As I entered the school, I noticed Ryder, Jake, and Max following closely behind Lumina. I wondered, "Why is he following her? What's this all about?"
I kept on wondering "Is he trying to get Lumina so he can get me or trap me."
I then decided to just observed what was going on or what is about to happen.
I scanned the courtyard, heading to class amidst the lively chatter and laughter. Minutes ticked by, and recess began. Students flooded the courtyard, chatting and playing. That's when I spotted Lumina sitting beside me, a warm smile on her face.
I thought to myself, "Didn't I tell her not to come near me in school? She's just going to end up lonely by sitting near me."
Just then, Ryder approached, his charming smile masking underlying intentions. "Hey, Lumina, it's me, Ryder. I thought, since you're new, I'd show you around." Ryder turned to me, his smile twisting. "Right, Aster?"
I didn't mind Ryder, I just remained quiet trying to observe what he is up to now.
My eyes narrowed. Lumina placed her head down, then rose up, her voice shy. "Later, Ryder. I want to spend time with Aster."
Ryder's smile faltered. In his thoughts, he seethed, "What, did she just reject me? No one in this school has rejected my opinion before... She's supposed to be happy because I'm the one taking her. This is her once-in-a-lifetime chance."
Jake and Max stepped forward, their postures menacing. "Watch your mouth, little one," Jake sneered. Max added, "Yeah, no one neglects his opinion. Who do you think you are?"
Lumina's voice trembled slightly. "But... I want to be with Aster right now."
Ryder raised his hand, silencing his companions. "Enough, boys. Let her be."
I stood up, my gaze locking onto Ryder's. "If she doesn't want to go, so be it. Who are you guys to force someone to do something they don't want to?"
The surrounding students gathered, sensing a confrontation.
Mrs. Everwood, our teacher, approached. "Alright, students! Recess is over. Let's head back to class."
She then spotted the students surrounding Ryder and I. Then all the departed going to their classes.
Ryder and I still standing tall looking at each other. Ryder then smiled which made me realize he has some evil intentions planned for me. Ryder then went with his boys Jake and Max.
Lumina asked, "Aster, what's going on between you and Ryder?"
My eyes clouded. "It's complicated. Just stay away from him."
Lumina nodded, her brow furrowed in concern. And i went to my classroom
After school, Ryder, Jake, and Max intervened as we were leaving. "Let's walk together, shall we?" Ryder suggested, his smile charming.
Lumina hesitated. "I'd rather not."
Ryder's smile faltered, but he quickly recovered. "I sincerely apologize for my mistake earlier. Forcing you wasn't right."
Lumina's gaze softened. "I'll only forgive you if you apologize to Aster."
I stood quietly, observing Ryder's reaction.
With a forced smile, Ryder turned to me. "I also sincerely apologize to you, Aster."
I couldn't help but laugh, my tone mocking. "Hahahaha!"
Ryder's eyes narrowed.
My expression turned serious. "Look at you now, the one who calls himself the strong one. The strong one apologizing to the weak, meanwhile the weak didn't do anything."
Ryder's fist clenched, his thoughts raging.
Lumina intervened, her voice calm. "I think we can put this behind us. Ryder has apologized."
Ryder's smile returned, genuine this time. "So we can walk together now?"
Lumina nodded. "Yeah, we can."
As we walked, Ryder thought, "Perfect. This is the chance I need to regain control."
My eyes never left Ryder's face, my expression unreadable.
Ryder, Jake, and Max lagged behind, their whispers carrying on the wind.
"Aster thinks he's won," Ryder muttered.
"You have something in mind, don't you?" Jake asked.
Ryder's smile spread like a shadow. "Yeah, I do."
Max nodded. "You have the courage to go there and tell them what you want to do. We're rooting for you every step of the way."
Emboldened by his friends' encouragement, Ryder quickened his pace, catching up to Lumina and me.
"Aster, let's have a fight," Ryder said, his voice low and menacing.
My eyes widened. "Is he joking?"
But Ryder's expression remained deadpan.
"Nooo, I won't," I replied firmly.
Ryder's eyes flashed with determination. "It can't end like this."
He took a step closer, his voice dripping with malice. "Are you scared?"
I stood firm, but Ryder's words struck a chord. I just couldn't allow him to call me a bully otherwise he will still be after me.
"Let's fight," I said finally, agreeing him.
Ryder's smile twisted into evilness. "Great."
"I know a place we can fight. Follow me."
We arrived at an abandoned lot, surrounded by crumbling walls and broken wooden fences. The air thickened with an eerie silence, punctuated only by the faint whisper of wind through the broken structures.
"This is the place," Ryder announced, his eyes glinting in the fading light. "Lumina, stay close."
Lumina nodded, her eyes wide with fear.
Ryder sneered. "She's not going anywhere. She's our witness."
Jake and Max emerged from the shadows, their faces twisted into cruel grins.
"Let's get this fight started," Jake growled.
I steeled myself, ready to protect Lumina at all costs.
"Lumina, stay behind me," I whispered.
Lumina nodded, her hand grasping my arm.
Ryder cracked his knuckles. "You think you're tough? Let's see how long you last."
I clenched my fists, my heart pounding. This was it. I had to defend myself and Lumina.
"You're not going to bully me or Lumina again," I declared.
Ryder snarled. "We'll see about that."
Ryder and I faced off, three walls lined up before each of us. Ryder's eyes gleamed with confidence. "This is perfect," Ryder whispered, his voice dripping with malice. "I'll shame you as the weakling you are."
I remained impassive. "You see these walls?" Ryder gestured. "Let's break them. Show me what you're made of."
Ryder's magic, Augmented Physiology, coursed through his veins. A purple aura enveloped his arm as he activated his ability. "Aaaargh!" Ryder's fist connected with the first wall, shattering it. The subsequent walls crumbled under the reverberations.
Jake and Max applauded, their voices echoing through the abandoned lot. "That's our Ryder! That's our Ryder!" they chimed in unison, repeating their praise.
Ryder turned to me, his smile taunting. "Can you do that?"
My response was calm. "Yes, I can."
Ryder snorted. "Oh, really? What can a non-magic user do?"
I sighed, my eyes flashing with determination. "I'll show you."
With a swift punch, I shattered the first wall. Then punched the next two walls which fell under my bare fists, I used my same right hand to punch all three walls which caused blood dripping from my knuckles.
Ryder's grin faltered. "Damn, that's not bad for a non-magic user." He clapped, his applause slow and deliberate. "Wow, that's not bad for someone like you."
Lumina watched, concern etched on her face. She whispered, "Aster....
I remained silent, my chest heaving with exertion.
Ryder's expression twisted into a snarl. "You think you're worthy of fighting me? I'll show you what true strength looks like."
"I'm ready," I said, my voice low and steady.
Ryder's eyes narrowed. "You're quite confident for someone about to get destroyed."
My gaze didn't waver. "I've been waiting for this."
I stood firm, unwavering as Ryder charged. Ryder's augmented physiology fueled his speed and strength, the purple aura enveloping his body.
Our fingers touched, producing a resounding "Thud."
Ryder's eyes widened. "You kept up with my speed? Impressive."
My gaze turned icy, my voice commanding. "Let's end this."
The air crackled with magic as we pushed against each other, creating a medium-sized hole in the ground.
Ryder stumbled backward, shocked. "How... You're a non-magic user competing with my full-power magic?"
My determination intensified. "Let's finish this."
With lightning-fast movements, I delivered a hard punch to Ryder's face, followed by a swift knee strike.
Ryder's nose bled as he stumbled.
I landed a powerful punch to his stomach, as ge was falling to the ground he yelled in pain "Aaargh." sending Ryder crashing to the ground. It felt like I conquered an enemy who thought he was above me but now, I will make him pay.
Stepping on Ryder's face, I declared, "Since I started training, you've never been, and never will be, a match for me."
"Learn to face the truth," I continued. "I'm no longer a weakling."
"Powerless, weakling, failure... Your words don't affect me," I asserted.
"I'll achieve unparalleled success, proving you all wrong."
Lumina whispered to herself beamed with excitement as if watching a show, "Believe in yourself, Aster. You're strong."
Jake and Max watched in awe.
Jake whispered, "Is this real? Ryder, beaten?"
Max replied, "We must ensure Ryder wins."
Ryder's face twisted in rage, his eyes blazing with humiliation.
My foot pressed harder on Ryder's face. "You should have stayed out of my way."
As I pressed even harder it felt like a dream come true, a dream where I stood above my enemies.
Lumina's whisper grew louder. Even though she was excited that i had conquered Ryder "Aster, stop. You've proven your point."
My gaze flicked to Lumina, my expression still cold and menacing.
Jake and Max exchanged nervous glances.
"We can't let Ryder lose," Jake muttered.
Max nodded. "Time to intervene."
As Max stepped forward, my eyes went cold.
"Stay back," I warned.
Ryder struggled to free himself, but my grip remained firm.
Ryder's face turned beet red, his eyes bulging with anger and desperation.
My gaze never wavered, my foot pressing down harder.
As I continued to step on Ryder's face, Jake and Max decided to intervene.
"Time to put an end to this," Jake whispered to Max.
"Agreed," Max replied, cracking his knuckles.
Lumina, sensing their intentions, swiftly moved in.
"Wait, don't!" Lumina exclaimed, her voice low and urgent.
Jake ignored her warning.
"Shadow form!" he shouted, activating his magic.
Two shadows of him materialized beside him, one on each side.
Lumina sprang into action.
"Sorry, Jake!" she said with a mischievous smile.
Lumina's leg connected with Jake's groin or balls, sending him crashing to the ground. The shadows dissipated instantly.
Max snarled, "You little pest!" He raised his palm, facing Lumina. "You shouldn't have interfered."
"Ignis!" Max shouted, unleashing a massive flame (fire).
I warned Lumina, "Watch out!" I then let my guard down removing my leg from Ryder's face.
Ryder grasped my leg, holding me back.
The flame engulfed Lumina, but when the smoke cleared, she stood unscathed. Her school uniform remained pristine, untouched by the flames.
Max's eyes widened. "What the...?!"
He tried again, but this time used both hands. "Ignis!"
The result remained the same – Lumina untouched. Lumina herself didn't know how she is doing that since she can't control her magic ability but she enjoyed it.
Lumina chuckled. "You'll never catch up."
With a swift "Whoosh," she closed the distance between them. Max didn't stand a chance. Lumina's kick connected with his groin or balls, sending him crashing down.
Ryder pushed me, breaking free. Lumina rushed to help, but I signaled her to stop.
"I've got this," I said, determination etched on my face. "This is between Ryder and me."
Ryder smiled, accepting the challenge. "Bring it on."
As evening descended, Ryder and I faced off once more.
"I'm running out of magic energy," Ryder whispered, frustration etched on his face.
With a fierce determination, Ryder charged forward, his purple-infused arms and legs glowing.
I matched Ryder's intensity, our fists colliding in a resounding "Boom."
Ryder gritted his teeth. "Who are you?"
My silence was deafening.
Ryder snarled, "You think ignoring me will do you any good? Take this!" His punch aimed for my face, but I countered, catching Ryder's fist.
My grip tightened, and I gave him a knee strike to his chin, sending him stumbling. Blood trickled from Ryder's mouth as I spun him into the abandoned building.
The door shattered, and Ryder crashed inside.
I stood outside, still silent.
Ryder's panicked whisper echoed within the abandoned building. "It was a mistake... messing with him."
He collapsed to the ground, memories flooding back.
"Before school, I was weak... never strong," Ryder began, his voice cracking. "My dad hated me for it. Anything I did, he'd beat me." Ryder's eyes moistened. "Only Mom supported me. When Dad wasn't around, I'd help her, talk to her."
His voice turned venomous. "But as we grew closer, Dad beat her too." Tears streamed down Ryder's face. "I hated Dad. For Mom, I trained, harnessing my augmented physiology." Ryder's voice broke. "Mom supported me, even when I was hungry or thirsty."
Memories overwhelmed him. "As I learned to harness my magic, Dad watched, proud of me." Ryder's gaze hardened. "I hated myself for being weak... and others for being weak, including me."
Ryder's words hung in the air, followed by an uncomfortable silence. I entered the abandoned building, my presence startling Ryder.
Ryder's eyes snapped open, fear gripping his heart. I noticed Ryder's tears and asked, "Are you crying?"
Ryder hastily wiped away his tears. "No, I'm not crying! Who said I was crying? Are you crazy?"
I wondered if I had pushed Ryder too hard.
"Do you want to continue fighting or give up?" I asked.
Ryder hesitated, then said, "It's late. We can't fight by this time. No one won."
I smiled inwardly. "I guess I won."
"You're right, it is late," I said. "We should head home."
I suddenly panicked remembering my parents are waiting for me. "I'll be in trouble if I'm late!"
I rushed outside, grasping Lumina's hand. "Hurry, let's go! Mom and Dad will complain."
As we rushed home through the darkening streets, Lumina asked, "What's the excuse this time?"
"I'll think of one," I replied.
Lumina replied back "You better have a proper excuse for this.
Upon entering our home, Mom confronted us, her anger palpable. "Where have you been? Why are you so late?" she demanded.
I thought quickly. "Umm... Mom, I had to—"
Mom interrupted, her aura flaring with annoyance. "Don't lie to me."
I swallowed hard. "Well, I had to help with something in class... and Lumina needed a school tour since she's new."
Lumina supported my story. "It's true, Mom."
Mom raised an eyebrow. "That's a weird excuse, Aster. Don't lie to me."
Dad intervened, calming the situation. "Let's hear them out. Lumina is new, and Aster would need to show her around."
Mom relented. "Alright, I believe you."
As she headed to the kitchen, Lumina excused herself to change her uniform.
I grinned at Dad. "Thanks, Dad."
Dad smiled back. "Anytime, son."
We shared a knowing handshake.
Meanwhile, Ryder trudged alongside Jake and Max, his battered body aching.
"Aaargh, my balls!" Max groaned, clutching his groin. "All because of that brat."
"Darn, don't think you're alone," Jake said, chuckling. "Lumina got me good too."
Ryder's thoughts drifted to his own injuries. "I'm recovering slowly, thanks to my augmented physiology magic. I'll be back to normal by tomorrow."
"This is it, guys. You should head home," Ryder said.
Jake and Max exchanged nervous glances.
"Yeah, our parents will kill us if we're late," Jake said.
"Especially Mom," Max added. "She's been on my case lately."
Ryder nodded. "Go, I'll be fine. I just need some rest."
Jake and Max bid Ryder farewell and headed home.
As Ryder walked, his mind replayed our fight.
"Why did I underestimate him? I won't make that mistake again."
Determination burned within him.
"I'll surpass Aster, no matter what it takes. And I'll make him pay."
Ryder's eyes narrowed.
"I'll train harder, master my magic, and crush him next time."
His resolve solidified.
"Aster, you've made a powerful enemy today."
Ryder's voice was barely above a whisper, but his conviction was clear.
The darkness seemed to echo with his vow.
....
I knew that this wasn't the end.
Ryder would return, stronger and more determined.
And I would be ready.