Without thinking, Sara took her bike and rode as fast as she could.
She didn't know who that boy was or where he came from. He just suddenly came from the sky like an alien and helped her deal with the thief. Then, a realization hit her. Maybe she should've thanked him for helping her.
And it was the first time she met someone who had special abilities too...
"Hey, Little Flower! Stop running away!"
Sara turned over her shoulder and nearly shrieked when she saw the boy flying towards her. "W-Wait! Stop chasing me!"
"Then stop running away! I need to talk to you!"
What could he possibly want from her? Sara had nothing to offer other than her wallet and the food she had bought. She didn't know if her bike had any value either.
The boy sighed. "You leave me no choice, Little Flower."
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept under Sara's bike and lifted her off the ground. Sara screamed as she was lifted higher into the sky and over the city. Neon lights flickered below her and the world below seemed to be so big and yet so small at the same time. Cars drove through the streets with streaks of bright lights tailing them.
The boy flew down in front of her face, floating upside down with a grin.
"Oh, that's right, how rude of me. I forgot to introduce myself," the boy said. "My name is Brandon and I am going to be in 9th grade this fall. My mission was to find you and have you enrolled in my school as a new student."
"Eh?" Sara blinked in confusion.
Brandon did some stretches in the air. "Ah geez, it was so hard to find you. It was only until yesterday when you were put on the roster for being an Ace because the only person who reported you was your 6th-grade teacher," he said. "He didn't have any evidence of your abilities though."
"W-Wait, I don't understand what y-you're saying," Sara stammered as she struggled to comprehend what Brandon was talking about. She glanced down at the world below her. "C-Could you put me down?"
Brandon pointed at her and grinned. "I would put you down, but you're going to run away again. I think it'll be better if we talk this way since the breeze is nice and the view is extraordinarily beautiful, so it should calm your nerves."
Sara stared at his confident grin and eyes that twinkled like the stars. The whole situation was confusing, but he was right. If she didn't focus on the discomfort of not having anything under her, being in the air wasn't all that bad. The cool night breeze whooshed around softly and it wasn't just the city below that was beautiful. The starry sky was clearer up here.
"You are a person with a special ability called an Ace, which makes you an Ace," Brandon continued. "I know this is confusing, but hear me out. People like us are very rare. It was only 100 years ago when a few people started showing up with special abilities. There are Aces that have super intelligence, invisibility, or even clairvoyance," Brandon leaned back and put his hands at the back of his head."I have the Wind Ace, which means I can control the wind around me at will. I think you have the Flower Ace. That makes us both Aces."
Sara averted his eyes. "T-This is too much to take in..."
Brandon chuckled. "Don't worry about taking it all in at the same time. Once you get into my school, you'll see that there are so many kids that are just like you. You'll fit right in and everything will make perfect sense."
There is a school for kids who are just like me?
"...I don't want to go to school," Sara said softly. "I... I have a grandma who is in the hospital right now. I don't have time to be in school... so... I'm sorry." The mention of school made her gut lurch and she dug her fingernails into her hands to keep herself from shaking.
She didn't want to go to school. She never wanted to be in one ever again.
Brandon studied her with a raised eyebrow and blew out a breath. "A lot must've happened when you were at school, huh? That's a given especially since you're an Ace." He then crossed his legs as if he was sitting. "But you know, the academy is the best place for you to be in. As I said before, the kids there are similar to you so being in an environment where you're with people like you is better than being here. Besides, if you run into people who give you a hard time, you can complain to me and I'll take care of them for you!" Brandon said with a mischievous grin. "And as for your grandma, you can just ask the superiors to take care of her for you."
Sara looked up in surprise. "What?"
"You'll have to be in Ace Academy even if you don't want to. The UN had enforced a law that Aces need to be enrolled in the academy so that they can control their abilities and keep themselves safe from the rest of society," Brandon continued. "Every time an Ace is admitted into the school, their family has a request granted from the higher-ups. It could be wealth, a fancy house, or even an annual vacation to a designated country. That means you can just ask for them to cover your grandma's hospital bills or whatnot."
"T-They can really do that?" Sara couldn't believe it. It felt like a dream to finally find a way to help her grandma. Brandon nodded with a proud grin. "So what do you say, Little Flower? Will you come to Ace Academy?"
"Yes!" Sara answered without hesitation. I'm scared of going back to school, but if it will help my grandma with her treatments, then I will put up with it.
***
"How do you like the view, Little Flower?"
Right now, Sara and Brandon were riding a private jet to the academy. They weren't the only passengers though, because there were also a few kids and adults riding too. Sara was staring out the window in awe, watching the ocean shimmer below her. She couldn't find the words to answer Brandon because the view was so breathtaking. She had never traveled before and had only seen the ocean from the shore.
"Aren't you being too chummy with that little girl?" one of the kids asked.
Brandon scoffed. "She's probably going to be in the Hearts when she gets in the school, so I'm treating her like a little sister!"
"Oh, you're getting out of the Spades now? Wow, you traitor."
Sara saw an island come into view and she tugged Brandon's sleeve. "Hey, is that where we're going?" Brandon leaned in to look through the window and smiled. "That's right. Welcome to Ace Academy."
The island was shaped like a heart with a forest of colorful and unique trees covering most of the land. Further in the distance was a mountain range and to the east of the island was a large beach with a small coral reef north from it. The entire island looked like an amusement park, especially when the school building resembled a huge palace of marble and glass ceilings.
After the jet flew down to the landing pad near the dock, Brandon helped Sara climb down the jet with her suitcase. Near the landing pad was an apartment with a sign that said Teachers Headquarters. Sara avoided meeting the eyes of the other kids who had ridden the jet with her, making sure to stay close to Brandon since he was the only person she knew in this unfamiliar place. Sara spotted the school building a few miles away with a marble fence surrounding the perimeter of the building. It really did look like a giant palace with its marble walls and pastel colors. It almost resembled a Russian palace. A coral red bus was parked on the main road and a man with stern eyes stepped out of the vehicle. "I'll be dropping you kids off at the dorms where you will be meeting your homeroom teachers and deans. Don't make things hard for me and behave while you're riding the bus," he said curtly.
"That's Professor Jackson, the advisor for the school disciplinary committee," Brandon whispered to Sara. "He's scary when he's mad."
Everyone started to walk towards the bus, getting into small groups to talk with each other. Sara stayed silent as she followed Brandon until a sudden gust of wind flew by, taking Sara's hat with it. Sara turned to run after it but then paused in her tracks as a boy stepped down from the trees and caught her hat. He had raven hair and when he looked up, his violet eyes met hers.
Comments (0)
See all