The sun shone on the schoolyard, but Akio didn't notice it. All he felt was the heat of Kevin's words raining down on him.
"There he is, the little boy without a dad. Still miss him?"
Akio stopped, trying to steady his breathing. But Kevin's grin made it impossible to ignore the anger rising within him.
"Stop it."
"Oh, the crybaby can talk!" Kevin stepped closer. "What are you going to do? Call your mommy? Or just start crying again?"
Akio wanted to respond, but the words caught in his throat. He clenched his fists and stared at the ground.
"Just stop," he muttered.
"Why should I?" Kevin laughed. "You're such an easy target. Always weak, always alone."
Suddenly, Akio felt something heavy rise within him—a suffocating feeling he couldn't suppress. The world around him seemed to shift, as if everything became quieter and farther away. Kevin's voice sounded distorted, yet it pierced through.
"You're nothing without your dad. Maybe he was just glad to get rid of you."
Akio's head snapped up, his eyes blazing.
"Don't say that."
Kevin smirked. "What? The truth hurts, doesn't it?"
Akio took a step forward. Kevin backed away—not out of fear, but surprise. But suddenly, Kevin stopped moving. His feet felt heavy, as though the ground was pulling him down.
"What…?" Kevin looked at his legs, which seemed stuck, sluggish. "What's happening?"
"Stop it!" Akio's voice was loud but not directed at Kevin. It was as if he were speaking to something else—perhaps to himself.
"Why should I stop?" Kevin's words faltered, and he stumbled, his balance slipping. "You're… a freak."
Then it came. The voice. A whisper that cut through Akio's thoughts like an echo.
"He deserves it."
Akio froze. His heart raced, but he couldn't look away. The voice was calm, familiar, like his own conviction speaking back to him.
"You know he deserves this. Don't hold back."
Akio blinked. His hands trembled, but he raised them slowly. Kevin staggered as if invisible hands were pressing him down.
"Akio, let him go!" Auron's voice broke through, but Akio didn't respond. The voice in his head grew louder, clearer.
"Show him he can't hurt you anymore. Show him what it means to be weak."
Kevin collapsed to the ground. Akio stepped over him, grabbed Kevin by the collar, and squeezed.
"Stop it. Do you hear me? You stop now!"
Kevin's eyes widened as he gasped for air. The other children stood frozen, unable to move. The air around them felt heavy, as if something invisible was weighing them all down.
"Yes," the voice whispered. "That's it. Show him who you are."
"Akio, let him go!" Auron stepped closer but hesitated. Something unseen held him back.
"Do it," the voice urged. "He humiliated you, over and over. Let him feel it."
Akio's grip tightened. Kevin tried to scream, but no sound came out. Akio could only hear the voice.
"Akio!"
Mrs. Wirsing's voice shattered the whispers in Akio's mind. He blinked, his hands loosening. Kevin fell to the ground, gasping for breath. Akio stumbled back, as if waking from a nightmare.
"What… what just happened?" Akio stared at his trembling hands. Kevin's friends rushed to help him up, their eyes fixed on Akio—filled with fear and confusion.
Mrs. Wirsing stepped forward, her voice sharp. "Akio, what have you done?"
Akio looked at her, his eyes full of confusion and fear.
"I… I didn't mean to. I… it wasn't my fault. He said…" Akio struggled for words before finally whispering, "He told me to."
"Who?" Mrs. Wirsing asked, bewildered.
"Him. He told me to do it," Akio mumbled.
"Akio, there was no one else here. No one said anything," Mrs. Wirsing replied, but Akio shook his head.
"He was here. Maybe you didn't hear him, but I did!"
Mrs. Wirsing glanced around, but none of the students confirmed Akio's words. Lirien and Auron exchanged worried glances. They had never seen Akio like this before.
Mrs. Wirsing decided to send Kevin to the infirmary. Akio and the remaining students were questioned, but the details remained unclear. Kevin recovered after a while, but both boys were excluded from all school activities for the rest of the year. A restraining order was placed between them, and Akio's mother received a letter asking her to take him to a mage physician. The reason was unclear to Akio, but the request deeply unsettled his mother.
The remaining school days were calm, but the class eagerly anticipated their big theater production. The students had worked long and hard on it. With the help of their parents, the stage was built, and magical technologies brought the fantastical worlds of the play to life. But Akio and Kevin were now mere spectators.
Sophie, playing the role of the princess's great love, had mixed feelings. She had wanted to see Akio on stage but knew he wasn't allowed to participate.
"Maybe one day," she thought, preparing to go on stage.
For Sophie's uncle, the seasoned reporter Dimitrios Dinos, this was the perfect opportunity to give his niece the spotlight she deserved. "Oh Sophie, you'll be a star," he murmured proudly, adjusting his camera.
The play was meant to be a triumph, a symbol of the class's farewell to their shared time together. But for Akio, it was a bittersweet moment, one that opened the door to a new phase in his life, as the voice in his mind remained quiet yet undeniably present.