My mind went back to what had happened at my house as I made my way to my room. I wondered if Aris was right and if my power was actually light. Sunlight. I found myself smirking at the thought.

'Sunshine.'

I was still deep in thought when I entered the room and shut the door behind me.

The hairs on the back of my neck rose as I felt an ominous presence. Before I could inspect it further, however, I felt a massive blow to my back and fell facedown on the ground, the air rushing out of my lungs. A putrid cloth was shoved into my mouth as for the second time, I tasted blood on my tongue. I could feel the massive weight of someone on me, pulling my hair back ruthlessly to reveal my neck. Adrenaline rushed through me. Pain shot up my body when the unseen creature kneed me in the back. I couldn't scream, couldn't think. My head was feeling heavy as pure terror coursed through my veins till I felt numb. My vision speckled with white spots.

"Played too long, bastard."

An unfamiliar voiced growled in my ear, the words laced with malice. I felt the sharp, cold metal near my throat. I threw out my arms, fighting tooth and nail to get the man away from myself. I shut my eyes, struggling to breathe as the man fought twice as hard, kneeing me in the back so painfully that I thought my ribs would break.

My vision was dotted with spots of light that grew blinding as agony burned my bones. I felt the sharp edge of the knife break my skin as pain shot up, and my blood spurted onto the ground. My breathing was laboured. My head became dizzy as the knife dug in further, and then suddenly, the weight on me disappeared with a strangled scream that I was hardly able to distinguish as not my own.

I staggered to my feet, my vision was still compromised and I saw a lean man in all black clothes and a black mask lying sprawled on the ground. The knife had slid from his hand and clattered a few feet away from him. Acting on instinct, I kicked the knife away from the man and towards myself as I picked it up, pointing it at him. I took the putrid cloth out and threw it, my chest heaving as I caught my breath. The man's face was obscured by the mask, only two slits where cold black eyes glared at his victim.

I called to him, mustering as much strength as I could feign. "Who are you?"

"Your death," the man snarled, and with a scowl kicked me hard on the shin. The pointed shoes knocked the breath out of me as I crumpled to the floor, trying to crawl away to safety. The assassin was on top of me in the blink of an eye. I screamed for help, the knife went clattering away again. The man roughly turned me to face him and punched my jaw. A stab of pain shot through me. I kicked him hard in defence. We scuffled ferociously, but my struggle was no match for the trained assassin.

"Fucking...let..me... go!"

The assassin started strangling me with rough, calloused hands. His black eyes were glinting with cold murder. My scream died in my throat as once again I saw spots, the lack of air making me light-headed. I couldn't think. Couldn't move. I clawed at the man in vain, trying desperately to fight him off. The man's eyes suddenly widened- as he stilled utterly. Seemingly stunned by some unseen force.

I didn't wait to rationalize, kicking him away as hard as I could and taking in precious air as in front of my very eyes, the man rose to his feet and then floated, suspended in the air almost lifelessly, his eyes wide and glassy, his arms akimbo.

"What the-?" I gasped, stepping as far away as I could as veins of light erupted from him and engulfed the man's body. A web of deadly silver strangled him in its grip. I opened my mouth in a noiseless scream as the veins constricted fatally. It felt horrifyingly surreal. Dissociated from reality as I watched his life ebb away, leaving his eyes chasms of a profound raven.

The man disintegrated into fragments of light that disappeared into thin air.

My inadvertent screams had caused a storm as a moment later, a whole flood of people collected near the entrance.

"What...what happened?" A stranger's voice said, breaking through my fog of delirium. I kept staring at the spot where the man had disappeared into nothing, trying to comprehend. Trying to make sense.

"I...there was someone." I shook my head, trying to clear it as I finally looked at the speaker. A wide-eyes Aris gazed steadily at me, a bunch of people already collecting behind him. "Someone. In my room. I...he attacked me."

I raised my hand to my neck, where the assassin had cut into my skin. I was shocked, however, to find no mark. The surface was smooth. Unaltered. It had already healed. There were murmurs as I spoke, "Right..there." I pointed at the now empty space.

"Hey, Sunshine," Aris said softly. "Are you okay?"

"Sounds like a bad dream." Someone in the crowd muttered.

Anger flared inside me. "Do you think I'm not capable of telling the difference between a dream and reality?" I said to the room at large.

Aris shook his head, crossing his arms in front of him as he looked at me. "Don't listen to-"

"Where is he now then?" Another guy called sleepily. "Evaporated, did he?"

There were sniggers. I bit my tongue. They perhaps thought it was some kind of a joke.

"I have his weapon." I crouched low and started feeling under the bed in an attempt to find the knife. However, much to my shock, I came up empty-handed. Louder, mocking whispers filled the room as Aahan came and crouched beside me. His eyebrows knitted together as he spoke, "Maybe we should take you to the infirmary-"

"Shut the fuck up!" I yelled, my voice shaking. "I wasn't dreaming! I know what I fucking saw!"

His brown eyes widened as a cowed silence followed my outburst. My blood pounded in my ears in a whirlwind of anger, frustration and fear.

I heard a familiar drawl. "You should've completed the med course, Ezekiel," Elijah said. "Might have helped your brain."

There were whispers as he finished. I could feel the familiar ringing in my ears. My fear disappeared in a tidal wave of rage as my stomach dropped, and I stood up slowly.

"What did you say, Ellerman?" My voice didn't sound like my own. He stood near the open gate, surrounded by a throng of people who were all whispering among themselves.

"Should've left you at the Juvie."

And I dissociated with reality.

I wasn't thinking. Wasn't planning. I flew at him, and before I knew it, I was punching him and hitting him. Anywhere I could reach. Wherever I could touch.

He pushed me away, another jolt of pain passing through my sore body as he pinned me to the ground, and his fists found my face. My stomach. Again and again and again.

"You fucking bastard!"  He swore as I spluttered and coughed. His blows were much more vigorous. More precise. He was sending shockwaves of pain through my already weakened body. I pushed him away again, hitting him with as much strength as I could muster. I could taste blood in my mouth. Feel it rolling down my temple. My nose. My jaw. But I didn't care. I wanted to hurt him.

My entire purpose depended on my ability to hurt him. Blood spurted from his nose as he cried out in pain. I felt feral. Uninhibited. I was letting all my emotions out in violence. I hit him with everything that I had, and maybe he was just too shocked to attack with parallel ferocity, or perhaps he had a more rational mind that I did.

I could see the shock in his wide eyes as I pelted him ruthlessly. My mind and body disconnected. Everything around me a blur of colours and noises. Satisfaction ripping through me as my fists found his bare flesh. I felt hate slicing through me, intense, pulsating, venomous hatred.

I felt several pairs of arms lift me, wrenching my body away from Elijah's and set me on my feet.

"Have you lost your fucking mind?"

Someone yelled, shaking me violently. I glared at Elijah, still on his back on the floor as I kept fighting to loosen the stranger's firm hold. Elijah stared at me, his face pale, smeared with blood. And I saw, for the first time in my life, fear.

I relished in the assuage.

"What is going on here?"

A loud, gruff voice sounded commandingly across the hall, and I stopped struggling. Elijah winced as he turned to his side. Some guys were trying to support him as he stood up, wincing with every movement. His white t-shirt was smeared with blood. His face swollen in places.

And I felt a rush of fear, from myself and what I had done.

I felt ashamed.

The warden walked into the crowd, staring wide-eyed first at me and then at Elijah. I finally felt the hold on me loosen, wincing as pain shot up my arms.

"What...what is this?" he asked, his silver eyes wide. "What happened here?"

A deathly silence filled the corridor as the professor glared at everyone.

"A disagreement," Elijah said finally, mustering as much dignity as I thought he could with a bleeding forehead.

As the barbarian of fury settled down wounded, I felt another wave of shame. Elijah looked terrible. Not a part of his skin was devoid of bruises. I didn't know how badly I was injured, and my body was already feeling sore from the assassin's attack.

Uncontrollable anger had surged through me when he had nonchalantly divulged the part of my life that I was petrified to reveal. I had wanted to hurt him. Hit him.

My thoughts and actions disgusted me as I recoiled, my body shaking with emotions.

"I want both of you. In my office. Immediately."

Elijah grunted in pain as he started dragging himself towards the warden's office located at the end of the corridor. The crowd parted hastily as I stepped through, my joints screaming in ache.

A horrified silence settled on the group, broken by whispers. I could feel dozens of eyes trained on my every move. As if expecting me to explode again. They were hoping for me to become savage again.

It felt like all air had rushed out of my lungs when the reality of my actions sunk in. I was afraid to look back at the crowd. Afraid of looking at my half brother.

We quietly walked into the small office as I tried to regain my breath. Elijah was trembling slightly beside me. I chanced a sideways glance at him and saw his ghostly pale face. The rusty smell of blood reaching me. The blood had clotted now, matting to some of his hair.

The warden pointed at a couple of stretchers lying near the back of the office. "I suggest both of you lie down," he said, pointing to it. "Medical assistance will reach you shortly."

Elijah winced but didn't move. "It's not required," he spoke hoarsely, his voice dry. He spluttered immediately after he said it, coughing up blood.

Fear clenched my heart as his entire form shook with the effort to stand straight. I couldn't believe how badly I had lost control. How badly I had hurt him. But at that moment, all I had wanted was to hurt him even more.

"That is an order, Ellerman," the warden said, looking at me. "You, Hunt, seem in much better health. But I suppose it's better that you have a check-up as well."

I shook my head, draining my energy in the process as I took a seat on one of the chairs near the desk.

I looked down at my hands. My knuckles should have been bruised from the punching. However, they were flawlessly pale as they had always been. I gasped in surprise, my pain fading rapidly even as I sat there. All I was left with was soreness and a sense of impending doom.

There was no way I was going to let myself be examined and shook my head insistently. "Please no."

The warden stared at me for a while before sighing. "Ellerman. Bed."

Elijah grimaced but didn't protest further as he dragged himself to the bed and lay down on it with a grunt. He shut his eyes, his chest heaving with the effort of each breath.

A motherly looking woman rushed into the room with a bulging bag in her hands. She nodded at the warden and quickly moved over to inspect Elijah. She pulled the curtains around him as I was left staring at the floor, my chest hollow.

"What happened?" the warden asked, his voice measuredly calm. "What made you launch at him like a fiend?"

I gulped. "I..." I shook my head, trying to clear it. "We had an exchange of words. I..." I shuddered as I looked at the curtains. "I didn't mean to. I...didn't realize I would hurt him so bad."

"There was a purpose. There was hate," the warden said, his nostrils flaring and his eyes narrowed severely. "Elijah Ellerman is grievously injured. If there had been nobody around, who's to say you would have stopped anyway?"

I didn't say anything as he uttered the question that was gnawing at the back of my mind. "Elijah Ellerman formed half of the duel. However...with your...controversial record and apparent evidence which makes it clear that you injured him far worse than he did to you...I will be suspending you for a month. Effective at this instant. And I will be talking to your guardian. Your future prospects at Asteria might be in jeopardy. An attack on the heir is not merely an issue of violence, but also treason."

My heart settled in my stomach as my throat closed up. I couldn't speak.

The nurse finally removed the curtains, revealing Elijah who was now bandaged on his abdomen, arms and head. She walked over to us and said, "I managed to stop the bleeding. But his healing will take a week of intensive care. I think it is prudent to send him back."

The warden sighed as he glared at me. "I have some arrangements to make," he talked directly to the woman as he said, "Wait here."

We sat in silence for about a quarter of an hour before the warden walked back in, followed by a stern-looking woman who I guessed was the principal of the academy. Her eyes widened as she saw Elijah, his eyes now closed.

"What is this?" she asked, addressing me.

I found myself tongue-tied.

"A disagreement and an exchange of words," the warden said as her eyes widened further.

She addressed the nurse. "Is he going to be okay?"

The nurse nodded. "Yes, ma'am. He will be bedridden for a week."

The principal nodded and sat across me, her eyes cold with fury. I deflated further under her glare, fear filling my insides like venom. "I have sanctioned your expulsion, Hunt," she said. "A guardian from your home should be here soon to escort both of you back."

I didn't say anything.

"We now, wait." She finished as she started pacing anxiously around the room. Silence fell except Elijah's deep shuddering breaths, occasionally punctuated by a painful groan.

About half an hour later, the door of the office opened for a second time as Meredith, Evelyn, Celeste and my father walked in, their faces pale with fear. Meredith gave a pained shriek and ran over to her brother, her eyes filled with tears. Evelyn stood near the door frame, her face a sickly shade of green at the sight.

"How is he?" Celeste asked, her lip trembling as she walked over to Elijah where Meredith was gently caressing his forehead.

"He will make a complete recovery, ma'am," the nurse said, bowing respectfully.

Celeste nodded and turned her attention back to her son. My father was silent as the warden explained to him what had happened. When he was done, my father finally spoke, his voice impassive. "I would like to move Elijah and Ezekiel back to the palace. Immediately."

The principal nodded. "Of course. We will make arrangements."

My dad shook his head, his face unreadable, "There is no need. I have all the required provisions. Thank you for your timely response."

The principal nodded as a few palace guards walked in and gently lifted the stretcher. The principal handed my dad an envelope, which I assumed held my expulsion order.

I left the room, trailing behind the Ellermans as we walked silently over to the cars. One of them was occupied by an asleep Elijah, Meredith, Celeste and Evelyn. The other car included me and my dad along with a couple of guards. The air inside the car felt solid as we drove up to the palace. My dad maintained a deadly silence. I didn't dare glance at him, my heart hammering.

We reached the palace and climbed down from the car in stoic, chilling silence. Each of my steps was weighing me down as I made my way upstairs. He followed me to my room, not saying a word as I entered, and to my horror, he entered with me. He shut the door behind him and gazed at me. His eyes dark.

"Are you hurt?"

I almost broke down at his words but managed to hold myself back, my guilt crushing my chest.

Not trusting myself to speak, I shook my head. He nodded and gestured for me to sit on the bed.

"What happened, Ezekiel?" he asked, his voice calm.

I struggled to speak and spluttered out childishly. "I...hit him," I took a deep shuddering breath. "He...told everyone about the correctional home. About Dr Newman."

I had kept my childhood trauma and the resulting long drawn treatment a secret from everyone apart from my father and aunt. Elijah had laid it bare.

A multitude of emotions spiralled in my chest as I suddenly realized that behind all the commotion, I had forgotten to mention the assassin at all. I glanced at my dad and wondered if I should tell him. 

However, he spoke first, "Is that why you hit him?"

I didn't say anything. He fished into his pocket and took out the white envelope. He unsealed it and began reading it out loud.

"Due to his incessantly violent behaviour and feral attack on a fellow student, Elijah Alexander Ellerman; Ezekiel Joziah Hunt is now suspended until the thirtieth of September. The Asteria Academy of Nuevue Abilities And Powers openly condemns his behaviour and hereby warns him that any repetition of this nature will result in permanent expulsion."

He finished reading and looked at me. "Do you realize how difficult it was for me to send you to Asteria?"

His voice was calm but laced with anger, and something else I couldn't quite place. I gulped.

"I...It was a mistake," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to hurt him that way."

An eerie sense of déjà vu encased me.

He sighed, "Do you comprehend how much worse your mistake will make things for you? Are you not capable enough to grasp the reality of the situation at all?"

I gulped. "I'm...sorry," I said in a small voice, my stomach knotted in dread. "Will you...send me back...to Stonewall?"

My voice broke on the last syllable.

He stared at me for a while, his mouth a thin, disapproving line. And suddenly, I was scared that maybe had said something stupid.

"That is what you are worried about, Ezekiel? Not what you did you Elijah?"

I sucked in a sharp breath, my head pounding.

Utterly selfish. I didn't know how not to be.

"I...I'm sorry I j-just-"

I was terrified of myself and what I had done to him. But I knew he would be alright. He had his entire family and a thousand people to look after him. He always had. And maybe it was my apathetic jealousy that made me so selfish. Or perhaps I was truly the monster people insisted I was.

He sighed deeply and leaned back. He turned his face away from me, his gaze fixed on the floor as if contemplating.

My dad sighed and raked a hand through his hair, his forehead creased with worry. "I don't know what I'll do, Ezekiel."

"Please," I whispered. "You can't...don't send me back," my lower lip trembled. "I can't. I can't go back. I can't." My blood ran cold at the thought.

His gaze softened a little. "I have talked to you so far as your father, Ezekiel," he said. "As the king, this counts as treason. Had it been anyone else, there would have been serious consequences. I...need you to know that there still can be. If Celeste or my father be willing so."

My heart sank. I couldn't expect mercy from any of them. But I knew I didn't deserve it either. I bit my lip. "I...I didn't mean to hurt him. I just..." I took a deep breath. "I was just so angry. He just...said it. To everyone."

My dad sat beside me. "Why are you making it so difficult for me to protect you, Ezekiel? Elijah is my son. Ezra was my son. Do you not know how difficult it is for me?"

I didn't say anything, there was nothing I could say. Hot shame, guilt, bubbled in my stomach.

"I...there is something else," I said, finally resolving to tell him. If I was sent to Stonewall again, I at least wanted him to know that I had been telling the truth. "Someone attacked me," I said. "With a knife. He pinned me down and tried to kill me. An assassin. In my room."

My dad stared at me. "Did they catch him?" he asked coldly, and his tone told me he didn't believe me either.

I felt frustrated. "My wound healed, dad," I said, trying to make him trust me. "I would have shown you otherwise. He cut some of my skin. On my neck. And then...I tried to fight back. And something happened. With my powers and he just sort of dis-disintegrated into bits."

I stuttered to a stop, realizing how stupid I sounded.

He stared at me silently. "I think..." he took a deep breath, his voice gentle. "Okay, Zeke. But...I want you to see Doctor Newman. Can you do that for me?"

My heart fell. "You don't believe me. You think I'm hallucinating. Again."

"I think you have experienced a lot of changes in a short time," he said. "I think you are overwhelmed. It's not a problem Zeke," he continued as I felt a rush of frustration and anger in my hollow chest. "I think it will be better-"

"It was not a hallucination," I said, glaring at him with defiance. "I am fine. My brain is fine."

He sighed deeply. "Ezekiel, just listen to me alright? You ju-"

"No!" I said, losing my grip on reality as my thoughts started running wild. "Please, believe me. I'm not...I'm not hallucinating."

"Zeke, I'm not saying you are," he lied and I gritted my teeth, my entire body quivering with sudden, explosive rage. "I am saying just to be su-"

"I'm not fucking crazy, Augustus," I rose to my feet. I was no longer in control of my words as they tumbled out. "You have got to believe me. I'm not fucking insane. Okay? Someone was there so-someone fucking put a fucking knife to my throat. I d-don't- why won't you fucking believe me?"

He fell silent, his eyes flashing at my words. I almost bit my tongue off, staggering backwards.

"So you will not see him," he sighed finally. "I see." He rose. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

He walked out of the door, shutting it behind him. I let out a frustrated cry. Cursing the lack of wounds on my body. The only proof of my scuffle was my torn t-shirt. I lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

The assassin had been real. I knew it.

My blood spurting from my neck had been real.

My fear had been real.

And no one in the world believed me.

I shut my eyes tightly as fear overpowered all other emotions. I knew I was going to be sent back to Stonewall.

The wretched place I hated so much. All my dreams, all my hope crashed down into an unending chasm.