20: Voluntold

"You tried it!? WHY!?"

"Weren't you curious?"

"That's so dangerous! What if it really worked??"

"Honestly, even if it wasn't a den of evil, just for the creep factor I wouldn't have tried it. The symbol looks like something you'd draw to summon demons, not to mention adding blood!"

"Don't worry. It's probably fake anyways. I don't know of any powers like that."

"I'm sure there are people that can create their own subspaces, though?"

"But… it did work…"

"WHAT!?"

Ugh… I stir from my sleep and raise my head off my desk. My ears are ringing and my head is pounding from their shrieks. I rub my eyes and groggily look around the room. It doesn't seem like Struan is here yet, and neither is that girl.

Ughhh… I groan and put my head back on the desk.

A warm hand touches my back.

"Are you okay?"

"You're in this class too?" I shift to my side to look at Eir.

"Yup! I was busy yesterday, but I'm here now!"

"Mmmgghh." I slump back. While I'm curious why she skipped, I don't have the energy to ask.

"I've got to say, this has to be the first time I've ever seen you look so thoroughly drained… I don't think I ever even saw you look the slightest bit tired before…" She thinks out loud.

"Mggh…"

"Have you seen the news?"

"..."

"Hah… Okay, I'll let you rest."

***** ***** *****

Out at sea, a terrible storm rages, tossing about my small, wooden boat like a leaf on the wind. Waves and heavy rain lash my face as I do my best to steer, but all seems futile. The storm is just too strong. Thunder cracks right next to my ear, causing me to jolt, but I can't afford to let up.

It's been a while since I felt so powerless… But, have I ever felt this way before? Is this what it feels like to be a normal person?

"Ama! AMA!"

THWAM!

Weird-sounding thunder crashes near my head; I can still feel the shaking in the air from its force. Following it, a strong wave washes across the deck.

No!

My hands scrabble to grab a hold of something, but my outstretched fingers just barely graze along a rope. Losing my footing, I stumble across the deck and desperately cling to the bulwark to keep from getting thrown off by the thrashing waves. When I can, I dash back into the fray to help.

"AMA!!!"

Why am I being called when they should be helping!? Can't they see I'm doing my best to keep us from capsizing?

"AMA!!!! GET UP ALREADY!"

But I am!

The roar of the waves transforms into the roar of laughter. The gray, frothing sea is no longer water, but countless heads with eyeless faces and gaping mouths of those I killed, jeering at me.

The boat gets tossed around harder and more furiously until I lose my grip and my head slams against the deck.

I wince and rub my cheek as I get up… only to see a crowd surrounding me under bright, fluorescent lighting.

Water drips from my brow, and I realize I'm sitting in a puddle of water. Cascade and Eir are standing above me; Eir looks worried as she vigorously shakes me, but Cascade looks even more disgusted with me than usual.

To the side, I see a classmate holding a thick book, ready to slam it next to my head.

Struan is nowhere to be seen…

No, there he is, still with the same girl — and he looks furious. When I make eye contact with him, he flicks his gaze away.

"Amaryllis. How kind of you to join us. You shall be the first to demonstrate today," Cascade says.

Crap. Demonstrate what?

Did I fall asleep again?

Ugh… Maybe I should just quit while I'm ahead… Though, I'm not ahead at all.

I follow my classmates outside. Eir, my wonderful friend, tries to give me a quick rundown of what happened as we walk, but is quickly shot down by Cascade.

We stand out on the field, away from the building where our classes are held. I have no idea what's happening, but it seems to be some sort of joke in the class to see how I react. I'm not that dumb, though! I can tell we are gonna have a match of some sort.

I look at my opponent. He seems like nothing special, just some Korean guy dressed in athletic wear. Still, I can't tell what he's planning on doing and I have no idea what powers he may have. He stands loosely and comfortably, confident in his strength, showing no signs of agitation or worry.

My classmates stand quite a distance away, along with our instructor who holds a whistle.

"Go Neil!" a clustered group cheers. My opponent already made quite a few friends by the look of his personal cheering squad.

FWEET!

The hair on my arms and neck starts to rise. Blue, crackling electricity goes up and down the body of my opponent in waves. His eyes start to glow blue as he raises his arms, the ripples of electricity flowing and condensing on his arms.

Oh heck no.

I throw myself off to the side, just barely avoiding getting hit.

A few rapid fire zaps strike the ground. Each time I narrowly avoid them, dodging the last attack of his flurry with a roll.

"What is this!? Lightning!?" I shout, looking over to instructor Cascade. "I'm a grade C hero, what am I supposed to do against this!?"

Cascade looks pleased with herself. Seriously, why does she hate me so much?

"What grade even are you!?" I shout at Neil, but he also looks quite happy with himself and doesn't respond.

Seriously, he looks so self-satisfied. I bet his family has high hopes for him. Ugh.

Did he ever consider that I may be holding back? Did he ever consider that I may be intentionally outmatched?

He's prolly some authoritarian who loves dishing out punishment and has his first chance to do so — publicly.

A glow blue intensifies in the corner of my eye. Arcs of lightning shoot from Neil, forming a dome with him at the center. A loud buzz fills the air, and all I can smell is static.

From inside the haze, I see him raise his arms.

Oh, crap.

Neil's next volley of attacks comes, harder and faster than the first.

The ground explodes where his attacks hit and I dart away, tears streaming down my face. Still — he has yet to hit me.

I zigzag away, performing my best evasive maneuvers.

KABOOM!!!

AAAH!! Was that even stronger now!??

[Get it together! Stop acting like a newbie, Ama!]

[Struan!]

[He's a grade A electricity super.]

[Struan! What was that last night?]

[Focus on not getting fried.] I can sense his exasperation.

[Aww! You care about me!]

[We don't need another accidental, global calamity.]

[Right…] How cute. He can't admit that he cares about me… but not causing another worldwide disaster is a very fair point.

[Make yourself small and fast — hard to hit and hard to see. I shouldn't have to tell you this.]

In the small pause between bolts, shimmery, bluish-green feathers adorn my body as I morph into a tiny bee hummingbird. I have a much easier time zipping away from the next strikes, but it is still feather raising.

[Just because you got graded a 'C', doesn't mean you need to act like it. You should still find it easy to beat him with just birdshifting.]

[You don't need to roast me…]

[...]

[No! Struan! Come baaack!]

[Do what you do best: finding people's buttons and pushing them.] I can practically feel the implied eyeroll in his tone.

[But I don't even know him!]

[Seriously? Since when has that ever stopped you…]

[Hmm… He..hehe… hehehe…]

[Just don't kill our classmates again… I happen to like it here.]