Chapter 10: Praetor Academy & Institution

Praetor Academy & Institution a school for both the power holder and the powerless. Other than the fact they had institution especially made to grow the esper’s ability, all students are given the same treatment and education value.

            Praetor Academy is a large school with the size around 300,000 meters square, including the research facility that’s part of the institution, the school has buildings for Elementary School to High School—Praetor also has its own university but in a different district—there’s also the dormitory and in addition, a hospital.

            Yes, you didn’t read wrong—a hospital.  

            According to my knowledge, this place can already be considered as a small town.

            There are approximately 3600 students, 140 teachers, and 800 researchers and other staff. There are 10 classes, for the normal students, the class is divided into class A, B, C, D, and E. On the other hand, the esper class is divided into Class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and S. The last class looked confusing doesn’t it? Let me explain.

            In this school, our class also acts as our rank. With our power just awaken, the rank doesn’t mean much for us, first year. However, we are still divided according to our ability’s potential. Our school respect and encourage the growth of our ability, but that didn’t mean the ability itself could be useful. Some of what I could point out as example is the ability to decide the numerical value of a human strength by force, in other words, the ability to become a human punching meter. When I heard it such ability exist, I can only say my condolence to whoever had that ability.

            There are times that useful ability couldn’t grow depending on the person, for example, Beth’s telekinesis at best could lift a marble table afloat, while others might have problem lifting a plate.

            Putting those as factor that determined our class from the lowest 1 to the blessed 5. Class S is a different matter though, they are considered to be on par with class 5 but all of them are disabled children. There are those who are blind, deaf, mute, having lost a limb or two or even suffering autism. Researchers are still investigating why those who are disabled have more prowess as an esper than regular people do.

            Right now, I am sitting at the back at Class 1 and the 19 other sits were half filled. Sadly, all of my preschool friends didn’t pass as an espers, and when I tried talking to them, I got the feeling they were being distant. Scratch that, they were being distant. I could partially understand them though, it’s one thing if I have any powers, but telling them I have an unknown power sounds like an excuse to study with the espers.

            It’s the same with the others in my class, but they act more suspicious of me and some just don’t know how to approach me—I feel like a wild animal—I was prepared something like this would happen, but as I thought I want to cry.

            The days went on normally, for us espers while the normal students study five days a week, us esper have six with a day to study and cultivate our talent. The subjects were those I’ve more or less grasp in my days studying this era common sense and knowledge. 
            By the day my peers learn to use their powers, I was left on my own.

            At first, I spent most of the time with the researchers, trying to figure out what kind of power I had looming secretly in my brain with curious look I deem lecherous. Then, one of them suggested I should observe the other esper as it might invoke a similar looking ability. Hearing his suggestion, I ran off without a second thought. You should try being the subject of all those middle-aged old man looking at me as if they want to dissect and examined every inch of my brain.

            It was suffocating, my thanks to whoever suggested the observation.

            Unlike the classroom, the research rooms are divided according to our ability class.  My classmates although their powers were deemed not so great, all of them were interesting and I had fun observing them. One has the ability to detect metal; another has the ability to change one’s own temperature, and my personal favorite, the ability to grasp the food’s ingredients. One mouthful and he could tell up to how many grams of sugar they put in.  

            Moreover, I ended up getting along with Eric, a boy with the power to detect lies. He had a chocolate colored skin, emerald eyes and perm black hair, apple cheeks, and an up turned nose. He was dazzlingly cute, and he never mind me whenever I came and we started to talk a lot more in class.

“Eric, you can tell lies right? Can you try that with me?”

 “Sure, I don’t mind.”

 “Okay, I’ve put a dead cockroach in my sister’s room as a prank.”

 “True.”

  “I have secretly raised a pet before it ran away.”

 “True.”

 “I cheated on my admission exam.”

 “False”

  “I don’t want to be your friend and I think you’re ugly.”

   When I said that, Eric cutely blushed and looked away. Aaah, this is bad, I’m weak against such a cute innocent kid, I bet once he hits puberty he’ll break the hearts of so many girls.

It’s only been a few days, but with no luck or any signs of some sort of awakening, I began to not anticipate any latent ability I might have. Thinking about it carefully, shouldn’t it be because I used magic that the computer couldn’t calculate my ability. This is bad, and ESP test couldn’t be retake because the second time could affect the real result.

Other than my ability’s power, I should say I don’t have much to worry about with my peaceful school life.

At least, for a year that is. 

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