Null Ascendant: The Rise of the Powerless
“Hey, Null!” a voice called out. He didn’t look up. He knew who it was—Kael, one of the most obnoxious Gifted kids in the school. Kael sauntered over, a smirk on his face. “What’s the point of you even being here? You’re just taking up space.”
Andy kept his eyes on his desk. “I’m here to learn, same as you.”
Kael laughed. “Learn what? How to be useless?” He flicked his hand, and a small flame appeared in his palm. “See this? This is power. You’ll never have it.”
Andy clenched his fists under the desk but said nothing. Arguing would only make it worse.
The teacher walked in, and Kael backed off, but not before shoving Andy’s desk hard enough to knock his books to the floor. He sighed and bent down to pick them up.
No one helped him.
---
The class dragged on. The teacher droned about mana theory, something Andy found fascinating but couldn’t use. He took notes anyway, scribbling down every detail. Maybe, if he understood how mana worked, he could find a way to level the playing field.
“Andy,” the teacher called out, snapping him out of his thoughts. “Can you explain the difference between mana infusion and mana manipulation?”
He hesitated. He knew the answer, but he also knew what would happen if he got it right. The Gifted kids hated when he showed them up.
“Mana infusion is the process of embedding mana into an object,” he said quietly. “Manipulation is controlling mana directly.”
The teacher nodded. “Correct. Good job, Andy.”
Kael snorted. “Big deal. He can memorize a textbook. Doesn’t mean he can actually *do* anything.”
Andy ignored him, focusing on his notes. He didn’t need Kael’s approval. He didn’t need anyone’s.
---
Lunch was worse. He sat alone at a corner table, eating the stale sandwich he’d packed that morning. He could hear the laughter from the other tables, where the Gifted kids sat, showing off their abilities. One girl was levitating her lunch tray, making it spin in the air. Another boy was creating tiny ice sculptures on the table.
He ignored them, focusing on his food. But Kael wasn’t done with him.
“Hey, Null!” He shouted, walking over with his friends. “You know what’s funny? You’re so weak, you can’t even defend yourself. What happens if a monster attacks? You’ll just die, right?”
Andy didn’t look up. “I’ll figure something out.”
