Paladin

He Made Friends Easily

"I know you. You think I don't, but I do. Illyria, I know you would not attack some boy without a reason," Illyria felt like her mother saw right through her which was impossible because her Umma's ability was fire, "Just tell us the truth about what happened. Did he-did he touch you or say something to you?"

"I told you I don't know what happened," More than anything, Illyria felt ashamed and dirty," I think Amanah said it best. I don't have control over my abilities. My power is...out of control." The words were like leads on her lips and the pit in her stomach burned through her with guilt.

As always, Baba came to her rescue. " When Illyria is ready, she will tell us." Baba said soothingly and put his arm around his tumultuous daughter who shrugged him off.

She pretended that she didn't see the flash of hurt in his eyes.

Umma shook her head at me, "I'm going to lie down for a bit. I didn't expect this at all today. Please make dinner," She looked at Illyria for a long time before heading upstairs, conveying her frustration by her stomps.

Baba shifted next to Illyria restlessly, his eyes filled with concern, "Are you okay, mon cheri?"

Illyria nodded, reached for the TV remote, and flicked through the channels.

It felt like a long time before he said anything else, "I know you think you're alone but you're not...You know you can tell me anything. I don't want you to hide anything from me ever again like-like last time."

Illyria felt her skin prickling which she didn't like at all. There was a lump in her throat too.

Eventually, he got up to make food but as soon as he got up, Illyria felt his side of the seat bouncing with a much lighter weight. She already knew who it was when miniature hands snatched the remote from her and switched to the news channel.

Nerd.

"What are you doing?" She groaned loudly, "Why can't you be a normal child and watch cartoons or something?"

"And lose brain cells? Unlike you, I prefer to know what's happening around the world," She quipped back, before patting my knee distractedly, "That was really intense. Glad that's over with. Didn't I say this was going to happen?"

***

Monday morning marked the first morning in six years that didn't start with Hyeon. Illyria, despite all her efforts, missed her and messaged her as soon as she woke up.

how does it feel like being without me?

the last two years are going to suck ass without you. I hate you for doing this to me.

Her text came instantly, and it made her smile, I love you too. frappes at five?

See you then dork

jerk

Hyeon would be fine; she was the most social one of the two. Probably because she didn't have to buy her way in. And because she wasn't a mixed girl who was torn between the social groups in The London Academy.

"Are you ready?" Amanah called from the other side of the door and Illyria straightened the end of her blazer, wrinkling her nose at her reflection.

The headmistress of her new school had come early to force the atrocity of the schools uniform onto her. Illyria had taken one look at the skirt and shoved it in the back of her wardrobe.

"Yes," Eima backed up when Illyria opened the door and said nothing about her black trousers. "Let's go."

They both made their way to the spacious garden and Amanah squeezed the Transit Mechanism in her hand which immediately it expanded into a window. Illyria could feel the power and energy emanating from the window and felt repelled by it. But Ms. Baten walked through the passage, so Illyria followed her reluctantly. After she had passed through the portal safely, Eima made a motion through the passage as if cutting her hand through it and this action made it go back to its original form.

"The Transit window is programmed to be open for five minutes when first activated. All you need to do is type in the right coordinates. It's tracked so don't do anything stupid. Here you go," Amanah dumped the steel circle into Illyria's hands.

"What am I supposed to do with it?" Illyria held it gingerly between her thumb and forefinger.

"This is your only way to get to and from school so keep it safe," She said, before striding off.

Illyria would have retorted if she wasn't dumbfounded by what was in front of her. The Champion Academy was a six floor glass physics-defying architectural piece that should not have been possible. Yet-Illyria stumbled out of the way as a hovercraft came to land behind her.

"Why are you just standing there? Come on!" The headmistress had to drag Illyria to get her moving, pressing her thumb against the biotech interval to be granted interval.

Illyria barely had a chance to blink before her own thumb was scanned by the receptionist, was given a lanyard that had a pitiful school picture of herself and a HGM device that emitted a large siren when she barely touched it.

"Stop that, Illyria," Amanah turned the noise off as everyone in nearby vicinity turned to glare at her. "Stop drawing attention at yourself."

"I didn't even-"

"Let's get you to your first class," Eima cut her off and Illyria struggled to keep up with her long strides.

Illyria huffed as she entered a room of twenty something students who seemed understandably uninterested in her as she was in them.

"Level Four English, this is a newly enrolled student. Illyria Montrose. I expect you to give her a warm welcome. Thank you, Miss Wong," Ms. Baten and after her succinct speech, she addressed me, "You'll have your test during lunch."

"Test?" Illyria said, confused but her aunt was already gone.

Illyria felt warm hands grasp her shoulders and then the next thing she knew Miss Wong's excited face peered down at her, "Welcome. Welcome! I'm Miss Wong. It's so good to see a fresh face around here. The headmistress did tell me you would be coming although she was scarce on details."

"Okay, Illyria why don't you sit next to Felicia? Right there-yes-there you go!"

Felicia took one look at her and rolled her eyes. The new girl wasn't going to last a week.