Ray strolled through the academy halls, hands shoved in his pockets. The school buzzed with life—students laughing, chatting, and showing off their abilities. He barely noticed. His mind was elsewhere.
Then—screams.
Ray turned just in time to see a girl sprinting down the hall, clutching something to her chest. Behind her, a grotesque, greasy-looking guy with stringy hair and an unhealthy sheen to his skin lunged after her.
"You took the last two brownies!" he howled, flinging globules of snot-like boogers from his elbows. The disgusting projectiles splattered against the walls with sickening wet thuds.
Ray clicked his camera instinctively, capturing the scene as the girl—Kate—scrambled to escape.
Without thinking, Ray lunged forward, his camera swinging wildly on its strap. He drove a hard kick straight into the creature's chest. The booger man flew backward, slamming into the wall with a wet thud.
The grotesque features shimmered a second later, melting away, revealing the shapeshifter beneath, dazed and gasping.
Ray stood over him. "You need a better hobby, man," he muttered.
The shapeshifter coughed, wheezing through the remnants of his false form as slime dripped from his shoulders. He propped himself up on one elbow, eyes narrowing into a glare.
"You'll regret this," he hissed, voice trembling with fury. "You think Josh is just gonna stand by while you humiliate me?"
Ray tilted his head, unimpressed. "Josh can take a number."
But the shapeshifter only sneered, blood mixing with the remnants of green gunk on his lips. "You messed with the wrong crew, Ray. You're not one of us, and you never will be."
Ray stepped back, camera still in hand, his lens now pointed down at the crumpled figure.He smirked.
"Say cheese."
Flash.
Kate doubled over, hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. Her heart still pounded from the chase, but her focus had shifted entirely to the boy standing in front of her.
Now that she wasn't running for her life, she could look at him. He stood casually, as if kicking a grown man across the hall was just another Tuesday. His dark brown hair was tousled and slightly messy, but not in a careless way—it suited him, as if he belonged in motion, always moving, never still. His features were sharp, but not harsh. Smooth skin, strong jawline, and—
Her breath hitched slightly when she met his eyes.
Hazel, but tinted with the lightest shade of blue. Not enough to be obvious at first glance, but now that she saw it, she couldn't unsee it. A strange, almost unreal combination. They seemed to shift under the light, flickering between warm gold and cool ice, like two colors fighting for dominance.
He arched a brow, breaking the moment. "You good?"
Kate quickly straightened, feeling the heat rise to her face. "Uh—yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."
To distract herself, she reached into her pocket and pulled out one of the brownies. "Here. Thanks for... You know, saving me from death by booger guy."
Thanks, I haven't eaten yet, said Ray.
Kate looked up in surprise, "Really? Lunch is almost over, you should hurry!"
His fingers brushed against hers. The contact was brief, insignificant—except it wasn't.
Because as he looked at her properly, something shifted in his expression.
His breath caught, his shoulders stiffened, and for a moment, his eyes darkened with something unreadable.
Like he was looking at a ghost.
He shook his head quickly. No, she's gone. Not possible.
But as Kate stood there, her eyes still searching him with gratitude and confusion, Ray couldn't stop staring at her. The sensation of déjà vu was so strong that it almost felt suffocating.
Later
As Ray was walking through the halls, reminiscing on the earlier encounter—
A flicker of blue light. A sharp crackle.
Ray didn't flinch. He shifted instinctively, rolling forward just as a bolt of electricity zipped past. Turning, he locked eyes with the culprit—Josh, the academy's resident troublemaker, smirking.
Ray smirked back. "Is that all you've got, Sparky?"
Josh grinned, electricity crackling between his fingers. "You're fast, Ray, but let's see if you can dodge this."
"Are you still mad about last?" said Ray.
Another bolt shot toward him. Ray moved like liquid, weaving through tables, flipping over chairs with effortless precision. Students cheered as he leaped onto a table, balancing on the edge with feline grace.
Josh narrowed his eyes and fired again. Ray dropped, the bolt scorching the air above him. A fraction slower, and he'd be fried.
Josh cursed. "Damn it, Ray, just stand still for once!"
Ray chuckled, standing. "Not my style."
A sudden ripple of energy surged through the room.
Mrs. Lawson stepped forward, eyes glowing faintly. Her ability—force fields. Within seconds, Josh was floating, encased in a shimmering bubble.
"Hey! What the hell?!" Josh thrashed, but he was trapped.
Mrs. Lawson sighed. "Detention."
With a flick of her hand, Josh drifted out of the cafeteria like an angry balloon.
The crowd laughed. Ray exhaled, rubbing his arm where faint burns tingled from the near-misses. That was close.
Most students here were ranked on a scale from 1 to 5, based on power, control, and overall ability. Anything above a Level 3 was someone Ray knew better than to underestimate. The stronger the gift, the more dangerous it became—not just because of raw power, but because of how much damage it could cause when placed in the wrong hands.
Regulatory bracelets were required for higher-level gifted users, not as a punishment, but as a way to monitor and stabilize their abilities. Each bracelet carried a different color depending on the category of their gift.
Blue bracelets represented physical abilities—enhanced strength, speed, durability, and other body-based gifts.
Red bracelets represented elemental abilities—control over fire, electricity, ice, water, and other natural forces.
Purple bracelets represented abstract abilities—the rarest and most unpredictable category. Powers that didn't follow normal rules, like gravity manipulation.
Outside of the City of Dreams, finding a gifted person was rare. Most cities and even entire states would be lucky to have three or four gifted users living among them.
But here? It was different.
The City of Dreams was the exception. Nearly everyone had an ability, making it the largest gathering of gifted users in the world. High-level gifts were constantly monitored, their bracelets acting as both a safeguard and a reminder of the power they carried.
Even Ms. K—a Level 5 gifted and a government-class anomaly—was watched. She could control gravity itself, an ability that broke every rule they had. Yet despite all that power, she was still just a pawn.
Ray had none of it: just speed, instincts, martial arts, and a good luck charm. No ranking. No gift. Just him.
The thought sat heavy in his gut.
Ray dropped onto the bench beside James and Louis.
"Took you long enough," James said.
Ray sighed dramatically. "Shocker over there kept me busy."
Louis grinned. "That was a show! You dodged him like a damn ninja."
Ray shot him a flat look. "I'd be dead if I didn't."
James stole a fry from Ray's plate. "You better not get another detention. You'll miss my game Friday."
Ray stiffened. "Oh, crap. I forgot about your game." He winced. "Uh... I may have detention for the next three months."
James stared. "You're kidding."
Ray nervously glanced away. "Maybe. Probably."
Before James could react, something shifted.
The air around them felt... wrong.
James frowned. "Where's Ray?"
The group turned—Ray's seat was empty.
Gwen blinked. "Guys... Ray's a teddy bear!!?"
Silence.
Then James and Sanji burst into laughter.
Ray reappeared with a pop, rubbing his temples. "I swear to god, Louis—"
Louis tossed a fry into his mouth. "Relax, it's just a joke."
The bell rang, breaking up their laughter.