Arriving in a quiet corner of the school, Zac paid no attention to his surroundings. When he saw that there were only a few people around, he sat down next to a staircase and sighed.
But just when he thought he could have some quiet time alone, a voice he knew well came from a few meters behind him.
"Just make sure it's not that idiot..." Dario said in a mocking tone as the laughter of his three companions erupted from their positions next to this brown-haired fellow.
Turning around and seeing the look of superiority on Dario's face, Zac stood up, promptly ignoring the horrible sight of the bodies of those four.
"Dario!" He said as he clenched his fists and looked straight into the black eyes of the person who had made his last years at school an absolute nightmare.
"Zac, you're not mad, are you?" Asked one of Dario's three buddies, an overweight and tall young man, 1.9 meters tall, known at school by his nickname, Skin.
"That day was a bit hectic... But we don't have to carry the stories of the past in our hearts." A slim, tall boy with blond hair and eyes as blue as the sky said with a smile as he approached the young man standing alone in front of them, not bothering to put a hand on one of Zac's shoulders.
Dario looked at Zac, seeing what this 'small' guy was going to do.
"Dario, what happened that day? Is what the rumors say true?" Zac asked as he moved one of his shoulders and let Simon's hand go.
"It seems he doesn't remember... That's why he's got that look on his face, boss." The quietest man in the group said, showing neither amusement nor concern.
"That seems to be the case..." Dario muttered as he cracked his neck. "But that's not good. Forgetting a lesson like that can make you bolder."
"What are we going to do?"
They talked to each other as if Zac wasn't there, completely underestimating this young man.
But how could they not underestimate the little genius of the school? Zac didn't have a terrible physique but didn't know how to fight. He was intelligent but a bit clumsy in physical activities. He had common sense most of the time but didn't know how to recognize those he shouldn't mess with.
These traits had gotten him into a lot of trouble over the years.
As long as he was a child and lived with other children, nothing too problematic had happened. But with the onset of his teenage years, among young people in one of the most difficult periods of their lives, his situation had only worsened over the past two years.
Just how he spoke irritated some people, which earned him pranks, beatings, plots, etc. Hell, Zac had gotten to the point where he was only studying because of his sister's situation and his own potential.
He knew that he could become someone successful in the future, and although he didn't care about that, he knew how valuable such a destiny was for his sister.
On the surface, Amy seemed to be a woman fighting for her life. But she had several problems, ranging from a bad boyfriend to serious health problems.
That kept him going to school and putting up with situations like this.
He asked these people as he felt his heart beat faster. "What are you planning? Do you know you're in the school?"
"And why does that matter?" One of them asked. "Do you think we won't deal with you just because of that?"
"Dario, don't push your luck. If you're deported, your family will lose government assistance. I hear you need it badly." Zac poked at the wound of this man he knew had a background as humble as his own.
In Ushal, the federal government gave $500 in aid to low-income citizens with children or dependents who were duly enrolled in public schools or universities.
Amy received the aid on Zac's behalf, while Dario's parents received the same on his behalf.
"Threaten me? You're really brave!" Dario said as he approached Zac, not hesitating to punch the blond young man in front of him in the nose.
His two companions closest to Zac saw Dario's move and moved against Zac, each grabbing one of the young blond's arms.
Zac had nothing to do. Pinned down by the two, he could only struggle when Dario's fist came close to his nose.
Pow!
He felt the bones of Dario's hand touching his face as his head was pushed back.
"Aagh!" A scream came from Zac's mouth as blood dripped from his bruised nose.
"Hold him down!" Dario ordered as he saw his colleagues hesitate and let Zac fall to the ground.
Amid the movement of three of those four individuals, Zac felt his whole head ache as his vision changed, the naked bodies in front of him changing, one moment appearing clothed as they should be, and then revealing what was underneath their skins.
'Shit! What is this pain?' He asked himself as he saw the organs of these three move to hit him again.
But his pain didn't stop him from seeing the bodies of his attackers in a way that immediately made him think of the knowledge he had accumulated over the years.
'Sciatic nerve...' He looked at the legs of one of the two young men trying to hold him up again as he fell backwards. 'If I hit that point, he'll be in a lot of pain.' As he thought this, he felt something strange grow in his body, giving him the strength to act.
He balanced himself, and as soon as he could move, he kicked at Skin's leg with all his might.
That surprised the young men attacking him, but none took Zac's counterattack seriously. They had faced him several times before, but never before had Zac achieved anything by reacting against them.
But things were going to be different than both Zac and Dario's partners thought.
The moment Zac's right foot hit one of Skin's legs in the most sensitive spot of his sciatic nerve, he opened his eyes wide and screamed in pain.
"Aaaagh!"
But not only did he scream when he hit Skin's leg, Zac screamed too, a little from the pain of kicking someone like Skin in the leg, but more from the way he overbalanced while doing it.
Skin couldn't stand it and fell to the ground, not understanding how someone like Zac could cause him so much pain.
"Damn you! What did he do?" The big, fat young man asked.
Dario didn't like that and kicked one of Zac's legs as he watched his opponent fall to the ground. "Son of a bitch! Take that!"
"Agggh!"
Zac felt a strong blow to one of his legs, feeling what a well-timed kick could do to a victim.
If he'd known how to kick like Dario, he'd probably have crippled Skin!
The other two moved, realizing they had to act quickly to finish Zac off and avenge what Skin had felt.
But as Zac screamed in pain on the ground, the four boys' smartphones suddenly exploded in their pockets, making them momentarily desperate and distracted.
Zac didn't do it intentionally, but he knew how to take advantage of the situation. He stood up while his opponents were busy putting out their burning phones and then hit Dario with a kick to the testicles.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!" Dario screamed loudly before losing all strength in his entire body and falling face-first to the ground.
"Boss!" The other two shouted at the sight while Zac moved further away from them, maniacally laughing as blood dripped from his nose.
Zac said nothing and left, feeling the pain of the blows he had taken from his opponents but also a sensation he had never felt before.
He was in pain, but with every breath he took, he felt more alive, seeing the world more colorfully and with more meaning. Even though he was bleeding, he smiled and momentarily enjoyed the feeling of victory.
That wasn't just a victory for him. It was a revelation!
'Today was a very productive day!' He felt good about himself. 'Not only did I return the pain that bastard caused me several times, but I also learned something fundamental!
My anger is the way for me to master these magical powers!' He clenched his fists tightly and felt like a path had opened up before him.