EX-Grade Grass

Chapter 3

Ren walked home with the silver coin still in his pocket. His cheek was swollen and the cut on his forehead stung every time he blinked. The streets were busy with people heading home after work. No one looked at the quiet boy in the cheap cloak.

When he opened the door of the small house, Lisa was already waiting. She saw his face and her eyes went wide.

“What happened this time?” she asked, pulling him inside.

“I’m fine,” Ren said. He tried to smile but it hurt. “Just a fight at the academy.”

Luna rolled her wheelchair closer. “Did you win?”

Ren nodded once. He took out the silver coin and a few bronze ones and put them on the table. “I also got paid.”

Lisa did not look happy about the money. She made him sit down and cleaned the cut with careful hands. “You can’t keep coming home hurt like this. One day it will be worse.”

“I know,” Ren said quietly. He did not tell them about the public trial or how many students had watched. He did not tell them about the grass that had grown from the ground and held a noble boy in place. Some things were safer to keep secret for now.

After a simple meal he went to his small room and closed the door. Only then did he open his hand.

A thin blade of grass grew from his palm. He made it longer, then shorter, then shaped it into a small knife. It felt light but strong. When he pushed the feeling harder, the knife turned into a short sword. The edges looked sharp enough to cut wood.

He practiced until his eyes felt heavy. The power still cost almost nothing. That was the part that surprised him most.

The next morning he returned to the academy. Students stared when he walked through the gates. Some whispered. Some stepped aside like he was bad luck. Victor and Leo were nowhere in sight.

A teacher stopped him near the main building. “The principal wants to see you. Now.”

Ren followed the teacher to a quiet office on the second floor. The principal sat behind a wide desk. The scar over his eye looked deeper in the morning light.

“Sit,” the principal said.

Ren sat.

“You used an unknown talent in a public fight against a baron’s son,” the principal said. “That has already caused problems. Victor’s father sent a message last night. He is not happy.”

Ren stayed quiet.

“The academy does not want trouble with the Kane family,” the principal continued. “From today you will no longer work as a cleaner here. You will also stay away from Victor and his friends. If another fight happens, you will be the one who leaves. Do you understand?”

Ren nodded. “Yes.”

The principal studied him for a long moment. “Your talent showed as unknown. That usually means it is too weak to measure. Do not make people think it is something special. Keep your head down.”

Ren left the office with those words in his ears. Keep your head down. He had done that for years. It had never stopped the kicks or the spit.

He walked toward the back of the academy where the practice fields were empty. He needed to test the grass away from eyes.

He found a quiet corner near the old storage sheds. No students came here. Ren stood still and pushed the warm feeling outward again.

Grass shot up around his feet in a wide circle. He made it grow taller than his head, then shaped the tops into hard points. He formed a round shield on his left arm and a long spear in his right hand. Both felt solid. When he swung the spear, it cut cleanly through a wooden post.

He was still testing the spear when footsteps sounded behind him.

Victor stood there with Leo and two older boys Ren had never seen before. The older boys looked stronger. Their clothes were even finer than Victor’s.

Victor’s face was dark with anger. “You thought winning yesterday was the end?”

Ren let the spear and shield turn back into normal grass and fade away. “The teacher said no more fights.”

One of the older boys laughed. “Teachers don’t decide everything. My name is Drake Kane. Victor is my cousin. I heard a cleaner boy made him look weak in front of half the academy.”

Drake stepped closer. He was taller than Victor and carried a short sword at his side. “I came to see this famous grass talent myself.”

Leo grinned. “Show him, Ren. Or are you only brave when the teachers are watching?”

Ren’s hands stayed at his sides. He could feel the grass under the dirt waiting for him. But three against one, and two of them looked trained, was not the same as the trial yesterday.

Drake drew his sword halfway. “I’m not asking. Use your power. Or I will cut that cheap cloak off your back and make you crawl back to the principal.”

Ren looked at the three of them. Running would only make them chase him. Calling for help would make him look weak again. The warm feeling in his chest pulsed once, stronger than before.

He raised one hand.

Grass exploded from the ground in a sudden wave. It did not just wrap around ankles this time. Long vines shot toward Drake’s sword arm and Victor’s legs at the same time. Harder leaves spun through the air like small blades.

Drake swung his sword and cut several vines, but more grew instantly. One thick vine wrapped around his wrist and squeezed. The sword dropped. Victor tried to burn the grass with fire, but Ren made new vines grow faster than the flames could spread.

Leo stumbled back when a wall of sharp grass rose in front of him.

In less than ten seconds all three were held in place. Drake’s face turned red as he fought the vine on his arm. Victor’s fire sputtered and died. Leo had stopped grinning.

Ren stood in the middle of the green circle, breathing evenly. The power still felt easy to control.

Footsteps ran toward them. Two teachers appeared, shouting for everyone to stop.

The grass faded the moment Ren let go. Drake picked up his sword, face dark with hate. Victor looked at Ren like he wanted to kill him on the spot.

One teacher grabbed Ren’s shoulder. “You again? The principal just warned you!”

Drake spoke first, voice cold and polite. “We only came to talk. This boy attacked us without reason. Look at the marks on the ground.”

The teachers looked at the torn dirt and burned patches. Their faces hardened when they turned back to Ren.

“Come with us,” one said. “The principal will decide what happens now.”

As they led Ren away, Drake leaned close and spoke so only he could hear.

“You made a mistake showing that power twice. My uncle already knows your name. The next time we meet, it will not be on school grounds.”

Ren did not answer. He walked between the teachers toward the main building again.

Behind him, Victor watched with a small, ugly smile.

The real trouble had only just begun.