The students sat in their new classroom, still buzzing with the excitement of the exams and their arrival at the Academy. Some chatted, others eyed their potential rivals. The atmosphere was a mixture of tension, curiosity, and teenage awkwardness.
Mr. Acturus stood calmly at the front of the room, his long messy hair barely moving in the wind from the open window. The red scarf wrapped around his neck fluttered ever so slightly, contrasting his otherwise motionless stance. His deep red eyes scanned the room, making each student fall silent one by one.
"Alright," he said in a calm but authoritative tone. "Let's begin."
He scribbled one word on the board:
POWER
"Who can define this?" he asked, turning to face them.
Rohan raised his hand confidently. "Power is the ability to crush your enemies."
Some students nodded. Others, like Suhana, rolled their eyes.
Manish chuckled. "Nah man, power is when you can light up a disco ball with your smile—like me!"
The class laughed. Even Mr. Acturus gave a small smirk.
"Interesting answers," the teacher replied. "But power… is context. Power without control is destruction. Power without purpose is meaningless. Power… is responsibility."
Julie whispered to Mackenzie, "Kinda sounds like Spider-Man."
Mackenzie giggled. "With great power…"
"...Comes a great explanation," Ali joked, earning chuckles from Joseph and Shinitsu.
Mr. Acturus ignored the playful banter and continued, "Each of you possesses a unique gift. But gifts can become curses without wisdom. That's why you're here."
"Then why is my power dessert-based?" Kenji muttered under his breath.
"What was that, Mr. Shirakumo?" Acturus raised an eyebrow.
"...Nothing, sir," Kenji said, softly pulling a mochi from his pocket and nibbling it in shame.
"Let's test your understanding," Mr. Acturus said. "Partner up. I want each of you to explain what your power means to you—and what you fear it could become."
The students exchanged glances before moving into pairs.
Virat and Ali
Ali smirked, stretching his shoulders. "Easy. I've always known my power can destroy me if I overuse it. That's why I trained to master aura. What about you?"
Virat looked down at his fists. "Honestly… I don't even fully understand mine yet. But I know one thing—I want to use it to protect people."
Ali clapped him on the back. "Solid answer, bro."
Jax and Ayush
Ayush grinned. "I love my ice powers. They keep me chill."
"You've said that like ten times today," Jax muttered.
"But it's true! I could freeze an ocean and still smile while doing it!"
"And that's what worries me," Jax said, serious. "Power without restraint. You laugh too much, you'll miss the danger."
"Not if I freeze it first," Ayush winked.
Suhana and Julie
"My power lets me twist the environment," Suhana said proudly. "I can turn any battlefield into a stage where I shine."
Julie smiled gently. "But don't you think that might isolate you?"
Suhana paused.
"Sometimes," she admitted. "But that's why I want to learn control—so I can build, not just change."
Julie nodded. "Same here. I want to help. Even if water's gentle, it can still save lives."
Xavier and Shinitsu
Xavier was floating a small object with telekinesis. "I think power is freedom."
Shinitsu, sitting calmly, replied, "Power is gravity. Always pulling us toward reality."
"Wow. That's kinda poetic."
"Or just scientific," Shinitsu said dryly.
Manish and Rohan
"I could blind people with my light powers and my charisma," Manish said, striking a pose.
Rohan crossed his arms. "I could melt you in two seconds."
"That's why we're a perfect duo!" Manish grinned. "Hot and flashy!"
Joseph and Kenji
"I can be inside any phone, computer, or machine," Joseph said proudly. "But sometimes… I wonder if I'll lose my humanity doing that."
Kenji, eating another mochi, nodded. "Desserts are human."
Joseph blinked. "That… that was deep?"
"No," Kenji said, "I'm just hungry."
Mackenzie and William
"My power is air," Mackenzie said with a bright smile. "It's invisible, but always there. I want to be like that—someone who's always there for others."
William nodded. "My power is structure. I like building things—shields, platforms, strategies. Power, to me, is precision."
After everyone finished, Mr. Acturus walked slowly between the desks, hands behind his back.
"You've all answered well. But remember—what matters isn't how cool your power is, but how well you understand it."
He turned back to the board and underlined the word "POWER."
"Next week, we begin sparring matches. So get to know your roommates. Because the next time we meet… it'll be gloves off."
The bell rang.
The students looked at each other—half excited, half nervous.
As they walked out, Virat nudged Ali. "Think we'll be teamed up again?"
Ali grinned. "Hope so. You've still got a lot to learn, bro."
"Hey!"
From behind, Ayush slid next to them. "Did someone say sparring? Ice to meet you!"
Jax groaned. "He's going to keep doing that, isn't he?"
Manish slapped his shoulder. "I say we start the fight early. Verbal assaults!"
Suhana, arms crossed, narrowed her eyes. "You won't be laughing when I make the floor disappear."
As the class scattered, some headed to dorms, others to the mess hall. But all of them felt the same weight settle in their chests—expectation.
This was just the beginning.
And power… had only begun to show itself.
[TO BE CONTINUED]