A Blessing or a Curse

Chapter Three: The New Kid

Silverstone Academy was known for its exclusivity. Only the best and brightest—the most talented—could step through its polished, oak-framed doors. It was a place where the Blessed thrived, and those with ordinary or Cursed statuses didn't even get the chance to apply. It was this reputation that had made it the perfect place for Jack. But it was also what made the arrival of the new student all the more unexpected.

Lucas entered the school under a different name: Noah. To everyone at Silverstone, he was just another transfer student, a quiet, unassuming boy who kept his head down and didn't make waves. He had dark, shaggy hair that hung over his eyes, and he wore the school's uniform with a kind of practiced ease. He blended into the crowd like a shadow, always lingering at the edges, watching, waiting.

Jack first noticed him during morning assembly. There was nothing particularly special about him—just another face among the hundreds in the hall. But there was something off, something that made Jack's instincts twitch. Noah's eyes, though downcast, seemed to observe everything, and when he did meet someone's gaze, there was a glint there, a sharpness that made Jack uneasy. He shook it off, figuring he was just being paranoid after all the chaos at Crestwood.

Noah, for his part, slipped seamlessly into the routines of Silverstone. He was careful, always polite, always quiet. But beneath the surface, he was studying everything. He watched the way the students interacted, the hierarchy among the Blessed, the way the weak were either ignored or belittled. It reminded him of Crestwood, of how Kyle and his friends had treated him, of how they had looked at him like he was nothing.

And now, here he was, walking the halls of another school filled with people who thought they were untouchable. People who believed they were better than everyone else because of their status. It made his blood boil.

Noah didn't plan on causing a scene. In fact, he was intent on staying under the radar, at least for a while. But things didn't go exactly as planned.

It happened on a Thursday afternoon, in one of the courtyards. Noah was eating his lunch alone, as he usually did, when he saw a small commotion across the yard. A group of students had surrounded another boy—a younger, scrawny kid who was visibly trembling. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was happening. They were Blessed, and they were using their powers to mess with the kid. Nothing too serious, just little tricks—one of them made the kid's bag float above his head, another made tiny sparks flicker near his ears. It was all a joke to them.

Noah's jaw clenched as he watched. It was exactly the same as before, the way Kyle and his friends used to pick on him. Something inside him snapped.

Without thinking, he stood up and made his way over. The group didn't notice him at first, too busy laughing at the younger boy's attempts to grab his floating bag. But when Noah grabbed the arm of the boy controlling the bag, twisting it behind his back, they all froze.

"Let go," Noah said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper, but there was a dangerous edge to it that made them hesitate.

The boy winced, trying to pull his arm free. "What the hell, man? Who do you think you are?"

"No one important," Noah said, his grip tightening. "But I'm telling you to stop."

For a moment, the group seemed to consider fighting back. After all, they were Blessed. They had powers. They shouldn't have to listen to some nobody who had just transferred here. But there was something in Noah's eyes, something cold and unyielding, that made them reconsider.

"Fine," the boy muttered, and the bag dropped to the ground. "Whatever."

Noah let go of his arm and turned to leave, but the moment he did, one of the others made a move—a sudden, sharp burst of energy aimed at Noah's back. Without even turning around, Noah dodged, and in a flash, he was in front of the boy, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him into the wall.

The courtyard went silent.

Noah's eyes bored into the boy's, and for a moment, the air around them felt electric, like it was charged with some unseen force. "I said stop," he repeated, his voice even colder than before. "Don't make me say it again."

He released the boy, who staggered back, clearly shaken. The group quickly dispersed, muttering under their breath, but no one dared to confront Noah again.

The younger boy, the one they had been bullying, stood there, wide-eyed and speechless. He managed a quick, mumbled "thank you" before grabbing his bag and hurrying away. Noah didn't respond. He just watched him go, a small, almost satisfied smile tugging at his lips.

By the time the incident was over, word had already started to spread. By the next day, everyone at Silverstone knew about the new transfer student who had taken on a group of Blessed and won. Some of them were impressed, others were wary. But most were just curious—who was this kid, and how had he managed to beat them without even using any visible powers?

As the rumors swirled, Noah kept to himself, as if nothing had happened. He was content to let them talk, to let them speculate. It was all part of the plan, after all. He needed to blend in, to become just another face in the crowd. But he also needed them to know that he wasn't someone they could push around.

In his dorm room that night, Noah sat at his desk, staring at a piece of paper. He had written names on it, and beside each name was a neat, precise tick mark. Crestwood had been the beginning. Silverstone was next.

"One down," he whispered to himself, his smile widening as he looked at the names. "More to go."

The list wasn't complete yet. But it would be soon.