AftP: Chapter 1 – Misfortune
Wearing my tattered coat, I slowly went out of this shabby place I call home. If only I can fly, then I don"t need to walk.
To tell you the truth, I don’t even know why I’m here. A normal person is not allowed in Drith, even in Frist in the North, Decons in the East, and Throuf in the south. I have tried to escape out of this place so many times but everytime, the Drith Council forbids me. They said that it is impossible for a normal person to enter the Special Portal, the bridge between the Special Worlds and Normal World.
Drith is a simple place. The only thing out of place here is the Academia at the center of the Mystic Forest, a place only for the rich.
I don’t have parents. But according to an old guy with retrocognition (ability to see the past), I have a sibling. But when I when I went back again to the old guy, he died for unknown reason.
Tough luck, my only relative is missing. And here I am living in a world where I don’t belong to.
I tried so many times to leave this place but they really wont let me. Because I’m still a minor and my ability has still not been properly controlled. I just roll my eyes every time I hear the same phrase. What do I even need to control when I don’t have an ability.
“Cather!”, I turned my head to Stern. He"s my best friend and he has super strength. So the idiot doesn’t even mind how many sacks of cement he carries in different hills.
“What’s the problem?”, I asked. He only laughed at me and I noticed that we are slowly getting closer to the center. There are machines being operated by those that have the Technical Ability. I work at a weapon shop because I don’t have a special ability. My life sucks. If only I have a useful ability that can help me in work.
“The State Festival is almost here. What’s your plan?”,he asked. The State Festival is held at the Mystic Park, a large park in the Mystic Forest. It’s a special day for everyone because the whole academia will be at the event.
“I don’t have a plan. I’ll probably stay at home and sleep all day.”I answered as I slowly open the door of the weapon shop. Stern also went inside and sat at the chair in the corner.
“The State Fest only happens once in a while. And I heard that the people at the Academia has a surprise on that day.”,as he talked with an excited expression. I just rolled my eyes.
“Wow! That’s what they’re good at anyway, wasting their money around”,I replied while I slowly fixed the daggers being displayed.
“Come on. You don’t really care? Even just for me?”,he pouted. Look how childish he is.
“I did not even say that you must not go. Just go if you want to.”, I said when suddenly my boss entered.
“Rions, you can go home now. People at the Academia will visit this day.”, he said while getting the chain in one of the cabinets.
It"s the tradition that everytime they visit, all of Dirth will have no cla.s.ses and work. They will visit for 3 days and one of those during the State Festival.
During those days is when they will work on the shops that caters to their abilities. And every shop is being watched by their owners.
I bid goodbye while we walk to Stern"s sister, Ate Sh.e.l.la"s shop. Stella Bohr works at an herbs shop but the owner is already old that she is also left with watching the shop. The shop is only minutes away and we finally arrived.
"Stern, Cather. Are they here?",she asked.
"Not yet. Maybe later.", Stern shrugged.
"They will be late. The road they"re walking to is muddy, it"s a shame if their shoes gets dirtied.", I coldly answered.
"Cath, chill.", Stern laughed. While Ate Sh.e.l.la chuckled.
It"s not my fault that I hate them. I don"t like being around them because they are too nitpicky. They haven"t even experienced working for their well being. They rely too much on their parents.
"You guys need to eat first before you go back here. I still need to clean the place", Ate Sh.e.l.la said, so we walk to Stern"s place.
A child suddenly run acrossed our street because he almost got hit by an expensive car. The child cried maybe due to shock. The car was closed to hitting him.
I was angry and p.i.s.sed because it seems the car was owned by one of the rich men here.
The car stopped on the other side. I crossed the street even though Stern stopped me. And I suddenly heard the car"s engine start. What"s their problem? Someone"s crossing the street and they just start their car like that? Are they doing this on purpose?
I felt my head hurting, it feels like it"s going to explode. I looked at the car and suddenly the windows were shattered. I was. .h.i.t by some shards on my arm because of the strong impact.
"Cather, I told you not to cross. It"s like giving respect to the upper cla.s.s.", Stern hold the arm that was. .h.i.t by the shards,"Let"s go back to Ate Sh.e.l.la. Your wounds are deep.",while he dragged me but I did not let him to.
Inside the car, there were two men.The older one was in the driver"s seat, he got out of the car shocked while the other one has a light brown hair and almost at our age also went out.
"We"re dead. Miss Inu will not like this. What are we going to do?",as he asked the older one.
"It already happened. I can"t do anything.", said the older one.
The guy that"s the same age as us is wearing the uniform of the Academia. All the people looked at us but I did not mind them. I just want this people to say sorry. I just can"t take what they"re doing.
"Cather, let"s go.",whispered Stern. I felt my wound slowly hurting but I still did not move.
Suddenly there was a line of students in dark violet and white unform arriving at our location.
They are here.
The people has gone back to their sense and returned to their respective work. The attention is gone from us and I"m thankful for that.
A small group of students went to where we are standing. I saw a shocked woman with a short hair and white skin. With her are two men and women that was bewildered as to what happened to the car.
"What happened here?", she sharply asked as she glared at the guy.
"We almost b.u.mped her.", said the older one.
"Sir Dime keeps on insisting, I told him that I should drive instead.",said the younger one.
The girl"s forehead creased. She looked at me and back to the man.
"No, that"s not what I meant. Why… are the gla.s.ses broken?",she asked.
I felt Stern gasping. He know that no one can stop me from facing this people, especially that the attention of the people is not on us.
"You know I won"t do that.", the guy raised his hand surrenderly. The girl look at us.
"What"s your ability, Miss?",she asked. I faced and looked at her straight in the eyes.
“I don’t have one.”,I plainly answered. The person called Sir Dime suddenly looked and stared at me.
“Don’t fool us. Tell us what your ability is.”,she asked as she is slowly getting p.i.s.sed.
A fair skinned girl wearing gla.s.ses got close to me and hold my arm but I slowly removed it. I don’t want to receive any help from them.
“Wala nga sabi!”, and then I felt a pulsating pain in my head again. The wind suddenly got stronger and a giant tree was suddenly pulled and dropped at the car.
“We’re really dead when Miss Inu knows about this.”,shouted the younger guy.
“Shut up, Collin!”,the girl shouted at Collin as she raised her eyebrow to me.
“Admit it. You’re p.i.s.sed with us, that’s why you probably used your ability, which is manipulation. To make fun of us. How pathetic, right?”, she glared.
“Cather, don’t”, I heard Stern said beside me.
I ignored him.
“Your right. But at the same time, how many times do I have to tell you that I don’t have an ability. Even if you look at the records in the Council. I tried getting out of this world because I don’t belong here.”, I felt frustrated and the pulsating pain in my head is getting worser.
“Cather Rions, right?”, Sir Dime asked. I nodded. He’s probably one of the Council head members.
“Yes, she indeed have a record of leaving with the reason of not having an ability.”, he said, confirming my statement.
“Then who did this? By the looks of it, you’re the only one. You dared to stay here and debate than run away.”, the girl snapped.
“Say sorry.”,I said immediately to the teacher. They want respect, yet they don’t give any.
“What!? Commoner, know your place. Don’t talk like that to him.”,a woman suddenly said.
“I’m sorry. I was drunk. I should’ve let Collin drive.”,he said. I nodded.
Stern heaved a sigh of relief. He know that no one can stop me in what I’m doing right now, especially that most of the attention is not on us but on the other visitors.
“Just admit that you’re insecure and did this.”. This girl really wanted a fight.
“I said! I DON’T HAVE AN ABILITY!,” then there was a crack in where we are standing. I felt Stern carry me while the land is cracking and separating. The pain is growing stronger in my head. It’s pulsating like crazy.
Then the surroundings became black, and that’s when the cracking stopped.