Lachlan got back to his dorm room and prepared to take an early snooze to oil his brain for the following day. He was drowsy, and he couldn't think of a plan to plunder an ability on a weary mind.
When he approached the washroom door in preparation to take a shower before going to bed, he abruptly stopped. On the other side, he could hear water hitting the ground infrequently. It sounded like someone was in the midst of taking a shower.
Lachlan thought for a second before he came to a sudden realization.
He had a dormmate!
When he came to the realization, the water that had constantly been hitting the ground came to a sudden halt.
Not long after, Lachlan heard the whip of a towel and footsteps approaching the other end of the door.
At that, Lachlan hurriedly went to the table in the kitchen and prepared something from the fridge. He didn't want to just stand around and look odd, so instead, he made himself look normal by preparing something to eat at the dining table.
As the person in the washroom finally opened the door, the air, which had been fusty, became permeated with the smell of soap, and out of the steamy bathroom stepped an athletic boy with well-defined muscles. It didn't stop there. He had bright blue eyes, high cheekbones, and short wavy hair, making him look noticeably handsome.
When the athletic boy noticed Lachlan sitting at the small table in the kitchen, he ran over hurriedly, almost making his towel slip. Luckily, before anything obscene could be seen, the boy caught it.
The boy as he caught the towel, heaved a heavy sigh of relief and said enthusiastically to the boy at the table, "Hey, I'm Oliver; you're the person I'll be sharing my dorm with right?"
Lachlan didn't immediately respond and instead looked at boys hand, hand, where he could see the watch and his ability level.
And When he spotted it, Lachlan gulped loudly.
It was a staggering 5.8!
Despite the watch's exorbitant number, Lachlan still did his best to act composed, and he responded whilst extending his hand, attempting to greet, "Yeah, that's me; my name's Lachlan."
Oliver happily shook Lachlan's hand, and while he did, he noticed the level on Lachlan's watch. However, oddly enough, Oliver didn't react, only smiling as he eventually let go of Lachlan's hand.
"I'm gonna put on some clothes," said Oliver as he rushed back into the washroom. "Give me a couple of minutes!"
Lachlan was dumbfounded, he thought that maybe the boy, known as Oliver, didn't see his watch, but he clearly saw his blue eyes skim across it. Yet, he had no noticeable reaction.
It was like he didn't care.
Lachlan's head swirled, and he rationalized that Oliver was probably putting on his clothes first before doing anything to him; It was the only thing that made sense as no one would their private parts exposed in the middle of a beating.
Amid his speculation, the washroom door opened once again, though this time with a fully clothed Oliver. He was adorned in casual attire that still had fragments of elegance to it. It comprised of an unwrinkled shirt, sleek charcoal pants, and slippers with gold frills.
His adornments screamed importance, showing that he was most probably a part of an acclaimed household, or so Lachlan guessed.
"Sorry about coming out in the nude before," said Oliver apologetically. "I forgot I had a dormmate."
"Oh... That's alright," responded Lachlan with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "We all forget things at times." He added as he lightly tapped the table next to him in nervousness.
"I brought an Avelion Console from my home that has a lot of games on it," said Oliver enthusiastically. "Do you perhaps wanna play a couple of games with me?"
Lachlan looked at Oliver confusedly at his offer but eventually smiled and replied. "Sure, that sounds fun."
"Great, give me a second," beamed Oliver as he hurried to his duffel bag to unpack the Avelion console system. Once he plugged it in, he clicked on a button affixed on the wall, causing a retractable sofa that Lachlan hadn't noticed before to emerge from the windowed wall to provide a comfortable seating area for two people.
"Hey, come take a seat!" said Oliver happily. "You won't see the TV from there." He added with a chuckle, glancing at Lachlan, who still sat at the table.
"Right," added Lachlan with a slight smile and chuckle as he got up and made his way to the couch.
He was handed a controller from Oliver, and soon after that, Oliver rushed to the cupboards and got some snacks, accompanied by a couple of frozen beverages that he got from the fridge, which he placed on the table in front of the retractable sofa.
When he was finished, he picked up the controller from the table and began playing with Lachlan.
They played for what felt like hours, and Lachlan couldn't help but be perplexed by Oliver's actions. He had been smiling, laughing, cracking jokes, and munching on the snacks in front of them, seeming highly comfortable around Lachlan, like they were the best of friends. It was so unlike any experience Lachlan had ever had, and his perplexion only grew.
Before he knew it, the sky had turned dark, and it was time for bed.
Lachlan wanted to keep his façade up, but he couldn't help but wonder why Oliver acted the way he did. It made no sense for someone of his level to treat a cripple this way. For all he knew, the athletic Oliver, with his elegance and handsomeness, could be waiting until he's asleep when he'll be completely defenseless to tie him up and beat him.
Just the thought of something like that happening while he was asleep made Lachlan's knuckles tighten, and he couldn't help but blurt out to the Oliver next to him. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"Not at all, Lach! Go ahead!" replied Oliver lightheartedly. Seemingly oblivious to Lachlan's solemn tone.
"Why aren't you treating me like garbage?" asked Lachlan with his eyes fixed on Oliver, "You've obviously seen my ability level. You should be well aware of what I am…."
Oliver's expression drastically changed when he heard Lachlan's question and was instead replaced with one of solemnness.
After a couple of seconds of silence between the two boys, with only the slight noises of the TV in the background being audible, Oliver responded thoughtfully, with a sincere tone, "The ability you get when you're infused with the X-Virus is like a game of dice. Sure, some have better odds than others but intrinsically… It's like a simple old game of dice, or so I like to think."
He continued earnestly as his light-blue eyes fell on Lachlan's, "God, or whoever created us. Throws this metaphorical dice, and whatever number it lands on is what you get. There are no do-overs, no second-chances; what you get is what you get, and you'll have to live with that ability for the rest of your life."
His blue eyes fell on the ground, and he continued slowly. "Some are lucky, like me," and as he uttered his following words, his piercing eyes fell back on Lachlan's, "Others not as much."
Lachlan stared wide-eyed at the boy until he eventually continued. "But for us, the ones who have earned these abilities through nothing more than just a gamble, to put a value on its outcome, shows that we have become highly immoral and unjust. And I couldn't bear putting a value on my friends and my family based on nothing more than just a sheer gamble that shows no consideration of their character."
Lachlan stared wide-eyed at Oliver. He was in utter disbelief.
He had never heard such an analogy before but was more so surprised by who it came from, not at its content. Oliver's ability was almost a 6, only two levels away from the maximum, 8. For someone that powerful to claim to see others for not their ability but for something else is astonishing, and very rare.
Such contrarians no longer existed, and even if they did, they were usually the ones who were treated unjustly in society, like the cripples, not someone from a superior placing, like Oliver.
Lachlan wasn't easily fooled, but the way Oliver carried himself and how his expression never betrayed his words was very compelling, to the point where even Lachlan felt swayed emotionally.
Still, He wasn't going to believe someone he had just met. Even if the words uttered were very believable. So he put up the best smile he could muster and said warmly, "Very Well put.."
Oliver glanced at the Lachlan, and he couldn't help but blurt out, "You really think so?" with the shyest of smiles.
"Yeah, I think you could change the world with those words…" replied Lachlan, with the same tone.
"Thanks! I usually don't share my opinions as It hasn't worked out well in the past, but that coming from you, someone who's on the other side of the spectrum," replied Oliver, "really means a lot," he added blushingly, as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Well, It's getting pretty late; I think we should head to bed so we don't end up sleeping in class tomorrow," said Lachlan with a slight grin.
"Haha— Right, that sounds like a great idea," said Oliver in between laughs.
Afterward, when the boys were done preparing for the night, they eventually soundly fell asleep in their respective beds, leaving the dorm room in silence apart from the occasional snores and light breaths coming from the two.
The following morning, when Lachlan finally awoke from his slumber, he got out of bed and woke up Oliver.
They both idly chatted and prepared themselves in various ways, and when they finished, they went to set off and went to their respective classes.
After asking, Lachlan found out that Oliver was a part of class - Z-1, which was located further towards the back of the campus.
After Lachlan split apart from Oliver and went to his classroom, he was once again assaulted by the usual ugly stares he got from the students on his way there and once he entered.
He quickly made his way to the back, and luckily, like last time, before anyone could do anything antagonistic and crass, the Instructor, known as Gamal Eaton, walked in, prompting the students to become eerily silent and behaved.
He walked towards the elevated podium, and once he got there, he swiftly glanced around the classroom before speaking up in a serene tone that reached the back of the class, even though it didn't seem to be that loud.
"Today, we will be conducting our first ability training."
As he finished his words, the students in the classroom had mixed reactions. Some jumped and beamed with joy, whilst others' heads sunk, and their expressions turned listless. It was apparent why these various reactions occurred as the latter only happened in the back of the class, where the low-leveled students were.
"Though today will only comprise of a little Q&A, so go ahead."
After the teacher beckoned for any questions, a female student with long black hair asked with a grin, "Instructor Gamal, what If you don't have an ability?"
Instructor Gamal's eyes twitched a little, and he briefly glanced at Lachlan until he answered, "Even if you don't have an ability. Ability training is compulsory and needed to graduate."
"Thanks, Instructor Gamal," replied the student in an animated and lively voice.
Lachlan could see that the moment after the exchange between the black-haired girl and Instructor Gamal, that a fire had been lit in the students' eyes, all of them occasionally glancing at Lachlan like hungry beasts that were out for blood.
Ability training was in nature done to level up one's abilities. And although the way it was done varied per person and ability, the most common exercise that was done… was sparring.
Though contrary to the students' expectations, Lachlan didn't look startled or even uneasy.
Instead, he sat there like an expressionless statue, giving no heed to the stares.
It made the students' glares even more viscous and for them to inwardly curse him. Not only was he an ability cripple, but he had been saved by the class belle. They wouldn't let him off for that, especially not the male students.
On the other hand, Leila, the boy who had saved Lachlan, looked dejected. She was well aware of the dangers in ability training, and she was feeling down for Lachlan.
But as she peered towards him, she was shocked by the poise Lachlan held as he sat in the back corner of the classroom.
He looked fully detached from the students' glares and just continued looking at the Instructor.
'Maybe he's petrified,' she thought , 'or maybe he's never experienced ability training before?'
Little did she know, Lachlan had fully grasped the exchange between the female student and the Instructor. He knew fully well that ability training was mainly comprised of sparring, which was fraught with danger. But even if he was scared, he didn't show it. He had become an expert in hiding his emotions, and all that was on his mind was coming up with a plan to get an ability. The days' were ticking till he had to bring Leila to the forest, and if he didn't have an ability when the day came or a plan, then he would face the brunt of Brice and his gang.
After the lengthy lesson strewn with extraneous questions from the students finished, and Gamal laid out some rules and preparations for tomorrow's first and actual class, It finally came to an end, marking the beginning of lunch.
Lachlan hurried to the cafeteria, not giving anyone the chance to provoke him, and saw the same scene he had seen yesterday in the cafeteria, albeit a little bit different.
Just from a glance, Lachlan could tell that there was a conspicuously noticeable arrangement for different leveled individuals at each table and buffet line.
Yesterday, it seemed to be more equal, as everyone was still finding their place, but now it was very evident.
For instance, where he sat, were only low-leveled students with watch levels' under 2, and the further one got towards the other side, the higher the levels became.
Everyone seemed to fall into place like programmed machines. There were even sequestered food lines for buffets that had placards above stating, 'Only level-5 and above!' that weren't there yesterday, and if one looked closer, one could see the difference in quality for the food.
Lachlan even saw a freckled student with glasses ushered by a rather portly student with an indignant look. When he looked closer, he could see that the timid freckled boy was a level 1, and the portly boy was a level 4.
When Lachlan saw this, he got a gist of what was going on. "Must be some kind of squire."
Apart from that boy, other low leveled students were being picked on, cut in line, and some even beaten throughout the cafeteria, inducing laughter from the surrounding tables.
"Fuck," whispered Lachlan under his breath. He always thought that only cripples had it bad, but compared to his previous school, it seemed like everyone who wasn't a level above 3, or had a gang, were unsafe and bullied like him.
Lachlan eventually plucked his eyes from the surroundings as he could feel the stares coming in, and looked down towards his table to seem more more inconspicuous.
"It seems like it will be unavoidable to keep a low profile," he said to himself gloomily, with serious eyes.
He felt like his ploy at laying low would definitely not work. Especially for him, as he was a cripple. When he looked around, he could see no one like him. Even those thrown about and cut in line had an ability, just adding to Lachlan's gloom.
Lachlan sat still at the table for some time but finally decided to get up to get some food. But just as he was about to, footsteps could be heard approaching from his behind.
Lachlan panicked, and he wasn't ready to be beaten just yet, and just the thought of experiencing the bullying of his past again made his knuckles tighten till they turned pearl-white.
Though just as he was getting ready for the worst and braced for a punch, the footsteps stopped, and something light poked his back.
Lachlan swiveled his head at a slow pace, but when he finally saw who it was, he was relieved, "Oliver?" he said questioningly. "Why are you here?"
"Well, to eat," he responded grinningly. "I saw that you didn't take food, so I brought you some from the level 5 buffet line."
"Oh- T-Thanks," said Lachlan puzzlingly.
Oliver took his seat and began stabbing into his food, which comprised of a steak, potatoes, and wine-red sauce, which saturated one's taste buds as it was ingested. It was a real royal's meal, and Lachlan had one similar right before him, from which Oliver had just gotten.
Lachlan looked around and could see that the surrounding students were all eying them weirdly. Most of them being from the lower-leveled individuals who sat closest. But some from the higher-leveled individuals that sat quite a distance away, though theirs weren't quizzical gazes, but ones of anger.
"Are you sure this is okay?" asked Lachlan, "They're all staring at us."
Oliver looked around at Lachlan's remark, and said indifferently, "Ahh- that, it'll be fine. It's not like it's illegal or anything."
"Well, I guess," replied Lachlan, "but it may be an unwritten rule within the school."
"Don't pay it any mind," he said whilst grinning "Just enjoy the steak!" then proceeding in burying his head back in his plate.
Lachlan reluctantly followed Oliver's advice and started eating his food.
Oliver was so preoccupied with eating he hadn't uttered a word, giving Lachlan more time to ponder on coming up with a plan.
He had two days to plan killing somebody with an ability. However, it was more difficult than he could ever imagine. First, there was the problem with the witnesses. The whole academy was brimming with students, making it very difficult to lure somebody somewhere secluded without being noticed.
The only place where students seldom went was the forest, but getting somebody there was difficult, and even if you got a person there, and by some miracle even killed them. Then you would have to escape quickly as the watch would immediately report the death of a student and send a search team.
So many variables were swirling in Lachlan's head, making him unable to come up with a firm solution.
"Hey, are you okay?" asked Oliver with a concerned expression
"Hmm? Ahh— I'm fine," responded Lachlan with a smile. "just thinking about some stuff."
"Well, if there's anything I could ever do, don't be afraid to ask for help," replied Oliver with a bright smile before burying his face back in his plate of food.
As Oliver's words departed from his mouth, Lachlan's head that had been rapidly swirling with ideas, came to an abrupt halt. He slowly cocked his head and looked at Oliver with a gleam in his eye.
Oliver, who had his head in the plate, was oblivious to Lachlan's stare, and as Lachlan was staring, a plan was slowly manifesting and cementing in his mind.
It made Lachlan grin, and his appetite which had been bleak, return to its full vigor as he munched on his meal like Oliver beside him.