I slept through the morning classes that day, only waking up after lunch and to my horror, realizing that I had my first practical Elements class in five minutes.

I got up and changed as quickly as I could. I removed the bandage from my jaw and was relieved to see that the bruise had cleared up completely, something that had been happening to me since I was a child. I made a beeline for the elevator, which just wouldn't work fast enough.

I ran through the grounds, already five minutes late and stood for several moments outside the classroom in front of the large mahogany double doors and gazed at the high ceiling, feeling my heart thumping painfully in my throat. I was terrified of how I would be viewed. Like some spectacle. I felt my chest freezing, my stomach knotting uncomfortably. What was I doing there anyway? I didn't deserve to be among them.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

I entered the classroom, my legs blocks of ice. The solid air was compressing my lungs and unwilling to let me breathe. My entry interrupted a stern-looking woman who had her arms outstretched in front of her in some sort of a demonstration. She lowered her arms and cocked an eyebrow as I felt hundred of pairs of eyes swivel in my direction.

I tried to catch my breath as she walked closer to me. "Ezekiel Joziah Hunt," she said, "the new student?"

I struggled to stand straight, panting hard and instead decided just to nod politely, not trusting my breath enough to speak.

"Might I ask why you are so late?" She seemed strict by her sharp features, narrowed eyes and high cheekbones, but not cruel. Had this been Stonewall, I would have been running five laps around the ground by now.

The truth escaped my mouth for the lack of a better excuse, "I sl-sl-ept really l-la-la-ate,"

My face burned at the humiliation and I contemplated bolting from there. Again I was reminded of how I didn't belong there. My stutter like always was back at the most inconvenient time. I averted her gaze, fixing my eyes on the floor instead and gulping nervously.

"Ridiculously childish. However, I do appreciate your honesty. I shall excuse you this one time, but I suggest you do not ever come into my class a second late again, Hunt."

I nodded, relieved as she gestured for me to take a seat. I was aware of stares burning into my back and increasing my anxiety. I didn't want to walk all the way to the back of the class anyway, lest every one should stare at me even more and instead just sat on the front row, immediately regretting my decision as she opened her arms wide and a miniature tornado appeared between her palms.

It was ferocious but elegantly controlled. There was a murmur of excitement among the class. "Now," she shut her palms as the tornado disappeared. "As instructed last week, I will be calling students randomly to perform a controlled exhibition of their element. I hope you all have been practising."

"Fuck!"

I cursed under my breath as I felt a sharp sting on my index finger and felt a warm, sticky liquid. I gazed down at my left hand where the fingernail of my thumb had fiercely dug into the side of my index finger. A sharp, bright pink line had now been etched there, droplets of blood oozing out of the punctured wound and glistening under the bright lights. I sighed and had to make a conscious effort to keep my hands still, consequent of which was me jiggling my right leg instead. Even though it was annoying that I couldn't control the impulse, it was at least less self-harming.

I looked around at the wary class. A part of me was excited to see what everyone would present, however, my heart sank as I realized just how much further from me they all were. I didn't even know my element yet, and here they were exhibiting them.

A freckled, light-haired girl walked over to the front.

"I practised creating a waterfall, miss," she said, beaming.

The professor's eyes widened. "That...seems to be a little too advanced, Miss Pickett."

She smiled wider. "Yes. But I have been practising."

She spread her arms wide as a streaming waterfall seemed to appear out of nowhere and lead to nowhere. Clear water trickled beautifully, cascading around the golden sun rays as they entered through the high windows. The droplets looked like shimmering diamonds. For a while, it seemed like everything was fine, and it seemed like that's what the girl thought as well.

However, as soon as she smiled confidently, the waterfall collapsed and drenched her with a loud splash. Raucous laughter rang through the class as the professor neatly wiped her face with a handkerchief she produced out of her skirt pocket. Half of her dark blue gown was covered in water. I almost smiled, surreptitiously licking the wound on my finger. It was a habit from my childhood days that had familiarized me with temporary injuries and permanent scars. I managed not to wince at the terrifyingly familiar taste of blood.

"Not bad. But you should start smaller, Miss Pickett," the professor announced as if from far away.

The girl's shoulders slumped and she quietly went back to her seat.

Several people came to showcase their powers after her. A boy with a long ponytail created beautifully controlled fire rings, which earned applause from the class. Another guy managed to levitate himself for a few glorious minutes before collapsing on the ground with a painful grunt. About half an hour into the course, the professor called upon Aris, who shot me a brilliant, confident smile before he stepped in front.

My heart seemed to seize with pain when I remembered the painful conversation from last night. If he hadn't previously thought I was weird, he definitely did now. 

"I know you have a habit of going overboard, Mr Greenwood," the professor said, her eyebrows furrowed in motherly concern. "However, I suggest that you keep it in check here, where there are so many people confined in a small space."

Aris nodded. "Mine is a display miss. You don't need to worry."

With that, he closed his eyes and joined his hands as if in prayer, and just when I thought nothing was happening, something did. Green tendrils, brown trunks, and moss started breaking through the floor of the classroom, wondrously creeping rapidly on all the surfaces it could find.

Tall trees sprouted within seconds, touching the ceiling and casting their huge cooling shadow on everyone. There were murmurs of amazement as the entire classroom was transformed into a forest clearing, an eclectic collage of green and brown on every surface.

The only visage of the classroom left was the ceiling, looking out of place with the rest of the mystical room. I could smell grass, wood, soil. A part of me wondered if it was an illusion as a vibrant orange flower sprouted on a creeper that had crawled over my desk. I gently touched its delicate petals, realizing that it was no illusion.

It seemed like everyone was too awestruck to say anything. I looked at Aris and saw him beaming proudly. The professor's eyes were almost comically wide, astonished. Her mouth was agape as she shook her head, at a loss for words. Someone at the back of the classroom started clapping, and everyone followed suit. I joined in enthusiastically, in awe.

"Unbelievable, Greenwood," the professor said breathlessly. "You have truly shown your extraordinary capability."

Aris smiled, a shy blush on his cheeks. A first for him. He joined his hands together, concentrating again as, much to my dismay, the forest disappeared into the drabness of the classroom. There was a disappointed groan from the class as everything went back to normal.

"Truly astounding work, Greenwood," the professor smiled. "With even more training, you might be one of the future Vartiyahs." There were murmurs of agreement as Aris blushed harder. "You are truly one of the most brilliant students I have seen in a long time."

Aris shot me a winning smile before taking his seat. People clustered around him, and the professor sighed.

"Well, I suppose no one would be willing to follow that up." She was half smiling as Aris shrugged cockily, his shyness seemingly evaporating. She nodded. "Alright. Class dismissed. "

I waited till Aris' fanfare ended. Aahan saw me and waved, followed by Nia as they climbed down the steps and stood beside me.

"That was really....something," I said to Aris as he rejoined us, shaking my head. "How did you do that?"

Aris shrugged. "I realize my extraordinariness is difficult to be grasped by the ordinaries. Why waste your energy trying?"

Nia rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you're standing here wasting your extraordinariness on us while you need to be at practice."

Aris' eyes widened in horror, "Oh crap." He took off towards the exit, calling after him, "Zeke, you should come to the practice. They're looking for a new player anyway."

I turned to Nia. "Practice for what?"

She shook her head. "Polo."

"Polo?" I said, my eyes widening as my heart somersaulted. "You mean that game on horses?"

Nia nodded. "Er...almost. There's also badminton, basketball, football, and swimming team if you want to join," she said.

"And chess and carrom," Aahan added, rolling his eyes. "Although, of course, nobody wants to take part in that."

Nia smiled. "Aahan is the captain of the chess team, and single-handedly plays."

"Technically, chess is a single-handed game," Aahan scowled.

Nia rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's go see! I think you'll like it!"

I decided to follow them, for a lack of anything else to do. I was also curious if polo at Asteria was any different than what I was used to. And somehow, somewhere, I hoped that being around a lot of noise would help to suffocate the million voices in my head that kept reminding me of my worthlessness. Somehow amplified by my own insecurity that kept rising in a palpable crescendo, threatening to bury me under the deluge.