Splash!
As the bus rolled past, the bully sneered, his words cutting through the air like a blade. "Go home, normie. You're nothing but a waste and sticking up the air!. Don't bother showing up to school." His entourage erupted in cruel laughter, adding to the sting towards Hades emotional wound.
His clothes becomes drenched for the 777th time since the start of freshman year of high school. he couldn't help but feel a sense of resignation. He had hoped to avoid such inconvenience on his last days of high school, but somehow it seemed inevitable.
Making a quick decision, he decided to run back home to take a quick shower, change into his spare uniform, and head straight to school. But as he reached for the door, something caught his eye. There, on the table, sat a bowl of cereal, left untouched.
"Oh...I forgot about my cereal that I made earlier," he muttered to himself as he sat down and stared down at the cereal.
As he spooned a mouthful of soggy cereal into his mouth, a sudden flashback of the past four years of his life came rushing through his mind. The highs and lows, the friendships and relationships, the struggles and triumphs.
"8 years... Has it been that long?"
His thoughts were heavy as he stared at his soggy cereal, the spoon slowly sinking deeper into the bowl. Despite the passage of time, the weight of his past still felt fresh in his mind.
Memories of being bullied and abandoned by his classmates for something he had no control over - Awakening.
Being Awakened was not a privilege, but a norm. Nearly everyone in the world had received some form of enlightenment since the appearance of dungeons all over the globe.
However, Hades was different. He was the only recorded person in the entire region of Zarsia who had not received any form of Awakening.
This made him a target of bullying and discrimination, but also filled him with a sense of isolation and loneliness. He couldn't help but wonder what was different about him and why he was left out of this phenomenon.
He had a hard time coming to terms with his lack of Awakening and often felt left out of in the world. But with time, he learned to accept his uniqueness and make the most out of it by passing his final exams to increase his chances to be student at Zenith Institute of Magical Arts & Science (ZIMAS), the most prestigious magic university, that may at least give him a pathway to a career that he may enjoy and be useful asset towards Zarsia.
As he recalls about his past, a small grin appeared on his face, knowing that his days of suffering were over.
He finally could move on and start living his life seeking a purpose and a goal in mind. However, the day isn't over yet as the clock struck eight.
"Oh shit, I'm going to be late for school."
He quickly grabbed his bag and rushed out the door, his thoughts shifting from his past struggles to the present reality of being late for school.
He knew that being tardy would only lead to more unwanted attention and possibly more bullying. He picked up his pace, determined to make it to school on time and start a new day with a clear mind and a positive attitude.