Awoken: COMPLETED

Chapter 5: Serenity

The ball of fire hurtled towards Serena, sizzling and giving off sparks that sounded like sparklers. I bit my lip as my heart dropped in my chest, expecting the senior to be a charred corpse in a few seconds. The assumption was the only thing coherent in my brain, as my mind screamed Magic! over and over again internally. What was this, a Marvel movie?

"This is some Harry Potter shit right here," Amanda whispered from behind me. I glanced at her, feeling surprised. Didn't know she was a Harry Potter fan. Upon noticing my expression, she laughed. "Just cause I'm not as smart as you doesn't mean I don't read books too."

How was she so calm? Inwardly, I was freaking out. It was like everything was in slow-motion as Amelia's grin grew wider and fire came closer and closer to Serena's chest. Serena didn't seem fazed, though. With a wave of her hand, a cloud materialized out of thin air just below the ceiling and above her head, and a heavy downpour started. The rest of the room was completely dry, but a few of my nearby classmates were drenched with rain. The ball of fire disappeared, leaving steam in its wake.

Serena grinned. "Is that the best you can do?"

Oh my god. The rational part of my brain made a connection: the woman was searching for people like her. She had powers and Serena had them too. That had to have been what Amelia was talking about. While the rational part of my brain was hoping an emergency rescue team would make it through the door at any minute, the less rational part – the part I always suppressed - was hoping to see how this all played out. I mean, seeing people with superpowers is a pretty once in a lifetime experience.

"Awesome!" James said, grinning ear to ear, echoing my more flawed chain of thoughts.

Yeah, awesome, I agreed internally.

Amelia clicked her tongue softly, the sound bouncing off the walls of the dead-silent-room. A few seconds ago, whispers and murmurs had filled the air, but now the silence was absolute and the nervous energy of everyone was obvious. Even Mr. Davidson, an authority figure who I had always respected, was about ten seconds away from soiling his pants.

"As much as I'm enjoying this little conversation, darling, I do have more important matters to attend to," Amelia said. Reaching into a bag one of her followers handed her, she pulled out a satchel made of what looked like red leather. Except for the colour, it looked identical to one Serena was wearing on her belt. Her hand reached in a pulled out an orb made out of a glass-like material, and a black glove, which she slipped on to one hand.

As soon as Serena saw the orb, she paled. She muttered a string of curses under her breath as she crouched down and touched her head, speaking in a fast, low tone. From half a classroom away, I couldn't fully make out what she was saying, but I caught the phrases get here now and I've been compromised. It almost seemed like she was talking to someone, but there was no one there. Well, whatever. I turned my attention back to the front of the room. I've seen way stranger things today.

Amelia moved over to the right side of the room, the orb in her gloved hand. "Now, listen very carefully. When I give you this orb, hold it like this." She made an overexaggerated show of slapping the ball into the palm of her ungloved hand, her fingers closing around it. It lit up right away. Before it had been clear as glass, now it looked as if some sort of red liquid was swirling inside. She put it back on her ungloved hand, and the colour disappeared. "This seeking orb will help me tell who's one of us," Amelia grinned. "Who is... superior to the rest."

To my right, James snorted. "Magneto from X-Men, much?" One of Amelia's lackeys, a lanky man wearing a hood that covered his face, made his way to James, his movements quick and precise. He grabbed James by the wrist, and I winced at the sound of his nails digging into my classmate's skin. "Disrespect our leader again and suffer the consequences, orders be dammed," the man hissed (secretly Aiden).