Jaden and his mum drove home, the atmosphere heavy with tension. Jaden sat with his face resting on his fist, his expression stoic as he stared blankly out of the car window. His mind was racing with a thousand thoughts, but he couldn't find the words to express them.
Lilian stole occasional glances at her son, her heartbreaking at the sight of him so distant and forlorn. She longed to comfort him, to make everything right again, but she didn't know how. Her mind was consumed with worry, and she felt helpless.
As they pulled up to their house, Jaden's shoulders slumped. He would rather not face his mother after what had happened. He headed straight for his room, hoping to shut out the world.
But before he could make it, he heard his mother's voice calling out to him. He stopped in his tracks, unsure of what to do. He didn't want to talk about it, but he also didn't want to hurt his mother's feelings.
Lilian approached him slowly, tentatively wrapping her arms around him from behind. She buried her face in his neck, whispering "I love you" into his ear. Her words were like a balm to Jaden's wounded soul, and he felt his eyes welling up with tears.
He broke free from her embrace and ran to his room, his heart heavy with emotion. Lilian stayed behind, tears streaming down her face as she watched her son disappear from view. She wished she could take away his pain, but all she could do was love him and hope that he would find the strength to carry on.
___
Jaden had been cooped up in his room for days now, he had refused to come out of his room, talk less of school.
He would only come out when Lilian called him for his meal.
He would eat silently, not saying a word to his mother
sometimes, he would eat a little of his food before leaving it, which was a rare sight since Jaden was an heavy eater.
Alex had come around to see his friend, but Jaden had refused to see him, not wanting to be a subject of pity.
Today, Jaden and his mother were seated quietly eating their meal. The tension in the room was palpable.
Lilian watched her son silently, her heart aching for him.
"You know you can't continue hiding in your room, right?" she said softly, her eyes pleading for her son to hear her.
Jaden didn't even bother to look at her, his eyes glued to his plate. The atmosphere in the room quite tense. His mother was about to speak again when Jaden suddenly snapped. "Mum, what do you want me to say?" he cried out, the pain in his voice raw and intense.
"You know what it's like out there, how am I supposed to show my face out there when I'm deemed useless" Jaden said, feeling a torrent of emotions rushes through him.
"You didn't know how it felt, mum. Standing in front of that crowd, the whole of Thalassia literally knows how useless I am." Jaden continued, his voice breaking.
"How am I supposed to fit in?" He asked as a tear rolled down his cheek.
Lilian was quiet for a while, making sure Jaden had poured out all his frustration.
"Jaden, you can't let the world validate you." she said, her words carrying a weight of wisdom that only a mother's love could bring.
Jaden looked up at his mother, trying to understand what she meant.
"Whatever you do, don't let the judgement of others affect you. Sure, you didn't awaken, but it doesn't make you useless. It only makes you different, that doesn't mean you can't be strong. Being physically weak isn't your fault, but when you're mentally weak… That's your fault" Lilian explained as she stood up from her sit, clearing the dining area.
Jaden sat in his seat pondering on his mother's words.
"If the world doesn't accept you, build your own" Lilian added before finally leaving Jaden alone in the dining area with his thoughts.
____
It was a normal day at school, with lectures going as usual. After the awakening ceremony, they had been an upgrade in the final year curriculum. Adding combat classes and elemental classes.
Despite the normalcy of the day, Alex struggled to focus on the lecture, his mind wandering to the absence of his friend, Jaden. Every so often, Alex would glance at Jaden's empty desk, a look of sadness etched on his face.
Alex had awakened as an Aura user, and seeing Jaden down there on the stage on that day, he felt his heart ache.
Jaden's case was quite rare. There were people out there who were unable to produce a core inside of them. But that was only due to their lineage.
Not all humans were able to feel nature's energy, hence unable to produce a core inside of them.
The population of this kind of human was quite low.
The reason Jaden's case was rare is that he's parents were a mixture of both elemental and aura users. So, it was expected that he would awaken either of the two. But the fact the was unable to awaken, was a mystery.
As the lecture continued, the classroom door suddenly creaked open, drawing the attention of the students. In walked Jaden, dressed in a black hoodie, with his backpack slung over his shoulder. His hands were tucked deep in his pockets as he stood in the doorway, surveying the room.
The class fell silent at his arrival, whispers spreading throughout the room. Miss Thompson greeted him warmly, instructing him to take his seat.
Jaden walked to his desk, his movements slow and deliberate, his eyes locked onto Alex's. He offered his friend a smile, and Alex responded with a bump of fists.
The rest of the class passed by in a blur, with everyone busy with their tasks. As the bell rang signaling the end of class, Alex turned to Jaden, his expression solemn.
"Are you okay, man?" Alex asked softly.
Jaden hesitated for a moment before replying, "Yeah, I'm fine."
Alex studied his friend's face for a moment. "I will always have your back, bro," he said reassuringly, placing a hand on Jaden's shoulder.
Jaden looked up at Alex, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Thanks, man," he said quietly.
Their conversation was cut short by the sound of Miss Thompson calling Jaden's name. As Jaden turned to face her, she beckoned him to her office. He nodded and headed towards the door.
Standing in front of Miss Thompson's door, Jaden hesitated for a moment before knocking twice. Her voice called out for him to come in, and he pushed open the door.
The office was spacious, with a large mahogany desk dominating the room. Miss Thompson sat behind the desk, shuffling through some papers.
"Have a seat, Jaden," she said, gesturing to the chairs opposite her.
Jaden sat down, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. He looked around the room, taking in the colorful decorations, before settling his gaze on Miss Thompson.
"Your scores are lagging, Jaden," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "You've missed a lot of assessments during your absence."
"I know, Miss Thompson," Jaden replied, his head hanging low.
"You'll be alright, Jaden," Miss Thompson said, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. "Even though you were unable to awaken, you'll still have to join the combat classes."
Jaden let out a humorless chuckle, the sound ringing hollow in the quiet office
"Where'd you get that dog tag you have on?" Miss Thompson suddenly asked.
"What?" Jaden responded confused.
Miss Thompson's question about the dog tag caught Jaden off guard, and he looked down at the metal pendant hanging from a chain around his neck.
"Where'd you get it" Miss Thompson asked once more, with a serious expression
"It's my dad's Why?"
"Jack Craig's your father?" Miss Thompson's eyes widened in realization.
***