Chapter 2 - The Pill

Chrome’s mind was already in shambles, the story told by the teacher just now seemed like it came out from a fantasy book, but for some reason his mind, once again, started giving him broken fragments of information and memories that ascertained that these words were real, giving him the notion that he was maybe having some sort of a strange personality disorder…

“As the situation became more dangerous, Extraordinary humans started creating ways to fight the danger that came through these gates using these super powers with some even relying on Exos alone, which with time caused the emergence of what came to be known as the Extra’s Academy three years after! Established with one task in mind, to train more Extraordinaires to fully extinguish the danger of the ‘Gates’... 

“It’s also the same academy that’s going to conduct the acceptance examination in two days...” 

Despite knowing that actually pinching yourself isn’t really going to help him wake up, Chrome was desperately pinching his hand’s skin wishing to end this abnormal dream that he could no longer be sure that was actually just a dream, his head was threatening to split open from the pain, being barely a hair away from going into panic mode.

“This is all stuff that you already know, but the important occasion that actually made me ask you to come here today is actually a fortuitous opportunity that might give you the chance to participate and even get accepted in the test that’s soon to take place!”

The overloading thoughts in Chrome’s mind calmed down quite a bit after hearing what he said about the possibility of having the chance to enter the Extra’s Academy, leaving him room to calmly assess the situation…

‘There’s still nothing that I can do to change the situation…’

While staying in class and listening to the teacher caused the chaotic wave of information to emerge in his mind throwing it into a tornado of thoughts, running away from class and panicking about what is supposed to be happening would bring no result but being more lost, so Chrome decided to hold it within as his alter mind was very much looking forward to what might happen next…

“As you are all members of the special class, the school has decided to invest in you and provide you with something that will enhance your chances… an ‘Awakening Pill’!”

‘I want it!’

That thought was transmitted strongly into Chrome’s mind as another incomprehensible set of fragmented info followed making it hard for him to understand anything of it…

“As you all know as well, any children born after the ‘Extraordinary Night’ already possess Exos on birth, showing different growth rates of the Exos they emit. Since the emergence of superpowers starting from the day of the awakening, scientists have worked on creating something that would allow those that have a high Exos rate go through their awakening just like the first generation of awakeners did during ‘The Day of The Awakening’, as natural awakenings were hardly observed after that day…

“That was how the ‘Awakening Pill’ came to be! The miracle medicine that allowed humans with the suitable Exos rates awaken their superpowers, some of you have already used it and the results are quite apparent already…”, the teacher gave the big guy a side glance before he smiled towards the girl that gave Chrome the unknown warm vibes… a smile which seemed to be one that carried affirmation…

Seemingly a bit irritated about the way the teacher looked at him, the big guy looked at Chrome with a slightly hideous grin as he said, “But some of the people in the class really have no chance even if they have that pill, wouldn’t be quite a waste to give something that precious to them, the ‘Awakening’ pill isn’t that cheap as far as I know…”

“Fred! I already warned you before, don’t interrupt me like this or else I might have to make things hard for you on your soon to come test admission!” the teacher who was smiling just now had his face go through a full 180-degree change as he angrily said to the big guy…

“Humph…”

“Back to the topic again… like I said before, as you are part of the special class, ALL of you, without anyone excluded, will receive an ‘Awakening Pill’, whether you use it or not, even giving it away to someone else is your choice… just remember to be here on Monday in case you managed to succeed with your awakenings, if you want to try your chances of getting admitted to the Extra’s Academy… I will pass out your assigned pill now…” said the teacher as he left his chair, delivering a small box to every student with his own hands…

“Alright then, see some of you later on Monday, as for the rest, remember that you can contact me anytime if you need help with something,” the teacher announced after passing the boxes to each student in the class before leaving the classroom.

The girl that the teacher had smiled towards a bit earlier looked at Chrome while sporting a worried expression on her face as she said in a concerned tone, “Why are you so pale Chrome? Did you overwork yourself once again…?”

“I…” Chrome could hardly reply as he was still somewhat under the after-effects of the thought spiral in his mind. Not to mention that he was also quite surprised why this girl that he never talked to before was talking to him like she knew him with such an expression of her face.

“Chrome you piece of… Why are you even bothering yourself with him, Alice? He is just a loser who is destined to be an Ordinary his whole life… you should…” the big guy, Fred, approached as he looked down at Chrome and threw insults from his high pedestal.

“It’s not your business Fred…” said Alice as she ignored the big guy.

“True, it’s not my business, but it’s not his either!” Fred gave a slight shout as he sent a punch towards Chrome all of the sudden.

“Eh?” The confused Chrome that was once again overwhelmed by the unpleasant feelings caused by the big guy, which mostly consisted of fear, dodged as an instinctual reaction to the punch before giving him a slight push as hate and revenge surfaced in his mind, causing the big guy to almost literally eat Chrome’s seat…

“Aaaa, why you, you dare treat me like this!” the big guy raged as he didn’t expect such a reaction from Chrome who would normally take a beating. as he was quite good at accepting whatever was thrown at him before leaving silently. However, just now, not only did he dodge but he even pushed him, causing a loss of his prestige…

“Don’t blame me then, you are the one asking for it!”

The big guy’s fist suddenly changed as its color shifted from his normal skin’s color into a metallic silvery sheen as he once again waved his fist towards Chrome’s face…

“What do you think you are doing Fred! Are you insane?!” Alice that was standing slightly behind Chrome shouted as he spread her palm out from his side, which gave out a slight shine and made some sort of an illusory barrier that stopped the big guy’s metal fist…

“Don’t stop me! He deserves it!” The big guy persisted on pushing with his fist as the illusory barrier gave out some violet cracking sounds…

“Did you really go insane this time?! He is an Ordinary with no superpower, he could really die if you actually hit him… do you want to go to the Red Name’s jail this much?”

“Haaa… humph. Whatever, there is no need for me to waste this much Exos on this loser, we won’t see his stupid face anytime soon… cursed Orphan...” The big guy’s fist went back to normal as he stumped his way out of the classroom…

“Chrome… Chrome… are you alright…?” Alice looked back to Chrome as soon as she was sure that Fred had left the class as she lightly shook him out of his frozen state...

‘What was that… and what did he just say at the end?!’

Overwhelmed by what seemed like a close death encounter and the imaginary superpower show that just went on before his eyes, Chrome suddenly shook away Alice’s hand as he ran away from class…

‘Are they really… is that the reason there was no one at home…?!’

As Chrome unknowingly started to believe that this might be his new reality that he had to accept, as he should have gone through some sort of strange transmigration similar to what took place in the fantasy novels he read, he continued running as he wanted to reach home as fast as he could to make sure that nothing of what his mind thought of was real…

Opening the door with the key that he didn’t forget to take along with him, Chrome shouted, “Mom! Dad! Are you home?!” seeking an answer that might soothe his tired mind while throwing the box he strangely didn’t forget to take with him.

Receiving no answer, Chrome ran to the big room which his parents normally used, only to find that the lights were out, with no sign of a human using them for a while…

‘They can’t be really dead! Mom and dad are alive! I just saw their faces less than an hour ago… this can’t be real!” tears started falling out of Chrome’s eyes as he delved deeply into his parents’ bed, crying his heart out…

He sealed his eyes tightly shut as he wanted to force himself to sleep so that he would wake up later and maybe… just maybe… find himself back to the normal reality that he was used to...