“Anyway, this is the academy, and here is where we part. Good luck.” Marg turned her back without a shred of emotion. So much for pretending to be cousins.

‘Just like that?’

“You too.” I was really disappointed. Maybe I’d expected more. I might have forgotten my own motto in life. Expect less, be less disappointed. I’d be sure to grind that into my soul this time.

But when Marg left, I noticed that the students weren’t staring at me, rather they were staring at her. In an academy full of students with animal features she was the only one who didn’t have any, or so it seemed. Maybe she had an embarrassing one that she had to keep hidden?

‘Oh well.’ 

But it had nothing to do with me. Her powers did make me wonder though. She could very well be the star of the school if she played her cards right or the villain. But that being said, it had nothing to do with me. 

But carrying three stupid bags around with me did make me feel more than uncomfortable.

***

Everyone was just running around like nothing was wrong. There was no tension and it almost seemed like a festival of some sorts with the stalls here and there. 

‘What the hell?’

What the hell, indeed. What was this? Was this really the first day of school? I knew there’d be second years and third years here and perhaps even college seniors making a visit, but this: this was just unbelievable. There were just too many people, even parents. And then there were guys flying around in packs pretending to be planes. 

‘WOW! And I’m supposed to go here?’

Suddenly I started to question my life choices all over again.

It took me a while to find the class. I had no idea what the layout of the school even looked like. No: nobody was helping or giving directions. And yes, there were no maps.

And since I didn’t visit the dorms, these bags were being more than just a pain. 

First class would begin in ten minutes. Our opening ceremony would be held later this day, around five. Apparently, the headmaster was out partying somewhere. I didn’t get how someone of that status could pull off or why he would pull such a thing like this. I didn’t care though, because it didn’t matter.

I did make it to the classroom with one minute to spare. It was on the third floor. The room was full of people. Most of them lacked uniforms. Maybe they didn’t have enough time to buy or make one? But that was just an excuse to wear normal clothes anyway.

The seats weren’t assigned so I picked a random one and sat down. Strangely the first bench was free for the taking: it’s not like there were any other empty seats, so I didn’t have much of a choice either.

I got some stares from students around me: maybe being the only 2nd guy wearing a uniform made them feel something towards me. It didn’t bother me though. I didn’t care about others. I was here to learn and as long as that criterion could be filled, I was okay with some rude stares.

After all, I had a goal to reach. 

There were gossips floating around. 

“YOu know, this year we have some nobles attending too.”

“I heard that a Romswell is old enough to attend high school too. Wonder if he’ll go here or not.”

“Oh, you mean the Cursed Mask?”

I really didn’t like those gossips. Why did people have so much free time anyway?

‘I’m definitely not getting involved with these morons.’ 

***

Class began in earnest at exactly ten. I paid attention. It was mostly just an introductory class. 

“…Now then, that’s all over with, why don’t you guys head over to room 707 for an aptitude test?” The teacher said something rather serious with a smile. It was hard taking her seriously.

‘Aptitude test?’

There was no such mention in the leaflet. Apparently, we’ve been had. But I didn’t see the students panicking. Was it some sort of common knowledge? It was hard to take in, but I pretended to be calm. My sweats said something different but I still pretended to be calm. 

I was calm, right? Right!?

A lot of whispers were raging around. The boys in particular were going crazy at how beautiful the teacher was. In reality, she was beautiful and deserving of the praises. But the boys didn’t just praise her, there was more: much more. But some things were just better left unspoken.

I headed for room 707: thankfully it was the seventh room on the seventh floor, so I didn’t end up being lost. This room was wider than our actual classroom and had a free roof. Just what the hell were they thinking, leaving the roof open on the seventh floor?

Not everyone could fly you know.

Eventually, three teachers came. They introduced themselves and we moved on. Our class teacher was here too. 

This felt more like an army exercise like in the movies than an aptitude test for class.

The test was simple, display your abilities in front of the teachers and they’d grade you based on your talent. But that wasn’t all. A computer would calculate your potential, and the average of the grade and potential would be used to evaluate the students. Pretty worthless if you asked me.

The first student walked in. He showed off some fire in his palm after standing there, eyes closed like a moron for a good five minutes.

A rough clap followed and he was graded a 10 by the teachers and a 17 by the computer. Out of a hundred that is. 

‘That’s supposed to be the average?’

Most of the students had similar skills. Some could produce fire, some ice, some water, some wind, and some even dirt. Other kinds of powers existed too. Things like making plants grow and creating poisonous gases and what not. I didn’t see any flying type or people who could turn invisible, or manipulate time, at least not in this class. 

The teachers seemed to smile. Our classroom teacher or rather Miss Maire’s fluffy cheetah ears twitched every time a student scored over ten. Was this score really that important? I forgot the names of other teachers but I knew her name: mostly because my neighboring classmates were kind enough to voice their fantasies all around me.

Teenage boys were weird, and I was one of them.

But there were rare talent holders, who could for example create artificial nuclear decay or a little further: nuclear radiation. That would be me, by the way. But that wasn’t all I could do.

I walked up to the platform focused and demonstrated a miniaturized gamma gun. It took a lot of concentration to keep shooting gamma rays through my fingers and pointing it at the dummy, without harming the students, but I could at least do this much. It was a little risky though. Whispers filled the room and even the teachers looked a little troubled. 

‘I know right. I’m amazing aren’t I?’

And my narcissistic thoughts were taking over again. I felt so good about myself that a second later my hand caught fire. Of course, I pretended that everything was normal and I didn’t just almost burn myself and the entire building, but all was cool. It took a lot to hide that pain and embarrassment though.

I was graded. I’d say it was fairly generous of them. They gave me a 78 and the computer gave me 96: final grade of 87. I couldn’t even wonder what it’d take to reach one hundred. And I didn’t. 

“Up next, Clyde Angelmen.”

‘Angelmen? What sort of name is that?’

A fine young man, rather handsome went up to display his talents: he was a foot taller than me and I wasn’t short either. I didn’t like that bored look on his face though.

“Isn’t that the commissioner’s son?”

“Yeah. I heard he’s a prodigy.”

There were whispers floating around, again. And these whispers weren’t the good kind. And what sort of commissioner were we talking about? I most surely didn’t know any by the name of Angelmen.

But then again, this place had students from all over the world, so of course, I wasn’t supposed to know them all. 

Clyde raised his hand and looked at the sky. I wondered for a second what he was doing but then shivers went down my spine. 

‘What the hell is he doing?’

The light from around us vanished in an instant and gathered in his palm. I could only see him and nothing else. It was frightening and exhilarating at the same time. The stars in the sky poked from far away. I’d never seen so many stars in my entire life let alone in the middle of the day. The students were shivering and the teachers rarely blinked. 

But it didn’t stop there. Clyde didn’t say a word but he demonstrated a lot more than just plain light control. The light turned to electricity in a flash and then that turned to sound and heat. I could see it; no, I could feel it with every fiber of my being. This guy was bad news.

“Hu-hu-hundred!”

He was offered a hundred by the teachers and another hundred by the computer. Practically- a genius. 

But the expression he wore was the most frightening thing. He wasn’t even concerned about anything. He looked like the world didn’t have any meaning to him. 

‘T-That has nothing to do with me.’ 

But I didn’t have time to worry about others. All I needed to worry was about myself. At least that’s how I consoled myself.

Something about the guy put me on edge though. I didn’t know why but I felt some form of animosity. Or maybe it was jealousy?