Chapter: The Boy Who Walked Alone
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The Hallway of Echoes
Eli Calamaki walked through the corridor of Awaken Academy, his steps slow and uncertain. The air was oddly silent today, the chatter of students muffled behind closed doors. His eyes scanned every face, searching for something familiar, comforting.
He turned the corner.
There he was.
The Awaken Hero—the same man who had once saved Eli and his mother from a savage Threat in the burning city. The man who stood tall that night, a beacon of power and hope, his crimson cloak billowing like fire in the wind.
Now, the hero stood still, leaning on a pillar. His aged face seemed carved from stone.
Eli lit up with awe and emotion. He ran toward him.
"Hi! Do you remember me?" Eli asked, heart racing. "You saved me and my mom back in Neo Haven. I never got to say thank you!"
The man slowly turned his face.
His eyes were cold. Steel grey. Focused.
"I remember you," he said. "But I think you're becoming a threat to this academy."
Eli's smile faltered. "W-what? What do you mean?"
The hero stepped closer, his voice a whisper. "Be careful, kid. Something dangerous is awakening inside you. Something even the Threats are whispering about."
And then he vanished into the hallway shadows, leaving Eli frozen in place.
Back at the Academy
Eli returned to class, head full of questions.
He opened the classroom door—and felt something was off. The room fell silent.
Everyone was staring at him.
But not with curiosity.
With fear.
Suddenly, a bottle was hurled toward his head. He ducked just in time, and it shattered against the board.
He turned and saw the boy who threw it: Steve, a muscular student with lightning powers.
Steve stood, his eyes filled with suspicion and anger. "WHO ARE YOU, HUH?! Are you with the Threats?! Are you one of them?!"
"I—I don't understand," Eli stammered.
"You don't? Then explain why the footage from the last mission showed your body absorbing Threat energy. Normal humans can't do that!"
Voices erupted across the room.
"Traitor!"
"Monster!"
"Get out of here!"
Eli looked at Rebecca—but she looked away, ashamed and scared. As if she were looking at something unholy.
Then he saw his desk—it had been moved far from the others. A single, lonely chair at the back. As if he were diseased.
He walked slowly to it, every footstep heavy with humiliation. No one met his eyes.
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Magnetic's Announcement
The classroom door opened. In walked Hero Magnetic, the #14 hero, accompanied by their classroom supervisor.
Magnetic's voice cut through the silence. "From today forward, all students are to have no association with Eli Calamaki."
Whispers spread.
"We are conducting an investigation," he continued. "We don't yet know if Eli is a Threat in human form… or something even worse. Be cautious."
He smiled slightly and left.
It felt like the world had slammed shut on Eli.
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The Day of Isolation
No one spoke to Eli. At lunch, students shifted their trays away from his. Some left the cafeteria entirely when he entered.
When he walked the halls, doors closed.
Notes were taped to his locker:
Stay away from us.
We don't trust monsters.
Go back to where you came from.
He tried speaking to a group of students once—only for them to run.
The loneliness was unbearable.
He began to question himself.
Maybe I really am cursed.
Maybe I shouldn't have saved her that night.
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Betrayal of the Heart
After classes, Eli saw Rebecca talking to her friends by the courtyard.
His eyes lit up.
He walked up with a fragile smile. "Hey, Rebecca. How was your—"
SLAP!
Her palm cracked across his cheek.
"You dare talk to me, demon?" she shouted.
Eli staggered back.
Her friends laughed mockingly.
Rebecca's eyes were full of something Eli had never seen before—fear and disgust.
"Stay away from me," she hissed. "Before you hurt someone I care about."
She turned and walked away.
And Eli stood there, all alone again.
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Awaken Hero Headquarters — The Plan
Far from the academy, in a steel-plated room in the Awaken Hero Headquarters, Nice sat in his private office, typing on a holographic screen. Data files on Threat activity, students, and Eli's scanned power output filled the monitor.
The door creaked open.
Ignite walked in, his coat soaked with rain. His face was drawn, tense.
"Nice," he said.
Nice turned, surprised. "Ignite. You don't usually visit unannounced."
Ignite closed the door. "We need to talk."
Nice leaned back. "Go on. You can ask anything."
Ignite paced. "It's about the man who attacked us—the one in white. Vile."
Nice's expression hardened.
Ignite continued, "He's connected to Eli. Deeply. I think… maybe we can use Eli to draw him out. Let Vile come to us."
Nice chuckled. "Smart idea."
Then, he stood up. His voice lowered.
"But… it's already too late for ideas."
Ignite blinked. "What?"
Nice's tone became icy. "The Hero Council has already approved a plan to eliminate Eli Calamaki."
Ignite's eyes widened in horror. "Kill him?! He's a child! He doesn't even understand what's happening!"
Nice stared straight at him. "That's what makes him dangerous. A bomb that doesn't know it's ticking is the most lethal of all."
Ignite stepped forward. "This is wrong. Eli saved lives. He's trying."
Nice shook his head. "You've seen the scans. You've seen how Vile wants him. That kind of interest from a Threat-class criminal doesn't come without reason."
"But we're supposed to protect kids like him!"
Nice placed a firm hand on Ignite's shoulder.
"Look at me. This is the only way to eliminate threats before they rise. Don't take it as a burden. Take it as your duty."
Ignite looked down, silent.
Nice stepped away.
"I'm sorry," he said, "but if Eli is what I fear… then mercy will cost the world everything."
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To be continued…