S͎o͎l͎a͎r͎a͎ ͎|͎ ͎J͎o͎h͎n͎ ͎A͎l͎l͎e͎r͎d͎y͎c͎e͎/͎/͎P͎y͎r͎o͎

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

In the days following her visit to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Valeria found her caught in a whirlwind of emotions—excitement, nervousness, and a strange sense of foreboding. The anticipation of starting at a new school where her powers would be nurtured and understood was thrilling, but it also brought an undercurrent of anxiety that she couldn't shake.

Her powers had become erratic and unstable. The classroom lights flickered more than usual during her final week; the school administration chalked it up to lingering electrical issues from last week's fiasco. If Valeria accidentally bent the light and made objects briefly vanish, the students who were already on edge whispered about ghosts or alien activities. Valeria couldn't help but smirk at their wild theories, but the truth weighed heavily on her.

Each night, she lay awake, staring at the ceiling, her mind racing with the thoughts of what was to come. The nights seemed to drag on, but as she often reminded herself, the sun would set, the moon would rise, and soon enough, she'd be starting a new chapter in her life. The routine of school days blurred together until finally, the last day arrived.

As the final bell rang, signalling the end of her time at her old school, Valeria felt a strange mix of relief and melancholy. She methodically cleared out her locker, stuffing the last of her belongings into a small box. The clang of the locker as she slammed it shut echoed in the emptying hallway, a sound that felt oddly final. She took a deep breath, balancing the box in her arms, and made her way to the parking lot.

The familiar roar of her motorcycle engine greeted her as she approached, the one constant in her rapidly changing world. Valeria placed the box in the storage compartment and swung her leg over the bike. She paused for a moment, taking one last look at the school that had been her world for so long. The place where she had tried to fit in, to hide who she really was.

But now, it was time to leave it all behind.

With a twist of the throttle, she revved the engine and sped out of the parking lot, the wind whipping through her hair as she rode away from her past and toward an uncertain future. The road stretched out before her, and she weaved through the familiar streets, she couldn't help but feel a rush of freedom. She was no longer the girl trying to conceal her powers – soon, she'd be among others like her, in a place where she could finally be herself.

The sun dipped low in the sky, casting a golden hue over the town as she made her way home. The journey was bittersweet, but Valeria knew it was the beginning of something new. And as she rode into the setting sun, she felt a flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, she was heading exactly where she was meant to be.

~*~

She spent her last night at home packing her belongings into a sturdy duffel bag, one that she knew wouldn't slide off the pillion seat of her bike. The room that had been her sanctuary since she was a baby was now strewn with remnants of her life – clothes, books, a few posters so that her future room would feel a little like home and the small mementos she couldn't leave behind. Every item she picked up brought a flood of memories, but there was no time to dwell on them. She was leaving soon, and everything that had to be ready.

Initially, her father, Javier, had insisted on driving her to the school, but an emergency meeting had come up that morning at one of the construction sites his company was overseeing. He promised he'd be there to see her off that morning before he goes to work. Javier had reluctantly agreed to let her ride her bike, though she could see the worry in his eyes. He wasn't thrilled about the idea, but he trusted her judgement.

The morning she left, Valeria glanced around her room one last time, making sure she hadn't missed anything important. Her duffel bag was already heavy, stuffed with clothes, books and a few personal items she couldn't bear to leave behind. She forced the zipper shut, the bag straining at the seams. It would be a tight fit on the bike, but she was determined to make it work.