Tag: artwork

Volume 1

23. The Beast is Unleashed

imeryli

“What the hell, guys?!” Rey shouted as Tatia finished tightening the restraints on him. Back at Ringmasters Training Academy, Rey was taken back by Sana, Krystal, Prince, Heer, Zayn, and Akira after they had found him in the city. Once he was taken to the school, Headmaster Devil arranged for Rey to be strapped down in a testing room where Ryan, Tatia, and Aiden were monitoring him.

   “We’re sorry it has to come to this,” Tatia told Rey. “But we have no other choice.”

   “There’s nothing wrong with me! I’m just sick!” Rey shouted.

   “Rey, you used dark magic on us back there. Hell, the fact that you even attacked us to begin with proves something is wrong,” Zayn said. “And those markings on you-“

   “Shut up! I don’t need to hear anything about what happened back there!” Rey yelled. “Now let me go! I hate being strapped like this!”

   “Stop it, Rey!” Sana shouted back.

   The whole room fell silent at Sana’s sudden outburst at Rey. Rey looked at Sana, speechless. He could see tears running down her face. Sana rarely got emotional like this, but when she did, he knew it was serious.

   “Something is wrong with you,” Sana told Rey. “I don’t know what it is. But you need to keep your voice down and let us help you. Otherwise, you’re just going to make things harder on yourself.”

   “Sana’s right, Rey. You have to stay calm,” Heer said. At that moment, Headmaster Devil made his way inside the testing room.

   “I have some bad news,” Headmaster Devil spoke to the others. “Someone broke into the school chamber and stole the Shakti Orb. It must have been activated. That’s what triggered Rey’s transformation.”

   “That doesn’t make sense,” Prince said. “You’re saying that orb is what did this?”

   “It wasn’t the only factor. I found these in his room at the health center,” Headmaster Devil replied as he showed the others what appeared to be a small gray bottle of pills. “This was the medication that Lady Chameleon was giving to Rey under the disguise of Nurse Sheila. These pills contain Madame Naga’s venom. The same venom that she used when leaving that wound on Rey during their battle.”

   “You mean that Rey’s been increasing the concentration of the venom in his body by consuming those pills every day?” Akira asked.

   “Precisely. And it explains the markings on his body,” Headmaster Devil added. “It appears to be an enchantment. The only issue is…I don’t know why Madame Naga is doing this specifically to him.”

   “So, what are we supposed to do?” Aiden asked. “He’s going to be trouble for us if he transforms into that beast again.”

   “I won’t transform!” Rey responded. “Please! Just let me out of here!”

   “Rey, we have no other choice. It’s best you stay here till we figure out exactly why Madame Naga is doing this,” Tatia told Rey.

   “There’s also another issue,” Headmaster Devil continued. “The thief that stole the Shakti Orb…was Neil.”

   Rey could feel the room’s atmosphere fall silent. He couldn’t really comprehend what he had just heard. It sounded almost like a joke. He even looked at Heer, who looked equally shocked as well.

   “What the hell are you saying, old man?!” Rey yelled at Headmaster Devil. “Are you suggesting Neil is helping Madame Naga?!”

   “There has to be a mistake,” Aiden said. “No matter how foolish Neil is there’s no way he could do something like that.”

   “But there is proof,” Headmaster Devil replied. “A strand of hair was found near the chamber. I had it scanned for DNA testing in the basement lab and the DNA was found to match Neil’s. That means only one thing. He stole the Shakti Orb and is now working with Madame Naga. It perfectly explains him not being around for the past few days.”

   “I can’t believe Neil would stoop this low,” Prince said.

   “Maybe Madame Naga’s controlling him?” Krystal suggested. “I mean that’s like a classic villain move right there.”

   “Madame Naga may be powerful. But she doesn’t have the ability to control minds,” Tatia responded. “But since Rey responds to the powers of the Shakti Orb, she can control him as long as the orb is in her possession.”

   During the conversation, Heer ran out of the training room, her eyes watery. Krystal called out for her. But it was all in vain. Aiden headed out the door, following Heer to see her right outside the room, crying as she looked down at the floor.

   Aiden didn’t know what to do in the moment. He too was shaken by the news of Neil. Just when he was about to put his hand on her shoulder for comfort, Heer looked up at Aiden, wiping her tears and said, “Aiden, tell me what they’re saying isn’t true.”

   “Heer…I don’t think I can say anything right now.”

   “Why?! He’s your brother! No matter how bad things have gotten with him, the Neil I know would never do something like this.”

   “Heer, we can’t put this past him. It does explain his actions as of late.”

   “It’s a shame you think that way. I may not know the truth right now. But I know Neil well enough to know that he would never betray us like this.”

   “Heer, I-“

   “Tell me…where is Runa right now?”

   “She’s staying in a room in the girls’ dorm house. Why?”

   “We need to go see her.”

   “Heer…is this really the best time for that?”

   “It’s absolutely necessary. Are you coming with me or not?”

   Seeing the adamancy in Heer’s eyes, Aiden simply nodded his head and proceeded to leave with Heer. What could she want Runa for at a time like this? Aiden thought as the two walked down the hallway.

   Back inside the testing room, there was a long moment of silence. The situation at hand was dangerous.

   “Okay, old man, what are we supposed to do now?” Zayn asked Headmaster Devil.

   “Ryan, you will monitor Rey,” Headmaster Devil said. He turned to the others and said, “As for you kids, you will just have to let me and Tatia handle things from here.”

   “You can’t be serious. We can’t just not do anything while Madame Naga is probably planning something that could put Rey’s life in danger,” Akira retorted.

   “Well, you have no choice as of now. This is something for adults to handle,” Tatia replied.

   “Now, go back to your dorms,” Headmaster Devil ordered.

   “Wait! Sana!” Rey called out.

   Sana turned to Rey, seeing him look distraught for the first time ever. He looked as if he had a lot to say but wasn’t sure how to say it.

   “Listen…you know that I have no idea what’s happening to me,” Rey told Sana. “I swear I’d never hurt anyone.”

   “Rey, please. You’ve been going through a lot lately. And what’s happening to you isn’t your fault. For now, it’s important you stay put here like Headmaster Devil wants.”

   “But-“

   “You’re not safe right now. Please, for my sake, just stay here. We’re all going to help you some way or another. Okay?”

   Rey was distraught and upset. But he knew saying anything further wouldn’t get him anywhere. He simply nodded to Sana.

   Even though she didn’t want to go, Sana left Rey’s side and headed out of the testing room with Krystal, Prince, Zayn, and Akira. Ryan, Tatia, and Headmaster Devil remained inside while Rey turned away, unable to comprehend how drastic the situation was right now.   

   Outside, Sana, Krystal, Prince, Zayn, and Akira walked silently down the hall. They all were confused and perplexed in their own ways but weren’t sure what to do.

   “I can’t believe they won’t let us do anything,” Akira said to break the silence.

   “If only there was a way to find out why Madame Naga is targeting him,” Prince added.

   “Maybe there is a way,” Sana replied.

   “What are you thinking, Sana?” Zayn asked.

   “Madame Naga has allies, right? So, there has to be one that we could talk to.”

   “I would say Runa. But I don’t know if it’s best to bring up her traumatic memories,” Krystal replied.

   “There’s still one person out there,” Prince said. “If I remember correctly, Fida got sent to Daredevil Prison.”

   “That’s right. We could get her to help us. Maybe we can break her out,” Sana said.

   “Hold it! You want us to break her out?!” Krystal exclaimed. “How are we even going to do that?!”

   “My dad has the paperwork regarding her stay over there inside his office,” Zayn replied. “I could get it and we should be able to get her out if she proves to be useful to us.”

   “Why would we do that?! She almost killed that Stallion guy! What if she kills us?!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “We have no other option, Krystal. We’re going there,” Sana said.

***

   And so, Sana, Krystal, Prince, Zayn, and Akira went ahead with their plans to visit Fida at Daredevil Prison. After Zayn had snuck into Headmaster Devil’s office to get Fida’s paperwork, the gang had taken off. As they entered the gates of the prison, they arrived at what appeared to be the front desk that was in the center of the prison’s lobby. “Hi, we’re here to see Fida,” Sana told the receptionist at the front desk.

   “That’s interesting. She’s the first one to have gotten more than one visitor.”

   “Someone visited her before us?”

   “Yes.”

   “Can you tell us the name of that visitor?”

   “Sorry, I’m not allowed to give that information.”

   “It has to be Madame Naga,” Krystal mumbled.

   “If you want to see her, she’s all the way down the hall, at the very end,” the receptionist told the group.

   The gang made their way through the doors that led to where the prison’s inmates were kept. They walked down the narrow hall. Krystal gulped, seeing the many faces that were surrounding them. How is this any different from any other prison? Krystal thought.

   Once the group had reached the end of the hall, they turned to the last cell that was on their right. Emerging from the shadows was Fida, who looked at the group, surprised to see them. While two of their faces were unfamiliar to her, the rest of them were clear as ever. She knew they were the same kids from the party. Krystal, disturbed by the haggard look on Fida’s face, said, “Wow, you look worse than the last time we saw you.”

   “Oh, that’s exactly what I wanted to hear,” Fida said. “What do you little bastards want?”

   “Someone’s a little ill-mannered,” Akira said.

   “And someone is also not in the mood for annoying children. What do you want?” Fida questioned.

   “We came here because you’re an ally of Madame Naga’s,” Zayn said.

   “Ex-ally. I was cut off,” Fida told the group.

   “Then that gives you an even bigger reason to help us,” Sana said.

   “And why would I want to help you brats?” Fida asked.

   “Trust me, Fida. If we had other options, you’d be the last person we’d come to. But our time is limited,” Sana responded. “By helping us take on Madame Naga, you will at least get a chance to get back at her for putting you in this situation.”

   “Last time I checked, you and your friend took quite a beating from her,” Fida said. “Your friend might very well be a lost cause. Considering you’ve had to come to me for help, it’s obvious she has succeeded in her plan.”

   “Okay, listen up!” Krystal exclaimed. “If you want to get out of this hell hole, you’ll tell us what serpent lady is planning to do with our friend, Rey. I really don’t care if you want revenge on her or not! You were a part of this mess. So, you’re going to make things right or else, I’m pretty sure Zayn can convince his dad to make your imprisonment here far worse than it already is.”

   Fida sighed, knowing she had found herself to be in quite the predicament. She had no interest in helping these kids, but at the same time, she was desperate to make Madame Naga pay. She looked at her hair, staring at the unruly ends. She looked down at her garments, unable to bear the discomfort she felt in them. Fida looked back at the group and said, “All right then. Get me out of here and I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

***

   After speaking to the receptionist and a member from the management staff of the prison, the group was able to get Fida released after presenting Headmaster Devil’s paperwork. Fida made her way out of the prison gates with the others. They all ran together, making their way towards the academy as quickly as possible.

   “It feels good to be out of there,” Fida said. “Though I will say, I’d be happier if it weren’t for the hawk eyes watching me.”

   “Look, you almost killed someone. We definitely need to keep an eye on you,” Akira said.

   “Speaking of which, why did you attack that guy?” Prince asked Fida.

   “It doesn’t really matter. You can say that there are limits when dealing with my temper,” Fida said. “In that cell, he wouldn’t stop going on and on about how Madame Naga wouldn’t want anything to do with me now that I was behind bars. He started to taunt me on a more personal level. So, I gave it to him. Little did I realize that the bastard would be right.”

   “Okay…someone has anger issues to sort out,” Krystal murmured.

   “Well, now we need to focus on who’s really important right now,” Sana said. “What is Madame Naga’s plan?”

   “She didn’t tell me every detail. Though she did tell me more than what she shared with Droh and Runa. So, here it goes,” Fida started. “Madame Naga used her venom on Rey in order to transform him into a dark beast.”

   “Hold on!” Krystal interrupted. “She has the power to turn anyone into a dark beast with just some venom?!”

   “It’s not ordinary venom. That attack spreads venom rapidly into the body that can alter a human-beast’s energy, thereby morphing its powers,” Fida said. “This isn’t the first time she’s done it. She did the same thing to Runa actually.”

   “She turned Runa into a dark beast?” Prince asked.

   “She saw potential in her powers. At the time, Runa had command over sound and demonstrated strong sensory skills for a little girl. So, Madame Naga tried to enhance them by using her venom. But Runa’s power wasn’t exactly what she was looking for, so she looked elsewhere,” Fida continued. “For a while, she’s been looking everywhere for someone who would make the perfect vessel for her plan. And she found that in Rey.”

   “But how did she come to know him?” Akira asked.

   “She used Droh to gain intel on different human-beast students at different schools. One thing he knew was that every academy has documentation on all the students. But to make things simple, she ordered for him to gain the documentation of only those who possess tiger forms,” Fida explained. “The reason for this is because human-beasts that belong to the Tiger Clan have the possibility of possessing the R-gene.”

   “R-gene?” Zayn asked.

   “It’s a gene that exists only within members of the Tiger Clan. From what Madame Naga said, it allows for a human-beast to obtain extraordinary power that’s unimaginable. Because of how powerful it is, human-beasts that possess this gene are subject to losing control over their powers should any external force disrupt the human-beast’s energy system,” Fida said. “Certain families within the clan are able to have this gene passed on. And based off the documents Droh found, Rey is one of them.”

   “That explains those documents we found in Droh’s home back in Italy,” Krystal said. “They were after Rey this entire time.”

   “It also explains Runa’s inability to control her powers. The mutation must’ve been so erratic for her. It’s no wonder she acted the way she did with us,” Prince said.

   Sana kept quiet, taking in every word that was being said in the conversation. She felt so helpless inside, knowing Rey was in great danger. She couldn’t help but feel that none of this would’ve happened had she been able to protect Rey that day. She could feel that her eyes were starting to water. The guilt was now worse than ever.

   “Sana, don’t you go crying on us!” Krystal exclaimed.

   Sana’s endless loop of thoughts stopped the moment Krystal spoke. She was surprised to see her act the way she did.

   “Krystal’s right. We know what happened that day was terrible. But it’s all in the past now,” Akira said. “All we can do now is save Rey. It’s not too late for him yet.”

   “Yes. And even though I haven’t trained with you for too long, I think you’re strong enough to save him and stop Madame Naga,” Zayn said.

   “Thanks, guys. I’m sorry for getting so worked up,” Sana said. “So, Fida, what happens to Rey’s powers now?”

   “Well, the external force of dark energy mixed with his R-gene could cause him to lose control over his fire powers. But that doesn’t matter for Madame Naga,” Fida said. “With the Shakti Orb, she’ll use it to bring Rey to her and absorb all of his power. With power that great, she’d be an unstoppable force. After that, there’s no telling what she’ll do next.”

   “So, why go and be an ally to her if she was to be the one to gain all the power in the end?” Prince asked.

   “Because that wasn’t what she told me. She promised to share the power with all of us. And for us dark beasts, power is what we thrive on,” Fida said. “Besides, that doesn’t matter anymore. All you should care about now is saving your friend. Nothing else.”

   The group continued their run, getting closer to the academy. As they kept running, Sana couldn’t stop thinking about Rey. All she could hope was that Rey would be okay by the time they got back.

***

   Back in the testing room of the academy, Rey remained tied down while Ryan stood guard by the door, keeping a close eye on him. Rey could feel sweat dripping down his forehead as the fluorescent blue lights on the ceiling flashed upon his face. He looked over to where Ryan was standing. Ryan, seeing Rey was looking at him, asked, “What is it?”

   “Nothing.”

   “There’s clearly something.”

   “You must be getting a kick out of seeing me tied up here.”

   “If I was sadistic, sure. But I’m not. You’ve been through a lot, kid. It’s been tough for you.”

   “Tying me down like this isn’t gonna help. I have no idea why the hell that snake lady is doing this to me. So, why do I have to get punished?!”

   “This isn’t punishment. For your own sake and for others, its best you stay down till we figure out how to stop your dark powers from taking over again.”

   Rey looked back at the lights. Even though they were very bright, he found comfort from looking into them. It was like a form of protection to him.

   “Tell me something,” Rey said. “Do you think I’m a monster now?”

   “Just because you’ve been mutated, doesn’t mean you’re a monster.”

   “I attacked my friends. I could’ve actually hurt them. I can’t even imagine what Sana must be thinking right now.”

   “Sana understands what you’re going through. Believe me. She’s the last person to think that you’re a monster.”

   Suddenly, Rey’s eyes beamed as he felt a vibration of some sort nearby. As he continued to look at the lights, he felt as though his body was beginning to freeze. Some sort of odd tension began to rise inside him. Ryan looked at him, puzzled.

   “You okay, kid?” Ryan asked.

   Rey didn’t give an answer. His eyes started to burn just like before and the markings on his body glowed purple again. Startled, Ryan drew out his wand, seeing Rey break out from the restraints and transform into the form of the dark beast he had taken on earlier. Ryan tapped his wand, making it transform into twin pistols. But before he could fire, Rey pounced at Ryan, slamming him to the wall with great force. With Ryan down, Rey barged out of the testing room, heading towards the nearest window, breaking it as he jumped out to escape.

   As Ryan tried to get up, Headmaster Devil and Tatia made their way inside the room.

   “What happened here?” Tatia asked as she came up to Ryan to helped him up.

   “He transformed. I tried to stop him, but he overtook me before I could do anything,” Ryan replied. “I don’t know how he could’ve gotten triggered.”

   “His senses must be a lot stronger now. He probably picked up the Shakti Orb’s presence,” Headmaster Devil said. “We have to find the kids and send them after him.”

   Suddenly, Sana, Krystal, Prince, Zayn, Akira, and Fida made their way inside the testing room. “Where’s Rey?” Sana asked, concerned.

   “What the hell is she doing here?!” Headmaster Devil said upon seeing Fida.

   “Relax, Devil. I’m not here to kill anyone…yet,” Fida responded.

   “Fida is going to help us take down Madame Naga. She told us everything we have to know,” Akira said.

   “And why should we trust a comrade of Naga’s?” Tatia asked, glaring at Fida.

   “You got no choice at this point,” Fida answered. “The boy is being used as her tool for absolute power. In his current state, his powers combined with the Shakti Orb would be able to make Madame Naga invincible. She’s planning to use the orb to absorb his power. If you fools want to prevent that, then we have to head towards her tower.”

   “Her tower?” Krystal said, puzzled.

   “You mean that abandoned tower outside the city?” Sana asked Fida.

   “That’s where Madame Naga is. And I’m sure that’s where the boy is heading,” Fida replied. “Which means we all have to head over there now if you still want to save him.”

   “Then, there’s no time to waste! We have to go now!” Zayn exclaimed.

   “We’re coming with you,” a voice said.

   The others turned around to see Heer enter the room along with Aiden and Runa.

   “You want Runa to come with us? But she’s just a kid,” Prince said to Heer.

   “Runa wants to help us. Besides, I want to make sure Neil is okay,” Heer replied. “There has to be more that we don’t know. I don’t think he’s capable of betraying any of us.”

   “Runa, are you sure you’re okay with this?” Headmaster Devil asked.

   “I want to help,” Runa answered.

   “And I fully support her and Heer in this,” Aiden added.

   “All right then. In that case, I say we all move out!” Tatia told everyone.

   With that, Sana, Krystal, Prince, Heer, Zayn, Akira, Aiden, Tatia, Ryan, Runa, and Headmaster Devil all made their way towards the front doors of the academy as quickly as they could to get on the move. Once they reached there and opened the doors, they were met by their first obstacle. Lady Chameleon was standing outside before them.

   “Oh great. More henchmen,” Akira said.

   “If you really thought we’d let you get to the boy before things were all set, then you all are dumber than I thought,” Lady Chameleon smirked.

   “Whatever! In case you didn’t notice, there’s eleven of us and only one of you!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “Think again,” Lady Chameleon said as she snapped her fingers.

   Suddenly, a countless number of dark beasts emerged from the shadows, their dark red eyes glowing as they all prowled, surrounding the academy like an army. These dark beasts had the form of big cats, some of which had similar markings to the ones Rey had.

   “You just had to say something,” Prince said to Krystal as he shook his head.

   “Ryan, go to my office now!” Headmaster Devil ordered. “Sound the alarm there and call for our students. We need all the help we can get.”

   “On it!” Ryan nodded as he ran back inside the academy.

   “Even if you call every single maggot that belongs to this school, you still won’t be able to defeat us,” Lady Chameleon said.

   “Oh, shut up already!” Fida shouted. “You can quit the taunting. It’s gotten old already.”

   “That’s ironic considering you were doing that to us not too long ago,” Krystal said.

   “Sana, Heer, Runa, and Aiden…you all go ahead and get to Rey,” Headmaster Devil said.

   “Are you sure?” Sana asked.

   “Yes. We got this under control,” Zayn responded.

   “Hurry! There’s no time to waste!” Aiden said.

   “You’ll need me as well if you want to get to the tower,” Fida said.

   Sana drew out her wand as Heer, Runa, and Aiden transformed into their beast forms, all four following Fida as they quickly made their way past the dark beasts while Lady Chameleon looked on.    

   “Poor, simple fools! Even if they get there, there’s no stopping Madame Naga from taking over,” Lady Chameleon cackled.

   Swiftly, Lady Chameleon was struck right in the back by what appeared to be a sword. But it wasn’t an ordinary sword. The sword had a blade that appeared to be made of pure diamond. And once struck, Lady Chameleon could feel a rush of pain in her back as she fell to the ground, unable to process what just happened. She turned around to see it was Tatia who had launched the sword into her back.

   “What…the hell…was that?” Lady Chameleon spoke slowly in pain as she started to get up.

   “That was my mom’s blade,” Zayn said.

   “Mom?!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “Your arrogance was getting on my nerves,” Tatia told Lady Chameleon.

   Lady Chameleon grunted as she slowly stood while the sword broke with blood dripping quickly down her back. Lady Chameleon looked at Tatia’s sword, seeing it disappear within seconds. What kind of ringmaster is she?! Lady Chameleon questioned.

   “My powers are far different from any ringmaster you’ve ever seen,” Tatia said.    “Don’t think that just because the cards appear to be in your favor that fate will follow the path you foresee.”

***

   Inside the academy, Ryan finally made it to Headmaster Devil’s office. He hit the emergency button that was on the wall beside the door. The button activated an alarm sound that rang all throughout the building and across the campus itself. Ryan turned on the speakers next to the emergency system and called into it, saying, “Calling all students and staff! There is an emergency at the academy! We need everyone present now! I repeat! We need every single one of you to help!”

   Ryan’s announcement had spread all over the campus. Lady Chameleon grinned as she stared back at Tatia and the others.

   “You think getting all your students will do anything?” Lady Chameleon scoffed. “They might as well sleep eternally.”

   “You might want to turn around and eat those words,” Krystal said. Confused, Lady Chameleon turned around along with the other dark beasts. She saw the many students and staff members of Ringmasters Training Academy, all surrounding her and her army of dark beasts. She turned back towards the front of the academy to see even more students had gathered along with Tatia, Headmaster Devil, Krystal, Prince, Zayn, and Akira. Ryan had also joined, entering through the academy doors, standing beside everyone.

   “You see…there’s a reason MY students are the best,” Headmaster Devil said. “They not only get here…but they do it fast.”

   “If you’re going to fight with your army, then our school is no less of an army to you as well,” Ryan added.

   Lady Chameleon said, “Impressive. You have quite the turnout here. But don’t think that means we won’t rip you all to pieces.”

   “Talking won’t prove anything. A real fighter doesn’t need to boast in the presence of the enemy,” Tatia said.

   “Very well. Give it all you got,” Lady Chameleon talked back.

   Headmaster Devil drew out his wand, transforming it into his weapon, which was a long wooden staff with a green sphere on the top of it that was held together by a golden band. Everyone else prepared themselves with the ringmasters transforming their wands into their weapons and the human-beasts taking on their beast forms. In his offensive stance, Headmaster Devil called all to attack.

Copyright © 2021 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.

Volume 1

22. The Awakening

imeryli

In the dark of the night, inside the depths of the tower outside of Daredevil City, Madame Naga was standing outside the cell that held an unconscious Neil inside. As Madame Naga watched him, Neil slowly began to open his eyes, steadily getting up from the ground.

   “My head,” Neil said as he put his hand to his forehead. He looked up, alarmed to see Madame Naga, who smirked back at him. “What the hell?! What are you doing here?!”

   “It appears you’ve finally gotten up. And in case you haven’t noticed, this is my tower.”

   “How…how long was I out?”

   “Quite a while. Clearly I knocked you out harder than I thought.”

   “Why the hell did you bring me here?!”

   “Calm down, boy. I have no interest in harming you. That is…as long as you remain civilized.”

   “No promises on that.”

   “Very well. You see…everything is about to be set into motion. Your friend, Rey, is being prepared as we speak for my plans. There’s just one thing that has to be done. One final piece I need to obtain for everything to work. And that is where you come in.”

   “Are you crazy?! What makes you think I’d do anything to help you?!”

   “Because I can give you exactly what you want.”

   “What?”

   “That’s right. I’ve been keeping a close eye on you, Neil. You want exactly what I want. Power. Our minds are more alike than you think.”

   “You’re insane! I’m nothing like you!”

   “Now don’t try to be so noble and deny it. You seek to be the strongest ringmaster ever. You wish to be even stronger than your brother. And I know, you feel that your partner, Heer, is holding you back due to her soft-spoken nature. Believe me, I understand you far too well. That is why if you do my bidding, I assure you that you will be rewarded well.”

   Neil took in every word Madame Naga had said. He kept silent, unsure of what to say while Madame Naga anticipated for a response. “But…Rey…he’s my best friend,” Neil said.

   “Well, that’s the thing about power, Neil,” Madame Naga grinned. “When you want something, you knock down anything that gets in your way. That includes your closest allies. Everything comes at a cost, Neil. And honestly…what you have to do is a small price to pay for the reward I have to bestow upon you.”

   “If all of this is about power, what happens after? How do I know you won’t knock me out of the way like everyone else?”

   “You’re smarter than I took you for. You could say that I’m unpredictable. But in your current state, you have very little options. I’m giving you the chance to get everything you’ve ever wanted.”

   Neil was still unsure as to what to say. While the clear answer was no, what she was offering was more than he ever wanted. As he kept quiet and looked down at the ground, Madame Naga was looking at him with her special eye technique at play. She was able to look deep into Neil’s soul, paying close attention to his heart. As she looked at it more closely, she could see a small dark spot stained upon it. The boy does have a smidge of darkness in his heart, Madame Naga smirked. He just can’t say no to my offer.

***

   The next day, in the morning at Ringmasters Training Academy, someone was entering the doors of the academy, making their way down the halls that led to the Devil’s Lair. This certain someone was a woman. She had radiant blonde hair that was long with curled ends and had a golden sheen to it. Part of her hair was tied up in a bun with two small daggers holding it together. She was quite tall, wearing a caped jacket in gray over a blue shirt, long gray fingerless gloves, gray pants held by a belt with a pouch attached to it, and black knee-high boots. But the most striking thing about her appearance was her eyes, both were of different colors. Her left eye was blue while her right eye was violet.

   As she continued walking, she stopped upon reaching the door of Headmaster Devil’s office. The woman opened the door, seeing Headmaster Devil at his desk, clasping the hand of a blonde-haired woman. The two giggled in each other’s presence. The woman scoffed at the sight and cleared her throat to grab Headmaster Devil’s attention. Upon hearing the sound, Headmaster Devil and the lady turned to the woman. The woman could see that Headmaster Devil’s face had turned red.

   “Oh my gosh!” the lady beamed with excitement. “It’s you! It’s really you! You’re the great ringmaster, Tatia Hawkwing!”

   “Tatia! Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?!” Headmaster Devil exclaimed.

   “Like that would have prevented me from seeing your lecherous display,” Tatia said.

   “Do you know her personally, Devil?” the lady asked Headmaster Devil.

   “Well…she happens to be my ex-wife,” Headmaster Devil said.

   “Are you serious?!” the lady shrieked. “I can’t believe you separated from a woman of such high stature! I mean this is the same Tatia Hawkwing that happens to be in the Ringmasters Society! THE Ringmasters Society!”

   “While your praise of me is amusing, I actually came here to speak with Devil if you don’t mind,” Tatia told the lady.

   “Of course. I’ll see you later then,” the lady said, waving bye to Headmaster Devil as she dashed her way out of the office while Tatia watched her leave.

   Tatia turned back to Headmaster Devil, shaking her head in disgust. This shouldn’t have even been a surprise to her.

   “Amazing. Even after your son joins here, your ways still don’t change,” Tatia said.

   “You could’ve knocked at least.”

   “Or you could find a better place to fool around with your girlfriends.”

   “Oh, whatever. What brings you here?”

   “Just the usual. I came to check on how Zayn is adjusting to things around here.”

   “You could’ve just visited him yourself. You didn’t have to come to my office for that.”

   “I’m aware, Devil. As a member of Ringmasters Society, it is part of my duty to check on the academies every now and then.”

   “Well, it’s not like you visit here frequently. In fact, Shuto’s been the one to come for check-ups.”

   “I acknowledge that. And I’m here now.”

   “I see. So, you’re not here for me?”

   “Well, I did come to see you. But your little office fling threw me off guard for a moment. Is this why you declined the offer to join the society? So, that you could continue to philander with women?”

   “Oh, come on, Tatia. Don’t tell me this is all you think of me after how long we were together. I didn’t join the society because this academy had to be run by someone after Headmaster Rowan passed away. You and I were offered to join right after the divorce. I just thought it was better for the both of us that you go and take the offer while I stay behind and run the academy. It’s not like we would’ve been pleasant seeing each other at work every day. Besides, your powers are far greater than mine.”

   “I appreciate your modesty. But even your power is exemplary as well. Why else would I send my son to this school?”

   “Wow. That’s the first time you have complimented me in a while.”

   Tatia shook her head, seeing Headmaster Devil looking proud as ever. She looked out into the window, staring at the beautiful clouds hovering among the cool blue sky.

   “Now onto my primary reason for coming here,” Tatia said, grabbing Headmaster Devil’s attention. “Word has gotten out about Solomon. I’m sure you’re aware of that since you sent Zayn and Akira to Rutham City.”

   “How do you know about Solomon?”

   “Zayn told me what happened. And since the task in Rutham City was assigned by the society, I got the details.”

   “So, he tells you and I end up having to get the details from Akira?”

   “That shouldn’t be a surprise. I’ve been a part of his life more than you have.”

   “Well, that’s not my fault.”

   “We’re not going to discuss parental matters. I just wanted to let you know that I will be monitoring the Solomon case. Hopefully, I can figure out what’s really going on.”

   “Zayn will be able to-“

   “Zayn will not go after Solomon. You know very well the past they both shared. He doesn’t have to relive that part of his childhood.”

   “Tatia…”

   “This discussion is over. Solomon will be my priority. In the meantime, I will be staying here at the academy for a while to keep an eye on Zayn.”

   With that, Tatia made her way out of the room. Headmaster Devil looked on as the doors of his office closed once Tatia had left. She’s still as stubborn as before, Headmaster Devil shook his head.

   Tatia began to walk down the hall, not looking back once after she left the office. Seeing her ex-husband was a lot more annoying than she would’ve thought.

   “Well, well. Long time, no see, Tatia,” a voice said from behind. Upon hearing the voice that called her name, Tatia stopped immediately. The sound was too familiar for her not to know. She turned around to see Ryan was standing in the corner, his arms crossed as he looked at her with a smile on his face.

   “Ryan,” Tatia said.

   “That’s all you have to say to an old friend?”

   “I’m sorry. It’s just…I can’t believe it’s really you.”

   Tatia walked towards Ryan, unable to take her eyes off him. This was the first time in a while that she had seen his face. She could feel that she was overwhelmed with emotion, which was something she hadn’t felt in so long. She stood face-to-face with Ryan, looking at him and seeing he was slightly taken aback. Tatia wrapped her arms around Ryan, embracing him softly. Ryan was stunned at this act. For as long as he had known her, it was rare to see her embrace anyone. He simply stood as she continued to hug him and said, “This is quite out of the blue for you.”

   “What do you mean?” Tatia asked as she released her arms. “I’m sorry. I-“

   “No, no! I didn’t mind! Really!” Ryan exclaimed. “It’s just…you we’re never really one to be a hugger.”

   “Well, it’s been so long since I’ve seen an old face. We haven’t exactly spoken much since we graduated from the academy.”

   “Yeah, I haven’t really talked to a lot of people from the academy either. Being part of a hunter squad really keeps you busy. I’m getting even busier now that I’ve adjusted to this professor job. And I’m sure you’ve been busy working with the Ringmasters Society.”

   “Yes, you’re right. I’m sorry. I should’ve tried to contact you much earlier.”

   Ryan was even more surprised. The Tatia he remembered was rarely ever so timid. He saw her eyes look down to the left. It was as if she was in deep regret. Unable to see her like this, he said, “Oh, come on, Tatia! I could’ve called you myself as well. Don’t blame yourself! Anyways, enough sappy talk, how are things at the society?”

   “The usual. I’m going to be staying here at the academy for some time.”

   “I see. In that case, it’s a good thing you’re here.”

   “And why’s that?”

   “I need your help with something. Something that Devil won’t be able to assist me with.”

   “And that is?”

   “I’ll have to explain it later. I need to get some things printed before my next lecture. I’ll see you around soon.”

   As Ryan made his way past Tatia down the hall, she turned around to him and called his name. Ryan paused, turning towards her.

   “Do you know…about me and Devil?” Tatia asked.

   Ryan wasn’t too surprised to hear Tatia bring that up. But at the same time, he wondered why she did. He said, “Yeah. It doesn’t take too long for Devil to bring up old history. I’ll see you later.”

   With that, Ryan walked away, walking slightly faster than before. He didn’t want to give Tatia a chance to stop him again. As happy as he was to see her again, there were things that he wasn’t sure he could talk about right now. Tatia watched Ryan leave, noting how it looked like he was running away from her. You haven’t changed much, Ryan, she thought.

***

   Outside the health center of the academy, Sana and Heer had come to see Rey. But as they arrived at the front desk, they were once again told by Nurse Sheila that he was still too sick to see any visitors.

   “Nurse Sheila, are you sure Rey is okay?” Sana asked, concerned. “He’s been sick for so long.”

   “He will be fine,” Nurse Sheila assured.     “His medication has some side effects that are kicking in now. But after some time, he’ll get better. Just trust me. It’s best for your own health that you don’t see him just yet. Once he starts to get better, you can come see him, okay?”

   “Okay. Thank you for your time,” Heer nodded.

   “But…,” Sana began to say something. “We have to-“

   “Sana, it’s okay. Just trust me on this,” Nurse Sheila said.

   Sana reluctantly followed Heer as they made their way towards the stairs. She was starting to get more concerned than ever. Especially since she had tried calling Rey on his phone and even that wasn’t an option since he wouldn’t pick up.

   “Heer, don’t you feel something’s odd?” Sana asked Heer as the two continued walking. “I just don’t understand why we can’t go see Rey for at least a minute or two.”

   “We just have to trust Nurse Sheila. She’s a professional. I’m sure she knows what she’s doing.”

   “Something is just up. I know it.”

   “Maybe you’re just letting your worries get to you, Sana. Try to relax.”

   “I’ll try.”

   Once Sana and Heer had reached the ground floor, they ended up meeting Krystal and Prince.

   “Hey! It’s good to see you guys!” Sana exclaimed. “How was the trip?”

   “Awesome! I got this!” Krystal replied as she drew out her zodiac wand, showing it off to Sana and Heer.

   “Wow, Krystal. It’s beautiful,” Heer said.

   “You got a new wand?” Sana asked.

   “She sure did. It transforms into the Chain of Leo,” Prince explained. “It’s basically an upgrade weapon for Krystal’s sonic bell.”

   “And it’s all mine!” Krystal exclaimed as she hugged the wand tightly. “And get this! This wand actually holds the spirit of Leo in it.”

   “Your wand is possessed by a spirit?” Heer asked.

   “It was crazy to me at first as well,” Prince said. “But that’s the truth. Leo’s spirit resides in the wand. In fact, there happen to be other zodiac wands out there.”

   “That’s amazing, Krystal,” Sana said.

   “Thank you. And since I’m in such a good mood, I say we all go out for dinner in the evening. My treat,” Krystal suggested. “We can go to Devil’s Diner.”

   “Sounds like a plan,” Heer said.

***

   In the evening at the academy, there was an aura of dormancy around the forbidden chamber. The two guards that were assigned to guard the chamber stood calm and poised as they remained on duty to protect it at all costs. But all that silence would be gone in a matter of moments. Because out of nowhere, a masked figure emerged from underground, grabbing hold of both guards by their legs, and pulling them down to the ground. The figure stood before them, completely shrouded in a medium-length black cloak. The guards got up, drawing out their swords to attack the figure. But the figure was able to easily dodge the attacks from their swords, knocking out both guards with one punch each to the head.

   Once the guards were down, the figure proceeded to take a key that was chained on the pocket of one of the guard’s jackets. The figure turned towards the door of the chamber, unlocking it with the key. Once the door had opened, it revealed what appeared to be a bright, blue-colored orb that was sealed in a silver case. This was none other than the Shakti Orb. The figure took the case with the orb inside, heading back underground to escape.

***

   As the sun began to fall and the moon rose to begin the night, Madame Naga looked outside of the window of her tower, right near the cellar. She paid close attention towards the twinkling stars that glistened the sky in shiny glory. The sky seemed so calm to her. Such a beautiful night it is, Madame Naga thought. It’s a shame that it won’t last long.

   Madame Naga turned upon hearing someone enter the cellar. She smirked as she saw the cloaked figure was holding the Shakti Orb. Madame Naga stared right at the glowing orb, elated to see it in pristine condition.

   “Well done,” Madame Naga said.

   The cloaked figure removed its hood, revealing to be none other than Neil, who looked back at Madame Naga and said, “What’s next?”

   “It’s time. Now that the moon is up…the orb will do its magic.”

   “And when do I get my end of the bargain?”

   “Patience, Neil. You will get your reward and much more. Everything is going exactly as I planned. Hand me the orb.”

   Neil gave Madame Naga the Shakti Orb in its case. Madame Naga removed the lid of the case, bringing the Shakti Orb closer to the window with the moon in full sight. The orb began to give off a shiny white glow that was amplified once the moon’s light hit against it.

   As this was going on, back at the academy health center, Rey was panting vigorously as he remained on the bed with the marks on his body beginning to glow purple. He jumped out of bed, gasping at the sight. He looked at the mirror, seeing markings beginning to form on his face and neck.

   “No,” Rey said. “No, no! This can’t be happening!”

   Rey turned towards the window, his eyes looking into the moon’s beaming light. As he continued to stare at the moon, he could feel a burning sensation in his eyes. He fell to the ground as a gut-punching feeling rose in his abdomen. It was as if he was taking thirty punches all at once. Rey could feel the markings continue to shine their glowing color, stinging his skin and making him sweat even more than ever before. He could feel as though his body was shifting. It felt like something transformative was happening to him and he couldn’t seem to get any control on it as he continued to descend into the internal pain that he was feeling.

***

   Meanwhile, in downtown Daredevil City, Sana, Krystal, Prince, and Heer had finished up their dinner at Devil’s Diner. Krystal was taking care of the bill while Sana, Prince, and Heer were waiting right behind her at the counter of the restaurant.

   “I don’t think I’ve eaten such a big meal in a long time,” Heer said.

   “I know. I’m pretty stuffed,” Prince agreed.

   “Those crab cakes were definitely the best thing I’ve eaten,” Sana said.

   “Okay, guys! I finished paying!” Krystal exclaimed as she turned to Sana, Prince, and Heer. “We can get going now.”

   As the group of four made their way out of the restaurant, Sana couldn’t help but think of Rey again. The distance between them was unsettling. And while she knew she couldn’t do anything about it, she couldn’t help but feel sad about not being able to see or talk to him.

   “Oh my gosh! Sana, are you even with us right now?!” Krystal’s exclaimed.

   “Oh, sorry. Just have a lot on my mind,” Sana replied.

   “It’s about Rey,” Krystal said. “Isn’t it?”

   “Sana, Rey’s going to be okay,” Heer said.

   “I understand how you feel though. I’d be worried too if I were you,” Prince said to Sana.

   “I want to believe he’s okay,” Sana said. “But something tells me-“

   Before Sana could finish talking, she was alarmed by a phone call coming from her cell phone in the pocket of her trench coat. She took out her phone, seeing it was Zayn calling, and answered, “Hey, Zayn. What’s up?”

   “Sana, where are you and the others?”

   “We’re on our way back to the academy. Why?”

   “You guys got to get back here quick. Something has happened.”

   “What? What’s going on?”

   “It’s Rey. It looks like he’s been kidnapped.”

   “What?! We’re on our way!”

   “What’s wrong, Sana?” Heer asked.

   “Rey’s been kidnapped!” Sana said.

   “What?!” Krystal and Prince exclaimed in unison.

   “We have to get back to the academy! Fast!” Sana told the others as they headed off quickly.

***

   Back at the academy health center, Sana, Heer, Krystal, and Prince had arrived to see Zayn, Akira, Headmaster Devil, Aiden, Ryan, Tatia, and Nurse Sheila all together outside of where Rey’s room was. “You guys are finally here! They’re something you all have to see,” Aiden said as he took the group inside Rey’s room.

   The room was completely torn apart. Wallpaper had been scratched and destroyed. The mirror inside the room was completely shattered with pieces of glass lying on the floor, mixed with broken window glass. Claw marks were all over the bed and the walls. It was as if a wild beast had created this destruction.

   “What the hell happened here?” Prince asked.

   “I wish I knew. I stepped outside to escort the staff out. When I came back, I wanted to check in on Rey before I’d head out for the night. And then I saw this,” Nurse Sheila said.

   “What kind of creature could’ve done this?” Sana asked, distraught at the horrific scene in front of her.

   “Not sure. But whatever it is, it took Rey with them,” Aiden replied.

   “There has to be a way we can locate him,” Zayn said.

   “Well, I just checked the dark beast radar we have here at the school,” Headmaster Devil replied. “There is a dark beast that’s been detected in the city. But it’s moving quickly. Which means it most likely has Rey. You guys better get moving. The rest of us will monitor things from here in case the beast happens to come back.”

   “We’re on it!” Sana said as she, Krystal, and Zayn headed out from the room with Prince and Heer following in their beast forms along with Akira, who had transformed in her siren form.

   After the gang left, Nurse Sheila sighed as she was about to head back to her desk. Tatia eyed her closely.

   “Nurse Sheila,” Tatia called upon the nurse. Nurse Sheila was alarmed at the sound of her name, as was Headmaster Devil and Aiden. She turned back to Tatia and said, “Yes, ma’am?”

   “I’d like a word with you,” Tatia replied.

   “What is it?” Nurse Sheila asked.

   “How long have you been working here?” Tatia questioned.

   “I started around the time the headmaster’s son joined the school,” Nurse Sheila answered.

   “I see…so you mean the same time Rey happened to have gotten a severe injury from Madame Naga during a battle that occurred at the school?” Tatia questioned Nurse Sheila further.

   “How do you know about that?” Aiden asked Tatia.

   “I filled her in on everything going on,” Ryan replied for Tatia.

   “He sure did,” Tatia said. “And as he did, something struck my mind that surprisingly didn’t hit Devil in his grain-sized brain. What kind of nurse doesn’t allow visitors for a patient?”

   “Rey had a contagious illness. It was for the sake of the health of these students that I didn’t allow visitors,” Nurse Sheila responded.

   Tatia smirked upon hearing Nurse Sheila’s response and said, “I see. Tell me, what is this contagious illness that he had?”

   Tatia noticed Nurse Sheila’s eyes looked off to the right after she asked her question. Her responses had been immediate up until this point. Her eyes started to move around in a circular motion, almost as if she was searching for an answer.

   “Do you not know yourself, Nurse Sheila?”

   “Of course, I do! He had some flu-like symptoms, and his skin was getting very pale and-“

   “Your hesitation indicates that you have no idea what you’re talking about,” Tatia said. “You see…any nurse that works at the academy should be able to state a patient’s conditions point blank. Also, even if a patient has a contagious illness, there are ways visitors can still come. In fact, clinics are supposed to provide protective masks and garments that visitors can wear to see a patient. So, taking that into account, it boggles my mind that a nurse would be so adamant on not wanting people to see a patient even though protective measures can easily be taken so that the visitors’ precious health is safeguarded. Now tell me, Nurse Sheila…what do you have to say to that?”

   The room fell silent. Tatia glanced at Headmaster Devil and Aiden, who looked like they couldn’t even process everything they had just heard. Tatia looked back at Nurse Sheila, who was still silent and utterly quiet. Nurse Sheila looked up at Tatia and said, “Well then…you’re as smart as people say you are.”

   The woman who called herself Nurse Sheila suddenly transformed into the form of a tall lady with long red hair that went all the way down her back and golden eyes of a serpent. Tatia recognized her within an instant. She simply said, “Just as I suspected…Lady Chameleon.”

   “You certainly figured that out quick. Too bad it’s too late for you to do anything,” Lady Chameleon replied. Lady Chameleon’s body suddenly merged with the ground, slipping her way out of the health center with Tatia, Ryan, Headmaster Devil, and Aiden unable to do anything. There was a moment of silence in the room with everyone except Tatia in shock.

   “What did she mean by it’s too late?” Aiden asked.

   “I don’t know,” Ryan replied. “I didn’t even see this coming.”

   “The situation is worse than I thought, Devil,” Tatia said.

***

   On the other hand, Sana, Krystal, Prince, Heer, Zayn, and Akira were making their way as quickly as they could around the city to look for any dark beasts in the area. Sana could feel her anxiety eating her up. She knew something was up with Rey, but never expected anything like this.

   “This is insane! We’ve been at this for minutes and we still have seen no sign of a beast here!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “I can’t see anything from here either,” Akira said as she flew above the others.

   “The beast could’ve gotten further out of town,” Zayn suggested.

   Suddenly, out of nowhere, the sound of an echoing roar struck Sana’s eardrums. The group looked around themselves, trying to see where the sound could be coming from. A prowling dark beast had emerged from the shadows of the alley that the group had stopped at. It reflected the appearance of a tiger except its fur was of an ivory black color with its stripes being dark purple.

   “That looks like our beast,” Krystal said.

   “But then…where’s Rey?” Zayn questioned.

   Before anyone else could speak, the dark beast jumped towards the group, keeping them on guard.

   “Akira!” Zayn called.

   “I’m on it!” Akira responded to Zayn’s call as she flapped her wings viciously, sending out gusts of sand particles towards the dark beast’s way. The dark beast tried to push through the sands, making its way towards Prince and pouncing him. Stunned, Krystal ordered, “Prince! Sonic Roar! Hurry!”

   Prince let out his Sonic Roar right at the dark beast’s face, making it get off Prince’s body. Heer tried to pounce at the dark beast herself, being able to scratch it on its face with the claws of her paw, leaving a freezing sting upon its face. Out of anger, the dark beast tried to swing its own paw at Heer, but Heer dodged it. However, the dark beast launched a dark energy fireball attack towards Heer, slamming her against the alley wall.

   This attack surprised Sana. She could see the mixture of orange flames within it, which struck her to be quite peculiar. Why is there something so familiar about this beast? Sana wondered.

   As the dark beast was distracted, Sana plunged her trishula into the ground, shouting, “Ember Fury!” The attack launched a linear trail of ember towards the dark beast, splashing the ember right at its face. The dark beast fell back onto the ground in a puff of smoke that was a result of the embers bursting. The others stood by.

   But once the smoke had faded, Sana was shocked at what she saw. She even turned to her friends to see they were just as bewildered as she was. Because the dark beast had transformed back into the state of a human. And that human…was none other than Rey, who remained on the ground in torn clothes with dark markings glowing all over his body. As he slowly got up, he rubbed his head with his hand, turning to the others, puzzled.

   “Why are you guys looking at me like that?” Rey questioned the others.

Copyright © 2021 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.

Volume 1

21. Battle for The Chain of Leo

imeryli

“Yes! Yes!” Krystal cheered in excitement as she looked down upon the many buildings and acres of land as she rode her hoverboard. After a few hours of riding the skies, Krystal and Prince had arrived at what was known as the town of Riven.

   “I can’t believe we’re here, Prince. We’re finally here. Now the Chain of Leo is about to be mine.”

   “Don’t celebrate just yet. We still have to find it.”

   “I know. But I have a good feeling we’re going to.”

   As soon as the two landed in Riven, Krystal and Prince got off their hoverboards and began walking around. It was required for travelers to have hoverboards or any other forms of advanced transportation devices at the entrance gates of the town. Riven also happened to be the closest to where Mt. Roja was located.

   “I’m so tired,” Prince said.

   “Oh, shut up! Once we get the Chain of Leo, we can go home, and you can nap for a whole day if you want to. But until then, we gotta focus on the mission.”

   “You don’t know if someone already got it.”

   “There you go being a rainy cloud. I know the chain is still here. I can just feel it! Now hurry up! We have to start searching.”

   Krystal ran ahead while Prince followed her inside the town. She’s so determined to get this chain. It’s unusual, Prince thought.

***

   Meanwhile, back at Ringmasters Training Academy, Aiden was working with Heer and Runa on their training inside the gymnasium. It was free period, so it was a perfect time to get some training in. “Okay, Heer, listen carefully,” Aiden said. “I want you to demonstrate an ice energy beam.”

   “What is Runa going to do then?” Heer asked Aiden.

   “Runa will observe you and then perform a dark energy beam,” Aiden replied.

   “How…how can I do that?” Runa asked.

   “This is what you need to do, Runa,” Aiden explained. “You have to learn to control your powers. All that starts with your energy and how you utilize it. As for you, Heer, it’s important you grasp this concept as well. So, Runa, I want you to trust yourself and watch Heer closely.”

   Runa turned to Heer, who smiled back at her. With that, Runa nodded in agreement as she kept her eyes on Heer. Heer transformed into her beast form. After closing her eyes, she opened them after a few seconds, revealing their blue glow. She opened her mouth wide as an ice energy beam slowly formed, the energy twisting. Runa watched Heer closely, seeing how she was able to easily maintain the balance of energy within the beam.

   “Very nice, Heer. Just maintain the flow of energy for a little longer,” Aiden said. “Are you ready to try for yourself, Runa?”

   “I think so.”

   “Good. Then go for it.”

   Runa transformed into her beast form. It was truly a sight for Aiden to see Runa take on her panther form in front of his eyes for the first time. Runa closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. She opened them after a few seconds, and they began to glow a bright purple color.  Runa opened her mouth, slowly forming a dark energy beam as she paralleled Heer’s ice energy beam.

   “That’s it. Keep it steady, Runa,” Aiden said.

   “So, this is why Zayn said we had to move our training elsewhere,” a voice said.

   Aiden turned behind him to see Sana standing right by the entrance to the gymnasium.

   “Sana. I’m surprised to see you here,” Aiden said. “What’s up?”

   “I wanted to see what kind of training you guys are up to. It’s great that you’re training Heer and Runa together. It looks like it’s helping Runa with controlling her powers.”

   “I hope you don’t mind that we had to steal your little training spot.”

   “It’s no big deal.”

   “By the way, is Rey still sick?”

   “Unfortunately. I called his nurse at the health center and she said that he should start feeling better after finishing his medications.”

   “I see. Well, hopefully he’ll recover soon. He’s a tough one after all.”

   Suddenly, Runa’s dark energy beam began to get hectic as it started to give off static shocks. The sight alarmed Aiden, Sana, and Heer.

   “Don’t let your energy get out of hand, Runa!” Aiden said. “Stay focused! Just use all your will power if you have to.”

   Runa shook her head as she closed her eyes tightly. She kept calm as the energy of the dark energy beam slowly tamed down.

   “Wow. You sure have a way with communication,” Sana told Aiden.

   “That’s why I’m the coach.”

   “Though don’t you think testing out energy beams is rather too simple?”

   “It is. This is just a start. Heer and Runa…you both are doing great. Now I want you both to take things a bit further. I need you to trust each other. Launch your beams upward and make them collide.”

   Heer and Runa nodded as the two proceeded to launch their energy beams up towards the ceiling. Once the beams were launched, they managed to collide perfectly, creating an array of blue and purple sparks. Sana watched the display with complete awe while Aiden smiled.   

   “Perfect,” Aiden said.

   Amazing, Sana thought. He truly knows how to guide others.

***

   Back in Riven, Krystal and Prince were busy making their way around the town. The town itself had a more mellow setting. Small brick houses were aligned on the streets with little shops that sold a wide range of goods. One attraction of the town was that its roads were completely made of crimson red bricks. And alongside many streets were trees that grew wisteria flowers. The town was famous for having them grow right at the beginning of the spring season.

   Prince sighed as predictably Krystal was getting distracted by the beauty of the town. Instead of making their way towards Mt. Roja, the two stopped at a small boutique.

   “These necklaces are gorgeous! And the bags! They have the latest Reshawna bag. I’ve been looking everywhere for this,” Krystal said as she brought all her items to the cashier for purchasing. “The girls are gonna love all these souvenirs.”

   As the cashier began to ring up all the items, Krystal noticed Prince was awfully quiet. She could even see from his face that he was annoyed.

   After she handed her credit card to the cashier, she said to Prince, “What’s your deal?”

   “Nothing. I just expected this.”

   “Expected what?”

   “You to get distracted like you always do.”

   “Distracted?! You know I always like to get souvenirs when we travel!”

   “You came here for a reason. You wanted to get that weapon. And instead of getting that done, you’re shopping. Typical.”

   “Hey, I am focused! Right after this, we’ll march right over to Mt. Roja and get it!”

   “Excuse me. You plan to go to Mt. Roja?” the cashier asked.

   “That’s right,” Krystal said.

   “I hate to tell you this, but that area is off limits to tourists,” the cashier said.

   “What?!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “So much for that plan,” Prince said.

   “Why would it be off limits?!” Krystal asked.

   “It only happened recently, but several tourists reported ghost sightings there and went ballistic. So, they’ve decided to close off tourism indefinitely,” the cashier said as he handed Krystal back her credit card and finished packing her items.

   “Ghosts? Really?” Prince said.

   Prince looked at Krystal, surprised to see her so quiet. At a time like this, she’d normally throw a whole tantrum.

   “Well, thanks for letting us know,” Krystal said as she grabbed her bags from the cashier. “Have a nice day.”

   With that, Krystal and Prince walked out of the shop and back into the streets. Prince couldn’t tell what Krystal was thinking. But with this new information, he didn’t think it was possible for them to do anything now.

   “So, what do we do now?” Prince asked. “Should we just head back to school?”

   Prince looked at Krystal again and noticed a wide grin form on her face. He was quite puzzled by it.

   “Now who said anything about going back?” Krystal said.

   “What?”

   “Let’s go. I have an idea.”

   Krystal walked ahead while Prince followed her. Great. Just when I thought we’d be leaving, Prince thought.

***

   Back at the academy, Ryan was in his office working on paperwork for his class. After half an hour, he placed his papers in a file folder and headed out of his office, locking the door. Ryan stepped out into the hallway, heading towards the stairs. As he went down them, he came across Headmaster Devil once he had reached the lower level.

   “Devil?” Ryan said, confused. “I thought you were leaving earlier today?”

   “I had some work to finish.”

   “As did I.”

   “How’s your class going by the way? I hope you’re adjusting.”

   “It’s going well. Though four of my students have been absent. Krystal, Prince, Neil, and Rey.”

   “Krystal and Prince have gone to Riven for some important work. Neil has gone back to his hometown, Helada. And as for Rey, he’s been quite ill lately, so he’s resting in the health center.”

   “The boy’s still sick? Sana didn’t mention anything to me.”

   “It’s just a flu according to the nurse.”

   “No one has gone to see him?”

   “Well, the nurse said it’s highly contagious, so it’s wise that he has no visitors.”

   “Who is this nurse?”

   “Nurse Sheila. She just started here around the time Zayn and Akira joined the academy.”

   “I see. Well…I better get back home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

   “Sure thing. Have a good evening.”

   Ryan made his way through the doors of the academy, pondering. How can that man be so oblivious? Ryan thought. I’m not the brightest man alive. But even I know something’s odd about this. So, who’s this new nurse that has everyone kept at bay?

***

    Back in Riven, Krystal and Prince were on their way to Mt. Roja, continuing their quest for the Chain of Leo. Though Prince still didn’t know what Krystal had in mind. With the news they had received about the area being closed off to tourists, he didn’t think there was anything they could do. But they were still heading there, and Krystal hadn’t said a word about this idea of hers. She just kept her focus on reaching to Mt. Roja. It was weird to see Krystal not be a chatterbox. Normally if they went anywhere, Prince couldn’t go two minutes without her mouth going off. It made him think that this journey was very important to her.

   After some more time had passed, Krystal stopped, looking at the map on her phone’s GPS. She looked up, seeing what appeared to be Mt. Roja. Its stature wasn’t much, the mountain range was quite small. But the striking crimson color of the rock was certainly there. It almost looked like the mountain was composed of bricks. Standing in the way of her getting to that mountain was a tall fence.

   “Well, we’re here,” Prince said. “Now you better explain what you’re up to.”

   “Well, this works perfectly.”

   “What does?”

   “The fence. It seems they don’t have any guards on duty. That makes this a little easier.”

   “How? You’re still blocked from entering.”

   “Not if you can jump over the fence.”

   Prince thought he misheard. But then he remembered this was Krystal who was talking.

   “What?” Prince asked.

   “Yeah. We can jump over the fence. Of course, I think we’ll have to make sure we jump high enough, so we don’t touch it. I’m pretty sure it could be electric or something like that.”

   “And exactly how would we jump over?”

   “Well, you can transform into your beast form and leap over. The fence isn’t too tall and from my little knowledge on animals, I’m pretty sure lions can leap pretty high. As for me, I’m gonna use my sonic bell to emit a sound wave that can boost me up.”

   “You actually expect that to work? How do you even know that your sonic bell will be able to propel you high enough to get over?”

   “You can help with that. I’ll jump over first. When I use my sonic bell, you can use your Sonic Roar for extra power. That should be just enough to get me over. And once I’m over, you can go.”

   Prince was surprised. As crazy as this idea sounded, it seemed like Krystal had it all figured out. But of course, there was the matter of whether it would work.

   “If this doesn’t work, it’s your fault.”

   “Trust me, it’ll work. Just transform already.”

   Prince transformed into his beast form while Krystal drew out her wand, tapped it, and transformed it into her sonic bell. She got into her stance and made sure her sonic bell faced the ground.

   She turned to Prince and said, “Okay. For this to work, I need you to be directly behind me. Our timing has to be right, too. So, as soon as I get my sonic bell going, you aim your Sonic Roar towards me.”

   Prince nodded. Krystal got ready, taking one deep breath. She was confident that she could do this, but there was a part of her that was nervous. She decided to brush it off and focus on getting this done right. The Chain of Leo was waiting for her.

   “Sound Beam,” Krystal said as she emitted a sound energy beam from her sonic bell that bounced her off the ground.

   That was Prince’s cue. He immediately launched his Sonic Roar attack behind Krystal, combining it with her sound energy beam. With the two forces collided, she was propelled higher in the air and she managed to make it above the fence. As she headed towards the ground on the other side, she flipped and landed perfectly. Krystal grounded her standing and was astonished that she really did it.

   “Yes. Yes. Yes! I did it!” Krystal exclaimed. “I actually did it! Come on, Prince! You can jump over now!”

   And so, Prince leaped over the fence. It was quite effortless for him as Krystal said. He landed on the ground next to her and transformed back into his human form.

   “Look, Prince! We actually made it over!”

   “I know. Even I’m surprised.”

   “Okay. Now that we’re here, we need to find the chain.”

   “Well, this mountain is pretty big. It could take forever to search for it.”

   “Ugh! You’re right! I didn’t even think about that.”

   “Well, just take a minute to think. What did the riddle say again?”

   Krystal took out a small chit of paper from the inner pocket of her flared top. She had written the riddle down on it. If one chooses to seek, one must go to the top peak. And look deep, beyond the crimson rock that stands so tall, Krystal read. Geez, we’re already here. They could’ve been a little bit more specific when writing this thing.

   But then it hit Krystal. She looked up at Mt. Roja and slowly worked her way down to the lower rock formations.

   “I think I understand the riddle. I only focused on the part about the crimson rock. But not on the part about looking beyond,” Krystal said. “I think we’re supposed to find it closer to the lower level of the mountain.”

   “You might be right on that.”

   “How so?”

   “Look over there.”

   Krystal looked to where Prince was pointing. There appeared to be a large hole in the ground. Krystal and Prince walked towards it.

   “What do you think it’s for?” Krystal asked.

   “My guess…someone else is looking for exactly what you’re looking for.”

   “Oh, come on. You think someone dug up a hole here to find the chain?”

   “Well, the riddle did say to look beyond. Now it was written a long time ago, so who knows. But maybe this is it. Of course, we’ll only know if we go down there.”

   Krystal looked down at the hole, looking straight at the ground below it. She gulped, seeing how deep it was.

   “Oh great! Now we have to go down here!” Krystal exclaimed. “Don’t they have those little transportation devices?! How can I go down there in this outfit! It’ll get-“

   Before Krystal could finish talking, Prince gave her a slight push from behind and she fell down the hole, screaming. Krystal crashed to the ground, landing flat. Prince jumped down inside after transforming into his beast form. Once he had landed, he transformed back into human form, seeing Krystal on the ground.

   “What the hell?! How dare you push me down here?!” Krystal yelled, getting up quickly.

   “Your idiotic talk was getting on my nerves.”

   “You’re lucky my outfit is still in one piece.”

   “Whatever. We’re in. So, we might as well start looking.”

   “You mean walk around and dig up the place like scavengers?”

   “Well, how else are we supposed to find it?”

   “I actually have another idea in mind.”

   Krystal drew out her wand and tapped it, transforming it into her sonic bell. As she held her sonic bell, the actual yellow bell that was attached on it started to glow, picking up a signal.

   “Looks like we have to head straight down and then make a right,” Krystal told Prince.

   “How…how do you even know that?”

   “While I was reading the book I got from the library, I learned that the Chain of Leo reacts when there is a presence of another sound weapon nearby. So, I thought that maybe if I use my sonic bell, I’ll be able to sense the vibrations of the chain, which could lead me to where it is. And since a reaction was picked up, we now know for certain that it is here.”

   “Wow. That’s…actually a smart idea.”

   “I can be smart when I want to be. Now let’s go.”

   Krystal went ahead with Prince following her. Her sonic bell’s vibrations grew stronger as she came closer to where the Chain of Leo was hidden. As they continued walking, Prince thought, Seeing Krystal like this is remarkable. Either I’ve underestimated her this whole time or she’s starting to grow up a bit.

   “My sonic bell is picking up vibrations from somewhere here!” Krystal exclaimed. Krystal looked around, seeing a gleaming light shining from the ground. She plunged her sonic bell to the ground, allowing the sound waves to crack the ground to where the light was coming from. Once that was done, she pulled away some of the dirt and rocks of the ground, revealing the glow that was coming from underground. Behind all that dirt was a long silver and gold chain.

   “Yes! I found it! The Chain of Leo!” Krystal exclaimed as she got her hands on the chain. “I can’t believe we actually found it!”

   Before Krystal could even pull the chain out, a bright purple glow came from underground. The ground exploded, which made both Krystal and Prince fall back. Once the smoke from the explosion faded away, Krystal was shocked to see a tall, muscular guy standing before them. To Krystal, he had a very rugged appearance with his medium-length ruffled black hair and dark brown eyes. He wore a black sleeveless shirt, long purple pants with a shiny black sash holding them, and black boots. He held the Chain of Leo in his hands, looking at both Krystal and Prince, smirking.

   “Who the hell are you, buddy?!” Krystal yelled.

   “I hate introductions. But since you also managed to get your hands on this thing, I might as well tell you,” the guy replied. “My name is Cyrus Swiftblade. And I’ve come a long way to get my hands on this.”

   “How the hell did you get underground?” Prince questioned Cyrus.

   “I heard someone come down here. I needed to get to the chain as fast as possible,” Cyrus told Prince as he held his weapon, which was a silver-colored longsword. “Clearly I wasn’t fast enough.”

   “So, I guess you’re responsible for the hole that led us here,” Prince said.

   “Listen up. I got to the chain first. So, I get to have it! Fair and square!” Krystal shouted at Cyrus.

   “On the contrary, I believe we got to it at the same time. Which means if you truly want it, you’ll have to battle me for it,” Cyrus told Krystal.

   Krystal was silent, unsure of how to respond to Cyrus’ challenge. She really hoped she didn’t have to get into any fights for this.

   “Or if you’re too scared, just let me take the chain and I’ll be on my way,” Cyrus said. “After all, the chain doesn’t belong in the hands of cowards.”

   “Oh, shut up already! We’ll battle you for sure! There is no way you’re taking the Chain of Leo from me, got it?!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “Are you nuts? You really think we can beat this guy?” Prince said.

   “Hell, yeah! Challenge accepted,” Krystal replied as she got in stance with her sonic bell in hand. It didn’t take her long to realize that she needed to leave her backpack to the side since it was carrying all her souvenirs.

   “Very well,” Cyrus responded as he dropped the Chain of Leo to the side.

   Prince transformed into his beast form. Krystal made the first move and rang the bell of her sonic bell, launching a sound wave towards Cyrus. Cyrus dodged it as the sound wave hit the ground instead.

   “Basic tricks like that aren’t going to do anything for you. Let me show you what a real sound ringmaster can do,” Cyrus said as he got his sword ready. “Sounds of Darkness!”

   Cyrus hit the edge of his longsword into the ground, launching a sound wave that carried dark energy beams along with it. The wave struck Krystal and Prince, making them fall back to the ground.

   “You’ve got to be kidding?! He has power over sound and dark magic?” Krystal said as she struggled to get up along with Prince.

   “That’s correct. And in my case, both powers go hand in hand whenever I wish,” Cyrus told Krystal.

   Krystal grunted as she ran towards Cyrus with her sonic bell. Cyrus defended himself against her with his sword, but Krystal had tried to push against it with the vibrations from the sonic bell, slowly affecting the sword’s blade.

   “That’s enough!” Cyrus shouted. “Shadow Blade!”

   Cyrus’ longsword gave off a dark purple glow, which alarmed Krystal. The glow set off an explosion that hit Krystal. While she was down, Cyrus plunged his sword to the ground and called out, “Shadow Plunge!”

   As the ground cracked, a sound wave made its way through the cracks towards Krystal. Alerted, Krystal deflected the sound wave with her sonic bell. But after a few moments, she was stunned by a shock of dark energy that had been emitted from the sound waves. Heavily injured, Krystal struggled to stand.

   “I think it’s about time you gave up,” Cyrus said. “You’re obviously no match for me.”

   Damn it! How do I fight sound with sound?! Especially when he’s combining dark magic with his sound powers. He has the upper hand here, Krystal thought.

   “Have you forgotten about me or something?!” Prince shouted.

   Alarmed, Krystal turned to see Prince had transformed back into his human form. It was weird that she hadn’t even paid attention to him for the past few minutes.

   “I’ve been here, for you for however long it’s been, doing nothing. I’m here to help,” Prince told Krystal. “I know what you’re trying to do. You want to prove you’re as good of a ringmaster as Sana, Neil, and even Zayn. But if you want to prove that…then show that you’re a team player. Don’t put me on the sidelines.”

   Krystal looked back at Prince, surprised to see him talk like this. It wasn’t the first time he needed to give her a stern talk. But in a moment like this, it was exactly what she needed to hear.

   “You’re right, Prince. I needed that,” Krystal said. “Now let’s show this bozo what a real ringmaster team is made of!”

   “Done,” Prince smirked as he transformed back into his beast form. Krystal got in her stance, holding her sonic bell as she focused on Cyrus. Okay…he may be strong. But since he’s using dual magic, it has to wear him out at least a little bit, Krystal thought. So, if I wear him out long enough, I should be able to get him where I want him.

   “Prince! Use your Sonic Roar now!” Krystal ordered. With that, Prince unleashed his Sonic Roar attack directly at Cyrus. As the Sonic Roar came towards Cyrus, he dodged it.

   “Go for it again!” Krystal exclaimed.

   Prince commenced with another Sonic Roar. And once again, Cyrus dodged.

   “You’re wasting your attacks on me! Do you think such trivial moves can affect me?!” Cyrus told Krystal.

   “Again, Prince!” Krystal shouted. Prince launched his Sonic Roar once more towards Cyrus. Cyrus jumped out of the way again, landing on Krystal and Prince’s right side. Suddenly, I feel some kind of ringing in my ears, Cyrus thought as he stood, breathless. All this moving is tiring me out. Wait, is that what they wanted to do?

   “Now, Prince! Use your Sonic Scar!” Krystal ordered. With Cyrus unable to move quick enough, Prince quickly attacked him with his Sonic Scar, plunging the claws of his paw into Cyrus’ arm. Cyrus yelped in pain as the effects of the Sonic Scar had taken upon his body, unleashing the sound waves inside of him. As his body took in all the vibrations, he fell helplessly to the ground.

   “And now, I’ll show you what real power is!” Krystal exclaimed. Krystal and Prince got into positions, forming perfect linear alignment with one another. Krystal held tightly onto her sonic bell.

   “Savage Sound Roar!” Krystal called out the equilibrium attack with her sonic bell, sending a tremendous sound wave that coincided with Prince’s mighty roar. The power of the attack hit Cyrus like a bullseye. The attack’s strength was evident from the way the ground shook like an earthquake and rocks began to drop down everywhere.

   Once the attack had died down, Prince transformed back and Krystal fell to her knees, breathless. Cyrus remained on the ground, immobile. A few rocks landed beside his body from the impact of the attack. Seeing him completely helpless, Krystal slowly got up and made her way towards him. She moved some of the rocks off his body and then stood before him, extending her hand. Cyrus looked at her, confused.

   “I don’t understand,” Cyrus said. “Why would you give me a hand?”

   “Just trying to help.”

   “But I’m your enemy. I didn’t exactly hold back against you.”

   “So what? Just because we were competing over this thing, doesn’t mean I can’t be a good sport.”

   Cyrus was surprised upon hearing Krystal’s words. He looked at her hand, which was as bruised as his own.

   “Now are you going to make me wait till Christmas to take my hand?!” Krystal exclaimed.

   After a moment, Cyrus smiled. He grabbed hold of Krystal’s hand while Krystal pulled him up.

   “You’re a truly gifted ringmaster. And a wise one at that,” Cyrus told Krystal.

   “Well, I’m not exactly wise,” Krystal said. “Someone once showed me to see the good in people. I just know how to take after what others say.”

   Cyrus looked off to the side, seeing the Chain of Leo was still safely on the ground after the attack.  He walked over and grabbed hold of it, realizing how hard it was to let it go. But he knew he had to because he had lost. He looked at Krystal, taking her hand and placing the chain in her grasp.

   “I believe this belongs to you,” Cyrus said. “You earned it after all. What is your name by the way? “

   “Thank you. My name is Krystal. Krystal D’Cruz,” Krystal said.

   “And I’m her partner, Prince Blake,” Prince said.

   “Do you go to a ringmaster academy?” Cyrus asked.

   “Yes! We both go to Ringmasters Training Academy,” Krystal said.

   “You’re both RTA kids? That’s amazing. I go to Pytho Sigma,” Cyrus said.

   “Pytho Sigma? That’s pretty close by here, isn’t it?” Prince asked.

   “Yeah. Right up in Roja Heights. That made it pretty easy to get here,” Cyrus said. “I’m finishing up my second year. We’re about to have our final exams soon, so I tried to come here in hopes to expand my arsenal.”

   “Oh, yeah! We’re having our finals soon as well,” Krystal said.

   “Yeah, our school year is ending a little earlier than yours. I guess that means I’ll be seeing you in the tournament then,” Cyrus said.

   “Well, we do have to pass the exams before we can make that call,” Prince said.

   “I know,” Cyrus said. “But I’m certain you both will make it through.”

   “Thank you!” Krystal exclaimed. “So, tell me what it’s like at Pytho Sigma!”

   As Krystal and Cyrus continued their chat, Prince watched them, happy to see things end so well. It was crazy how they were enemies not too long and we’re now chatting like close friends, even exchanging numbers. I gotta hand it to Krystal. She certainly knows how to surprise people, Prince thought.

   “I’ll be on my way now,” Cyrus told Krystal as he prepared to head underground to exit the area. “I hope to see you again soon, Krystal.”

   “Same here, Cyrus! Bye for now!” Krystal said to Cyrus as he headed underground and left.

   Krystal turned to Prince, noticing he was looking at her in a way she hadn’t noticed before.

   “Okay! What did I do?!” Krystal questioned.

   “That whole seeing the good in people line…was that inspired by our own Heer?”

   “Hey! I said someone taught me that. No need to go all copyright infringement on me.”

   “Well, I’m proud of you.”

   “Now that’s a first! This calls for a celebration! We should go shopping!”

   “That’s not my idea of celebrating.”

   “Oh, don’t be such a party pooper!”

   “To hell with the drama.”

   “Oh! Haven’t heard that in a while!”

   Suddenly, the Chain of Leo began to give off a bright golden glow that stunned Krystal and Prince. A puff of smoke emerged from the chain, forming the shape of a ghostly male figure that had long hair like a lion mane and a goatee around his face. Even though Krystal had seen a lot of things during her time at Ringmasters Training Academy, ghosts weren’t one of them.

   “Well, we now know the cashier guy wasn’t kidding about the ghosts here,” Krystal said.

   “Don’t be afraid,” the ghost told Krystal. “I am the spirit of Leo. Your success in obtaining this chain has woken me from my slumber.”

   “You mean Krystal is the first one to successfully get the chain?” Prince asked.

   “Others have succeeded in finding it before. But I didn’t allow them to have it. You are the first one who has defeated your rival for it and shown compassion towards them after winning,” the spirit of Leo replied. “And for that…I would like to bestow a reward upon you.”

   “Reward? I think the chain is enough of a reward,” Krystal said.

   “You may need this in the future,” the spirit of Leo said as he waved his arm before Krystal, creating what appeared to be a golden scroll that was rolled up and had silver rollers on each end.

   Krystal looked at it with awe as the scroll landed in her hands. It was just as beautiful as the chain itself.

   “This…is the Leo Scroll. This contains every last drop of my powers in the form of a spell. When the time calls for its use, you may use it. I trust that you will keep this safely.”

   “Yes, of course! Thank you!” Krystal exclaimed.

   With that, the spirit of Leo smiled as he faded away in a golden glow.

   I won’t lie…this is probably the most amazing feeling I’ve had in a while, Krystal thought as she looked at both the Chain of Leo and the Leo Scroll, both being held in her hands. The Chain of Leo glowed a bright golden color and had transformed into a golden wand with the Leo zodiac symbol embellished on it.

   “Wait…what just happened to it?” Prince asked Krystal, confused.

   “I read it in the book. Once the rightful holder obtains the chain, it transforms back into a wand. A zodiac wand to be specific. So, now whenever I need to summon it, I can.”

   “Well, look at you. This whole experience has at least made you smarter.”

   “Shut up! I am smart!”

   “Your test scores last term say something else.”

   “Oh, shut up, Prince! Don’t ruin my moment of glory!”

Copyright © 2021 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.

Volume 1

20. Conquest

imeryli

In the darkest tower of Daredevil City, Madame Naga was walking inside, heading towards a small cellar. Inside that cell was an unconscious Neil, whose body rested on the hard, rocky ground.

   “He’s still not up. Good grief.”

   Madame Naga turned to see Droh standing right next to her. She turned back, looking at Neil and said, “Of course not. He was knocked out by me. It’ll be a while before he wakes up.”

   “I fail to understand you. You continue to waste your time with the students of that academy. Are you forgetting our goal?!”

   “I haven’t. But maybe you have. You’re forgetting that I was the one that got you to join me. Should I emphasize on MY plan?”

   “We could’ve had our chances at power easily by getting hold of the Shakti Orb. It was right there. And why didn’t you take it? Because you wanted to leave things be with attacking Rey. Your incompetence is driving me insane.”

   “It makes me laugh when you say that. Because the feeling is quite mutual. “

   Madame Naga’s hands glowed bright purple as she waved her right hand before Droh. Suddenly, a snake emerged from the ground, wrapping itself around Droh and pulling him further into the ground. Droh struggled to break free but was unable to.

   “What the hell are you doing?!” Droh shouted at Madame Naga.

   “What I should’ve done long ago. Your presence is no longer needed here,” Madame Naga replied as she watched Droh struggle. Droh yelped in pain as the snake finally pulled him underground with Madame Naga waving her hand over the ground in which he had sunk in, creating a dark energy barrier that had enclosed his fate down under.

   “I hope you won’t feel bad, Droh,” Madame Naga smirked. “You and Runa are not the only ones I’m done with.”

***

   On the other hand, back at the academy, Krystal was in the library. This was quite out of the ordinary for Krystal, but she was indulging herself by paying a visit. She was scattering through every book in the Weaponry and Magic section. In her hands, she was going through the pages of a book called Leo Weaponry. As she was reading, a voice said, “Either I’m in a parallel universe or this is the first time I’m seeing you with a book.”

   Krystal looked up to see Sana standing right in front of her.

   “Oh, Sana. Just because I’m not a bookworm like you, doesn’t mean I’ve never held a book in my life!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “Sorry, I’ve just never seen you pay attention to anything related to school.”

   “Whatever. What brings you here?”

   “I just decided to stop by after training with Zayn.”

   “And how’s the training? Isn’t Rey supposed to be training with you as well?”

   “That’s the thing. Apparently, Rey seems to have the flu. He’s staying at the health center. I tried to go visit, but the nurse who’s taking care of him advised that no visitors see him as his illness is very contagious. I’m kinda worried about him. He hasn’t been completely himself lately.”

   “I’m sure he’ll be okay. Once his flu is gone, he’ll be back to his normal self.”

   “I sure hope so. Until then, I guess I have to train with Zayn by myself.”

   “I actually saw you two train the other day. I guess that’s what brought me here.”

   “Really? What for?”

   “I’m trying to see if there’s something out there that can enhance my sonic bell. I mean sure it’s a fabulous weapon on its own. But compared to you and Zayn, I feel like there’s a limit to how well I can use it.”

   “Wow, Krystal. I never thought you’d actually be interested in strengthening your weaponry.”

   “It’s not necessarily about stronger weaponry. Finesse is the word I was thinking of. I also overheard what he was telling you.”

   “Well then, I better get going. I’m gonna get some dinner and try to check on Rey again.”

   “You have fun with that.”

   With that, Sana left. Krystal got up and sat at a desk, thoroughly going through the book. As she turned each page, she stopped as the header of one page caught her eye. Leo’s Combo Weapons, Krystal read the header. Krystal started reading the passage underneath, which then led her to a picture of what appeared to be a long chain that was composed of silver and gold links that aligned in a pattern.

   The Chain of Leo, Krystal read the caption underneath the picture. Leo, Voice of the Mountains, had carried this chain as a part of his arsenal. Though alone the chain’s power is great, when combined with any one of Leo’s other weapons, the chain enhances the weapon’s capacity of attacks.

   Just looking at the picture of the chain was enough for Krystal. It was exactly what she needed. She may not have known anything about the Chain of Leo prior to today, but something about it felt right.

   This is literally perfect for me, Krystal thought as she kept staring at the book. If only I knew where I could find it. Why doesn’t this book have a location for it?!

   As Krystal looked around for some more information on the page, she noticed some fine print on the bottom edges. If one chooses to seek, one must go to the top peak. And look deep, beyond the crimson rock that stands so tall, Krystal read.

   Krystal pondered over the words for a minute. It seemed to be a riddle of some kind. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that it was exactly what was going to lead her to the Chain of Leo.

   Krystal immediately got up from her chair, looking at the book, feeling victorious inside. Krystal grabbed the book and slammed it before the librarian at the front desk, saying, “I need to check this book out!”

***

   In the health center of the academy, Rey was all alone in his room, lying on his bed. He slowly woke up, alarmed to see an eerie purple glow as he looked at the mirror on the wall of his room. Rey got up from the bed. He removed his fingerless gloves and unbuttoned his white shirt, taking it off. He could see the markings that began from his palms had spread completely up his arms and chest. Rey looked at the mirror in fear as he looked down his upper arm where his tiger emblem was, seeing its color had changed to purple.

   Startled, Rey turned around, looking at his back in the mirror. He was stunned to see the same markings there as well.

   This won’t stop! Rey thought as he looked at his body through the mirror. Why…why is this happening to me?!

***

   Meanwhile, in downtown Daredevil City, there was a small candy shop called Devil’s Delights. Inside this shop, Prince was sitting alone at a table, chewing on a lemon-flavored candy cane as he put up his feet on the table. Near his feet was a bag containing three boxes of assorted candy canes that he had just bought. He usually got candy canes from the shop at least once every two weeks. After such a long day…it’s good to get some peace and quiet, Prince thought as he slowly closed his eyes and relaxed.

   “Prince! There you are!” Krystal exclaimed as she busted through the door into the candy shop.

   “Well, that was nice while it lasted,” Prince sighed.

   “Hey! Please keep it down!” the cashier told Krystal.

   “Oh, shut up, buddy! We’re literally the only ones here!” Krystal retorted.

   Krystal immediately sat herself down at the table where Prince was at. And she could tell from the moment she sat down that he was annoyed.

   “How the hell did you know I was here?” Prince questioned Krystal.

   “Because you come here whenever you want to be alone from school.”

   “Clearly you didn’t get the emphasis on the ALONE part. What are you doing here?”

   “We got a mission on our hands.”

   Krystal opened the book she had just gotten from the library, turning to the page that contained the picture of the Chain of Leo. She placed the book in front of Prince, so he could see the page for his very eyes. After looking at the page for a few seconds, Prince simply said, “A piece of jewelry. That’s our mission?”

   “The Chain of Leo is not a piece of jewelry for your information! It’s a powerful piece of weaponry that can attach itself to another weapon to increase the capability of attacks! And I need to find this!”

   “How do you even know that this would work with your sonic bell?”

   “Because I read and found out that Leo, Voice of the Mountains, was a ringmaster that specialized in sound just like mwah. He was practically the first of his kind. And the same book said that all sound weaponry has been derived from Leo. So, my sonic bell is bound to work with it!”

   “You actually read something?”

   “Shut up! The point is…this weapon can take my sonic bell to a whole other level. So, I need to find it.”

   “How do you plan to find it if this book doesn’t tell you where it is?”

   “I know where it is! Look at the fine print on the bottom of the page.”

   Prince looked at the fine print that Krystal was referring to. After reading it, he was still puzzled as to where she was getting at. It was a riddle, and he didn’t think Krystal was bright enough to solve it just like that.

   “You do know this doesn’t actually tell you where it is, right?”

   “I’m not stupid, Prince. I figured out the riddle.”

   “You did?”

   “Yes, I’ll explain it. The first half refers to a peak. That means it must be a mountain or rock of some kind. And my point is proven if you look at the second half about the crimson rock,” Krystal said. “Now, as a regular traveler, I’m aware of some of the most famous landmarks around the world. And there is one place I know that is known for its crimson rock. The riddle is talking about Mt. Roja.”

   Prince was stunned. While the riddle itself wasn’t the most difficult thing in the world, he was impressed that Krystal was able to piece it together so effortlessly. It made him realize that this was something she wanted badly. This was the kind of excitement he was used to when she was doing a circus show or even going shopping.

   “Look, I know this is all so sudden, but I really want this,” Krystal said. “I’m ready to get stronger.”

   Seeing this side of Krystal made Prince realize how important this was to her. And with that in mind, he couldn’t possibly refuse.

   “All right, let’s do this then,” Prince said.

***

   Outside Devil’s Delights and further down Daredevil City, there was a place by the name of Daredevil Prison. This was where criminals who committed illegal activities involving magic, dark or otherwise, were imprisoned. Inside this building, there was one woman, who hid amongst the shadows of her cell. This woman…was none other than Fida. As she played around with a few pebble rocks in her cell, the sound of footsteps down the hallway paused her. She looked up, emerging from the shadows to see Madame Naga had stopped by to see her.

   “Finally. You show yourself,” Fida said upon seeing Madame Naga.

   “You look like hell.”

   “Don’t remind me. So, what’s your plan for busting me out of here?”

   “Oh, I’m not here to get you out.”

   “You’re not?”

   “I came here to settle things with you formally. So, let me just get it out and I’ll be on my way. From today…you’re out.”

   “What the hell do you mean?!”

   “What I said. What’s done is done. I don’t need you anymore. So, you’re free to rot here like the eccentric lunatic you are.”

   “You can’t do this to me! Do you even know what I sacrificed to join your side?!”

   “I’m aware. And honestly…I could care less. You, Droh, Runa…hell even that Stallion fellow were just pawns to me. Creatures like you are so easy to toy around with. It’s almost like child’s play.”

   “You damn witch! If you think I’ll just sit here idle, then you have another thing coming!”

   “Be careful with your words, Fida. For it is you behind bars. Not me.”

   Fida grunted as she looked at Madame Naga, her hands pressing into tight fists.

   “If you want something to blame, take it out on your incompetence,” Madame Naga told Fida as she turned her back away, preparing to leave. “Enjoy your newly found solitude.”

   With that, Madame Naga left and walked away, having no care in the world. Fida grabbed hold of the bars of her cell, clenching them tightly with her grasp. She let out an angry scream, her hands crushing the bars even further with her grip.

***

   The following morning, around seven, Krystal and Prince got up and ready to head off to Dovesdale, the state where Mt. Roja was located. The two went to the Motor & Vehicle office on the first floor of the academy. Once they were there, they picked up two hoverboards that Krystal had reserved for travelling today. After picking up their hoverboards, the two went outside towards the gates of the academy to head out.

   “Hey, Krystal,” Prince said.

   “Yeah?”

   “I hope you’re right about this. We’re travelling pretty far for a chain. I hope it’s worth it.”

   Oh, trust me. I know it’s worth it, Krystal thought. The Chain of Leo is as good as mine!

Copyright © 2021 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.

Volume 1

19. Harbored Feelings

imeryli

“No. No. This can’t be real,” Zayn said. He stood aback along with Akira, seeing Solomon alive before his eyes. It was as if his worst nightmare had come to life.

   Solomon looked back at Zayn and Akira, ecstatic to see just how much his presence was affecting Zayn. It gave him his own malicious sense of joy.

   “I always wanted a reunion,” Solomon said. “Never thought it would be this way though. How’s your mom…and dad? Do they still talk about me?”

   “Shut up!” Zayn shouted. “You’re supposed to be dead.”

   “You’re correct. But I didn’t really like it much down there,” Solomon said. “Now, let’s keep the reminiscing to a minimum. I’m a little hungry.”

   “What are you? A vampire?” Akira asked.

   “Akira…siren form, NOW!” Zayn ordered.

   “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Solomon said.

   Solomon drew out his saxophone and blew out a thunderous beat from it. The sound was so loud that Zayn and Akira couldn’t handle it as they placed their hands on their ears, trying to close it off. Zayn could feel himself becoming numb as the sounds started to take over his body, almost like they were holding him hostage.

   “What the hell is this?!” Akira shouted, her ears still hurting from the sound. Both Zayn and Akira fell to the ground on their knees, unable to bear the saxophone’s screeching noises.

   “Akira! You have to try and transform!” Zayn said.

   “That’s kinda hard to do at the moment!” Akira retorted.

   Seeing them down, Solomon stopped playing. “Well then. Looks like you two have had enough music for one day,” Solomon said. “I’ll be on my way then.”

   As Solomon turned around, he stopped, looking back at Zayn. Seeing him on the ground in such a weak state brought back so many memories. He almost wanted to laugh.

   “I look forward to seeing you again, Zayn,” Solomon said.

   Solomon blew out another tune from his saxophone, but this time a puff of gray smoke emerged from it, shrouding him. He suddenly disappeared while Zayn looked on as he remained on the ground, his ears still buzzing from the intense sound that had just rung his ears.

***

   On the other hand, Sana was walking down in the hall by herself while Aiden happened to be on the other side. I wonder where Rey went. He hasn’t talked to anyone all day, Sana thought as she kept walking. I hope everything is all right.

   As she continued to walk, Aiden stopped as he saw her and said, “Sana.”

   Sana looked up at Aiden as she stopped in the hall. Aiden stepped towards Sana and said, “I wanted to talk to you about your training.”

   “Yes, Aiden. Tell me.”

   “Your first training session will be today after school. I have spoken to Headmaster Devil. He will send the trainer for you. You and Rey just have to go to the gymnasium.”

   “I thought you would be training us.”

   “Well…let’s just say I have other things in my hands at the moment. Anyways, I hope this won’t be an issue.”

   “Yeah. No problem.”

   “Good. I will see you later.”

   With that, Aiden left and went his way while Sana continued walking. As Sana was walking in the hall, she noticed Rey was sitting alone beside a windowsill in the hallway. Confused, Sana went towards Rey, sitting down beside him as he looked out the window. She tapped him on his shoulder, startling him as he turned to her.

   “Are you okay, Rey?” Sana asked.

   “Yeah. I’m fine.”

   “Then why are you sitting here alone?”

   “It’s nothing.”

   “Rey, don’t lie to me. Just like you, I know when something is wrong.”

   “Sana…I’m just not in the mood right now. Is there something important you needed to tell me?”

   “Just one thing. We have training after school in the gymnasium. You have to be there.”

   “Okay. Now if you don’t mind, I want to be alone.”

   With that, Rey got up and went his own way while Sana watched him go. She didn’t understand what was going on with him. He was a seemingly different person. Suddenly, he was closed off from her. She wondered if the memories of the Madame Naga fight were starting to get to him. But she remembered how much he emphasized to her that he’d be okay. It was all too confusing. And she couldn’t piece anything together because he wouldn’t say anything.

***

    Back in Rutham City, Zayn and Akira called up the Rutham Detective Force to take care of the woman’s body. It didn’t take long for the authorities to arrive. After some questioning, Zayn and Akira waited in the same alley till they were given permission to leave. Akira looked at Zayn, who was clearly very shaken.

   “Who was that guy?” Akira asked. “He took us down before we could even make a move.”

   “A figment of our imagination.”

   “Zayn…I don’t get it. If he’s dead, then why was he alive and well right before us?”

   “I don’t know, damn it! He’s supposed to be dead. Of all people, I should know.”

   “Well, clearly he’s not. And we need to find out why.”

   Seeing Zayn was so frustrated, Akira decided to let him be for a moment, so he could calm down. She watched as the authorities proceeded to take the body into their vehicle after covering it up with a thick white cloth. After the body was taken in, the head detective made his way towards Zayn and Akira.

   “All right. We’ll be taking care of things from here. You kids are free to go,” the head detective said.

   “You don’t need us for further questioning?” Akira asked.

   “No, this incident is pretty much the same as all the other ones,” the head detective said.

   “What do you mean?” Zayn asked.

   “I guess you both aren’t from here. Well, this has happened before. In the exact manner as well. Bodies found, seemingly dead. Except they’re not dead,” the head detective said.

   “Not dead?” Zayn asked.

   “Yeah. The woman’s heartbeat is still there. Same as the other bodies we’ve found like this. And they all have their skin turned gray. It’s almost like they’re in a frozen state of some kind,” the head detective said.

   Zayn looked at Akira, who seemed just as confused as he was. He wondered what Solomon did to that woman. If he didn’t kill her, what did he do?

   “Anyways, you kids are the first to give us a description of someone who did this. We’ve been lacking that for all this time,” the head detective said. “We’ll hopefully be able to manage finding this guy now.”

   As the head detective left with his team, Zayn stood, puzzled. He had a mixture of emotions going on. It was almost too much to handle. He thought it was best to just leave.

***

   After a couple of hours had passed, Zayn and Akira had returned safely to the academy. Akira had gone back to her room at the girls’ dorm house. Alone in his office, Zayn had come as Headmaster Devil had called for him to meet him.

   “You wanted something?” Zayn asked.

   “How’d everything go? Did you find out anything regarding the disappearances?”

   “I actually don’t want to talk about it.”

   “Why? Did something happen?”

   “I just don’t want to talk about it.”

   “Son, what happened there?”

   “I said I don’t want to talk about it!”

   Headmaster Devil kept quiet. He was stunned to see Zayn raise his voice. He wondered if something serious had happened in Rutham City. Seeing how upset Zayn was, he felt it was best to leave the matter for later.

   “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you, son,” Headmaster Devil said. “Don’t worry about the other task either.”

   “Task?”

   “Yeah. It’s from Aiden. You know Sana J. Malik? And her partner, Rey Murgatroyd?”

   “Yeah.”

   “They are partaking in some extra training lessons. And until Aiden is available, he wanted you to train with them.”

   “What? Why me?”

   “Technically you’ll mostly be training with Sana. It’s only for a while. But if you’re not feeling up to it, I can let Aiden know.”

   “It’s fine. I’ll do it. Where do I have to go?”

   “Just head over to the gymnasium and you’ll meet with her there.”

   Zayn nodded and headed out of the office. After he left, Headmaster Devil pondered, I wonder what happened to him? I may have to ask Akira.

***

   After school, Sana went straight to the gymnasium by herself. As she entered, she realized she was the only one there. She stood inside as she waited for Rey to come. “Where could Rey be?” Sana asked. “He better get here on time. And where’s this coach?”

   Just then, Zayn entered the gymnasium much to Sana’s surprise.

   “Zayn? What are you doing here?” Sana asked.

   “Aiden told me to come here for your training.”

   “You mean…you’re the coach?”

   “I’m just as surprised as you are. This really isn’t worth my time. But what can I do?”

   “Excuse me?!”

   “What?”

   “What do you mean it’s not worth your time?!”

   “Look, I’ve had a rough day. There’s better things I could be doing, but I’m just here because my dad-“

   “Well, you’re pretty rude. If you think I’m not worth your time, then you’re underestimating me.”

   “Am I?”

   “Let’s start. And you’ll see why.”

   Zayn was surprised to see Sana act so fiery towards him. Well, okay then, Zayn thought. Let’s see if she’s as good as she claims.

   “Where’s Rey?”

   “I don’t know. He should be coming.”

   “Whatever. I hate to wait. I’ll start things with you. Show me one of your basic attacks.”

   Sana immediately drew out her wand, tapping it to transform it into her trishula. She spun her trishula around in circular motion and then plunged it to the ground, calling out, “Ember Fury!” Once the trishula struck the ground, ember began to burst in a fiery trail that traveled across the floor.

   “Not bad,” Zayn said upon seeing the trail of ember. “But it lacks finesse.”

   “Finesse? What does finesse have anything to do with my attacks?”

   “The crisper an attack is…the finer the outcome will be.”

   “As far as I know, an attack is just an attack. If it succeeds in striking its target, it shouldn’t matter how it looks.”

   “You don’t see my point? We’ll have to do this differently then. Are you up for a little combat?”

   “Yes I am.”

   Zayn drew out his wand, tapping it to transform it into his clarinet. Good thing I saw him battle Rey and Neil. I at least have an idea of what he can do, Sana thought as she eyed Zayn. And he’s yet to see my skills at work.

   Sana made her first move and held her trishula up high, swinging it like a bat as a burst of fiery energy was shot from it, directly aiming at Zayn. Zayn grabbed hold of his clarinet and called out, “B-flat major.” Once Zayn played the clarinet, a gust of sand immediately swirled its way out from the clarinet, spiraling its way towards Sana. The sand had blocked out her fire energy attack and made its way towards her. Alarmed, Sana jumped out of the way as the sand hit directly against the wall, forming a kind of cocoon.

   Sand? I didn’t see him do this the other day, Sana thought.

   “Had enough yet?” Zayn asked.

   Sana grunted as she ran towards Zayn. “Pyro Strike!” Sana called out her attack as she dug her trishula to the ground, making it crack as a fiery path formed along the cracks. Zayn jumped back so the path wouldn’t reach him. But instead, Sana snuck behind him and struck him with a gush of fire from her trishula that took Zayn out across the floor. The fiery path had dissolved by then as Sana stood valiantly.

   A diversion. Good move, Zayn thought as he slowly got up and composed himself.

   “You’re actually a lot better than I thought,” Zayn told Sana as he stood. “But let’s see if you can handle this.”

   Zayn played his clarinet in the F major scale, which produced a small energy beam that made its way towards Sana. Sana prepared herself by getting in a proper stance with her trishula. Once the energy beam had gotten close to her, she used her trishula to deflect it. But by doing so, the energy beam broke and released a super-sonic sound wave that was so strong that it hit Sana against the wall. Everything happened so quickly that she was unable to process it, let alone get up.

   “What…kind of…energy beam is that?” Sana asked, shaken by the attack.

   “You might want to relax,” Zayn told Sana. “After that attack, you’ll be hard of hearing. And your body might have a hard time dealing with the vibrations.”

   Sana patted her ears a bit to make the sounds go away. After a moment, she looked at Zayn and said, “Okay. Explain yourself.”

   “That was my sound energy beam attack. Its power is so great that even countering it still causes damage to my opponent.”

   “I’ve never experienced anything like that. But…I don’t get it. How does your clarinet have control over sand and sound?”

   “Well, how do you think Akira and I are partners? We both have control over sand and sound. Having dual powers is actually not too uncommon for ringmasters and human-beasts. My clarinet isn’t like an ordinary one. Because of which, the scales of my clarinet each have their own unique attacks. Some have sound. Some have sand.”

   Unbelievable. His power alone is far greater than I could’ve ever imagined. It’s no wonder Aiden spoke so highly of them, Sana thought.

   “I will admit…you’re actually a good competitor,” Zayn said. “But like I said…the finesse was missing. You may think that such a thing is trivial in battling. But just think about it. That sneak attack you pulled on me…was very effective. But at the same time, anyone can do that. It’s not exactly new. Now I don’t like to brag…but with my energy beam attack…you thought you could easily deflect it and you’d be fine. And that wasn’t the case. Details in one’s attacks and attention to technique always pull greater outcomes than the ones with great power.”

   Now I get it. I understand why he’s the best. He doesn’t focus on hitting with the most powerful attack. He focuses on the detail of an attack and what kind of a response he can trigger from his opponent, Sana thought as she began to stand up while Zayn walked towards her.

   “One thing is certain. I was wrong about you,” Zayn told Sana. “So, from now on, we just have to shift your focus from power to technique.”

   Well then…I guess I’m going to learn a lot from this guy after all, Sana thought as she looked back at Zayn.

   “I think that’s enough for today. Right?”

   “Yeah, sure. Thank you.”

   “For what?”

   “For showing me what I didn’t know before.”

   “This was nothing. You’ve got spunk, Sana. Knowing that now, I’m not gonna go easy on you.”

   “I wouldn’t want anything else.”

   With their first training session over, Sana and Zayn walked out of the gymnasium together. As they walked side by side, Sana realized that Rey had never arrived. She turned to Zayn and said, “I don’t know why Rey didn’t show up. This is a first for him.”

   “Maybe try to reach him. Something could’ve come up.”

   “Yeah, I will. He’s been acting a little different lately.”

   “You mean since that attack?”

   “You know about the attacks on the school?”

   “I may be new here, but it helps to have my father around to fill me in on things. From what I know, you both endured a lot that day. And he was heavily injured. Have the two of you ever lost a battle like this before?”

   “No. The truth is, I’m doing all this because of that. I don’t want what happened that day to ever happen again.”

   “Well, Rey is probably going through the same struggles as you. It’s a hurdle that you both will have to overcome together. If you give him time, he’ll come around.”

   “Wow, I never thought you’d be the kind of person to give such sound advice.”

   “Well, you don’t actually know someone till you get to know them, right?”

   “Right. Just like how you didn’t know how strong I was till you saw me in action.”

   “Yeah, sure. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

   Sana waved bye to Zayn, heading down the hallway. Before Zayn was about to leave, he could sense someone’s presence lurking nearby. He put his hands in his pockets and said, “My senses are very strong, so whoever you are, you can show yourself.”

   Zayn’s instinct was right. Someone was indeed nearby. Hearing sounds of footsteps coming from behind, he turned around to see it was Krystal, who was standing right by the gym entrance. Despite him knowing someone was near, he was surprised to see it was Krystal of all people. She’s here? And more quiet than usual, Zayn thought.

   “Okay! Spill! How’d you know I was nearby?! You didn’t even see me!”

   “There it is. You’re still a loudmouth.”

   “Excuse me?!”

   “What are you doing around here?”

   “I was just passing by and I saw you guys train. That’s all. I didn’t know you were the one training Sana.”

   “My dad asked me to help since Aiden is occupied. Don’t tell me you’re interested in training.”

   “So, what if I was?!”

   “I don’t have time for additional people. I already have a lot going on as it is.”

   “Well, I didn’t ask to train with you! I’m perfectly capable of training on my own! That means I can find my own ways of getting extra help.”

   “If you say so.”

   Zayn proceeded to leave while Krystal looked at him, annoyed. So arrogant! Krystal thought. I outta-

   “Here’s a suggestion,” Zayn said. “If you want to find ways to get stronger, knowledge is power. Start from there.”

   Zayn headed right down the hallway with Krystal watching him go. She was intrigued by his words. As frustrating as Zayn could be, he was leading her in a direction she could never imagine for herself. She wanted to see how strong she could become. And Zayn’s words only amplified the sound of her will. They made her more eager to take her skills as a ringmaster to the next level.

Copyright © 2021 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.

Volume 1

18. Dead Past, Living Future

imeryli

Rey opened his eyes. He rose from the solid gray floor, bewildered as he found himself behind the bars of what appeared to be a cage. Rey started to bang on the bars of the cage with his fists, shouting, “Let me out! Someone! Anyone!”

   As he continued to shout, no one listened to him. Instead, all he could hear were the sounds of cackles that were coming from every direction as he was shrouded in nothing but bitter darkness. As Rey stood up, he began to feel scared as the laughter continued. Then, he looked down at his hands, seeing they were beginning to go through a transformation.

   “NO!” Rey shouted. Rey sat up from his bed, panting nonstop. He looked at his hands, seeing they were covered up by his fingerless gloves. “It was just a dream,” Rey said as he put his hand to his head. “Damn.”

   Rey paused. He looked at his palms again. He slowly removed one of the gloves off, stunned to see the markings still there. He pulled the sleeve of his shirt, seeing the markings across his entire arm. He quickly removed the other glove, rolling up his sleeve to see the same situation on his other arm. What’s happening to me?! Rey shrieked internally.

***

   “Do we have to come here?” Zayn asked Akira, rolling his eyes. Zayn and Akira were both standing before the door of Headmaster Devil’s office. And Zayn wasn’t in the mood to enter.

   “It was your dad that called us here.”

   “That too in the morning. I hate mornings.”

   “Well, whatever it is, it’s probably urgent.”

   “The only thing urgent for him is the need to have women lounge about in his office every hour.”

   “Oh, relax. It’s not like they’re gonna bite.”

   Akira opened the door of the office and surprisingly Headmaster Devil was alone at his desk. The sight alone was enough to amuse Zayn.

   “What’s the matter, old man?” Zayn asked Headmaster Devil. “Something must be off if there’s no woman in sight.”

   “Believe it or not, I actually do work around here,” Headmaster Devil said. “It’s a good thing you both are here.”

   “So, what’s up?” Akira asked.

   “I have a task for you two to do for me,” Headmaster Devil began. “I assume you both have heard of Rutham City?”

   “Yeah. It’s that small city in the upper region of New Iris,” Zayn replied.

   “Over there, there have been many reports coming in of some strange disappearances in the past few days. Based off what I’ve read into, there’s a possibility they’re related to dark beast activity. I want you two to go and investigate,” Headmaster Devil said.

   “If there are dark beasts involved, wouldn’t it be more fitting for a hunter squad to look into it?” Zayn asked.

   “That’s the thing. Prior to this, there’s never been any dark beast activity in Rutham, so no hunter squad has been stationed there. And Bastien from the society told me most squads are already on missions right now. So, he asked me if I could send my top students to handle the matter,” Headmaster Devil said. “It’s just a matter of asking around and finding out any details that could indicate whether or not a dark beast is involved.”

   “Well, if it’s that simple, I guess we can go,” Akira replied.

   “Good. You should leave as soon as possible,” Headmaster Devil said.

   With that, Zayn and Akira went outside of the academy where Zayn got hold of his hover-bike. Once Zayn got on, Akira sat right behind him as he took off into the sky. “So, do you think your old man may be right about a dark beast being behind all this?” Akira asked Zayn.

   “Personally, I think we might be wasting our time.”

   “We’ll just have to see for ourselves.”

***

   On the other hand, inside the academy, Rey was at one of the rooms in the health center, getting his medicines from the nurse. He sat in silence as the nurse handed him a pill and he popped it into his mouth, drinking water with it. “So, how are you feeling now?” the nurse asked Rey. “Any better than before?”

   Rey turned to the nurse, figuring out what to say. “Well,” Rey started. “You see-“

   “Hey, Rey!” Sana exclaimed as she entered the room along with Krystal.

   “See! I told you he already got his medicine,” Krystal said.

   “How are you feeling?” Sana asked Rey.

   “I was just going to ask him that,” the nurse said.

   “Oh…I’m fine,” Rey said.

   “Thanks for giving him his medicine,” Sana told the nurse.

   “No problem. He just needs to keep seeing me every morning and he should be restored to complete health in no time,” the nurse said.

   Rey got up, heading out of the room without saying a word, surprising Sana. “What’s wrong with him?” Sana asked.

   “Who knows?”

   “I should go check on him.”

   “Let him be, Sana! Besides, you need to help me pick out an outfit for the next circus show! Now come on!”

   Krystal pulled Sana along with her while Sana turned, looking on as Rey left in the other direction.

***

   Hours later, Zayn and Akira arrived in Rutham City. Zayn parked his hover-bike on the curb of a street and with that, they got off. The two of them looked around, with Akira noticing that the town had a very dreary feel to it. Hardly any citizens were around. The few people that were walking by were minding their own business, playing poker, or smoking cigarettes. Even though it wasn’t raining, Akira noted the grayish atmosphere surrounding her. Most of the storefronts looked dead inside, some with no lights to be seen. And there was a strange odor lurking around that wasn’t exactly appealing.

   “Okay…not exactly the most pleasant town I’ve been to,” Akira said.

   “I kinda like it.”

   “You would. Any ideas where we should start investigating?”

   Zayn turned as he heard sounds of saxophones, trumpets, and other instruments. He looked to the other side of the street along with Akira, seeing what appeared to be a club by the name of Infinity.

   “There’s a good place to start!” Akira exclaimed. “Let’s go.”

   Akira walked ahead towards Infinity while Zayn followed silently. The two of them went inside, seeing a small band playing before guests who were seated at tables, enjoying bubbling beer and fried pastries. Akira was snapping her fingers to the music while Zayn was looking around the area. He noted the very dim yellow lighting shrouded the club in a tranquil-like darkness. I feel like I know this place, Zayn thought.

   Then, an old man dressed in a black tuxedo came towards Zayn and Akira. “Good day to you ma’am and sir. I’m Mr. Truesdale, owner of Infinity,” the man introduced himself. “May I seat you two to a table?”

   “We’re fine,” Akira replied.

   “We actually had some questions,” Zayn said.

   “Any concerns regarding the establishment?” Mr. Truesdale asked.

   “No,” Zayn replied. “Just some questions regarding what’s happening around the city.”

***

   In the back area of the club, right at a booth in a small corner, Mr. Truesdale was seated with Zayn and Akira for questioning. Zayn filled him in on what matters they wanted to discuss.

   “What can you tell us about the recent disappearances going on around this city?” Zayn asked Mr. Truesdale.

   “So, that’s what this is about,” Mr. Truesdale said. “There’s nothing much for me to say honestly. I’m just as shocked about it as anyone else.”

   “Has anyone close to you or even anyone from this club disappeared?” Akira asked.

   “No,” Mr. Truesdale replied. “Well…there was a man…but it’s not related to what’s going on right now.”

   “He must be significant enough that you brought him up. Tell us about him,” Akira said.

   “The man I’m referring to is a former employee. He was a saxophone player with the band here. I tell you…he created magic with his fingers. Someone as talented as him would’ve made quite a name for himself,” Mr. Truesdale explained.

   “Interesting. What’s his name?” Akira asked.

   “His name was Solomon Savvy,” Mr. Truesdale replied.

   Zayn was stunned as soon as he heard that name while Akira was intrigued. “Solomon Savvy?” Akira said.

   “Cool name, isn’t it? It suited him well actually,” Mr. Truesdale continued. “He was the most talented musician that I ever had the pleasure of working with. He disappeared a while back, but it still feels like it happened only yesterday. I still don’t know what happened to him.”

    Zayn kept silent. He could feel this tension in his chest. He clenched onto the arms of his chair like it was for dear life. Akira could see Zayn was troubled. She knew it was time for them to go.

   “Thank you for your time, Mr. Truesdale,” Akira said.

   With that, Zayn and Akira left and headed out of Infinity, going towards where Zayn’s hover-bike was parked. As Zayn was about to get on, Akira said, “So, what’s your deal?”

   “Meaning?”

   “I saw how you were back there. You were clearly upset about something. What happened?”

   “It’s nothing.”

   “Zayn, you really think I don’t know when something’s bothering you?”

   “If that’s the case, then you know there are things about my life that I don’t need to discuss.”

   “What are you getting at? Wait a minute…are you saying…I get it now. That guy, Solomon Savvy…he’s the one.”

   “Yeah.”

   “Well, well. At least we know this guy’s disappearance has nothing to do with all these other disappearances.”

   “Your reaction is very calm. Why?”

   “Because I know you, Zayn. What you did at that time doesn’t define you. You know that. I know that. Even your mom knows that.”

   “I thought I put it behind me. Especially since no one got to know about it. But now…hearing his name again…it makes me sick.”

   “So, you don’t think this guy has any connection to what’s going on?”

   “It’s not possible.”

   Suddenly, there was a scream that came from nearby. The sound startled both Zayn and Akira. The scream shook Zayn, rattling his mind as he was already disturbed enough.

   “It came from down there! Come on!” Akira exclaimed as she ran down the street with Zayn following her.

***

   On the other hand, during lunch, Sana, Krystal, Prince, and Heer were seated at a table in the school cafeteria as Sana waited for Rey to come.         

   “Okay, where the hell is he?” Krystal asked.

   “I have no idea. Something’s been off about him lately,” Sana said.

   “He probably just went to take a nap,” Prince said as he chewed on a candy cane.

   “Didn’t you just have a candy cane this morning?!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “I did. What of it?” Prince said.

   “Does anyone know why Neil decided to leave for his hometown all of a sudden?” Sana asked.

   “Who knows! Neil barely comes to class anyway,” Krystal said.

   “Besides, that idiot just wanted some excuse to be alone,” Prince added. “He’s been acting so moody lately.”

   “Excuse me,” a voice said.

   The others turned around to see Aiden standing right before their table.      

   “Oh…Aiden. What are you doing here?” Sana asked.

   “Oh, nothing. I just wanted to know if I could speak to Heer for a moment,” Aiden said.

   “Sure. We don’t mind,” Sana said.

   With that, Heer got up and headed out of the cafeteria with Aiden.

   “Wonder what that’s all about,” Krystal said.

   “So, have you two heard about the special mission Zayn and Akira are on?” Prince asked.

   “Special mission?” Sana said, puzzled.

   “Spill the details, Prince!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “Headmaster Devil sent them to Rutham City. Apparently, there’s some disappearances going on that could be related to a dark beast,” Prince explained.

   “And how do you know all this?” Krystal asked.

   “It’s been spreading around all morning,” Prince replied as he finished his candy cane.

   “How do people seem to know these things so early?” Sana asked.

   “It’s Aster for crying out loud!” Krystal exclaimed. “That kid literally collects all the gossip around here.”

   Outside of the cafeteria, Aiden and Heer stood alone beside the window in the hall. “How is Neil?” Heer asked Aiden.

   “What?”

   “Is he okay? He’s never left the academy before. He didn’t even tell me himself.”

   “Knowing him, he probably just needed some time to cool off. I’m sure he’ll be back soon. But that’s not what I want to discuss.”

   “What is it then?”

   “Runa’s ready to see you. If you don’t mind, I can take you to her right now.”

   “Yes, of course.”

   “Okay. And you remember that you have to talk to her about training, right?”

   “Yes. Do you think she’ll agree to it?”

   “Well, if she trusts you as much as I think she does, then yes. Shall we?”

   Heer nodded as she followed Aiden down the hallway. The two headed up the stairs to where the health center was. As they entered, a nurse escorted them to Runa’s room. In bed, Runa was sitting by herself. Heer looked at her, happy to see she was doing fine, but also noting that she still seemed so glum. After a moment, Runa noticed Heer standing before her.

   “Heer!” Runa exclaimed in pure joy as she jumped out of bed and ran up to Heer, hugging her. Heer shed a tear that went down her face as she wrapped her arms around Runa. Aiden looked at the two, astonished to see how much Runa’s mood changed once Heer made an appearance. Heer bent down and looked at Runa, brushing her shiny black hair.    

   “Look at you. You’re so much happier than before,” Heer told Runa. “Are you feeling better?”

   “I’m better.”

   “That’s good to hear. Aiden here told me how eager you were to see me.”

   “Yes. I don’t know anyone here.”

   “Don’t worry about a thing. These people are here to help you. They’re not going to hurt you.”

   “But…Madame Naga used to tell me…that no one wants to be near creatures like me.”

   “That’s not true, Runa. You’re worthy of love just as much as anyone else. I’m here to give you that. We all here to give you that. I know it’s scary, but you don’t have to worry about anything. We’re going to help you.”

   Runa took in Heer’s words. This warmth she felt was something she wasn’t used to. It felt so unfamiliar, yet Heer made it seem like something that was always meant to be there.

   “Listen, I have something to ask you,” Heer said. “Your powers are actually incredible. But you clearly need help in controlling them. So, Aiden and I were thinking you could get some training here.”

   Runa was quiet. She looked down at the floor, clenching onto her dress. The thought of using her powers at all scared her.

   “I know that you feel your powers are destructive,” Aiden told Runa. “But if you just try, they can be used for good. Just because your powers are dark, doesn’t mean they are evil.”

   “Exactly,” Heer agreed. “And don’t worry! I’ll be training with you. So, I’ll always be here if you need me. What do you say?”

   After some pondering, Runa looked up at Heer and Aiden. Looking at them was the first time she ever saw any reassurance. And it was all for her. How could she say no? She simply nodded yes.

   “Great,” Aiden said. “I’ll start making arrangements then.”

***

   Back in Rutham City, Zayn and Akira continued to run down the streets as they searched for where the scream had come from. They turned, seeing a shiny light coming from an alley. As the two rushed towards it, they both stopped dead in their tracks. Zayn was stunned at what he saw. A young woman was cornered there, her body lying on the ground with her skin gray as a rainy sky and a trail of blood had stained the ground from the back of her head. Standing before her was a tall man, whose skin was of a tan color, that looked slightly wrinkled. He wore a black top hat, a red suit with black dress shoes, and he held a saxophone in his hands. What the hell?! Zayn thought. It can’t be.

   “Oh, look who we have here! It’s been a long time, hasn’t it, Zayn?!” the man said in an old, cackling voice.

   “How does he know you?” Akira asked Zayn.

   The man slowly turned around and as his face was revealed, Zayn’s worst fears had come to life.

   “Surprise!” the man exclaimed, raising his arms up. “Solomon Savvy is back in town!”

Copyright © 2021 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.

Volume 1

17. Where Our Strength Lies

imeryli

“I can’t believe this!” Krystal exclaimed. It was a Sunday morning and participating students were in the gymnasium of the academy to prepare for the upcoming circus show. Among those participating students were Krystal, Prince, Zayn, and Akira. And it was at this very moment that Aster was announcing everyone’s role in the show.

   “Is there a problem, Krystal?” Aster asked.

   “Yes, there is! I’ve been reduced to a backup dancer!” Krystal exclaimed. “And Prince gets an actual part in the show?!”

   “Yeah, I would’ve been fine with just being an assistant or something,” Prince said.

   “We need Prince’s roar for a dramatic opening. And Krystal, I had to give the spotlight to Akira and Zayn. It’s only a fair way to welcome our new classmates,” Aster said.

   “How does a roar even fit into a fairy tale theme?” Prince asked.

   “Don’t question my artistic vision, Prince,” Aster said. “I know what I’m doing. Anyways, now that roles have been assigned, we’ll work on staging today. Before we start, where’s Heer?”

   “She had to skip today. She’ll fill in later,” Prince said.

   “All right. We’ll just have to manage without her. Let’s assemble now,” Aster said.

   Students gathered over to where Aster was in the center of the gymnasium. As Krystal was getting ready to join the others, she noticed Zayn was standing in the corner by himself with his arms crossed. It puzzled her. Everyone else was participating in the preparations for the show. And here was Headmaster Devil’s son, lounging about in a corner by himself.

   Krystal decided she should talk to him. She walked over to the corner where he was at. Zayn was occupied with his cellphone, but it didn’t take long for him to look up at Krystal as the clinking sounds of her heels were enough to get his attention.

   “How come you’re just standing over here?” Krystal asked.

   “What is it to you?”

   “Nothing. I just don’t get why you’re standing here by yourself when we have practice. Besides, Aster even gave you a decent part in his show.”

   “I don’t care for these silly circus shows.”

   “Silly?! You think our shows are silly?! I’ll have you know that we throw some of the biggest performances this city has ever seen. In fact, tons of people show up to our shows all the time because they know they’re going to be entertained in the grandest way possible.”

   “But that’s not what this school is for.”

   “Huh?”

   “The purpose of this school and all academies alike is to train ringmasters and human-beasts in harnessing their powers and abilities. You guys do this circus stuff just to please the city folk and distract them from the bigger picture. Honestly, I don’t even see the point of that. Especially when there’s always threats coming left and right from one dark beast to another.”

   Sheesh. It’s like this guy doesn’t know the concept of having fun, Krystal thought. While she could somewhat understand where Zayn was coming from, she still didn’t agree.

   “You know, even if what you say is true, I think our circus shows are important. They help bring joy into people’s lives.

   “And what good is that?”

   “What good? What’s good is that we remind people that the world isn’t so dark and cruel all the time. Sure, we deal with dark beasts and other stuff. But that doesn’t mean we can’t do our part to uplift those who need it.”

   Zayn found himself surprised at Krystal’s notion. What surprised him even more was that she was even capable of saying something profound about something as simple as a circus show. It intrigued him more than he could admit.

   “Come on now! Aster gave you a big part in this show! So, you might as well participate.”

   “I have no interest. I’m not a showman. Besides, Akira’s better suited for these things.”

   “You know you say that. But from the way you were battling the other day, I’d find it hard to believe you weren’t capable of being a showman.”

   Zayn was surprised again. He didn’t understand what Krystal was getting at. And before he could ask her what she meant, she left and went over to practice with the other students.

   As the students got into their rehearsal, Zayn watched them at work from the sidelines. Aster didn’t even question why Zayn wasn’t participating and simply changed up Akira’s part a bit, so it didn’t cause any issue. Zayn did find himself slightly amused as he continued to watch the group. He even realized that he could just simply leave. But he didn’t want to for some reason. And he thought that maybe it had to do with what Krystal said.

   Once rehearsals were over, students began to leave the gym. Akira got her belongings together and walked over with Krystal and Prince to the corner where Zayn was still standing.

   “I can’t believe you bothered to stay here even though you weren’t interested,” Akira said. “Are you coming with us?”

   “I’ll leave later. You all can go ahead,” Zayn said.

   “Suit yourself,” Akira said. “Let’s go, guys.”

   “I’m actually going to Devil’s Diner downtown. Sana wanted to hang out for dinner,” Prince said.

   “Oh, cool. I was going to go do some shopping around there, so I’ll walk with you,” Akira said. “Are you coming, Krystal?”

   “I’ll be heading over later,” Krystal said.

   Krystal watched as Akira and Prince headed out of the gymnasium. Once they were gone, she turned to Zayn, who was looking back at her.

   “So, you stuck around for our rehearsal,” Krystal said.

   “Yeah. What of it?”

   “I just think you might actually like what we’re doing around here.”

   “Don’t get so excited. I was just curious to see what’s so worthwhile about these things.”

   “Sheesh. You could learn to lighten up a little bit. Have some fun!”

   “I’m not here to have fun. I’m here to train.”

   “Everyone needs to have fun. Even a serious guy like you. I’d keep that in mind if I were you.”

   With that, Krystal decided to leave. There was more that she could say. But she didn’t want to waste any more energy. So, she felt it was best to leave things to Zayn. And as she left, Zayn watched her leave in silence. On one hand, he thought there was some truth to her words. But he also knew that she didn’t know him enough to know why he was the way he was.

***

    Later in the evening, Krystal, Prince, and Akira were walking around in downtown Daredevil City. Once they reached Ruby Street, Akira went off on her own to check out the shops that were there. Krystal and Prince kept walking till they reached Devil’s Diner. It was the most popular place for casual dining in Daredevil City. As soon as Krystal entered the place with Prince, the aroma of fresh pastries mixed with the heat from all the spicy dishes was enough to make her smile. And she was really in the mood for some food.

   Krystal and Prince found Sana at her table and sat down with her. When they were all seated, they ordered their food and waited, chatting about school and all kinds of things. And even though she was having fun, Krystal couldn’t help but think about Zayn and what they talked about earlier. After some time had passed, the waiter came to the table with all their orders. Once the waiter passed everything out, Krystal said, “Excuse me? I think you made a mistake.”

   “What is it, ma’am?”

   “You didn’t give me my Marigold Surprise.”

   “Oh, sorry, ma’am. We’re out of the Marigold Surprise.”

   “What do you mean out of it?!”

   “Many people ordered it today, so we’re out of the ingredients for it.”

   “But I always get the Marigold Surprise here!”

   “Just give it a rest, Krystal,” Sana said.

   “I’m terribly sorry. If you want, I can bring a different dessert from our menu,” the waiter said.

   “No, it’s fine,” Krystal said.

   After the waiter left, Krystal sulked in her chair. Sana was surprised that Krystal didn’t pick up a whole verbal argument with the waiter or even her for interfering. The Marigold Surprise was one of her favorite things to get at the diner. It was a dome cake that was covered with orange marzipan and had orange caramel sauce drizzled all over the top. The inside consisted of an orange sponge cake, whipped cream, and little edible marigold petals mixed inside. And normally, Krystal would go all the way for something like that cake, even if others were annoyed by it.

   “What’s up with you, Krystal?” Sana asked.

   “You mean her being less annoying than usual?” Prince asked.

   “Shut up, Prince! I just really wanted a Marigold Surprise!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “You sure that’s it? You seem like you have something on your mind,” Sana said.

   “It’s that new kid, Zayn,” Krystal said as she took a sip from her strawberry milkshake. “He had the nerve not to participate in our rehearsals even though Aster gave him a good part.”

   “And that bothers you because…?” Sana said.

   “Because I was reduced to just a backup dancer and I’m still participating! But him, he acts like he’s too cool for our circus shows,” Krystal said.

   “Maybe he’s just not interested,” Sana said.

   “It’s not just that. He said there’s no reason for us doing such things. He’s got some nerve,” Krystal said. “I mean, even a guy like Prince still takes part in them.”

   Sana realized Krystal had a good point. Even though Prince was a rather serious guy himself, he still knew how to have fun. I mean he was the guy who almost always had a candy cane in his mouth. And even looking at his order, which consisted of a double cheeseburger, ganache drizzled brownie, side of fries, and chocolate caramel milkshake, it was obvious Prince knew how to have fun in his own way.

   “Look, Krystal, the guy isn’t used to our ways. Maybe he might get interested later,” Prince said as he ate one of his fries. “And even if he doesn’t get interested, there’s really no reason you should care.”

   “Oh, please. I don’t care that much. I care more about not having my Marigold Surprise,” Krystal said. “Anyways, Sana, I didn’t ask, but where’d you go off to when you left lunch that day.”

   “I just went to see Aiden. I asked him if he could give me and Rey extra lessons,” Sana said.

   “Extra lessons? Why would you two need that?” Prince asked.

   “We both lost miserably to Madame Naga. And a lot of that blame falls on me since Rey got injured so badly. So, we must get stronger for that not to happen again,” Sana said.

   Prince looked at Krystal and he could tell she was thinking the same thing he was. It was clear that Sana was taking everything that had happened on that night to heart. And while her desires to get stronger were genuine, he wondered if she was really doing this for herself.

   Krystal understood why Sana was acting different. She knew just how much she took her skills as a ringmaster seriously. It made her think about her own abilities. She could feel a huge difference in her battling skills when she used the equilibrium with Prince. And seeing Zayn and Akira only made her more mesmerized by what possibilities she could unlock.

***

    Late at night, in the boys’ dorm house, Rey was alone in his room. He finished taking a shower and stepped out of his bathroom. As he walked towards his closet, he paused for a moment. Rey looked at the palm of his right hand and noticed something peculiar. An eerie dark purple marking had been printed along his entire palm. Rey was even more creeped out when he saw the same marking on his left palm. What the hell is this? Rey thought.

   Rey changed into his red pajamas. He looked again at his palms, the markings still there. The sight of them was beginning to freak him out. As he continued to go through his closet, there was a small knock on the door, which startled Rey.

   “Rey. It’s Prince.”

   “Um…I’m coming,” Rey replied as he continued to go through his closet. He pulled out a pair of black fingerless gloves and began to put them on his hands. Just cover it up, Rey. It’s probably nothing and will go away tomorrow, Rey assured himself. Yeah…that’s it.

   After putting his gloves on, Rey went to the door and opened it, seeing Prince stand before him. “What took you so long?” Prince asked Rey.

   “I just got out of the shower, okay! That’s it! Nothing else!”

   “Okay then…well, I have news for you.”

   “What’s up?”

   “Neil left a note at my door. It seems he’s leaving campus for a few days.”

   “What?!”

   Prince showed the note to Rey. Rey snatched it from Prince’s hands and looked over it, completely shocked. He knew Neil was acting weird, but he didn’t think he would just leave so suddenly. 

   “Why the hell would that idiot just leave like that?!” Rey said.

   “I don’t know. When he said he wanted to be alone, I guess that meant away from school as well.”

   “That moron.”

   “I know. Now he’s definitely going to fall behind in classes.”

   “It’s not that. I know why he’s acting like this. He’s doubting Heer as his partner. And I have no idea why. She’s just as strong as you and me. I don’t understand why he always has to be so unfair with her.”

   “Don’t get upset. He just needs some time. You know Neil. When he gets frustrated, he just needs to cool off.”

   “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

   “Anyways, it’s pretty late. I’m gonna go to bed.”

   “Yeah, same. Good night.”

   Before Rey closed the door, Prince was puzzled upon seeing the gloves adorned by his hands. “What’s with the gloves?” Prince inquired.

   “Oh these! I was just trying on some stuff in my closet. No biggie. Anyways, good night,” Rey said.

   With that, Rey closed the door. Prince walked down the hall, going towards his room. Even though Rey answered him, he still felt something was off about him.

***

   On the other hand, outside the gates where Daredevil City lied, Neil was walking with a backpack and a duffel bag held in his right hand. He had just made it into what was known as St. Alphonse Street.

   Damn it! Now I know I missed the last train! Neil thought as he continued walking. Now I gotta walk all the way down this street to the bus stop in Dusk Point just to catch a bus!

    Neil sighed. I wonder if Prince already told the others that I left, Neil pondered. I really hope Heer doesn’t feel too bad. I just need to take some time off and head back to Helada for a while to clear my head and figure out how I can get stronger.

   Suddenly, Neil stopped walking. He heard a creeping noise from behind. Neil slowly turned around, only to be hit in the head with a bat of some sort. He was instantly knocked out. The bat dropped onto the concrete ground and fell right beside Neil’s unconscious body. The one who was holding the bat appeared to be a woman, who wore a black cloak that had shrouded her appearance. Once she removed her hood, she revealed who she really was: Madame Naga.

   “You’re just what I need,” Madame Naga said as she looked over Neil.

***

   The next day, early morning in the halls of Ringmasters Training Academy, Rey was walking by himself. After some time, he stopped and looked at his hand, which was still adorned by a glove. He slowly lifted the glove up to see the marking had spread. He pulled the sleeve of his black leather jacket to see the marking was spreading downward across his arm. Rey couldn’t believe it. What the hell?! It’s actually growing, Rey thought, unable to believe his eyes. Despite seeing the mark remaining on his palm in the morning, he didn’t recall seeing it stretch itself even further.

   “Hey, Rey!” a voice called from behind. Startled, Rey immediately pulled his sleeve back down and put his glove back on. He turned around to see Sana coming towards him.

   “Oh, Sana. Hey,” Rey said.

   “I’m glad I ran into you.”

   “Yeah? Why’s that?”

   “I wanted to let you know that we have training with Aiden later this week.”

   “Why?”

   “I asked him if he could do some extra lessons with us.”

   “But you didn’t ask me.”

   “What? I was supposed to ask you?”

   “Yeah! We’re a team. And I don’t want to do any extra training.”

   “Hold on, you’re saying no to training? You of all people? Why?”

   Damn. I just can’t do this right now. Especially not with what’s happening with me, Rey thought. If I tell her about it, she’s gonna get even more concerned than she already is.

   “Rey, why don’t you want to train?” Sana asked.

   “Well…you didn’t even ask me!”

   “That’s what this is about?”

   “And I don’t even like Aiden. Why would I wanna train with him?”

   “What do you have against Aiden? Isn’t that Neil’s thing?”

   “I just don’t like the guy. And you never even asked me about it before arranging all of this.”

   “What’s with you? You’re so hung up on the fact that I didn’t ask you earlier. I just assumed you’d be fine with training.”

   “Whoah, what’s going on here?” Krystal asked as she walked towards Sana and Rey along with Heer and Prince.

   “Rey’s having a temper tantrum because I didn’t tell him about the lessons I asked for from Aiden,” Sana said.

   “Sheesh, you sound like a child, Rey,” Krystal said.

   “That’s rich coming from the rich brat herself,” Rey said.

   “Boy, you have some nerve calling me a brat! At least I don’t whine like a toddler!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “What’s happening here?” Zayn asked as he walked to where the gang was with Akira.

   “Just the usual drama. It’s best not to get involved,” Prince said.

   “Well, we have to ask something. Do any of you recognize that guy over there with the black and blond hair?” Akira asked as she pointed to a man standing down the hallway.

   Sana turned around with the others to see a tall, muscular man with medium-length black hair with a set of blond strands parted in the middle, dressed in a black shirt with a brown vest, khaki pants, and ranger boots. She was surprised, knowing in an instant who this was.

   “Dad?” Sana said.

   “Dad?!” the others exclaimed in unison.

***

   “So, you’re really Sana’s dad?” Krystal asked.

   “Yes. My name’s Ryan J. Malik. It’s nice to meet all of you,” the man said.

   The gang was sitting with Ryan in the lounge room that was on the first floor of the school. Ryan needed to hand in some paperwork to the staff there, so the rest of the gang followed him there to chat with him before classes would start for the day.

   “Wow, you’re a lot younger than I imagined,” Krystal said.

   “I was certain you’d be as old as the headmaster,” Rey said.

   “You shouldn’t comment on old age, Rey. You’ll get there one day,” Ryan said.

   “You know my name?” Rey asked.

   “Of course. Sana has told me about all of you,” Ryan said. “And Devil was excited to tell me about Zayn and Akira coming to the academy.”

   “So, you’re friends with my father?” Zayn asked.

   “Yup. We go way back. I’ve been friends with him since our academy days,” Ryan said.

   Sana watched as her friends chatted with Ryan. They seemed so fascinated with him. As happy as she was to see him, she wondered why he came unannounced.

   “Sana dear, are you spacing out again?” Ryan asked. “You know I told you not to do that.”

   “Dad, I’m fine! Why are you even here?” Sana asked Ryan. “Aren’t you supposed to be stationed in Aerosoul?”

   “Stationed as what?” Akira asked Ryan.

   “Oh, that’s right. I actually work in a hunter squad,” Ryan said.

   “What’s a hunter squad?” Heer asked.

   “Hunter squads are teams that are stationed in various cities across the country and around the world. They’re composed of highly trained ringmasters and human-beasts that take on dark beasts in those areas,” Sana explained.

   “And yet, you weren’t stationed here in Daredevil City?” Akira asked.

   “No and that’s mainly because Aerosoul happens to be my hometown. Now that the dark beast activity there has gone down, I was allowed time off from the squad,” Ryan said. “I actually came here because Devil appointed me as the new professor of Power Coordination at RTA.”

   “What?!” Sana exclaimed.

   “That’s right! Of course, it’s only temporary. Devil is still looking for someone to take the position permanently, but he asked me to take over since Aiden already has so many responsibilities to juggle,” Ryan said. “Bright side is that I’ll be getting paid for this and I’ll be able to see my little girl every day.”

   “Oh, geez, Dad,” Sana said, rolling her eyes.

   “Aww sweety! You know you love your father!” Ryan said. “Besides, that’s how Devil convinced me to take up the job. He’s such a good friend. The man knows me too well.”

   “I’m shocked that someone can actually call my dad a good friend,” Zayn said.

   “Well, your father may be a bit eccentric, but he is a good man deep down,” Ryan said. “In fact, while we’re still here, I should tell you all one of the many stories from our young days.”

   As Ryan went on narrating a tale from his adventurous past, Sana sulked as the others listened to him with great attention. Well, this is quite the turn of events, Sana thought as she shook her head.

Copyright © 2021 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.

Volume 1

16. The Need to Get Stronger

imeryli

At the Devil’s Lair of Ringmasters Training Academy, Headmaster Devil was at his desk, going through some files when Aiden had entered the office.   

   “Interesting. For once, there’s no sign of a woman here,” Aiden said.

   “Very funny. What do you want?”

   “The new professor for Power Coordination is supposed to be coming in soon. Should I continue to cover for the class till then?”

   “I’m aware. And you’re the best replacement we have right now. So, I trust you’ll keep the students on track till he comes in. Anything else?”

   “One more thing. The nurse said that Runa has been doing a lot better. What should we do with her now?”

   “I have been thinking about that. The child is very powerful. But she lacks control over her powers. And I don’t think it’s right if we let such potential go to waste.”

  “What are you proposing then?”

  “I think we should keep her here for special training. Under the right guidance, she could learn to control her powers. You can work with her and if everything goes well, I can have her admitted into the nearest preparatory school where she can be among other students of her age.”

  “You sure about this?”

  “Why not? After all, she is just a child. If it wasn’t for Heer, Runa would still be under Madame Naga’s control. With that thought in mind, I want you to get Heer to visit Runa.”

   “I don’t think I even have to ask her. She’s been very concerned about Runa from what I’ve heard.”

   “You still need to talk to her. Ask her how she feels about Runa getting some training here. If she agrees, Runa will be more likely to undergo it with Heer’s approval.”

   “As you wish. There’s one more thing I wanted to bring up. Rey appears to be doing better now. He will be discharged from the intensive care unit soon. But still…the scar from Madame Naga’s bite remains. I know the doctors were able to control the spread of the venom in his body, but I still fear for him.”

   “And why is that?”

   “Why would Madame Naga leave that bite, knowing the possibility of the venom’s spread being controlled? Something else is up. And since that scar remains on his neck, it could still pose as a danger to him.”

   “Yes. Make a note of this. Inform Sana to make sure Rey sees the nurse periodically in the mornings for further medication. He’ll need it. Hopefully, we’ll be able to have him under control before anything goes wrong.”

***

   Down in the halls, Sana was making her way towards the intensive care unit as students were walking off to their classes. She opened the door of the room, seeing Rey was sitting up in bed. As she came by, she looked aside, seeing an empty plate that was sitting upon a table with a pile of crumbs left behind. “You look much better now. And you even ate. That’s good,” Sana said. “Did you take your medicine yet?”

   “No, the nurse left for a bit, so I have to wait. I don’t even want to take it. It tastes weird.”

   “Oh, come on now. I’m sure it’s not that bad.”

   Sana turned to the side and was startled as she noticed that right next to the finished plate of breakfast was a glass of orange juice that was untouched. She rolled her eyes and said, “Looks like you didn’t drink the orange juice. How typical.”

   Rey turned away, frustrated, and said, “It’s not my fault the nurse left that crap for me to drink. “

   Sana turned to Rey, grabbing the glass of orange juice. She shouted, “If the nurse gave it to you, then that means you have to drink it!”

   “Would you get that crap away from me?! I hate it!”

   “You’re such an idiot. Orange juice is good for you. It’s vitamin C for crying out loud.”

   “I’ll take vitamin A, B, or even Z, but I won’t take C if it’s in that!”

   “Now you’re just acting like a child! You need some enriching fluids with your medicine. Now drink it!”

   “Enriching fluids?! Those aren’t even real oranges!”

   “Okay, it’s one thing to be petty. But making false arguments? I have no clue how you got into this school with such a miniscule brain.”

   “What’d you say?!”

   “You heard me.”

   “I’ll have you know that I’m pretty smart.”

   “Sure. That was evident from how you landed flat on your face when battling Zayn and Akira yesterday.”

   “Insulting me even more now? Well, now you’ve persuaded me even more not to drink that stuff. So, there you have it! I’m not drinking it!”

   “Fine then,” Sana said.

   She took the tablet, which was Rey’s medicine. And then, she swiftly grabbed hold of Rey by his shoulder, popping the tablet into his mouth and stuffing the orange juice down his throat. She let go, leaving Rey in quite a daze.

   “There. That does it,” Sana said.

   “AAHHH!” Rey screamed to the top of his lungs as he immediately jumped out of bed. He started taking the remaining crumbs of his breakfast and eating them in hopes that the taste would go away.

   “Geez, you’re so dramatic.”

   “Dramatic?! You know I hate orange juice! And you dare to chug it down my throat like that?!”

   “Oh, just grow up already.”

***

   At Energy Enhancement class, students had arrived as they waited for Professor Luna to enter the classroom. As Sana and Rey came in, Krystal and Prince went up to greet the two. Prince high-fived Rey and said, “Nice to see you back in shape.”

   “Hey, man! I’ve always been in shape!” Rey exclaimed.

   “Aww. At least your attitude hasn’t changed,” Krystal said.

   “And why should it? Just because I took a beating, doesn’t mean I should mope around forever,” Rey said.

   “Correction. You got two beatings,” Krystal said.

   “The second one doesn’t count!” Rey said.

   Sana looked over at Neil and Heer, who were sitting in their seats. The two of them were unusually quiet. They usually chatted for a bit before class would start. But they weren’t even looking at each other.

   “What’s with those two?” Sana asked.

   “Who? Neil and Heer?” Krystal asked.

   “Yeah. Look at them. They look so distant from each other,” Sana said.

   “That’s weird. They’re probably just tired,” Rey said as he sat down in his seat.

   “Or there could be tension since yesterday’s little fiasco,” Prince said.

   “Did Neil say anything to you?” Krystal asked Prince.

   “No. He’s been pretty quiet since yesterday. You know something’s off when he’s not running his mouth,” Prince said.

   “All right, class. I want everyone seated,” Professor Luna said as she entered the classroom.

   The students all sat down while Professor Luna placed her belongings on her desk. At that time, Zayn and Akira entered the classroom. “Oh, you two have arrived. Had any trouble coming here?” Professor Luna asked Zayn and Akira.

   “Wow. She’s so nice with them,” Rey said.

   “It’s Headmaster Devil’s son. She would be,” Sana replied.

   “Wait! What?!” Rey exclaimed.

   “Long story. We’ll tell you later,” Krystal told Rey from behind.

   “We’re fine. We just got lost for a bit,” Zayn replied.

   “It is a big school. Anyway, you both can sit in those empty seats beside Krystal and Prince,” Professor Luna said.

   As Zayn and Akira headed over to their seats, Krystal noticed all the students couldn’t help but stare at them. It was as if celebrities had walked in. Zayn took the seat right next to Krystal while Akira sat in the other seat beside him. Krystal looked at him, wondering if he’d say anything. The two were pleasant to be around when she gave them a school tour the other day. But she didn’t know if that was enough to be acknowledged as a friend. It didn’t take long for Zayn to look at Krystal.

   “Thanks again for yesterday’s tour,” Zayn told Krystal.

   “Oh, yeah. No problem,” Krystal said.

   “Okay, let’s get started,” Professor Luna said. “Now class, I’m sure you all remember our focus on the equilibrium. Today, our focus is going to be on how one obtains the equilibrium.”

   “Prince and I were able to use it ourselves!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “Is that so?” Professor Luna asked. “Well, that’s great. Glad to see some students have already learned to use it. I still think it’ll be useful for you all to understand the foundation of the equilibrium technique.”

   Sana looked down at her notebook. It seemed like it had been a while since the time she and Rey used the equilibrium against that dark beast in the library. Even though they were able to execute it, it wasn’t perfect considering how much exhaustion it had caused her. And that seemed to bother her. She wondered if she wasn’t as strong as she thought. Krystal told her about how she was able to execute the equilibrium with Prince and how even Neil and Heer were able to do it as well. There was something wrong and she feared it was her own strength.

   “Let’s have a demonstration of a basic exercise to practice the technique,” Professor Luna said. “Neil and Heer! You two come here for the demonstration.”

   Neil and Heer looked up at Professor Luna, startled. Heer looked over at Neil, who was still looking rather distant, almost as if he didn’t want to be in the room. As Heer began to get up, Neil got up and said, “Sorry. But today’s not a good day.”

   “What?!” Professor Luna questioned Neil.

   “I’m saying no. Go ahead and fail me for today. I’m leaving right now,” Neil said as he then stood up from his seat.

   This surprised Heer. Neil was always one to take on an opportunity when it was presented to him. Neil grabbed his backpack and headed out the classroom, not even turning back once.

   “Good grief. Never mind the exercise then. Let’s take some notes first,” Professor Luna said as she turned towards the board and began writing.

   “What’s with him?” Krystal asked. “Why’s he being such a jerk?”

   “He’s clearly not taking what happened yesterday very well,” Prince said.

   “So, he’s upset because of us?” Akira asked.

   “Nah. He’s just being moody,” Krystal said.

   Heer sat back down in her seat. Rey looked at her, seeing she was hurting. He wondered whether Neil was upset about the battle with Zayn and Akira or if something else was going on. 

   Neil walked down in the hall by himself, pondering. I don’t know what Heer thinks of me, Neil thought. I know she tries her best as my partner. But I want to get stronger. And I don’t know if we can do that together.

***

   Later, during lunch time, Sana, Rey, Prince, and Heer were all seated at their usual table in the cafeteria. As they waited for Krystal, the group began eating their meals. It didn’t take long for Rey to realize that Neil wasn’t coming. When it came to lunch, he was always there around the same time as the whole gang was.

   “Heer, is Neil not coming to lunch?” Rey asked.

   “Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since he left class this morning,” Heer said.

   “He texted me. He said he was heading back to his dorm,” Prince said.

   “Man, what’s his problem?! And why’d he only text you?!” Rey exclaimed.

   “Whatever he’s upset about, it might be best to just give him some space for now,” Sana said.

   Heer looked down at the floor. She couldn’t help but feel sad that Neil was acting the way he was. She wondered if she did something wrong by arguing with him the other day.

   “I’m so mad right now!” Krystal exclaimed as she arrived at the table with her lunch tray.

   “Now what is it?” Prince asked.

   “Once again, my idea for the next circus show got declined,” Krystal said. “I swear, this school must have some kind of agenda against me.”

   “Or maybe people have better ideas than you,” Prince said.

   “What the hell, Prince?! You’re supposed to be supportive!” Krystal exclaimed. “Heer, please tell me you don’t agree with him!”

   “Well, to be fair, I’m not sure how disco would work in a circus show,” Heer said.

   “Disco? Ha! Now that’s just comical,” Rey said.

   “What is the theme this time around?” Sana asked.

   “They picked Aster’s idea again. He’s going with a fairy tale theme,” Heer replied.

   “This school has no respect for my creative vision,” Krystal said.

   “Well, Rey, you’ll have to sit this show out,” Sana said.

   “And why would I do that?” Rey asked.

   “You’re not ready for any strenuous performance work yet. You need to take it easy till your wound heals,” Sana replied.

   Before Rey could answer, he turned to see Zayn and Akira walking by. “Hey! Come sit with us!” Rey called out to the two. Zayn and Akira went ahead and sat down with the others at their table.

   “So, what do you think of our school?” Krystal asked Zayn and Akira.

   “It’s okay so far,” Zayn replied. “Can’t say much just yet.”

   “I honestly like it here,” Akira said. “And I saw the flier for that upcoming circus show. I’ll definitely want to participate in that.”

   “You should. The shows here are a lot of fun,” Heer said.

   “Where were you guys at before coming to RTA?” Rey asked.

   “We went to a preparatory school in Arsen Town, Miliana,” Akira said.

   “Oh, you guys are from Miliana? They have the best beaches in the country,” Krystal said.

   “Well, I’m the one who’s from Miliana,” Zayn said.

   Oh, right. I forgot that Aiden mentioned Akira isn’t from Earth, Krystal thought.

   “Akira, what’s the name of the place you’re from in Euphoceus?” Heer asked.

   “It’s called Elysian City. I was born and brought up there, but I left when I was about thirteen years old,” Akira said.

   “Why did you leave? And how did you even travel to Earth?” Sana asked.

   “People from Euphoceus have the ability to activate portals that go to and from our world,” Akira answered. “As for why I left, it’s really not worth talking about. To be honest, I haven’t even gone back since I left.”

    Hasn’t gone back since she left? That’s strange, Sana thought. Does she not have any family back home? Otherwise, why leave and not go back once in all those years?

   As curious as Sana was about Akira, she felt it was best to leave the subject of her past alone. She didn’t even know her. So, it wasn’t like she had the right to know more about her reasons for leaving her world.

   “So, Rey, how’s that injury of yours?” Akira asked.

   “Oh, yeah. It’s fine. I mean, the wound itself still has to heal, but it’s fine,” Rey said.

   “You sure about that? Seems pretty serious if you ended up in the ICU,” Zayn said.

   “When you put it like that, you realize how stupid he is for even challenging you guys,” Krystal said.

   “Hey, I just wanted to have some fun!” Rey exclaimed.

    Hearing all the talk about Rey’s wound worried Sana again. It was hard not to worry. But it was even harder not to blame herself for what happened. The more she pondered over it, the more she could feel her anxiety eat her up. She stood up from her chair. She looked up, seeing everyone at the table look back at her.

   “I’m going to leave now. I have some stuff to take care of before our next class,” Sana said.

   “Stuff? It’s lunch time, Sana,” Krystal said.

   Sana didn’t say a word. She simply took off, not even looking back at the others. She normally wouldn’t just leave like that. But she just felt like she couldn’t handle being with the others now.

   “First Neil, now Sana,” Krystal said. “Why’s everyone being so moody today?”

   “Sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought up Rey’s wound,” Akira said.

   “It’s okay. Honestly, it seems there’s been a lot on her mind lately,” Prince said.

    Rey sighed. He could now feel what Heer was feeling. Sure, Sana wasn’t angry. But he could tell she was taking everything that happened in the fight with Madame Naga to heart. Even reassuring her the other day wasn’t enough. And now, he didn’t know what to do.

***

   After Sana left the cafeteria, she headed down the halls of the first floor till she reached Aiden’s office. She opened the door, seeing Aiden was inside, analyzing some documents. He looked up, surprised to see Sana.

   “Sana…what are you doing here?” Aiden asked. “And have you ever thought of knocking at least?”

   “I’m sorry.”

   “No worries. I had to speak to you anyway. Headmaster Devil wanted me to let you know to make sure Rey gets his medication from the nurse every day.”

   “I will. But I actually have a question for you.”

   “What is it?”

   “I was wondering…can Rey and I take some extra lessons with you?”

   “Extra lessons? For what?”

   “It’s hard to explain. The point of the matter is…I need to get stronger. And I need your help.”

   “What do you mean? You’re already a strong student. You can’t actually be doubting yourself, right?”

   “Look, Mr. Galloway-“

   “Aiden. I’m kinda getting tired of the formalities around here. After all, I’m literally the same age as you.”

   “Fine then…Aiden…all I can say…is that the strength that I have now is not enough.”

   Sana found herself struggling to speak further. She knew what she wanted to say. But it was as if all her emotions were choking her. She struggled to maintain her composure as her eyes began to water. Aiden could see this. He could see something was eating at her. And he had an idea what it might be.

   “Sana, it’s okay. I’ll arrange for something and let you know by tomorrow,” Aiden said.

   Sana relaxed for a bit. She took a deep breath.

   With that, Sana left Aiden’s office. He put his documents to the side, knowing something wasn’t right about Sana.

***

   Later in the day, Aiden was finishing up lessons with his last class. After passing out homework assignments to all the students, the bell finally rang.

   “Okay, guys. Make sure you all complete your homework tonight. And study it very well because we might have a quiz tomorrow,” Aiden said.

   The students got up from their seats, heading out of the classroom while Aiden cleaned the chalkboard. As he was cleaning, he couldn’t help but think about how Sana was when she came to his office earlier. He may not have known her for a very long time. But he could tell she was far from her usual self. It was clear that the Madame Naga incident had really shaken her up, but he wasn’t entirely sure why she was so adamant on training so soon.

   Before he could ponder any further, he looked to his side to see Heer was standing right outside the classroom. She looked like she wanted to see him.

   “Heer, are you okay?” Aiden asked. “Why don’t you come in?”

   Heer took a deep breath as she entered the classroom and said, “Can I talk to you about something?”

   “Sure. Actually, I had to talk to you as well.”

   “Oh…you go first.”

   “Have you gone to see Runa yet?”

   “No. How is she?”

   “She’s doing pretty well. She’s pretty stable now.”

   “That’s a relief. I’ve been really worried about her.”

   “I had a feeling you would be.”

   “Why? Because all I’m capable of is worrying.”

   “Now why would you talk like that?”

   “Because that’s how people feel about me. All I can do for others is worry.”

   “You underestimate yourself, Heer. You actually proved to be stronger than anyone I’ve known.”

   “How? My strength is nothing compared to Rey, or even Prince.”

   “While Rey and Prince are powerful, there is something to be said about what you did that day. You saved Runa despite her being a dark beast. Now that is something that requires a different type of strength. It’s called compassion.”

   Heer looked back down on the floor. She didn’t know what to say. It was the first time she felt as if she was acknowledged on such a huge scale.

   Aiden cleared his throat and said, “Anyways, I actually wanted to talk to you about Runa.”

   “Right. Go on.”

   “Do you wish to visit her?”

   “Of course. As soon as possible.”

   “You can see her soon. See, Devil and I have been talking about what to do about her now that she’s out of Madame Naga’s control. She’s demonstrated great power. But she obviously lacks complete control over it. Which is why we thought it would be a good idea to give her some training to help her control her powers. It may be unorthodox training a dark beast, but like you’ve seen, Runa isn’t like most of them. This could also allow her to feel more comfortable in new surroundings and around others. What do you think?”

   Heer took a moment to take in everything Aiden had told her. She sighed for a second and said, “It’s funny that you ask that. I was going to ask you something on the same lines. But for myself.”

   “What?”

   “Yes. I want to get stronger. Which is why I wanted to ask you to train me. I really need this.”

   “Does this have to do with Neil?”

   “I know Neil believes I’m not as strong as I should be. But if I have the right training, I can get stronger and be a better partner to him.”

   “Heer.”

   “Please don’t worry about my feelings. Just tell me whether you can train me or not.”

   Aiden stood in deep thought for a little

bit. He wanted to help Heer, but it was going to be a tough task to manage with all the other duties he had on his plate. Especially since Sana had already asked him for training as well. But after some time, he said, “I think I know how to work this out.”

   “What is it?”

   “You and Runa can train together. It makes perfect sense. Runa already trusts you very well. If you train with her, she’ll be much more comfortable. How does that sound?”

   “That’s actually a good idea. When do we start?”

   “As soon as you see Runa.”

Copyright © 2021 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.

Volume 1

14. Old Wounds, New Entry

imeryli

“It’s all your fault,” the voice echoed. Surrounded in a cave of darkness, Sana was down on her knees. Her legs could feel the pain of the rigid ground as she held an unconscious Rey in her arms. A waterfall of tears gushed from her eyes. Sana tried to ignore the voice as its eerie sound continued to repeat itself to her, rattling her fragile eardrums.

   “NO! I didn’t mean to!”

   “It’s all your fault.”

   “Stop it!”

   “It’s all your fault.”

   “NO!”

   Sana got up from her bed, her body shaking frantically. She felt hot, especially with all the sweat that was on her forehead. It was all just a dream. She took a few deep breaths, trying her best to relax. At that moment, Krystal and Heer immediately opened the door of the health center. “Sana! Are you okay?!” Heer asked Sana, concerned.

   “What?! Where am I?!” Sana asked.

   “You’re in the health center. After you passed out, we brought you here to get treated,” Krystal replied.

   “How do you feel now?” Heer inquired.

   “Forget me!” Sana exclaimed. “Where’s Rey?! How is he?!”

   “Rey was taken to the ICU,” Krystal replied. “He should be o-“

   “What?! No! No!” Sana cried as she rushed out of bed to leave, while Krystal and Heer stood before her.

   “Hold it, Sana! You need to rest. You took a pretty bad beating as well,” Krystal told Sana.

   “I don’t care!” Sana shouted as she went past Krystal and Heer and ran out of the room.

   Sana continued to run down the hall until she got to the intensive care unit at the end. She immediately barged into the room, shouting, “Rey!”

   Startled, Prince and Neil turned around, seeing Sana come inside. Sana looked at Rey, who was lying on the bed, still unconscious.     

   “Sana?” Neil said.

   “How’s Rey doing?” Sana asked. “Is he okay? Tell me!”

   “Relax, Sana,” Prince said, putting his hands on Sana’s shoulders to calm her down. “The doctor said he just needs rest.”

   “He also mentioned that we we’re lucky enough to get here when we did, otherwise it could’ve been far worse,” Neil told Sana.

   “Shouldn’t you be taking rest?” Prince asked Sana.

   “How can I when he’s like this?!” Sana asked.

   “Sana, it’s all right. Rey is strong. He’ll pull through this,” Neil assured.

   Sana went over to Rey’s side, watching over him. Prince and Neil looked on and shook their heads as they left the room, leaving Sana alone with Rey.

   “I really hope she’s not beating herself up over this,” Neil said.

   “She can’t help it,” Prince responded. “Besides, there is some concern. We don’t know what this wound is gonna do to him.”

***

   Far outside of the academy, in the streets of Daredevil City, a young boy was walking towards the gates of Ringmasters Training Academy. The boy had scraggly blond hair that looked very voluminous on the top with three hairs standing upward. His eyes were peacock blue, and his ears were adorned with silver stud earrings. He wore a loose, pale yellow infinity scarf around his neck, along with a sleeveless gray tank shirt, gray fingerless gloves, blue pants with a gray studded belt hanging loose around them, and gray boots. Walking along with him was a young girl. The girl had medium-length hair that was violet blue with a light blue streak on the single bang that sat on her forehead. She wore a jade green crop top with a gold band around it along with a dual-colored jacket in blue and green, brown shorts, and green boots.

   “What’s with you? You’ve been awfully quiet this whole time,” the girl told the boy.

   “You really think I’m interested in coming here?”

   “Then why the hell are we here?”

   “It’s all because of Mom.”

   “I can’t believe she’s letting you come here.”

   “I said the same thing. But it actually makes sense now.”

   “Does he even know?”

   “Mom told him.”

   “Okay. Well, honestly speaking, we could probably be doing something better with our time.”

   “Mom’s intuition is usually never wrong. If she thinks it’s worth coming here, I’m not gonna argue with her on it.”

   The boy and the girl kept walking till they reached the academy, entering inside the building through the front gates. They went down the halls, heading towards Headmaster Devil’s office. “You sure we’re going the right way?” the girl asked the boy.

   “Mom said it was the last door all the way down the hall.”

   “She visits here?”

   “Rarely, but her memory is sharp.”

   As the two got to the door of Headmaster Devil’s office, the boy went ahead and opened it, entering inside with the girl to a surprise. Headmaster Devil was at his desk, giggling with a young woman by his side. While they continued to laugh, Headmaster Devil turned to the boy and girl, stunned. He jumped out of his seat and shouted, “Zayn, my son! You’re here!”

   And that was the boy’s name: Zayn. Zayn shook his head, seeing Headmaster Devil with the other woman. “So, that’s your dad,” the girl said.

   “Typical,” Zayn said, rolling his eyes.

   “You have a son?!” the woman asked Headmaster Devil, surprised. “Wait a second. You two are Zayn Hawkwing and Akira Flareborne.”

   “That’s right. My boy is quite famous. He was one of the top students at his preparatory school,” Headmaster Devil pointed out.

   “And he’s your son?!” the woman asked, surprised.

   “Yes, darling. Since he’s here, can we meet later today? I have important father-son bonding to do right now,” Headmaster Devil told the woman.

   “Sure, Devil. I just love a family-oriented man!” the woman exclaimed.

   “Couldn’t be further from the truth,” Zayn said, shaking his head.

   The woman left the office, leaving Headmaster Devil with the two kids. He turned his focus to them, especially happy to see Zayn.

   “So nice to see you, son!” Headmaster Devil exclaimed.

   “Can’t say the feeling is mutual,” Zayn replied.

   “Son! How can you be so cold?” Headmaster Devil said.

   “Now I know why Mom left you. You’ve never even told anyone that you’ve been a married man once, have you? It suits your womanizer image,” Zayn said.

   “Oh, come on. I know your mother tends to say all kinds of stuff about me, but it’s only because she secretly still likes me,” Headmaster Devil said.

   “Sure, if you’re delusional,” Akira said.

   In the middle of the conversation, Aiden made an entry into the office, drawing Headmaster Devil, Zayn, and Akira’s attention towards him.

   “Aiden, have you ever understood the concept of knocking?” Headmaster Devil asked, irritated.

   “Sorry, sir. But you’re urgently needed in the cellar. It’s serious,” Aiden replied.

   “Just give me a few minutes. I’ll be down there in a moment,” Headmaster Devil said.

    After Aiden left, Akira asked “What was that all about?”

   “Never mind that. It’s just school business,” Headmaster Devil replied. “You both are welcome to this school from today. You’ll be joining the regular classes from tomorrow. So, feel free to look around and navigate your way through the building.”

   “Sounds good to me. Maybe we’ll meet some people from our class, too,” Akira said.

   “I’d rather not,” Zayn said.

***

   At the intensive care unit, Sana was still sitting beside Rey as he remained unconscious. She watched over Rey, distressed from his condition. The tears became uncontrollable as she pondered over what had happened in the battle against Madame Naga. I’m sorry, Rey. I failed you. If I had been stronger, none of this would’ve ever happened, Sana thought as she continued to cry.

   Suddenly, Rey opened his eyes, looking straight up at the ceiling. He turned around and slowly sat up, surprised to see Sana. Sana looked up at Rey, seeing he was awake.

   “Sana?” Rey said.

   Seeing Rey up, Sana immediately wrapped her arms around him, hugging Rey as she shouted his name. Rey remained in Sana’s embrace, startled. She continued to hold onto him as her tears overflowed.

   “You’re okay! I was so worried!” Sana cried.

   Rey looked on confused without saying a word. After a couple of seconds, Rey said, “Um, Sana…the hugging is a bit weird.”

   Sana let go of Rey, trying to compose herself while Rey looked on.

   “Sana, how long have you been here?”

   “I came as soon as I woke up in my room.”

   “Sana, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m fine. You should be more worried about yourself. You got injured as well.”

   “I don’t care. I’m staying right here by your side till you’re okay.”

***

   On the other end of the school, Headmaster Devil was making his way down the stairs that were heading towards the basement. Once he reached the end, he headed straight down the hallway and stopped upon seeing Aiden and some other staff members from the school standing in front of the steel bars of one of the cellar rooms.

   “All right, what’s the deal?” Headmaster Devil asked.

   “See for yourself, Devil,” Aiden replied.

   Headmaster Devil stepped forward while Aiden and the other staff members moved aside. Once he came closer to the bars of the cell, Headmaster Devil was stunned at what he saw. He was looking at Ben Stallion’s body, which was bruised, battered bloody, and almost lifeless.

   “My…God,” Headmaster Devil uttered upon the sight of Stallion.

   “He’s still alive…barely,” a voice responded.

   Headmaster Devil, Aiden, and the staff members looked over in the corner of the cellar where Fida was sitting on the ground. Headmaster Devil sensed a chilling aura coming from her.

   “Shall we call for the doctors, sir?” a staff member asked.

   “Yes. That would be the appropriate thing to do right now,” Headmaster Devil replied. “We’ll also have to move her out as well.”

   “HA,” Fida cackled. “What are you going to do? Put me in a bigger cell? Things can’t get any worse.”

   “Oh, they certainly can,” Headmaster Devil responded.

***

   In Power Coordination class, Krystal, Prince, and Heer took their seats along with other students that were just entering. There was constant chatter among the other students. Most of which seemed to be about the night of the party and what went down. And since Aiden wasn’t present, the chatter was louder than ever.

   “So, I’m guessing Sana and Rey won’t be in class today?” Krystal asked.

   “They’ve been excused for the day. It makes sense considering the beating they took,” Prince replied. “How are you holding up, Heer?”

   “I’m doing fine. Thanks for asking, Prince,” Heer answered.

   “Did you happen to visit Runa since that day?” Krystal asked Heer.

   “I was planning on visiting her at some point. They’ve been pretty strict on letting any visitors come to see her,” Heer said.

   “I’m sure she’ll be fine. She’ll be even happier if you go see her,” Prince responded.

   “Hey, where’s Neil?” Krystal asked. “He’s going to be late if he doesn’t show up.”

   “Please. You really think he cares about missing this class,” Prince said. “After all, remember who’s the teacher.”

   “Good point,” Krystal said as she took her compact mirror and applied a peach lip gloss to her lips. “So, have you guys heard the latest news?”

   “What happened?” Heer asked.

   “Apparently there’s a new student at the academy now. He and his partner joined this morning,” Krystal replied.

   “New students show up all the time. What makes him special?” Prince asked.

   “I don’t know. Someone spotted them in Devil’s office. And students are rarely accepted in the middle of a school year. So, maybe they must be good enough that they got in,” Krystal said. “Who knows? Maybe they’ll end up in at least one of our classes.”

   “That is weird. I don’t think I’ve ever seen any students transfer this late in the year,” Heer said.

   “Then there must be a good reason for it,” Prince replied. “That better not be why that idiot Neil is skipping today.”

***

   “Sana, you really don’t need to worry so much about me!” Rey exclaimed. Back in the intensive care unit, Sana continued to look after Rey as she came back with a new set of clothes and a tray of food for Rey. “Sometimes you really need to just chill out. It’s just a scar on my neck. It’ll go away.”

   “Look, I’m your partner. I have some responsibility in making sure you get better.”

   “Man, you’re more stubborn than my mom.”

   “Anyways, I got you some new clothes. You can change after you eat.”

   “Um…I don’t think I can eat this.”

   “Why?”

   “I’m not really into soup.”

   “I don’t really care. Soup is your best option right now. And besides, I can’t exactly cook much beyond that. So, take it or leave it.”

   “Geez, you’re just as much of a nagger as my mom. Are you sure you two aren’t related or something?”

   Rey grabbed hold of the spoon on the tray and scooped up a bit of the soup with it. He took note of the yellowish-green color along with the little bits of chicken pieces. He gulped at the sight of it, but he took a slurp from the spoon anyway. And that one slurp felt like a bomb had detonated in his mouth. He felt like gagging and Sana took note of a pale color rising in his cheeks. “Is something wrong?” Sana asked.

   “Forget cooking beyond soup! You can’t cook, period!”

   “What?”

   “You heard me! This is the worst thing I’ve ever tasted!”

   “You’re probably just exaggerating.”

   “Taste it for yourself!”

   “You already contaminated that spoon, Rey. If you want, I could just order something from the cafeteria.”

   “Geez, you do the exact same thing as my mom! First, she attempts to cook. Then when she fails, she orders out!”

   Interesting. He’s brought up his mother three times already, Sana thought.

   “Not to change the subject or anything…but how are your parents doing?”

   “I don’t know. We haven’t talked much lately.”

   “Do they know anything about your condition?”

   “Devil told them over the phone. But it’s been hard because Dad hasn’t been doing well lately.”

   “What happened?”

   “I don’t know the details yet. Mom just said he’s been sick lately.”

   “Is it serious?”

   “Well, it’s probably serious enough that they can’t even call or visit.”

   “I’m sorry.”

   The conversation was getting to Rey. While he was going through his own struggles, his parents were as well. And it was a lot for him to process, let alone talk about. He thought it was time to change the subject.

   “Anyways, can you please just get me some real food?” Rey asked.

   “Rey!” Neil shouted as he busted through the door. The accelerated sound of Neil’s voice startled both Rey and Sana.

   “Dude, what the hell?! Some warning would be nice!” Rey exclaimed.

   “Sorry, I got excited,” Neil said.

   “Shouldn’t you be in class?” Sana asked.

   “Class with my brother? No way!” Neil replied.

   “So, what is it? Why did you rush all the way here?” Rey asked.

   “There’s a new team at the school,” Neil replied. “They enrolled this morning.”

   “New team? In the middle of the school year?” Sana asked. “Who are they?”

   “Not sure. But word’s been going around that they’re really good!” Neil exclaimed. “I heard that they went to one of the best preparatory schools in the country. I need to know who they are.”

   “Really?! Maybe we should take them on,” Rey agreed.

   “You’re supposed to be resting!” Sana shouted at Rey.

   “Same goes to you! But instead, you’re playing caretaker and you’re not exactly doing a good job at it!” Rey talked back.

   “At least I tried! There’s no way you’re in any condition to fight!” Sana argued.

   As the two continued to bicker, Neil watched on, shaking his head.

   “Would you two quit the drama here? I’m ready to take on the new team,” Neil said.

   “I’ll take him on with you!” Rey exclaimed as he got up.

   “What the hell?! Don’t be such an idiot!” Sana shouted.

   “I need something fun to do,” Rey said. “Come on, Neil. Let’s find them.”

   “All right!” Neil exclaimed as he and Rey dashed off from the room, leaving Sana behind.

   Those morons! They have no idea what they’re doing! Sana thought.

   “Hey! You two come back here!” Sana shouted as she ran from the room, following Rey and Neil.

***

   Outside of the school, Zayn and Akira were checking out the school’s arena. “So, this is where they do their circus shows,” Zayn said.

   “I like this. Finally, we get a chance to perform!” Akira exclaimed. “I can put my dancing skills to good use here.”

   “I could care less for circus shows. We’re here to train. That’s it. The only students here who do all that nonsense probably have too much time on their hands,” Zayn said.

   “You better watch your mouth, new kid!” a voice exclaimed.

   Zayn and Akira turned around to see Rey and Neil standing right before them. Zayn eyed Rey and Neil, unfazed by their presence.

   “And who are you two? My tour guides?” Zayn questioned Rey and Neil.

   “Please. The only thing we’re gonna show you is who the top dogs at this school are,” Rey said. “We’ve heard about you since this morning. It’s time we see what you’re made of.”

   “That’s right! We’re challenging both of you!” Neil exclaimed.

   “Oh wow. A challenge thrown at us on day one,” Akira said. “This could be fun, Zayn.”

   “Look, I don’t mean any trouble,” Zayn told Rey and Neil.

   “Aww, are you scared that we’ll kick your sorry ass to the curve?!” Rey said.

   “Maybe the rumors about you are false then,” Neil said.

   “You two morons have some nerve,” Akira said.

   Zayn shook his head for a moment, feeling slightly irritable. He sighed and said, “I didn’t think I had to fight on day one. But if I gotta teach you clowns a lesson, I’ll go for it. Let’s see what you guys can do.”

Copyright © 2021 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.

Volume 1

13. Strike of the Naga

imeryli

Madame Naga brushed aside her maiden black hair as she carefully eyed both Sana and Rey, who were both getting ready to fight. Neil stood aside along with Runa and Heer, holding onto Heer as she was heavily injured herself. Sana and Rey turned to each other.

   “You okay?” Rey asked Sana.

   “I think so. How about you?”

   “You know me! I’m ready for this! We can take snake lady on with no problem.”

   “Don’t be overconfident. Remember what Aiden said. She’s more dangerous than Droh. That means she’ll be a much bigger challenge.”

   “That just makes this more fun. As long as you trust me, we’ll be fine.”

   “I know. I trust you, Rey. Just be careful.”

   “Please…please don’t do anything,” Runa tried to talk to Madame Naga.

   “Runa, it’s okay,” Neil told Runa as he tried to bring her aside with him and Heer. “This is their battle now. It’s best you stay here with me for your protection.”

   Runa nodded as she went towards Neil, holding onto him as she looked at Heer, who was resting her head on Neil’s shoulder. I hope Sana and Rey know what they’re doing. This woman looks like she can kill anyone, Neil thought.

    Rey gave a thumbs up to Sana as he transformed into his beast form. “I’m ready,” Madame Naga said as she transformed into her dark beast form. She took on the form of a dark-colored anaconda. Her large size and intimidating appearance stunned Sana.

   “Whoah,” Neil said, unable to believe what he was seeing.

   “She looks scary. But I think we can take her on,” Sana told Rey. “Right?”

   Rey nodded in agreement.

   “All right! Rey, let’s start off with a direct attack!” Sana ordered. Rey leaped forward towards Madame Naga, pouncing on her to the ground.

   “Good! Now use your Ember Claw move!” Sana commanded. Rey raised his paw upward as his claws started to give off a fiery burn. As he tried to hit Madame Naga, she used her tail to hit Rey’s paw, which made the attack hit him instead. Rey landed on the ground in pain as the ember had gotten into his eyes.

   “Rey! Are you okay?!” Sana asked Rey. As Rey managed to get up, Madame Naga launched a dark energy beam attack from her mouth, hitting Rey directly into the wall.   

   “Rey!” Sana called out.

   That’s it. I just have to weaken him a bit more before I can put him in the right spot…and then unleash the real blow, Madame Naga thought.

   Sana rushed over to Rey as he slowly tried to get up. “Are you all right?” Sana asked Rey as he slowly got up.

   Rey nodded. Sana turned to see Madame Naga launch another energy beam attack at them. Sana immediately drew out her wand, tapping it to turn it into her trishula and then used it to deflect the energy beam back at Madame Naga, hitting her directly.

   “Nice one, Sana!” Neil called out.

   Insolent brat! Madame Naga thought.

   “Okay, Rey! Use a fireball attack now!” Sana ordered.

   Rey let out a mighty roar, which emitted a fireball attack directly towards Madame Naga. Madame Naga dodged the attack and quickly slithered her way towards Rey. And that was when she finally tied her anaconda body around Rey, tying him up in a tight squeeze.

   “Rey!” Sana called out, scared.

   Rey struggled to breathe as he tried to move out of Madame Naga’s grasp. But it was so tight that he couldn’t move. Now I have you where I want you! Madame Naga smirked. She opened her mouth and bit her fangs right onto Rey’s neck. The pain was so unbearable that Rey let out a scream in the form of a roar. Sana looked on in horror as Madame Naga let go of Rey, leaving him to lie on the ground. She transformed back into her human form, watching Rey in pain.

   “Rey! Get up now! Come on!” Sana shouted at Rey. But Rey could not get up. He had transformed back into human form, lying on the ground helpless as the bite from Madame Naga had left a black scar on his neck, bleeding rapidly.

   “What was that?!” Neil asked. “That woman…What…what is she?!”

   Sana ran towards Rey, holding him as she kept calling out, “Rey! Rey, can you hear me?! Rey, say something! Rey!” Sana could feel the tears coming down her face as Rey wouldn’t answer.

   “What did you do to him?! Tell me!” Sana yelled at Madame Naga.

   Madame Naga smirked. “It’s called Venom Fang. I simply bit my fangs into his neck, allowing my special venom to go into his body. And now he’s helpless,” Madame Naga said. “Just as I wanted.”

   Sana looked down at Rey’s unconscious face as her tears became uncontrollable. He’s not breathing. This is all my fault! I should’ve done something! Sana thought. Sana put Rey back down on the ground. She got up and looked at Madame Naga, furious.

   “You’ll pay for this!” Sana yelled as she drew out her trishula. “Ember Fury!”

   Sana plunged her trishula into the ground, releasing an ember attack towards Madame Naga. Madame Naga deflected it with a dark energy beam, hitting Sana at her abdomen.

   “This isn’t looking good!” Neil said as Heer slowly got up.

   “We have to do something. Otherwise she’ll kill them,” Heer said.

   Sana tried to get up. But as she did, she was struck by another one of Madame Naga’s energy beam attacks, which hit her in the face. As she fell to the ground, Madame Naga transformed into her dark beast form and tied Sana up with her tail, tightening her grasp on her. No matter how much you try to fight me, little girl…you can’t reverse what I’ve done, Madame Naga thought as she continued to squeeze Sana’s body to the point where she had trouble breathing. I’ve already done what I needed to with Rey. Now only time will tell when my plans will be complete.

   Madame Naga gave Sana one last tight squeeze with her tail, making Sana cough up blood onto the floor. As she let her go, Sana was bleeding on her face and arms as she fell to the ground.

   Sana passed out on the ground next to Rey. Madame Naga transformed back into her human form. She took pleasure in seeing the scared looks on Neil, Heer, and Runa’s faces.

   “Now that those two are down, I’ll go ahead and kill you three for the thrill of it,” Madame Naga said.

   “Neil…we have to do the equilibrium move,” Heer told Neil.

   “What?! How can we?!” Neil asked. “We just learned about it. And you’re still injured.”

   “But as long as our energy levels stay in sync, we’ll be fine. It comes naturally if we are in it together. We have to do this for Sana and Rey’s sake,” Heer told Neil.

   “Are you sure?” Neil asked.

   “Yes! Just go for it!” Heer told Neil and then transformed into her beast form.

   “Go ahead! Just try it!” Madame Naga cackled.

   “You asked for it!” Neil said as he drew out his bow and arrow.

   As Neil held his bow and arrow, a sudden array of icy crystals began to form around Neil and Heer. The crystals aligned in circular motion before Neil and Heer, combining to form a powerful arrow which replaced Neil’s standard arrow. At that same time, Heer was able to form a powerful ice energy beam from her mouth.

   “Ice Blast!” Neil called out the attack as he released the arrow, combining it with Heer’s ice energy beam.

   As the attack made its way towards Madame Naga, she suddenly disappeared in a puff of black smoke before it could even hit her. And at that same time, she had even dropped her duplicate key to the floor. Heer transformed back into human form.

   “How could she just get away like that?!” Neil shouted.

   “Calm down, Neil,” Heer told Neil. “We have other things to worry about. Like Sana and Rey.”

   Then, Headmaster Devil, Aiden, Krystal, and Prince came into the center hallway, coming towards Neil, Heer, and Runa.

   “What happened here?” Aiden asked.

   “Madame Naga came and took out both Sana and Rey,” Heer told Aiden.

   “What?!” Headmaster Devil said, surprised.

   “Sana! Rey!” Krystal exclaimed as she and Prince went up to Sana and Rey, seeing their unconscious bodies.

   “Where is Madame Naga?” Aiden asked.

   “She disappeared,” Heer said, holding up the duplicate key. “But she left the key behind.”

   “It looked like she did it on purpose though, Heer,” Neil told Heer.

   “Krystal, did you and Prince take out Droh?” Headmaster Devil asked Krystal.

   “We did!” Krystal replied.

   “But we didn’t get someone to take him to lockup,” Prince said.

   “Damn it! That means he could’ve gotten away!” Krystal cried. “But then…I have his key!”

   “Forget about that for now,” Aiden said. “We have to take Sana and Rey for first aid treatment now!”

   “Right!” Krystal and Prince said as they helped Sana and Rey up and rushed them down the hall while Headmaster Devil, Aiden, Neil, Heer, and Runa followed.

***

   And the battle was over. Krystal, Prince, Neil, and Heer went ahead and released the students and faculty from the ballroom. Runa was left in the care of the school nurse while Heer and Sana were being treated there as well. However, Sana didn’t know that Rey was being treated in the intensive care unit. Outside of the intensive care unit, Headmaster Devil and Aiden were waiting outside.

   “So, this proves it,” Headmaster Devil said. “This whole idea of getting the Shakti Orb was a setup.”

   “How can you be so sure?”

   “Why else would Madame Naga leave the premises without taking the orb? She even left the key behind on purpose. That means she had other reasons for setting this up.”

   “Neil and Heer witnessed everything. Did they say anything?”

   “Once Madame Naga had attacked Rey, she simply finished off Sana. That means something.”

   “What?”

   “It means she was after Rey this whole time. This means you were right all along, Aiden.”

   “But for what purpose did she go through all of this just to get to him?”

   “I don’t know. Only she can answer that.”

   “What about that girl, Runa? It was quite brave of Heer to show some compassion to her.”

   “Agreed. We have to keep a close watch on her. She is after all a dark beast still.”

   “But sir, dark beasts have pure negative energy within them. Now that she has forsaken the darkness that once prevailed her, is it possible she may no longer be a dark beast?”

   “Perhaps. We can only tell after some time. At this moment, my concern is towards Rey. That scar has done more damage to his body than any mere attack could. It only makes me wonder what comes next after this.”

***

   Back in the mountain tower of Daredevil City, Madame Naga was sitting at her chair, while Droh stood before her. “You could’ve had your shot at taking the orb as well!” Droh shouted at Madame Naga. “Why waste your time on that boy?!”

   “The orb can wait. You knew this setup had to work in order for my plan to go as I wanted. And it did. The first step is complete. The Venom Fang has spread its venom into Rey’s body.”

   “What about Runa and the others?”

   “That traitor can rot in hell with those kids! They won’t live for long once my plans are complete. As for Stallion and Fida, they’ll get out soon.”

   “Are you sure this is how things should go?”

   “Of course! It’s only a matter of time before everything falls into place. Just wait and see.”

Copyright © 2021 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.