The bell for break just rang. The sound of students rushing out of their classrooms filled the school hallway. In the corner of the cafeteria, Aira sat alone, hugging her bag tightly. Her eyes stared at the table in front of her, but her mind wandered off somewhere. She knew sitting here was too conspicuous, but she had no other choice. Sitting alone in class would just make her look weirder.
"Aira!" Raka's voice broke her reverie. He quickly walked over to her, holding two takeout boxes in his hands. "I told you, don’t eat alone here. I brought you lunch."
Aira smiled faintly, though with hesitation. "Thanks, Raka. But I'm not hungry."
Raka sighed deeply and sat down in front of her. "You can't keep doing this, Ra. You need to learn to stop caring about what people say. They're just jealous of you."
Aira lowered her gaze and bit her lip. "Jealous? Of me? No way. I don’t have anything that would make them jealous."
Raka looked at her sharply. "You don't realize it, do you? You're smart, you have a lot of potential. They just don't like you because you're different."
Before Aira could respond, loud laughter echoed from the other side of the cafeteria. Luna and her gang had just entered, bringing with them an aura that instantly changed the atmosphere. Everyone knew that Luna was the queen of this school. Beautiful, popular, and always getting what she wanted. But behind all that, she was also infamous for being cruel, especially toward Aira.
"Hey, look who's sitting here," Luna's voice rang out loudly, causing Aira to stiffen. Luna walked over, followed by her two loyal friends. "Aira, the golden child who always hides behind Raka's back."
Raka immediately stood up and glared at Luna. "Luna, stop it. Don't start any trouble."
Luna chuckled softly, folding her arms across her chest. "Trouble? I’m just talking. Isn't that allowed? Besides, I’m just curious. Aira’s so smart, but why does she never speak up? Are you afraid your voice will make people laugh, Ra?"
Aira felt her face flush. She wanted to respond, but her tongue felt tied. She could only look down, hoping Luna would leave soon.
"Enough, Luna. Aren’t you tired of mocking people?" Raka stepped forward, standing between Aira and Luna.
But Luna just smiled slyly. "Oh, so now you're the hero? Want to be Aira’s savior? How cute."
One of Luna’s friends, a big guy named Dimas, suddenly stepped forward and pushed Raka. "Hey, don't act tough."
Raka nearly lost his balance but managed to catch himself. "I’m not afraid of you, Dim."
Dimas laughed, and without warning, threw a punch at Raka’s face. The sound of the impact made everyone in the cafeteria fall silent. Raka staggered back, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"Raka!" Aira screamed in panic, but she couldn’t move. Her body felt stiff, like she was trapped in a nightmare.
Luna just laughed in satisfaction, then waved her hand. "Alright, Dim. Don’t waste time on someone like him. Let’s go."
After Luna and her gang left, Aira immediately ran to Raka. "Raka, are you okay? I... I’m sorry. This is all my fault."
Raka wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his hand and gave a small smile. "I’m fine, Ra. You don’t have to apologize. This isn’t your fault."
"But if I weren’t here, you wouldn’t have been punched," Aira’s voice trembled. Tears began to well up in her eyes.
Raka shook his head. "Listen to me, Aira. You’re not at fault. They are. Never blame yourself, okay?"
Aira could only nod, though her heart was still filled with guilt.
---
That night, Aira sat in her room, hugging her knees tightly. Her mind kept replaying the events at the cafeteria. She felt like a burden to everyone, especially Raka. She always wanted to protect him, but it seemed like she was the one who always hurt him.
"Why can’t I be stronger?" she murmured softly. "Why am I always a burden?"
Tears began to flow down her cheeks. She tried to hold them back, but the emotions she felt were too strong. Anger, sadness, and frustration mixed together, making her chest feel tight.
Suddenly, she felt something strange. A warmth spreading through her body, like a fire burning within her. She closed her eyes, trying to control the feeling, but the more she tried, the stronger it became.
"Aira," a soft but firm voice came from the direction of the window.
Aira opened her eyes and saw Fenrir standing there, his yellow eyes glowing brightly as they stared at her intensely. "Fenrir? What are you doing here?"
Fenrir stepped into the room, his large body nearly filling the space. "I sensed something different in you. There’s a power rising inside you."
Aira shook her head, confused. "Power? I don’t understand what you mean."
Fenrir approached and sat down in front of Aira. "You are the descendant of Kaela, Aira. Inside you, there’s a great power waiting to be unleashed. But that power will only emerge when you are truly ready."
Aira looked at Fenrir with tear-streaked eyes. "But I’m not ready. I can't even protect Raka. I can’t do anything."
Fenrir lowered his gaze and looked at Aira with patience. "You are stronger than you think, Aira. But that power will only appear if you believe in yourself."
Aira fell silent, trying to digest Fenrir’s words. But deep in her heart, she still felt unsure. How could she have power if she couldn’t even overcome her own fears?
Fenrir stood up and walked toward the window. "Our time is running out, Aira. You must find your courage before it’s too late."
Before Aira could ask any further questions, Fenrir vanished into the darkness of the night. Aira could only sit there, thinking about Fenrir's words. Deep in her heart, she knew she couldn’t keep going like this. But how could she change if she didn’t even know where to start?
---
The next day, Aira walked to school with heavy steps. She knew everyone was probably still talking about what had happened in the cafeteria yesterday. And sure enough, as soon as she entered the class, she could feel all eyes on her.
"Hey, there she is," whispered one of the students. "So sad, huh? Always Luna’s punching bag."
Aira tried to ignore them, but the words still pierced her heart. She walked to her desk and sat down, hoping the time would pass quickly.
However, when she opened her notebook, she found a small piece of paper tucked inside. The message written on it made her blood boil.
"A coward like you doesn't belong here."
Aira crumpled the paper with trembling hands. She wanted to be angry, but she didn’t know where to direct it. She could only look down, holding back the tears that were about to fall.
Outside the window, Fenrir watched from a distance. His glowing yellow eyes full of concern. "She’s not ready," he murmured quietly. "But time is running out."
And with that, he disappeared into the shadows, leaving Aira to continue struggling against her own fear and doubts.