9

The day had been long, more exhausting than usual, but not for the reasons Elara had expected. The weight of her secret—the power she had yet to understand—felt heavier than ever, pressing on her chest with every passing minute. Even the comfort of Aiden's support couldn't ease the dread swirling inside her. It was as though something was building inside her, a storm waiting to break.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, but Elara couldn't move. She sat frozen at her desk, staring at the pages of her notebook, though the words on the page no longer made sense. Her mind replayed the events of the previous days—the power she couldn't control, the looks she received, the fear in Tara's eyes when she'd been thrown back. What if it happens again?

Her heart pounded in her chest as she clenched her fists beneath the desk. What if I hurt someone?

The thought was unbearable, yet it lingered, gnawing at her. Her fingers trembled as they brushed the edge of her desk, the wood cool under her fingertips. She could feel the energy inside her, coiling tighter, like a spring ready to snap. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but it didn't help. The energy wasn't just inside her; it felt like it was around her, pressing against the walls, the air—everything. She could feel it building, a wave of pressure, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold it back.

"Elara," Aiden's voice broke through the fog of her thoughts. "You okay?"

She looked up at him, her breath catching in her throat. His face was full of concern, but it only made the unease inside her worse. He didn't understand. No one did. And the last thing she wanted was for him to be scared of her. She didn't want anyone to know how dangerous she really was.

"I'm fine," she lied, her voice shaking. "Just... just a headache."

Aiden didn't seem convinced, but before he could press further, the sound of laughter broke through the tension. Tara and her friends had entered the room, their usual smug expressions plastered across their faces. Elara tensed, the familiar dread creeping up her spine. Tara's words from earlier echoed in her mind. "Hey, freak."

The words felt like a spark to kindling.

Without warning, the energy inside Elara surged—faster than she could stop it. The pressure built in her chest, and before she even realized it, the air around her seemed to pulse. She gasped as she tried to fight it, but it was no use. The air shimmered around her, and suddenly, the classroom erupted in chaos.

Desks flew backward, slamming into the walls, papers swirling in the air as if caught in a violent wind. The force of it was so intense that it sent Tara and her friends crashing to the ground. But it didn't stop there. Elara could feel the power coursing through her, uncontrollable, wild. The classroom seemed to be closing in on her as her heart raced, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

"Aiden!" she shouted, her voice cracking as she reached out for him, desperate to stop it, desperate to pull back. But it was too late.

The air thickened and twisted, and before she could make sense of what was happening, Aiden was knocked backward by the force. He hit the ground hard, the sound of his body slamming against the floor making her stomach drop. The sight of him, lying motionless, made her blood run cold. Her hands shook violently as she stumbled toward him, her voice trembling as she called his name.

"Aiden, please!" she cried, but her voice was lost in the chaos. The energy that had erupted from her was still raging, swirling around her like a storm that wouldn't dissipate. Her eyes darted around the room, but it was hard to focus. Everything was a blur. The students around her were on the ground, groaning in pain, their faces twisted in fear.

Elara felt like she was going to suffocate under the weight of it all. She could barely breathe, let alone think. The fear she had tried so hard to suppress was finally catching up with her. She had hurt them. She had hurt her friends. And there was nothing she could do to take it back.

A cold dread gripped her heart. I did this. I did this.

"Elara!" Aiden's voice broke through the chaos, strained and weak. She looked down at him, her heart aching at the sight of his injured form. He was trying to push himself up, but he could barely move.

"Are you okay?" Elara whispered, though she already knew the answer. His face was pale, his body trembling as he struggled to sit up. There was blood—blood on his forehead, his arm, his legs. The sight of it made her stomach churn.

"I—I'm fine," Aiden gasped, his voice weak. "But you need to stop this. You need to calm down." His words were barely audible over the sound of the chaos still echoing around them.

"I can't," Elara cried, her voice breaking. "I—I don't know how to control it. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean to hurt anyone!"

The sound of sirens in the distance made Elara's blood run cold. She turned to see one of the students—one of Tara's friends—was already on the phone, her face pale and frantic. They were calling for help. Elara could hear the frantic murmurs of the others, the fear in their voices as they realized the extent of the damage. Someone had already dialed the emergency services.

Tears blurred Elara's vision as she stood there, frozen, not knowing what to do. She wanted to run, to hide, to escape from the mess she had created. But there was no running from this. There was no escaping the truth of what she had just done.

It felt like everything was closing in on her. The energy she couldn't control. The fear that she couldn't shake. The weight of the damage she had caused. It was too much. Too much for her to handle.

The door to the classroom suddenly burst open, and in rushed Ms. Morgan, her eyes wide with shock as she took in the scene before her. The students were all on the ground, some unconscious, others crying out in pain, and Aiden was still on the floor, his face pale and covered in blood.

"Elara," Ms. Morgan called, her voice sharp and full of fear. "What have you done?"

Elara could barely breathe. She wanted to explain, to say something, but the words wouldn't come. She didn't know what to say. She was scared—scared of herself, scared of the damage she had caused. But most of all, she was terrified of what would happen next.

In the distance, she could hear the approaching sirens growing louder, and with a sickening realization, she knew what was coming. The police would arrive, the paramedics would rush in to take care of the injured, and her mother... her mother would be called. The woman who had always tried to protect her, who had always kept her hidden from the world.

Elara's heart sank as she realized that she couldn't hide anymore.

What had she become?