Well, Well...

April 9—my second day at ASTHS. Jeffrey and I left our dorm rooms at the same time.

"Is my face still swollen?" Jeffrey asked as we waited for the elevator.

"A little. Shouldn't it have gone down by now?"

"I have delicate features. That jerk Rizor hits harder than Amelia."

"You get beat up by your twin sister too?"

"Don't underestimate her. She might look girly, but her true form is that of a monster."

Just then, the elevator door opened, revealing two individuals smiling and chatting—it was Mia and Liam from Class A. Jeffrey seemed hesitant to step into the elevator with them after yesterday's incident. The four of us exchanged silent glances until Liam broke the ice.

"Good morning."

"Morning," we replied.

"You two are from Class D, right? Can I have a moment of your time? I'd love to speak with you."

Accepting Liam's invitation, we boarded the elevator with him and Mia. I hadn't spoken to Mia since we exchanged numbers at the entrance ceremony, and she seemed to be avoiding eye contact with me.

"To start, I'd like to apologize for what Rizor did to you and your classmates," Liam said, bowing his head apologetically.

"You don't have to apologize; it wasn't your fault, Liam," Mia chimed in, reassuring him. "It was all Rizor. He's the one who should be held accountable for his actions."

"But still… as members of Class A, it's our job to look out for the weaker classes. Class D won't be able to fight back against Rizor if he continues to harass them; it's up to us."

"Why doesn't everyone in Class A just come together to stop him if you really want to help us?" Jeffrey asked.

"It's not that simple," Liam replied, a disappointed look on his face. "Not everyone in Class A wants to stop Rizor. Most don't care what happens to the classess below them."

"What? How about you? You were able to stop him before, and if you became our leader, then problem solved."

"Look… I'm flattered by your proposal, but I must refuse. It's better if the leader comes from your class."

"But who? I can't think of anyone from my class capable enough to lead us."

At that moment, the elevator door opened, and we exited, making our way to the reception area before leaving the building.

"I'm sorry, but you must choose someone from your own class to lead. I'll still do everything I can to help you, though."

With that, we parted ways with Liam and Mia.

"Dammit! How are we supposed to beat Rizor? There's no one in our class strong enough to stand against him. What do you think, Sin?"

After what happened with Lucifer, there was no way I would allow myself to be led by someone else. I had to do something about Rizor. But as long as the other classes didn't see us as a threat, it wouldn't matter at all if I get rid of him; there would always be someone wanting to take control of us. Maybe Jeffrey's loudmouth could be of some use for once.

"I think Rizor is scared." I told him.

"Really? I don't think that guy is scared of anything."

"Think about it. Why else would he be so eager to take control of Class D? It's because he's scared of Liam. Remember how he ran away after Liam stopped him on admission day?"

"You know what? You might be right about that. If only we could get Liam to be our leader, everything would be alright."

"Truthfully, Liam doesn't have to be our leader. As long as Rizor thinks he is, he wouldn't lay a finger on us."

Jeffrey stopped for a moment to stare at me, then his face lit up as if he had just thought of something.

"Wait! I think I just came up with an amazing idea to stop Rizor all on my own."

"Really? That's amazing, Jeffrey! I can't believe you actually have a plan."

"It's no surprise at all that I came up with it. With this strategy, Rizor can't even lay a finger on us," Jeffrey said, letting out a creepy smile.

Once we got to class, I took my seat by the window and waited for homeroom to start. Professor Yanri dismissed us with the sound of the bell, and we headed to our first class of the day—Power Control and Mastery. Our teacher, Professor Shay Ironheart, a short young woman with black hair, entered the classroom and began the lesson. Our class took place in the special building, the room resembled a science lab.

We began by discussing the six titles given upon entering the school: Shapeshifters, Manifesters, Enhancers, Manipulators, Specialists, and Anomalies. There were different methods for controlling your ability based on the category you fall into. For example, my ability allows me to increase the temperature around my body, creating a sort of heat wave, while people like Rizor can manifest flames out of thin air. Hence, I'm a my ability to control heat made me a Manipulator, and his ability to create fire is due to his Manifester ability. 

But instead of being a manifester, he wore a star emblem that signified he was a specialist. Jeffrey's sister, Amelia, was also a specialist.

There weren't any Specialists or Anomalies in my class. We were able to tell each other apart by a special emblem on our jacket. Mine was of a hand with strings coming from the fingers that signified a manipulator. Different titles had different emblem designs. For example Jeffrey's emblem had a butterfly leaving a cocoon signifying a shapeshifter.

We got different assignments based on the titles we were given. Apparently the best way to improve our the supernatural ability of a manipulator is through a special type of Zen meditation. It focuses on stillness and awareness of the present moment. This meditation is aimed to increase focus, which is crucial if you want to manipulate, outside energies. We must be able to feel everything around us, to develop a higher sense of awareness than normal people. We were required to meditate for at least 2 hours per day. 

At lunchtime, my classmates huddled together in the classroom like scared sheep hiding from a pack of wolves. I sat at my desk, listening to Jeffrey and his sister ramble on about nonsense. Amelia was there to act as Jeffrey's bodyguard; it seemed she was worried about him.

Just as I was about to take another bite of my sandwich, the classroom door was suddenly kicked open with a frightening thud. Rizor strolled in, flanked by his entourage. He walked into the room without uttering a word and sat on top of a desk where a girl was eating her lunch.

"Class clown. Come here for a bit," Rizor said, not looking at anyone in particular. The whole class fell silent, their gazes slowly shifting to one person. "You know who you are. Don't make me come get you."

".....Are you talking to me?" Jeffrey replied, noticing his classmates staring at him.

"No shit!"

"Is that a yes or....."

"What do you want with him?" Amelia stood up, covering for her brother's idiocy.

"That's between me and him. Class B has no business here, so it's best if you leave."

"I could care less about class; he's my br—"

"It's alright, sis. Everything will be fine," Jeffrey said, placing a hand on his sister's shoulder and giving her a confident wink. He removed himself and approached Rizor with his head held high.

I have to admit, Jeffrey isn't as much of a coward as I thought.

"I've been hearing some very disturbing rumors lately. Something about Class D being led by Liam Cray. Some are saying you're the one behind these rumors, is that right?"

"No. They aren't rumors at all; they're the truth. Liam is the one who—"

Slap!

A loud clap echoed in the classroom, and Jeffrey's face turned bright red, with traces of blood pouring from his lip. He wiped the blood away and continued speaking again nonchalantly.

"From this moment on, Class D will be led by Liam Cray of Class 1-A. Everyone knows what a coward you are when it comes to Liam. We all remember how you ran from him with your tail tucked between your legs on admission day," Jeffrey said with a smug smile.

"Hold him down."

With that simple command, Rizor's entourage pinned Jeffrey to the ground, holding his arm behind his back. Rizor reached into his pocket and pulled out a red handkerchief with the insignia of a sun on it. He showed it to the class, then held it to Jeffrey's face, still pinned to the ground.

"You see this?" Rizor said, pointing to the insignia on his handkerchief. "It's my family's crest. From now on, you'll be wearing it wherever you go."

"Stop! What are you doing?!" Amelia wailed, struggling against a member of Class A who had come with Rizor.

"Yesterday, I said that you all would be my servants. Better yet, you'll have the privilege of becoming my slaves. Why the long faces? You'll get to be the slaves of a member of the noble house Starborn. Low lives like you don't deserve this honor. And to mark this occasion, your fellow classmates will be branded with our coat of arms."

"What?!"

"Did he say branded?!"

"You can't do that!!"

The class erupted in panic at Rizor's remark.

"Silence!! I didn't say you could speak!!"

"NO!! NO!! NO!! NO!! NO!! I won't let you!! You can't do this!!" Amelia wailed.

Just then, her body began to morph. Her skin became as pale as snow, her hair grew longer, stretching down to her feet and turning the color of a black void. Her eyes glowed as red as blood. Suddenly, the classroom grew a little chilly. Then she opened her mouth and—

"Eeeeeeee!!"

She let out an ear-shattering scream that caused everyone in the classroom to drop to their knees, covering their ears. The sound felt like thousands of needles piercing my eardrums.

"Well, well, looks like she's a Banshee."