Slap!
Zeke flinched, instinctively raising his hand to his cheek. A red mark appeared on the right side of his face. But he bit his lips, forcing down the anger welling inside him.
"Why did you do that?"
A cold voice echoed in front of him.
Zeke didn't answer, keeping his gaze lowered.
"Lift your head and look at me."
Zeke did as he was told, looking straight at the man who had just slapped him. In front of him stood a tall, middle-aged man with long white hair, eyes staring down at him coldly.
It was none other than the Head of the Starlight, Alexander Starlight.
"Tell me, Zeke." His voice was calm, but the coldness in it was evident. "Why did you help that useless Gray?"
Zeke hesitantly answered. "… She was being---"
Slap!
He couldn't even finish his words before another slap shot to his face, causing him to stumble backwards, falling on the ground. He clenched his hands and gritted his teeth, but then a foot shot towards his face.
Bam!
"…!"
Zeke shot towards the wall, banging against its cold surface. His lips trembled soundlessly as blood slid down his nostrils, but this time, he kept his calm. He raised his hand expressionlessly, removing the blood on his face.
Alexander saw his actions and gave a nod of approval. "Very good."
Zeke didn't say anything, keeping his gaze lowered.
"It seems you understand why I'm doing this," Alexander said as he walked to Zeke. He crouched down, ruffling Zeke's hair with an amicable smile. "Zeke Starlight, you are favored by the Star Overlord, destined to be the next protector of the Starlights. You must shine brilliantly, more than an ordinary Starlight. More than me."
Zeke raised his gaze, nodding soundlessly.
"The next time you see that Gray, treat him like trash," Alexander whispered in his ears. "Emotions are useless, Zeke. Control yourself. Control your kindness, anger, and power. Show kindness when it benefits you. Show anger only when you're above them. If not, keep that feral emotion hidden, and reveal it only when you're stronger."
Alexander smiled and stood up. He lamented, "Many think that we Starlights reached this point because of our talents, but that's wrong. It's because we control everything. If a star falls from the sky, they're not longer a star."
"…!"
Zeke's eyes snapped open, seeing a plain white ceiling. The cold surface of the ground pressed against his back, sending a chill across his entire body. It was just a dream. He shifted quietly, but then his muscles throbbed, agonizing pain fully waking him up.
"Argh!"
Zeke growled in pain as he quickly pushed himself up, but that only activated his muscles even further. He stumbled around, holding on to the wall to keep his balance. He breathed heavily, the pain keeping his mind fully occupied.
'… Damn it.'
He thought, looking at his reflection in the mirror.
Zeke saw himself wear a furious expression. Brows creased tightly, eyes so sharp they could kill a man, and his teeth clenched against his jaw. Seeing such an unsighlty image of himself, he took a deep breath and controlled his anger.
A moment later, his expression reverted back to calmness.
"Control."
He murmured, shaking his head.
Zeke swept his gaze around the room, last night appearing like a blur in his head. He remembered getting home and sleeping immediately, unable to resist the drowsiness. He cast a swift glance at his door, seeing that it was locked.
"Huh?"
He furrowed his brows, feeling something amiss. Did he lock the door last night? Zeke thought for a moment but couldn't remember clearly. He brushed it aside and looked at the time, suddenlt realizing that it was already 9:00 AM.
His class in the Herta Academy of Rankers started at 9:30 AM. Zeke sighed, knowing that he was likely to be late if he didn't prepare immediately. He dragged his body away despite the pain.
***
It was already 9:20 AM when Zeke arrived at the academy.
He stopped right in front of Class 1-D, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath. A moment later, he twisted the doorknob and opened the door, seeing all of his classmates talk to each other loudly.
But the moment the door opened and they saw it was him, the room suddenly turned quiet. Zeke was startled, frowning deeply. He noticed everyone's gaze fall at him. He turned his head slightly, but saw no one at his back.
He had thought that perhaps, Professor Xavier was standing behind him that's why they all suddenly turned silent.
'… Why?'
But clearly not. Zeke felt deeply uncomfortable receiving everyone's gaze. He swept his eyes over everyone, showing a deep frown. Surprisingly, everyone stared back at him unflinchingly when he looked at them.
Feeling increasingly bothered, he brushed his thoughts aside and stepped inside the room. Zeke walked to his seat and suddenly realized that somebody was sitting on his desk, their expression playful.
Franz waved his hand. "Yo, Stick Guy."
Everyone looked at them, wanting to watch a good show. Andrei glanced at Zeke and Franz, hesitating for a moment, then decided to keep quiet, covering his face with his arms as he slept on his desk.
Contrary to everyone's expectations, Zeke didn't show any anger. He was calm, looking at Franz with an expressionless gaze, then stated. "That's my seat."
"Huh?" Franz was startled. He glanced at Zeke and saw that he was serious, so he chuckled. "Is it? But it's mine now, though? But hey, Stick Guy, I saw you yesterday in the training facility. Is it true that your class is related to wielding sticks?"
Zeke's gaze sharped, his expression showing a crack. He glared at Franz, his crimson red eyes gleaming. Franz was startled by the sharpness of Zeke's gaze, his heart skipping a beat.
But recalling Zeke's class, Franz snapped out of his daze. He looked at Zeke and laughed, "You look so damn angry. I was just joking. But hey, is it true? Cmon, answer me. Everyone is curious."
'Calm…'
Zeke clenched his hand, anger coursing through him. His fury was already reaching a breaking point when he had a dream of Alexander, followed by his body aching in pain when he woke up.
The last thing he wanted to hear was someone mentioning his class.
But as his anger reached its limits, Alexander's words flashed by his mind.
Zeke suddenly calmed down, his expression reverting back to normal. He ignored Franz and looked for another seat, finding one in the front. Under everyone's gaze, he walked towards the seat and sat down.
Everyone was bewildered, Franz included, showing a deep frown. Andrei raised his head and looked at Zeke, surprised. But before anyone could say anything, the door opened.
A tall, frail brown-haired man walked inside. It was Professor Vander, their assigned professor for Combat class. He swept his gaze to everyone, his eyes staying at Zeke slightly longer. Then, he spoke calmly, "Combat class is starting. Follow me outside."
Without waiting for their response, Vander stepped outside.
Everyone quickly moved. Zeke stood up immediately, but then he stopped, feeling a gaze land on him. Franz stared at him with a smirk, raising his hand as he made a killing gesture.
'You're dead to me, Crimson.'