The limousine and its escort rode away to the College. The familiar small town where I had spent my first days of freedom was visible through the vehicle’s windows. It was a brief sight, as the rural settlement was pretty insignificant. Right when we entered the highway, arid grassland made for scenery. Equally, the stiff handcuffs and the stressing silence contributed to make me more than uncomfortable. And unwelcome, on that ride.

Me, and the Student Council staff all lacked driver’s licenses. They seated across me, on furnishing which can only be compared to an actual leather sofa. The boy was the first to speak, introducing himself as Otto van Rosenvelt. Knowing my quirks, I wasn’t going to remember his last name, at all.

“It may not be to your liking. But things are how they are. Starting this night, you are gone from the system. Missing. Without trace.”

“Those are strong words coming from a teenage schoolboy.”

"You don't get it. It is incredibly important." Reyna interrupted.

I do get it, thank you very much. This College situation got me out of my family troubles. At much worser consequences.

“Start by telling me your effing name. Otto already introduced himself.”

“Sigh. Reyna, President Reyna. You must have a lot of questions to ask.”

“To the point! Of course, I do. Skip the rhetoric.”

"I'm the one giving orders o else…"

"Or else what?"

"I didn’t bring your stun gun, but we could use the car's battery if you want."

She remarked it with a sadistic grin. My heart froze. To admit, she was talking about an excruciatingly painful experience. I swore on never reliving it.

"Better? We made you the favor of…removing you from your deplorable conditions."

"Reyna…" Somehow, Otto intuited her arrogance got on my nerves.

"Christian. You have great power. A great responsiblity. A great danger to society. The President’s power of psychokinesis. You too, have psychic ability.”

“Definitely weaker.”

He was shooting daggers at her. They guy was only trying to complete his speech. I hated him too, but he hadn’t attacked me or otherwise hurt me. Otto played the good cop out of the two.

“To ensure responsible and safe use of ESP, the College was founded. Every psychic has to go through it. However, I assure you I had no intentions of taking you in like this. No hard feelings?”

“Yes, there are. Deep breath. A magical school?”

“Parapsychology School.” Said Reyna.

“Magical School.”

“Otto, can I ask you to let me off the hook? Just this once.”

He stayed put and Reyna retorted. “The admission is completed. Take the paperwork and accept it. Even if you can’t understand what is going on.” She wanted to pass me a stack of paper sheets.

I turned my back to show them my hands, still tied. She cracked them remotely. What a broken skill. I received the papers titled 'School Admission'. After skipping most of the text I found a disturbing sight. My High School grades before dropping out. I had failed most courses, intentionally. With my grades, I was bound to repeat the entire year all over again.

"Amazing schoolwork. Personally, I'm so proud of breathing the same air as you. A prodigy at failing!"

I simply didn't care for grades. There were other things more deserving of my time. But there's always people who need to measure their worth based on arbitrary numbers.

"With those grades…There is no place for you other than Class F. Not congratulations for getting assigned to the lowest tier."

Otto explained how their system worked. Seven Star used my previous grades (Acquired from who knows where) to place me, the transfer student in their Class Tier system. I got F-classed, reserved for the College’s worst students.

With all that bureaucracy drivel entering one ear and leaving out the other, it didn’t take long for me to consider more important matters…Concerning escape routes. I resolved that I wouldn't survive dropping out of a moving vehicle. And if I did, these guys would rip me a new one. No freedom in sight. Utterly losing hope helped the tension loosen up. Right after the stress hormones stopped doing their thing, I noticed just how tired I had gotten. My weight shifted for more comfort and I slept until morning.

The glass pane where I rested my head felt cold to the touch. It was enough to compel me to open my eyes and push against the passenger’s door. There was a weak sunlight, blocked by a thick mass of fog. The scenery had changed a lot. We went from arid, almost desertic to a cool and humid woodland. Clouds crawled atop the ground. I don't possess any knowledge on forestry, but I could tell a pine from an oak. Both species were present on the vegetation, along grass and shrubbery.

I didn’t want to take my sight off the windows. Seven Star’s students were waiting for me at the other side of the car. Appearing to be asleep, I thought about my condition. A full night of travel. Depending on were we headed, we could have crossed the border. But that was all I had. Geography was one of the many classes I failed. No less than a major smartass could pinpoint coordinates out of their scenery.

A dead stop took me by surprise, sending my body forwards. We had been traveling at unknown but high speed. Since I was so obviously rocked by the braking my act went under. Reyna and Otto, compared to me, were at an opposite orientation. They weren’t as affected but the inertia. Reyna was still asleep, while Otto was reading a pocketbook.

“Psst. At your right.” I told him to look at his partner.

“What, something about her?”

I didn’t hate him as much. Refer to it as a small grudge. I wanted to hold at least small talk. "It would be great if she stayed like that, forever."

He leaned back, his shoulders drooping. "Some of these days, I do agree-"

Perhaps sensing the hostility, Reyna awakened. The first thing she did was to stare me down. No greetings, to neither of us.

“Can we stop for the bathroom? I want a chance at escaping.” My eyes rolled sarcastically.

“Resounding no. We’ve entered the mountains. They make for the ESP community’s largest site. The schoolgrounds are only minutes away. And that’s all you are going to see of the complex.”

Complex? The limousine stopped at a few checkpoints. All scattered throughout the mountainside. The SUV joining our convoy, left us. So, it was a complex, a large one. Covered by a strange fog, located in seclusion and with heavy handed security. The idea of a High School placed there was simply sketchy.

“I took a lot of care to hide myself. And besides…Where did you hear of me? We aren’t related nor have I ever known about your crowd of psychics.”

My relatives, who definitely gave a good shot at finding me failed to do so. How was I supposed to believe these people found my name, location and my gradebook from my previous school? On which evidence are they assuming me to hold psychic power? I’ve never done anything remarkable. It’s my first hearing of it. Assume everything is possible.

“A psychic power to locate espers. Who owns it?”

"It was me, Otto. Able of locating our kind."

"His family has handed down that power since centuries ago. Psychic inheritance is uncommon, but it happens.”

Well, I imagined he could do something flashier. I saw him a new set of eyes. The mention of lineage made sense. He had a sort of finesse fit for a noble.

"The fog ends here. This is Seven Star College." He said.

"Walk the rest. Get those legs working for something purposeful."

"Reyna. We can do the favor of transporting him. Your rude attitude towards Class F has made the Council unpopular with them."

“Cut it Otto. Fifty percent of Class B and downwards dislikes us. Jealousness much?”

They had differing and incompatible opinions. I weighed my options, walking or staying inside the car.

"I'll go myself, thanks Otto."

“Get going, first period will start soon.”

I’m going, to scout the front door of the place. Thinking it was going to be useful in the future. I had decided to flee ASAP. But somehow, I needed to stop Otto from tracking me. Hiding my intentions, I took my documents and exited the limo.

Greeted by the fresh mountain air, it was pleasant at first. Until it sapped away my bodily heat, comfortably warm from the limo’s heated seat. The road was paved with pieces of cobble. And like Reyna said, this area didn't have any fog. There was a clear separation. Their limousine stopped parking and went off. I was skeptic of them leaving me like this. When they had made such a big deal of capturing me.

But they disappeared. At the other side of the sloping road. The hill blocked their sight. How could it be? Am I already trapped? I scanned my surroundings and the clear divide of the fog became something to be wary of. It seemed artificial. More like a barrier than an atmospheric condition. It had the texture of a cloudy pancake, but it was a wall. With yellow and black warning stripes taped on the road.

Is there any security around? We had passed many checkpoints staffed with those anachronistic soldiers. But I stood alone there, only accompanied by the woods. The documents I was holding. I placed them out of the way.

Plant debris dotted the sides. The forest was sparsely populated. I picked up a medium sized branch, about three feet long. It had fallen off and I used it for a quick experiment. I poked at the wall, driving the stick into the cloudy barrier. The branch sank halfway, and it started smelling off-putting. An acrid, revolting odor permeated the air. It made me jolt the stick out of there. The half that entered the fog was charred, most of it had dissolved. Ashes rained towards the soil. My heart skipped a beat, when restarted it revved up to an uncomfortable rate. The branch crumbled as my trembling shook it up and down.

I stopped caring about disposing the evidence. What happens to those who try to leave? The College was a prison. Whoever owned it, preferred for my body to be disintegrated rather than allow me outside. I grabbed my papers, perceiving them differently. That Letter of Admission made official my incarceration.

After getting to the top of the hill, I saw the Main Campus. An arrangement of edifices in neoclassical design. With how much Reyna had hyped The College’s history I found it easy to swallow the idea of most of them being that antique. I could see the entire campus from the vantage point but counting them all would have been an absolute chore. Their facades were stylized yet functional and gardens large enough to be noticeable from far away. It was a bid to sell people a singular concept. That Seven Star was a prestigious institution.

I got closer, glad that I chose to take the scenic route. I didn’t go out much which made it seem like a vacation. The situation may be grim, but not utterly terrible. It can even be a fresh start.

A bright green sign stopped me. The sort usually seen on roadways. ‘Class F Campus.’ A white arrow painted on the sign indicated another direction. The main road forked into one going to the Main, nice campus and a trail hidden away. Or rather than a fork, the road continued straight on, with the other path shoved aside. An unpaved trail, descending the mountainside. There was no gardening effort because overgrowth creeped in. It urged in me to go back. But I marched on. Using great care to keep my feet grounded.

After a long descent Class F’s hidden campus came into view. And the conditions were…deplorable. The buildings were run-down. Apparently, the architects took inspiration on the attractive shapes of concrete blocks. Big parts of their paint were in the process of peeling. As I ventured inside, I noticed lacking security. The soldiers who manned the checkpoints were missing. It didn’t take long for me to feel unsafe. My civilian clothes caught the attention of the students roaming about. Most of them were delinquents, evidently. That fact was reflected in thick steel bars covering the windows is almost every edifice.

I was the only lacking a uniform, the same design the Student Council members wore. Since they had let me go without hinting where my class was, I had to search around. Eventually, some folks who didn’t look like delinquents helped me find my way. Dead center on the campus was the school building. To my surprise it wasn’t outrageously crappy. A regular school. But compared with the other campus’ architecture, it was a downer. Being fair, I had no right to complain. Studying at an elite school did not stop my tendencies of shutting in and avoiding hard work. These days, I can put on effort. But only that which interests me.

Lucky me, I arrived last. Including the teacher, it appeared as if everyone had been waiting for me to show up. I didn’t know if they had been made aware of my arrival. Whatever the case, I was stared at by the class. It wasn’t a long time since I had set foot on a classroom, but it felt distant.

“E-excuse me.” Moving with my nerves tightly stretched, I found a seat at the back. Where I felt most comfortable. However, the attention placed on me didn’t waver. To this very day, I hold on to the idea that schools…are a hunting ground where introverts are at the bottom of the food chain. Me? Not only was I as introverted as they come, I was borderline antisocial. After the long silence they returned back to gossiping or whatever high schoolers did. Tried to not interrupt them. Not getting chewed into new guy mince meat was my main priority.

"You forgot to introduce yourself. Young social butterfly." Holding an attendance list, the teacher called me out. To describe him, he looked fed up with life. His dress shirt was in dire need of ironing. For holiness’ sake, even the instructors are low grade.

Teacher had called me a social butterfly. But I could only see myself as a sort of roach. The silent type who doesn’t want to be stomped on, so he hides wherever he finds refuge.

Since it was the instructor who told me to introduce, I stood up. “Hello guys. Name’s Christian. I’m a regular nobody.”

"Regular nobodies don’t end up in Class F. Friedd, you and all present, are problem children."

It made sense, judging by the decoration. Steel bars hung outside the windows. Shadows were casted onto the tiled linoleum.

" My name is Alan, your homeroom teacher. And the only teacher this group is getting. Everyone, greet your new classmate."

"Welcome Christian." They chimed. Unnaturally, as if someone had pressed a button.

That was the last time my peers directed their words at me. For the first day. But as I learned later, there was a reasoning to it. All students have to get their psychic diagnostic. After the class ended, Alan escorted me to the infirmary. Following the instructions of the male nurse working there, I crawled inside a machine. Very similar to an MRI scanner. While daydreaming on the chance of my head exploding due to operator, the machine performed averagely. Brain scans and all sort of medical data were showed on TV screens. Something off about the infirmary, it looked proper. Did all this Campus’s budget go into treating wounded students? The thought made me shiver.

“Results say you have a healthy, working brain.” Are you sure about that? “However, you’re highly stressed.” That’s more like me. “Also, results are positive for psychic abilities. Vice-president Otto was right again.”

“As he always is. Have we ever seen him miss the mark?” Said my teacher .

With my eyes rolled, I questioned the nurse. “And where are those psychic powers you people speak of?” The nurse bluntly hit my kneecap. Not the sort of reflex tests a physician applies. Nurse smashed mine in a painful way.

“His amplifier had no reaction…” Alan said.

“Amplifier? I kicked with all my strength as soon as I felt the blow.”

“Correct Professor. There were no observable effects.”

“Why am I being ignored here?”

“Aah, yes. Give it to him Alan.”

“Your Student Identification. Freshly printed. And digital too.”

"A student ID?"

"That, and an ESP booster. So, you may master your abilities without going through a year of training.”

“Isn’t the College supposed to teach me exactly that?”

“No. You are to learn how to use them responsibly. Whether Christian Friedd is allowed to develop proper ESP technique will be decided at the end your studies.”

"This is a diagnostic. Once amplified, natural reflexes manifest ESP power. At least until you learn basic control."

“The lack of reaction rules out the vanguard or specialist roles. Seems he is a support type.”

"Hit harder! I don’t want be a support." Life in the College meant being surrounded by espers. Reyna had beat me badly and I wanted to at least own a respectable ability. If not, it was going to be a horrendous experience. In my experience, nobody appreciated the role of the support class.

They were disappointed. “Can’t walk away from your lot in life.”

My head sunk. Complying with all their instructions was only so I could discover my extraordinary ability.

“I can’t agree to that. The Student Council’s President can lift people in the air and choke them. How will I defend myself?”

“Kid, this isn’t Star Wars. Miss Reyna is President for a reason. She is very capable…And we espers look down on murder. No one’s going to choke you to death.”

As he spoke, some orderlies rushed a bed down the hallway. His nose bled on the pale green sheets. It reminded me the teacher had said death. Fights between Class F’s students must occur often. The nurse left us without notice.

“Don’t overthink it. Patients are a regular sight around here. The staff knows almost all the students’ names. They’ll give him a cold soda, some paracetamol and he’ll be off to studying.”

What is up with this High School?

"It will be fine, really. Now show me what you got. Since you are a support…buff me.”

I already understood what a support role meant. At least for today I paid attention in class. Teams of espers are called triads. They consist of a Vanguard, a Specialist and a

“Tutorial?”

“Just do it. The ID handles it.”

Nothing ever happened. Regardless of how hard I tried. Teach guided me on how to project ESP, so I did everything I could. Great, I’m a defective esper.

“There, no power. Can you return me already?”

“If the Vice-president’s ability and the scientific test say you have ESP. You have it. I believe…there are activation conditions. It’s not usual but it’s plausible. In support types, it tends to manifest as requiring a contract or bond with the target.”

“Does having requirements make ESP more powerful or special?”

He shook his head. Damn it.

“Take note. Your assignment is to find out your ability. Or else you can’t participate fully on my class.”

"Do I really? I'll prefer it if you just assign me the homework you left the others.”

"No, discover your talent first. That is your one and only assignment. And it is graded.” He took out his own ID card. “You should get going. And a recommendation…don’t stay outdoors after the sun goes down.” He specified directions for my student residence. Close by the entrance to the campus.

I hurried to get there before nightfall. But I got interested in the plastic card. My picture, taken without consent and the usual, boring details. Aside from that, numbers and stats were printed on it. The data titled ‘Academic Credit’ grabbed my attention. The number was a hundred, but I had no idea what that meant. Another, residence number matched the one on a certain door plate.

The ground floor…at least one good thing happened today. But how do I enter without a key? The entrance was well protected with metal rods. I had to swipe my ID on an electronic lock, the sort you can find on a hotel. Maybe there’s a roommate. When I flicked the light switch it turned the apartment turned out empty. And it only had a single bed. Cardboard boxes were scattered in many places.

We broke off into our separate ways. I searched which building had been assigned to me. It was one of the student residences by the campus entrance.

I celebrated that the exterior number matched the one on my ID. No need to climb stairs. By swiping my card on an electronic scanner, the door fence with metal bars, opened. I flicked the light switch. Someone cleaned the place before my arrival. Also, there were moving boxes everywhere in single room studio. A standard, small apartment.

The boxes resting atop the bed stored clothing. Some with College’s uniform. But others, held clothes worn…closer to the skin. Even sleepwear. What happened to my clothes? Weren’t the SUVs supposed to carry my belongings? They probable went inside a trash container.

I checked the kitchen. A hot plate next to a minifridge. Cheaply made table with chairs for dining. Placed on the plastic table were more moving boxes. One of them contained kitchen accessories, cutlery, dishes, a pot and a non-stick pan. The other one was more eye-catching. Red lettering spelled SCLAP, printed on the cardboard. A face had a text written on it.

'The Student Committee of Logistics And Produce donates this staple pantry box. Students like you procure foodstuffs according to your Class Tier and Academic Credit. SCLAP performs weekly deliveries to your residence. Following deliveries will not be subsidized. Join SCLAP and feed Seven Star's thriving community. B-class students onwards.

So, I’m not fit to join them. I peeled the packing tape and the contents were disappointing. Rice, sardines, legumes, salt, etc. I stored the salt with great care, in order to not drop it. Imagine if my bad fortuned worsened.

'According to your Class Tier and Academic Credit.' I recalled the text.

Academic Credit. My ID displayed '100' of those. The class tier part was self-explaining. Class F student get the worst pantry. Even though I hadn’t eaten at all, I had no appetite for the box’s contents. I experienced spending the College’s currency by purchasing on a vending machine. Five credits for a biscuit. After showering, I ended that day going to bed. My school life, among the psychics. Began the next day.