Imbalance
Twenty years ago, the world changed as we know it. What we consider fantasy then, is the reality now.
Twenty years ago, the sky exploded and gave human race a change that will forever, remain.
Sky Collapse.
The phenomenon twenty years ago was called Sky Collapse. What came after was a tragedy that decimated the human race.
Ghosts.
Existence that was only existing in fantasies and legends came to life and drove humanity into a corner until nine years later.
Until nine years later, the human race fought the Ghosts by themselves using a primitive technology that was hardly its purpose. Nine years after the Sky Collapse, humanity turned the table against the threat of the unseen.
Dream Magic.
After the Sky Collapse, new born children were changed deep inside them. Number of newborn children after the Sky Collapse is blessed with an unexpected ability that became the first true weapon against the unseen danger. Humanity’s retaliation.
Nine years after the Sky Collapse emerged the first child to use this ability. Dream Magic. She was revered, Hero. A genius that raised the tide for the human race against the threat that cursed us for a very long time.
In only two years, the balance of power between the Human race and the Ghosts was set. Many Dream Magic user emerged in a very short amount of time, driving the Ghosts away and ensuring the safety of the people.
Today, the battle goes on between the two sides for survival. The Ghosts hide in the shadows preying on Humans hidden form the force that drove them away.
Today Dream Magic users are called Gifteds. A Gifted is able to use an ability similar to an ESP’s. Telepathy, clairvoyance and, psychokinesis are the basic abilities of a Gifted. A Gifted can control a non-living object to their will but against a Ghost it is very different.
Using telepathy to a Ghosts is a battle of mental strength . If a Gifted is overpowered while grasping a ghost, a gifted will be grasped instead and will be killed.
While clairvoyance can be used to clearly see a Ghost. Ghosts can’t still be normally seen if they are hiding. They can only be seen by a normal person while they are trying to consume a person.
Not every child can be a Gifted. A similar trait every gifted share is a high Intelligence Quotient or IQ. The reason is not known but it is absolute. At the age of five, a child should be checked by the government for the purpose of finding a Gifted.
A child, exceeding one hundred and eighty IQ will be a gifted. After this finding, they will be tested for the power level they currently have. The normal check at first is at one hundred with two hundred being the highest.
This is the present. Gifted children are sent into specialized school to further enhance their powers and fight against the existence that poses a grave threat to the human race.
A household with a Gifted must send at least, a child to a specialized school and I, joined on my accord.
In our house, my sister and I wield Dream magic but I, alone, went to a school. My sister, Maya, is always refusing to go to a specialized school and wants to live a normal life instead.
For her, I went. Not only I know what her reason is. But also because she will be forced instead if I don’t go myself.
In the past, I experienced abuse from other children because of my case. My sister’s view of Dream magic became dark and hid it from everyone.
“Miah, I’ll be leaving now” I looked at my sister as I hold the door before closing it.
“Okay, be careful” my sister replied as she peeked from the kitchen with a mouthful of bread.
Today, I’m about to attend my first day at my new school. I’m currently a grade nine student and is transferred to a new school. We had to move because of my mother’s job and also because of our previous neighborhood.
Today I start anew. New faces, new town, new neighborhood, new school, new teachers and new classmates. Despite being only at ninth grade, I’ve already transferred into three schools because of my case.
From now, I will be even better that I was before. I thought to myself as I stand in the school gate nervously. I was very nervous. I count every step I take as I walk.
Nine, one. A sign at the top of the hall in front of the classroom hangs. This is where I will be.
From the seventh grade until now, I was always assigned into the first section of a grade because of my case. I was always problematic, but not because I wanted it. Even before attending a specialized school I was the center of trouble in our neighborhood.
I was used at everyone's hateful glare. I was used in being not treated normally.
Front row. Left corner and by the window. My seat. I stared from the door and tried to clear my mind before entering the room.
The room was already filled with students. There were plenty than the seats assigned. Some of them aren’t from here. What are they doing here? I thought to myself as I walked in the front of the classroom.
Every person inside the room stopped what they are doing and suddenly stared at me.
He’s the new student? and other obvious questions are being whispered across the room as I walk to my seat while ignoring them. I caught everyone’s attention except for this girl. A girl at my seat.
The heck is she doing there? There are assigned seats for every student so it was absolutely and supposedly my seat.
“Excuse me” I said hesitantly to the girl. She was staring out in the window as if she’s in deep thoughts. I noticed that she was listening to music and she couldn’t probably hear me.
A bag in a seat, next to mine, was probably hers and I took the liberty of seating there.
Awkward. For some reason I feel awkward seating here. The teacher isn’t here yet so if should be fine seating anywhere.
I stared at the girl as I was seated. I felt really uncomfortable seating here and waiting for her to notice that the owner of the seat she’s resting at is here. I’m filled with thought, screaming thoughts, as if I wanted her to hear me from my head and finally notice me.
After ten minutes with my hand on my face, the she turned around at me.
“You’re at my seat” the girl in my seat said with a straight face.
I looked at her and thought. You’ve been in mine for almost fifteen minutes. And completely forgot to reply to her as I stare at her with the hand still on my cheek.
Her eyes are pretty. As I stared at her and completely lost in though.
Everything was slow. This is one of my abilities. If I focus enough, my brain activity exceeds the normal. My reaction time is faster than normal.
With, as if everything in the world is very slow. I finally snapped outside my focus and started understanding what she’s saying.
“Are you okay?” She asked. “You’re really staring at me.” She noted on a serious face.
“Oh sorry.” I replied in apology. I spaced out unexpectedly but it should be fine. “I couldn’t catch that.”
“I said you’re in my seat” she pointed at the seat where I am seating.
“And you’ve been in mine” I replied in a straight tone. Her face looked surprised as her brows raised. Her eyes are somewhat captivating. I couldn’t get out of this feeling. Staring at her eyes is like being pulled in but I couldn’t resist even if I wanted to.
Her lips are pink along with her blushing cheeks. A morning face can’t be this fresh.
“Sorry about that” she replied in a smiling face as if she’s trying to act cute. She’s getting on my nerves. I don’t know why but her smile was refreshing that I hate it. Its leaving me in confusion.
It was always like this. I can’t trust a smile. I feel like my brain in being poked with needles whenever I feel this irritation.
I looked away from her trying shake this unpleasing sensation from my head. “Let’s swap back when the teacher arrives, okay?” she said as she smiles still.
I nodded back at her in agreement to settle the matter so I could look away from her, guilt-free.
The noise in the background started fading away. I looked back and saw some students walking out of the room. In the corner of the eye, I saw a teacher entering the room.
A male teacher in a formal attire walked in front of the class.
The girl in my seat stood up and switched seats with me. “Thanks” she whispered as I stood up from her seat.
She smells nice. Is it her hair? Her clothes? I avoided looking at her as soon as I noticed how she smelled. For some reason, it feels wrong to smell.
“Okay!” the teacher yelled as I seat. He pulled his suit down and fix his eye glass “Nice to see everyone again…” he paused suddenly as he stared at me.
“Oh. That’s right, we have a transfer student today.” He stated at the class in a joking manner. He puts his hand behind his head and chuckles before pointing at me. “Could you stand in front and introduce yourself to us?”
“O-of course” I stuttered as I stood from my seat. I walked to the front and I feel everyone’s gaze at me. This is making me nervous. Not only am I, basically, a stranger but I, also, am a shy person. I dislike being the center of attention but today’s situation can’t be helped. I halted at the center of the room and noticed that the number of students inside the class.
Only eight. I thought that the other students were just blocking the view of the other chairs but there weren’t any in the first place.
In the previous school that I attended, there were twenty-five of us. And that is how I preferred it. The more student a class has, the less attention I could get. Because it’s easier to hide in a that kind of crowd.
But now is different. There’s only nine of us? This could be difficult.
“Good morning everyone. My name is Vance Rivera.” I scan everyone with my eyes as I spoke and noticed an empty seat further in the right side of the front row. “I will be in this class starting today. Nice to meet you.” I finished my introduction and headed back to my seat but I was halted.
“Wait” a voice within the class shouted. A deep voice coming from a boy. I stopped walking and looked for the one who spoke. The boy in the back of the class stood up. A boy with a slender body and an organized hair. “In this class you don’t only say your name.”
Not only my name? The hell is he talking about? I thought to myself, agitated. My heart is, surprisingly, not beating very fast and not to mention I’m not nervous anymore.
“That’s right. You say your IQ and power level Vance.” The teacher added. “I Forgot to mention that, sorry.”
“Is that how it is?” I whispered to myself as I faced front again. “Yes, it is.” The girl next to my seat whispered back. I looked down at her and noticed her eyes again. I didn’t notice it at first but her eyes are pretty big, and it’s black color is intense.
I walked back in front and straighten my pose as I look the boy at the back in his eyes. I feel like he hates me for a reason or something I don’t know or is it just I was really ignorant of their culture in here. “My IQ is two-hundred and thirty...” The room was completely silenced and everyone locked their eyes on me in shock except our teacher, since he was the first to know.
I paused because of the sudden awkward silence and quickly looked at everyone. “An…” I was interrupted as I was to continue. “Mr. Hayazawa, is that true?” The boy, in the back again, shouted in surprise.
I studied him and he was very serious. Understand because of how unbelievable it sounds. The highest IQ of a student this school has is two-hundred and seventeen. And that person should be in this classroom but I do not know who just yet.
“It’s true, Mr. Lim.” Mr. Hayazawa smiled at him in assurance. “As you are.” He said to me after answering to the boy at the back.
I’m now hesitant. In my previous schools, these are very private information until the school itself announces. And every time they do, all I get is violent reactions and challenges from other students who doesn’t believe it and tried fighting me. These were the main reason why I transferred schools many times.
Having Dream magic require IQ that is above one-hundred and eighty and power level will grow every second passes. In this school, Sampaguita Integrated High School, the highest IQ a certain student has is two-hundred and seventeen with her current power level already at eleven-thousand. She is considered genius in the world of Dream magic.
As for me, two-hundred and twenty IQ with power level of “...seven.”
