself for work. Trevor greeted the man briefly, as he passed by his desk, and sat down on his spot.

There was enough space in the room for more than twenty people. Simple desks with chairs were placed in four columns and packed all the way to the back wall. In the front was the teacher's desk with two blackboards hanging on the wall. Both were almost never used.

Other walls had famous people's portraits hung on them, with some maps of the city, usually a bit higher, but all of it was limited to just the fourth district. Nothing, or no one from the other parts of the megalopolis.

Trevor felt like it was boring and pointless to learn this stuff when out there was a whole city filled with the history he never learned. TV programs, the internet, and newspapers. It all revolved around this little piece of land, and he simply was curious about what was further, towards the city center where the famous, mysterious, and luxurious first district existed.

Still, he had to sit there and pretend to listen, so he would pass the history.

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Other students gathered in the span of a few minutes, and then the bell announced the start of the first lesson. The teacher began speaking, explaining something, but Trevor focused his attention on something else.

The portraits on the walls showcased people who were supposed to be important historically, but actually never achieved anything special. Some were heroes that stopped uprisings from the fifth districts and others, who had a positive influence on the relationship between the fourth and fifth.

„Probably in the third nobody even knows their names", Trevor thought to himself.

- … couldn't understand why segregation was so important, and even brought up false remarks that it was actually unnecessary. This led to further unrest…

The couple of words cut out of context that somehow reached the boy's ears made him think of something else. The barrier itself, and the reason why those with more magical powers were living closer to the core, while those without it were forced to relocate right next to the barrier.

There were stranger rumors about mutations caused by the immediate vicinity of the protective dome, and others signaling it was rather due to the use of drugs, that were supposedly developed there in search of a way to give magic to those who didn't have it.

It made him also think about the meditation he learned, which allowed him to either wake up his powers or even create them from nothing.

„Maybe I could teach Liv how to do that. If it works I could bring magic to those who don't have it, and end the conflict with the fifth", he thought to himself, and a smile crawled on his face.

The rest of the lesson passed in a similar manner, and when the bell announced the end of boredom, he was among the first to pack his things, get up, and leave. He rushed to classroom fourteen hoping to catch Liv, as some students were already leaving that particular room.

She noticed him and moved towards Trevor, but stopped after a few steps, as she noticed something on his right, that caught her attention. It was Billy and Joe, standing in the middle of the corridor despite crowds walking around them, and looking at him like two vultures. The only two people completely unmoving, surrounded by a river of students.

- Shit – he whispered to himself and didn't notice when Liv got closer.

- They look mad – she pointed out. - Let's get somewhere safe.

- Yeah – he agreed.

She grabbed his arm and pulled him further away before he finally managed to peel his eyes off the two bullies, to fully focus on walking alongside her.

- I thought they would give you a bit more time.

- Me too. Looks like whatever the principal told them, they don't really care about it – he said, and stopped, basically forcing her to do the same.

- What? - she asked.

- I'm done running – he just stated. - I'm not afraid of them.

- Are you insane?

Trevor ignored her comment and started heading back. His focused expression and intent behind every move he made on his way, grabbed other kids' attention. Before he reached Billy and Joe, still standing in the same position, looking at him with smirks of triumph on their faces, almost all of the corridor froze and focused predicting that something was about to happen.

- Oh, look who grew the balls to come and see us? Isn't that 'Zero' West? - asked Billy.

- You looking to get your ass kicked once again, West? - asked Joe.

A sly smirk filled with confidence crawled on Trevor's face.

- I'm not afraid of you, and you are wrong about me. Keep chasing me, and I'll destroy you both – he stated.

At the same time, he focused his energy on his hand, casting 'Flare'. Flames erupted in his hand and formed a small ball, ready to be tossed.

The crowd around the three reacted with awe. After all, it wasn't often when you could see magic in use, especially in school.

Trevor could see as the confidence on their faces died down. He wasn't a 'Zero' anymore, and despite him being smaller, the two would hesitate before touching somebody who could use their magic efficiently.

- Surprised? - he asked them. - I'll burn you if you touch me again.

- Hey, Trevor! - Liv said out loud, as she managed to push her way through people and emerge just behind him. - Let's go!

She grabbed his shoulder and basically pulled him out of the conflict. Kids still watched him, though, and some even out of respect made a way for the two of them, to escape.

He killed his spell, making the fire die as Liv basically got him out of the condensed group of students.

- I didn't know you could do that – she whispered to his ear. - When did you learn it?

- Yesterday – he replied, following her lead.

They found themselves in a mostly empty spot on the side of the corridor, where the kids still didn't learn about what happened just a moment ago, but that was just a matter of time.

- So we can do some magic trick now, huh? - she asked and used her own magic on him.

Liv zapped him with a bit of electricity, which was basically all she could do.

- Aww! Stop it.

- Then tell me everything - she insisted.

- I told you already! - he hissed at her, slightly angry.

- No you didn't - she protested.

- Come to my house after school, and stop zapping me – he said and just turned around.

Trevor left her, and as he did so, a smirk appeared on her face, as she observed the boy walking away.