Party Invitation Declined

As the bell rang, its shrill sound echoing through the corridors of the school, students began to flood into their classrooms, eager to start the day. Among them was Jaden Craig, a boy with a wiry frame, dark skin tone, smoky gray eyes and thick, black, coiled dreads that cascaded down his back like a waterfall of ebony. Dressed in a simple white t-shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers, he carried a backpack slung over one shoulder as he made his way to his seat next to his friend, Alex Smith.

Alex, with his short brown hair and a smattering of freckles across his nose, greeted Jaden with a fist bump and a grin. But as he settled into his chair, he noticed something was off about his friend. Jaden's eyes were closed, and he let out a deep sigh that spoke of exhaustion.

"Are you okay?" Alex asked, concern etched on his face.

Jaden didn't respond right away, but after a moment, he opened his eyes and gave his friend a tired smile. "Yeah, just had a short night. I'm feeling pretty beat."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "What were you up to?"

But before Jaden could answer, he closed his eyes again and let out another long sigh. "Can we talk about it later? I just need to rest my eyes for a bit before the teacher comes in."

Alex nodded, a little put out by Jaden's reluctance to share, but not wanting to push the issue. As they chatted quietly, the classroom door opened, and a young woman with curly raven hair and a striking figure walked in.

All eyes turned to her, and the room fell silent. She wore a long-sleeved shirt with a black jacket over it and a blouse that showed off her shapely legs. Her heels clicked on the floor as she walked towards the front of the class, her hips swaying with each step.

The boys in the room couldn't help but stare, their eyes hungry for more of her beauty, while the girls gasped in admiration. There was a blue tattoo that peeked out from her collar. It snaked up her neck and stopped just before her earlobe, pulsing with a dark to bright rhythm like a heartbeat.

It was an uncommon occurrence for students to witness a teacher displaying a tattoo due to school policies, such behavior was not expected or allowed.

Humans develop a core within them as they grow, which allows them to channel this energy, using it to boost their body capabilities past normal human limit, or wield elemental abilities depending on the capacity of their core. But with the amount of energy the teacher was emitting, it was safe to say she was quite powerful

Whispers erupted around the room as the students tried to make sense of what was going on because having such a powerful figure as a teacher was also a rare scenario. However, the teacher quickly hushed them with a gentle plea for quiet.

"My name is Miss. Thompson," she said, a warm smile on her lips. "I'll be your new class teacher, and I'll be looking forward to getting to know all of you."

The class responded with a cheer, eager to make a good impression on their new teacher. But as Miss. Thompson settled into her desk, she couldn't help but overhear the whispers of her students.

"Damn, she's hot," one boy murmured.

" I wasn't expecting someone of her caliber when we were told that we will be having a new class teacher," another said.

Miss. Thompson chose to ignore their comments.

After all, being able to channel the energy of nature not only granted her, her elemental abilities, but also boosted her natural senses to impressive heights. She could hear their whispers, but she knew they would mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. For now, she was content to focus on getting to know her students and helping them learn.

Alex nudged his friend, "We've never had a teacher with this level of elemental affinity before."

Jaden responded without much interest, "Well, there's a first time for everything, right?"

Alex's eyes shone with excitement as he added, "And she's hot."

Miss. Thompson stood up from her seat once again, picked up a stool from the corner of the classroom, and sat on it. With her arms folded, she began her lesson for the day.

During the break period, the school dining hall was buzzing with activity. Some students were eating with friends, while others chatted or scrolled through their phones. Jaden and Alex sat alone at the far end of the hall, only relating to each other. They weren't part of the popular crowd, and no one seemed interested in joining them.

Occasionally, they would joke around and nudge each other, but Alex had something else on his mind. "The awakening ceremony is in two days, and Drake is throwing a party tonight. It's an open invitation, we should go," he said, his face full of excitement.

Jaden waved off the idea, "Nah, I'm just gonna chill out."

Alex was surprised, "Why? We finally have the chance to attend a party after years in high school, and you want to stay home?"

Jaden hesitated, "I have things to attend to."

Alex pressed, "There's something you're not saying, Jaden."

"It's not…"

Before Jaden could respond, a group approached them. A tall boy with long blond hair, standing at 6ft, and a slightly bulky build, was the leader. He had a charming face but a domineering presence. Drake was already an awakened, having awakened last year. He had countless followers and instilled fear in the hearts of many. He was the only awakened teen in the entire school. There were more people like him who were already awakened before their final year in other schools, but here he was the only one, which made him quite popular.

"I'll be having a party at my place," Drake said with a smirk on his face.

Alex stuttered, "Re… really?"

Jaden shook his head in disappointment, and Drake continued, "And you guys better not step your foot on my doorstep. Just thought I should let you know." He laughed maniacally, and his lackeys joined in.

Jaden chuckled and kept eating his meal, not giving Drake and his men a glance. "You sure do have your way of making a scene, don't you?" he said.

"You!" Drake roared and grabbed Jaden by his hair, causing him to writhe in pain.

Alex screamed and tried to grab Drake's arm, but he felt a strong force hit him on the chest, and he was sent flying. He felt his ribs ache from the kick he had just received. The commotion got the attention of the others in the dining hall.

Drake still held on to Jaden's hair, not letting go. Jaden's forehead veins were popping, and he had his hand raised, trying to free himself from Drake's grip, but it was no use. Drake lifted him higher, looking at his face with sadistic pleasure. Blood began to seep out from Jaden's scalp, and Drake laughed at the sight.

"Put him down!" A strong feminine voice was heard.

Drake looked to the side, still with an arrogant look on his face, but then he felt a tingling sensation. He looked at the figure in front of him, her tattoo pulsing much brighter. She roared, "I said, put him down!"

Drake dropped Jaden, who was writhing in pain.

____

Miss Thompson sat behind a mahogany desk in her spacious office, her eyes closed as she leaned back in her chair, occasionally rotating on it. She stood up from her seat and paced around for a bit, then came to a halt when her phone rang. She picked it up, pressed a button on it, and placed it over her ear

"Thompson!" she said, in a respectful tone.

"Are you settled down?" A deep, masculine voice came through the receiver.

"Yes, sir!" she responded almost immediately, with an air of respect evident in her voice.

"Are you certain this is what you want?," the voice asked with a hint of care evident in its voice.

"I understand you're trying to heal, but do you think a school environment is the best place to be?" The voice asked once more.

"Yes sir! This is where I wish to be for now" She replied respectfully.

"Okay." The voice responded, and the call was over.

Miss Thompson slowly brought the phone down from her ear, with a sad look on her face.

She stepped out of her office, walking through the school hallway, where she attracted stares from both male and female students. Her figure drew attention, but she was used to such situations, so she kept moving.

Halfway down the hallway, she was closer to the dining room. Loud chatter came from the dining hall, and she could see students with their phones high up, taking pictures and talking to themselves. She walked in, having felt a faint energy coming from the far end of the dining hall. She tried to avoid bumping into any students as she squeezed her way through the crowd.

As she approached the scene that had everyone's attention, she could see a tall, blonde teenager holding another teenager by his hair, with a few boys standing behind him enjoying the scene. He pulled the victim up to meet his gaze. This was the sight she hated the most. The scene playing in front of her caused an energy rush inside her, causing her energy to slowly slip from her.

"Put him down!" Miss Thompson said with a calm but strong tone.

The teenager turned his head to look at her. For a few seconds, his eyes flickered.

"I said put him down!" she roared.

The teenager dropped the victim while still staring at Miss Thompson. She looked down at the boy, who was still writhing in pain. A figure ran past her to help the boy on the ground.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't help," the boy mourned as he tried to help him.

Miss Thompson closed the distance, still staring at the blonde boy. At this point, he was sweating, and his lackeys were already shaking in their boots.

"Go ahead and report yourself to the disciplinary committee, or I'll have to break every bone in your body myself," she said in a threatening tone. They all scurried off, not wanting to face the wrath of the teacher.

She surveyed her surroundings and noticed everyone still with their phones taking pictures. She snapped at them, and they all went back to their seats. Jaden finally stood up, looking at his savior. He bowed in gratitude.

"Thank you," he said.

"Let me help you," Miss Thompson said, walking towards him and placing both hands on Jaden's head. Jaden felt a soothing energy ease him of the pain. Miss Thompson retracted her hand, then turned around and left.

Stopping just before the exit of the dining hall, she looked back at where Jaden and Alex were seated with a conflicted expression, mainly staring at Jaden. She stared at him for a while, before turning around and walked away.

____

The room was dimly lit, with various monitors and gadgets blinking in sync with the beeping sound. The air smelled of stale coffee and burnt electronics, and the only source of light came from the blue and red lights flashing on the machines. The men and women sitting in front of their computers looked tired and stressed out, with their eyes glued to the screens.

One man in particular stood with his arms folded behind his back, gazing at the big screen in front of them. His eyes flickered over the map that was displayed on the screen, the dots representing the location of the groups they were trying to track. He sighed and turned towards the group of people working tirelessly behind him.

"Any progress?" he asked, his voice sounding tired.

One of the men behind him looked up from his computer and shook his head. "We can't pinpoint the group anywhere on the map, sir. Even our sensors seem to be proving futile."

The man in charge rubbed his temples and let out a deep sigh. "Keep trying. We have to find them before it's too late," he said, his voice low and determined.

The group went back to work, typing away on their keyboards and scanning the screens, hoping to find any clue that would lead them to the group they were looking for. The tension in the room was palpable, and the beeping sounds of the machines seemed to be mocking their efforts.

***