The Bullies and School

[SAVE HER NOW!]

The voice, the mysterious entity that had guided Ryne before, resurfaced, urging him to act.

His parkour-honed reflexes kicked in, propelling him forward with a burst of speed he didn't know he possessed. Time seemed to slow as he launched himself into action, a blur of motion heading straight for the girl.

Ryne dove towards her, arms outstretched, and snatched her away from the truck's deadly path. The air rushed past them as they tumbled to safety. He held her tightly against his chest while landing hard on the opposite sidewalk. The girl trembled in his arms, her eyes wide with shock and fear.

As he set her down, the sound of screeching tires filled the air, drawing the attention of bystanders who had witnessed the daring rescue. A crowd quickly gathered, their eyes wide with astonishment.

"How did I do that?" Ryne wondered, his own disbelief mirroring the expressions of those around him. "I've never moved that fast in my life!"

He looked back to see the truck sitting still, black rubber marks stretching behind it for several meters, and smoke billowing into the air from the burnt rubber. The driver had exited the cab and was urgently moving toward us.

"Are you alright, Melody?" I asked, my voice filled with genuine concern.

She nodded, her voice quivering. "Th-thank you," she stammered, her gratitude clear in her eyes. "But how do you know my name?"

Her confusion quickly turned to fear as she realised the crowd's attention was now focused in on her. Whispers and murmurs spread like wildfire, and onlookers began recording the entire event with their NanoCam implants.

"Lifelogging parasites..." Ryne muttered under his breath.

The young girl, overwhelmed by the sudden attention, took a step back. Her face flushed with embarrassment and fear, she glanced at the growing sea of curious faces, their gaze fixed upon her. It was clear she wasn't accustomed to being the centre of attention.

Sensing her discomfort, he extended a reassuring hand towards her. "It's alright," he said softly, his voice carrying above the murmurs of the crowd. "You're safe now."

The girl hesitated, her eyes darting from face to face. At that moment, she made a split-second decision and bolted away.

But... Our school isn't that way.

Ryne watched as she hurriedly continued on her way, her steps quick and cautious. The crowd, now captivated by her sudden escape, erupted into confused chatter. They tried to catch a glimpse of her fleeing figure, but she vanished into the thrumming heartbeat of the city, leaving behind only a sense of bewilderment.

Ryne used their distraction to hide himself in the crowd and continued on his way to school.

The increase in power, in speed—what had just happened? The voice, these tasks; there was something more to it. Something rooted in reality.

Before he had time to mull over the events further, Trevor, the school bully, approached.

Trevor was an imposing figure, with his dyed hair styled into a messy faux hawk that seemed to defy gravity. He dressed like a delinquent, pushing the boundaries of school regulations with his disheveled uniform—tie perpetually askew, shirt untucked, and blazer adorned with subtle but defiant patches. His harsh, almost cartoonish appearance resulted from his unnaturally square jaw, and his beady eyes always held a cruel gleam. He exuded an aura of entitlement; his careless posture, expensive accessories, and the way he languidly moved all hinted at a life of privilege.

His menacing presence cast a dark shadow over Ryne. In his hand, he held a Porta-Holo, one of the WTI's tech devices for those that could afford them. A smirk swept across his face.

"Woah, Ryne! Did you push a girl into the path of a truck just so you could save her for attention?" he asked, his smirk transforming into a conniving smile.

With a common gesture, he replayed a holographic 3D video of me saving the girl, Melody, but it was an obviously doctored version where I pushed her into the path of the truck.

"Neat trick. You should practice more because your editing skills suck." Ryne smirked.

"Are you calling me a liar?" Trevor asked, a seedy grin spread across his face.

"Just leave me alone, Trevor. We've got classes."

"I'm sure with your grades, you can afford to miss a class or two, right? Let's show him what we do to people who talk back to me."

Trevor motioned for his cronies to herd Ryne away from the entrance of the school. Being one of the two students from Fracture sucked.

---

"You know you don't belong here!" Trevor kicked Ryne's stomach.

The impact of the kick dispersed across his body, leaving a light pressure trickling over his torso instead.

Wearing that shirt today after last night was a good decision.

He pretended to be winded and fell to the ground, feigning a gasp for air.

"I-I know..." Ryne lied, coughing to make the lie more believable.

Ryne knelt down behind the groundskeeper's shed, the only place not monitored by campus security cameras. Trevor and his friends wailed into him. Each blow on his chest or back gave him a brief break from the overwhelming pain.

"I can't believe you're still around after four years! Think you can graduate here like a normal person?"

As Ryne looked up at his attacker, Trevor's foot knocked Ryne's face back into the ground. Ryne felt as though he felt his brain rattle around in his skull.

Maybe I got cocky after saving Melody and thinking this shirt would protect me.

"Your mum had to die just so you could go to our school! Maybe you killed her yourself!"

The moment Trevor brought Ryne's mother up, rage boiled inside him. Ryne's body grew hot, and he clenched his fists, ready to fight back. Ryne pushed off against the ground and as he began to ascend, a kick to his nose broke the cartilage.

If not for that, I would have killed him.

As Ryne held his nose to stop the copious amounts of blood from spilling all over himself, someone's fist struck his left eye.

Then, as Ryne reeled from the pain, his nerves screaming at him, the assault stopped and the light sound of gravel crunching made the bullies fall silent.