To Kashi, breakfast wasn’t something common that one could enjoy every day. They had to fight and beg for it. When Marco mentioned “breakfast,” Kashi was overridden with joy; so much joy that tears had begun to flood out.

As she silently followed Marco through the dim candle lit hallways of the school, she kept pinching herself, wondering if this was all a dream. Even if it was, she didn’t want it to end.

As she arrived at the dining hall, Marco suddenly halted. Kashi had a bad feeling about this. When she took a peek, there was no food, and the place seemed almost vacant. Kashi knew that breakfast was over.

Marco, who also seemed frustrated, had walked off in silence, glaring at her. Kashi felt sorry.

Walking sullenly towards her first class, her shoulder bumped into another student’s.

“Sorry,” she said sullenly, walking off.

“Hey!” the voice called after her.

“Why?” she asked, looking back. A chubby boy, only bit taller, was glaring at her with malicious intent.

“Why?” he sneered,”You’re asking why?”

Leaping forwards and into the air, he easily abridged the 10 meter distance in a single jump. As he landed, his hand began to glow crimson red, smashing the floor in front of Kashi. Debris of rock exploded around her, and she was knocked back, crashing into the wall.

“S-stop, please,” she begged,”I’m sorry...”

The boy laughed.

“Why don’t you fight back?” he mocked,”Too scared?”

Kashi didn’t know what to do. The elder hadn’t told her anything about her magnus and she was struggling to move from the pain.

“Useless,” the boy spat, walking away. The crowd that had gathered around began to laugh and taunt Kashi. It’s no different here she thought. In the streets, whenever a fight broke out, people would gather to watch. They always cheered for the rich, and never cared about morals. The assailants (always the wealthy) were incomparably more powerful than the beggars on the streets; nonetheless, they would beat the poor senseless. Life was unfair, and Kashi hoped that the school would be different. Much to her disappointment, it was the same.

From the depths of her heart, she hated the rich. Damn you! she wanted to scream at everyone. But if she did, she would only get beaten down again. Kashi didn’t want that. When the crowd dissipated, she stood up, brushed the dust off her uniform, and limped to her class.

When she entered, she was amazed by the large podium the teacher was occupying, as well as the wooden, semi-circular rows of seats for the students, who were all seated in pairs. She expected the teacher to be warm and welcoming, but her hopes quickly vanquished. The class seemed to be rather unwelcoming, including the teacher. News had spread that Kashi was mud-borne, the lowest of the poor.

The teacher looked young, around her mid 20’s, and had red hair with pretty features. She was tall, almost as tall as Kashi’s roommate, Marco, and wore sharp glasses that gave her a piercing glare. When she noticed Kashi, she pointed at an empty desk and shooed her away as if she was just a bothersome fly.

As more students piled in, Kashi noticed the blonde girl, Nélle, walking in.

“Hey!” Nélle called out, waving cheerfully. Kashi averted her gaze and stared at the teacher, who was now writing on the chalkboard.

“Why do you look so beaten up?” Nélle asked,”Did you fight someone?”

Kashi didn’t want to answer, but nodded curtly.

“Let me guess, you lost, right?” Nélle asked again, smiling.

Kashi shivered, remembering how the boy had almost broken her arm.

“So, what is your magnus?”

“Nothing,” whispered Kashi.

“What?” Nélle yelped in surprise,”Don’t you have an ability?”

“I’m not sure”

“But how did you get in?”

Kashi wanted no one to know of her background.

“Luck,” she answered, fretfully,”I got in by luck.”

Nélle looked at Kashi in disgust.

“Get out,” she said. Everyone was staring at the two. Kashi’s cheeks burned as she could feel their glares on her.

“I said get out!” she yelled.

Helplessly, Kashi scrambled out of the desk, picked up her books, and began to run out the door. Behind her, she could hear something brushing against the air as it quickly pummeled towards her. Before she could duck, a chunk of rock, surrounded with a purple aura, smashed into her skull.

Kashi staggered for a brief moment and fell. The pain was numbing. As she struggled to stand back up, green blades of winds slashed at her from above. An iron foot came smashing down on her arm, and with a crunch, it was broken. Kashi cried out in pain, but it was muffled by the sound of laughter.

Crying and out of breath, Kashi limped towards her dorm. After she locked the room, she plopped onto the bathroom floor and began to weep in silence. She wept and wept, until she couldn’t form tears no more.

“Damn it!” she cried, striking the stone wall with her fists.

Her head was throbbing from the pain, and Nélle would, never in a million years, heal her. She doubted that Marco would even help her. As she quietly whispered help to herself, Kashi’s body went limp.