It was the next morning and the first period of the day, and like usual Jaden had his head slumped over on the table asleep, not paying attention to the days lecture. But it wasn't because he was bored. It was because he was tired from the lack of sleep. He didn't tell Syrus this, but last night wasn't the first time he had an intense nightmare like that. It had been happening to him for a couple of weeks, and they only seemed to be getting more vivid.
Alexis looked down at Jaden from her seat and a scowl crossed her brow. "First day of school and he isn't even going to try to take things seriously? He might be a good duelist but his grades are another story entirely." She pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head in disapproval.
Only an hour into the lecture, someone abruptly and loudly swung the classroom doors open and caused everyone to turn their heads except for Jaden who was still soundly asleep. Three new students walked in, but already everyone could tell that they were going to be some interesting characters. They didn't adorn any of the school's colors. They weren't wearing blue, yellow or even red. But had their own school uniforms in the color white.
The oldest looking of the three guided the other two behind him to their seats, glaring at any unwanted gaze that just so happened to meet his own. The trio sat together and waited for the teacher to address them.
"Better late than never I suppose. I'll be lenient with you lot today only because it's the first day of school and you are new students. But don't try to make a habit out of my generosity!" Said their teacher with a stern voice. "Perhaps since you are now here, you would be so kind as to introduce yourselves to the rest of the class."
Again, the oldest boy stood up from his chair while the other two looked on. "My name is Maynard Storm. And don't think that I want to be friends with any of you losers. I'm going to make a statement right now that I won't acknowledge any of you unless you decide to come and join our ranks! And become a member of the glorious Society of Light!"
This caused a wave of chatter to erupt amongst the students. None of them had ever even heard of such a thing as the Society of Light. Chazz snickered and burst out into laughter. "Whatever you say dork! And who are you calling any of us losers? Sit down newbie and let the big duelists talk."
Maynard made a low growl that sounded almost animalistic, but no one seemed to notice. He looked at Chazz with an intense look in his eyes. "Since you're so big to talk, maybe you'll be the first to be recruited into our organization." Chazz glared back at him with just as much intensity and stood up in his chair, facing right at the cocky new student. "Oh yeah?! If that's a challenge to a duel then you're on pipsqueak! Meet me after school and we can settle this!" He yelled through gritted teeth.
The teacher slammed a textbook and the sound vibrated throughout the entire class, gaining everyone's attention back. "I will not tolerate fighting in my classroom! If you want to have a duel then discuss that matter outside of my class! Mister Storm, I ask you please take your seat. You too Chazz. We still have two more students who need to introduce themselves here."
Maynard and Chazz both sat down still obviously fuming at each other. Then the second new student stood up. He looked like a scrawnier version of Maynard, having the same blonde hair and green eyes. But he was slightly shorter and had a slightly less muscular physique.
"My name is Malin Storm. Maynard is my older brother. And this little girl here is our younger sister Mya. Don't bother trying to get an introduction out of her though, she's not much of a talker." Mya nodded and only responded with a quick thumbs up. She, like her brothers also had blonde hair and green eyes. And considering she was attending Duel Academy she had to at least be fourteen years old. But her height made her look much younger as she was rather short.
Class continued without much hassle and before long the lunch bell rang. Right on cue Jaden woke up and gave a big stretch. "Oh yeah! It's finally time for my favorite period! Lunch period!" Sitting next beside him was Syrus who couldn't help but laugh at his best friend's antics.
"It's good to see that you're feeling much better today, Jaden. Last night you had me really worried there for a second." Said Syrus as he watched Jaden pull out a giant bento box that was casually sitting underneath his desk.
Jaden went to take a bite of his favorite food, tempura shrimp, but immediately stopped chewing. As soon as the food hit his tongue, a wave of nausea hit him. The greasy, crunchy seafood dish he normally loved now left a bitter taste in his mouth. He spit it up and started gagging.
Syrus started patting him on the back thinking that maybe Jaden had gotten food lodged in his throat. "Geez Jaden! What, did you start choking from eating too fast?!" Jaden then downed an entire bottle of water to try and get the taste out of his mouth. "N-no. That's not exactly it Sy." Jaden forced on a smile and slid the bento box towards his best friend who looked at him confused.
"Maybe I'm not feeling better like I thought I was. I just don't think I have much of an appetite right now." And with that, Jaden stood up and began to head towards the door. "I'm going to chill for a little on the school roof. Don't wait up for me alright?" He waved bye to his friend and before Syrus could follow, he was already gone.
Maynard and his siblings watched that entire scene unfold, and a wicked smile graced his lips. "Well will you look at that. It seems we're going to have a hunt after all. You two stay here, maybe try to scout out potential recruits. Me on the other hand, I'm going to have a little talk with this Jaden kid." And then he stood up and made his way towards the roof top.
Jaden laid down with his arms resting behind his head as he sunbathed, soaking in the rays. He sat up a little though and put a hand over his eyes to shield them from the sun which now seemed to be getting brighter and hurting his sensitive eyes. "I just can't win today, can I?" Remarked Jaden with a defeated sigh.
First, he can't get any sleep, then he's having a hard time eating and now he can't even relax at his favorite place in school! Either he was having some weird side effects to puberty that he didn't know about, or he was coming down with some sickness. Either way, he knew that there was something wrong inside of him.
He stood up thinking that maybe the best thing to do was to go back to class and let the rest of the school day breeze over so that he could head back to his dorm and try to take another nice long nap. Lord knows he was desperate for the sleep right now. But before he could head to the stairwell, Maynard pulled open the door first and the two were finally face to face.
Jaden stumbled back having been caught off by surprise and let out a nervous chuckle. "Oh, hey there. You sure did surprise me. Do you like hanging out here on the roof too? Cause I thought I was the only one who came up here-" Before Jaden could finish his sentence, Maynard grabbed him by the collar and pulled him in close, and then slammed his back against the wall. The force caused Jaden to lose his breath and he started coughing.
Maynard smirked and enjoyed watching as he dropped Jaden who struggled to regain his footing. "You're weak. Either Sartorius was wrong about you or you're just that much of a pathetic weakling." Maynard then proceeded to kick Jaden in the stomach sending him sliding across the ground and almost off the edge of the school's roof.
Jaden clutched his stomach which was now pulsing with pain, and he coughed up a small amount of blood that trickled down his chin. He weakly looked up at Maynard who was slowly approaching him and then again hoisted Jaden up by his collar. Lifting him up and holding him dangerously close to the ledge.
"S-Stop! Why are you doing this?! I haven't done anything to you! I don't even know who you are!" Jaden could do nothing against Maynard's strong grip on him and looked terrified behind him at the impending 100-foot drop below.
The dominant blonde used one of his hands to wipe the small amount of blood on Jaden's chin and gave it a sniff. Maynard crinkled his nose and shook his head in disappointment. "You're not quite ripe yet for the picking it seems. Oh well, maybe giving you a little push will do the trick." He said as he started inching Jaden off the roof.
The familiar powerful voice that was a constant presence in Jaden's dreams spoke up within his thoughts. "Are you really going to let this mongrel treat you like this? You need to put him in his place." Jaden's bangs covered his eyes, and then he clenched his fists, ready to strike his foe down. An unrecognizable sensation began to flourish within him and he was ready to let it loose. Jaden was normally very mellow, yet the anger he felt was close to erupting.
"Jaden!" Screamed Syrus who rushed with their other friends in toe onto the roof. "What do you think you're doing to him?! Get your hands off him right now!" Chazz and Bastion both rushed him, managing to pull Jaden and Maynard apart while Alexis and Syrus attended to Jaden who laid injured on the ground.
"This isn't how we deal with things here at the academy! If you have a problem with someone then settle it in a duel, coward!" Alexis held a now fragile Jaden close to her, protectively cradling him in her arms. After hearing the voices of his closest friends, Jaden began to relax and then passed out as the pain he felt was too much to bare.
Maynard gave a fake, innocent smile as he held his hands up in the air gesturing his surrender. "Aw come on now, don't be like that. Me and Jaden were just having a bit of fun, you see. You guys really shouldn't butt your noses into other people's business you know. It's bad manners." Then he turned his back to them and retreated down the stairs into the recesses of the school.
Jaden's face contorted in pain, his injuries still bothering him. "Forget that jerk for now guys. We really need to get Jaden to the infirmary as fast as possible!" Shrieked Syrus. Bastion came over and with the help of Alexis, laid Jaden on his back so that he could carry him to the school nurse.
While they rushed to get Jaden to the infirmary, Maynard made his way back to the classroom where his siblings were waiting for him. "It's time to go. We must report back to Master Sartorius. School is out of session for us today." Malin and Mya hastily arose from their seats to rejoin their brother as they accompanied him outside of the school.
Aster leaned his back on the wall near the front doors of the academy, anticipating on the Storm sibling's arrival. He saw what had transpired on the roof between Jaden and Maynard from the school's courtyard below, and to say the least he was very displeased. He was aware that Sartorius gave them the mission of surveying Jaden Yuki, but he knew that they would probably take their investigation too far which is why he watched from a distance to make sure that nothing drastic would happen if he needed to intervene.
As far as Aster was concerned, Jaden didn't appear to be that much of a threat. At least right now he wasn't. But knowing Maynard, it was just like him to go and pick a fight with their targets instead of following protocol. Violence was engraved in his DNA after all.
Maynard with his siblings following closely behind him, exited the school building but stopped in his tracks shortly after sensing the presence of Aster. He turned quickly on his heels so that he could confront the young pro duelist.
"Aster, I'm not surprised to see you here." The tension between them was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. The two boys obviously didn't have a high opinion of each other. Instead of friendship, anyone could detect that their relationship resembled that closer to being rivals.
"Just what the hell did you think you were doing up there? And before you try to deny it, I saw the whole thing. This wasn't the master's plan!" Aster approached the emerald eyed teen, sizing him up and almost bumping chests with him.
Maynard looked Aster up and down and without hesitation let a mocking chuckle escape his lips. "The master trusts us and our judgment. I wouldn't be surprised if he called on our assistance because he thought that you weren't up to the task. After all, compared to us, you're nothing but a piece of garbage. The only thing you seem to contribute is being the master's pretty boy."
Aster gritted his teeth and with all his might tried to hold his temper at bay. He may not have liked Maynard all that much, but at the end of the day they were still colleagues with the same end goal. "I'm just trying to remind you that every decision we make greatly impacts the Societies attempts in achieving what we all strive for. Do you really want to make the master mad at you because you can't ignore the callings of your own pride?"
Maynard let out another growl that vibrated from the back of his throat. The sound alone could send shivers down anyone's spine. It was vicious, almost ferocious. Like he was ready to pounce on somebody and kill them.
"Whatever you say pretty boy. I don't see what Master Sartorius sees in you. If it were up to me, the Society of Light would be better off without vermin like you." Without another word or response back from Aster, the siblings continued back on their way towards whatever task they originally set their sights on.
Later that day, Jaden still laid unconscious in the comforts of the school's medical ward with his friends surrounding him. Carefully observing him in hopes that he would wake up soon. They wanted to know what the fight was all about, but even if they asked him they wouldn't be able to get an answer out of him. As far as Jaden knew, the attack seemed random and had no purpose other than to hurt him.
Jaden slowly started to open his eyes. The world was still in a daze around him because he could feel the effects of his injuries that hadn't completely healed. That Maynard kid could pack a punch. He was only able to land two drastic hits on his body, yet it still caused a great amount of damage to him. It was almost like the guy had inhuman strength.
"Jaden! Oh Jaden, thank God you're awake!" Syrus said with tears in his eyes as he lunged forward and gave his best friend a tight hug. "Syrus?... Uh, my ribs hurt. What happened to me?" Jaden wrapped his arms around his torso as it was still very sore from the last blow Maynard had delivered him.
"That was something that we thought you could tell us. We are lucky we found you when we did. Syrus informed us that he thought you were acting weird and insisted we go check up on you. Why did Maynard attack you?" Inquired Bastion who sat on a stool a couple of feet away. Jaden's face settled in a frown. "I honestly have no idea. It came out of nowhere. He was talking about giving me a push but it doesn't make any sense!"
Unbeknownst to his friends, Jaden was withholding information from them. He hadn't openly admitted to anyone about the internal struggles he'd been facing as of late. He found it rather suspicious though that with all the new sensations he'd been experiencing, the coincidental arrival of these new students was somehow related. However, despite all that, he only worried about his precious friend's safety which is why he refused to include them. This was a physical dispute that obviously wasn't going to be easily settled with a duel, Maynard made that very clear.
Jaden tried to sit up and flinched in pain. Moving too quickly made electricity shoot throughout his entire body. "Don't move too much Jaden! The nurse said you need bed rest! You don't have any broken bones but your ribs are bruised. That guy was really trying to hurt you, he wasn't holding back." But something told Jaden that he probably was. He expected that he hadn't even seen the full of extent of what that guy was capable of.
Despite what his friends had told him, Jaden urged himself to stand up anyways and made his way towards the door. He didn't want to just sit there knowing that someone was out to get him. He wanted to get to somewhere safe and didn't want to be too close to his friends right now. He didn't know what the bastard wanted from him, but from the way he played dirty, he didn't want his friends to get more involved than they already were.
And with everything that was going on with him, and then the sudden attack of the new student, nothing made sense to him anymore. It was the new school year and all he wanted was for him and his friends to have a normal year of high school. But now it seemed like danger was once again looming around the corner. He could feel it.
"I appreciate your guy's concern. But somehow I feel like this is something for me to deal with on my own. That guy obviously has some sort of grudge against me and I want to know why. And for all your sakes, I hope you don't put yourselves in any more harm's way just for me." His friends looked helplessly at him as he left the room, all of them feeling meek knowing that there wasn't much that they could do for him.
But now they could all see that Syrus was right to show concern for their favorite Slifer friend. Jaden wasn't acting like himself at all. Since yesterday, even though Jaden seemed liked he was behaving like his regular self, they could sense a withdraw within him. Like he was putting up a front to appease their feelings. They all could see the exhaustion on his face even if he would never admit it.
"Oh Jaden… I wish you wouldn't hide anything from us. We're supposed to be your friends. And what good is that title if you won't lean on us when you need too?" Alexis stated with tears in her eyes, having no choice but to accept that their questions would continue to go unanswered.
It had been days since any of them had seen Jaden. He had been skipping school ever since his fight with Maynard, and it looked like he was actively trying to avoid them. Syrus even said that Jaden insisted on sleeping in an empty dorm by himself in the Slifer Red Dorm but never actually explained why. Every day, their friend seemed to be growing ever more distant from them.
"That Slifer Slacker really needs to get his grip together! He loses one fight and now he's stuck moping about it." Said Chazz who shoveled a spoonful of rice with soy sauce into his mouth. "You think you would have fared any better Chazz? Jaden was ambushed, his pride was hurt along with his body. It's not easy knowing that someone has it out to get you." Bastion replied.
Syrus was lost in thought trying to think of ways to make his best friend feel better and pull him back out of his bubble when he suddenly had an idea. "I know how we can cheer him up! It's Jaden's birthday today! Maybe we can try to convince him to come out for a little and then surprise him with a party at the Slifer Red Dorms cafeteria! That'll surely help bring him out of the dumps!"
Everyone exchanged looks between each other and simultaneously smiled. They agreed to the party and all set out on their own to do what needed to be done and get the party all set up. Once night fell, Syrus planned on collecting Jaden from his room to take him to meet up with everyone else at the mess hall when the time came.
Jaden sat alone in his room. The windows were completely shut, not letting any of the sunshine peak through and leaving the room in total darkness. He hadn't eaten a proper meal in days and his psyche felt like it was beginning to collapse on him. He was scared, afraid of all the changes that were happening to him. Something inside of him was transforming. Morphing into something inhuman.