Chapter 6: A Secret
She hurried outside with a sense of urgency to promptly inform the principal.
Due to her habit of registering the names of individuals who take tests or participate in other activities, she was able to identify the particular class and students who arrived earlier. Additionally, even without the register, her familiarity with the students enabled her to recognize them easily.
In a swift manner, she made her way to several classrooms and quickly informed the respective teachers to permit the students whom she had brought along with her to take the test.
She conveniently omitted Zain from the list as she had noticed his distress earlier and wanted to ensure that he received appropriate care and rest. Besides, if the two students were not responsible for the incident, it would logically point towards Zain as the possible culprit. Therefore, she deemed it best to excuse him from the test.
They were filled with curiosity and anticipation as they were summoned unexpectedly, presuming that it must be something significant that required their immediate attention.
She proceeded to request them to touch the orb, in order to determine if it was indeed responsible for the observed reaction.
Complying with her instructions, all of them obediently touched the orb, but to their dismay, no glow was observed. In an effort to confirm the outcome, she asked them to repeat the process, yet the result remained unchanged.
"Hm, that's weird..." she muttered to herself, while the two students gazed at her in bewilderment, their eyes fixed upon her for a prolonged moment.
"Alright students, you may return to your respective classes for now. I will get in touch with you again at a later time," she informed them in a composed manner.
Acknowledging her instructions with a nod of their heads, the students promptly exited the room and departed for their own classes.
She let out a deep sigh and muttered, "It seems my suspicions were accurate... Zain..." with a tinge of disappointment in her voice.
'It is highly likely that this is the first instance in history where someone has activated a black-colored blessing,' she speculated with a sense of wonder and amazement in her tone.
A sense of apprehension crept over her as she contemplated the implications of a black-colored blessing.
Throughout history, black has been associated with ominous and foreboding connotations, often viewed as a harbinger of ill-fate and misfortune. Even in the heavens, it was considered taboo and shrouded in mystery. This realization only heightened her anxiety.
'Hmm, I must inform the principal about Zain,' she thought to herself, but then recollected that Zain had expressed his desire to keep his abilities a secret.
Her innate kindness and genuine concern for Zain's well-being compelled her to carefully weigh her options before taking any action that could potentially cause him harm.
She knew that revealing his involvement in the incident to the principal could put him in a vulnerable position, which is why she resolved to approach the matter with utmost sensitivity.
Despite her strong sense of duty and loyalty to her school, her empathy and compassion towards her students always took precedence, and she remained committed to safeguarding their best interests at all times.
She let out a deep sigh, contemplating the situation with a heavy heart.
"I understand your desire to keep your abilities a secret, Zain, but I must confirm with my own eyes whether or not you truly possess them," she stated firmly, yet with a hint of compassion in her voice, conveying her determination to get to the bottom of the situation while still acknowledging his concerns.
Despite her suspicions, she acknowledged that there was still a possibility that the hair might not have belonged to Zain, and she did not want to jump to conclusions without concrete evidence.
She knew that it was essential to confirm his involvement through a DNA report before taking any further action. Fortunately, the school's facilities included a mandatory DNA analysis as part of the awakeners test, which meant that obtaining the report would be a straightforward process.
The issue was that she lacked the necessary authorization to access the DNA reports directly. The only way for her to obtain the information would be to send the hair sample to the facility for testing.
However, doing so would run the risk of revealing the existence of the black light, something that she was not prepared to risk. She knew that this was a delicate situation that required careful handling, and that any misstep could have serious consequences for Zain.
After careful consideration, she realized that there was no easy solution to the situation.
Ultimately, she decided to dispose of the strand of hair and keep her suspicions to herself. She convinced herself that the hair had indeed belonged to Zain, and resolved to protect his secret at all costs.
While she knew that this was not the ideal resolution, she also understood that sometimes the right choice is not the easiest one.
MEANWHILE...
Zain knocked softly on the door and slowly pushed it open.
The teacher was caught off guard when Zain suddenly appeared in the classroom again, and couldn't help but ask, "Zain, what brings you back so soon?" His tone was laced with surprise, as he hadn't expected him to return so quickly.
"Well, I was feeling alright so I decided to return..."
The teacher didn't inquire further and simply instructed Zain to take his seat. Zain quietly complied and started making his way to his desk.
As Zain made his way to his desk, he couldn't help but feel the eyes of his classmates on him. He could sense their curiosity and whispered comments about his appearance, but he tried his best to ignore them.
Some were laughing at him while others were making snide remarks, but Zain knew better than to let their words affect him.
Also, the students too tried their best to prevent themselves from speaking loudly, as they didn't want Zain from knowing their thoughts.
Zain looked frail and weak, as if he had not eaten in days. His gaunt appearance made him an easy target for bullies, who took advantage of his vulnerable state and tormented him relentlessly.
It didn't matter to him. He would have returned to his seat peacefully, however, as he was walking, his foot caught on something, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground with a thud.
His teacher was about to ask Zain if he was alright when suddenly, another teacher who was passing by saw the scene through the window.
The teacher stormed into the classroom and shouted at him, "ZAIN!? DO YOU THINK THIS IS A CIRCUS!?".
Zain was taken aback by the sudden outburst and didn't know how to respond. The other students in the class were also startled and looked at each other in confusion.
Zain's classmate had deliberately placed his leg in his path as he walked to his seat, hoping to make him stumble and embarrass himself.
Unfortunately, Zain didn't see it and as a result, he tripped and fell. Or rather, he saw it clearly, but decided to go along with the whims of the child.
The person who had placed his leg in front of Zain was a latecomer who had just arrived in the class and was unaware of the incident that had occurred earlier.
Regardless…
Despite Zain's attempts to explain what had happened, the teacher refused to listen and instead placed the blame solely on him. The rest of his classmates, who usually laughed at him, remained silent out of fear. However, the one student who had caused Zain to trip laughed without restraint, finding humor in his misfortune.
Zain felt helpless as the teacher refused to listen to his explanation, leaving him with no choice but to comply with her orders.
He left the classroom silently, not wanting to cause any further disturbance, and gently closed the door behind him.
Zain muttered under his breath, "Of course, it's all part of their plan. She never wanted me to attend the class in the first place." He noticed her exchange a knowing wink with the boy who tripped him, confirming his suspicions.
'What a pain…'
'I hope that the class ends as soon as possible.'
He gritted his teeth, feeling angry and frustrated, but managed to control his emotions and waited patiently outside the classroom until the period was over. As the other students streamed out, he saw the teacher who had punished him emerge from another classroom, striding past him with a smug look on her face.
Zain's eyes narrowed as he watched the teacher approach him. Without warning, she hurled a barrage of insults at him, calling him a dog born from a bitch and insisting that he was powerless. "Shut the fuck up and be a bottom feeder, a slave," she spat, before turning on her heel and storming away.
A punch. A single punch.
Zain had the impulse to punch the teacher straight in the face, which could have caused her to fall into a coma, but he managed to control his anger and refrained from doing so.
He didn't want the matter to escalate any further, at least, not for now.