Chapter 4 I'M NOT WORTHLESS
CHAPTER 004_I’M NOT WORTHLESS
“Again.” The trainer’s voice snapped through the field like a whip.
I was already shaking, sweat was running down my neck and my hands trembling as I tried to focus. Around me, other students stood in a loose circle, their faces full of that same look. It was pity mixed with judgment.
“I said again, Thalira!” he barked.
I clenched my jaw and lifted my hands. Nothing happen. Just the sound of whispers spreading through the students.
“She doesn’t even have a spark.”
“Maybe the stories are true. She’s cursed.”
“She shouldn’t even be here.”
My chest tightened. I tried again, harder this time. I screamed, hoping maybe power would come if I just… forced it. But it didn’t. My knees buckled down and it hit the ground.
“Pathetic.” someone muttered.
“Enough,” the trainer said, rubbing his temple. “If you can’t even channel energy, how do you expect to survive here?”
The laughter that followed sliced through me. I bit my lip so hard that I tasted blood.
“I can do it,” I said quietly.
He raised a brow. “Then prove it.”
I stood up again. My legs felt like they weren’t mine. My heart was pounding in my ears. I could hear the whispers louder now.
“She’s just a weakling.”
“Useless.”
“Maybe her aunt was right about her.”
That one hit deep. My hands curled into fists. Aunt Helena’s voice echoed in my head. “You’re nothing but bad luck, Thalira. Everything you touch breaks.”
The trainer motioned to a student, a tall guy with a cold smirk. “Attack her. Let’s see if she can defend herself.”
The boy didn’t even hesitate. He charged at me, and before I could move, his kick sent me crashing into the ground. The crowd laughed.
“Stop!” I coughed, trying to get up, but he kicked me again and harder.
“Come on, witch girl, fight back!”
Something snapped inside me. The laughter, the voices, the memories and everything blurred into one sharp point of rage.
“I said stop!” I screamed and then… silence.
The air froze. The laughter stopped mid-breath. The boy stood still, one leg raised in the air. Even the birds in the sky hung motionless.
I blinked. The whole world had stopped moving.
“What… what did I just do?” I whispered, looking around.
The field was frozen like a painting. My heart pounded so hard. My hands glowed faintly, and something burned across my back.
Suddenly a sharp pain shot through my spine. I screamed, clutching my chest, and suddenly everything turn back into motion.
Everyone fell to the ground, groaning in pain as if they had been struck. The boy who hit me collapsed, holding his stomach.
“What happened?” someone gasped. “Why does my body hurt?”
“I…” I stepped back. “I didn’t mean to…”
Then I saw the four boys standing near the tree line, watching me. Cassian’s eyes burned gold like firelight. Alaric looked at me like I was some ancient secret. Kieran’s jaw was tight and unreadable and Zev… Zev smirked, his eyes dark with something I couldn’t name.
Cassian took a step forward, his voice low. “She froze time.”
The trainer looked at him, confused. “What?”
“She didn’t just stop energy. She stopped the world.” Cassian’s smirk widened. “The Phoenix soul. It’s been reborn.”
Phoenix soul? My breath hitched. “What are you talking about?”
Kieran crossed his arms. “You shouldn’t even be able to do that without training. Unless…”
“Unless what?” I asked, my voice breaking.
Alaric’s eyes met mine, calm but sharp. “Unless you’re not as powerless as you think.”
Everyone stared at me like I was something dangerous. I took a step back, but no one moved closer. The trainer cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Training’s over for today. Thalira… come back tomorrow.”
I didn’t wait to argue. I turned and ran off.
Later that night, I sat on the edge of my bed, my hair still damp from the night shower. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw their faces: fear, curiosity, and maybe even a little awe.
Was I really the Phoenix soul? Or was it just another curse?
The room was quiet except for the soft humming of the lantern. I buried my face in my hands. “What am I doing here?”
A soft knock came from the door. I didn’t answer.
“Hey,” a voice said, it was light and cheerful. “Are you alive in there?”
Before I could respond, the door opened, and a girl about my age walked in. Her long hair shimmered blue under the lantern light. Her eyes were sea-green, it was bright.
“Hi.” she said, grinning. “I’m Sofia. A Mermaid, I'm in my second-year. You looked like you needed a friend.”
I blinked at her. “A mermaid?”
“Yep.” She sighed and sat on my bed like we’d known each other forever. “I can’t breathe underwater for long here, but it’s fine. The academy pool’s deep enough.”
I almost laughed. “You’re… weird.”
“Thank you,” she said proudly. “Now, tell me why you look like someone drowned your soul.”
I hesitated. “Everyone thinks I’m useless.”
“Are you?”
I looked at her. “Maybe.”
“Then stop being.”
Her words were simple, but something about the way she said them hit me. Like it wasn’t advice but a challenge.
Before I could reply, the window creaked open. A sudden gust blew through the room. Sofia frowned. “Did you feel that?”
Something sharp flew past my face and hit the wall. It was a black arrow with a folded note tied around it.
Sofia jumped up. “What the…”
I rushed to the wall and pulled the note. My name was written in red ink. My hands trembled as I opened it.
“THALIRA,
WE’RE WATCHING YOU. YOU WON'T SURVIVE THE NEXT FULL MOON.”
My stomach dropped. I looked toward the window, but whoever sent it was gone.
Sofia grabbed my arm. “What does it say?”
I handed it to her. Her eyes widened. “You must be kidding.”
“I wish I was.”
She looked at me with a serious look. “Someone’s targeting you.”
“Why me?” My voice cracked. “I just got here.”
Sofia looked at the arrow again. “Because you’re not just anyone.” She looked at me. “You froze time, Thalira. Someone out there knows what that means.”
I swallowed hard. My heartbeat was loud in the silence.
“What if they come tonight?”
“Then we won’t sleep.” Sofia said, her tone steady. “We’ll wait.”
I wanted to believe her confidence, but deep down, I knew something had changed the moment I screamed.
I sat on the bed, clutching the letter in my hand. Outside, the moonlight crept through the window.
Sofia was still talking, but her words faded into the background as I stared at the note.
A whisper brushed against my ear, too soft to be real.
“We see you, Phoenix.”
I froze. The air turned cold.
“Sofia…” I whispered.
She turned. “What?”