Chương 47: Winner is the king and loser is the villain
Zed and Jessica stepped into the classroom, hand in hand. Jessica blushed nervously. It was the first time she'd had such close contact with someone from the opposite sex, especially someone she'd just met. She knew he took her hand to give her courage, not for any other reason, but it still made her shy.
"We're here," Zed's words pulled Jessica from her thoughts. He let go of her hand now that they were at the entrance. He hadn't overthought offering it.
"Ah, yes," Jessica nodded.
The classroom was actually a large hall with study desks for three students each. The desks embedded with computers that doubled as notepads.
Zed walked towards the desk where Felicity sat.
"You're late," Felicity said, a hint of annoyance in her voice. Zed's display of "tears of joy" in the cafeteria earlier had disappointed her, and now this.
"My phone call ran longer than expected," Zed replied with a smile. He sat next to Felicity and placed his right hand on the desk. A green light scanned his fingerprints, and a virtual screen materialized.
"Attendance registered," a mechanical voice announced from the virtual screen.
"Isn't that the scholarship girl?" Felicity asked, spotting Jessica approaching their desk.
"Hm?" Zed was surprised too.
"Zed, thank you for helping me," Jessica said. Earlier, she'd been so nervous that she'd forgotten to thank him.
Felicity was confused, while Zed just smiled. He hadn't considered supporting her as any help at all, but seeing her serious face, he said, "You helped yourself, not me."
"Y-yes, but..." Jessica started, but Zed stopped her with a wave of his hand.
"If you still feel I helped, you can repay me with a cup of coffee," Zed added with a smile.
Jessica readily agreed. For some reason, Zed's way of doing things made her happy.
"I'll excuse myself," Jessica turned to leave.
"You can sit next to us. There's an empty seat," Felicity suddenly said, startling both Jessica and Zed.
While Felicity didn't know exactly how Zed had helped Jessica, she could make a good guess. She'd seen Jessica being bullied by classmates and assumed it was related.
Felicity wasn't one to pry, but once she considered something her business, she wouldn't back down. Since Jessica was now acquainted with Zed, Felicity felt she should help. His troubles were hers, in her mind.
"N-no, it's okay. I have a seat back there," Jessica nervously declined Felicity's kind offer. She'd heard rumors that Zed and Felicity were "close" and didn't want to intrude. No one else in the class dared to sit next to Felicity besides Zed.
"You have a seat at the back, but surely this one isn't worse," Felicity brushed aside Jessica's refusal.
Unaware of the rumors about her and Zed, Felicity would have laughed if she knew. To her, Zed was nothing more than an annoying younger brother she had to look after.
"Of course not, but," Jessica stammered, trying to think of an excuse.
"Good. Sit here," Felicity said firmly. This time Jessica didn't protest and sat down next to Felicity. She didn't want to anger the "demon queen" of Royal Heart Academy.
------------
Most of the male students leered enviously at Zed. How could they not? There he was, flanked by not one, but two gorgeous girls! Jessica, despite her commoner background, possessed a beauty that stopped hearts. It was no surprise she faced bullying from the jealous females.
Then there was Felicity, the undisputed queen of Royal Heart Academy. Her stunning looks were matched only by her incredible talent. She consistently reigned supreme in both academics and athletics.
"That lucky dog's streak just keeps getting hotter!" a handsome blonde student cursed under his breath. This was Alex, and Zed's current situation was burning a hole in his gut.
"Easy there, Alex," a plump student beside him named Jamie said, munching on a chocolate bar. "Remember, a star shines brightest before it burns out. Same goes for Zed."
Alex scoffed. "Yeah, right. That slum scumbag is nothing but a toad eyeing a swan's prize!" He clenched his fists. "Still, seeing that gutter rat cozying up to Felicity makes my blood boil!"
Jamie sighed, sensing the fury radiating from his friend. Alex had always believed he deserved Felicity. Sure, Felicity came from a powerful family – her father was a senator, after all – but Alex considered his own background as the son of Delta City's police chief to be equally impressive.
Felicity, however, never even spared him a glance. Instead, she seemed to gravitate towards Zed. True, Zed had money, but that was all. No pedigree, no family history. Just a lucky slum rat. A leopard doesn't change its spots, no matter how much it preens! How dare a nobody like Zed even think about stealing what rightfully belonged to Alex?
"Hey, Alex," Jamie said with a sly grin, "how about another hunt today?"
"Hunting those slum scum again?" Alex asked, a flicker of interest sparking in his eyes.
"Exactly! And this time," Jamie continued, his grin widening, "let's invite Zed along for the ride."
Alex's initial surprise morphed into a cruel laugh. He understood Jamie's plan perfectly. "Brilliant! I can't wait to see the look on that bastard's face."
Meanwhile, the female students were a swirling vortex of jealousy aimed squarely at Felicity and Jessica. The sight of these flawless beauties flanking Zed was simply unbearable. How could they, the self-proclaimed elite, tolerate such a perfect trio?
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"Sir George is here!" A shrill voice pierced the classroom, snapping everyone's attention to the entrance.
A middle-aged man, George, strolled in, clutching a tablet. The students grudgingly stood, a show of respect most couldn't be bothered with.
"Sit," George barked, tapping his tablet. The lights dimmed, replaced by a holographic Earth swirling in the center of the room.
"Today's history lesson," George announced, "is a trip down memory lane. We'll revisit who we were and who we've become." A dramatic pause. "Let's remember the sacrifices of our fallen heroes by reliving the past."
A chorus of groans erupted from the darkened room. George, unsurprised, identified the culprits in his mind's eye. But hey, he knew his audience – pampered rich kids who wouldn't know struggle if it bit them.
"Those who can't remember the past are doomed to repeat it," George sighed. "A person with no history is like a rootless tree, adrift and directionless. Still not interested?"
Silence. A heavy, pregnant silence that spoke volumes.
"Your silence speaks louder than words," George noted.
Serious faces filled the room, a facade of attentiveness.
Except for one.
Zed.
"History? A crock of biased lies spun by the powerful to control the masses!" Zed scoffed internally. "Better to be a rootless tree than a slave to someone else's narrative."
He feigned interest while George, with a flourish, initiated the virtual simulation.
A mechanical voice boomed: "[[Virtual Simulation Activated]]"
The holographic Earth expanded, engulfing the classroom. The students felt transported, immersed in a world both real and unreal.
Images flickered: Imperial palaces, symbols of absolute power. The students "saw" the opulent lives of royalty, a stark contrast to the harsh realities of the common folk. Famines ravaged the land, while the elite feasted.
The simulation shifted, depicting wars, political struggles, and unimaginable suffering. It was the masses who bore the brunt of these conflicts, forced to fight and die while the upper class profited.
The year 1900 arrived, marked by a strange comet visible from everywhere.
Theories swirled – a harbinger of change?
As the comet vanished, a shower of meteorites rained down, showering the planet with a touch of the extraordinary. Superpowers emerged, forever altering the human landscape.
Not all transformations were blessings. Some meteorites unleashed devastation, leaving wastelands in their wake.
The simulation intensified.
The ruling dynasties, blinded by greed, used the populace as lab rats in their quest to understand these mutations. Resources dwindled, funneled solely into unlocking the secrets of evolution. The students felt a surge of anger towards these callous leaders.
Just as despair threatened to consume the world, a beacon of hope emerged.
"The Nine Sovereigns!" the students exclaimed in unison.
These nine extraordinary mutants rose from the ashes, leading rebellions against the tyrannical dynasties. United, they toppled the corrupt regimes.
The year 1935 saw the birth of the World Government.
The Nine Sovereigns, through their aristocratic families, established a fair and impartial government for all. Democracy reigned, with the nine families acting as permanent members of the World Council.
The students witnessed an era of progress.
Oppression vanished, replaced by development and equality. Rights were granted regardless of mutant status. Technology flourished, and the world government became a champion of human rights. The alliance with the sea race in 1971 further solidified their success.
"What a farce!" Zed thought, rolling his eyes. "This propaganda parade disguised as history. Pride, patriotism, fear – they're playing all like a cheap fiddle."
He knew enough to recognize the holes in the narrative. The government was no saint.
Zed scoffed.
He'd lived in the slums for most of his life, a stark contrast to the government's rosy picture. Slavery, a well-kept secret, still thrived even in developed areas. Eva had told him about the legal right of the nine aristocratic families to own slaves.
The simulation continued, showcasing advancements under the World Government's rule.
The virtual simulation continued, showcasing the advancements ushered in by the World Government.
[[In the current era, the gravest threat to our peaceful world is the 'Nation of Terror'. The Nine Sovereigns, in their infinite mercy, spared a handful of these evil dynasty folk. But their kindness was met with nothing but malice.]]
These remnants of the past, these tyrants, fled south and formed their own rogue nation. Even after the rise of the World Government, this festering wound refused to heal.
[[This 'Nation of Terror' sows discord across the globe with their barbaric acts! They yearn for chaos, but their reign of terror will never prevail! They claim to be freedom fighters, but they are nothing more than craven cowards!]]
"Yes!" the students roared in unison.
Zed, however, remained silent throughout the presentation.
Was this nation truly the embodiment of evil the news portrayed?
He'd seen firsthand how the media twisted narratives to suit their agenda.
How could he judge this nation based on someone else's skewed viewpoint?
Most people were blissfully unaware that the World Government tightly controlled any information regarding the Nation of Terror.
"Victor becomes hero, vanquished becomes villain," Zed mused with a sardonic smile. "History's a play, isn't it? The victors write the script, painting themselves as noble heroes while demonizing the fallen."
"The winner is the king, and the loser is the villain!"
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