An opressive silence spread throughout the plaza, Zeke, paused, remembering what he just said he looked at the ground, a blush spreading across his face, "Shit that was a little too much, I just wanted fun, shit are we gonna fight, no way it's my first fight, arghh this isn't why I cam to this city, Fuck its all Rian's fault, that idiot dragged me along.".
The tall guy's sneer stretched wider, his harsh features twisting into something hard to look at, like before he was already hard to look at now its just too far, "Holy shit if goblins are real, then we need to have a discussion with his mother."
"You've got a smart mouth for someone so scrawny," The teen spat, his voice curled with venom.
Zeke said nothing, not because he couldn't think of a reply, but because he was still thinking about how this guy's mother and a goblin went down to business, "In the story's goblins are hella short, so like, damn, would they kiss? Zeke's body involuntarily shivered.
Beside him, Kaito saw that Zeke wasn't replying took it as a sign that he might be scared so he stepped forward slowly breaking away from the group, getting closer to the wiry teen. His movements were measured but the plaza held it's breath , Kaito seemed to transform into a blade half-drawn from its sheath.
"We don't even know your name," Kaito said, his voice cold and sharp as tempered steel. "You called us out, trying to cause trouble so just back off."
Zeke's eyes shifted to Kaito, surprise evident on his face, "Is he trying to protect me? well, as he should I'm only in this situation because of his sister."
The tall guy let out a condescending chuckle as he heard Kaito's words.
"Or what? You'll bore me to death with that monotone voice, hah, I'll have you know that my father holds a high position in this city, you don't even know who you're messing with haha"
"Anyways," He smirked. "My name is Jake nice t-"
Jake lunged forward-fast, unexpectedly so. Hoping to catch them off guard.
But Kaito was faster.
With a single step, he pivoted, his arm slammed forward, right into Jake's shoulder, throwing him off balance. Jake staggered back, eyes blazing as he looked at the group, "Hahaha you guys are powered? How dare you hit me, you're here for the academy right? I'm your senior, apologise now and I'll let you off this time."
The plaza seemed to ripple as the crowd instinctively took a step back, murmurs rising like a tide. These kids are powered, they all must come from well off families, The people shifted on their feet, some gripping the straps of their bags, others raising hands to shield their faces. A woman gasped sharply, clutching her child tighter, she has heard of out of control people who use their powers in civilian zones.
Rian looked at jake with wide eyes, "WHAT! you're our senior?"
"Hah, yes, now do you understand, I can give you a hard time at school so just apologise and I'll let this slide." Jake chuckled, putting on a strange voice as if he were an elder reprimanding his juniors.
"If your our senior and you're hitting on our friend who is your junior, doesn't that make you a pervert?" Rian looked at Jake with wide eyes pointing out his finger, before putting on a dramatic expression and stepping infront of Tala, "Stay behind me Tala, I'll protect you from the pervert."
Someone in the crowd couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing, Jake finally snapped, and lunged forward, his friends behind him moved towards the person who started laughing as if they were going to beat them up.
Rian noticing the change flicked his hand forward with practiced precision. A compressed burst of wind exploded like a thunderclap, sending Jake's friends tumbling back, leaving them dazed before they could intervene. Jake's sneer faded slightly, less confident now.
"Trying to catch us off guard is one thing," Rian mocked, voice dripping with scorn, "but being so weak that it doesn't work? That's just sad."
Tala moved next, arms rising as her fingers traced delicate, intricate patterns through the air. Zeke's breath caught, wide-eyed, watching glowing runes shimmer to life, suspended like fragile glass in the sunlight.
"Incredible. A rune master."
Zeke had heard of people who could use runes, but never seen it, so far its been nothing more than some fantasy story, and yet here infront of him a girl his age was wielding runes in a real fight, inside Zeke was jumping up and down like a fan girl but to onlookers his expression was still indifferent.
A gentle gust swirled around them, a soft, weaving wind that lifted dust and leaves, swirling in a protective barrier around the four friends. The air hummed with magic, thick and alive.
Jake's eyes locked on Zeke, dark pools of scorn and hatred.
"All that trash talk, and now you're hiding behind them?" he spat, venom lacing each word.
Rian, Tala, and Kaito tensed, ready to retaliate, but froze when Zeke stepped forward, walking slowly towards Jake.
"Hide? I don't need to hide," he said quietly, voice barely above a whisper, he looked up at Jake, meeting his eyes, "It's my first time, please be gentle." Zeke gave himself a thumbs up "I've always wanted to say that"
"HAHAH" The crowds faces shifted, most of the women were red face looking at the ground as their husbands teased them.
Jake's sneer faltered, before the veins on his forehead popped out, he mumbled something incoherent before finally, he couldn't contain it anymore.
His fist shot forward leaving an arc of blue energy trailing behind it.
Zeke's watched on, fascinated by the display of power, not so much the strength itself but the colours, whenever he used his power there was normally no visual signs.
For a moment, the world slowed.
Zeke closed his eyes, bathing in the familiar feeling of his own powers, energy surged beneath his skin, alive and humming. It pulsed, thrummed in his veins, echoing in his pounding heart. Deep within his body a dormant ball of energy stirred slightly as if trying to wake up, Zeke knew that it was a "mana core" he has read enough from those government pages to know that, though sometimes he felt like his mana core resembled a 'danatian', most countries have their own power systems, the asians have their martial arts, westerners use their mana, tribal countries rely on bloodlines and ancestral powers but whenever he looked through the information online about the different power systems Zeke could never tie it to any one in particular.
Jake who was rushing towards Zeke got even angrier when he saw him close his eye's, he decided he was going to discipline this junior of his before he got too arrogant.
The crowd watched on with bated breaths, waiting to see what was going to happen, it wasn't everyday that they got to experience real life super powers.
Zeke's arm slowly rose into the air but there was no sign of powers, most normal people tie flashy lights and powers to eachother so they just thought this boy was not going to give them a show.
Suddenly groans were heard throughout the crowd as they kept watching, people began clutching their heads. As Zeke's hand reached out, a strange feeling spread throughout his body, he felt as if there was something keeping him shackled, but just then it disappeared, the crowd watched on wide-eyed, it was as if light seemed to bend around his hand, creating an optical illusion that sent people's minds reeling.
Before they could wake up from their daze.
SNAP!
The sound was sharp, wet- a bone crushing under brutal force.
The world seemed to pause, even the flickering lanterns seemed to freeze.
A scream tore the air, one that seemed to dig deep into the onlookers bones.
"AAAAAAGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Jake's mouth opened wide, but his scream was barely enough to keep up with the pain tearing through him. He crumpled to the ground, clutching what was left of his arm-twisted, useless, grotesque. Dark bruises bloomed, spreading like ink beneath his skin, deep reds and purples crawling along his torso. Blood dripped steadily from his fingers-
Drip. Drip. Drip.
His whole body trembled, wracked by shock and agony.
The scream didn't stop. It sputtered, choked but rose again.
It was the first time hearing a sound like this for most people, even for Zeke, if he had to desribe it in one word it would be 'human', it was as if all intelligence was drained from the voice and it came out in its most raw form, and it was echoing in the bones of everyone around.
Most people turned away, unable to bear it. Some gagged quietly. Children covered their ears, hugging their parents tightly.
For a moment, the entire plaza seemed intent on erasing what had just happened from memory.
Even Rian's usual cocky grin had vanished. Tala's face was drained of color. Kaito didn't blink, but his jaw tightened, eyes narrowing on Zeke in suprise.
Zeke looked down at Jake's broken form, expression blank, eyes cold-but inside, a storm raged.
"What? what just happened? why is he on the floor? This... Shit... ahh shit what did I do? Why does his arm look like that, I didn't even use that much mana? he is a senior, he should've been able to handle that. Right?"
...
What he didn't know was that in the depths of the Academy that was nearby, two heads turned towards his direction, their eyes piercing the distance, the two people turned to eachother, despite being in two different parts of the academy their eyes met, one burning with curiosity and interest the other seemingly indifferent. When their eyes met the Indifferent person spoke softly. "Lira, I'll leave that 'thing' to you, It's causing trouble despite only being here for a day. Watch over it, I'm guessing they are in this city to join our Academy."
"Yes, Headmaster"
Both people closed their eye's, no longer focusing on Zeke.
...
The plaza was buzzing, Whispers rippled through the crowd.
"Monster."
"He did that without even using powers?"
"Find out who he is, where his family lives. We don't want to offend him."
Zeke turned towards Rian and the crew behind him, his face slightly pale but he was more curious than anything, "Why is he so fragile? Doesn't he have powers to defend himself?"
Rian flinched when he heard the question, avoiding his gaze, looking towards Tala and Kaito with an incredulous gaze.
Before anyone could speak, a sharp whistle cut through the tension. Above the plaza, a floating drone blinked red as it descended, its mechanical hum piercing the charged silence.
A harsh, Male voice projected from it:
"Unauthorized magic combat in public spaces is strictly prohibited. Repeat-Unauthorized-Emergency! Please have two healers on standby. Requesting immediate transport from the plaza. Scans indicate patient is losing blood fast."
...
And it wasn't only blood that was lost, this day was the last day that Jake would be able to use mana in that arm for the rest of his life, but this was unkown to everyone except the two powerfull beings who previously watched on from the Academy.
...
The drone's red light pulsed rhythmically-like a heartbeat under watchful eyes.
Figures in white robes rushed from the edges of the plaza, their movements quick but practiced, tense with urgency. One knelt beside Jake, speaking quietly into a crystal device, voice calm but firm. Another traced glowing runes of gold and blue above the injured man's body, magic weaving delicately through the air.
Everyone stepped back silently, giving space.
No one spoke.
Even Rian was quiet now-his usual arrogance stripped away, replaced by something more cautious.
Kaito's eyes were still fixed on Zeke- his expression unreadable, but if one looked close enough, carrying a hint of respect.
Tala kept glancing between the bloodstained tiles and Zeke's clenched fists. He hadn't realized he was gripping so tightly, nails digging into his palms.
Jake was patched up and taken away within minutes, lifted onto a glowing stretcher and whisked away by a floating disc probably taken off to the city hospital.
The crowd began to murmur again, low and nervous voices spreading through the plaza. People avoided looking at Zeke and his friends, pretending nothing had happened.
Finally, Rian broke the silence, voice careful.
"…Damn, that was crazy."
A flicker of helplessness crossed Zeke's face-gone as quickly as it came, but not unnoticed.
He didn't respond though, Maybe because he didn't know what to say. Or because the weight of what he'd done pressed down on his chest, "Shit, It's day one and I've already sent someone to the hospital, I don't want to be like this, C'mon Zeke you told yourself you wouldn't act like this...violent...like da-."
"Still new to your powers, right?" Tala asked softly, her voice gentle but edged with concern disrupted his line of thought.
Kaito exhaled quietly, his face a mask of admiration and wariness.
"That was cool as hell, you good?" he asked.
"Fine, and yeah? I guess they are new, It's my second time using it" Zeke replied with a nod of his head, his thoughts still spinning
Tala rolled her eyes. "Zeke, your hands!"
He looked down-blood seeped from between his fingers, bright red against paled skin, not from the punch but from clenching his fists too hard.
He relaxed his hands and sighed.
"Let's get out of here."