illustration – Page 2 – The Ringmasters Society

20. Conquest

February 22, 2025 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!

Volume 1

19. Harbored Feelings

February 22, 2025 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.

Volume 1

18. Dead Past, Living Future

February 18, 2025 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!”

Volume 1

17. Where Our Strength Lies

February 18, 2025 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.

Volume 1

16. The Need to Get Stronger

February 18, 2025 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.”

Volume 1

15. Power of The Elite

February 15, 2025 imeryli

At the arena, Zayn, Akira, Rey, and Neil made their way towards the center stage. Zayn and Akira took the right side while Rey and Neil took the left. Both sides were getting ready for the match, getting into battle stances. “So, Neil…you sure we can do this?” Rey asked. “I mean, our powers aren’t exactly a match made in heaven.”

“I know that. That’s exactly what makes a cool combination,” Neil said. “We’ll be twice as powerful when taking these two on!”

“Good point! We got this in the bag,” Rey smirked.

“You ready, new kid?!” Neil exclaimed.

“You really have no idea who you’re up against,” Zayn said.

“I’d take his word for it,” Akira told Rey and Neil.

“Whatever! We’re still gonna take you out!” Rey said.

“You’re still up for this?” Zayn asked Akira.

“Of course. I could use a little fun on the first day of school,” Akira replied.

“All right! Enough talking!” Neil exclaimed. “Ready, Rey?!”

“Hell yeah!” Rey smirked as he transformed into his beast form.

At that time, Sana had arrived at the arena, seeing Zayn and Akira up against Rey and Neil. “They’re not joking. They actually are going to battle them,” Sana said. “Why doesn’t this idiocy surprise me?”

Neil stood his ground as he drew out his wand, preparing to fight. “All right! I’m about ready for some action!” Neil smirked. “So, you guys gonna make a move or what?!”

“Akira…siren form,” Zayn said.

“Right,” Akira said.

Akira’s body suddenly gave off a stunning golden glow that was so bright that it blinded Rey and Neil’s eyes, making them look away. As the glow began to fade, she had transformed. A set of bright white feathered wings with gold accents emerged from her back while her arms were wrapped with golden ribbons that completely tied around her arms like the straps of ballet shoes. She wore a gold crown around her forehead and a gold choker that was wrapped around her neck. Her outfit had changed to that of a sleeveless green gown that had an upper portion in the shape of wings. The dress had a high slit, revealing a pair of golden sandals adorned by her feet.

Sana was stunned by Akira’s transformation. It was unlike anything she had seen before.

“She’s a human-beast?” Sana asked. “This transformation is unlike anything I’ve seen before.”

***

Meanwhile, Aiden had finally arrived at his classroom while the students continued to chatter amongst themselves. “Hello, class. Sorry I’m late. I had some important work to get done,” Aiden apologized.

As Aiden put down his binder on his desk, the students settled down. Aiden turned to the chalkboard to write down the objective for today’s class. But before he could even grab the chalk, he was alarmed by the sound of running footsteps entering the classroom. He turned to his right to see it was Professor D’Sena.

“Everything okay, Professor D’Sena?” Aiden asked.

“No. There’s a fight going on in the arena. Two staff workers reported seeing students over there,” Professor D’Sena said. “They told me that two of the students involved appear to be Rey and Neil.”

“Wow. Those two get into so many antics that even the staff workers know them by name,” Krystal said.

“I should’ve known they’d pull something like that,” Prince said, shaking his head.

Hearing all of this, the students began to chatter once again. Aiden sighed. He knew he had to go take care of whatever shenanigans Neil had gotten himself into.

“All right. Settle down everyone,” Aiden told the class. “Krystal, Prince, and Heer, you three come with me. Professor D’Sena, do you mind watching the students while I’m gone?”

“I can do that. No problem,” Professor D’Sena said.

Krystal, Heer, and Prince followed Aiden out of the classroom, heading towards the staircase to go down to the arena.

***

“HA! So, you can turn into a bird lady?! Big deal!” Neil exclaimed. “We’re still gonna beat you!”

“I said it once. I’ll say it again. You have no idea who you’re dealing with,” Zayn said.

“Shut up! Are we gonna talk all day or fight?!” Neil exclaimed.

“We could say the same to you,” Akira talked back. “If you’re so pumped up, why don’t you make a move?”

At that time, Aiden, Krystal, Prince, and Heer had arrived at the arena. They went over to the bleachers where Sana was standing by. She turned around to them and said, “Oh, thank goodness you guys are here.”

“What’s going on, Sana?” Aiden asked.

“I just came here. It appears Rey and Neil are challenging the new students to a battle,” Sana said.

“They’re such morons. Shouldn’t Rey be recovering?” Krystal said.

“Neil picks up a fight wherever he goes. There’s nothing that can make him stop now,” Heer said.

“Those two idiots don’t even know who they’re dealing with,” Aiden said as he kept his eyes on Zayn and Akira.

“Do you know who they are?” Sana asked Aiden. “I was curious about the girl. What kind of human-beast is she?”

“That girl is Akira Flareborne. And the boy is Zayn Hawkwing…Headmaster Devil’s son,” Aiden replied.

“WHAT?!” Sana, Krystal, Prince, and Heer reacted in unison.

“Headmaster Devil has a son?!” Krystal asked. “No way!”

“I thought the old man’s never been married,” Prince said.

“He was. Devil’s ex-wife is Tatia Hawkwing, Zayn’s mother,” Aiden began to explain. “Tatia is a ringmaster herself, who happens to be a member of the Ringmasters Society. They were together for quite a while.”

“No wonder the old man always has women coming to his office,” Prince said.

“Then that means Rey and Neil are dealing with no ordinary ringmaster,” Sana said.

“Correct,” Aiden agreed. “You’ll see for yourself.”

“Or you could stop them since you have the power to do so,” Sana retorted.

“To be fair, Rey and Neil have to be punished for picking up a fight even if one wasn’t physically fought. So, we might as well amuse ourselves and see what happens,” Aiden countered.

“Solid point there,” Prince nodded in agreement.

“But Rey is injured! You can’t just let him fight these guys when he’s supposed to be resting!” Sana exclaimed.

“Knowing Zayn and Akira, they’ll most likely not be so hard on them. If I’m wrong, I’ll stop things immediately,” Aiden responded.

“All right, Rey! Start with a fireball attack!” Neil ordered Rey. Rey nodded, emitting a fireball from his roar. Even though he was used to following Sana’s lead, he was comfortable with Neil by his side. As the fireball came towards Akira, Zayn looked up and said, “Sand Strike, Akira!”

Akira nodded as her wings rose upward and flapped vigorously, launching a mighty sandstorm that hit the fireball, blowing it out like it was nothing. And the strength of the sandstorm was enough to hit Rey directly. The impact wasn’t too bad, so Rey managed to remain standing, holding his ground.

“Damn it! Let’s do it right this time!” Neil exclaimed as he transformed his wand into his bow and arrow. “Try your Ember Claw move! I’ll back you up.”

Rey proceeded forward, leaping upward as he got the claws of his paw ready. And Neil got his arrow aligned with his bow, running towards Zayn and Akira as he prepared to fire. But Zayn wasn’t about to just stand idle. Zayn drew out his wand, tapping it immediately as it transformed into a clarinet.

“Akira, let’s go for C-flat major,” Zayn ordered. Akira nodded as she took a deep breath and started to sing. As she began to sing, Zayn raised his clarinet upward, playing it and releasing a sound wave that amplified Akira’s singing voice. Her harmonious vocals stopped Rey in his tracks, making him transform back into his human form. It was an unusual feeling. It felt as though the sound itself from Akira’s vocals and Zayn’s clarinet had taken over his body. He felt a shift of some kind take over inside of him.

“What the hell?! What are you doing?!” Neil shouted at Rey as he stopped in his tracks.

“Wow. That’s a beautiful voice,” Rey said.

“What happened?” Sana asked. “He’s just standing there now.”

“It’s like he’s in some kind of trance,” Krystal said.

“That’s the power of Akira Flareborne, especially when she has Zayn around,” Aiden explained. “You see…Akira is no ordinary human-beast. She’s part siren.”

“A siren?” Sana said.

“How do sirens even fall into the human-beast category?” Heer asked.

“You all are familiar with human-beasts that have the forms of wild animals found on Earth. Sirens are classified under mystical human-beasts. They come from Euphoceus, a universe just like ours,” Aiden continued.

“Euphoceus? That’s an interesting name for a magical world,” Krystal said. “So, this girl’s not even from Earth. I wonder how she even got here.”

“Many Euphocians have made their way to Earth. Some of them just prefer our simpler ways of life. Others find the ringmaster academies here to be more fruitful in training and understanding their abilities,” Aiden replied.

It’s actually amazing, Krystal thought as she watched Zayn and Akira closely, paying attention to just how much synchronicity they had on display. They have control over sound and sand. And yet they manage to pull off both with so much grace.

As Akira continued to sing and Zayn amplified her voice further with his clarinet, Rey was slowly making his way towards Akira’s direction. He had no control over himself. The sounds of Akira’s voice had him tangled in a rope of sound that was pulling his body further and further.

“What are you doing, Rey?! Attack her!” Neil ordered. But it was no use. Rey remained in a trance-like state as he continued to go towards Akira. Zayn slowly stopped playing his clarinet. This was the signal for Akira.

In an instant, Rey was tied down by his arm, his body landing on the ground with a thud. The impact was strong enough to snap him back to reality. Akira had Rey tied down with the use of the ribbons around her arms. She smirked, “Got you.”

“What the hell?!” Rey exclaimed.

“This is bad,” Neil said.

Akira spun herself around, twirling as Rey was dragged around and around like a rag doll. She continued to spin as if she was performing ballet, her spins looking more like delicate pirouettes. And finally, she stopped in her movement and raised up her leg, pulling Rey forward by the ribbon and calling out, “Siren Whip!” as she kicked him directly in the chest. This released the ribbon off Rey’s arm as it wrapped itself back onto Akira’s arm. Rey landed onto the ground harshly, his chest hurting from the impact.

“Rey!” Sana called out.

“What the hell was that?!” Krystal exclaimed.

“That’s one of her usual moves,” Aiden said. “It’s a combo attack used to draw in the enemy and then strike them when they’re fully hypnotized.”

“Hypnosis? It seems his clarinet does a lot more than play music,” Prince noticed.

“Yes,” Aiden responded. “It’s true. Zayn’s clarinet does more than creating good tunes. Each note he plays releases a different kind of attack to coordinate with Akira’s attacks.”

“Wow, their battling style is quite different from what I’ve seen,” Heer said.

“How do you know so much about them?” Krystal asked Aiden.

“They’re an exceptional team. I’ve seen them in action myself when I was travelling around for training with my master. It’s because they’re so skilled that they were even able to join your class without formally completing their freshman year here,” Aiden explained.

“Are you sure the connections have nothing to do with that?” Prince asked.

“Well, yes, there is that. But even connections can’t deny raw talent,” Aiden said.

“I can’t argue with that,” Sana said.

“Damn you!” Neil shouted in frustration.

“Looks like someone’s getting a bit agitated,” Zayn said. “You really want to keep going?”

“Of course!” Neil replied.

“So, you still haven’t learned. You might want to back down now while you can,” Akira said.

“Quit yapping and bring it on!” Neil exclaimed.

“Very well,” Zayn said. “Akira, you know what to do!”

“Wait!” a voice shouted.

Zayn, Akira, and Neil turned around to see Sana coming to the arena stage along with Heer, Prince, and Krystal. She ran over to Rey, who was still on the ground in pain.

Sana grabbed hold of Rey and turned to Zayn and Akira, pleading, “Listen to me. He was already injured prior to this battle. So, please discontinue this fight.”

“What?!” Neil exclaimed. “Sana, why are you-“

“Shut up, Neil! You know better than to influence him to take part in a battle when he should’ve been resting!” Sana shouted.

“He’s your partner?” Akira asked. “Well, you should keep a better eye on him next time.”

“I was watching him. I can’t do much when he acts like an idiot,” Sana said.

“Who are you calling an idiot, Sana?!” Rey said.

“I told you not to go and fight and look what you did.”

“And I said I could handle it.”

“Oh, sure. You were really handling it when you got yourself tossed around like a human yo-yo.”

“I was doing fine!”

“No, you weren’t.”

“All right. Its fine,” Zayn said. “This battle was over before it started anyway.”

“Hey! I’m not through with you yet! I want a rematch! You hear me!” Neil shouted.

“You’ll get that when you learn to be more respectful,” Heer said as she shook her head and dragged Neil away from the stage by pulling his arm while Aiden looked on, rolling his eyes.

Sana helped Rey get up. As upset as she was, she knew she had to calm down. Rey could tell she was upset. And in a case like this, he thought it was best to keep quiet for a while.

“Come on,” Sana said. “Let’s take you back to the health center.”

With that, Sana helped Rey walk as the two left the arena.

Akira transformed back into human form, turning to Zayn. “So, what do you think of this school?” Akira asked Zayn.

“Eh. Nothing much to speak of yet,” Zayn replied.

“Wow! You two are quite the duo!” Krystal exclaimed.

“Thanks,” Zayn said. “And you are?”

“My name’s Krystal. And this is my partner, Prince. We’re in the same year as you guys,” Krystal said.

“You two might be the most normal people we’ve met at this school,” Akira said.

“Trust me. Krystal is far from normal,” Prince said.

“Shut up, Prince!” Krystal exclaimed. “Anyways, since you two are new here, why don’t we show you around the school? “

“But we have class,” Prince said.

“Please. It’s not like we’re missing out on much today,” Krystal said.

“That’d be nice actually,” Akira said. “Right, Zayn?”

“I guess. It’s not like I have anything else to do,” Zayn said.

Aiden looked at both Zayn and Akira as the two headed back inside the academy with Krystal and Prince. It’s a good thing Sana intervened. Otherwise…things could’ve gotten ugly, Aiden thought. This was only a taste of what Zayn and Akira could do. Time will tell…when they’ll show their full potential.

***

In the hallway on the first floor, Heer continued to pull Neil along until he finally pulled his arm out from her grasp. “What the hell?! I was already gonna take them on again! And you bring me here!” Neil shouted at Heer.

“Is that all you can say for yourself now?”

“Whoah! What’s with the tone all of a sudden, Heer?”

“Neil…you need to understand. I know you want to prove your strength to others. But today wasn’t right. You put Rey’s health at risk out there.”

“I didn’t mean to. I just thought it would be fun.”

“Fun? You think it’s fun to have your friend taken out like that? Besides, that’s only half of what’s wrong here.”

“Well, what’s the other half?”

“It seems like you always tend to go with Rey for everything. I’m your partner and yet, sometimes I feel like I’m not.”

“I don’t get it. You were just now reprimanding me for making Rey fight.”

“I know. And that is wrong. But what’s also wrong is you don’t treat me like your partner. And I don’t know why.”

Heer sighed, leaving Neil alone as she simply walked away. She couldn’t pinpoint why she was so upset. And she didn’t think Neil would understand anytime soon. Neil watched Heer walk away, puzzled by her frustrations. It was one thing when it was about Runa. But this time, he didn’t know what to think.

***

Back in the intensive care unit, Sana helped Rey get into bed, tucking him in with a blue fuzzy blanket. While doing so, she looked at the scar on his neck. It was a reminder of what had happened the other day. And it seemed like it had gotten larger. Sana looked away, unable to bear the sight of the wound. Just looking at it makes me feel guilty, Sana thought.

As Sana began to leave, she was stopped. Her hand had been caught. As she turned around, she saw Rey, who was wide awake, grasping tightly onto her hand. “Listen,” Rey said. “I know you’re worried about me. You don’t have to be. We we’re just having fun.”

“Rey, this isn’t funny. You could’ve made things worse for yourself today.”

“But I’m fine. No matter how tough those guys were, it’s not like they were going to kill me.”

“Rey…you might be able to take this lightly. But I can’t. You’ve never gotten an injury like this before.”

“And that’s okay. Sometimes things like this happen and you just deal with it. And I’ll get through it. Or should I say, we’ll get through it. That’s what partners do, right?”

Sana looked at Rey in silence. She knew in her heart that Rey was being completely honest with her. She nodded, but a part of her was left feeling unsure. What challenges would lie ahead for her and Rey?

Volume 1

14. Old Wounds, New Entry

February 15, 2025 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.”

Volume 1

13. Strike of the Naga

February 15, 2025 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.”

Volume 1

12. Reaching for Runa

February 15, 2025 imeryli

Runa stood before Neil and Heer, feeling uneasy. Neil stood his guard, ready to fight. “Heer, are you ready?” Neil asked Heer.

“Are you sure we should do this?”

“What?! Heer, this kid is the enemy. We have to take her down.”

“But-“

“Just transform already!”

Heer sighed as she transformed into her beast form. At that same time, Runa transformed into her dark beast form. She stood like the small panther she was, looking at Heer.

“Heer, make sure you listen to me this time,” Neil told Heer. “Remember what happened last time you dealt with her. She means trouble.”

I understand what Neil thinks of Runa, Heer thought. However, there’s something about Runa that makes it seem like she doesn’t want to be like this. I just can’t put my finger on it. I don’t know how I’ll be able to handle fighting her.

“All right, Heer! Let’s start this off with a simple direct attack! Try to get her up against the wall!” Neil told Heer. Heer nodded and leaped forward towards Runa, pouncing at her into the wall. As she tried to hold her down, Runa raised her paw and her claws glowed an eerie purple glow as she hit Heer in the face. Heer fell to the ground and transformed back into human form, revealing the mark on the right side of her face, which was now bleeding.

“Heer!” Neil called out. “What was that?!”

Runa transformed back into her human form, struggling to process what she did. “You! What the hell did you do to her?!” Neil questioned Runa.

“I…I…I hit her with my paw,” Runa mumbled. “I…I’m sorry…I-“

“What sorry?! What the hell is wrong with you?!” Neil shouted at Runa.

“Neil, calm down. I’m fine,” Heer said. “She’s already freaking out too much.”

“Quit acting sympathetic, Heer! She’s a dark beast!” Neil told Heer. “They’re all the same! She’s just as much of a danger as anyone else!”

“No…please!” Runa pleaded as she fell on her knees. “Please…I didn’t…no…no!”

Runa fell to her knees in a moment of tension. She began to shake as she suddenly started to remember something from her past. In her mind, she could see an image where a slightly younger version of herself was standing scared before Madame Naga in a dark, empty room with cracked walls. Madame Naga looked down at her and said, “Starting from today, you will do whatever I tell you to do. Your powers are quite strong. And will prove useful to me.”

“But I don’t want to use them!”

“You will.”

“But they’re…they’re-“

“Enough! You’re lucky I even gave you a place to stay! Especially considering the way your uncle treats you. Otherwise, you could go die in the cold and no one would give a care. So, shut up and do as you’re told! If you have to kill, you will kill! Because I am your master now!”

Runa started to cry as the memories played in her head.

“Runa, calm down,” Heer told Runa. “It’s okay.”

“Stay away from me!” Runa screamed as she transformed back into her dark beast form and launched a powerful dark energy beam attack that hit Heer directly into the wall.

“Heer!” Neil shouted as he ran towards an injured Heer. Heer’s body was heavily weakened from the attack. Neil tried to help her get up, but she managed to stand. “I’m fine,” Heer told Neil. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay, Heer!” Neil exclaimed. “That girl is dangerous! Why don’t you see that unless you can fight her back, she’ll kill you?!”

“And why can’t you see beyond that, Neil?!” Heer questioned Neil.

Neil was surprised at Heer’s sudden outburst. He grunted, not sure what to say. She was never one to get frustrated.

“I agree she may be dangerous. But why can’t you see the helplessness in her?” Heer asked. “She’s only a child. And she’s been manipulated by Droh and Madame Naga to the point that she has to create havoc wherever she goes. But if someone could help her, then maybe she would calm down.”

Neil struggled to comprehend what Heer was telling him. He looked at Runa, who had transformed back into her human form, curling up like a lost animal in fear.

“So, what you’re saying…is that she might not be that dangerous?”

“I know it seems crazy. But inside my heart…I feel that there’s something inside of her that is reaching out for help. If someone could console her, then maybe she could calm down.”

“So, you don’t want to fight her?”

“No. I can’t. Fighting her is only going to make matters worse for both of us in this case. I know that she wants to calm down. But we have to help her.”

“Then what do you want to do?”

“Just stay put here. I’ll handle this myself.”

“Heer, what are you thinking?! If you go up to her like this, you could die! I’m not going to let that happen!”

“Neil, please! I know what I’m doing. Just promise me you won’t interfere.”

“I can’t! There’s too much at stake!”

“Fine. Then at least trust me. Please. If not for Runa, then for me.”

And those were the words that got to Neil. He let out a deep breath. “All right,” Neil said. “You better know what you’re doing.”

Heer nodded. Neil watched in anxiousness as Heer slowly went towards the extremely frightened Runa.

“Why…why…why is she coming?!” Runa asked.

Kill her, Runa! Kill her! a voice spoke in Runa’s head.

“Runa,” Heer called.

“GO! Please go!” Runa cried as she launched another dark energy beam from her hand, which hit Heer directly.

Heer fell to the ground while Neil got more tensed. “This is bad,” Neil said.

Heer slowly got up again and continued to go towards Runa with as much strength that she had in her.

“Runa…please listen to me,” Heer told Runa.

“GO! Or I’ll have to kill you!” Runa screamed, launching another dark energy beam attack that hit Heer again.

If you don’t kill her, then you shall die! a voice spoke again in Runa’s mind.

“STOP!” Runa cried as she then began to launch more and more energy beam attacks at Heer. And Heer took each one without retaliating while Neil watched in horror.

“Heer!” Neil yelled. Heer fell to the ground on her knees as she coughed up blood onto the floor. She had bleeding marks on her face, neck, and arms, as well as bruises that all came from Runa’s attacks. She was kneeling right before Runa.

“Go away! Go away please!” Runa screamed. “Or I-“

But before Runa could even finish speaking, she was taken by surprise. Heer had wrapped her arms around Runa, hugging her as tight as she could, while still in her injured state. Runa was taken aback by this action.

“You don’t need to be afraid,” Heer told Runa as her eyes started to water. “I know you’re scared. And you’re acting this way because of that. But let me be your friend. I promise that I can help you. But you have to let me help you. Reach for me because I’m right here for you.”

As Runa remained in Heer’s embrace, her eyes began to water. She hugged Heer back tightly as tears ran down her face and she cried loudly. Seeing the two hug, Neil became emotional himself. He went up towards the two and kneeled, putting his hand on Heer’s shoulder.

“Wow, Heer,” Neil said. “I can’t believe you did it.”

But things changed as Neil could sense someone’s presence nearby. He turned along with Heer and Runa to see Madame Naga appear before them. Runa was especially scared upon seeing Madame Naga’s furious red eyes.

“You foolish little brat!” Madame Naga yelled. “You think you could betray me so easily?! And that I would not do anything about it?!”

“I see. So, the real mastermind is you,” Neil said. “You’re the one who’s been controlling Runa’s every move.”

“And how are you so smart?” Madame Naga asked Neil, mildly amused.

“It’s simple. Runa’s always acting like a voice is inside her head. Not her own though,” Neil said. “If it wasn’t for Heer, maybe I would’ve never seen that. But you’re the one controlling her mind. The one who feeds all that negativity in her head.”

“It’s a pity. Your anger means nothing to me,” Madame Naga said. “Because I can just go ahead and kill all three of you at once before I go retrieve the Shakti Orb for myself.”

“As if we’ll let that happen!” Neil shouted.

“You can’t do anything to Runa when we’re here!” Heer told Madame Naga as she held onto Runa.

“Ha! Look at yourself! You’re weak! Killing you will be easy,” said Madame Naga. “Let’s get this done with. Killing at ease always soothes my veins.”

“Not going to happen!” a voice shouted.

Madame Naga turned to see Sana and Rey appear before her and Neil, Heer, and Runa. She was even more invigorated than before.

“Well, well. Look what we have here,” Madame Naga said. “More prey for me.”

“Oh, shut up, snake lady!” Rey exclaimed.

“You’re ours to deal with now,” Sana told Madame Naga. “And believe us. We’re not going to go easy on you.”This is just perfect, Madame Naga thought. The opportunity I’ve been waiting for. It’s time to set the trap for my prey. Watch out, Rey…or else…

Volume 1

11. The Crocodile Challenge

February 15, 2025 imeryli

Krystal and Prince stood before Droh. Droh didn’t feel anything threatened by them in the slightest.

“You sure you can take on this guy, Krystal?” Prince asked Krystal, turning towards her.

“Are you doubting me?!”

“Remember the last time we faced him. Even with Neil and Heer’s help, we couldn’t do anything. This guy is dangerous.”

“You know you really shouldn’t be advising me. I’m the ringmaster after all. We’ll take him out like we’d do with any dark beast.”

“All right. Just don’t make any stupid moves.”

“Ha! I can tell you the same!”

Droh shook his head in annoyance. “Are you two fools going to continue bickering or should I just kill you both now?!” Droh asked Krystal and Prince, frustrated.

“Says the guy who’s going to get his butt kicked! No way!” Krystal exclaimed. “Prince! Transform now!” Prince nodded, transforming into his beast form.

Droh transformed as well. Krystal drew out her wand and positioned herself in alignment with Prince. Okay. How do I make my first move? Krystal thought. Maybe I’ll go for my usual moves. After all, he’s not doing anything right now. Prince can just attack directly and then follow it up with a Sonic Roar. That’s perfect!

“Prince, let’s go for a direct attack!” Krystal ordered. Prince made his way forward, pouncing at Droh. As he grabbed hold onto Droh, Droh bit on him at his neck, causing him to fall off.

“Prince! Get up!” Krystal told Prince. But before Prince could even move, Droh’s tail suddenly gave off an eerie purple glow and he smacked it directly at Prince, injuring him further.

“What?!” Krystal cried. “What was that?!”

Droh suddenly transformed back into his human form and said, “That was one of my special moves, Shadow Tail. It uses a combination of dark and negative energy and sends in a real punch. And it looks like the mighty lion over there didn’t take the heat too well.”

“Prince! Get up and use your Sonic Roar!” Krystal ordered Prince. Prince slowly tried to get up and he commenced in giving a mighty roar that emitted sound waves towards Droh, who transformed back into his dark beast form. However, the sound waves weren’t as strong as Prince had already been weakened by Droh’s earlier attack. Droh tried to resist the Sonic Roar as much as he could.

Damn it! Prince’s Sonic Roar isn’t strong enough! Krystal thought. I’ll have to use my sonic bell to boost his power! Krystal drew out her wand and tapped it to transform it into her sonic bell. She placed it forward and emitted a sound wave attack from the bell to enhance Prince’s own Sonic Roar.

Droh continued to hold back as the sound waves continued to hit him. That was when his tail gave the same glow again and he used the Shadow Tail move and slammed his tail to the ground, sending off a wave of dark energy as it deflected the sound waves and hit both Krystal and Prince at the same time. The two of them fell against the wall with Krystal looking at her outfit in horror.

“Are you kidding me?!” Krystal cried. “Now my outfit has marks all over it!”

Of course that’s all she cares about at this point, Prince thought.

“Why do I always end up in a fashion mishap during these battles?!” Krystal said as she got up and started batting her outfit to rid of the dust on it.

Prince transformed back into his human form. “What are you doing?!” Krystal questioned Prince. “We’re supposed to be fighting here!”

“How can I fight when my partner is complaining about her stupid outfit?”

“You call this stupid?! Like it wasn’t enough that Sana had to drench my entire dress in water! And now this whole ensemble is completely ruined!”

“To hell with the drama.”

“And of course! You always say that stupid one-liner of yours in every situation! Gosh! You’re such a pain sometimes!”

“The only pain around here is you.”

While Krystal and Prince were still bickering, Droh transformed back into his human form and watched the two argue back and forth like cats and dogs. Pathetic kids, Droh shook his head. This would be the right moment to dispose of them.

Droh closed his eyes and waved his hands upward before Prince and Krystal, who weren’t paying attention. He aligned both of his hands in a triangular formation and a wave of dark energy began to unravel around his hands. As the energy began to flow, Krystal and Prince turned around, confused. And that was when a force field of some sort formed around Krystal and Prince, trapping them inside.

“What the hell?” Prince said, frustrated.

“What is this?!” Krystal cried as she tried to get out.

“An energy force field. That should keep you fools in long enough for me to go get the orb,” Droh said.

With that, Droh left, leaving Krystal and Prince helpless. Krystal kept trying to push against the force field as an attempt to break it, but it was of no use.

“Whatever you’re doing is not working,” Prince told Krystal, annoyed.

“At least I’m trying here! You’re such a pessimist!”

“I’m just saying the truth.”

“Ever thought of being positive for once?!”

“You really think we can be positive when we’re in a force field created by negative energy?”

“Gosh! You’re so difficult!”

“We wouldn’t have gotten in this mess if you weren’t so obsessed with your clothes all the time.”

“Excuse me! Is it wrong to want to look good while battling?!”

“If that’s all this is about, then maybe you shouldn’t even be a ringmaster.”

“What?! How dare you say that to me?!”

“I can. Because you should know being a ringmaster is more than just looking nice for shows and being the lead of the act. Just like in the circus, the ringmaster has to be the one who can take the lead and know what to do.”

Krystal wanted to say something back. But she couldn’t. She didn’t know how to reply. She sat down on the floor, confused.

“Have you always been this deep and I just never noticed?” Krystal asked.

“This only happens when I get annoyed to the max.”

“I guess…I can’t believe I’m agreeing with you.”

Suddenly, Krystal could feel her head beginning to pound. She could feel this weird tension rising.

“Is it me or am I starting to have a major headache here?” Krystal asked.

“I’m feeling it too. It’s the negative energy of the force field. The longer we stay in this, the worse it’ll get. I bet this was his way of giving us a slow death while he goes to get the orb.”

“Well, if we don’t get out now, he’ll definitely get there. We need to do something. I got it!”

“What?”

“Remember what Aiden was saying about the equilibrium thing?”

“You were actually paying attention?”

“Shut up! He said it was when both the ringmaster and human-beast’s energy levels are in sync. So, if we can stay in sync, we should be able to have enough power to break out. After all, it should come naturally.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive! Now hurry up and transform!”

Prince nodded and transformed into his beast form. At that moment, Krystal drew out her sonic bell.

“Here goes nothing,” Krystal said.

At that moment, Krystal’s sonic bell began to emit strong sound waves, which hit the barriers of the force field. And as it was in motion, Prince got ready to give a grand roar. His energy levels began to maximize, matching up to the power of Krystal’s sonic bell. She could feel the difference in their powers now. Everything was different.

“Savage Sound Roar!” Krystal called out the attack.

And so, Prince let out a mighty roar that had even stronger sound waves than ever before. The sound waves began to combine with one another, going up against the force field. And the longer they held on, the more power they had, which soon weakened the force field further. And within moments, the force field broke down, freeing Krystal and Prince.

“It worked!” Krystal cheered.

“Good job,” Prince said after he transformed back into human form. “Now we have some unfinished business to get to.”

***

On the other end, near the basement, Droh was just heading down the halls, taking out his duplicate key.

“Don’t even think about it!” a voice exclaimed. Droh stopped, confused. And that was when Krystal and Prince had jumped before Droh.

“How the hell are you fools still alive?!” Droh questioned. “You both should have died a slow death by now!”

“That’s the thing though!” Krystal exclaimed. “You baddies clearly never get it! The good guys always win!”

“To put it in simple terms, your force field wasn’t indestructible,” Prince added.

“No matter,” Droh said. “I’ll kill you two right here. It’ll be another triumph for me while I get the orb.”

“Yeah, right!” Krystal exclaimed. “Prince, transform!”

“Right,” Prince said as he transformed into his beast form.

Droh transformed into his dark beast form. Krystal stood her ground, trying to be careful. Okay, Krystal. This time you have to focus. After all, I can go to the dry cleaners after this, Krystal thought.

“Prince, pounce him to the left!” Krystal ordered. Prince leaped forward, and then jumped up, pouncing at Droh’s left side. Droh used his Shadow Tail move and hit Prince into the wall with the great force.

“Prince! Are you okay?!” Krystal asked Prince. Prince nodded as he tried to get up. That tail of his seems to be his strong point, Krystal thought. I have to figure out a way to make it his weak point so we can have a better shot at taking him out. Then again…there is that one move Prince has that we barely use. But, we have to make sure we have him locked down so it works. Right! There you go, Krystal! Just make Prince pounce him again and I’m sure that croc will use that attack again!

“Pounce him to the right!” Krystal told Prince. Prince nodded and leaped up again, hitting Droh at his right side. Droh got ready to use his Shadow Tail move again. “Prince, use your Sonic Scar move!” Krystal ordered.

Prince raised his paw and the claws of his paw began to give off a bright white glow as Droh commenced to use his Shadow Tail move. But before he could hit, Prince hit Droh’s tail with the Sonic Scar attack, leaving a scar on his tail. Suddenly, Droh could feel a strange feeling inside of his tail go around in his body. They were odd vibrations that were hitting him inside back and forth. What’s happening?! Droh thought.

Prince transformed back into his human form. “Smart move,” Prince told Krystal. “That Sonic Scar is able to send sound wave vibrations that affect the entire nervous system, which temporarily disable the opponent’s ability to attack. He’s down for now.”

“I know! I’m a lot smarter than I thought I was!” Krystal exclaimed. “Now hurry up! We gotta wrap this up before the vibrations die down!”

“Right,” Prince agreed and transformed back into his beast form.

“All right! It’s time to do this again!” Krystal exclaimed as she drew out her sonic bell.

Krystal activated her sonic bell’s full power, emitting super sound waves at Droh, who remained helpless against the attack. “Savage Sound Roar!” Krystal called out the attack.

Prince commenced with his mighty Savage Sound Roar attack, combining the sound waves of his roar with the sound waves of Krystal’s sonic bell. And when both sound waves combined, power was at optimum and the attack was so strong that Droh could not do anything to fend for himself.

Once the attack was over, Droh was left completely injured and defeated. He transformed back into his human form, lying helpless on the floor. Krystal went up towards him, while Prince transformed back into human form. She reached down and grabbed the duplicate key from the pocket of his coat.

“I’ll be taking this,” Krystal said. “And I guess it’s the dungeon for you.” Krystal turned to Prince.

“All right! We did it! High five!” Krystal exclaimed as she raised her hand. Prince looked at her, tired and relieved that they were done battling.

“One time,” Prince said as he high-fived Krystal.

“And the best part is…I didn’t ruin my outfit this round!”

“Good. Now I don’t have something to cringe at.”

“So, now what?!”

“We’ll have to get someone to put this guy in lockup.”

“I just wonder how the others are doing right now.”

***

On the other hand, in the center hallway of the academy, Runa was standing alone in the hall, calm and confused. And that was when Neil and Heer appeared before her, startling her. She looked at them and said, “So, you are the ones I’ve been told to kill.”

“Heer, it’s time to take this kid on!” Neil told Heer. Heer looked at Runa, unsure of what to do. I don’t know about this, Heer thought.