Fading Light

The car pulled up in front of the school gates, its sleek, black exterior gleaming under the pale morning sun. Lily pressed her face against the window, watching the crowd of kids buzzing like bees in the yard.

She could already feel their eyes on her, even before she stepped out. That was the thing about being a Para-Being, you didn’t have to do much to get attention.

Mom: “Lily, remember what I said. Be polite, don’t show off, and try to make some friends, okay?”

Lily rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. Her mother, Evelyn Vesper, a retired Para-Protector, was the definition of perfect.

Always calm, always composed. Everyone respected her. Lily? She was just…Lily. And today was supposed to be her day.

Lily: “Yeah, yeah. I got it, Mom.”

Her mom sighed but smiled, brushing a loose strand of hair from Lily’s face.

Mom: “I’m proud of you, sweetie. Now go on. Show them the real you.”

Lily opened the door and hopped out, her polished black shoes clicking against the pavement. She didn’t even have to do anything special.

The moment her feet hit the ground, it was like a magnet pulled them all in. A group of kids across the yard froze, their eyes widening.

Kid #1: “Whoa…did she floating?”

Lily gave a little smirk. Just enough to lift herself an inch off the ground, her feet hovering barely above the surface. She liked the feeling, it made her feel important.

Kid #2: “She’s a Para-Being!”

They rushed over like a wave. Boys, girls, younger kids, older ones. All of them circling her like she was some rare creature in a zoo. She let herself float a little higher, just to see their faces light up.

Kid #3: “What’s your name?!”

Kid #4: “Can you walk through walls?!”

Kid #5: “Do you fight bad guys like your mom did?!”

Lily flipped her hair back, pretending to be bored even though her heart was thumping with excitement.

Lily: “I’m Lily. And yeah, I could walk through walls if I wanted to…but it’s too easy. I’d rather float.”

A few kids gasped, and one of them, a small boy with messy brown hair, stared at her like she was the coolest thing in the world.

Boy: “You’re so lucky! I wish I had powers!”

Lily raised an eyebrow, floating just a little closer to him.

Lily: “Yeah, well, not everyone’s special.”

The boy’s smile faded a little, but Lily didn’t notice. She was too busy basking in the attention. This was how it was supposed to be. Everyone wanted to be near her, to know her. She wasn’t just a kid to be admired, she was the kid to be admired.

But then, she saw him.

Leaning against the far wall near the school doors, arms crossed and face unreadable, was a boy who didn’t seem to care at all. His dark, messy hair fell into his eyes, and he looked at the crowd around Lily like they were stupid.

Lily floated down, her feet landing softly on the ground. She stared back at him, waiting for him to look away. But he didn’t. He just stared, like he was bored. Like she was…nothing.

Lily’s stomach twisted in a way she didn’t like. Why wasn’t he impressed? Everyone else was. She was floating, for crying out loud!

She could’ve shown off more, maybe gone completely transparent or even phased through the flagpole just for fun.

But something told her it wouldn’t matter.

He wasn’t like the others.

Lily: “Hey, Who’s he?”

Kid #1: “That’s Ray. He’s weird. He hates Para-Beings.”

The words echoed in Lily’s head, sharp and uncomfortable. Hates? That didn’t make sense. Para-Beings were admired, feared, even worshipped sometimes. No one hated them.

Lily’s hands curled into fists at her sides. She didn’t like the feeling bubbling in her chest. It wasn’t anger. It was something else. Something worse.

Was that...embarrassment?

She stomped towards him, her polished shoes clicking hard against the pavement, drawing curious glances from the other kids. The crowd parted like water, whispering as she passed, but Lily’s eyes were locked on Ray.

When she finally stood in front of him, she realized just how tall he was. Not towering, but enough to make her tilt her chin up in defiance.

His dark, messy hair fell over his eyes, but she could still see them, dull, uninterested, like he was staring through her instead of at her.

Lily: “Hey, you!”

Ray didn’t even flinch. His arms stayed crossed, his expression flat like she was nothing more than a fly buzzing too close.

Ray: “What?”

The single word felt like a slap. Short, careless, like she wasn’t worth more syllables.

Lily: “I saw you staring. You got something to say?”

Ray shrugged, slow and lazy, like he hadn’t been caught, like he didn’t even care.

Ray: “Just wondering what the big deal is.”

Lily blinked, thrown off for a second.

Lily: “What?”

Ray: “You float a little. Big whoop.”

The words hit harder than any punch could’ve. Big whoop? She was a Para-Being. Kids literally gasped when she floated.

Lily felt her face heat up, and she quickly masked it with a smirk, floating an inch off the ground again, just to remind him who he was talking to.

Lily: “You’re just jealous. You wish you had powers like mine.”

Kid#2: “Yeah, you’re just jealous!”

Kid#3: “Why dont you just leave.”

Ray: “Okay.”

And with that he left.

No words. No glances. Nothing. His hands stayed in his pockets, shoulders relaxed like he hadn’t even been part of the conversation. Like she was just... background noise.

The crowd of kids watched in stunned silence. A few of them exchanged nervous glances, unsure of what to do. Some even looked at her, like maybe she was the one who’d lost.

Lily floated back down to the ground, her shoes clicking a little too loudly as they met the pavement. That twisting feeling in her chest tightened. She wasn’t used to this. She was used to winning.

Kid #1: “Don’t worry about him. He’s always like that. Total freak.”

Kid #2: “Yeah, he’s probably just scared of you!”

Lily forced a smile, nodding along, but their words felt hollow. It wasn’t fear. She knew what fear looked like. It wasn’t boredom either.

It was worse.

Ray genuinely didnxt care.

Not about her powers. Not about her reputation. Not about her.

And that…that felt like a punch to the gut.

The bell rang, snapping everyone out of their daze. The crowd started to disperse, kids heading toward their classes, but Lily stayed frozen for a moment, staring at the spot where Ray had been.

Her mom’s voice echoed in her head—

“Be polite, don’t show off, and try to make some friends.”

Lily clenched her fists.

Forget polite. Forget friends.

Ray was going to care. She’d make sure of it.