Cleo fought back a yawn as she packed up her tablet after class. She hadn't been able to sleep much last night because of her visions, but at least the day was over now. She could go home and try to sleep some more before her dad got home.
"Hey Cleo!" Before she could escape, a few classmates ran up to her. She fought to focus on the present as she turned and forced a smile.
"Hi, Ronin. Kai. Mack. Kolton." She didn't actually remember their names. It was her curse in her head, rattling off their names as fast as she could process them. Ronin was two years older than her, a former athlete and had dyslexia. Kai was her same age, used to play soccer with Ronin's little brother and had convinced Ronin to join the Arx Tech program.
Mack. Same age as her. Went to school with Kai and was a close friend of theirs. He also enjoyed watching TV, and...nope, she really didn't need to know that part. Kolton was Mack's twin brother, and was a bit of a bookworm. No, not a bit. He'd stayed up until four the previous night reading a sci-fi dystopia that was popular at the moment. It wasn't even the first time he'd read it, but the fifth.
"Cleo?" She was yanked back to reality when Ronin waved his hand in front of her face.
"Sorry," she muttered, mentally waving the premonitions away. Why were they talking to her again?
Her curse answered.
"You busy today? A bunch of us are going out to have some fun. Kelly asked us to invite you since you seem like you're pretty shy. So? You in?"
"Sorry, I have to go home today," Cleo said, forcing another smile. "Homework and all that."
"We don't even have anything due anymore!" Mack laughed. "How serious can you be?"
"Is Kolton going too?" Cleo asked, changing the subject and then immediately kicked herself for asking. She couldn't afford to care about these people. The closer she got to people, the more likely they'd see her mess up.
"Heck yeah I'm going," Kolton replied. "Why wouldn't I?"
Because you stayed up until four reading and had to get up at seven for classes. At least you seem to have gotten more rest than I did.
Of course, she couldn't say that. She fought back another yawn.
"Sorry. I just...I can't make it. Sorry."
"Hey Ronin! Ronin!" Another voice barged in and Cleo almost winced at the energy in it. Another classmate, Delilah, ran towards them and hooked her arm around Ronin's shoulders.
"What's up?" he asked, smiling as he put an arm around her waist.
Ah yes. Those two were dating. She was Cleo's age, but the two of them had quickly bonded over the first bit of Arx Tech training and become a couple. Delilah was energetic and always smiling, and from what Cleo could see, the girl's only struggle was when her grandparents had died three and five years ago. Truly a blessed soul.
"Look at this," Delilah said, ignoring the rest of them. She held up her phone so Ronin could see and he snorted, holding back laughter.
"Seriously? After what happened on Friday?"
"What is it?" Mack asked, looking over Ronin's shoulder at the screen. Images flashed in Cleo's mind, so she didn't need to look to know what was on the phone.
A Legion recruitment ad. Less than a week after the last attack by the Phalanx, Achilles was putting out that the Legion needed more hands. Of course they did. Did he really think four of them could cover the whole city? And the criminals, those they needed Miracles to counter, were only multiplying.
The future danced in her vision. She could barely focus on where and when she was. Sleeper, Transpear, Corrosion, Shell, Jumbo, Whiplash, Cold Snap, Twin...
"Whoa," Mack said, his voice filtering to Cleo as if through heavy distortion. "I can't believe they have the stones for this. Didn't the Legion just get their asses handed to them? Who would want to join up with them anyway? Achilles just keeps messing up."
Oh, people would join. Cleo knew that for certain. She could see the future, where the Legion multiplied until they were a league of protectors - in name at least - who fought villains in all forms. But what made a villain?
A figure flashed across her vision, and Cleo felt her knees nearly give out. Terror gripped her. Like that time when Phantasma died. She couldn't clearly remember the vision in question, but it had been enough to make her heart feel like it was going to stop.
That figure...
"Cleo!" Delilah's fingers snapping in front of her face brought Cleo abruptly back to reality. Her breathing steadied and she slowly took in the sight in front of her. Five people looking at her in concern.
No. Don't worry about me. Don't pity me. Don't look at me. I'm...
"Sorry," she said. "I really have to go."
"You coming tonight?" Delilah asked.
"I can't."
"Why not? Come on. At first I thought you were cool, then you started avoiding everyone. Do you hate us or something? We're all gonna be co-workers in the future aren't we?"
"No, I don't hate you," Cleo said quickly. How could she get out of this? More importantly, how could she keep her secret?
"Then come hang out with us," Delilah insisted.
"She said she's doing homework," Mack said.
"We have no more homework! Just finals in two weeks. And you can't tell me you're worried about that? Classes haven't been too hard so far and you seem like you're doing better than any of us."
"Leave her alone, Delilah," Kai said, coming to her rescue. "Maybe Cleo's only doing well because she puts in a lot of extra work."
Yep. Cleo could have glided through class with no issue because of her premonitions, but that was the last thing she wanted, so she focused most of her spare time - the time that wasn't spent trying to sleep or struggling to suppress her powers - studying to make sure her test scores accurately reflected what she was capable of.
"Workaholic," Delilah said, sticking out her tongue at Cleo.
Cleo didn't respond. She just focused on keeping her breathing and her curse under control. Soon enough, something someone had posted somewhere took over the group's attention and Cleo slipped away without them noticing. Or maybe they did notice. Either way it didn't matter. She was exhausted, and running out of ways to cope.
She got home and went straight to her room, putting her stuff down and flopping on her bed in the hopes that sleep would claim her.
It didn't.
That figure flitted across her vision again, and a cold voice filled her skull.
"No," she whispered. "Stay away."
"You are a parasite. You are the rot that will eat away at Arx Nubibus until it is completely destroyed."
"Do you think I'll show you mercy just because you call yourself a hero?"
"Drugs or bullet?"
"Fine. Bullet it is."
A loud noise broke the vision and left her practically screaming. The indifference she'd felt was different from malice. Different from Paris, who called himself a villain. That figure was neither hero nor villain in its mind.
Like how physics was neither good nor evil. And that indifference, coupled with a willingness to do anything, left Cleo struggling to stop sobbing.
Nothing helped. After maybe an hour, she finally lost consciousness, probably because of just how worn out she was.
Why her? Why was she cursed like this?
