2024-12-04 19:02:53••••••
The bell rang, signaling school was over.
I go meet Ashlyn who was waiting for me at the school's football field.
"Hey, Ashyln!" I waved while approaching her.
"North! Hey" she smiled.
"Did I keep you waiting?"
"Oh, no. I just got here"
"Okay"
"So remember when you saved me, you dropped something" she said, her voice laced with excitement.
"Uhmm..." I hummed, thinking of what she meant.
She grinned. "Yeah, I'm sure you must be worried, so I have it!"
*Is she talking about my violin? Please let it be my violin.*
"I took it home with me after you got taken to the hospital" she said, then squat to take something from a bag I had just notice.
"It's your violin!" She smiled. "You dropped it on the roof when you saved me. So I figured I would be the one to keep it save for you. So here! It had a crack but I fixed it, hope you like it"
"Ashlyn! Thank you so much! This means alot!" I exclaimed as my heart eased up with relief to finally see it. To see the violin I got from my dad.
"Yeah, no problem. I know it must be special to you" she said with a warm smile.
"It is. It belonged to my dad. He use to play it for me when I was little. He was really good" I said with a smile, but my voice laced with sadness.
"Oh waw! Does he still? I would love to listen"
"No. He died when I was 9"
"Oh. I'm sorry!"
"Yeah, it's okay. I have my mom and this violin which is a piece of him he left behind. That's why I am relieved it's safe" I said while noticing what she meant by 'fixed it', which made me smile a little.
"Do you normally play it on the roof alone?" She asked.
"Sometimes, yes. I learnt how to play, so I could play it for my mom just as my dad use to play it for us" I said as I moved my fingers through the sticker she placed over the crack.
"How sweet! Can I be one of the people you play it for. I would love to listen to you play"
"Yeah. Of course!" I exclaimed as my chicks turned red.
She chuckled.
"Great! Here's my number. I need to go now. Call me" she said as she wrote her number on a paper she brought out.
"Oh, okay"
"Here! Alright bye" she said, then left.
"Okay, bye" I muttered while holding the violin on my left hand, and the paper on my right.
The school had ended so I needed to get home. I went through the alley I usually go through to reach the bus stop. But something didn't feel right.
"Hey, Birdie" Jake said as he, Nate and Max approached me.
I sighed. "Hey, Jake"
"Now what did I say about Ashlyn? Huh?!" He asked, his tone laced with mischief.
"I don't think he heard you the first time. Maybe he needs to be taught a lesson for it to stick" Nate added.
"Look, I do not want any trouble, just let me pass"
"Oh, okay, sure, you can pass" Jake uttered as he took a side step to make me pass their middle.
After walking by, he grabbed my violin case and immediately brought out my violin.
"Hey! Give that back!" I exclaimed trying to reach, but Max pushed me back.
"You play this!" Jake sneered. " Ah.... You must be in Mr Alfred's class then. And from what I remember, all his students got injured in some way recently. So what happened to you?!" He said while pointing the bow towards me.
"Give it back! I won't ask again!" I exclaimed.
"Oh... little Birdie wants to spread his wings now, he thinks he is now tough and can take to the sky. I see, you were the cause of what happened that day right?! You came back from the dead and now you want to hunt us all. Do you know how much my dad had to pay for the fixing of your mess!" he said. "Well, I don't, but I am sure it was a lot of money. So, go on, pay it back, right now, common! Pay back what you owe my dad. Gimme the cash!"
I stared at him while my hands turned into a fist.
"Or what? You are poor.... And can't afford anything for yourself. I know all.... about you. Your mom works all the time just to feed you. Huh! A loser mom who raised a loser kid!" He sneered as he stood behind Max and Nate, who were acting as a wall.
Immediately, I pushed the both of them and landed my fist on his face, forcing him to fall backwards. After I had hit him, Nate and Max grabbed both my hands and forced me down to my kneels, which stopped me from moving.
"You little shit!" Jake voiced, touching his injured lips.
"You broke my tooth!" He sneered while spitting out a tooth.
His brows farrow. "Now I'm gonna break you!"
He then threw a punch that landed on my face, another that hit my gut, then another on my left chick.
"You know what! I have something else to break" he said while taking few steps back to grab my violin.
"Don't!" I muttered.
"What?"
I looked up and uttered, "Don't!"
"Oh is this special to you? Oh well, too bad, I am gonna break it! Maybe when I break it, you are gonna know who not to mess with next time" he said while taking few steps towards me.
"Know you place, Birdie!" He voiced as he took few steps back, rose it high above his head and smashed it to the ground.
"Stop!" I yelled, struggling to break loss from Nate and Max's grip.
"Damn, it is really strong! Maybe the second try will do" he said, raising it high above his head and hitting it harder on the ground.
"Stop!" I yelled again, as he smashed it the second time, making the crack that had been there bigger.
"Maybe one last try will do" he grinned, swinging it from below this time to above his head, to make it more impactful.
Few seconds before it hit the ground, I felt a surge of energy from within as I tried to break loose.
Then I yelled, "I SAID STOP!!"
My eyes immediately glowed, resulting in blasting everything around me by the wave that left my body.
Jake, Nate, Max, and the two dumpsters that were close by, all got lifted up and pushed by the wave.
This made Jake lose my violin in the air, which I noticed, because while it all were happening, it felt like my speed and senses increased.
I looked up and ran towards my violin before it hit the ground, while everything else fell.
I exhaled while my eyes turned back to normal. Next thing I saw was Jake, Nate and Max laying on the ground unconscious.
Immediately, I heard a car pulled up, I turn around and saw two guys and a girl approaching me.
Before I could blink, one of them dashed towards me with great speed, it was in an instant like a flash.
Suddenly, he whispered in my ear, 'Sleep', catching me off guard.
Right there, I fell on his shoulders and lost consciousness.
••••••
•NEXT TIME•
I Remember
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SoulBond: A Beacon Of Hope 8• I Remember: Four
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SoulBond: A Beacon Of Hope 10• Confession: Two
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78• Match
•••••I step into the center of the sparring ring, my heart pounding in my chest. The wood of the staff feels solid in my hands, but my grip tightens. I glance up at Professor Nog, who's waiting for me with his katana at the ready. I can feel everyone's eyes on me, but I block it out. This is just another challenge."Let's do this," I mutter under my breath.Professor Nog nods. "Begin!"I move first, swinging my staff at his midsection. It feels fluid, but the moment my staff connects with his katana, I realize how much stronger he is. The clash echoes, and he easily pushes my staff aside, his katana moving so fast I barely have time to react.I try to keep my footing steady and step back, circling him. My eyes stay locked on his movements. He doesn't rush, doesn't waste energy. It's like he's reading me before I make the move. I strike again, this time aiming for his head. He ducks, and I spin, trying to catch him off guard with a strike to his side. But his katana is already there,
77• Losing End
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75• Sparring Matches
•••••"Hey, guys" Claire greets as Michael meet her at the school entrance gate."Hey, Claire" Michael replies."Hey" I greet, then we begin walking to class."Happy New Month!" Michael smiles."Oh, same" Claire smiles slightly.I smile. "Can you believe it? It's been a month since our journey started."Michael grins."Yeah, it has," He says. "And it's been an eventful journey"Claire glances at the both of us and smiles."You guys are weird"Michael and I exchange looks."What do you mean?" I ask."You are making it sound like it's some kind of big milestone you both just achieved" She replies. "I mean, don't get me wrong, it has been an eventful month for you guys, but the journey is only just beginning"Michael grins. "Yeah"I nod.As we step into class, we see our classmates all standing at the right side of the hall, surrounding a chair."What's going on" Michael mutters.Claire sighs then bites down her chocolate bar."It's Larson!" She utters then goes to take her seat. Immedi
74• Noticable Growth: iv
Immediately, she blends with the shadow, rendering her unnoticeable.••••••I smile.They are improving. That's good. They should. The world out there can be unforgiving."Better! React faster" I shout.North swiftly dodges two speeding balls, his fluid movements a testament to growth.But one ball grazes his shoulder and he winces a little.Yet recovers swiftly.Michael spins left, dodging a ball mere inches from his ear.He catches one with his left hand.Deflects another with the caught ball.A third hits his chest, he stumbles, but quickly regains footing.Claire's reactions are faster.She dodges two.A third almost reach her thigh, but she quickly spin to the right and recovers her footing.My gaze sweeps, assessing. Their growth shines as cannons fire and balls hail.North's head tilt to the left, dodging an incoming ball. He shows progress with his powers as he anticipate the next ball.Michael's hands rise, deflecting two balls. Another ball hurtles toward him. He shifts his
73• Noticable Growth: iii
Meanwhile in an experimental Lab in school.Dim fluorescent lights cast eerie shadows.Dr. Kim scrutinized the Grade 4 Demon's glass enclosure at the right side of the lab.Its translucent dark form shimmer, ethereal skin blending.It eyes burn unnaturally.Wiry limbs faded.An unsettling chill surrounding it.Suddenly, the demon's eyes flash.Its form condensed, shrinking.Dr. Kim blinks.The enclosure seemed empty."What the?" She voice.She cautiously enters the enclosure, checking every corner.Confirming the demon's absence.Satisfied, she turn, exiting the enclosure to sound the alarm.But her instincts screams warning.Something was off. She turns around, checking the cell, he eyes roam her surrounding.She removes her wipe as she feels the change in the surrounding air.But yet, no trace of the Demon.She walks gently towards the alarm, her back to it.Fingers outstretched.But before she reached it, the tiny demon that was laced to her back, expanded.Enveloping her, she resi
72• Noticable Growth: ii
The tennis ball cannons roar to life, firing balls at unpredictable angles.I watch intently as Claire, Michael and North stand firm, blindfolds secure, relying on their other senses.The first balls hurtle toward them, trajectories uncertain.Claire pivots swiftly, dodging with ease, her agility allowing her to evade most balls. She twists left, avoiding a ball by inches, and leaps right, dodging another.Michael struggles to keep up, deflecting some balls with his hands but missing others. One hits his shoulder, and another grazes his ear.North moves quickly, but the balls' speed overwhelms him. He dodges a few, but others hit his chest and arm.I shout, "Adjust! React faster! Trust your instincts!"The cannons fire relentlessly, balls bouncing off walls and floor.Claire's agility proves advantageous, but even she can't dodge every ball. One hits her upper back.Michael stumbles by the ball that reaches behind his knee.North grunts, taking a ball to the stomach.Despite efforts, b
71• Noticable Growth
••••••Professor Patel stands at the forefront of the lecture hall, surveying the room with an air of authority."Today, we delve into Rankings, Classes and Grades" she announces, her voice commanding attention."Before us, we have the Avatar Rankings, a classification system developed to categorize reawakened humans, known as Angel Avatars. The rankings are: Z, SS, S, A, B, C, and D."She gestures to the diagram projected on the screen behind her."The Avatar Rankings signify the level of divine influence within an Angel Avatar, with Z being the highest and D being the lowest.""Conversely, demons are classified using Grades," Professor Patel continues. "Ranging from Special Grade, the most powerful, to Grade 5, the least."The screen behind her updates to show the Demon Grades:Special Grade - Highest tier, extreme threat Grade 1 - High-tier, significant threat Grade 2 - Mid-tier, moderate threat Grade 3 - Lower-tier, minor threat Grade 4 - Low-tier, minimal threat Grade 5
70• Entangled Threads: iii
•••••I nod, feeling a mix of excitement and trepidation."Tell me more about these encounters," she asks, her eyes filled with curiosity.I recount the moments with A, from the initial contact to the recent conversations.She listens intently, her expression thoughtful."When did you first notice this connection?" she asks."After Ashlyn's death" I reply, the memory still piercing.Her gaze softens. "I'm sorry again for your loss, North."She pauses, collecting her thoughts."Your ability to communicate with A is remarkable," she says. "But I suspect there is more to it. Something triggered this connection.""I don't really know what it could be. But A mentioned something about past lives" I say.Patel leans forward, her brows narrowed. "Past lives, right? I've been considering various explanations for your Angel communication. One possibility stands out: residual energies from past experiences.""Past experiences?" I repeat, intrigued.She nods. "Unresolved threads, North. Fragments
