LND : FOUR OF A KIND

1. AFTER SCHOOL.

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GOOD MORNING, it is a clear morning in Linkon City—the sky is a hue of brilliant blue, and the leaves still green as we say goodbye to Summer. For students, this is a crucial time as the school year ushers in assignments, clubs, and up-coming exams. For working adults, nothing much has changed, expect more to do and air-conditioning bills. And for Linkon city as a whole, we wish you all a great day with an abundance of health, wealth, and happiness.

Cars, bicycles, and buses take one particular route, and so does the subject of our pursuit. She's walking with a spring to her step, like an excited rabbit or a happy deer. It seems that despite the events that have piled up like scars, she continues to approach life with her head held high, and a dazzling smile. It is beautiful, pitiful, and admirable all the same. She has her headphones on, listening to an old tune as she hums along to it. Is it then when the student's eyes flicker to the time in the corner of her phone screen. It reads five minutes till the first bell. And then, she takes off running.

Pulling the headset off, she sprints past her under and upperclassmen, catching the attention of a few passersby. She's fast, but what's more important is the fact that she's not going to make it in time. And neither are they.

Soon, a congregation of students begin sprinting towards the school gates, alarming the security guards and teacher in charge of attendance, the latter shaking their head as he taps his clipboard against the gate. It's a signal to the hoard of students–or cockroaches, in his eyes–that they're too late. A wonder how despite the fact that Linkon's technology far supases that of many nations, students still resort to sprinting to class and teachers carry old-fashioned clipboards.

Though, a few students preferred a graver punishment than a tardiness penalty.

Coming from the left side was a boy of silver, ashy hair whose Evol seeped from him in the form of glittering light as he sped through the narrow opening of the closing gate. He made it in first, and his brilliant thinking led the three others behind him to do the same.

A brunette boy with a stern expression seemed to think twice about it–he was certainly not a rule breaker–only advancing in the race by taking advantage of the power wielded by the girl we were shadowing. It seemed from his lack of remorse in sabotaging her that they were already acquainted. Then there was the girl and a boy whose laidback attitude made one question why he bothered.

The girl let out an exasperated gasp when she was shoved aside, albeit gently, by her classmate of eight years. She stared daggers at his back, cursing his ice Evol and how hers was so easy to take advantage of. He didn't use the least bit of stamina, borrowing her energy instead. The last of the bunch had hair resembling gentle waves on a shore, the dark quality coupled with accents of violet. He wore a sheepish grin as he slid into the gates after the other two, embers emanating from him.

The bell sounded just as they entered. It seemed all four were planning to act as though nothing had happened, waltzing towards the school's entrance as though they had not just broken conduct. The teacher in charge of attendance was unfortunately the harshest. And so, he asked the guards to drag them back to the gate.

Coincidentally, they were all third year students and students of Mr. Hathaway. The man inhaled and exhaled, eying the four power wielders and giving them a look. Even to us, it was easy to tell that he was questioning their audacity to flaunt Evol on campus grounds.

"Xavier," he eyed the blonde, then to the brunette "Zayne," and then they landed on the carefree one, "Rafayel," he enunciated the boy's name with a more grave tone before turning to the girl, displeased, "Crina."

"Well you see, Sir, I got carried away buying curry buns this morning... Would you like one? And, well, I only started running because the others behind me were!" the ginger smiled politely, casually shifting blame as she offered the paper bag to the man who shook his head with a sigh.