The nights at home were a sanctuary. Between shared dinners with his relaxed parents and the quiet, intimate company of Xiwu in the moonlight, Shren finally felt like he belonged in his own skin. But the outside world was a different story.
Returning to his old school was like watching a movie in slow motion. When he walked through the gates with Kaelen, the hallways fell into a tomb-like silence. The girls' whispers were like a physical breeze, and the boys' glares were sharp with envy.
Shren didn't just look better; he was better. He shattered the school's record in the monthly academic tests, played a chess match against the club captain that lasted only four minutes, and accidentally sent a martial arts instructor flying during a "friendly" demonstration. By the end of the week, the principal handed him a Talent-Based Scholarship to Aurelius Academy—the most prestigious school in the country.
But fame breeds shadows.
On his final evening in the neighborhood, Shren was walking through the park with Xiwu—who was "hidden" to others but visible to him—when five shadows blocked the path. It was Marcus and his crew.
"You think a haircut and some gym time makes you a god, Shren?" Marcus sneered, flicking a cigarette. "You're still the same fat loser underneath."
One of the bullies reached out to grab Shren's collar, but his hand never made it. In a flash of silver, Xiwu materialized. Her eyes were ice. With a sickening crunch, she twisted the bully's wrist until he screamed.
"You dare touch the Master?" she hissed.
The others backed away, terrified of the beautiful woman who had appeared out of thin air. "Coward!" Marcus yelled, his voice cracking. "Hiding behind a girl! Fight us yourself!"
Shren stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on Xiwu's shoulder. She vanished into the bracelet instantly. "Fine," Shren said, his voice cold.
The fight lasted exactly ten seconds. Shren didn't even use his full strength; a few precise strikes to their pressure points, learned in the Land of Hell, left the five bullies groveling in the dirt. He didn't look back as he walked away. He was done with his past.
A week later, a sleek black car pulled up to a massive set of wrought-iron gates. Kaelen sat next to him, grinning. "My old man pulled some strings and wrote a very large check, Shren. No way I'm letting you go to the 'Rich Kid Academy' without me."
Shren stepped out of the car. Before him stood the towering spires of Aurelius Academy. The students here were the elite, the heirs to fortunes, and—if the hum in his bracelet was any indication—perhaps holders of secrets just like his.
Shren adjusted his blazer, a sharp, confident smile on his face. "Let's see if this school can keep up with us, Kae."