Page 7 of Origins

Academics had always come first for me. I couldn’t afford to give anyone another reason to look down on me. But as I crashed into the crowd of my peers, half-dressed in my training uniform, I realized I had pushed my luck too far. I was late. And worse, Professor Lumanara’s golden gaze zeroed in on me like a hawk spotting its prey, which was fitting considering her bird-like features.

“Mr. Seo,” she said, her voice cutting through the room. The curl of her lip was unmistakable. “Nice of you to join us.”

“Sorry,” I panted, trying to catch my breath. I was in excellent shape—years of training had ensured that—but no amount of combat drills could prepare me for the exhaustion of sprinting across campus as if my life depended on it.

“Don’t let it happen again.” she replied, her tonedismissive as she turned back to the whiteboard.

I straightened up, my lungs burning as I fought to blend in with the other students—an impossible task, given that I was six-foot-five. Lumanara’s marker squeaked as she wrote “Yearly Showcase” in perfectly neat cursive.

“Who here is familiar with the showcase?” she asked, turning to the class.

A girl in front of me raised her hand, and Lumanara pointed to her.

“It’s a yearly event held by the school to attract investors for the university and placement opportunities for the students.” the girl recited.

Lumanara nodded, crossing her arms with a satisfied expression. “And what makes it special?”

Jack’s hand shot up, and I glared at him. Nothing personal, of course; I just couldn’t stand the guy.

“Mr. Voltaris?” Lumanara prompted.

Jack smirked, standing tall under her gaze as if he owned the room.

“You have to be invited to participate. Only the best and brightest get in. That’s why I’ve been the star every year.”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Jack was probably the kind of guy who jerked off to his own reflection.

“Exactly,” Lumanara said, her gaze sliding over to me. “The best and the brightest—except for Sulien, who’s always been too important to accept his invitation.”

Every head in the room turned toward me, and I felt my stomach tighten. This wasn’t fair. These people couldn’t possibly understand what it was like to have a parent in the hospital, or the feeling of struggling to cover both my own expenses and my father’s medical bills.

“This year,” Lumanara continued, “All seniors have the right to participate, regardless of status, academic performance, or criminal affiliations.”

A cold sweat formed at the back of my neck as I balledmy fists, willing myself to stay calm. The thought of my powers slipping out of control in front of everyone made my heart race even faster.

“This is your final chance to secure a center placement,” she said, her voice firm. “Failure to do so means failure from the program—and without that, you’ll never meet the legal requirements to be a practicing hero.”

If that happened, I’d never escape my father’s shadow.

Lumanara moved on, explaining that each senior would be paired with a classmate specifically chosen to bring out the other’s strengths. Our official partners would be announced next week, and I was dreading the results. I couldn’t afford to be saddled with some indifferent rich kid who might drag me down.

My thoughts were so loud that they drowned out Lumanara’s voice as she continued her lecture. I was so lost in my head that I didn’t notice Jack creeping toward me until he spoke:

“Rumor has it you’ve been hanging out with my sister,” he said, his voice dripping with contempt.

I swallowed hard, shoving my hands into my pockets as I met his glare.

“Yeah, we’ve just been having lunch together.” I resisted the urge to tell him I’d fucked her. It wasn’t true, but it would’ve been worth it to see the look on his face.

His eyes narrowed, his voice descending to a low growl. “I don’t care what it is. If I see you around Callie again, I’ll freeze you solid.”

“Try me,” I shot back, the words escaping before I could think better of them.

Jack’s blue eyes flashed with anger, his brows knitting together. “You think I’m joking? You’re a fucking charity case, Seo. Everyone’s throwing you a pity party: the school, my mom, andespeciallyCallie.”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I wantedto argue, to tell him he was wrong, but I knew there was a sliver of truth in his words. Even if I wanted more, I knew Callie and I were just friends, and of course I would respect that boundary.

But that didn’t make his words sting any less.

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