The cafeteria was always a battlefield of social hierarchy. The elites sat at the round tables draped with white cloths, served by attendants. The commoners sat at hard plastic benches, eating standard rations. Anthony usually sat alone in the furthest corner, eating a simple meal of bread and water, enjoying the quiet.
But quiet was something Vance hated. Vance had awakened the soul of a Nobleman, which gave him charisma, authority, and zero tolerance for people he deemed beneath him.
"Look at him," Vance laughed loudly as he walked over with his tray piled high with expensive, energy-rich foods. "Eating like a peasant. It offends my eyes just to look at you."
Without warning, Vance deliberately tilted his bowl. A cascade of hot, spicy stew splashed directly onto Anthony's table, soaking his bread and dripping onto his uniform.
"Oh my, how clumsy of me," Vance smirked, not looking sorry at all. "Perhaps you should eat in the kitchen where you belong, commoner. Or better yet, the trash can. That's where scraps go."
The students at nearby tables snickered. This was classic bullying. Humiliate the weak to feel strong.
Anthony looked at the soup dripping off the edge of the table. Then he looked at Vance. His expression didn't change, but a small, amused smile touched his lips.
"Vance," Anthony said softly. "Do you know what happens to hydrogenated oils and complex carbohydrates when exposed to rapid molecular agitation and reverse kinetic flow?"
"Are you speaking gibberish again?" Vance laughed, leaning forward. "Scared? Are you going to cry?"
"No," Anthony stood up slowly. "I am simply saying... this food is wasted on you. It deserves to be somewhere it is appreciated."
Anthony gently waved his hand over the mess. He didn't shout an incantation. He didn't glow with light. He simply commanded the atoms to return to their previous state.
Suddenly, time seemed to reverse for the soup. Every drop, every chunk of meat, every noodle and grain of rice lifted off the table, off his clothes, and flew back into the air. It swirled in a perfect spiral, defying gravity, and shot back into Vance's bowl with pinpoint accuracy.
Not a single drop remained. The table was cleaner than it had been before Vance arrived.
Vance's eyes bulged out of his head. "What... what kind of sorcery is this?!"
"It is called 'cleaning'," Anthony smiled sweetly. "You should try it sometime. Also, while I am at it..." Anthony pointed a finger. "Your fly is undone. And you have something green stuck in your teeth. Really, Vance, if you are going to play the role of the villain, at least maintain proper hygiene. It's distracting."
Vance panicked, instantly looking down and covering his mouth while the surrounding cafeteria erupted into roars of laughter. He ran away in humiliation, while Anthony sat back down, took a fresh piece of bread from his pocket, and took a bite.
Too easy, Anthony thought, chewing thoughtfully. They gain the souls of giants but retain the manners of toddlers.