Chapter 13: The Awakening (2)
Chapter 13: The Awakening (2)
------
The classroom was silent, the atmosphere heavy with anticipation. The hearts of the students quickened as the glass orb slowly turned purple with Miss Lauren's Cosnergy and floated into the air.
They watched in awe as it pivoted to the middle of the classroom and stopped, hovering serenely. The orb absorbed the Cosnergy fed to it and shone with a brilliant white light, casting an ethereal glow across the room.
"This is the Awakening Orb," Miss Lauren explained calmly, stepping forward to stand with her students. "When you place your hand on it, it will trigger and awaken your talents, along with a primary skill and three secondary skills. The entire process will take two minutes for each person."
The students exchanged nervous glances, their excitement mingled with apprehension. The orb's light seemed to pulse in time with their racing hearts, illuminating their faces with a soft, otherworldly glow.
Miss Lauren looked at each of them, her gaze steady and reassuring. "Remember, this is a significant moment for each of you. Trust in yourselves and the talents that lie within. This awakening will reveal your true potential."
She gestured towards the orb, inviting the first student to step forward. The room remained hushed, the only sound the faint hum of the orb as it hovered, waiting to unlock the hidden powers within each student.
Sam approached the orb, Miss Lauren continued, "Place your hand on the orb and let it guide you. The light will intensify as it connects with your inner essence, revealing your unique talents."
Sam didn't hesitated for a moment, already too excited to wait for any further instructions. He placed his hand on the orb. The room seemed to hold its breath as the orb's light flared brighter, enveloping the student in a warm, radiant glow. After a few seconds, intricate patterns of light danced around his hand, signifying the awakening of his talents.
Sure, here's a more refined and detailed version of your passage:
---
However, before anyone could do or say anything, the orb shattered with a deafening explosion, sending shards flying in all directions. The force of the blast knocked Sam back, slamming him into the wall with a heavy thud.
The temperature in the classroom plummeted instantly, a biting chill filling the air. Ice began to form rapidly on the ground around Sam, spreading outward like a creeping frost. His red hair bled into a pure, icy white, his skin turning a ghostly pale, and his lips dyeing a bright, vivid red.
"Arg," Sam groaned, wincing as he moved into a sitting position and slowly stood up. His palms were cut by the sharp shards of the orb, tiny pieces still embedded painfully in his skin. "What happened?"
Miss Lauren rushed to his side, her eyes wide with concern and disbelief. "Sam, are you okay?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly. She reached out to help him, but hesitated, unsure of how to touch him without causing more harm.
The other students watched in stunned silence, the room still heavy with the aftermath of the explosion. Ice continued to spread from where Sam stood, the temperature dropping further.
Zephyr stepped forward as he assessed the situation. "Miss Lauren, we need to get those shards out of his hands," he said calmly, taking charge. He turned to the other students. "Someone get a first aid kit."
As the students scrambled to find the first aid supplies, Miss Lauren addressed him. "Sam, stay calm. We'll take care of this," she assured him, her voice steady despite the chaos around them.
Sam nodded weakly, his breath visible in the frigid air. "It... it felt like the orb exploded inside me," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Zephyr stepped back, not being able to endure the cold any longer . "The awakening must have triggered something unexpected," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.
"That's so cool," Miles said breathlessly, staring in shock at Sam.
"What?" Sam asked, his voice tinged with confusion and apprehension.
Mirabella took out a mirror from her spatial ring and slowly approached him, her movements cautious on the icy ground. She held the mirror up to him, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and concern.
Sam looked at her in confusion before glancing into the mirror. Instead of his familiar red eyes staring back at him, he saw a pair of unfamiliar white eyes, cold and piercing. His shock was palpable as he took in the sight of his white hair and ghostly pale skin.
"What?!" Sam exclaimed, reaching for the mirror in disbelief. But as soon as his emotions spiked, everything reverted to normalcy. His hair bled back to its natural red, the white washing away from his eyes, and his skin flushed with life and color once more.
The students around him watched in stunned silence, their eyes wide with amazement. "Did you see that?" one of them whispered, unable to contain their awe.
As Sam's fingers clutched the mirror, a sharp hissing sound filled the room. The mirror began to heat up rapidly, the glass warping and melting. A scream escaped Mirabella as she instinctively let go, her eyes wide with fear.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry," Sam exclaimed, releasing the melting mirror. It fell onto the icy ground, causing the ice to sizzle and melt away in seconds. Sam looked around at everyone in confusion. "What happened? Why were we holding a mirror?"
The students exchanged uneasy glances, the shock of the situation settling in. Miss Lauren's face was pale, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to maintain composure.
Zephyr's face twisted in realization as he observed the scene. "Zero, please tell me we did not give Sam an alternate personality," he thought urgently.
{It would appear we did,} Zero replied guiltily, his voice filled with regret.
Zephyr watched as the bewildered Sam was quickly surrounded by equally confused and excited classmates, each one trying to explain what had happened. Their voices overlapped in a chaotic symphony of excitement and concern, creating an atmosphere thick with tension and curiosity.
Though the classrooms were semi-soundproof, the commotion inevitably drew attention from neighboring rooms. A knock on the door interrupted the flurry of voices, and it swung open moments later.
In walked a man. He was a striking figure. His dark skin had a smooth, healthy sheen, and his short beard and neatly trimmed hair added to his commanding presence. His face was the kind you'd expect to see on a magazine cover, every feature meticulously sculpted. Dressed in a dark blue suit that fit him perfectly, he exuded both power and sophistication. His shoes, polished to a mirror shine, completed the look. His eyes, black and bottomless like an abyss, scanned the room with an intensity that made everyone straighten up and take notice. These pair of black eyes scanned the classroom before settling on Miss Lauren.
The room fell silent, the students turning to face the newcomer with a mixture of awe and trepidation. Miss Lauren straightened, her professional demeanor returning as she stepped forward to greet him.
"Mr. Akeem," she acknowledged with a respectful nod, her voice steady. "I wasn't expecting you."
"Miss Lauren, what's all the noise about?" The man's deep voice cut through the chaos, commanding instant attention.
Everyone knew, even if they had never seen him before, who Mr. Akeem was at Eldershire Mixed High School. His reputation preceded him as the head teacher of the first- and second-year students, as well as the closest confidant of the school's founder and headmaster. His authority was unquestioned, bolstered by his proximity to the school's highest echelons.
However, although he had this advantage over others, the main reason no one found trouble with him was because Mr. Akeem was a fair man, true to his word, and impartial to his subordinates. Coupled with his good looks, it wasn't hard to see that he was the heartthrob of the school.
"I was passing by and heard some noise from your classroom, so I stopped by to see what was going on," Mr. Akeem explained, a wide grin on his face. He noticed the shards on the ground along with the burst mirror. "Is there a problem?"
"No, I mean yes," Miss Lauren hurried to explain, still not over her initial shock. "My student, Sam McCarthy, used the Awakening Orb to trigger his talent, but it shattered and injured him. I think the quality of this Orb is too low."
Mr. Akeem's grin faded into a more serious expression as he examined the remnants of the orb and the state of the classroom. "I see," he said thoughtfully, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. "Sam, are you alright?"
Sam, who had been standing quietly, looked up and nodded. "Yes, sir. Just a bit shaken."
Mr. Akeem nodded. "Good. It's fortunate that you weren't more seriously injured." He then turned to Miss Lauren.
Mr. Akeem looked at Sam, who was having his palm carefully wrapped with a bandage by Conner. "Should he not be taken to the nurse?" Mr. Akeem asked, walking further into the classroom until he stood in front of the female teacher.
"It's not very serious. Conner already applied a healing powder to it, so it'll heal in a few hours," Miss Lauren explained.
"And the orb scattered? What rank talent did he awaken to?" asked Mr. Akeem.
"I can't be sure since the orb shattered before we could see, but given the fact that the orb could only withstand talents at C rank and below, I think Sam awakened an A or above ranked talent."
Mr. Akeem's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "An A rank or higher? That's quite remarkable. It also explains the orb shattering." He turned his gaze to Sam, who was now sitting quietly, looking at his bandaged hand. "Sam, how do you feel? Any unusual sensations or side effects?"
Sam shook his head. "No, sir. Just the cuts from the shards, but those are already feeling better thanks to Conner."
Mr. Akeem nodded approvingly. "Good."
Mr. Akeem was puzzled as to why Miss Lauren had been given such a low-grade orb since each class teacher was typically provided an SS-ranked awakening orb. However, he chose not to question it at the moment. Instead, he took out his smartphone and contacted the inventory manager, requesting that an SSS-grade awakening orb be sent to Class 3D.
As he ended the call, the classroom door opened again, and a man walked in uninvited, a smug look on his face.
"Miss Lauren, awakening an E-ranked talent isn't something to rejoice about. Why are your students making a noise over..." The blonde-haired man stopped speaking when he finally saw Mr. Akeem in the classroom. "Mr. Akeem, I didn't expect to see you here too. Did you come to scold Miss Lauren for not being able to control her class?"
Zephyr sighed inwardly. People like Mr. Axel, who had eyes but refused to see and a brain but refused to think, were a constant source of irritation. He vividly remembered the blonde man's voice from yesterday. In the teacher's office, he had mockingly told Miss Lauren that she should have accepted his offer to be his girlfriend.
Mr. Axel was the type of person who, just by his looks alone, anyone could tell was someone who scorned and mocked those he deemed beneath him while shamelessly flattering those above him—a perfect scumbag.
"Mr. Axel, what do you mean by that?" Mr. Akeem's voice cut through the tension, his displeasure evident.
Mr. Axel, however, seemed to have selective blindness, failing to notice the glare on the head teacher's face. "Miss Lauren clearly cannot manage her class well, allowing them to disturb the peace of the school. Isn't she a little incompetent?" he said with a sigh, feigning disappointment.
Miss Lauren's face tightened, but she maintained her composure. Zephyr noted the subtle change in her breathing pattern, a sign of her controlled anger. The students exchanged uneasy glances, sensing the rising tension.
Mr. Akeem's expression darkened. "Mr. Axel," he began, his voice low and controlled, "the disruption was due to an accident during an Awakening. Accidents can happen, and it is our duty as educators to support and guide them, not belittle our colleagues."
Mr. Axel's smug facade wavered, but he quickly recovered, shrugging nonchalantly. "Still, allowing such chaos is unprofessional. It reflects poorly on all of us."
Zephyr's eyes narrowed. He could feel the frustration of his classmates, their admiration for Miss Lauren clashing with the disrespectful attitude of Mr. Axel. The air seemed to thrum with unspoken anger.
"Mr. Axel, I suggest you choose your words more carefully. Miss Lauren's class had an unusual situation that warranted investigation, not scolding."
Mr. Graham's smug look faltered slightly. "Unusual situation?" he echoed, his curiosity piqued.
"Yes," Mr. Akeem continued, his tone icy. "One of her students, Sam McCarthy, awakened a talent so powerful that it shattered the low-grade orb she was inexplicably given. I've already arranged for an SSS-grade orb to be sent over."
Mr. Axel's eyes widened, and he quickly masked his surprise with a scoff. "An SSS-grade talent? Here? In this class? That's impossible."
"You..." Mr. Akeem's frown deepened into a full-on glare as he took a step towards Mr. Axel. At that moment, a knock on the door interrupted the brewing confrontation. The door was pushed open, causing Mr. Akeem to halt midstep.
"Mr. Axel," Miss Lauren seized the opportunity to step forward, her voice steady despite the underlying strain, "I appreciate your concern. However, my priority is the well-being and education of my students. The incident with the orb was unexpected, and we are handling it as best as we can."
Her voice filled with gratefulness as she turned to Mr. Akeem. "Mr. Akeem, you shouldn't take Mr. Axel's words seriously. He's just joking." She then walked toward the young man at the door, who held a new awakening orb.
The classroom fell into an awkward silence. The tension was palpable, and even the students didn't know where to look. Mr. Axel, momentarily cowed, remained still, his earlier bravado vanished.
Zephyr observed the scene with a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. The contrast between Mr. Akeem and Miss Lauren was stark and fascinating. One was cold and collected, silent in the face of mockery, while the other was fiery, ready to confront any disrespect head-on.
The young man handed the new awakening orb to Miss Lauren, his eyes flickering with curiosity at the charged atmosphere. "Here is the SSS-grade awakening orb as requested," he said, his voice respectful and steady.
Miss Lauren accepted the orb with a nod of thanks, her movements graceful despite the underlying tension. "Thank you," she said.
Mr. Akeem's glare shifted from Mr. Axel to the orb, his expression softening slightly as he focused on the task at hand. "Let's proceed with the awakenings," he said, his tone commanding but supportive.
Miss Lauren turned to her students, her composure restored. "Alright, everyone, let's get back to our positions. We'll continue with the awakenings now."
-------
(A/N: Akeem is a Yoruba name here in Nigeria.
Author's rant: this is my longest chapter yet....blushing)