Category: Volume 1

It was a bright and early morning. An emergency meeting was being held in the council room of the Ringmasters Society. All council members and regular Ringmasters Society members that weren’t on duty were required to attend. Shuto was heading to the third floor in the elevator. Once he got there, he was greeted by other fellow staff members that were working on the floor. He went down the hall, stopping before the door that was marked as “Room 3”. He opened the door to see Haruka was with Runa, feeding her some cereal for breakfast. Runa was seated on the edge of the bed. This was one of the few rooms that was used for housing people who weren’t under arrest. Shuto looked at Runa and she seemed less scared compared to when she was taken in for questioning on the night of the Madame Naga incident. And despite the chaos of that night and the day prior, Runa was looking healthy and well.

   “Shuto,” Haruka said as she turned to him.    “Has the meeting started yet?”

   “It will in a few minutes. I came to get you,” Shuto said.

   “All right,” Haruka said. “Runa, I have to go now. But don’t worry. I already told Lacey to come here and give you company while I’m gone. Okay?”

   “Okay,” Runa said.

   As Haruka got up to leave, Shuto walked up to Runa, bending down on his knees to get a good look at her. From a distance, she seemed much happier. But the more he looked into her eyes, the more pain he saw. It was as if all the water in her eyes were tears that hadn’t left. He patted on her head and said, “Everything will be okay.”

   Runa felt a sense of comfort from Shuto. Though his words were simple, she felt them. She simply nodded while Shuto got up and left with Haruka.

   As the two walked out of the room, Shuto said, “It’s amazing how much clearer things become when you look into another’s eyes.”

   “You’re talking about Runa?”

   “Yeah. I can see that she’s still scared.”

   “I can’t blame her. I don’t even think the poor child has seen this many people all at once.”

   “Surely the council will go easy on her though.”

   Shuto and Haruka kept walking down the hall. Once they got to the elevator, they saw Aiden was standing right by it. To Shuto, it seemed like Aiden was waiting for him.

   “Ah, there you are, Aiden,” Shuto said.

   “I know you’re going to the meeting, but I just wanted to check if there was any work you had for me,” Aiden said.

   “Shuto, you didn’t tell him?” Haruka asked.

   “Tell me what?” Aiden asked.

   “The head ringmaster wants you to be at this meeting,” Shuto said.

   “Why me?” Aiden asked.

   “You’ve worked closely with Runa prior to the events that took place. He thinks your input will be valuable when evaluating her situation,” Haruka said.

   So, it’s up to me to make sure they don’t punish a little girl, Aiden thought. Great.

   “Now, are you coming or what?” Shuto asked Aiden as he and Haruka stepped inside the elevator.

   Aiden nodded and headed inside the elevator. After a minute or so, the elevator stopped at the top floor of the building. The elevator doors opened, and Aiden left with Haruka and Shuto. This was his first day working as an intern under Shuto. And he could already feel the immense pressure and power that the place evoked. The floor was nothing more than a long hallway that led to a single, large room. This room was the official chamber room. All official meetings were held in this room.

   Once Aiden entered the chamber room with Haruka and Shuto, he could feel the intensity of the place brush over him like a gust of wind. It seemed like most of the members were already present. Haruka and Shuto seated themselves next to Tatia and Shuto’s wife, Yashi Menon. Aiden didn’t know Yashi very well because Shuto had only married her after he had finished training with him. So, this was his first time really meeting her. Her jet-black hair was voluminous and curly with a strand of blue hair that framed off to the side. She had piercing black eyes and had a blue bindi placed on the middle of her forehead. She wore golden arm cuffs on both of her arms and a sleeveless blue kurta top with purple Patiala pants. Aiden noticed he caught her attention, her sharp eyes looking at him closely.

   “Oh, right. You never got to meet Aiden,” Shuto said to Yashi. “Well, this is him. He’s going to be interning under me now.”

   “Oh, hello. It’s really nice to finally meet you,” Aiden said.

   “So, you’re the prodigy boy that my husband used to mentor. I’ve heard a great deal about you, Aiden,” Yashi said. “Let’s hope you fit in well.”

   “Geez, lighten up on the kid,” Shuto said.

   “Oh, Yashi. You’re so humorous,” Haruka said. “Aiden, you can sit in that chair in the corner. I know it’s not much, but you’ll be called forward when the time is needed.”

   Aiden nodded and headed over to the corner of the room where the chair was at. He sat down, feeling unusual about sitting away from everyone else. Back at Ringmasters Training Academy, he had done it all from mentoring to teaching. And now, he was at the Ringmasters Society, sitting in the corner of a room like a child that was being given a timeout. He wasn’t sure how to feel about it. He looked around the room, counting about ten members, including Shuto, Haruka, Tatia, and Yashi. It didn’t seem like much, but a decent number of members were leading missions in other areas across the country and beyond.

   The aura of the room shifted once the doors opened again. Every member stood up once they saw who had arrived. Aiden realized that he’d have to stand as well. He turned to see a guard step in and say, “Head Ringmaster, Titus Avalon, will now enter.”

   Aiden watched as the guard moved off to the side to allow for the head ringmaster to enter. He did indeed have the presence of a superior being. He had a massive body that was a lot bigger than a lot of the other members in the room. His hair was of a scarlet red shade and was tied in a ponytail with a golden ribbon. He had a very chiseled face shape with golden eyes and a goatee that gave an almost regal look. He wore a golden cloak that had the Ringmasters Society’s emblem on the back. It was a special cloak that was only to be worn by the head ringmaster. Under his cloak, he wore a thick gray shirt with black pants and black boots with golden buckles on the sides.

   There was no doubt that Head Ringmaster Avalon was deserving of his title from presence alone. Aiden could feel the power from him like a striking force, which was a feat of its own considering the power that was present in the room itself. Right beside Head Ringmaster Avalon was his partner, Second Seat of the Ringmasters Society, Bastien Adler. He had a strong stature like Head Ringmaster Avalon, but he was just about an inch shorter. His hair, which was dark as ebony, was neatly slicked back. He wore a very neutral-toned outfit, consisting of a long gray jacket, beige trousers, and gray shoes. His most striking feature were his eyes that were bold and had hints of orange mixed with green.

   Head Ringmaster Avalon and Bastien made their way towards the very front of the table. They took their seats and with them both seated, everyone else in the room sat down while the guard closed the doors from outside.

   “I have called today’s meeting to discuss some important matters that have recently occurred,” Head Ringmaster Avalon said.   “After the events of the Madame Naga incident, Fida was to be taken into custody along with Madame Naga’s other comrades, Lady Chameleon and Droh. But as you all know, the guards in charge of Fida were attacked by what they described as shadowy figures. Even though this is very vague information, it’s safe to assume that whatever it was that took Fida was a powerful threat.”

   “Sir, is there any information on how Lady Chameleon escaped from custody?” Haruka asked.

   “According to the guards outside her cell, they remember being knocked out. Nothing more,” Bastien said.

   “Is it possible the shadowy figures that took Fida were the same ones that broke Lady Chameleon out?” Shuto asked.

   “Now that’s a silly question, Shuto,” one of the members said as he took a smoke from the cigar he had. Aiden recognized him as Cadmus Blood. According to Shuto, Cadmus was one of the few Ringmasters Society members that wouldn’t even bother to make an appearance to meetings. So, seeing him today was quite a surprise. He had a chilling aura. Aiden could see his dark eyes glare at Shuto, almost looking like daggers striking a bullseye. Strands of his lilac hair stuck out before his forehead while the rest of his hair was tied back in a ponytail. He brushed his hair to the side as he shamelessly continued to puff smoke without a care.

   “Cadmus, I believe we already told you once. No smoking is allowed in meetings,” Bastien said.

   “That’s funny,” Cadmus said. “Doesn’t Shuto over here show up drunk occasionally? No one seems to have a problem with him.”

   “You seem to enjoy mocking my husband,” Yashi said. “If you have a problem with him, just admit it.”

   “That’s enough. We don’t have time for petty arguments,” Head Ringmaster Avalon said.

   “To be fair, Head Ringmaster Avalon, I wasn’t arguing. I simply made a point,” Cadmus said. “It’s obvious whoever broke out Lady Chameleon would break out Fida as well. I mean, they were on the same team.”

   This guy is something else, Aiden thought as he watched the discourse from his corner. He’s got an edge about him that I really don’t like.

   “If that’s the case, why not try to break out Madame Naga and Droh as well?” Haruka asked.

   “Maybe they have no interest in them,” Tatia said.

   “Tatia has a point. Madame Naga failed in her own plans and from the way things look, Droh seems to not mean much as a pawn to her,” one of the members said. Aiden recognized this member when he was at the cafeteria. His name was Damien Dragonheart. He didn’t know much about him. Shuto never spoke of him. Probably because he was one of the younger members in the society. But from the way the workers spoke to him in such a jovial manner, he seemed to be a well-liked person within the building. His dark hair was scraggly, but slightly smoothened and he had bright violet eyes that glistened in the bright white lights shining in the room.

   “Whatever the matter is, it is imperative that we figure out who these perpetrators are and what they’re planning,” Head Ringmaster Avalon said.

   “We are planning on tightening security around the building. Guards will be required to be equipped with proper arsenal and there will be an increase in security checks,” Bastien said.    “We will need a team to take lead on finding any evidence or clues that could lead us to Fida and these perpetrators.”

   “Well, I can take lead on that,” Shuto said.

   “Very well. Anyone else care to join Shuto?” Bastien asked. “What about you, Yashi?”

   “Sorry, I’m going to need to sit this one out. Last mission in Las Vista really wore me out,” Yashi replied.

   “I won’t be able to as well. I have more pressing matters to deal with,” Tatia said.

   Cadmus chuckled. The sound of it caught Yashi’s attention.

   “How amusing. While I don’t expect this from Tatia, it’s no surprise that our Yashi is too tired for the big jobs once again,” Cadmus said.

   “What the hell, Cadmus?! If you have a problem, just be upfront with it,” Yashi said.

   “Settle down, Yashi,” Bastien said.

   “You should tell that to Cadmus,” Shuto said. “He seems to have a problem with keeping his mouth shut.”

   “Shuto, I assure you I have no problem with you or your wife,” Cadmus snickered.

   “Okay, enough already. I’ll go with Shuto,” one of the members, Imani Fullbright, said as she rolled her eyes. Shuto briefly talked about Imani to Aiden. She was a classmate of his and Haruka’s at Pytho Sigma. She had beautiful brown eyes and her hair was crimson red and worn in box braids. She wore a sleeveless, black high neck shirt, black arm warmers, red pants with a silver chain belt, and silver ankle boots.

   “All right. We need at least one more member to go,” Bastien said.

   “I might as well tag along then,” Haruka said.

   “Then it’s settled. Shuto, Haruka, and Imani will take the lead on this case,” Head Ringmaster Avalon said. “Depending on how things go, we may have to expand your team. That means the rest of you and any members who are currently not in this room may be required to assist in this mission later.”

   “Sounds good to me,” Shuto said.

   “Okay. We shall now move on to the matter regarding the child, Runa,” Bastien said. “While the circumstances in her case are quite different from Fida, Lady Chameleon, and Droh, she was still a comrade of Madame Naga’s.”

   “You know she’s no different from Fida,” Cadmus said. “They both helped out the RTA in taking Madame Naga down. I’m sure they were just looking to get into our good graces for a lesser sentence.”

   “You know…it’s quite bold of you to compare the mindset of a developed adult to a small child,” Imani said.

   “Especially since Runa has shown that she wasn’t working with Madame Naga out of her own free will,” Haruka said. “Second Seat Adler, I’ve been monitoring her closely. She’s nothing more than an innocent child.”

   “If I may add, Haruka was also there during Runa’s interrogation. She’s no threat to us,” Shuto said.

   “Yes. Well, to be sure, I’d like Aiden Galloway to speak for us now,” Bastien said.

   All the members in the room turned directly to Aiden in his corner. The sight of so many eyes made him quite nervous for once. He could feel a sense of pressure creeping up in his chest as he rose from his seat. It was a strange feeling. He wasn’t used to feeling so anxious before.

   “Aiden Galloway,” Head Ringmaster Avalon said. “You are the one who has been responsible for the child since she left Madame Naga?”

   “Well, yeah. In terms of responsibility, I was simply told to assist her in controlling her powers.”

   “I see. So, you have worked very closely with her. Is that correct?”

   “Yes, sir.”

   “Tell us then. How have her powers been since you took her under your wing?”

   Aiden gulped. He should’ve known this would be one of the big questions. He glanced over at Shuto, who gave him a look of reassurance. He could tell he was trying to tell him to relax. Aiden looked at Haruka as well, getting the exact same look from her. He let out a deep breath, collecting himself.

   “While she’s not perfect just yet, Runa’s control over her powers has significantly improved. She has a lot of potential. And while her powers were once dangerous, I think with the right care, she can get it under control and even prove to be a powerful human-beast one day,” Aiden said.

   “How sweet,” Cadmus chuckled. “He actually believes the creature could be one of us.”

   “You’re vile, Cadmus,” Haruka said. “She is one of us.”

   “That’s humorous. It’s foolish to think dark beasts could ever be like us. I mean it’s all in the name,” Cadmus said. “Our goal as a society is to eliminate the dark beasts. Or have you forgotten that?”

   “Have you forgotten that the term dark beast was only given to those that inflict terror on others? When it comes down to it, there’s no real difference between us all aside from the purpose we hold behind using our powers,” Yashi said.

   “You know…it’s amusing hearing all this come from you,” Cadmus said. “Could it be that you’re letting your own personal feelings get in the way of your judgment? It would make sense since we all know what kind of powers YOU possess.”

   Shuto slammed his hand on the table. The sound alarmed everyone in the room. Aiden rarely ever saw Shuto get angry. Even during his training with him, he never really showed anger. But he knew his wife was being insulted in front of everyone. Something had to be said.

   “Cadmus, you’re pushing it right now,” Shuto said. “One more word against Yashi and I’ll-“

   “All right. That’s enough,” Bastien said. “We need to move forward with the formalities ahead. Aiden, you may sit down. Head Ringmaster Avalon will proceed.”

   Aiden nodded and sat back in his seat. Head Ringmaster Avalon rose from his chair. He cleared his throat and said, “All council members rise.”

   All the members in the room rose from their seats while Aiden watched with anticipation to see what would unfold. He hoped that everything he said would help with Runa’s case.

   “Based off interrogations with the child and the report from Aiden Galloway, I believe Runa should be exempt from any charges and is no threat to us or anyone else,” Head Ringmaster Avalon said. “If anyone is opposed to this decision, raise your hand now.”

   To no surprise, Cadmus raised his hand. He snickered, seeing no one else was agreeing with him. It was amusing to see the angry expressions on Yashi and Shuto’s faces.

   “All right then. By majority rules, my decision is final. Runa will not be punished for her association with Madame Naga,” Head Ringmaster Avalon said. “We will follow with proceedings on further punishments for Madame Naga and Droh. We have one last matter to resolve today. Haruka, is it true that there are no records on Runa’s family?”

   “No, sir. I contacted the adoption home that she came from. The caretakers there say that she was left at their doorstep as a baby and was adopted a few years later by Droh’s sister, Ranae. After her passing, Droh took her in and you know the rest from there,” Haruka said.

   “I see. Well, that leaves her with no legal guardian. The matter at hand now is who is to take care of the child,” Head Ringmaster Avalon said. “We have two options. Either we send her back to the adoption home she came from, or we find someone who will be willing to take care of her.”

   Aiden could see some of the members were feeling stuck. If it were up to him, he would want Runa to have a chance at having a family. Especially with everything she had been through. But the matter wasn’t up to him. It was up to the powerful people in the room.

***

   Back at Ringmasters Training Academy, a new day was about to begin for the students and faculty. A few days had passed since the battle against Madame Naga and her comrades. Students and faculty took a short break from classes to rest and heal from everything. In those few days, Rey remained in the health center while Sana was discharged the morning after the battle. Headmaster Devil wanted to have Rey under tight observation before going back to classes. After an evaluation by the nurses, Rey was cleared to leave just in time for classes to resume.

   Students at the academy had gathered in the halls of the school, hanging out in their respective groups before classes would start for the day. Right by the doors of their Energy Enhancement class, Krystal, Prince, Neil, Heer, Zayn, and Akira were all hanging out by the lockers, waiting for Sana and Rey. As they were chatting amongst themselves, Krystal noted, “Prince, who the hell has candy canes at this time?! We haven’t even gotten breakfast yet.”

   “I don’t have to explain my habits to you,” Prince said, chewing on a peppermint candy cane.

   “I have to remind myself it’s not December when I see you eat one of those,” Zayn said.

   “Wait till you see how many he actually eats around Christmas time,” Neil chuckled.

   “Oh, Sana! Hey!” Heer said as she waved to Sana, who was just a few feet away from the gang.

   “Hey, guys,” Sana said, joining the group.

   “Are you feeling any better?” Akira asked.

   “Yeah, my hands are okay now. My neck still feels a little weird sometimes, but otherwise, I’m okay,” Sana said.

   “Well, that’s good to hear,” Zayn said.

   “So, where’s Rey?” Neil asked. “I thought he’d come with you.”

   “He messaged me saying he’d be here soon,” Sana said.

   “Oh, he’s here all right!” Krystal exclaimed.

   Sana noticed Krystal was looking down towards the hallway with a rather stunned look on her face. She looked down along with the others and realized what was so surprising. And it wasn’t just Sana and the gang. Other students in the hallway were just as surprised. Rey was walking down the hall, looking more different than ever. His dark brown hair that was usually right at his shoulders was now a fully grown mane that was loose and let down against his back. His bangs that framed his face were still the same, but his hair was longer than ever. For Sana, it wasn’t the fact that his hair was long that was puzzling. Rather, it was the fact that in just a few days, it had grown out the way it did.

   “Hey, guys! What’s up?” Rey exclaimed as he came over to the group.

   “Um, we should be asking you that,” Akira said.

   “I knew I was onto something when we saw you at the health center a few days ago!” Krystal exclaimed. “What’s with the hair?”

   “Yeah, I’ve never seen hair growth like this!” Neil said. “You gotta tell me your secrets, man! I’d kill to have my hair like this.”

   “Yeah, I don’t think it would work for you, Neil,” Krystal said.

   “Isn’t it amazing?! I don’t even know how it grew this long, but I’m digging it!” Rey exclaimed.

   “Honestly, it looks like you took a horse’s mane and attached it to the back of your head,” Prince said.

   “Dude, how can you be so rude?!” Rey said.

   “He kinda has a point,” Zayn said.

   “I don’t know. I think it could look nice on you if you styled it a little differently,” Heer said.

   “Sana, you haven’t said a word about Rey’s look. What do you think?” Akira asked.

   Rey looked at Sana for an answer. He couldn’t completely tell what Sana was thinking from her face. She seemed confused and surprised at the same time.

   “Are you sure you’re okay?” Sana asked.

   “What does that have to do with his new hairdo?!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “It’s just bizarre for your hair to just grow out of the blue like this,” Sana said.

   “Well, I’m totally fine! My hands have healed, my injuries are all good, and I’ve got an amazing head of hair to top it off!” Rey replied. “In fact, I think this could be a great look for me.”

   Before more could be said, the bell rang for breakfast. The gang headed out to the cafeteria to eat along with other students. While Sana was still alarmed by this sudden change in Rey’s appearance, she tried to not think too much of it as she walked along with the others down the hall.

***

   The day went by quickly. At least it did for Ryan. Ryan started writing on the chalkboard in his classroom as the students from his next class were walking in. Once he finished writing, he turned to face the class and was immediately stunned by Rey’s appearance. Like everyone else, he was just as puzzled to see him like this after just a few days. Before he could ponder on it any further, Aster said, “Everything okay, Professor Malik?”

   “Huh? Oh, yeah, everything’s fine,” Ryan replied. “Okay, everyone…I know things have been rough these past few days. But soon you guys will be out for spring break.”

   “Whoah, spring break is already here. I can’t believe I forgot!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “Yes, Krystal. Now, let me continue,” Ryan said. “Once you come back from spring break, you’ll only have a short amount of time before you all take your final exams. So, we’re going to go over as much as we can before you all leave.”

   I can’t believe it’s almost spring break, Rey thought. Time sure flies when you’re fighting dark beasts and all.

   “Okay, today we’re going to work on syncing magical energies with your partners,” Ryan said. “Now, some of you may already know how to do the equilibrium as Professor Luna has surely emphasized on it enough. But even if you haven’t learned equilibrium yet, today will be a good day to practice harnessing your individual powers and syncing. Energy synchronization is one thing, but power synchronization is a whole other game here. So, who would like to volunteer to demonstrate before the class?”

   “Me!” Rey replied as he raised his hand and stood up from his seat.

   “Well, someone’s very eager today,” Prince said.

   “Rey, are you sure you’re okay? You we’re in the health center for the past few days,” Ryan said.

   “Oh, yeah! I’m great! Let’s do this!” Rey exclaimed. “Come on, Sana.”

   I really don’t know if this is a good idea, Sana thought as she got up from her seat and followed Rey down to the front of the class. Ryan moved next to the podium to give Sana and Rey some space. As Sana stood in front of the lecture hall, she felt uneasy, seeing all her classmates look at her and Rey. Maybe that was because she was worried about how Rey’s abilities were since he hadn’t fought or demonstrated any magic power since being hospitalized after the battle with Madame Naga. But Rey was feeling confident. He had spent way too many days in the health center that he was excited to show off his skills.

   “Okay, I want both of you to synchronize your energy levels till they’re at equilibrium,” Ryan instructed.

   Sana and Rey nodded. The two of them faced each other, closing their eyes as they concentrated on building up their magical energy. Sana could feel her energy was stabilizing the more she focused. She could see the red glow coming from her hands. As she tried to synchronize with Rey, she noticed something strange was going on. His energy seemed chaotic and almost static-like with red and purple energy bolts coming from his body. Even Rey himself felt as though he was struggling. His fire energy wasn’t able to remain in control with the dark energy. Seriously? Why’s this happening again? Rey asked himself as he tried to concentrate. But it was getting difficult. Rey could sense he was losing control of his own energy and even Ryan took note of it as well others in the class.

   “Rey, what’s going on?” Ryan asked.

   “I don’t know,” Rey replied. “Something’s off-“

   “Rey, try to get a hold of yourself!” Sana said.

   “I…can’t,” Rey said, continuing to lose control over himself.

   Suddenly, the energy sparks disappeared, and Rey passed out to the floor. Sana and Ryan immediately got down, getting hold of him while Krystal, Prince, Neil, Heer, Zayn, and Akira rushed down as well.

   “Rey! Can you hear me?!” Sana called. “Rey!”

   “We’ll have to take him back to the health center!” Ryan said.

***

   At the health center, Rey was taken into care by one of the nurses. The gang helped him get inside but were all asked to get back to the classroom and dismiss the other students. All but Sana left while Ryan stayed outside the health center. It didn’t take long for Headmaster Devil to come by to see what was going on.

   “So, Ryan, what happened?” Headmaster Devil asked.

   “I’m not sure. Sana and Rey were doing an exercise in class and somehow Rey seemed to lose control over his energy. As a result, he passed out.”

   “I see. That must mean the dark energy that’s now inside him is becoming more of a problem than we thought.”

   “But why is that? Sana was able to stabilize him before when the dark energy had taken over.”

   “Yes, but it seemed more like she was able to help him get back control of his fire energy. But since the dark energy is inside of him just like his fire energy, the two energies might be struggling with finding balance. It’s to be expected since Madame Naga was the reason why he even got those powers to begin with. Runa had the same issue as well. Since the dark energy is coming from an exterior source instead of within, it becomes erratic in one’s body and the person struggles to control it.”

   “Why bring up Runa?”

   “Zayn told me that Fida mentioned that Madame Naga gave Runa the exact same venom she gave to Rey, bestowing her with dark powers.”

   “Really?”

   “Yes. It seems like Rey’s going through the same thing she went through.”

   Damn, Ryan thought. And I thought things would be okay for those two.

   “Speaking of Fida, did Tatia tell you about her escape from the council headquarters?” Ryan asked.

   “You two seem to talk often now.”

   “That’s not the point, Devil. And not just her. She mentioned Lady Chameleon got out somehow and they have little idea as to how it happened. This could be bad. Especially for Rey and Sana.”

   “I’m aware of that. And Tatia told me everything. That’s why I have arranged something to deal with that.”

   “Excuse me,” a voice said from behind. Headmaster Devil and Ryan turned around to see a man, woman, and young girl standing before them. They appeared to be a family. The man was tall, had a muscular build, and looked a lot like Rey. He had medium-length hair that was dark brown, but his bangs were short and framed his face. His eyes were brown, and he wore a long black jacket with a white shirt, black pants, and black shoes. The woman with him also had dark brown hair, but it was much longer and tied in a braid. She had hazel eyes and wore a long-sleeved blue dress, which looked a lot like what the little girl with them was wearing. The more Headmaster Devil looked at them, he realized that they had to be Rey’s family.

   “Are you Royce Murgatroyd?” Headmaster Devil asked.

   “I am,” the man said.

   “Wait, your Rey’s father?” Ryan asked.

   “That’s right,” Royce replied. “This is my wife, Araceli. And our daughter, Alicia.”

   “Oh, it’s nice to meet you all,” Ryan said.

   “The pleasure is ours. We’re sorry for dropping in without any notice,” Araceli said.

   “I take it you’re here to see Rey,” Headmaster Devil said.

   “Yeah, we tried to come by your office, but no one was there, so we’ve been wandering around the place to talk to someone,” Araceli said.

   “We were informed our son was discharged a few days ago after what happened here in the city,” Royce said. “Is there any way we can see him right now?”

   Great. Now I have to drop a bomb on these folks, Headmaster Devil thought, shaking his head.

   “Well, actually…Rey was in my class. But he passed out and had to be rushed here at the health center,” Ryan said.

   Headmaster Devil could see Araceli and Alicia were stunned. He didn’t sense the same shock from Royce though. He looked rather puzzled, but somehow was calmer than the other two.

   “You don’t seem very shocked, Royce,” Headmaster Devil said. “Something on your mind?”

   “No. It’s just…when you spoke to me on the phone about everything that’s been happening, I had a feeling that something was still off,” Royce said. “Are we allowed to go see him?”

   “You may. He’s currently resting,” Headmaster Devil said.

   “All right. Thank you, sir,” Araceli said.

   With that, Royce, Araceli, and Alicia headed inside the health center. After speaking to a nurse at the front desk, they were directed to Rey’s room. Once they entered inside, they saw Rey was resting in his bed while Sana was seated right next to him. Rey looked up, stunned to see his family. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had seen them all. Before he could even say anything, Alicia rushed towards him, throwing his arms over him, and crying, “Rey! You’re okay!”

   “Hey, Alicia. Good to see you,” Rey said as he hugged his sister back. It had been so long since he was hugged by Alicia. Looking at her, he realized how much he had missed seeing her gleaming brown eyes and silky brown hair. She was always so affectionate, but he could tell she really missed him from how tightly she was holding onto him.

   “How have you been doing?” Rey asked.

   “I’m okay! School’s so boring now. I just want to join the academy like you,” Alicia said.   “What happened to your hair? It’s so long!”

   “Wow. I think it’s even longer than mine,” Araceli said.

   “Trust me. We’re all surprised about it,” Sana said.

   “Oh! You must be Sana! ” Alicia exclaimed as she turned to Sana. “Rey’s told me all about you. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

   “Nice to meet you as well,” Sana said.

   “Sana, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to talk to Rey with my wife for a bit,” Royce said.    “Would you be okay with taking Alicia with you and keeping her company?”

   “Oh, sure thing,” Sana replied.

   Sana got up from her chair and walked out of the room with Alicia, taking her outside to the hallway. With them gone, Rey looked at Royce, paying attention to how he looked. He still looked fit as ever and didn’t see any signs of illness. He wasn’t sure what to say. Especially since a part of him felt as if his parents weren’t paying much attention to him given what was going on.

   Before Rey could say anything, Royce said, “So, is that your girlfriend?”

   “My what?!”

   “You heard what I said.”

   “We’re not dating, Dad! She’s my partner!”

   “Hold on. When did I ever say you two were dating?”

   “You just asked me if she was my girlfriend!”

   “Girlfriend could just mean friend who happens to be a girl. You’re the one who jumped to the conclusion that I thought you were dating her. Now what does that say about you?”

   “But…I…I…ugh! Are you trying to mess with me, old geezer?!”

   “Maybe I am. Maybe I’m not. You decide.”

   “Stop messing with my head! It already hurts!”

   There they go. This happens every time, Araceli thought as she watched Royce and Rey bicker back and forth. I really miss seeing them like this.

   “Okay, get to the point. Why are you all here?” Rey asked.

   Royce paused before answering. He was surprised that his own son would ask that.

   “You really want to question why your own family has come to see you?” Royce asked.

   “Well, yeah. From the way you guys acted, I was beginning to think that maybe you both don’t care. Like…I know you’ve been sick, Dad. But still…don’t I matter? I didn’t even know what to say or do,” Rey said. “I couldn’t even talk to Sana.”

   “Rey, I’m sorry. I know your father’s illness has kept us away for so long. But we could never not care for you. We’ve wanted to visit for so long,” Araceli said. “There were just so many unknowns and we didn’t want to add to your stress.”

   “I’m also sorry, son. I wish my illness didn’t push me away from you like it did,” Royce said.

   Rey took both their apologies to heart. He wasn’t even sure if he should bring up how he was feeling considering the situation with his father. Seeing how honest they were being, he decided to push that to the side for a moment.

   “Hey, it’s okay. I know things have been tough,” Rey said. “How have you been, Dad?”

   “Well, I’m doing a lot better now. I’m starting to regain my strength again,” Royce replied. “You can probably tell from how fit I look.”

   “So, what exactly was this illness?” Rey asked.

   “That’s why we came to talk to you, son,” Araceli said. “You probably know by now that you have the R-gene. Well, your father has it as well.”

   “Really?!” Rey said.

   Royce nodded. He looked at Rey, paying attention to his long hair.

   “My illness was connected to the R-gene,” Royce said. “The R-gene itself emphasizes an individual’s magical energy at a higher level than normal. So, you end up with ten times more power within. But there’s a downside to it. It can have erratic effects on the individual.”

   “So, the erratic effect on you was your illness?” Rey asked.

   “Your father’s body had completely shut down at some point. The only way we were able to even help him was having other family members heal him with their fire energy,” Araceli said. “But even that took quite long to do.”

   Upon hearing this, Rey started to feel even more sorry for his father. He never realized how bad things were for him.

   “Dad, I’m really sorry,” Rey said.

   Royce could see the sadness in Rey’s eyes. He himself was feeling bad for the distance between them lately. They were both going through so much and didn’t realize just how similar their situations were.

   “Son…this dark power that you now have inside you…is what’s causing your powers to go out of control,” Araceli said. “The R-gene amplifies the imbalance of power even in a single energy source. But having this dark energy from an exterior source is going to make things tough for you.”

   “It probably also explains your ridiculous hair,” Royce said.

   “Ridiculous?! I actually think I look cool!” Rey said.

   “Since the R-gene is so unpredictable, the changes in your body from the dark energy are probably why these weird changes are occurring,” Araceli said.

   “Well, what am I supposed to do then?!” Rey exclaimed. “If I can’t control my powers, how am I supposed to go on? I promised Sana that we would figure out a way. But after what happened in class…I don’t even know anymore.”

   “You sound like you’re quitting,” Royce said.

   “What the hell, old man?! You’re supposed to give me some pep talk!” Rey shouted. “I don’t want to quit! I just-“

   Before Rey could finish his sentence, Royce wrapped his arms around him, pulling him in for a hug. This took Rey by surprise. His father wasn’t much of a hugger. In fact, he always felt like Royce showed more affection towards Alicia. But this embrace felt comforting to Rey. He could feel from the way Royce’s arms held him that there was genuine care coming from him.

   “It’s going to be okay, son,” Royce said as he continued to hug Rey. “In my experience, there’s always a way. We’ll figure out a way to control your powers. I don’t want anything to stop you from being the very best you can be.”

   Araceli got emotional, seeing how comforting Royce was towards Rey. She could even see on Rey’s face that he was calmer than he was before. Araceli joined Royce and wrapped her arms around Rey, holding onto him tightly.

   “Everything is going to be okay, Rey,” Araceli said as her eyes began to water.

   Rey could feel the warmth in his cheeks as he was embraced by both of his parents. This was something he needed. Though he did feel like he was being smothered as well.

   “Um, this is nice and all, but you guys are squishing me,” Rey said. Royce and Araceli laughed as they let go of Rey. Rey smiled, feeling good to have some happiness in his life after so much stress.

   After some time had passed, Sana and Alicia came back to the room. Araceli gave Rey one last hug while Rey hugged her back. As she let go of him, she said, “Everything is going to be okay, son. Just have faith.”

   “In the meantime, do something about your hair,” Royce said.

   “Hey, I actually dig the long hair! Don’t diss it!” Rey exclaimed.

   “Honey, he doesn’t look any different from how you looked at his age,” Araceli chuckled.

   “Hold on! Dad had long hair like this back in the day?!” Rey asked.

   “Yes, he did. I’ll have to bring those old photo albums next time we see you,” Araceli said.

   “Don’t embarrass me like that, Araceli,” Royce said, rolling his eyes.

   Alicia came up to Rey. Rey leaned over to give her a hug. He said, “Sorry I didn’t get to talk to you much today.”

   “That’s okay, Rey. I hope you get better soon. Oh! I have something for you,” Alicia said. Alicia took out a soft red bandana from her pocket. She handed it to Rey and said, “I got this back at home. I thought you might like it.”

   “Wow. It’s really nice. Thank you.”

   “Maybe you can use it to style your hair a bit.”

   Rey nodded, putting the bandana on the small nightstand that was next to his bed. Alicia walked over to where her parents were standing.

   “We’ll give you a call as soon as we reach home, son,” Araceli said.

   “Like the nurses said, take it easy for the rest of the day. I’m sure we’ll find a way to help you,” Royce said.

   “Thanks, Dad,” Rey said.

   “Sana, thank you for looking after him,” Royce said. “You’re a very good friend to him.”

   “It’s no problem at all. He would do the same for me,” Sana said.

***

   With that, Royce, Araceli, and Alicia headed out while Sana remained by Rey’s side. After a few hours, the school day had ended, and students were dismissed from classes. As Sana was feeding Rey some soup, Krystal, Neil, and Zayn dropped right in.

   “Aww, you’re feeding him! How cute,” Krystal said.

   “There’s nothing cute about being fed soup,” Rey said. “Where are the others?”

   “They’re at the meeting for the next circus show. They said they’d stop by right after it was over,” Neil said.

   “And I’m only a backup dancer, so I decided not to go,” Krystal said.

   “I just have no interest in circus stuff,” Zayn said.

   “Anyway, how are you feeling?” Neil asked.

   “Well, I’m doing better. The nurse said if I take rest for tonight that I should be fine tomorrow,” Rey answered. “My folks actually stopped by.”

   “Really?! Damn, we could’ve met your parents!” Neil exclaimed.

   “They’re probably going to visit again at some point, so you might be able to see them again,” Sana said.

   “Well, that’s nice. Since you’re gonna be bored here, we can do something about that hair of yours,” Krystal said.

   “No way! I don’t want you doing anything to my hair!” Rey exclaimed.

   “Oh, relax! You can still have the long hairdo. We just need to style it a bit,” Krystal said.

   “Hold on, what are you guys going to do now?” Zayn asked Sana and Rey. “With these dark powers, controlling them seems like it’s gonna be some work.”

   “Yeah, we need to figure it out. We might have some serious training to do,” Sana said.

   “And I’m all up for some training!” Rey exclaimed. “I can’t wait to get out of here!”

   Krystal put down her bag on the floor and headed towards the door. Seeing she was leaving, Sana said, “Krystal, I thought you were going to work on Rey’s hair?”

   “Don’t remind her!” Rey exclaimed.

   “Oh, I’m going to. I just need to make a quick phone call and I’ll be back,” Krystal said.

   Sana nodded while Krystal left the room and closed the door. She took out her phone and placed a call, waiting for an answer as her phone rang. Once it was picked up, she said, “Hey, Cyrus.”

   “Krystal. This is a surprise. How are you? I heard about everything that went down at the RTA.”

   “Yeah, we had quite the showdown. I’m doing fine though. Same thing goes for my friends.”

   “That’s good to hear. I’m glad you’re safe.”

   “Thanks. Well, there’s something I need to talk to you about. Since you have dual magic in sound and darkness, how hard was it to control your powers?”

   “It was kinda difficult at first. But I had help from my master. Why?”

   “I don’t have time to explain everything right now. But my friends, Sana and Rey, need some help. So, I was wondering if you’d be able to do that for me.”

   “Of course. I’m a little occupied at the moment. But how about we talk again tomorrow evening?”

   “Sounds good to me. Thank you again, Cyrus.”

   “No problem. Talk to you later.”

   “Bye.”

   Krystal disconnected the call and headed back inside Rey’s room. Once she came back, Sana said, “So, how exactly are you going to style his hair?”

   “Simple. I have my EHA,” Krystal said, taking out an orange-colored kit from her bag. “Emergency Hair Aid kit.”

   “She has an Emergency Hair Aid kit?” Zayn said, dumbfounded.

   “That’s Krystal for you. She’s full of surprises,” Neil said.

   “Listen, you better not ruin my hair!” Rey said to Krystal.

   “Shut up. You’re in good hands,” Krystal said.

***

   Far away from Daredevil City, there was a city by the name of Rouge Heights, located in the state of Doveland. The city reflected its name perfectly well. Most buildings were red, and the city was known for a lake of red water known as Rouge Lake. In this city, there was a school by the name of Pytho Sigma Academy, one of the other ringmaster academies in the country. Inside the library at this academy, Cyrus was walking towards one of the study rooms. Once he entered inside, two of his friends, Kairos Royalle and Dimitra Chloros, were already there, seated at one of the tables.

   Kairos had scraggly purple hair with a red streak on one of his bangs. His eyes were sharp and cloudy blue, and he wore a long black jacket, navy blue shirt, black pants, and black shoes. His most notable feature were the red and purple tattoos that were on both sides of his neck. Dimitra had short brown hair that was slightly wavy and hit right at her jaw. Her eyes were a light shade of green and she donned a caped olive jacket, gray top, gray gloves, rust-colored pants, and gray ankle boots.

   “What took you so long, Cyrus?” Kairos asked.

   “I got a call from a friend,” Cyrus said. “How come Mayleen isn’t here?”

   “He asked me not to call her,” Dimitra said.   “So, this friend of yours…anyone we know?”

   “Krystal D’Cruz. She’s a student at RTA,” Cyrus replied.

   “Oh, she’s the one you lost the Chain of Leo to,” Dimitra said.

   “You don’t have to rub it in, Dimitra,” Cyrus sighed.

   “Did she say anything about Sana?” Kairos asked.

   “Yeah. She said they’re doing fine,” Cyrus said.

   Kairos looked down at the table. After hearing what went down at Ringmasters Training Academy, he was concerned. While he was relieved to hear Sana was okay, he was still uneasy. Dimitra took note of how Kairos was looking. While Kairos didn’t say why he called both her and Cyrus to meet, she felt like it had something to do with Sana.

   “Kairos, what’s on your mind?” Dimitra asked. “You called us here for a reason. Does that reason have to do with Sana?”

   “You know her, Kairos? You’ve never talked about her before,” Cyrus said.

   “I know her. Though I haven’t seen or spoken to her for the past few years,” Kairos said.

   “Well, your relationship with her must be deep enough that you would ask about her,” Dimitra said.

   “Okay, what is the point of calling us here?” Cyrus asked. “I thought this would be about you explaining why you’ve been ditching us so much lately.”

   Kairos sighed. While he did call Dimitra and Cyrus for an important reason, he wasn’t sure how to share it. He was already feeling uneasy, and his guilt was eating him up a bit. But he knew he owed his friends an explanation as to what was going on. He looked at Dimitra, who was giving him that look. It was the look that she’d always give when she knew something was up. She was always very perceptive.

   Before Kairos could say anything, a girl barged in through the doors of the room. She was short and had medium-length hair that was dark as ebony with lavender highlights and curled with sharp ends that sat on her shoulders. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of violet and she wore a short-sleeved baby blue dress with flats to match. This was Mayleen Wu, a recent addition to Pytho Sigma’s sophomore class.

   “Mayleen, what are you doing here?” Dimitra asked.

   “I was looking for you and you weren’t answering your phone,” Mayleen said. “So, I kinda asked around and that girl, Kara, said that she saw you come in here.”

   “So much for having a private room,” Cyrus said.

   “Wait…did you guys want to be alone?” Mayleen asked.

   Dimitra and Kairos looked at each other, not sure what to say. Dimitra was very close with Mayleen since she arrived at the academy and was helping her adjust. Kairos and Cyrus on the other hand had hardly spent much time with her. So, Dimitra knew that for a serious talk, it would be odd to have Mayleen around.

   “It’s okay. I’ll just leave you guys to your meeting,” Mayleen said.

   “No, no. It’s not that I don’t want you here. You’re still fairly new and there’s just been a lot going on,” Kairos said.

   “Kairos, just spill whatever it is that’s going on,” Cyrus said. “You’ve danced around this long enough.”

   Kairos sighed again. He knew Cyrus was right. If he wanted to talk things through, he had to do it now.

   “Okay, I’m sorry. I just don’t know how to start this really,” Kairos said. “I know I haven’t been myself lately. A lot of it is my own fault. Especially because I realize…I’ve been a part of something for a while that up until now was for my own gain. I thought it was fine…until I found out that something bad was going to come out of it.”

   “Something bad?” Mayleen asked.

   “Kairos, what exactly did you do?” Dimitra asked.

   “Whatever it is, it’s preventing him from just getting to the point,” Cyrus said. “Look, man, I don’t care what you did. If you’re coming to us now, it must mean there’s something we can do to make things right. Am I right?”

   “Well, I guess so,” Kairos said.

   “Then just tell us everything. We’ve been friends since we started here at the academy. We’re not going to judge you,” Dimitra said.

   Mayleen could tell that whatever was going on was very serious. She felt bad for intruding on what was a personal discussion among friends. Maybe I shouldn’t be here, Mayleen thought. I don’t want to make things weird for Kairos.

   “Well, I should be going then,” Mayleen said.   “I’m sorry for barging in, Kairos. I really didn’t mean to. I hope whatever’s going on-“

   “No, Mayleen, please stay. You actually might be able to help,” Kairos said.

   “She can?” Cyrus asked.

   “Yes. To rectify the mistake that I’ve made, I’m going to need all of you to help me,” Kairos said.

   “I don’t know. I’m not so sure you’d want someone like me to help. I mean, you guys are so strong on your own,” Mayleen said.

   “Mayleen, you have to sell yourself better than that. You’re one of the best additions to this academy,” Dimitra said.

   “Exactly. I know you don’t know me well. But your help would be most appreciated,” Kairos said.

   It felt nice for Mayleen to hear that she was wanted. Adjusting to a new school wasn’t the easiest task for her. And while she didn’t know Kairos that well, she couldn’t help but feel the sincerity in his words. She decided to stay and listen. If there was something she could do to help, she was willing to do it. Mayleen seated herself beside Dimitra as a sign of her acceptance to stay.

   Seeing Mayleen was seated, Kairos knew he had to take responsibility now. It was time for him to talk. What was to come would be significant. And something had to be done about it.

   “Okay, like I said, this is a serious matter, guys,” Kairos said. “I’m not proud of what I did. But I want to make it right.”

   “And we’re here to listen. Just tell us everything we need to know, ” Cyrus said.

   Dimitra nodded in agreement with Cyrus. As confused and unsure as she was, Mayleen nodded as well to give Kairos some reassurance.

   With the trust of everyone around him, Kairos took in a deep breath. He was ready to talk.

   “All right. Here’s what you all need to know,” Kairos said.

***

   Back at the Ringmasters Society, Aiden walked into the cafeteria where all the other members were eating. The meeting with Head Ringmaster Avalon had finished. With no clear decision on what was to be done with Runa, Head Ringmaster Avalon decided to have Runa continue to reside within the society headquarters until a decision could be made. Once Aiden got his food, he looked around, unsure as to where to sit. Things were much different compared to being at Ringmasters Training Academy. He normally had no problem eating with other faculty members there, but things were different here. He was just a mere intern.

   Before he decided to just sit down at a table by himself, he heard Shuto call, “Aiden, get over here!”

   Aiden walked over to Shuto’s table. He was seated with Yashi, Haruka, Imani, and Damien. He stood by the table, unsure whether he should even sit down. But Shuto was giving him a look that he knew too well. A look that said, “Just sit down already.” So, he sat down next to Damien.

   “Are you always this nervous, kid?” Yashi asked.

   “Hardly. Devil told me all about how much pride you had in your old position at the academy,” Shuto said.

   “Hey, I wasn’t being cocky or anything,” Aiden said.

   “Still, you went from being a mentor to literally teaching in the classroom,” Imani said.  “That’s a lot of expectations to have on a kid.”

   “Did he just tell you everything about me?” Aiden asked.

   “Unfortunately, yes. Sorry, Aiden,” Haruka chuckled.

   “But it’s all good. It’s obvious that you’re such a talented individual,” Damien said.

   “Thank you,” Aiden said. He took a bite of his sandwich while the others continued to eat. As he was eating, he got a glimpse of Cadmus, who was sitting at a table across from them. Aiden could see the classic smirk on his face. He decided to look away as it would make him feel even more uncomfortable. To get a conversation going, Aiden asked, “So, where did Tatia go?”

   “She had some urgent work to do after the meeting. So, she left,” Haruka said.

   “I wish I could leave. That meeting almost turned into a brawl,” Imani said. “Cadmus needs to shut up every once in a while.”

   “Honestly, I wish I punched him,” Yashi said. “That son of a-“

   “Yashi, not in front of a kid,” Haruka said.

   “Oh, come on. He’s probably heard worse from Devil. Besides, I don’t really care. He deliberately tried to provoke me,” Yashi said.

   “Next time he says something, I’ll give it to him,” Shuto said.

   “Tell me something, Yashi. What he said about the child…was that what really got to you?” Imani asked.

   Yashi sighed. She rarely ever needed to think before saying something. Shuto put his hand on her shoulder as a way of comforting her. That was always enough to get her to speak her mind.

   “I know exactly what she went through too well,” Yashi said. “When Cadmus said all those things about her, I couldn’t bear it. It was like I was hurting for her.”

   “It’s sad. And even if we had the adoption home take her back, who knows when she would finally find a family? Someone here might be capable of giving her a home,” Imani said.

   “Anyone other than Cadmus,” Damien said.

   “That’s for sure,” Imani chuckled.

   It was true though. Yashi knew that someone in the Ringmasters Society had the ability to give Runa a home. She deserved a better chance at life. And she could tell from looking at Shuto that he felt the same as well.

***

   Back at Ringmasters Training Academy, Ryan was on his way to meet Headmaster Devil in his office before leaving for the day. Once Ryan arrived outside of the room, he knocked on the door.

   “Come in,” Headmaster Devil said from inside.

   Ryan opened the door, seeing Headmaster Devil was seated at his desk with someone seated right before him. It said a lot that this was probably one of the few times he was just sitting at his desk like a normal headmaster would.

   “You know, Ryan. You’re one of the few people that actually knocks before entering.”

   “Yeah, yeah. What did you want to tell me?”

   “I’d like you to meet someone.”

   Ryan knew he was referring to the person sitting across from his desk. It was a girl that stood up from the chair. She turned to Ryan and from seeing her, he could tell she was around the same age as Sana and the others. She had curly light pink hair that was tied in space buns. She had big circular glasses that framed her shiny green eyes. The girl wore a cropped lavender hoodie with a smiley face on it, blue jeans, and lavender sneakers with pink and teal accents.

   “Ryan, this is Adela Everglow,” Headmaster Devil said.

   “Nice to meet ya,” Adela said, waving her hand.

   “Pleasure to meet you,” Ryan said. “Is she a new student?”

   “Actually no. I’m assigning her as a guardian to Sana and Rey,” Headmaster Devil said.

   “Guardian?” Ryan asked.

   “I told you I was going to figure out a way to make sure Sana and Rey would remain safe from future enemies,” Headmaster Devil said. “Having a guardian is the best solution for that.”

   Well, there’s an idea I never thought about, Ryan thought.

   “You’re Sana’s father, right? You don’t have to worry about a thing,” Adela said. “I’ll keep her and Rey safe! Just leave it to me and my squad!”

   “Squad? You have a squad?” Ryan asked.

   “Yeah. There’s a lot of details we have to share with you,” Headmaster Devil said.

   Wow. Things are taking quite a turn, Ryan thought.

***

   Meanwhile, Krystal was busy cutting Rey’s hair while Sana simply watched her work. Neil and Zayn had gone out to grab a bite to eat and meet up with the others before returning to the room. Krystal was taking her precious time styling Rey’s hair to look just right. After some snipping, she took a red hair-tie from one of the small pouches of her kit and tied Rey’s hair into a ponytail. Having finished her work, she said, “All right! Take a look!”

   Krystal handed Rey a mirror for him to look at. Rey looked at his new hair, surprisingly liking it a lot more than he thought he would. The long bangs that framed the sides of his face were now cut short just above his ears. His hair was still long, but the length was more manageable. He even liked the ponytail.

   “I can’t believe I’m saying this. But I dig it,” Rey said. “You actually did some good work, Krystal.”

   “I told you I work magic!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “What do you think, Sana?” Rey asked.

   “I like it a lot. You look really nice,” Sana said.

   “Just one thing. Krystal, do you see the bandana on the table. My sister gave it to me before she left with my folks,” Rey said.

   Krystal looked over to the small table beside the bed, seeing the bandana Rey was referring to. She picked it up, feeling its nice silky texture.

   “You know, that might be a nice finishing touch,” Sana said. “What do you think, Krystal?”

   “I agree! This’ll be perfect!” Krystal agreed.

   Krystal tied the bandana around Rey’s forehead, making sure his bangs went over it properly. Once it was secured, Rey took another look at himself in the mirror. Now he was feeling a lot more like himself. The bandana gave him just the edge he wanted.

   “Now, I look cooler than ever!” Rey exclaimed.

   “Well, good you feel that way. Next thing we have to do is get you a new wardrobe,” Krystal said.

   “Don’t tell me you brought that Emergency Fashion Aid kit of yours?!” Sana exclaimed.

   “No! I can’t carry both my kits here! Too heavy,” Krystal said. “After you get better, we’ll go shopping. Probably during the weekend because I have a paper to write that I haven’t even started yet.”

   “Great. More makeover stuff,” Rey said, rolling his eyes.

   At that moment, Neil and Zayn had returned along with Prince, Heer, and Akira.

   “Well, well. She really did cut his hair,” Akira said.

   “Wow. It actually looks good,” Zayn said.

   “See, I’m amazing at my craft,” Krystal said as she flipped her hair with joyful pride.

   “Dude, you look awesome!” Neil exclaimed as he went over to Rey’s side and hugged him by his shoulder.

   “I know, right?! And you guys thought I couldn’t rock this look,” Rey said.

   “To be fair, we only like it since Krystal styled it appropriately,” Prince said.

   “Oh, whatever, Prince. You know you can’t rock a hairdo like this,” Rey said.

   “That bandana looks really nice on you as well, Rey,” Heer said.

   “Thanks,” Rey said. “My sister got it for me today.”

   “Heer, what’s that you’re holding?” Sana asked.

   “Oh, I brought Rey some cookies. They had some at the meeting, so I thought I’d save some,” Heer said. She went over to Rey’s side, giving him the cookies on a small plate.

   “Wow. Thanks, Heer,” Rey said. “New hair and cookies. I’m on a roll today!”

   “Not a bad way to end a day like yours,” Prince said.

   “So, how are you guys feeling? I mean, about everything going on with your powers now?” Akira asked.

   “Well, I can’t speak for Rey. But I can say that I’m nervous, yet hopeful,” Sana said.   “Now that we know about this, we can figure out how to control these powers.”

   “Yeah, I’ll admit I was worried, too. But we’ve gotten through tough stuff before. We’ll just do it again,” Rey said.

   Sana smiled. As tough as things were, she knew everything was going to be okay. And while she didn’t know how things were going to be like moving forward, she wasn’t scared to find out. After everything she and Rey had been through, she knew they could handle anything.

   Rey was happy to see Sana smiling. It felt like it had been a while since he saw her genuinely be happy. Even with the revelation of the R-gene and his new dark powers, he was sure that he and Sana would be able to figure things out.

   “Well, you two are certainly optimistic,” Neil said. “It’s good to see.”

   “You know…we might need a change of scenery,” Prince said. “I’m starting to think the health center is turning into our hangout spot.”

   “Don’t say that, Prince!” Krystal exclaimed.   “I say we make a trip to the Daredevil Mall this weekend! They opened the most amazing café there. Besides, I’m taking Rey shopping for a new wardrobe!”

   “New wardrobe?” Zayn asked.

   “I said I didn’t need a new wardrobe,” Rey said.

   “You won’t be saying that when you see all the amazing clothes I’m gonna get you!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “Oh, please. I love the hair, but I don’t need anything else,” Rey said.

   As the rest of the gang continued to banter, Sana watched with joy. With many challenges ahead, she knew everything would be okay with all her friends surrounding her.

Copyright © 2021 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.