CHAPTER TWO


Eunji POV

“Han Eunji, you’ve been a rather naughty child lately haven’t you?”

I stared blankly ahead, not acknowledging a word as the 7 other teachers around me softly murmured amongst themselves. I couldn’t help but sigh at their disciplining strategy. According to them, I’d been falling asleep in class too often causing me to constantly disrupt the lesson for those around me.

They were right, of course. I wasn’t going to try to deny it.  Lately, I just couldn’t stay awake at all, and I admit, I’d sometimes caused quite a scene in class. Repeatedly banging my head against the table trying to stay awake made a lot more sound than I thought. I think I actually made some girl cry once because she thought I was trying to kill myself (she wasn’t completely wrong).

Pretty penalty worthy don’t you think?

But the teachers weren’t mad at all.

Quite the opposite; they were all heavily concerned and worried. Was I getting enough sleep at night? Was my body too weak to handle the continuous lessons that came with being almost 18? How much had I been eating lately? Was I eating enough? Perhaps I should spend some nights in the nurse’s office, just in case I collapsed or something.

They didn’t seem to think any of this was my fault. They blamed themselves instead. They were actually comforting me when in reality; I probably deserved to be somewhat punished or at least investigated for what I did at night (which really, just consisted of me staring out the window like a creeper.)  

Apparently, I could do no wrong.

And that made no sense to me whatsoever.

I looked up into their eyes and shivered slightly. Their eyes were concerned and ready to help; yet nearly void of any other emotion. Why wasn’t there any frustration, anxiety, or perhaps even irritation present in those eyes? Didn’t they feel pain at all? Every one of my teachers was so beautiful, despite their age. They were all female of course; because a vast majority of Exceptionals were female (opposite of Alphas, who’s population was 98% male.) In the past, they had all been mothers and spouses. But now, as their children grew up and their Alphas slowly lost interest, they generously volunteered their time to this school to teach the rest of us about life outside our homeland.  With their gentle curls of graying hair perfectly framing their aged, yet somehow innocent, faces, they all looked to be at most in their fifties, although they were probably older. I wouldn’t be surprised if some were in their eighties.

Their behavior however; with their constant pouting, almost reminded me of that of a little girl.

What could they possibly teach us about raising children when they seemed so childlike themselves?

I sighed and looked down, wanting to rip my hair out of my head for the millionth time today. I couldn’t…live like this. I couldn’t do it. If I was an Alpha and lived everyday in hardship, losing everyone I loved around me, I’d still probably be happier than I was now. Because, at least then, no matter how much of a pathetic loser I was, I’d have my own freedom. I’d still have a choice, and a life, and I’d be allowed to feel what I want and be who I am. Right now, as I’m surrounded by these dolls that they call living being, I feel…I feel like I’m drowning in a locked cage. No one here understands me at all.

I’m completely alone.

And I probably always will be.

And it ing to know that.

I stood up abruptly as I felt my eyes prick with tears, frightening everyone around me. I was mortified. One thing about me, when I’m sad, I can’t hide my tears. It’s just another disadvantage of being an Exceptional.

We couldn’t keep a pokerface.

“Honey, are you alright?” one of the teachers asked, shakily reaching towards me. “Are you in pain or perhaps feeling a little ill? Is there something-”

“Why the hell would you care?” I snapped at her before she could finish. “It’s not like you ing understand me anyways!”

I looked down as I heard a volley of gasps all around me. The room had suddenly gotten so quiet that you could’ve heard a pin drop on the floor. I stared at everyone’s expressions around me and almost let out a bitter laugh. They all looked shocked, like they couldn’t believe what I’d just done. What a surprise…of course they wouldn’t understand my reactions. No being ever did.

They all thought I was crazy and they were probably right.

The teacher that tried to comfort me before cleared , standing up shakily. Everyone watched her as she approached warily, a head shorter than myself. “It’s just as I thought,” she whispered, looking me up and down. Her eyes were wide with fright, but also with something that looked similar to awe. I raised an eyebrow as she spoke again. “You are an Unnatural.”

I stared at her. “A what?” I asked.

“An Unnatural; beings that do not behave like their category. They are very rare among Exceptionals, but I always knew they existed.” She looked me up and down, creeping me out slightly. “You’re probably the only one alive today. I always thought you acted rather strange! Good thing I noticed it before your birthday. Now my son can have the unique, beautiful bride he always wanted!”

She clapped her hands together and smiled happily at me, as if she expected me to be as happy as she was. I just continued staring at her, confused out of my mind. “What the are you going on about!?” I replied, aghast.

She laughed at my bewildered expression, not caring about my language.

“Well honey,” she replied, “I have a son, named Kris, who always expressed to me how much he wanted a different sort of bride. ‘Exceptionals are all the same’ he always told me. ‘I want an Unnatural one who can actually hold a conversation.’ I always thought he was crazy, because I didn’t think any existed at the moment, but here we are! Han Eunji, the most dazzling Exceptional of us all, is an Unnatural!” She smiled at me, taking my hand in hers. “Thank you for existing, honey. Now Kris can finally have the bride he always wanted, and he can be happy!”     
 
The teachers around me all let out a tinkling laugh, even though I doubted they understood. They just laughed because someone around them was laughing, and that made them happy. Not me however; I wasn’t falling for that. I stared at the teacher’s expression, letting all she said sink in. For some reason, instead of being totally confused, I had the oddest need to slap her. This is really unusual considering I’m not a very violent person.

I don’t know, I’m sorry. Marriage is a sensitive topic for me. It was one of the many burdens that kept me up at night. The fact that she was willing to sign my life away without even stopping to think about me was very exasperating. I was DONE. I was DONE with being treated like I was an object, and I was DONE with having no freedom.

I opened my mouth to protest. “Look lady…” I started, approaching her.

I didn’t get very far.

“Zip!” she nearly sang, lifting her hand above her head, and I instantly shut up. I never saw her power hit me, but I could feel it working. ‘,’ I thought, ‘Is she a Sleeper?’ Sleepers, Exceptionals that had the power to put anyone to sleep instantly. They usually worked in the hospitals, helping troubled insomnia patients relax. It was just my luck that the teacher that just decided my whole future for me was one as well. I felt my whole world tilt violently, and suddenly, my eyelids weighed a ton. I let out a small whimper as I felt myself fall.

The teacher grinned at me, and for once, an Exceptional’s smile didn’t look beautiful to me. It looked evil, demonic even. How could she do this to me?

“Go to sleep, honey,” she whispered as I felt my body beginning to get dragged away. “You’ll see Kris in the morning.”

I gave her one last glare before I slipped away for good.



Kai POV

I stared up at the large wall that separated us from the Exceptional Homeland. It was super tall; so tall that you couldn’t see the top of it. From our perspective, it was cold, ugly, and metal; with signs warning us to stay away. Inside however, I knew it was the complete opposite. I’d been over this wall plenty of times and I could still not get over the splendor to this day. It was beautiful, with multicolored flowers crawling up the gold and silver incased sides, sparkling like jewels in the springtime sun; courtesy of the flower and color powers of the Exceptionals I’m sure. It was gorgeous and alluring, like everything else in the Exceptional homeland. Beautiful just like the people who made it.

It was just too bad beauty wasn’t very protective wasn’t it?   

I looked to Chanyeol, reaching out for his hand. “Ready man?” I asked, touching my other hand against the wall. Already, I could feel my power level rising inside me, ready to burst. Chanyeol nodded at me, grinning. “Try not to kill me, alright?” he laughed. “I want to eat some good food before I die.”  

I took a deep breath before I joined in. “I’ll try.”

I looked at GD, who was looking at the wall anxiously. “Are you ready, hyung?” I asked, cocking my head towards him slightly. He looked at me and nodded gravely, his serious face contrasting his excited eyes. Amber, Krystal, Zelo, and Myungsoo were poised around him, ready to hold on when he morphed. I could only take one person a time but GD could take up to 5. Actually, I’m pretty sure it was a lot safer for Chanyeol to go with GD but he always insisted on going with me.

“You’re more fun!” he always insisted. “GD hyung doesn’t like to break the rules. I never get to burn anything when I’m with him.”

I smiled thinking about that. For some reason, fire seemed extremely fun, especially when it came from someone as erratic as Chanyeol.

I felt a flurry of wings and a high pitched shriek of surprise (GODDAMNIT OPPA YOU COULD’VE GIVEN US SOME WARNING) and I knew GD had morphed. In other words, it was time for Chanyeol and me to leave too.

I gripped his hand and concentrated fiercely, imagining myself at the other side of the wall. Before I knew it, the familiar weightless feeling surrounded me, and I was suddenly soaring into the sky, my body no longer an anchor to where I needed to be. I heard Chanyeol let out a whoop next to me, and I knew it was working. As disorienting as teleportation was, it was freeing; uplifting even. I felt every worry I ever had wash away from me. The bitter years filled with betrayal, hurt, and loneliness disappeared like it had never happened, and for once in my life, I was purely, wholeheartedly, happy. 

I opened my eyes and saw Chanyeol grinning back at me. He yelled something, and though I couldn’t hear him, I knew we were nearing our destination. I felt the world hurriedly rush towards me and we plopped back into reality.

I looked around in awe as I took in our surroundings.

Big, fluffy, marshmallow clouds floated deliciously in the air, surrounded by the pink and purple soup Exceptionals called the evening sky. Such a change compared to our side of the wall, with its black sky and lighting trails. It air even tasted better here. It was sugary almost, like honey, but better, and it tickled my tongue everytime I took a breath. 

I glanced over at Chanyeol, who was chewing on grass he had just pulled out of the soil. I rolled my eyes slightly before I did the same. Minty, sweet, and edible, just like every other thing is this masterpiece of a world; and green as green can be. I’d heard about Heaven, but I couldn’t imagine a place that was more beautiful than here. It was so warm and homey here, like a hug. I could stay here lying on this grass and live here forever.

I felt a pang as I remembered why that wasn’t allowed.

Chanyeol hurriedly stood up, still munching on grass goodies. I cringed slightly at how much Chanyeol’s tattered black cloak stood out in this gorgeous background. Years of abuse from living in the banished lands had worn us all down, as well as our clothes. Of course, we were still considered beautiful, but we also looked very dangerous. I flinched again as Chanyeol adjusted his collar, revealing his “H” tattoo. My hands flew up to my throat, where I knew I had an identical symbol as well.

The ‘H’ symbol, the thing that got imprinted into all Hazards’ skin, was a tattoo that we had to get before we were banished so that people would instantly know we were Hazards. It was big, black, and slightly luminous, standing out greatly on our skin. It even glowed in the dark so that bounty hunters would have a place to aim. Chanyeol followed my eyes and hurriedly adjusted his clothes so that his tattoo was hidden.

He sighed slightly, wrinkling his nose.

“Ugh,” he groaned, growling in frustration. “We need to go steal some clothes that will cover our necks soon or we’ll be caught in no time. You don’t suppose we can rob a couple stores without getting caught do you?”

I shrugged slightly. The natural high I got off of teleporting was slowly wearing off and I was trying not to let it get to me. “I don’t know man, but we shouldn’t risk it. It’s getting dark anyways so we should just steal what we need and go. It’s better safe and sorry.”

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow at my expression but didn’t say anything.

“Better to be dead than alive and captured,” he finally replied, agreeing. “Alright man, you’re right. Where do you want to go?”

I stood up and looked around hurriedly, brows crinkled in thought. “Hmmm,” I said, “Well GD and the rest are getting food so I guess we should sneak into the academy and steal some blankets and medicine. Who knows? Maybe we’ll find some clothes that’ll fit Amber and Krystal in there.”

Chanyeol grinned before replying. “You don’t think they’re any male students close to my size do you? I need clothes you know. I can’t live in this tattered cloak forever.”

I snorted slightly, looking at Chanyeol’s 6 ft 1 figure. “Not even in your dreams, man. The Exceptional guys are usually midgets. Look’s like you’re just going to have to it up and deal with it.”

Ignoring Chanyeol’s pouting expression; I brushed past him and looked around, trying to get my bearings. After a while, I reached up, took hold of Chanyeol’s arm, and dragged him to a nearby rose bush.

“Here we are, man,” I said. “If I remember right, there should be a drain under this bush that leads to the school.” I didn’t know where the school was for sure so I couldn’t teleport there, but I did know how to get there the old fashioned way, thank God. The sewage system, despite how gross it was, often performed wonders. “I need you to burn the bush down so we can get to it.”

Chanyeol chuckled, cracking his knuckles in anticipation. “Gladly,” he said.

Flames instantly leapt from his hands, filling the area with intense waves of blinding heat. “Stand back,” he warned, cocking his head over to the other side of the field. “Stay over there until its safe.” I nodded I fanned myself slightly as I walked away. Chanyeol grinned, not minding the head at all. Letting out a maniacal laugh, he reached forward and incinerated the rose bush to ashes (as well as most of the trees in the area as well.)

I grinned and looked up, walking up and clearing away the ash. I was right. There it was; a drain. Picking up the heavy lid, I crouched down and hopped in, letting out a small whoop as I felt my body drop like a stone. Behind me, I could hear Chanyeol jump in too, his laughter echoing in the small space. I rolled my eyes before snapping at him to shut up.

We were going to get there in no time. The school was full of wonders. Each time we went, we found things that were more and more astounding. Ignoring the fact that I’d just told Chanyeol to shut up, I let out a wild whoop myself, throwing my hands in the air. For some reason, I was suddenly extremely excited, feeling again that natural high of teleportation.

Who knows what we would find in the school this time?





A/N HEY GUUUUYS! So long story short, I would’ve updated faster but I didn’t. But don’t worry, I’m thinking about updating really soon (like tomorrow…Anterograde tomorrow-I MEAN *cough* nothing) I hoped you liked the chapter(: It took my forever to be happy with it. I’m sure the next few chapters won’t be as hard. Right now I’m still trying to introduce the characters so sorry if the story is going a bit slow for you. I’m sure the next few chapters will be waaay more exciting. XD

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K baiii.