“Are these guys villains?”

“Say what?” Eli interrupted before Kyle could answer.

“That’s what all the villains in the books say. ‘Well, well, well.’ You even did the second part-”

“You brat. Who do you think you’re mocking right now?”

“‘Mocking?’” Ladd appeared delighted. “I wasn’t, but now that you mention it...” He giggled gleefully.

 “Let’s see if you can afford to be laughing after I’m done with you, you deviant-”

“Hey!”

“What, do you want me to take care of you first?”

“I won’-” Seymour Jenkins, the tallest of the bunch, stepped close enough to Kyle that he could feel the warmth radiating off his body.

“Did you say ‘yes’?”

Kyle glared. “Who the hell are you guys? What do you want from us?!”

Sandra Abernelle strolled between the remaining two, Lucas Fitzroy and Tom Elddir, clicking her heeled boots. She whistled.

“Would you get a look at these ugly creeps.” She bent her upper half to see around Seymour and raised an eyebrow. Her hand tapped Kyle’s cheek. She dragged a fingernail down to his chin, drawing blood. “You should have had blue eyes. You could have been my type. Too bad for you.” She squeezed his jaw. Kyle clenched.

Ladd ran up to Seymour. “Don’t talk to my friend like tha–”

Seymour punched Ladd’s face. Of course, he landed on his arm, scraping his elbow.

“What’cha say to me?”

Ladd couldn’t talk. His jaw hurt to move.

“I said...!”

“Stop. I’ve got it from here.”

Eli Burton strode to where Ladd was and gave a fierce kick to his belly. Ladd coughed, hard.

Eli kneeled on the mud and grabbed Ladd’s jaw, sending shooting pain into the bone, and forced him to face him.

“Look what you made me do. My pants are all dirty because of this scum.” Eli swished the saliva in his mouth, threatening to spit. Kyle ran up behind him and pulled, trying to make him release Ladd. Lucas and Tom grabbed Kyle and threw him onto a patch that still had some ice remaining from the last storm. It sliced through his jacket.

Ladd shouted in protest. Eli squeezed, and Ladd let out a cry involuntarily. He knew he’d been through worse – much worse – but he couldn’t watch Kyle suffer, too.

Seymour put an arm protectively in front of Sandra and spit on the ground when Ladd looked to him. Eli smirked.

“So, you can scream, huh.”

Ladd refused to answer. He wasn’t sure why.

“Hey, I’m talking to you. You still alive?” Confusion passed through Ladd’s face. “Or are you really dead, you little fu–”

“Ah!” Eli had kept on squeezing, and Ladd’s vision began to blur. “Ah. Ah!” Tears escaped his eyes at last. Ladd couldn’t stop himself any longer. He wailed.

Kyle’s heart wrenched. He looked at the two boys who held him, desperate for an answer. Then, he noticed the water hovering behind them.

The Water Moved swiftly, slapping Eli across his temple. He craned his neck to see Kyle squirming between his friends.

“Was that you?”

“Let him go!”

Eli stood, slowly.

“You took my water?”

“Yes. Yes, I did! Come at me! Just leave him alone...!”

“You hit me? With my water?” Eli’s voice dripped with menace, and Kyle gulped as he closed the distance between them.

“You think you’re so smart, that you can Move a little bit of water?” Eli raised a hand, and a liter of water crashed on Kyle’s face. He gasped, trying not to breathe it in. Kyle watched as water droplets gathered around his hand once again, and he focused all his energy on forcing them to the ground. Eli laughed.

“Ooh, the pretty little Water mage boy thinks he can stop me. Ooh.”

“Ooh,” the minions cackled.

Kyle glanced at Ladd, who was holding his sides and seemingly unable to get off the ground. More time? Would that help?

“What else you got?” Kyle pushed his chin up at the bully’s face.

“Oh, wow. You’ve got guts, if nothing else, pretty boy.”

Eli socked him in said gut. Kyle grimaced.

“No? You can handle that? How about this–”

He augmented his fist with Water again, but this time Kyle dismantled it instantly. Eli furrowed his brows, furious.

“...Just how much can you Move?” Kyle sealed his lips shut. Eli leaned in close. “How much, huh?”

He spread his hands to chest width and filled the space between them. Kyle flinched but managed to knock it down. He was breathing heavily now. Eli Created more. He grinded his teeth, not letting it show that the efforts were getting to him. He wouldn’t be able to Create much more than this.

Kyle stared at the Water. Surely, if he willed it? If he pushed just a little bit more? Ladd had grown so much in just four days, surely... surely...

Kyle watched in horror as the Water rose up in front of him. He thought he might faint, and he would simply drown when it hit. He squeezed his eyes shut.

Pow.

Seymour sent Water flying at the intruder.

Matteo Samoq shot it down.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

The newcomer threw a fist at Seymour Jenkins, who left his post in front of Sandra to respond.

“Who’s this?” Lucas spun his head around to see what the noise was about.

“No clue.” Tom kicked Kyle when it looked like he would make a break for it. “Stay still.”

Eli Burton switched his Water target to Matteo, who took the splash and whipped his head to face them.

“Hah. That didn’t even hurt. Water really is weaker than muscle.” He lunged forward, aiming a cross at Eli. He barely ducked out of the way, and Kyle tensed up. Matteo held his fist.

“Coward. If you’re gonna fight, fight like a man.”

Eli grabbed at Matteo’s face, pushing Water onto his mouth and nose. Matteo coughed and opened his mouth to bite him. Eli pulled back and punched him instead. While Matteo raised his fist again, Eli Created a new sheet of Water. It looked sharp.

“Ah! Ah!” Ladd screeched, louder than he ever had in his entire life. Eli dropped the Water in surprise and turned on him.

“Why you-”

Light footsteps were running towards them. Matteo froze, hand still in the air.

“What did you do. I swear I’ll...” Eli Burton looked over at where the sound was coming from and lost his train of thought when he saw who it was.

“Shit!”

“Theo?”

"Guys, move. Move!” Eli grabbed Lucas and ran, Tom close behind. Seymour grabbed Sandra’s hand.

“Theo! And... who are you guys?”

Sandra yanked her hand back and clicked her tongue. Matteo shifted his weight, straightening up slowly. He brushed off Kyle’s jacket.

“...Hey, Lin.”

“Don’t you ‘hey, Lin’ me. What the hell is this-”

“Wait, wait. Let me explain-”

“Yeah, yeah. Sure.”

Matteo paused, momentarily hopeful.

“You mean i-”

“You can explain all you want.”

“Lin...!”

“To the Director.”

Matteo’s face fell. Linette Bathory glared at him, the rage in her eyes beautiful enough to destroy any man. Especially the thirteen-year-old with a crush.

“Along with all you other guys... huh?”

Ladd sighed in relief. He had screamed because he thought a teacher was passing by. People in the distance had seemed to make way for this figure, and he counted himself lucky that she was able to hear him from that far. The initial shock of seeing how young the girl was dissolved quickly – he was definitely lucky. Novel protagonist kind of lucky.

His eyes were glued to her as she stepped closer to him. Platinum – no, silvery hair cascaded over small shoulders, falling around his face as she leaned over him. Worry swam in her ocean blue eyes. A frustrated pout jutted out her pretty, pale, pink lips and filled her peachy cheeks. They looked so soft, so bouncy. He watched the contour of her jawline shift as she spoke.

Wait, what did she say?

Black spots filled Ladd’s vision as he strained to hear. The muscles in his face demanded blood, which heated his face before slipping out of his injured mouth. Cool, soft hands touched him. Ladd was feeling elated when he lost consciousness.

He woke to the sound of weeping. Ladd’s eyelids felt heavy, but he had to open his eyes so that Kyle would know he was okay.

Except that Kyle wasn’t looking at him. He had his face buried in the blanket next to Ladd’s left hand. Ladd tapped the boy’s head. Kyle jolted up, then remembered to wipe the tear streaks from his face.

“Are you hurting?”

“No.”

“How? He kicked you so many times...” One last sob escaped him.

“You know my body’s pretty strong. I’ve always healed up quick.”

“...Yeah.” Kyle sniffled and wiped his nose. “You’re okay?”

“My head hurts like hell.”

“Don’t say bad words, Ladd.”

“But you said it.”

“I know, I’m sorry.”

"And the ones who came to help us said it, too.”

“We all did wrong, then. Don’t learn it from us.”

“What happened to them?”

“The bad ones? Or the two who saved us?”

“All of them.”

“The girl you called took them to the Director.  I didn’t see them after they left you alone.”

“Hm.” Ladd stared at the ceiling, thinking. “That guy was a Water mage, too. Right? But he was using his fists?”

“Yeah.” Kyle picked up the bottle of water on the table next to the infirmary bed and offered it to Ladd, whose lips were starting to crack. “Here.”

“"The girl, too?”

“I think so.”

"The rest of them were scared of her.”

Kyle furrowed his brows. “Yeah, it looked like it. That’s weird.”

“It is?”

“The rest of them were definitely older. Why would they be afraid of a second-year?”

“Maybe she’s stronger than them.”

Kyle stared at him.

“I should find her.”

“Why?”

“So she can help me.”

“With what?” Kyle’s eyes were gradually filling with more and more confusion.

“To become stronger.”

“...but why?”

“What do you mean? Do you want bad guys to be able to hurt you again?”

“Me? I’m plenty strong.”

“Not enough. You were about to lose.”

“Ladd. Fighting is bad.”

“Wel-”

“And you’re still new to this. Of course, you’re not gonna be as strong as people in third and fourth year.”

“...But–”

“Just rest.”

“No! I’m going to become stronger. Just watch me.”

Kyle sighed loudly and hung his head. “You’re impossible. We can talk about this after you’re healed. Drink your water and sleep.”

Kyle stood up and exited the infirmary. The door shut with a loud thud.

“I’ll protect you.” Ladd closed his fist around the blanket.