Erik stepped into the classroom, feeling the shift in the usual atmosphere. The vibe of indifference from his classmates had morphed into something else—curiosity.
It was like he'd become the main character in their high school drama, and all because of Amber.
Erik had been the invisible guy all his life, the one they'd throw shade at or just ignore. But now, heads turned, and eyes followed him, all because of some rumor.
"Erik," a kid asked. "Is it true you're dating Amber?"
Another classmate jumped in, adding fuel to the rumor mill. "Yeah, we saw you and her coming inside; rumors are spreading about you two."
Erik didn't like all this attention. For many reasons, the most important one was because these came for the wrong reasons.
They didn't want to know about him; they wanted to know about Amber. Once again, there was no one interested in him. Not that he wanted them to care. He hated them.
Questions started flying at Erik. It was overwhelming and, frankly, kind of annoying.
He walked to his desk, giving off a vibe that said, 'I couldn't care less about your questions.'
"Stop ignoring us!"
Erik felt his cool slipping.
No way. That was crossing a line.
"Weren't you the ones ignoring me until just a week ago? Why the sudden change of heart?"
"C'mon, don't be an asshole. Just spill it."
Erik's fist crashed down onto his desk. "Listen up, you little shits. I don't owe you a thing. I can do whatever I want, and you've got no right to butt into my business. So shut the hell up and back off, or you'll regret it."
"Don't think you're all that just because you've got some new power, trash! I could take you down with my eyes closed!"
"Wanna bet?" He shot back, standing up.
The tension in the room escalated. Everyone watched, wondering what the reserved young man would do next.
Another classmate approached Lucas, the one who just threatened Erik.
"He beat Logan, Conal, and Orson alone. You are only going to hurt yourself."
Lucas dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "I'm not like those losers. I could wipe the floor with this shit."
Erik walked straight up to Lucas, locking eyes with him. The other students moved back.
A girl from the class broke the silence. "What's wrong with you?! We just asked a question! Aren't you overreacting?"
Erik's patience reached its limit. He turned his gaze towards the girl. "I'm telling you for the last time. Stop bothering me, or you'll regret it."
"Alright, guys, let's give it a rest. Leave him alone…"
The situation settled down with the arrival of the teacher. Despite the lingering stares and whispers, Erik shifted his focus to the lesson.
As the day ended, Erik left the classroom and headed out of the building. On his way, he ran into Gwen, Floyd, and Amber.
After informing them of his plans to go to work, they headed to the cafeteria while he set off for his job, leaving the day's dramas and the bewildered gazes of his classmates behind.
Erik hurried out of the school building, checking his watch as he rushed to catch his train. He didn't see the three figures lurking in the shadows—Logan, Conal, and Orson watched his every move, waiting.
Students exited the school building in an orderly stream, moving away from their classrooms.
They moved along the driveway toward the main road, some heading to the floating cars in the parking area, while others walked.
Erik moved through the crowd, focused on his destination. Behind him, Logan, Conal, and Orson followed at a distance, watching his every move.
They waited for the right moment, when Erik would be alone. As soon as he stepped away from the crowd and the safety of the school environment, the trio seized their opportunity.
"Get him!"
Without warning, Conal, Logan, and Orson attacked Erik from behind. The ambush was coordinated and efficient, leaving Erik defenseless. A strike to his head sent him crashing to the ground. The first strike, and the most important.
The three attackers unleashed a barrage of kicks and punches, striking with precise brutality. Their verbal abuse cut through the air alongside their physical assault, methodically breaking down Erik's resistance.
Logan, in the meantime, while Erik was defenseless and, most importantly, not under the watchful eyes of the teachers, threw a paralyzing dart at him, making the younger man unable to react at all.
"You're pathetic, Erik!"
"Thought you could stand up to us? What a joke!" Conal landed another hit.
"Look at him, can't even fight back. What a loser!"
Their words were as vicious as their actions. They took turns mocking his helplessness, ridiculing his past struggles, and laughing at his inability to retaliate.
Erik was unable to respond or defend himself. Logan's mana coursing through his body. But his mind… His mind reeled from the physical pain. Rage was mounting.
The deserted street around them seemed to amplify the sounds of the attack and their cruel laughter, creating a disturbing scene of aggression and dominance.
Caught in a whirlwind of panic and pain, Erik's mind raced with options. He could try to retaliate by channeling mana, but the only thing he could use was the Venomous mana Quills. Those would kill the three bastards and expose his third power.
He couldn't move, so he couldn't even fight. By now, Erik was much stronger than the three, at least if they didn't get more neural links.
In a flash of clarity, Erik connected to his phone using the biological supercomputer. He started recording the assault, hoping to capture evidence of the attack and use it somehow.
However, Erik knew all too well the futility of seeking help from the authorities. Bullying was more than just a problem in schools; it was a systemic issue.
Erik recalled his past attempts to seek justice. He asked the teachers and the police multiple times, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.
But the thought quickly dissipated.
He was on his own in this fight. It was him against the world.
Pinned to the ground, Erik channeled mana into his arms and legs, activating the sharpening brain crystal power. His body responded, muscles tensing with the infusion of energy as they became akin to blades themselves. Hoping to stop them from attacking by turning sharp.
They would injure themselves if they kept doing it.
"He's channeling mana!"
"Let me take care of it."
Without hesitation, Logan reacted. He mirrored Erik's action, channeling his own mana again.
This time, Logan sent a venom that would inflict pain. He hoped Erik would suffer so much as to disrupt his mana channeling.
It did. Erik's flow of energy got disrupted.
Erik realized in that moment that these three would never stop tormenting him.
This attack shattered that illusion that he had achieved something in the cafeteria.
Conal then transformed part of his body, showcasing his rare shapeshifting ability. He chose the form of a lion.
The beating was getting more brutal as time passed.
He struck Erik with his lion-clawed arm, leaving five deep gashes. Orson extended a sharp bone from his forearm and drove it into Erik's left shoulder.
Erik was overwhelmed with anger. His anger was not just directed at the three boys, but also at the circumstances. He was still weak.
"Enough," Conal said. "We don't want to kill him."
"Yeah, but I'm not done yet!" Logan said, delivering more kicks to Erik's stomach.
He then got close to Erik's face, his fists raining down on him with brutal force. Each punch left Erik's face more bruised and bloodied. In just five minutes, Erik was recognizable.
"You were lucky we didn't use our powers in the cafeteria... Remember, Erik, this is the difference between us." Logan's words were cold and menacing.
Darkness then enveloped Erik.