Chapter 2: Faults (Callum's POV)

We were all sitting in the auditorium earlier than usual this morning. The principal called for an assembly to talk to us about the new student. Not just us, the rare ones. everyone. 

She walked to the stage, standing under the lights. "Good morning everyone!" she announced, waking everyone up with her extra cheery voice. "I'm here to talk about the new student that will be joining us later today, I'm sure everyone knows of her by now?" 

I felt a nudge to my elbow and I looked over at Wyatt. "Turn it off," he nodded. 

I gave him a blank look. "I'm the only one that can do that. You don't think she'll know it was me?" 

"So? Who cares? No one messes with you anyway," he chuckled. 

I looked to the stage then at the lights on top of her. I focused on the light and then lifted one finger up, keeping the rest of my fingers on the armrest. I drew a circle with that finger and the lights dimmed out into darkness, ignoring that jolt that shot through my finger and ran up my arm. 

"Can we have the lights back please, Callum?" 

I huffed, circling my finger the other way and brightening them back up. 

"Thank you." 

I rolled my eyes, glaring at Wyatt. 

"Now, our new student, she's not a rare one. Nor does she know of the rare. So until she's settled in, I want nobody to mention it, understand? She shouldn't know that there are students here that aren't human, am I clear?" She continued, "Now, that doesn't mean I want you all staying away from her. She shouldn't feel unwelcomed. We don't get many new students, I don't want her to be scared off as some have been in the past. So, everyone just be a little careful. No slip-ups, please. You're all dismissed." 

I shook the stinging out of my arm. That's what I get. I'm the only one that can control electricity in this whole damn school. And that too at the cost of electric shocks. 

"I hate the way she treats us, don't you? It makes it look like there is something wrong with us. Like we have some faults," Wyatt scoffed, pulling his headphones out of his bag and resting them around his neck. 

"There is something wrong with us. We do have faults. Humans aren't meant to have superpowers," I scoffed. 

"We're just... evolved." 

I looked at him weirdly. 

"I'm going to art class, bye," he huffed. 

I rolled my eyes, plugging in my earphones while walking to the first period, French. 

Not only is there something wrong with us as people, but the problem is so big that we're sent here. To this academy because even our parents can't handle us. And who would know better than me? The prince of Ilea who was thrown out of his own palace because he isn't a human. 

I slumped in my seat, dropping my bag on the floor. The class went by the way it always does. Boring and torturous. We had around fifteen minutes left when I got goosebumps along my skin. Kind of like my own spidey-sense. I think it's cool. 

She's here. 

I looked through the glass window on the door and spotted the new face. She's walking with Atticus. I turned my attention back to the teacher who just happened to call my name. 

"A quelle heure est-elle arrivée?" 

I looked down at the textbook and the passage we were reading. "Two," I answered. 

He shot me a pointed look. 

"Deux heures," I rolled my eyes. 

The bell chimed ten minutes later and we were all dismissed with it. I had English Lit in room 5A next, so I headed that way, spotting the new girl turning the corner to the staircase. There's something about her. My spidey-sense doesn't just kick in for everyone. 

I turned the other way and headed to classroom 5A. I settled in my seat with the rest of the students, letting out a groan as our teacher walked in. She's here today. Mrs. Kayla. 

I contemplated using my power to get the hell out of here, but it was too late now. Too many people in the room for me to go by unnoticed. 

Everyone here has a title, a category that comes from their powers. I am a darkling. By definition, darkling means 'related to darkness or occurring in the dark.' Basically, it means I'm surrounded by and made of darkness. A darkling is someone who can't be figured out, in our school. That's what it means to be called a darkling. They don't know what's wrong with you, basically. 

That's why the school is called 'Arcane.' Because when it was made, it was only for the supernatural. The mysteries that only a few people understood. 

And I'm a darkling because I have double the amount of powers a normal supernatural person would. And because of that, they have no idea which category to put me in. Let's see what I can do. 

I can read minds, almost mind control, actually. I can see and erase people's dreams, telekinesis, I can control fire, I can somewhat become a shadow, which is useless. It just helps me hide in certain situations. I can compel people, I can make flowers bloom, also useless. I can somewhat teleport. Only on campus, I don't know why that is. I'm intangible which comes from that shadow power. Basically, I can hide in the walls. Freaky, I know. And I can heal. From anything, anywhere, at any time. I'm pretty much impossible to hurt. And impossible to figure out. 

Every single 'rare one' here only has one power, some of them two. For example, someone can read minds and then bloom flowers. Basically, the people with two powers have a useful power and a useless power. And I have every power that exists in this school. 

How did we learn about that, one might ask. 

When I was fourteen, I accidentally caused a fire. In our entire backyard. Without knowing it. I had just had a fight with my father and was pacing around my room. And then I yelled in frustration. And when I looked out of my window, everything was on fire. 

All of this sounds absurd, no doubt, to someone who is a normal human being. But not to me. Not anymore, at least. I've lived like this my whole life, but it really kicked in when I became a teen. Maybe it's the hormones. But before that, I was just as normal as a human. After that fire incident, I was sent straight here. I made sure to blow the fuse of the palace before leaving. That took weeks to fix so I must have blown it up completely. 

And that makes me the only darkling in Arcane High. The last time they had a darkling was when the school was made. In the first batch. Darklings ceased to exist after that. Nobody knows what quite happened to them because there was no incident that should have wiped out their existence. And then I happened seventeen years ago. And I brought havoc straight from hell with me. 

As a child, my mother used to call me the devil because I was always causing trouble. Now, some students think that's what I really am. The devil. Those students are the ones that are a little too obsessed with witchcraft and most of them are human. 

After English, I had a free period. So, I was making my way to my room when someone crashed into the right side of me. 

I looked over, spotting Daisy. Everyone knows her because her dad pays for half the school. He kind of owns half of it. "Sorry!" she called out behind her and continued racing the halls. 

I stopped at the staircase, pulling my phone out of my pocket, and then looked up when Daisy ran into me. Again. 

"She's going to hate me without even knowing me," she whined. "Sorry!" And then she sprinted upstairs. 

I walked up slowly, taking my time. And after climbing one set of stairs, I teleported. Teleporting is a weird thing, let me tell you. You don't even have to do anything. Just picture where you want to go and there you are. Just how I'm here right in front of my door. 

Your head does spin a little afterward, though.

I have the last room on the last floor. There's no sixth floor here, I wish there was. Then I would get room 666. But to prevent that room from happening, they never made the sixth floor. Now I have room 566. 

I looked over where Daisy stood, knocking rapidly on a door. I focused on hearing them and clearly could. It's kind of a power but not quiet. I don't always have control over this one. 

The door opened. "Hey!" I heard a cheery voice. 

Here come the goosebumps again. 

"I'm Clara, nice to meet you." 

"Daisy," she chuckled. "And I'm so sorry I couldn't get you earlier. I hope you like the room, by the way." 

"Yeah, it's perfect. Why?" 

"I picked out some of the stuff. They didn't know how to make it more welcoming for you, this room has been empty for nearly a year now," Daisy explained. 

I glanced over while unlocking my door. 

Daisy was talking animatedly to Clara who was listening intently. 

My eyes traveled down and then came back up. I've gathered my thoughts on her. I have the first impression. And it's mine to keep, I won't tell you. 

Her eyes snapped up, meeting mine. She held eye contact for a long time. I waited for her to blink away but wow, she just wouldn't. 

I lifted a brow at her, pushing my door open. 

She blinked away quickly, looking back at Daisy. "Oh, I totally forgot," she chuckled. "Come on in, please!" 

Daisy stepped inside and she looked at me one more time before closing her door. 

I slipped into my room and closed the door too. 

Clara. 

I wonder what brings her here.

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Chapter 2

what are your thoughts so far on the book??

also, cut me some slack, I've never written about supernatural stuff before, that's why I'm taking such a casual approach and I wrote about it like it's normal. well-

it is to him now, right?

anyway

next chapter: interested