Sleep didn't come easily. My mind raced with the possibilities that had suddenly opened up to me, and the low, constant hum of Voltaris's consciousness in the back of my mind was a strange new companion. But when I woke, it was not with despair, but with a sharp, cold purpose.
Today was the registration for the Zenith Academy placement exam. Before, the thought filled me with dread. Now, it was an opportunity.
"Don't get cocky," Voltaris's voice rumbled in my head as I dressed. "You destroyed a stationary piece of wood. A real opponent moves. And hits back. Your control is still laughably poor."
"I know," I muttered, pulling on a simple tunic. "But I'm not going to hide anymore."
Stepping out of the house was like stepping into a different world. The sun felt brighter, the air sharper. For two days, I had hidden myself away in shame. Now, I walked with my head held high. It didn't take long to attract attention.
"Well, well, look what crawled out of its hole."
The sneering voice belonged to Kaelen, a broad-shouldered bully whose Blessing was a D-Rank Earth type, just good enough to make him arrogant. He stood with two of his cronies, blocking my path in the middle of the street. They were the ones who had laughed the loudest.
"It's the Zero," one of them snickered. "Going to register for the academy? They don't have classes for polishing boots, you know."
The old me would have flinched. The old me would have looked at the ground and tried to walk away. The new me stood still, my eyes meeting Kaelen's without wavering. I felt the familiar anger rise, and with it, the delicious trickle of power from the seal.
"Get out of my way, Kaelen," I said, my voice even.
Kaelen laughed, a harsh, barking sound. "Or what? You'll tickle me with your static?" He took a step forward, shoving my shoulder hard. "Face it, Snape. You're nothing. Your friendship with the great Lady Iris is over. You're just trash."
He shoved me again, harder this time.
"Now," Voltaris's voice was a low growl in my mind. "Show him a spark."
As Kaelen reached out to shove me a third time, I acted. I didn't summon the full Lash—that would be too much, too soon. Instead, I let a tiny fraction of the power I'd wielded last night gather in my palm.
My hand shot out and grabbed his wrist.
CRACKLE!
A visible arc of violet lightning, small but potent, leaped from my hand to his arm. Kaelen screamed—a high-pitched, genuine shriek of pain and shock. He convulsed, his muscles seizing from the jolt, and stumbled backward, falling to the ground. He clutched his arm, which was smoking slightly, his face pale with terror. His two friends stared, their jaws hanging open.
I looked down at Kaelen, my expression cold. "I said, get out of my way."
Scrambling to his feet, he and his cronies practically fell over each other to get away from me, their earlier arrogance completely gone, replaced by fear.
I didn't smile. I simply continued walking toward the academy, the low hum of Voltaris's approval echoing in my mind. It was a small victory, but it was a start. And it felt good.