A New Day

Chapter 3: A New Day

Zain descended the stairs and strode into the kitchen, where a small, circular table with three chairs awaited him.

Zain eagerly pulled out a chair and took a seat at the small, round table in the kitchen. His eyes lit up as he saw the delicious noodles prepared in front of him, but he couldn't ignore the bowl of fresh salad placed off to the side.

Zelia had clearly thought about his health and prepared the salad, hoping he would make the effort to eat some this time.

Zain devoured the noodles without any hesitation, his appetite seemingly insatiable. As he ate heartily, his mother watched him intently, picking at her own food.

Throughout the meal, Zain's mother's eyes remained fixated on him, her smile bearing a hint of sadness. 'Mother?' Zain asked, using the title he had rarely used before.

Zelia noticed the change, but didn't comment on it. "Ah, nothing. I just..." she trailed off, lost in thought as she reminisced about their happy past and how quickly Zain had grown.

"Son, your face...the scar...it's gone!" Zelia exclaimed in disbelief, her eyes widening with surprise. The words tumbled out of her mouth, jumbled and nonsensical, as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing.

She reached out a trembling hand and touched his face gently, as if to confirm that it was true.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she said, "Son, you don't have any scar." Overwhelmed with happiness, she didn't question the miracle, but Zain pointed out the truth.

"After last night, I discovered that I have healing powers," Zain told his mother as he finished eating. She stood up and hugged him in excitement, and he couldn't help but think to himself, "With time, I'll use my powers to heal the scars on her face and give her the happiness she deserves."

As Zain walked out of the house with his bag, his mother stood at the door, waving him goodbye and wishing him good luck. Once he was out of sight, she hurriedly made her way back inside and disappeared into her room.

Zain walked down the street, his mind consumed with thoughts of revenge. "It won't be easy," he muttered to himself, his face set in a determined expression.

Humans were more vicious and wicked than angels, and their family's low status made the task even more challenging. Fighting immature kids just to kill them wouldn't accomplish much other than venting his anger.

As he walked, his thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a towering structure that rose high into the sky, its peak shrouded in clouds.

'The Tower of Angels'

It dominated the skyline, its massive form towering above everything else. The pristine white exterior was adorned with intricate golden designs resembling musical notes, while bold red rings encircled each level. Even from miles away, it was impossible to miss its grandeur and majesty.

Zain's eyes burned with desire to rip apart the angels in heaven. "Only after climbing that tower can I have my revenge," he muttered under his breath, the words filled with determination.

The Tower of Angels:

It was a testament to the hierarchical system of the world. Each rank in society was based on the angels - an awakened human was known as an Earth Angel, a non-human awakened with intelligence was a Hell Angel, and those who lived as beasts or monsters were referred to as Monster Angels.

The system of rankings based on the term "angel" was oppressive, as it was created by the superior Heaven Angels who sought to maintain control and enforce a clear hierarchy. This left little room for those who didn't fit neatly into their categories, causing discrimination among the awakened beings.

The Tower of Angels promised great rewards, but the looming risk of death made Zain question why anyone would willingly seek their own demise.

The tower was the sole means for humans and other races to rapidly build their powers. Dungeons had also emerged across the world, but they were equally perilous. To fight the monsters in the dungeons, climbing the tower and claiming the rewards was a necessity.

Zain walked towards his high school, Rein Highschool for Angels, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of the tower. "This is where I study," he murmured to himself as he approached the school gates, through which a steady stream of students were entering.

Zain walked through the school gates, surrounded by students dressed in white shirts and brown pants. The girls wore skirts instead, and all of them wore blazers over their shirts.

As he walked past the students, he noticed the curious glances thrown his way. No one approached him, but he could sense the unspoken questions in their minds.

Zain's heart pounded fiercely, and a wave of blood rushed through his veins. His body was suddenly flooded with adrenaline, and he became acutely aware of his surroundings, his senses heightened.

The dirty white shirt that Zain wore, with visible footprints, only added to the mockery he faced from his peers.

Zain believed he had hidden his bullying ordeal from his mother, Zelia, but she already knew. However, instead of confronting him, she chose to respect his decision and offered him a supportive hug.

*gulp*

'No. Not again.'

Zain's throat constricted as he swallowed hard, his mind flashing back to memories of the past. The current situation mirrored those haunting moments, igniting a familiar fear within him. His body reacted with heightened alertness and sensitivity, causing his heart to race and his senses to sharpen.

He deftly handled the situation, quickly distancing himself from the mocking students and finding solace in the isolation of a nearby tree. Taking deep breaths, he managed to calm himself down and bring his heart rate back to normal.

"Even death couldn't rid me of this fear," he muttered to himself, a hint of resignation in his voice.

Zain took a moment to catch his breath and then turned his attention to the towering structure before him. Its pristine white exterior gleamed in the sunlight, contrasting sharply with the black lines etched into its surface at various intervals.

Without paying attention to the stares and whispers around him, Zain made his way to the main building's entrance and ascended the stairs to the first floor, where his third-class was located.

He walked briskly to his seat, the last one on the fourth row, near the window, and sat down without delay.

He slumped down on his desk, resting his head and closed his eyes. The prospect of working on his powers crossed his mind, but the risk of exposing them in a classroom full of students kept him from doing so. So, he decided to catch some sleep until class began.

As he dozed off, a group of girls and boys trickled into the classroom, their chatter adding to the cacophony of noise.

The boys were engrossed in discussions about their favorite games, while some of them boasted about their girlfriends.

Zain kept his eyes closed, trying to enjoy the breeze, but he couldn't due to the loud chatter of the boys discussing their games and girls. He was somewhat annoyed but kept pretending to sleep until he heard a familiar voice, which made him shiver yet again.

The bullies, whose presence sent chills down Zain's spine, barged into the classroom with a loud bang, drawing the attention of everyone.

Zain kept his face lowered, trying to ignore their presence, but their piercing gazes landed on him like daggers. Despite his attempts to remain invisible, he knew he was trapped like a prey caught in the hunter's trap.

While some girls chatted amongst themselves, they couldn't resist taking a jab at Zain as they watched him sleeping.

When he shifted slightly, one of the girls snickered, "Ha, he looks like a shrimp." The remark dripped with condescension, as if they were amused by his mere existence.

But surprisingly, another girl had a different reaction.

"Hold on, am I the only one who thinks he's kinda cute?" One girl spoke up, surprised by her own thoughts.

"Seriously, have you seen that scar on his face? No way he's handsome," the first girl said, grimacing and using her pencil to trace the imaginary scar on her own cheek.

"No, look," she insisted, somewhat surprised.

"There is no scar on his face." The girl who was mimicking him shifted her gaze almost immediately, but Zain was looking in the other direction, so she couldn't confirm it.

"Stop joking," she added, still skeptical.

"No, I'm-", before the other girl could continue, one of their friends ran from one desk to the other, interrupting her and hugging the girl who was trash-talking about Zain.

Zain's face turned distressed as he sensed the bullies drawing closer. He began to ponder, "What should I do now?" and "What's my next course of action?"

"Oh, look who decided to show up today, Zinny Boy," sneered one of the gang members, his eyes slitted like a snake's and tiny, almost invisible scales glistening on his skin.

With a wicked grin on his face, one of the bullies stepped forward, his bloated belly and crimson skin making him look like a grotesque caricature. "Haha, look at that pathetic little punk! I think we need to have some fun with him today too," he jeered.

He was a burly guy, with thick spiky yellow hair and stood at the same height as Zain, though he was the shortest among the other bullies. Zain kept his head lowered, but the bully noticed him and made a beeline straight towards him, his massive arm outstretched. Without warning, he grabbed Zain's hair tightly, causing him to wince in pain.

"You little rascal, how dare you forget to greet us today?" The bully with thick spiky yellow hair bellowed.

'My body...'

Zain's heart sank as he realized he had become accustomed to this kind of treatment. His body shook uncontrollably, and he could feel the sharp pain in his scalp as the bully yanked on his hair, threatening to leave him bald.

"You're such a disrespectful little punk! Why didn't you even bother to greet us?" With a swift tug on Zain's hair, the bully lifted him off the ground and flung him with tremendous force, sending him hurtling across the room until he collided with the wall, the impact causing a sickening thud as he crumpled to the floor in agony.

As for the others, they watched the scene with amusement and smirks on their faces, as if this was a regular occurrence. Their widening grins were like daggers to Zain, piercing him with even more pain.

Despite the pain and humiliation, Zain forced himself to stay calm and still. He took deep breaths and focused on regulating his trembling body. It was a difficult task, but he knew he couldn't let himself be reduced to a quivering mess every time the bullies showed up. It was time to stand up for himself, even if it meant taking risks.

'Calm down…'

"Stay calm, Zain," he told himself, willing his body to remain steady even after the shaking had subsided.

After the initial trembling subsided, Zain felt a surge of anger rising inside him, causing his body to shake once more. He knew he needed to control his emotions and not let the bullies see him break. It wasn't fear he needed to suppress, but the rage that threatened to spill over.

From the very beginning, it was not fear that made Zain's body tremble whenever he was bullied, but an overwhelming rage that threatened to burst out of him. It was a fury that had been simmering inside him, locked up in a cage, waiting to break free and unleash its destructive force on anyone who dared to cross him. And now, as he lay on the ground, he could feel that anger swelling up inside him once again, threatening to consume him entirely.

But for now, Zain managed to reign in his emotions.

'No.', He knew that he couldn't let his anger consume him, not yet anyway. He didn't tell himself that he wouldn't seek revenge, but he realized that it wasn't the right time. He needed to bide his time, to wait until he was strong enough to fight back, and to make sure that he would come out on top.

'Not right now. It's not the right time.' Zain tried to reason with himself, but a deep concern lingered in his mind.

He knew that if he were to act out of impulse, it could lead to disastrous consequences. The thought of losing control and causing harm to himself or others was terrifying, and he needed to keep a clear head to avoid any further harm.

Zain wasn't sure if he was stronger than the boy standing in front of him. After all, his powers had yet to fully return, leaving him with only his ability to manipulate mana. The idea was both terrifying and fascinating to him. What if he could harness the energy around him to send the bully flying with a single thought? The very thought of it sent a thrill of excitement down his spine.