My Purpose | An unORDINARY fanfiction

Chapter Two: Danger

     "I told you it was gonna be good!" Remi proclaimed after the screening.

     "Haha, yeah. My bad."

     It was around nine in the evening, and Remi and I were in the city centre, sauntering back to the dorms after having seen the film she recommended. If I were to be completely honest, I thought it was brilliant. 

     At first glance, the film appears to be an allegory for how humans perceive and grapple with climate change, but the ultimate message is implied to be having consideration for your own happiness. The protagonist found meaning and happiness in making others happy, but she didn't realise that her own self-worth is more than how much she is valued by others. In the end, she continued to do things for others while knowingly sacrificing herself in the process.

     Maybe there's something I can personally take away from this. I had no idea that an animation could be so beautiful and expressive. Thank you, Remi. 

     The city was surprisingly lively for the time of night, and large crowds of people shifted in and out of the popular Kovoro Mall like enchanting shoals of fish. Above a busy zebra crossing, traffic lights frantically changed colours in a disco-like manner, lighting up every corner of the street with a kaleidoscopic, vibrant hue. 

     "Hey John," Remi said.

     "Hm? What's up?" I replied. 

     "It's pretty busy here. How about we take a shortcut through the park?"

. . . 

     Clearview Park, which was usually quite busy during daytime, had a now eerie, vacant atmosphere about it; a clear juxtaposition to the vibrant city streets just outside its premises. This way, however, we could circumvent the heavy traffic and busy intersections to reach our destination much faster. Just as well, because we were now nearing curfew hours. 

     Today was... fun, to say the least, and I'm glad that I went to see the movie with Remi. The outing definitely helped to ease my mind from recent events, as well as the incessant memories of my unpleasant past. 

     I sighed, shoving my hands into my pockets and tilting my head to gaze at the stars. I individually counted each infinitesimal, glowing orb, knowing that—while I could try to count them all—I would never reach a definitive number. 

     "Since ancient times, stars have symbolised hope, guidance, faith and motivation," Remi remarked discerningly, breaking the silence. "It's very fitting that a frequently troubled person such as yourself is looking at the night time sky."

     I scoffed lightly, averting my gaze to the pavement beneath me. "You can be pretty corny sometimes, you know that?"

     I was a troubled teen; that much was evident from the verbal abuse and physical injuries that I endured from my peers on a daily basis. To my knowledge, though, there was no student nor teacher at Wellston Private High who knew what I had actually been through with one-hundred percent accuracy. 

     I don't trust anyone enough yet to reveal who I actually am. Not even the supposedly innocent, pink-haired girl beside me. 

     SNAP!     

     I abruptly stopped in my tracks, causing Remi to look at me questioningly. 

     What the hell is this presence behind us? I didn't see a soul when we entered the park. Is some invisible person trying to mug us?

     Okay. Calm down for a second, John. I chided.

     I resumed my traverse across the park. Right now, the important step was to ensure that the stalker remained unaware of my discovery; it's possible that even the most subtle glance backwards could prompt them to attack. 

     "Remi," I whispered, earning another quizzical look from her. "Your passive. Can you sense anything behind us?"

     Ordinarily, an individual's ability must be physically activated in order to provide the user with the inherent benefits of said ability. However, high-tiers such as Remi will have mastered their ability to the point where their power can partially manifest even without activation. This phenomenon is known as a passive, and can enhance the user in various ways even when they are not actively using their ability. 

     As Remi's ability revolves around lightning, it's only fitting that she can sense electricity flow around her. My goal here was to pick up on any electrical devices that the perpetrator might have on them—for instance, a phone—and this would confirm if we were actually being followed, or if I was just being paranoid.

     I saw Remi close her eyes momentarily, presumably to concentrate on her surroundings. Seconds later, her amber orbs snapped open in full alert, signifying that my hunch was correct. 

     "Let's go!"

     She grabbed onto my wrist and pulled me across the park at an impressive speed as I struggled to keep up. All the while, the shadowy presence behind us never faltered. 

     We were now nearing the other side of the park. Once we were back in the streets, it would be much more difficult for the pursuer to try anything harmful due to the increased amount of potential witnesses. We just had to hope that they didn't become desperate and try to pull anything before then. 

     Without warning, an iron grip locked around my forearm, attempting to drag me into some nearby foliage. Remi—noticing the sudden resistance—whipped around, eyes furiously blazing a refulgent incandescence that illuminated the vicinity with an intense amber hue. Ripples of voltage spiraled up and down her petite figure as she shoved me aside with frightening ease and dashed towards the invisible assailant. 

     In that moment, Remi was terrifying. She must've pinpointed the position of the stalker from his phone, because her lightning-swathed fist connected with an invisible entity, followed by an audible yelp and the sound of a body slumping to the ground. 

     The whole confrontation was over in moments. 

     Remi deactivated her ability, and our surroundings once again became obscured by darkness. Her eyes still held a look of belligerence despite the temporary safety of our situation, and she extended her hand and pulled me up, muttering a quick "sorry" in the process.

     "Let's get out of here, John."