CH #1 - Unfitting New Life

RYAN

"Oh, what a headache…! I should look for an alarm a little friendlier than this one!"

The shrill sound of the alarm clock alarm ran everywhere, taking with it the horrible feeling of having to wake up so suddenly. Ah, there's no telling how much I hate it...!

This new town is at least much quieter than the previous ones. Although I don't know if I can call it a town, considering that I live in front of a highway.

"Why on earth did Joanne choose, of all, this very place to live...?" I complain a little to myself while I can.

What would it cost to simply get a house in the middle of the more urbanized part of the place? Now, I have to be content with looking out the window and seeing... This!

"Well, at least the view is something beautiful." I recognize that aspect, leaning against the window frame.

That could be said as a bright side. The place was relatively deserted and quiet, with only a car or two that would pass through during the course of the day. Other than that, the scenery was also relatively heavenly and pleasant, considering the passage of the great road that divided the woods in two. On either side, before the trees actually go on to consume everything, there are quite beautiful houses, each with its solid architecture, made from local wood.

The fine fog that covers everything in the mornings also contributes. The white veil envelops everything, adding more to the beauty of the place.

… Well… Maybe the place starts to grow on me after a while…? I won't lie – I feel quite fond of this place already, just because of this beautiful view.

"Well, I think it's better to keep a more positive mindset about here…!" I say, slapping my cheeks to finally wake up.

It was still so early, but that's how the good day started – getting up early has always been the lifeblood of every good morning, so let's ask it to be like that today, okay?

I open the bedroom door and go downstairs. At least with that, I can see that there is a human presence besides me in the house.

I walk to the half-open kitchen door and open it. Unlike the steps outside, the house inside has the appearance of being solid and not showing the slightest sign of weather damage, and I can say this only by taking note of the absence of creaking in the doors.

"Good morning Hannah." I enter the room, greeting my sister.

She didn't listen… I don't blame her. In this quiet place, everything should attract attention, right?

She watched the national news. Apparently, someone in California blew up a house and killed five people… The kind of thing you don't see every day, but which, oddly enough, has become a lot more frequent in recent weeks, all over the world.

Terrorist attacks, criminal factions taking over territories… All kinds of violence are experiencing a strange and disturbingly major spike in occurrences. Apparently, arson crimes raised by nearly 2000% in the last three weeks, and murders are turning into slaughters.

No one holds a feasible explanation to that, and the world as a whole is hoping for it to pass.

I take a glass of water, and as I start to consume the liquid, I am finally perceived in one of the worst possible ways.

"Ahh!" Hannah screams in a throaty tone. "Since when were you there, brother?!"

I raise my arms in defense as I see her grab a glass to attack me, and calmly try to explain myself.

"Whoa, whoa…!" I draw her attention, making her realize that she could have hit someone innocent. "I came in here not too long ago, and I even talked to you. You just didn't listen."

Accepting the explanation, my sister lowers her glass, taking a deep breath.

"Seriously, Ryan… You have to stop being so silent and stealthy like that! I could have taken that knife and thrown it in your face!" She says, holding up a serrated knife, which appears to be covered in strawberry jam.

"Okay, okay... That was my bad." I confirm, lowering my head a little. "I'll try to improve my 'reverse awareness' from now on... In fact, just wearing a little red would make me super remarkable." I say, noting how, through my use of dark colored pieces, I am even less detectable.

"That would help a lot." She confirms. "Although… I can't imagine you wearing any color other than black… Maybe gray…? It turns out it's not that far, in the end."

"That's a rather sad truth." I put the glass down on the sink, changing the subject. "Ready to go into that hospital and dominate it like you did everywhere else you've worked?"

"But of course!" She arranges her wavy hair, which shines in the light that comes in through the window. "Your sister will go in there and show everyone who's boss! One week and the hospital will literally be mine! … But what about you? Do you plan to do the same with the school?"

"Look, I could…!" I confirm, approaching the door. "But I'm not going to look for trouble this time… That is, not saying I won't beat up anyone who messes with me. I hate it and you know it."

"Yeah, I know you...! Good luck with that!" She waves her hand, smiling. "Send lots of them to be taken care by me!"

"Now, I'm not sure if I want to give them such a heavenly treatment, but I wish you luck too!"

I leave the kitchen. It's time to start the day, and staying positive is the best I can keep doing.

After a shower, I dress as usual. Simply put, my style is just black and white, as no other color fits that well. And on second thought... When was the last time I used yellow or some other color like orange or so...?

"Maybe... Never?" I raise an eyebrow doubtfully as I dress myself in front of the bedroom mirror.

When I'm done, I observe myself with a slightly sarcastic smile. After leaving my frizzy hair somewhat contained in its topknot shape, I laugh at myself, as for some reason I just can't think of myself as a normal person.

The reason must be because of those eyes... I mean, who has purple eyes? And I don't mean the opaque bluish purple of rare genetic mutations. My eyes are as purple as the sun is orange or the sky is blue – it is a steady purple, vibrant like that of an amethyst geode.

Before finally descending for a second time, I run my hands over the dark brown skin of my face. I can, with some certainty, say that I inherited some of the family's looks.

"Time to go!"

In a hurry, I take a couple of leftover toasts. I'm not usually so hungry in the morning, so this will do. In fact, overeating would end up making me dizzy, and that's the last thing I want.

Realizing that Hannah should have gone back to the bedroom for a few more minutes of sleep, I decide to leave quietly, without too much of a disturbance. I take the keys and open the door, being congratulated by the terrible freezing breeze...

"Why did we have to come to such a cold place...? And it wasn't enough to be so remote..."

It's much colder outside... The wind runs down the street, and there isn't even a passerby to sees how easily it lifts dry leaves off the ground. The sun does its job quite decently, however, the landscape remains gray in tone. The mist carries the woody scent of the trees with it, and the sound of birds singing makes the feeling of being there more pleasant.

I open the garage of the house, taking out the bike. It won't be the most pleasant trip.

I'm right, unfortunately... The streets make bicycle traffic difficult because they are constantly irregular in altitude.

Ignoring that, the trip is quite relaxing. Much of the way is occupied by woods and sporadic houses on both sides, and only when I actually get closer to the city center is it possible to notice a little of the urban movement of a city.

Everything is very close by. Supermarket, bakery, hospital and several other small establishments... The small space in the center is condensed, being the only area with adequate roads and residences truly adjacent to each other.

Even so, it's impossible not to notice that the place still has a strong country aura, not comparing itself to a large urban huddle in any way. The place is like a "city project", if that can be said.

There is no other explanation for the fact that students tend to leave here right after graduation. Elderlog does not provide very profitable employment opportunities.

"If anything, this place looks a lot more like a German village or something." I comment to myself, analyzing the way everything was organized.

It wasn't very big, but it certainly made it aesthetic. Come to think of it, maybe the place really isn't that bad...?

Oh... I can see the school... All I have to do is turn left.

I stop pedaling when I get there. The building is quite large and has high walls, similar to medieval castle walls. The architecture combines Romanesque and Gothic aspects, being quite tall and at the same time robust and wide horizontally.

There's a space for parking the bikes, where I chain mine. The campus of the place is quite large, including a simple fountain. There is a wooded area to the west of the main building, where there are wooden benches.

"Well, guess I can live with that…!"

Here, I can see the movement of other young people... I must admit I'm a little nervous about all this, but now there's no going back. The principal's office must be located in the main building.

I walk there, and as always, I don't go unnoticed, after all, everyone must be wondering who must be the new idiot who just bought a ticket to hell. All the way to the principal's office, I feel the sharp, questioning eyes of the students.

The main hall is large. The floor is covered with ceramic in a shade of yellow that is not so harmful to the eyes, and it is possible to witness a glimpse of the ceiling thanks to the great reflective capacity of the floor. Several columns support the place, and multiple rooms and corridors are all around.

"This place is way bigger than my previous school…" I say to myself, noting the rustic decor and ancient architecture of the exquisite space. "I hope there's more room to run from the idiots who chase us for money, too."

I don't waste any more of my time, and make my way to the principal. When opened, the large noble wooden door creaks.

"Excuse me...?" A bit consumed by the shyness of being in a new place, I make my way in.

"Oh! So you've arrived... Get closer, will you?"

The man of about fifty years old calls for me. Bald at the top, his once-black hair is riddled with lack of keratin. A thin face, big nose and tired eyes, formal clothes and the typical image of someone dissatisfied with their profession.

I approach the table he is at. Two ornamental plants and a red chair are the decoration of the entire environment, in addition to the cigarette filled that mixes with the cleaning products.

There, he removes a kind of file from a drawer, where he starts to search among the various pages of printed paper.

"Let's see... The name is Ryan... Ryan..."

"Ryan Savoia, sir." I speak up, thinking about it later. Some French bullshit I had no idea how came to be.

He is a little disturbed by his own confusion, so he laughs to hide the fact.

"Oh, of course! Ryan Savoia! Here's your registration number."

He places a sheet of paper on the table, and it contains a photograph of me and information about my age and address. The date and time of registration are compatible with yesterday's night. Joanne must have done it, as she's usually efficient with this sort of thing.

"Here it says you're already a sophomore, huh? You're not a lifelong resident of the city, are you? Where do you come from?"

"I don't come from an exact place, to be honest. My family comes from a series of successive address changes, so I can't say that I come from a fixed place."

He stops when he hears the answer, and looking to the side for a moment, he must be thinking of something. Seconds later, the Principal addresses me again.

"Well then, Savoia. Here is the key to your locker. All the books you will need for this school year are in the library. Drop by and get them, yes?"

"Understood. I'll do it. I am very grateful for the reception."

When I try to leave the room, I am stopped by him, who asks me something very peculiar.

"Here at Elderlog Academy, we are looking for students who are able to add to the school, not just enjoy it. So, young man, tell me how you think you can contribute to this institution. What kind of talent or ability do you have? Can you tell me what's so special about you?"

So this Principal is one of those types of guys… I should have guessed! No one would be that tolerant of a rookie of my suit. I can see the derogatory tone in his voice. A foolish question deserves a foolish answer.

"If I really have to say it, I can say that you will see it in time."

I can see he laughs. Even with my back turned, I am able to feel everything that is happening in the environment.

"Well, if you allow me..."

"Of course... You can leave."

I leave the room, leaving only the old man and his silly thoughts there.

But there's a point in that. I'm just an average teenager, someone like everyone else, and there's not much I can do about it.

Well... He mentioned the library, didn't he? How convenient. There is a panel with a scaled-down plan of the school, which indicates the exact location of everything in the place. There are two floors and on the second of them are the classrooms. The library is here on the ground floor anyway. It's not far from where I am.

I walk to the library, presenting my enrollment form to the librarian. Everywhere I walk, I see those looks. Well, I truly am not to blame for being in this situation, but it is not pleasant to be in it.

I take a deep breath, ignoring it. The library is as big in size as a half of the main hall, which means it's huge. Row upon row of shelves filled with books stretch out in all directions, effectively turning the space into a maze.

After about five long minutes of waiting, I get all twelve books. All I have left is to put them in the closet. I distribute the number of books into a pair of stacks of six, carrying them on each arm for balance. The lockers are upstairs, and with that, my journey to the right place is quite a long one.

On the way, I have to climb a rather narrow flight of stairs, considering the size of the rest of the structure. During this same path, I continue to be seen as if I were a celebrity...

… One that has been cancelled, of course.

After I'm done, I even see a group of students pointing at me... I have to admit this is pretty embarrassing as I don't really like attracting attention.

"Please stop staring at me… I can't function normally if someone is looking…!" I think in agony while making my way, walking solid as a rock towards the hallway where the lockers have been indicated.

Little did I expect that, in the midst of my immense panic, I would end up getting into trouble on the first day of classes in this new place.

I turn left, towards the corridor I would have to take to reach my destination, and by making this simple move...

"Ugh...! Damn it...! My sandwich!"

All I feel is bumping into something hard, followed by the pull back. Before I even noticed or could feel it, I had already been involved in a situation of the kind I most wanted to avoid.

The floor in the immediate vicinity is filled with the ingredients that normally make up an ordinary sandwich. The ham, mixed with corn and cheese, spills over, forming a grotesque paste, held together by the tomato sauce.

And that's when the fact hits my mind – I had dropped this huge guy's sandwich in front of everyone, and on my very first day… Oh no.

"Hey dude! You dropped my sandwich! Aren't you even going to say anything?!" He makes himself intimidating, forcing a taller stance in order to appear bigger. "I want my money back!"

"Oh me...!" I have problems with words, trying to articulate something. "Uhm… I'm sorry I dropped your sandwich. I didn't... I didn't see where I was going. I can buy you one right now."

"Haah?! Are you telling me you didn't see me here?! Are you blind, by any chance?" He grimaces, bringing his fists to his waist. "You know what, looking at that face of yours..."

He snaps his fingers, making the sound travel.

"...I don't think I'll just want your money."

Oh. God damn it.

All my face feels is the mixture of pressure and pain at intense levels. For a few seconds, I partially lose my senses of balance and location. When I finally stand on both feet, the whole world seems to be spinning at high speed, and the iron taste in my mouth is present.

"Maybe this will make you less blind?" He bends down, picking up a tag that goes with the books I've dropped. "Ryan Savoia…? Who the hell is even names their children 'Savoia'?! That sounds like a tree name!"

"Urrgh... I didn't expect to get punched in the face on my first day... I knew it would happen eventually, but...I didn't imagine it would be so soon...!"

After what was a good, long fifteen seconds, I regain most of my balance and spatial awareness. Fortunately, the cut in my mouth wasn't deep.

But one thing is for sure – I don't plan on letting this one go.

"See if you learn how it works here, Savoia. Give the lunch money." He demands.

As much as I do not want, and above all, even with all those students looking ... Oh, but I do not even like the mere thought leaving it cheap...!

This isn't the first idiot I peck, and it sure as hell won't be the last. For that, what I have to do is just one thing.

I just need to focus a little bit and...

"Huh?! What do you think you're doing, you bitch?!"

He had pressed me against the locker, in the pose typical of a school stalker from the movies. In response, I let out a smile, and allow my magic to happen.

"I'm not doing anything big. You'll just forget about everything from the moment you woke up this morning."

I touch his face, and finally it happens.

I manage to free myself from his grip, and taking advantage of the confusion that must be his mind, I pick up the books and quickly make my way away from there. It will be a while before he understands that I erased all his memories prior to the time he got out of bed.

I use the confusion to escape as quickly as possible, waving back a little.

"The sandwich will have to wait for another day...!"

This is a secret I keep. Since I understand myself as a person, I have this strange power that allows me to manipulate the memories and memories of others – just the kind of thing that only exists in movies.

And most people don't believe in superpowers, so I just have to keep some basic discretion, after all, I don't want any government capturing me to use in experiments or anything like that.

But apart from that condition, I am essentially free to do as I please with that power. It's not like anyone can stop me anyway.

The bell rings. Time for the first class of the day.

"Time to pretend being someone normal...!" I say to myself, pretending to be excited.