illustrators – The Ringmasters Society

31. Plan Forward

June 10, 2025 imeryli

It was a long bus ride. After a while, Sana, Rey, Krystal, Prince, Adela, Faith, and Cyrus had arrived at their destination. Cyrus led everyone out of the bus. And once they all stood before their stop, Sana was just as surprised as everyone else. They were at the building of the Ringmasters Society headquarters.

“Uh, Cyrus, you could’ve mentioned that this master of yours works at the Ringmasters Society,” Krystal said.

“Are we even allowed to go inside?” Sana asked.

“Believe it or not, people here actually know me,” Cyrus said. “We’ll be fine.”

“This is so cool! We’re standing in front of the big leagues!” Rey exclaimed.

Cyrus stepped up to the front door. There was a keypad near it where he entered a code. The keypad glowed green, opening automatically for him.

“How do you have a code?” Adela asked. “You’re just a kid.”

“I told you I know people here,” Cyrus said.

“Amazing. You’re either great at networking or a product of nepotism,” Prince said.

“Very funny,” Cyrus said.

“So, we can just go in?” Sana asked.

“Yup,” Cyrus said.

The others followed Cyrus inside the building. Rey was amazed. Stepping into the building created a completely different feeling. He felt a strong atmosphere that was unexplainable. The lobby itself was certainly fancier than the ones at RTA. Floor was made of a tile that had a topaz-like appearance while the walls were made of fine stone.

Sana was just as mesmerized. She always dreamt of seeing the Ringmasters Society and maybe even one day qualifying to join. But to see it all before her was overwhelming.

“Hey, Gari,” Cyrus waved to one of the guards standing by.

“Hello, Cyrus. I didn’t expect to see you here today.”

“Well, I’m all about the unexpected. Is Yashi here?”

“She is. She’s on the third floor in her office.”

“All right. Thank you.”

After the guard left, Sana asked Cyrus, “Who’s Yashi? I feel like I’ve heard that name before.”

“Yashi Menon is her full name,” Cyrus said.

“And how exactly do you know her?” Rey asked.

“She was my master when I was a child,” Cyrus said. “She helped me control my dark powers when I got them.”

“She must be a busy woman. Are you sure she’d want to train them?” Faith asked.

“It’s worth a shot,” Cyrus said. “And since I’m asking for you guys, she might be more willing to.”

“Well then. I guess we should leave you guys to it then,” Adela said.

“Leave them to it? Then what will we do?” Faith asked.

“We can’t overwhelm this lady with the presence of so many people. Sana, Rey, and Cyrus should see her alone,” Adela said.

“You guys are okay with that?” Rey asked.

“No problem! We’ll just look around. Maybe we’ll get some inspiration for what we can do over break,” Krystal said.

“Okay. I guess we’ll see you guys in a bit,” Sana said.

“Good luck,” Prince said.

With that, Sana, Rey, and Cyrus headed off towards the elevator. Krystal, Prince, Adela, and Faith walked around the building. Krystal found herself amused as she strolled through the halls. She got so lost in the atmosphere that she wasn’t paying attention to anything else. And that came crashing on her as she bumped into someone, falling flat on the floor as she dropped her bag.

“Wow,” Adela said.

“She’s a klutz,” Prince said.

“Hey! I just fell, okay!” Krystal exclaimed.

“Are you alright?” a voice asked.

Krystal looked back, seeing who she had bumped into. She immediately recognized the woman standing before her.

“Whoah! You’re Imani Fullbright! THE Imani Fullbright!” Krystal exclaimed.

“And you’re Krystal, right?” Imani asked.

“You know her?” Prince asked.

“I know you as well, Prince. Ringmasters Society members were informed of how you guys helped during the Madame Naga incident,” Imani said. “Need a hand?”

Krystal took Imani’s hand and got up from the floor. As she got up, Imani also got Krystal’s bag and grabbed her wands that fell out.

“You have a zodiac wand?” Imani asked as she handed Krystal back her things.

“Yeah. I got it not too long before the whole Madame Naga thing happened,” Krystal said.

“It’s not easy obtaining one of these,” Imani said. “Have you learned how to use it yet?”

“That would require her to train, which she hasn’t done yet,” Prince said.

“Shut up, Prince! That’s exactly what I’m trying to do,” Krystal said. “I want to learn how to use my new weapon, but after talking to my friends about what they’re doing over break, I think I need to use the time to find an experienced mentor to train with. The only problem is I can’t find anyone.”

Imani understood everything Krystal said. She agreed that something has powerful as a zodiac weapon needed special training to handle it. And after hearing it all, she had an idea.

“Well, you may be in luck,” Imani said.

“How so?” Krystal asked.

“I have a friend. Her name is Mithra Pillai,” Imani said.

“Pillai? Is she related to Dhanush?” Prince asked.

“Yes, he’s her brother. He was in Daredevil City not too long ago. Anyway, she lives in Kunjukumari. It’s a town in southern India. She would be able to train you,” Imani said.

“You sure she would train these kids if she doesn’t know them?” Faith asked.

“If I ask her, then I think she will,” Imani said.

“So, we get to travel to India then?!” Krystal exclaimed.

“It can’t be that simple,” Prince said.

“Well, you guys will have to go see her yourselves. I’d personally take you myself if I could, but I have to go with Shuto and Haruka on an important mission tomorrow,” Imani said. “What I can do is give you guys Mithra’s address. And just so there is more of a guarantee that she’ll train you, I can provide a note explaining that I sent you to her.”

“Your note will be enough to convince her?” Krystal asked.

“Well, Mithra is a little hotheaded. You’ll probably still have to convince her that you both would make capable students,” Imani said.

Krystal pondered. She looked at Prince and could tell he was waiting for her to take the lead on this. And she had to. She was the ringmaster after all. It was her responsibility to decide what was best for her and her partner. Even if this opportunity were to go wrong, she had to give it a shot.

“Okay. We’ll do it then!” Krystal said.

“All right. You guys want to follow me to my office then?” Imani asked.

Krystal nodded and followed Imani along with Prince, Adela, and Faith towards the elevator.

***

On the third floor, Sana, Rey, and Cyrus arrived out from the elevator. Cyrus led them towards Yashi’s office, which was close by. The door to the office was open. Inside, Yashi was seated at her desk with Shuto and Haruka standing by. The moment Yashi saw Cyrus, she stopped everything she was doing.

“Cyrus?” Yashi said. “What are you doing here?”

“That’s it, Master Yashi? No hello?” Cyrus asked.

“Not very good on the formalities, dear,” Shuto said.

“Sorry. What brings you here?” Yashi asked.

“You know Sana and Rey, right?” Cyrus asked.

“Hey there,” Rey said.

“It’s an honor to meet you,” Sana said.

“Hey to you, kids,” Haruka said. “You guys feeling better since the Madame Naga incident?”

“Kinda,” Rey said.

“Kinda? Something wrong then?” Shuto asked.

“That’s why I brought them here. They both have newfound dark powers. Rey especially is struggling with them since his R-gene makes them more difficult to control,” Cyrus said. “So, I thought-”

“You thought I’d train them,” Yashi finished Cyrus’ sentence.

Yashi could feel her mind and body tighten up. She knew exactly why Cyrus thought she’d be willing to help. But she had a lot on her mind.

“I’m sorry. I can’t help,” Yashi said.

“We understand that you’re a busy woman,” Sana said.

“But even if you can’t train us, you could at least guide us,” Rey said.

“No! I can’t do it,” Yashi said.

“Can we at least know why?” Rey asked. “Cyrus took the time to bring us to you. Don’t you at least care about our situation? Or even him?”

Yashi stood up from her chair. Shuto could see the tension eating her alive. “I’m sorry. Please excuse me,” Yashi said as she left from her office.

Shuto sighed. “I’m sorry, kids. Give me a sec,” he said.

Shuto left the office as well. “Did we say something wrong?” Rey asked. “We didn’t mean to trouble her.”

“It’s not you guys,” Haruka said. “She’s had a lot on her mind lately.”

“I guess its personal then,” Sana said.

“It’s not my place to say. Let Shuto talk to her, and she’ll come back to you,” Haruka said.

“So, what do we do now then?” Rey asked.

“I guess we can head back then,” Cyrus said.

“You don’t have to. Why don’t you guys explain your situation more to me?” Haruka asked. “I can at least give you some advice to work with.”

Sana nodded in response. She went ahead, telling Haruka everything she needed to know.

Outside, Shuto caught up with Yashi at the end of the hallway. “Are you okay?” Shuto asked.

“I’m sorry I walked out like that. I understand what they’re going through, but-”

“But seeing another kid that fell victim to Madame Naga brings back unwanted memories.”

“You remember what Cadmus said at the meeting. He did exactly what everyone around me did. Pull down my character, call me names, label me as a monster, the list goes on.”

“And you overcame all of that. You turned things around not just for yourself but for others as well. Why do you think Cyrus brought those kids to you? He knew you could help them the same way you helped him.”

Yashi could feel her eyes get watery. She knew what Shuto was saying was true, but the pain was too hard to push away. As she looked down at the floor, Shuto put his hands on her shoulders, and she looked at him. His touch was kind as always and his eyes were compassionate.

“You are a remarkable woman,” Shuto said. “No Cadmus or Madame Naga or anyone for that matter could take that away from you. I won’t force you to help those kids. But I know you can do something for them. Whatever little help you can provide is enough. It’s all up to you.”

As she felt overwhelmed by her emotions, Yashi embraced Shuto, and he hugged her back. She knew deep down what she needed to do.

Once Shuto let her go, he turned to see Neil and Heer were walking towards him. “Neil, Heer. What are you two doing here?” Shuto asked.

“I didn’t want to come,” Neil said. “But Heer kept telling me we should come here and tell you about what happened to us today.”

“What happened?” Shuto asked.

“This powerful dark beast attacked us in town. He had a human form. And his powers were a lot more erratic and unusual,” Heer said.

“And Fida showed up to take him away,” Neil said.

“Fida was there?” Shuto asked.

“She didn’t say anything, but we’re positive it was her,” Neil said.

“I thought we should inform you since I heard from Aiden that you are working on the case involving Fida’s escape,” Heer said.

“Yes, thank you for the information. You said she was in the city?” Shuto asked.

“We were in downtown Daredevil City. It was a few blocks away from Suzie’s, the ice cream shop,” Neil said.

“Okay. I’ll make sure, Haruka, Imani, and I stop by there and check the scene for any clues,” Shuto said.

“Are you all okay?” Yashi asked.

“Yeah. Dhanush actually showed up to help us out. And he helped heal our injuries,” Neil said.

“Oh. I guess that job interview didn’t go so well,” Shuto said.

“Ha, you could say that,” Neil said. “Did he not tell you he was heading back to Mt. Archer?”

“No. The man hardly uses technology. His phone is so old, so he doesn’t even bother to make calls,” Shuto said.

“Shuto has to send him handwritten letters to hear from him when he doesn’t visit,” Yashi said.

“You’re kidding. God, I hope that doesn’t make chasing him harder,” Neil said.

“Chasing him?” Shuto asked.

“Neil begged Dhanush to train us again. He said if we come to his home on Mt. Archer within a day’s time, he’ll take us under his wing,” Heer said.

“How do you plan to get there?” Yashi asked.

“Gourav is waiting outside for us. He’ll fly us there as soon as we leave,” Neil said.

“Well then. Good luck,” Shuto said. “I hope training with him gives you what you need.”

“Thank you,” Neil said. “We’ll see you around.”

Neil and Heer turned around to leave. As they walked, Neil halted and said, “Is my brother around?”

“Aiden went to St. Tulip’s to train with Runa. He’s taking her home,” Shuto said. “Why do you ask?”

“Just asking,” Neil said. “See ya.”

With that, Neil and Heer left, going towards the elevator. Shuto watched them leave. He shook his head, chuckling a little bit.

Shuto turned to Yashi and said, “Ready to go back in?”

Yashi nodded. She walked with Shuto back to her office. Haruka was talking to Sana, Rey, and Cyrus. Shuto nodded to her, signaling her to talk. She cleared her throat and said, “I thought it over. Since I happen to be free from work for some time, I will take you guys under my wing.”

“Really?” Sana asked.

“What made you change your mind?” Rey asked.

“You both are sincere. And when a former student of mine is asking for help, I can’t refuse,” Yashi said. “There will be conditions though. This training won’t be easy. Cyrus’ training under me wasn’t a walk in the park. For you guys, it’ll be even tougher given your circumstances. And you’ll have to be okay with whatever I throw at you.”

“That’s fine by me,” Sana said. “Rey?”

“Fine by me! I’m ready for a challenge!” Rey exclaimed.

“And Cyrus, I would like you to come with us,” Yashi said.

“You do?” Cyrus asked.

“Considering where were going, it’d be fitting if you came,” Yashi said.

“You mean…we’re going there?” Cyrus asked.

“If we want to do this right, then yes,” Yashi said.

“Hold on! What are you two talking about?” Rey asked.

“You’ll know when she takes you,” Shuto said.

“You guys have somewhere to stay?” Yashi asked.

“My father’s home is nearby,” Sana said.

“Would he be cool if I stayed for the night?” Rey asked.

“We have a guest room. So, you should be good,” Sana said.

“Cyrus, why don’t you stay at our house? We can get Sana and Rey in the morning then,” Yashi said.

“Sounds good to me,” Cyrus said.

“Then it’s settled. We’ll pick you guys up in the morning around seven,” Yashi said.

“Seven? That early?” Rey asked.

“You got a problem?” Yashi asked.

Seeing the stern look on Yashi’s face, Rey nodded no. And so, everything was set. Cyrus stayed back at the Ringmasters Society since he was going to go to Yashi’s home. Sana and Rey met up with Krystal, Prince, Adela, and Faith outside the building.

“So, you guys managed to figure out what you’re doing for break?” Sana asked Krystal and Prince.

“We did. We got help from Imani Fullbright,” Krystal said.

“Whoah! Isn’t she one of the council leaders?” Rey asked.

“She is. She told us about Yashi’s cousin, Mithra. We’re gonna go to her house in India and ask her to train us,” Krystal said.

“Well, I hope that goes well,” Rey said.

“And you guys?” Prince asked.

“We got Yashi to agree to training us. We’re gonna stay at Dad’s house, and she’s going to pick us up in the morning,” Sana said. “Adela, you should stay with us, too!”

“Will do,” Adela said. “We should get going then.”

“I agree. So, this will be the last time you guys see each other till break is over,” Faith said.

“Good luck, guys!” Krystal exclaimed. “Let’s come back to RTA stronger than ever!”

“I second that,” Sana said as she high-fived Krystal.

With that, Adela and Faith transformed into their beast forms. Sana and Rey boarded on Adela while Krystal and Prince got on Faith. And so, after a final wave, they went their separate ways.

***

After some time, Sana, Rey, and Adela arrived at her house. Ryan welcomed them inside and he had them seated for dinner, which he just finished making. As they ate, Rey said, “Mr. Malik, the biriyani is actually pretty good.”

“Boy, what do you mean ACTUALLY good?” Ryan asked.

“You didn’t strike me as the cooking type,” Rey said. “Also considering Sana’s cooking skills, I had my doubts.”

“Oh, shut up, I have time to improve,” Sana said.

“I’ll have you know I’ve been cooking since I was ten. My amma taught me everything I know. In fact, if I wasn’t a ringmaster, I’d probably be a chef,” Ryan said.

“I guess you can consider it after you retire,” Rey said.

“Well, thank you for dinner, Mr. Malik. I’m gonna go turn in on the couch,” Adela said.

“Adela, you could just take my room,” Sana said.

“Not necessary. My chibi form is always comfortable for sleeping anywhere,” Adela said as she transformed and left the dining table. “Good night, everyone.”

“Good night!” Sana, Rey, and Ryan said.

Adela left the kitchen, heading to the living room. After dinner was over and dishes were taken care of, Rey went outside to the back deck of the house to relax and watch the night sky. He took a seat on one of the lounge chairs and relaxed, gazing at the bright stars above him.

“Not feeling sleepy?” Sana asked as she walked up to where Rey was sitting. She took a seat on the lounge chair next to him.

“Just thought I’d catch a glimpse of the sky before I go to bed. What about you?”

“I was kinda feeling the same.”

Sana could tell there was probably more on Rey’s mind.

“What else is on your mind?” Sana asked. “Nervous about training?”

“Not nervous. I’m excited.”

“Well, that makes one of us. I’m feeling anxious about it.”

“Why? Because of me?”

“You heard Yashi. Our training is going to be more intense than it was for Cyrus or any of her other students. I just hope…we can bear it.”

“Hey, if we could bear a second fight against Madame Naga, we can do anything.”

“You think so?”

“Forget thinking. I believe it.”

Sana smiled. Rey’s optimism was always sweet. Even though he had been through so much, he was able to stay positive.

“You two should really go to sleep,” Ryan said as he stepped out onto the deck.

“Have you been there this whole time?!” Rey questioned.

“This is my house,” Ryan said. “I can do as I please.”

“Seriously, Papa,” Sana said, rolling her eyes.

“You two need to get up early. And there’s no way that’s happening unless you go to bed now,” Ryan said. “Especially you, Rey.”

“Hey, what does that mean?!” Rey exclaimed.

“Come on now. Get going,” Ryan said.

Rey rolled his eyes and got up. He headed inside while Sana got up as well. As Sana was about to follow Rey, she stopped before Ryan and said, “You’re worried, aren’t you?”

“What makes you say that?”

“I just know.”

“I know why you need to go. I just wish I could be there for you.”

Sana hugged Ryan and said, “Thank you for worrying.”

“When do I not worry?”

Sana chuckled at her father’s words as he hugged her back. Ryan said, “Now, I do hope you at least come back a little early so we can spend some time together before you go back to school.”

“Definitely. I promise.”

After she let go of him, Sana smiled and headed off to her room. Ryan was happy to see Sana was okay. All he could do is trust that she would be just fine.

***

In Rouge Heights, Nazriya was walking alone in the night. She was heading towards a cabin located in the quietest area of the city. She took out a key, unlocking the door and entering inside.

“Sorry, I’m late, guys,” Nazriya said. “I got caught up with some stuff.”

Before Nazriya, Kairos, Dimitra, and Mayleen were seated at a wooden dining table. She put her backpack down on the floor and headed over to the table.

“It’s fine. We just talked to Cyrus,” Dimitra said.

“What did he say?” Nazriya asked.

“He’s staying at Yashi and Shuto’s house. He said he’s going with Yashi, Sana, and Rey for their training session,” Mayleen said.

“Well, that’s good, right?” Nazriya asked. “He’ll be able to keep an eye on them. Plus, having a Ringmasters Society member around ensures their safety.”

“You’re right. That gives us time to figure out the plan for what comes next,” Dimitra said. “Kairos, do you have any idea?”

“I’m working on it. The good thing is that Sana and Rey will be safe for now,” Kairos said.

“Did you eat, Nazriya?” Mayleen asked.

“Not since this morning. I’ve been travelling all day,” Nazriya said.

“I’ll whip you up something in the kitchen then,” Dimitra said.

“I can help you with that,” Mayleen said.

Dimitra and Mayleen got up from the table and headed towards the kitchen. Nazriya stood by, looking at Kairos. She could see he had a lot on his mind.

“What’s eating you?” Nazriya asked.

“Nothing.”

“You think you can fool me?”

“Can we not talk about it?”

“Okay, fine.”

“Did you talk to Lysander?”

“Yeah. He’s aware of what we’re doing. He’ll join us once he gets back from his parents’ house.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Nazriya found herself getting irritated. She knew exactly what Kairos wanted to ask her, but he wasn’t communicating it. She was about to leave until he said, “How is she?”

Nazriya paused. She wondered how she should answer Kairos’ question.

“You can ask her this question when you talk to her,” Nazriya said.

Kairos looked down as Nazriya left. She stopped and said, “I will tell you this…she does remember you.”

With that, Nazriya headed inside the kitchen while Kairos remained alone at the table. He wondered how the next few weeks would go.

Volume 2

29. Initiative

March 4, 2025 imeryli

(Disclaimer: Finish Volumes 1 and 2 before reading this chapter)

On a cool, spring evening, Krystal was at Devil’s Diner, sitting by herself at a table. She was waiting for someone to come and meet her. She treated herself to a Marigold Surprise as she waited, rolling up the sleeves of her rose-pink cardigan. Come on. Where is he? Krystal pondered as she took a bite of the dome cake.

As time passed, half her cake was finished. She was growing impatient. As the sound of the door opening alerted her, Krystal looked up, seeing exactly who she was waiting for. Cyrus had entered the diner, walking straight to Krystal’s table. “Sorry I’m late. The bus got stuck in traffic,” Cyrus said as he seated himself across from Krystal.

“Oh, that’s fine. Thankfully, I ordered food. You hungry?”

“I’m good for now. So, should we just get right into it? You wanted to talk about your friends, right?”

“Yeah. After the whole Madame Naga fiasco, Sana and Rey have to deal with these new dark powers. From what they told me, even though Rey was the one bitten by Madame Naga, Sana was also able to use dark powers as well when they fought her. Then, Rey lost control during an exercise in class. So, now they need to figure out how to control them. That’s why I wanted to talk to you about it.”

Well, this feels way too familiar, Cyrus thought.

“What’s on your mind, Cyrus?”

“What you’re talking about is something I know too well.”

“Meaning?”

“See…I actually know Madame Naga myself.”

“You do? How?”

“Well…I got my dark powers from her.”

Krystal was shocked. It was enough to find out that Runa got her dark powers from Madame Naga. But hearing Cyrus was also a victim made things even more intense. She wondered how many people were affected by Madame Naga’s doings.

“You look stunned, Krystal.”

“Sorry. I’m just…wow. Just how many kids has this crazy woman used for vessels?!”

“Trust me. She’s done it far too many times.”

“So, did you also struggle to get control over your powers?”

“Oh, you bet I did. If Madame Naga ended up finalizing Rey as her vessel, getting control over his dark powers is going to be tougher than it was for me.”

“Why is that?”

“Because he was already powerful on his own. Plus, you mentioned the R-gene that runs in his clan. Getting control of both his dark powers and fire powers is something that I alone can’t help with.”

“So, what do we do then? I want to help them somehow!”

“I may not be able to help them directly. But I know someone who can.”

***

The next day, it was early morning at Ringmasters Training Academy. During which, all the sophomore students were called to the auditorium for an assembly that was being held by Headmaster Devil. It also happened to be the last day before spring break. While Sana knew she needed the break, she also knew there was going to be a lot to get done during it. She entered the auditorium with Rey, Krystal, Prince, Neil, Heer, Zayn, and Akira. They made their way to one of the middle rows and sat down. And once they were seated, Krystal asked, “So, anyone know what this is about?”

“I know. My Dad’s going to address the final exams and other sophomore stuff,” Zayn said.

“I can’t believe we’ll be finishing up this year soon,” Sana said.

“Me neither. Time sure flies. I can’t wait for these exams though. It’s time to show everyone what we’re made of!” Rey exclaimed.

“You know there’s a written portion to the test, right?” Prince asked.

“Seriously?!” Rey exclaimed.

“Yeah. You need to get at least a seventy on the written part to even take part in the practical,” Sana said. “And that goes for both partners. So, even if one of us scores high enough, we won’t make it.”

“Really? Well then. No pressure,” Neil said. “We’ll just have to crack those books, and we should all be able to pass.”

“And we can do some cram sessions after school in the library,” Heer said.

“Listen. All I care about right now is some vacation time. With all that went down with Madame Naga, spring break is needed,” Krystal said.

“Oh, look, Devil is up on stage,” Akira said.

Headmaster Devil made his way towards the podium while the students settled in. Seeing everyone quiet down, he began, “Good morning, sophomore class. I know you all are excited about spring break coming up, but I have some important announcements to make to you all as the school year is quickly coming to an end.”

“Oh, boy. This outta be good,” Rey said.

“As you all know from your teachers by now, your final exams are fast approaching. To reiterate, these exams are crucial in not only measuring the knowledge and skills you’ve gained in your first two years at the academy but also how well you apply everything. Passing the written exam and the practical will guarantee you a place in next year’s Grand Ringmaster Tournament,” Headmaster Devil said. “The tournament not only puts the best ringmasters and human-beasts from all the academies against each other, but it also plays a role in your consideration for membership in the Ringmasters Society. I know many of you want this honor.”

Well, I know my parents want that, Neil thought.

“And so, while all of you deserve a restful and relaxing spring break, remember that the exams are an important part of your academic career here. You must also remember these exams are not easy. Only a select few of you will make it to the tournament. From this year’s junior class alone, only four students qualified. But, if you work smart, there may just be more of you that make it for next year,” Headmaster Devil said. “Now, exams aside, there’s another matter that has to be brought up. One of your graduation requirements is that each of you partake in an internship.”

“Internship?” Rey asked.

“Oh, God. I don’t want to intern anywhere. I was planning on traveling this summer,” Krystal said.

An assistant came over to the stage beside Headmaster Devil. The assistant used his wand to create a large projector screen with an informational slide for everyone to see.

“The internship is a crucial requirement for you all. It is not only a graduation requirement, but it will also allow you to experience opportunities that you can get into once you graduate from the academy. While some of you may want to make it into the Ringmasters Society, some of you may have other desires. That is why we have these internship opportunities,” Headmaster Devil said. “You have three options for the internship. One, you can intern with a hunter squad. Since there are hunter squads all over the country and beyond, you can intern pretty much anywhere. The second option is a specialist station. Trainers need additional help in working with ringmasters and human-beasts that specialize in certain powers. And our last option is a research corp. You will be working with professional researchers studying dark beasts and even human-beasts. All of these are enriching experiences and can lead to fruitful career opportunities after graduation. And even if your plan is to try for the Ringmasters Society, these internships provide experience that will be useful there.”

“Wow, there’s some cool options thrown in there,” Akira said.

“Cool? There’s nothing cool about spending a summer working when I could be going to the beach,” Krystal said.

“If you worked with a hunter squad, you could travel,” Heer said.

“Hmm, good point,” Krystal said.

“Now, you don’t have to complete the internship this summer. Next summer is also a good time to do it. As long as you complete the internship successfully before your senior year, you’ll be fine. I’m giving you all a notice now so you can figure out your plans. Things are going to get much more intense for you all once spring break is over,” Headmaster Devil said. “With that said, I hope you all enjoy your last day before break. Keep everything I’ve told you today in mind. Now, you’re all dismissed.”

***

At the cafeteria, Sana grabbed some waffles and joined the rest of the gang for breakfast at their usual table. As she sat down, she started chowing down as the gang started chatting. The assembly brought up a lot for her to think about. Exams and internships aside, she still had to figure out how she and Rey were going to get control over the newfound dark powers.

“So, guys, what are we doing for spring break?” Krystal asked. “We’ve got two weeks, so I say a nice trip to the beach is in order. We could go to Cardinal Beach in Doveland. Cyrus says the sunset there is gorgeous during the spring time.”

“Krystal, I don’t think we’ll be able to travel for break,” Neil said.

“Why not?!” Krystal exclaimed.

“Neil wants us to do some serious training,” Heer said.

“Training with who?” Akira asked.

“Well, we’re planning on asking Shuto. He’s going to pick up Runa from her preparatory school in the evening. And since Heer and I are visiting Runa after school, we might as well talk to him,” Neil said.

“I thought you didn’t like the guy,” Prince said.

“I don’t hate him. He’s like family. Annoying family but still family nonetheless,” Neil said.

“I think it’s great that she got adopted. She’ll finally get a chance at a real family,” Rey said.

“She deserves it, especially after everything she has been through,” Sana said.

“Zayn, surely you plan to relax for spring break, right?” Krystal asked.

“Actually no. Akira and I have things to do,” Zayn said.

“We do?” Akira asked. “Quite frankly, Zayn, I think we could use a vacation. Don’t you?”

“If you want to, you can. I have things to do,” Zayn said.

Sheesh. Dude can’t lighten up even over spring break, Krystal thought as she took a bite of her scrambled eggs.

“Unfortunately, Rey and I are going to be busy, too, Krystal,” Sana said. “We need to get some serious training done if we want to get these new powers under control.”

“Yeah, especially with the exams coming up. We need to be ready,” Rey said.

Krystal sulked as the others continued talking about other things. Great. Everyone is occupied over break. No one wants to have fun, Krystal thought. She wondered if she should focus on training as well. After all, she did receive the new zodiac weapon and hadn’t even used it yet. And it would be great to use for the final exams.

Once breakfast was over, the gang started making their way to class along with the other students. As they were walking, Krystal came in between Sana and Rey and said, “So, guys, I actually have some good news for you.”

“And what’s that?” Sana asked.

“I talked to my friend, Cyrus, and he thinks he’ll be able to help you guys with controlling your powers,” Krystal said.

“He can train us?” Rey asked.

“Well, no, but he knows someone who can,” Krystal said.

“Okay. Who is this someone?” Sana asked.

“Cyrus will introduce you. He told me to tell you guys to meet him tomorrow at the bus stop on Fernandes Street. He’s visiting a relative here. So, he’ll meet with you and take you to the person he’s talking about,” Krystal said.

“Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, I know he’s your friend, but we don’t really know him,” Rey said.

“Of course, it’s fine. Cyrus is a good guy. Besides, he understands your situation far better than you’d think,” Krystal said.

“Really? How so?” Sana asked.

“Oh, come on. Save these questions for him. He’ll be meeting you guys at four. Don’t be late,” Krystal said.

“Okay then. I look forward to meeting him,” Sana said.

“The sooner we get to training, the better. I need a taste of action,” Rey said.

“You’ll just have to wait, tiger. Also, it seems along with your hair, our shopping trip last weekend certainly did a lot for your personal style,” Krystal said, referring to Rey’s outfit which consisted of a black jacket, red shirt, gold chain necklace, blue jeans with a gold chain belt, and red sneakers. He also had his hair tied back in a ponytail with the red bandana that Alicia gave him.

“I still can’t believe you actually went to the mall with her,” Prince said, turning to Rey, Sana, and Krystal.

“She didn’t exactly give me a choice considering she wouldn’t stop talking about it till I went,” Rey said.

“That’s Krystal for you,” Akira chuckled.

“Hey! I did you good though! Look how fabulous you look now,” Krystal said to Rey.

***

Once the school day was over, the gang got out of their last class and headed towards the gates of the academy. It was officially time for spring break.

“Time to get things done!” Rey exclaimed.

“Well, first thing’s first. Heer and I gotta go visit Runa,” Neil said.

“Any idea on how she’s adjusting at her school?” Akira asked.

“Shuto hasn’t said anything, but I’m sure we’ll know once we get there,” Heer said. “It’s already a big change for her, so I’m sure it isn’t easy.”

Rey felt his mood shift a bit. Learning that Runa had also been bitten by Madame Naga made him realize just how hard things were for her. After all, she was just a child. He wondered how she was doing.

“Anyway, we should get going now,” Neil said. “We’ll see you guys tomorrow before we all leave for break.”

“Wait, Neil!” Rey called out.

Neil and Heer turned to Rey. Sana was surprised, wondering what Rey wanted to say.

“What is it, Rey?” asked Heer.

“Could I come with you guys?” Rey asked. “I want to see how Runa is doing as well.”

Sana was astonished to hear that Rey wanted to see Runa. But it shouldn’t have surprised her considering how similar their situations were. It was the kind of comfort that he probably needed.

“Sure thing. I’m sure she’d love more company,” Neil said.

“Then I’d like to tag along as well,” Sana said.

Rey knew Sana would want to go as well. After all, she was never one to leave his side when it was important.

“Okay then. Let’s all go,” Heer said. “We’ll see you guys later.”

“Oh, right. Before I forget, Dad told me to tell you guys to see him in his office in the morning before we leave for break,” Zayn said.

“Oh, what for?” Prince asked.

“He didn’t say why. He just said it was important,” Zayn said.

“Well, okay then. Guess we’ll see each other tomorrow morning,” Rey said. “Bye, guys.”

With that, Sana, Rey, Neil, and Heer headed out while Krystal, Prince, Zayn, and Akira remained by the gates.

“Well, I should go pack my things then. I’ll see you guys later,” Akira said.

“I gotta go, too. I need to go to Devil’s Delights and restock candy canes,” Prince said.

“Didn’t you just buy some not too long ago?!” Krystal exclaimed.

“Yeah, and I finished them,” Prince said. “You got a problem with that?”

“No, not at all,” Krystal said, rolling her eyes.

“We’ll see you later then,” Akira said.

Akira headed to the girls’ dorm house while Prince made his way towards downtown. “Prince, I tell you. You know he goes to the same dentist as I do and despite all the candy canes, he hasn’t gotten a cavity once,” Krystal told Zayn. “It amazes me.”

“He must be good with handling his sugar.”

“I guess so. So, what do you plan to do tonight?”

“I should probably get back to my dorm and get some work done. I have a lot to do over the break.”

“Geez, do you ever relax?”

“I don’t need to relax.”

“Everyone needs to relax. I swear, you act like you’re in your mid-thirties, working nine to five in some run-down office job.”

“Why do you care?”

“I don’t. It just bugs me that a fifteen-year-old boy is acting like he’s too busy to even take a breath and enjoy life.”

“I’m sixteen.”

“Makes no difference. You’re still a kid.”

“So, what are you trying to get at? That we shouldn’t take things in life seriously?”

“No. Of course, there’s things in life that are important, but do you really want to grow old and look back, thinking about all the times you could’ve lived it up?”

“Krystal, I know what you’re trying to do. You don’t know me. I am the way I am for a reason.”

Krystal was frustrated. She didn’t even know why she was. Zayn was right. She didn’t really know him. At the same time, she just wanted to make Zayn understand where she was coming from.

“You’re right. I don’t know you. So, let’s change that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Have you gone out and explored the city at least once since you got here?”

“No.”

“Perfect. I’ll take you out on the town.”

“Why?”

“To prove a point. Once I show you how to loosen up, you might learn to have some fun. And listen, I don’t expect you to tell me your whole life story that explains why you’re such a buzzkill. I just want to show you what it means to have a good time.”

Zayn sighed. Part of him just wanted to retreat to his room like he normally would. However, there was something about Krystal’s pestering that felt sincere. It was a sincerity that he wasn’t used to. He even wondered what exactly Krystal had in mind.

“Fine. I’ll give it a shot. But this better be good.”

“Yes! Just wait! A night out with yours truly is one worth remembering!”

“Well, where are we going exactly?”

“First, we head to the bus stop near here.”

***

On the other hand, Sana, Rey, Neil, and Heer had gotten off the bus in front of St. Tulip’s School. This was the preparatory school that Runa had been enrolled in. Schools like St. Tulip’s allowed for young children to not only engage in basic curriculums at normal schools but also take part in classes that helped potential ringmaster or human-beast students harness their powers. Rey went to St. Tulip’s prior to enrolling at Ringmasters Training Academy. Seeing the school for the first time in two years made him remember the small, loudmouth kid he was back then.

The four went inside the school building. After speaking to an employee at the front office, they headed over to one of the rooms at the end of the hallway on the first floor. Inside the room was a teacher. She had dark hair tied in a loose bun with a cerulean bow pinned in the back, and square-shaped glasses that hovered over her hazel eyes. Light pearls adorned her ears, and she wore a deep blue-colored peplum dress with matching flats. Rey instantly recognized her. And seeing the warm smile on her face, he could tell she did as well.

“Ms. Higurashi!” Rey exclaimed.

“Rey Murgatroyd, it’s good to see you,” Ms. Higurashi said. “Look at you now. The long hair really suits you.”

“Thank you! I think so as well!” Rey exclaimed. “Guys, this is Ms. Higurashi. She used to teach me in basic training classes when I was a student here.”

“It’s very nice to meet you,” Heer said.

“Was he a handful back then?” Sana asked.

“Oh, indeed he was. He was always getting into some mischief,” Ms. Higurashi said.

“Hey! Not all the time!” Rey exclaimed.

“Of course not. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be so happy to see you again.”

“Are most of the kids home now?” Neil asked.

“Not all of them. Some are waiting for their parents. They’re playing right outside as we speak,” Ms. Higurashi said.

“Is that where Runa is?” Heer asked.

“Oh, you guys are here to see Runa? Hopefully, your presence can cheer her up a bit,” Ms. Higurashi said.

“Is she okay?” Sana asked.

“I know she just started here, but she’s rather distant. I think it’s been hard for her to adjust around here,” Ms. Higurashi said.

“You said she’s outside?” Neil asked.

“I can take you guys to see her,” Ms. Higurashi said.

***

In downtown Daredevil City, Krystal and Zayn got off the bus and made their way around the streets. Krystal took him to Devil’s Diner and the two sat at a table. She ordered the best food, including her usual Marigold Surprise. As they waited, Krystal noticed Zayn seemed to have his attention all over the place. He looked around as if he had never been to a diner before.

“What’s with you?” Krystal asked.

“Huh? Nothing.”

“Doesn’t look like nothing. Have you never been to a diner before?”

“Well…not exactly.”

“Wow. How often do you go out?”

“Unless its training or a mission, not much.”

“Well, surely you must hang out with your mom, right?”

“I mean, I guess we did more when I was a kid. Things are just different now since I moved here.”

“See. This is why I wanted to take you out. You need to get out more often. Explore the world.”

“Exploring the world involves coming to your run-of-the-mill diner?”

“Devil’s Diner has the best comfort food in the city. Just wait for it.”

Just then, a waiter arrived with Krystal and Zayn’s orders. Krystal ordered crab cake sandwiches with a side of fries. And to her delight, the Marigold Surprises were there as well. After thanking the waiter, she immediately dug in. Just one bite of her sandwich was satisfying enough. She looked at Zayn, who was simply looking at the food on his plate, almost examining it.

“Come on. Don’t think much. Just eat,” Krystal said.

Zayn picked up the sandwich, admiring just how delicious it looked. He decided to go ahead and take a bite. It was as tasty as it looked. There was a spiciness to the crab cake that blended well with the softness of the buns. He could tell from the expression on Krystal’s face that she wanted to know what he thought of it.

“I will admit…this is good.”

“Right?! I haven’t ordered this in a while, but the Marigold Surprise has always been my go-to.”

“So, I’m guessing you come here often.”

“Sure do! I guess that’s one thing Prince and I have in common. We both have a thing for food.”

“Well, his thing is candy.”

“Same thing. You know I should take you here more often.”

“Not sure how often I’d have time.”

“There you go again! Geez, your whole life doesn’t have to be about school and training, you know?!”

“It’s all I know. This is how I’ve lived.”

“Well, you should know your life can’t always revolve around one thing. You know I like to think of life as a diamond.”

“Why? Because its shiny and glamorous?”

“No! Diamonds may serve the purpose of being beautiful. Now if you look at them closely, you’ll see fragments of light, the edges, and even bits of different colors. You realize they have dimensions to them. That’s what I think life should be like. Life doesn’t have to be about one purpose. It can just be about living it the best way you can.”

Zayn was taken aback. It was hard for him to comprehend someone like Krystal could say something that would resonate with him in a way he never imagined. He even realized how quick he was to judge her. He thought he figured her out even though he knew she didn’t know him well either. Zayn finished eating his sandwich and took a fork, getting a piece of the Marigold Surprise. It was tangy, sweet, and not what he was used to. He wasn’t the biggest fan of sweets, but even he had to admit he was taking pleasure in this beloved dessert of Krystal’s.

“This cake is actually pretty good.”

“See! I told you it’s the best!”

As the two were chatting and eating, Prince was walking down the street, holding a bag with his new stock of candy canes from Devil’s Delights. He stopped upon seeing Zayn and Krystal inside Devil’s Diner through the storefront windows. He was surprised to see the two out and about.

“Got another supply of candy canes?” a voice asked.

Prince turned around to see Akira was right behind him. He was surprised considering he thought she was going to be in her dorm.

“Akira, I thought you were packing?”

“I did pack. It didn’t take me too long. And I was kinda bored, so I thought I’d fly around for a bit and stop by the city one last time before we leave tomorrow.”

“Oh, I see.”

“You see them, right? Who would’ve guessed Zayn would go out for a night downtown?”

“So, you guys never hang out?”

“I’ve been friends with Zayn for some time. Hanging out to him means just talking if we’re not including missions and training. He doesn’t really get out much.”

“Any reason for that?”

“I know exactly why. Though knowing Zayn, it’s better he tells his story when he’s ready to. I must say though, that could happen sooner than you’d think.”

“Why?”

“Because Krystal already took on the big task of getting him off his usual track.”

Prince looked back at Krystal and Zayn, seeing them chat and eat. As over-the-top as Krystal was, even he had to admit that she had a knack for making an impact on people.

“You want to go in and say hi?” Akira asked.

“Nah, I think we should let them be. You heading back to campus?”

“Yep. I can walk with you.”

“Sure.”

And with that, Prince and Akira made their way back to Ringmasters Training Academy.

***

Back at St. Tulip’s School, Sana, Rey, Neil, and Heer were being escorted by Ms. Higurashi to the playground. Once they were there, Rey looked around, reminiscing again. Seeing the kids playing with their toys and running around took him back to the good old days. As he looked around, he stopped the moment he saw Runa. She was sitting alone on the swings, distanced from the other kids. She was looking down at the ground as she sat somberly.

“She’s been like this every day after school,” Ms. Higurashi said.

“Do the kids talk to her?” Sana asked.

“One of them tried to talk to her, but she was silent. Like I said, this seems to be a hard adjustment for her.”

“We should go talk to her,” Neil said.

“I’ll talk to her,” Rey said.

“Oh, you want to, Rey?” Heer asked. She was surprised to see this interest coming from him.

“I think I can handle it. If that’s okay with you, Heer,” Rey said.

“Of course. Go for it,” Heer said.

As Ms. Higurashi introduced Sana, Rey, and Neil to the other kids, Rey walked towards Runa. Runa looked up, surprised to see Rey come towards her. Once Rey was near Runa, he said, “Hey, Runa. Can I sit with you?”

Runa nodded. Rey sat on the swing seat beside Runa’s. He noticed her cling tightly to the chains, almost as if she was nervous. She kept looking down with strands of her dark hair almost covering her face. It was like she wanted to hide.

“You may be wondering why I came to you. At first, I wanted to visit to thank you for your help back at Madame Naga’s tower. Then I realized there’s more to it,” Rey said. “You and I are so alike.”

Runa was surprised to hear Rey say what he said. She turned to him, curious to hear what else he would say.

“Madame Naga hurt both of us. She’s changed us both in a way that we can’t reverse,” Rey said. “It’s been hard for me. Even Sana. I can’t imagine how hard it’s been for you. I know that everything you’re going through right now is a big change. But I want you to know…you’re not alone, Runa.”

Hearing Rey’s words gave Runa something she needed. She felt at ease, as if she could relax and take a breath.

“You have new parents, Heer, and Neil. And now…you have me,” Rey said.

“And me.”

Rey turned to see Sana standing before him and Runa. Before he could even say anything, Sana bent down before Runa and said, “I know just how you’re feeling. You’re overwhelmed. You feel alone even though so many people are around you. And I get it. You never thought you’d have a chance to have a family. Adoption is a lot to take in. I know because I’ve been through it.”

Rey was stunned. For once, there was something about Sana he didn’t know.

“I didn’t have a family for years. All I had were the caretakers at Aerosoul and a few orphans like me. And while I loved their company, I longed for a place I could call home. One day, someone came for me,” Sana said. “A wonderful man who is now my father brought me home. And then I met Rey and all my other friends at RTA. You deserve to be happy and to be surrounded by people who love and care for you. And if you let people in, they’ll love you. I know they will.”

Runa could feel that her eyes were getting watery. All she knew was sadness. Could happiness really be possible for her?

“Hey, do you want to do something fun?” Rey asked.

“Like what?” Runa asked.

Rey got off the swing seat and turned his back to Runa, bending down. “Hop on my back,” he said.

Runa was surprised, but she went ahead and got on Rey’s back, putting her hands on his shoulders while Rey got hold of her legs. “Have you ever been on a piggyback ride?” Rey asked Runa.

“No.”

“Well, you’re in luck. My sister says I give the best piggyback rides. Hold on tight, okay!”

Runa nodded. Rey took off like a plane, dashing off in joy as Runa held on. “Just imagine that you’re flying, Runa! You’re free! You can feel free!” Rey exclaimed as he kept going.

The more Rey kept carrying her, the more Runa felt at ease. There was a sense of airiness that came over. It wasn’t something she had felt before. She could feel the warmth of her cheeks. She began to giggle. Just hearing its sound felt beautiful to her.

“All right! Rey Airlines is about to land!” Rey exclaimed as he finished going around the playground in one lap.

“Keep going! Keep going!” Runa exclaimed.

“Oh, you want to go again? All right then!” Rey exclaimed as he got ready for another lap. Rey went off again, mimicking the sounds of an airplane as he carried Runa off. As he kept going, he could hear her laughter. It was infectious and overwhelming.

Sana watched Rey and Runa, and she could see Heer, Neil, Ms. Higurashi, and the other kids were looking at them as well. Seeing Runa look so happy with Rey made her smile. Rey had that effect on people. He could make them feel exactly how he was feeling. And that meant that feelings of happiness would be the strongest of them all.

Once Rey finished another lap, he allowed her to get off his back. Seeing her smile meant so much to her. He looked at the others, seeing he caught the attention of the other kids.

“How about I get you to play with the other kids?” Rey asked Runa.

“I don’t know. What if they don’t like me?”

“Not like you?! Of course, they will! Come on!”

Rey extended his hand to Runa, to which Runa grabbed it. He took her to the playground where Heer, Neil, Ms. Higurashi, and the other kids were.

“Hey, everyone! Is it okay if Runa plays with you guys?” Rey asked the kids.

“Yeah, let’s play!” one of the kids said.

“All right, Runa. Go ahead,” Rey said.

Runa stepped forward, feeling shy, but two of the kids grabbed hold of her hands and took her along with them. And suddenly, she felt okay. In fact, she was more than okay. She was happy.

“Wow, Rey. You still haven’t lost that wonderful energy of yours,” Ms. Higurashi said.

“I almost did. Thankfully I have a great partner and friend in Sana,” Rey said.

“You certainly do,” Sana said as she walked over to Rey, Heer, Neil, and Ms. Higurashi.

“You’re amazing, Rey. Thank you for making her smile,” Heer said.

“Come on. You’re the one who’s amazing, Heer. You reached out to her before any of us could,” Rey said.

“Oh, please. You’re both amazing,” Neil said.

They all laughed as Runa joyously played with the other children. While Heer and Neil walked over with Ms. Higurashi to look out for Runa and the kids, Rey stayed with Sana. He looked at her and said, “Sana, how come you’ve never told anyone about your adoption?”

Sana sighed. She realized she shouldn’t be surprised that Rey would be curious.

“Honestly, I never really thought to. There are certain things from back then that I just didn’t feel like remembering.”

“I see. Do you know anything about your biological parents?”

“Not much. Papa told me that all the caretakers knew was that they were from India, and that my mother had passed away.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’m okay now. As much as I wonder what brought me to Aerosoul in the first place, I choose to focus on what’s in front of me. I have a father now, and I have great friends. That’s more than enough.”

Rey smiled. He could tell Sana meant everything she said. As he looked back at Runa playing with the kids and Heer, Neil, and Ms. Higurashi watching her, he hoped that the same happiness would be possible for Runa.

***

Downtown, Krystal was leading Zayn to their next stop for the evening after they finished dinner at Devil’s Diner. Zayn wanted to know where they were going, but Krystal wanted to surprise him. He tried to think of what she had in mind, but he didn’t think she was that predictable. As they kept going, Krystal finally stopped and said, “We’re here.”

Zayn looked ahead to see Krystal had brought them to a public playground. There weren’t any kids around. He didn’t even remember the last time he played at one. But he was more puzzled as to why Krystal had brought him here.

“What are we doing here?” Zayn asked.

“Since you don’t get out much, I figured you’ve probably never really gotten the chance to go to a playground .”

“We’re not little kids.”

“Who says teenagers can’t enjoy some good old monkey bars and swings? When was the last time you came to a playground?”

“I don’t know actually.”

Wow. It’s like this guy had no childhood, Krystal thought.

“Come on. Let’s go on the slide.”

“What is the point of this?”

“The point is that you’re getting a chance to feel like a kid. Now come on.”

Zayn sighed as he reluctantly followed Krystal up the ladder, heading towards the slide. She stepped aside to allow Zayn to go first. “All right. You go ahead,” Krystal said.

Zayn got himself ready. He still couldn’t believe he was doing this. He almost wanted to just back out and head home. But before he could even think of that, Krystal pushed him from behind and he went down the slide at an accelerated speed. He surprised himself as he let out a scream. Once he got to the end of the slide, he stalled, unable to process what had happened. And before he could give a good hollering to Krystal, she slid down as well, laughing as she ran into him, bumping him off the edge. She had a good laugh, seeing him flat on the ground. He got up, paying attention to Krystal’s laugh. He wanted to be mad at her for bumping into him like that. But he wasn’t. The sound of her laugh was delightful.

“I’m sorry! I had to!” Krystal exclaimed, unable to contain her laughter.

“You think you’re very funny, don’t you?”

“I am. Now, come on. We still have the rest of the playground to ourselves.”

Zayn hardly planned on sticking around, but he couldn’t help but stay. They went on the monkey bars, the seesaw, and finally the swings. Zayn didn’t realize how much time had passed nor how much he was actually enjoying himself. He was doing something he hadn’t done in a while: living freely.

Krystal and Zayn watched the sunset as they remained still on the swings. Krystal wondered if Zayn was having fun. He didn’t show any intense reactions, yet he did take part in everything the playground had to offer.

“The sunset is beautiful,” Zayn said. “It reminds me of the times Mom would come home and she’d make her special tea. It was the perfect blend of earthy spices. After she’d make it, we’d drink it while watching the sunset.”

“That’s so sweet. You’re pretty close to your mom, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. I didn’t really have any friends, so she was always there for me.”

“Someone like you didn’t have friends?”

“What does that mean?”

“Come on! You’re a smart and talented ringmaster. Your dad always went on about how good you were at school. You were at the top of your class and all. ”

“Well, that doesn’t translate to being the most popular person all the time.”

“Really? You and Akira merged within our gang pretty nicely if I’m being honest.”

“That may be so. But Akira is the social one. Most people who know me wouldn’t want to be my friend.”

“How come?”

God. If she knew why, I wonder if she’d look at me differently, Zayn thought. Before he could say anything, Krystal’s cellphone rang, disrupting his train of thought. Krystal answered the call, and he looked over to the side, pondering. Could he tell her about his past? He always found that he could only confide in his mother and Akira. Krystal was so nice to him. He wondered if he could possibly trust her.

“Sorry about that. Prince wanted to talk about plans for tomorrow.”

“It’s fine. We should probably head back.”

“You didn’t answer my question from earlier though.”

“I will…someday.”

Zayn got up from the swings, heading off to leave while Krystal watched him. She still didn’t get him, but she thought she was getting closer to knowing Zayn better. She went ahead and followed him out of the playground.

***

Back at St. Tulip’s School, the remaining kids that were with Ms. Higurashi were getting picked up by their parents. Sana, Rey, Neil, and Heer stayed with Runa as they waited for Shuto to come by. And after waiting for some time, he had finally arrived. Shuto was surprised to see Runa run up to him, lovingly throwing her arms around him for a hug. She was so distant not too long ago. He hugged her back, picked her up and said, “Look at you. I think this is the first time I’ve seen you smile.”

“You can thank Rey for that,” Sana said as she, Rey, Neil, and Heer walked over to Shuto and Runa.

“Thank you all for spending time with her till I got here,” Shuto said.

“Of course. It was our pleasure to see her,” Heer said.

“Old man, I gotta talk to you about something,” Neil said.

“All right then,” Shuto said.

Sana and Rey stayed back while Neil and Heer walked over to the side to talk to Shuto, who was still carrying Runa.

“So, what’s up?” Shuto asked.

“All right, I know I haven’t been the nicest to you lately, but I really need your help. Finals are going to be coming up after spring break. Heer and I need to use the time off to get some top-notch training. So, I was wondering if you’d be willing to train us,” Neil said.

“I can’t. Sorry,” Shuto said.

“What?! Why?!” Neil exclaimed.

“Neil, calm down. I’m sure he has an explanation,” Heer said.

“It’s nothing personal. I just don’t have the time. I’m leading an important mission at the Ringmasters Society now. And in case you haven’t noticed, Yashi and I becoming parents has us occupied,” Shuto said.

“Then maybe you know someone who can train us instead?!” Neil exclaimed. “Come on, geezer, I need someone to train with badly!”

Neil noticed Shuto turn away from him. He looked in Shuto’s direction, seeing an older man walking towards them. The man looked to be around Shuto’s age. He had dark wavy hair that reached below his chin. He had Shuto’s tall, muscular build, but was on the leaner side. His eyes were dark brown, and he was dressed in a simple V-neck button-down shirt in a pale-yellow shade, brown pants tucked in with a brown belt, and matching brown loafers.

“Ah, Dhanush, you’re here,” Shuto said.

Dhanush? Neil thought as he looked at the man.

“Well, of course I’m here. You’re the one who made me come in the first place,” Dhanush said.

“Oh, don’t be such a grump. How else was I supposed to get you to meet my daughter?” Shuto said. “Kids, this is Yashi’s cousin, Dhanush Pillai.”

“Oh, nice to meet you,” Heer said.

“Dhanush has been living at Mt. Archer. He’s planning on trying to settle here in the city,” Shuto said.

“You lived on a mountain?” Rey asked Dhanush.

“Yeah. The house there still belongs to me. If this normal life I envisioned doesn’t work out here, I’ll just move back there,” Dhanush said.

“Normal life?” Sana asked.

“He’s trying to retire from the whole ringmaster job. I find it hilarious considering his skillset outside of that isn’t going to get him anywhere,” Shuto said.

“Shut up, Shuto,” Dhanush said.

“Wait…how powerful are you?” Rey asked Dhanush. “I mean if Yashi is your cousin, you must have a decent amount of power yourself.”

“He was invited to join the Ringmasters Society along with Haruka and me. But he turned it down,” Shuto said.

This guy was considered for the Ringmasters Society?! Neil thought.

“Whoah! If you were strong enough to be considered for the Ringmasters Society, you gotta train me and Heer!” Neil exclaimed. “I swear we’ll be good students. We can even start tomorrow since you’re staying here.”

Neil waited for Dhanush to say something. He couldn’t tell what was on his mind since he maintained the same unbothered expression that he had been wearing since he showed up.

“Kid, I don’t like babysitting. Sorry,” Dhanush said.

Neil deflated upon another rejection. It was like he had been crushed by multiple boulders. This was even more noticeable to Heer.

“All right, Shuto. Can we go now?” Dhanush asked.

“Yes. Come on, Runa,” Shuto said. “Thanks again for looking after her.”

“No problem,” Sana said as Runa went off with Shuto and Dhanush.

“Dude, are you alright?” Rey asked Neil as he and Heer looked at a defeated Neil.

“It’s okay, Neil. We’ll find someone to train with us,” Heer said.

Sana watched Rey and Heer look over Neil. She too had to figure out a way for her and Rey to train. And a lot of that was falling upon meeting with Cyrus.

Volume 1

25. Darkness Rages

February 25, 2025 imeryli

“We’re here,” Fida told Sana, Heer, Aiden, and Runa. Sana was now in front of Madame Naga’s tower along with the others. As Sana looked up at the tower, she noticed a strange glow coming from the window at the very top.

“Does that glow have anything to do with Rey?” Sana asked.

“Most likely,” Fida replied. “Ready?”

Sana drew out her wand, transforming it into her trishula. She plunged her trishula into the wooden door of the tower, knocking it down. The group jolted inside, unable to see much of anything due to the dark lighting.

“Follow me,” Fida ordered the others.

Fida led everyone up the staircase. They ran as quickly as they could until they reached further up where the purple glow became more prominent, leading the group towards a chamber room. Inside, Madame Naga stood beside Rey, who was restrained by shackles made of dark energy against a wall. He was still in his dark beast form and Madame Naga was holding the Shakti Orb before him while Neil stood by her side.

“Rey!” Sana shouted.

“So glad you all could join us,” Madame Naga smirked. “Even you, Fida. Looks like even cellars can’t hold all maniacs.”

“Watch it. I’m not in a good mood,” Fida replied.

“Doesn’t matter,” Madame Naga said. “I’m about to get everything I wanted.”

“Do you really believe we’ll let you go through with this?” Sana questioned.

“Of course. And believe it or not, I nor Rey will be the one to destroy you all,” Madame Naga said. “Neil, here’s your chance to finish them off.”

Heer, Runa, and Aiden transformed back into their human forms. Heer looked at Neil, still unable to believe he was capable of betrayal. Neil transformed his wand into his bow and arrow. And Heer paid attention to the arrow that he placed on his bow, which had a purple glow that she had never seen before.

“Neil, your arrow,” Heer said.

“It’s quite the upgrade, isn’t it?” Madame Naga said.

“Neil, please, you wouldn’t do this to us,” Heer pleaded.

“If you dare to turn against us now, you’ll be sorry,” Sana said.

“Your silly pleas are useless. I tapped into the darkness that lies within his heart,” Madame Naga said. “He’s no different from me. All he seeks is power. And now that I’ve given it to him, there’s no turning back.”

“Neil! Would you really turn your back on us?! On Heer, your partner?! Or even Rey?!” Aiden yelled.

“You all are starting to bug me. Finish them, Neil!” Madame Naga ordered.

Neil strung his arrow onto the bow, placing his target on Sana, Aiden, Heer, and Runa. Heer looked at him right in the eyes, still unable to believe that anything that was happening in the moment was real. As he pulled on the arrow, he swiftly turned around and fired it at Madame Naga, shooting her directly in her chest. He could see her eyes freeze as her body became trapped within a dark ice coffin. Neil turned to the others, who all seemed to share the same dumfounded look on their faces.

“You didn’t think I’d actually turned to the dark side, did you?” Neil smirked.

Instead of sighs of relief, Neil was welcomed with a smack from Sana, that made him land on the floor with a thud. He immediately got up and said, “What the hell was that for?!”

“You idiot!” Sana exclaimed. “What made you think it was a good idea to pretend to be on the enemy’s side?!”

“Not very smart of you,” Aiden said.

“Hey! I did it for you guys! Snake lady was the one who kidnapped me and tried to get me on her side,” Neil explained. “I knew you guys would show up anyway. So, I thought I’d play along till you all got here.”

“Playing along meant knocking out the guardsmen and stealing the Shakti Orb?” Aiden asked.

“Did you not hear me?! I said I had to play along! Getting the orb was the only way of ensuring that she’d trust me,” Neil said.

“Okay. So, what would you have done then if we hadn’t shown up in time?” Sana asked.

Neil pondered for a bit. And he said, “You know, I didn’t think about that.”

While Sana and Aiden were shaking their heads, Heer was feeling relieved. She knew her instincts about Neil were right.

“While all of this is amusing, you better focus on the boy now,” Fida said.

But before anything could be done, Sana noticed the ice coffin that contained Madame Naga was starting to glow purple. She noticed cracks beginning to form on the ice. Within seconds, the ice shattered with Madame Naga breaking free. From the look on Madame Naga’s face, she looked even more viscious than before.

“You’re going to wish you hadn’t done that,” Madame Naga said.

Before Madame Naga could attack, Fida struck her with a dark energy blast from the palm of her hand. The blast was so strong that it made her fall out the window of the tower. Unable to process what had just happened, Sana said, “What was that?!”

“That was me buying you time,” Fida said. “She won’t go down that easily.”

“We have to move quickly then!” Aiden exclaimed. “Sana, Runa, we’ll revive Rey. Heer, you and Neil go with Fida.”

“I don’t take orders from you!” Neil exclaimed.

“We’ll go!” Heer agreed.

She turned to Neil, who simply complied with her and the two jumped out of the window with Fida. The three of them landed on the ground before Madame Naga.

Heer, I know we weren’t able to train as long as you wanted. I hope you know what to do, Aiden thought. He turned around to see Sana and Runa attempting to get Rey down from the wall.

“Aiden, what do we do?” Sana asked. “Just touching these energy straps alone is dangerous.”

“Runa, the straps are made of dark energy. We’ll need you to break them,” Aiden said.

“Okay,” Runa nodded.

Runa raised her hands forward, focusing her dark energy within her palms. As her palms faced Rey’s body, the energy began to build up in them. Sana alternated between watching her and watching Rey at the same time.

Outside the tower, Fida, Neil, and Heer watched as Madame Naga got up from the ground. The three of them kept their guard up while Madame Naga looked at all three of them, annoyed by the unwanted disturbances in her plan.

“Fida, you insect. You have some nerve attacking me like that,” Madame Naga said.

“It’s not like I work for you anymore,” Fida said.

“You’re not going to live any longer when I’m through with you,” Madame Naga said, snapping her fingers.

“You two, jump!” Fida told Neil and Heer. The three jumped off the ground as a bunch of snakes popped out from underground, right at the spot where they first were. They landed just a few steps back to where they were safe.

“She has underground snakes?!” Neil exclaimed.

“There are hundreds of them surrounding the tower. They only come out by her command,” Fida said.

“You can’t run forever,” Madame Naga said, snapping her fingers again.

Fida, Neil, and Heer jumped again as more snakes popped out from underground. The three made their way at the top of a tree close by. They hid among the leaves to retreat safely.

“You can hide for as long as you want,” Madame Naga said. “My snakes will be waiting down here.”

“I should’ve predicted something like this would happen,” Fida said.

“The only way one of us can go down there is if we could create some kind of diversion,” Heer said.

“If only I could shoot all her snakes with one shot. I’d tire myself out if I had to keep up with all of them,” Neil said.

What Neil said struck a chord with Fida. She looked over at Neil, noticing he was still holding onto his bow. There were no arrows in sight, which led her to believe that his arrows were formed by his magical energy.

“Hey, do you use your energy to create your arrows?” Fida asked Neil.

“Well, yeah. My wand wouldn’t be able to turn into a bow and multiple arrows.” Neil replied.

“How much magical energy do you put into one arrow?” Fida asked.

“Why does that matter?” Neil asked.

“Just answer the question, fool,” Fida said.

“Neil, you must have some idea. Like a percentage at least,” Heer said.

Neil had to think about it for a moment. He never exactly considered how much energy he put into an arrow. Especially because in most battles, he would use no more than the one arrow he’d create when transforming his wand.

“I don’t know. Maybe like five percent?” Neil said.

“Wow, that’s even lower than I thought,” Fida said.

“Look, what’s the point of asking me this?! Have you forgotten were trying to figure out a strategy here?!” Neil exclaimed.

“I think that’s why she’s asking, Neil,” Heer said.

“If you were to increase the amount of magical energy you put into an arrow, you should be able to take out every one of those snakes with one shot,” Fida said.

“But I’ve never even tried that before. What if it doesn’t work?” Neil asked.

“Neil, you have to at least try. We don’t have a lot of time. This is the best option we have,” Heer said.

“Your partner is right,” Fida told Neil. “I can at least keep her busy for a bit while you build up power. It’s your best chance at this point. If those snakes get you, they’ll drag you underground and you’ll stay there for as long as Madame Naga wants you to. Do you get it? You have to try.”

Neil could feel the immense pressure he was under. All hopes of survival were on him. He wasn’t sure if he could handle it. But he looked at Heer, who seemed to be more determined than ever. The look on her face was enough for him to know that she believed he could do it. With that reassurance, Neil gave a nod to Fida.

Fida jumped out of the tree. She formed a dark energy beam from her palm and threw it towards Madame Naga. Madame Naga countered with a dark energy beam of her own. The two continued to fight while Madame Naga’s snakes remained put.

Neil began building up his energy, trying to focus as he held his bow. Heer watched him, noticing he was struggling to focus. As a result, the arrow that was forming seemed to have the regular amount of power that he would normally use.

“Neil, you need to try and focus.”

“I’m trying. I really am. I don’t know what’s holding me back.”

“You’re doubting your own strength. If you want, I can help you.”

“How?”

Heer placed her left palm right before the arrow that was forming against Neil’s bow. As she held up her palm, her own ice energy began to form, combining with the energy of Neil’s arrow. Neil watched her, amazed to see how easily Heer was able to control her energy.

“Is this what you’ve been learning from my brother?”

“Yeah. He’s been teaching me and Runa to control our energy. That way we can manifest it for attacks like what Fida and others can do.”

“So, how do I do that?”

“The key is focus. You’re doubting yourself and that’s preventing you from obtaining true focus.”

Me? Doubting myself? I really have fallen off the rails, Neil thought. All right. If its focus I need, I’ll focus.

As Heer continued to assist Neil with building up the energy in his arrow, he concentrated on his own energy. He looked at the arrow, using it as a target for him to focus on. The more he looked on the arrow, the greater his focus was. As he continued to concentrate on the arrow, he could feel the arrow’s power grow stronger. He continued to push himself further while Heer watched him. Seeing he was getting control of his energy, Heer backed her hand away, allowing for Neil to complete the transformation of the arrow. To her, it was bolder than ever. The arrow didn’t look like Neil’s usual arrows. This one was much brighter and far more powerful.

“You did it.”

“Well, you did help me.”

“You ready to fire it?”

Neil looked down, trying to lower his head enough for Fida to see him. In the middle of fighting Madame Naga, Fida caught a glimpse of Neil’s face, seeing he was ready. She stood by, seeing Madame Naga throw another dark energy beam attack towards her. As Fida tried to defend herself against it, Neil pulled back the arrow on his bow, aiming it near Madame Naga. He knew the best way to make sure Madame Naga couldn’t summon her underground snakes was to target all the ground surrounding her. Neil could feel the arrow’s power. The intensity of the arrow’s energy was so cold, but he could bear it. With his target locked, he fired the arrow. And Fida jumped back at the top of the tree in time. The arrow swiftly struck the ground, right before Madame Naga’s feet. Madame Naga stopped her attack and said, “For an archer, your aim is quite horrendous.”

But Madame Naga didn’t expect what she saw next. The ground surrounding her started to get covered in a sheet of ice, extending its way further down to the point that the entire area surrounding her was a land of ice. Neil and Heer jumped out from the tree onto the icy ground.

“Good luck getting rid of all of this ice,” Fida said.

“You may have been able to break the ice coffin from earlier, but it’s gonna take you much longer to break all of this to get your pet snakes,” Neil said.

These fools are wasting my time. The others might’ve gotten Rey down by now. I need to get back there, Madame Naga thought.

Madame Naga bent down, punching her arm through the ice into the ground itself. To Neil’s surprise, it looked like she wasn’t trying to break all of the ice itself. He was even more surprised to see what looked like blood on her arm. It took all her strength, but Madame Naga managed to pull Droh’s body out from the ground, breaking some more of the ice along with it. She was delighted to see how shocked Fida, Neil, and Heer were at this sight. She looked at Droh’s body, which was very much alive, but strained from the pressures of being dragged underground with her snakes.

“Wake up, Droh,” Madame Naga said as she lightly tapped Droh’s chest with a bit of dark energy from her finger as she held him by the collar of his shirt. Droh slowly woke up, exhausted but unhinged at the sight of Madame Naga.

“What do you want? Was the torture from your snakes not enough to please you?”

“Aww, Droh. I’m not that sadistic. All I wanted was to teach you a lesson.”

“You might as well put me back down under because I want nothing more to do with you.”

“Now, now. Don’t say that. We’re very close to fulfilling our goal. I just need you to take care of Fida and these annoying kids.”

“Why the hell would I do that after what you’ve done to me?!”

“Because I plan to reward you for your loyalty. I’ll make certain of it.”

Madame Naga released Droh from her grip and stood up. She looked at Droh and said, “I’m counting on you, Droh. Don’t disappoint me.”

As Madame Naga took off back to the tower, Fida shouted, “You’re not getting away!” as she threw a dark energy beam attack at her.

“Foolish wretch,” Madame Naga said as she struck back with an even stronger energy beam that hit Fida, Neil, and Heer at the same time. By the time they had been hit, Madame Naga was already making her way back inside, vanishing into gray smoke.

Fida, Neil, and Heer got up from the icy ground, looking at Droh. Droh slowly rose from the ground, ready to fight them. Neil stepped forward, but he was pushed aside by Fida, who stepped forward to take on Droh, transforming into her dark beast form. Droh transformed as well and the two began their fight.

Sana, I hope we gave you enough time, Neil thought.

Back inside the tower, Runa was getting close to breaking the energy chains on Rey. After she pushed herself a little bit more, the chains finally broke, releasing Rey from the wall as he changed into his human form. As Rey fell, Sana caught hold of him, seeing he was unconscious and seemingly unstable.

“Rey, can you hear me?! Rey!” Sana called out.

“Sana, look at the marks on his body,” Aiden said.

Sana was shocked to see the marks on Rey’s body were still glowing. She could see that he was sweating as well. It was as if his body was becoming erratic.

“What’s happening to him?!” Sana asked.

“From what I can tell, the dark energy that’s taking over is in combat with his fire energy. The R-gene is causing an imbalance of some sort in his body. If he’s not stabilized, we’ll lose him,” Aiden said.

“What do we have to do to save him?” Sana asked.

“I think I know. Runa, do you think you have any strength left?” Aiden asked.

“I think so,” Runa said.

“Then here’s what we’ll do. Runa, focus your magic on Rey’s body and try to control the dark energy inside him. Sana, you’ll have to control his fire energy. If both energies inside him are under control, he should be safe,” Aiden said.

“You won’t be saving him,” a voice from behind said.

Aiden swiftly turned to see Madame Naga was making her way towards them. He quickly launched a wind energy beam attack from his hands at Madame Naga, hitting her against the wall. Aiden waved his hand before Sana and Runa, creating a shield made of wind energy that surrounded the two. The wind within this shield was flowing consistently, acting as a barrier.

“What is this, Aiden?!” Sana asked.

“It’s a wind barrier. It should keep you safe for a bit. I’ll handle Madame Naga while you both stabilize Rey,” Aiden said.

Madame Naga got up and smirked at the sight of the wind barrier that was protecting Sana, Runa, and Rey. “You really think your wind barrier will give them time? I’ll be done with you soon enough,” Madame Naga said.

“Don’t be so sure,” Aiden said.

As Aiden commenced in his fight against Madame Naga, Sana focused all her energy on Rey. She tried to do exactly what Runa was doing. The energy in her palms began to build up. As it built up, Sana leaned closer to Rey, placing her hands on his chest, so that her fire energy would be transmitted to him. Once she did that, she felt like she was syncing with him.

Runa took note of what Sana was doing. To her, it looked like Sana was trying to communicate with Rey. She realized that she would have to try and hold back the dark energy inside him while Sana would hopefully wake Rey up. She focused harder on her dark energy, making sure it was stable, so that it could keep Rey’s dark energy under control.

Sana could feel her body go into a still state. Her mind became a separate entity as she found herself wandering in what looked like a void. There was absolutely nothing around her. It was simply dark and almost cold. As she kept wandering in the void, she could see something further away. That something looked like a boy. It looked like Rey. She could see he was floating, seemingly unaware of his surroundings.

“Rey!” Sana called out for him.

The sound of his name immediately woke Rey up. It wasn’t just the name, but the voice as well. He saw himself in the void and he saw the glowing marks were still on his body. As scared as he was, he was relieved to see Sana in the distance. He could see she was trying to get closer to him.

“Sana, where are we?!”

“I don’t know. I think…we’re in your mind.”

“How’s that possible?”

“I touched you with my fire energy. It must’ve connected us mentally or something like that.”

“Sana, I didn’t want you to see what I’ve turned into. I didn’t want you to worry about me.”

“I don’t care. As your partner…as your friend…I have every right to worry about you. And I’m sorry I didn’t act on my worries sooner. I was so caught up with trying to get stronger so you wouldn’t get hurt again that I lost sight of what was going on right in front of me.”

“Hey, we both are scared, all right. I may not admit it, but I am. I don’t know what this dark magic or these markings are going to do to me.”

“And that’s okay. You’re not a monster. I know you. And whatever this dark magic is, we’ll figure it out together. But right now, I need you back. I need Rey back.”

By the time Sana finished speaking, she was face-to-face with Rey. She could see that Rey was still scared. To calm him down, she extended his hand to him.

“Will you come back with me?” Sana asked.

Rey looked at Sana’s hand. He could see her fire energy was burning through her palm, just waiting to reach him. Even though he wasn’t certain of what would happen to him or come next, he knew that he could trust Sana to be there with him. And so, he gave her his hand. As he did, her fire energy transmitted to him, taking away his markings.

“Thank you, Sana,” Rey said, smiling.

Sana came back to reality, still holding onto Rey’s body. As she moved her hands from his chest, she could see the markings on his body were starting to fade away. As the markings faded, Rey opened his eyes, looking directly at Sana. Runa put down her hands, relieved to see Rey was okay. At this point, the wind barrier had been lifted. Aiden and Madame Naga paused their fighting to see Rey was conscious again.

“Rey, how are you feeling?” Sana asked.

“I feel okay,” Rey said. “A little out of it, but I’m okay. Thanks for saving me.”

“Oh, it wasn’t just me. Runa helped a lot,” Sana said as Rey sat up.

“Thanks, Runa. I owe you one,” Rey said as he patted Runa on the head, making her smile.

“How sweet. You’re awake,” Madame Naga said.

“Hey! You’re the ugly snake woman that we fought last time!” Rey exclaimed.

“Wow. At least your memory is sharp,” Sana said.

“You may have altered my plans, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still take your power for myself. I put my venom inside your body, which means every bit of your power is as good as mine,” Madame Naga said.

“Not without a fight,” Rey smirked.

“He’s right. The only way you can get to Rey is by defeating us,” Sana said.

Madame Naga cackled. “That’s all? Please. I’ve done it once. I’ll do it again,” she said.

“Are you both sure about this? It wasn’t easy for you the first time around. This time will be even harder,” Aiden said.

Before Sana could say anything, she noticed some commotion going on outside the tower through the window. She ran up to the window, seeing Fida fighting Droh. Fida looked like she was getting beaten very badly.

“Aiden, you need to go help Fida, Neil, and Heer. They need you,” Sana said.

“Even with his help, it won’t save them or anything,” Madame Naga said.

“Oh, shut up!” Rey exclaimed. “Sana’s right, Aiden! Take Runa with you, too!”

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Aiden asked.

“Hell, yeah! We got a score to settle here!” Rey exclaimed as he stood up, smacking his fists together.

“Rey’s right. This is our fight now. You just help out your brother,” Sana told Aiden.

Aiden could see the determination in both Sana and Rey’s eyes. And with Neil, Heer, and Fida in trouble with Droh, he knew he had no time to waste. He looked at Runa and said, “Come on, Runa. We have to go.”

Runa nodded and followed Aiden, holding onto him as he jumped out from the window, landing on the ground outside the tower. Good luck, you two. Everything is on you guys now, Aiden thought.

Aiden and Runa turned towards Droh, who transformed back into his human form. Fida was on her knees, bruised and beaten. Aiden looked at Neil and Heer and said, “You two aren’t going to just stand here forever, are you?”

“What’d you say?!” Neil exclaimed.

“Stay back. I can finish him,” Fida said.

“You’re in no condition to fight any further. We’ll take it from here,” Aiden said.

“Runa, are you okay with fighting?” Heer asked.

“Ha! You’re telling me that useless brat is going to take me on? Don’t make me laugh,” Droh said.

“Don’t listen to him, Runa,” Aiden told Runa, patting her on her head. “You’ve been working hard to control your powers. Now’s your chance to show Droh what you’re made of.”

From the look of determination on her face, Aiden could tell Runa was ready. He turned over to Neil and said, “I know you don’t want to. But we’re going to need to work together if we want to defeat him.”

“Oh, please,” Neil scoffed.

“Come on, Neil. You have to put your rivalry aside this time,” Heer said.

“I’m getting sick of your talk!” Droh shouted, throwing a massive dark energy beam at the group.

Runa transformed and jumped in front of the others, countering with a dark energy beam of her own. She could feel the pressure of Droh’s energy beam pushing against her. But nevertheless, she continued to hold it off.

“Runa can’t hold Droh off on her own! We have to work together!” Aiden told Neil. “Droh’s strength is already a bit down from fighting Fida. But to finish him off, we have to work quickly. Do you understand?”

“Oh, fine! Just this once!” Neil exclaimed. “Heer, you ready?”

“On it!” Heer replied as she transformed into her beast form.

The dark energy beams exploded, leaving nothing but smoke that covered up the area, making it hard for anyone to see anything. Droh transformed into his beast form, taking advantage of the situation to launch an even more powerful attack. He opened his mouth, launching a dark energy beam attack towards the others’ way. But to his surprise, a gust of wind blew the energy beam back. As the smoke faded, Droh saw that the attack came from Aiden, who had transformed into his beast form.

“I say we wrap this up quick!” Neil exclaimed. “Runa, can you help distract him for a bit?”

Runa nodded. She and Aiden both charged at Droh, launching their own energy beam attacks towards him. As they kept him busy, Neil and Heer stood by, waiting to make their move.

“Okay, Heer. We did this before with Madame Naga and didn’t even get her. Let’s give it all we got this time,” Neil said.

Heer nodded. Neil and Heer ran towards Droh’s direction. They jumped up and Neil prepared the arrow for his bow while Heer formed an ice energy beam from her mouth. Blue auras surrounded the two as their energies began to sync with one another. I gotta give it all I got. This one shot must count, Neil thought as he continued to power up his arrow.

Seeing Neil and Heer were ready to do their equilibrium attack, Aiden moved out of the way and Runa followed him.

“This is it!” Neil shouted. “Ice Blast!”

Neil fired his arrow while Heer launched her ice energy beam. The arrow collided with the energy beam, creating what looked like an icy comet. And from the looks of it, Neil could tell the power from it was far different from last time. Droh tried to defend himself with another dark energy beam attack, but the power of the Ice Blast attack was too strong as it pushed through the dark energy beam, striking Droh like a bomb as it exploded into an icy-looking ash. Once the ash cleared, Droh was frozen solid in ice.

Neil and Heer landed on the icy ground. Heer, Runa, and Aiden transformed back into their human forms. Runa felt a sense of relief, seeing Droh was frozen and could no longer harm her. She looked at Heer, holding onto her by the skirt of her dress, getting Heer’s attention. Heer kneeled and said, “Are you okay, Runa?”

“I think so,” Runa said.

Runa looked at Fida, who was lying on the ground, still hurt. Seeing Runa look at Fida, Heer went over to Fida, bent down, and asked, “Are you okay?”

Fida slowly sat up and said, “I’m fine. No need to be so courteous.”

“Well, now that this is over, what do we do now?” Neil asked.

Aiden took out a blue pager that had a wide silver stripe on the back of it. He began to dial a code on it.

“What are you doing?” Neil asked.

“I need to get in touch with Tatia,” Aiden replied.

“Zayn’s mom?” Heer asked.

“Yes. Give me a second,” Aiden said.

Aiden looked at his pager screen, seeing Tatia’s face appear as she had finally answered his call. “Aiden, where are you right now?” Tatia asked.

“I’m with Neil, Heer, Runa, and Fida. Rey is okay now and is with Sana. They have stayed behind to take on Madame Naga.”

“You left them alone?!”

“Yes, I know it sounds reckless. But they wanted to fight her on their own.”

“That doesn’t mean you just let them do it. They could end up getting themselves killed.”

“I know it’s risky, but Sana has been training really hard since the last time she fought Madame Naga. We need to trust her. And Rey.”

“Fine. But don’t head back to the academy. I want you all to stay at least within the area of the tower. I’ll inform the council back at the society headquarters to dispatch a team to your location.”

“What for?”

“If anything goes wrong, we need to be prepared for the worst. Stay put. I’ll get Haruka to come over there.”

Once the call ended, Aiden turned to the others as they stopped in their tracks by some trees. Aiden turned back, looking directly at the tower. Heer asked Aiden, “Who’s Haruka?”

***

Right outside the barriers of Daredevil City, there was a grand building that stood so tall that it made townspeople look like ants. The building was of a beige color that had modern, yet somewhat traditional architecture that was almost castle-like. Right beside the building was a flagpole that had a bright orange-red flag with a black-colored emblem on it. This was the headquarters of the Ringmasters Society.

Inside the building, within the highest chamber room, there was a group of ten people. All of them were dressed in long, silver cloaks over their respective attire. They were members of the Ringmasters Society, but their cloaks were worn as they were part of the society’s council. Not all members of the Ringmasters Society were council members, but those who were, wore these silver cloaks in the middle of critical meetings. The council folk were in the middle of deep conversation until the ringing of a pager disrupted the room. A woman with long black hair styled in a high ponytail and violet eyes took out the pager and answered it. Tatia’s face appeared on the screen.

“It’s about time you called,” she said.

“Hi to you as well, Haruka.”

“So, what’s the situation now?”

“Rey has been stabilized. Madame Naga is still in the tower. Should anything go wrong, I need backup over there.”

“All right. We’ll be there soon.”

Once Tatia disconnected the call, Haruka looked at everyone in the room. Her eyes were particularly drawn to the man sitting all the way in the back. He had medium-length silver hair that curled slightly at the ends and hit right at his shoulders. He appeared to be completely out of it as he rested his head against the table and snored ever so quietly. He also reeked of a strong odor that hinted of booze.

“Shuto!” Haruka shouted.

The man immediately woke up while the others in the room turned towards him. “He’s out of it again? I didn’t even notice,” a lady said.

“What now?” Shuto replied.

“Why did you have to get drunk again, you moron?!” Haruka yelled.

“I can’t help the booze, you know. Can’t resist,” Shuto said, slowly sulking into his chair. “Oh, wow, the lights in here look so pretty today.”

“Your drunk of a brother does this every time,” one of the men in the room said. “It’s a surprise he’s still part of the society.”

“Just take him out from here! He reeks of such a foul odor,” another man said.

“God. I’ll drag his sorry bum out myself,” Haruka said.

Haruka got up from her seat and removed her cloak, revealing the pink kimono she had on. She walked over to where Shuto was seated and grabbed him by the hood of his cloak, pulling him away as he continued to snore. She shook her head as she harnessed the strength to take him out of the chamber. As she was about to head out of the door, a young lady entered inside, holding a tray with freshly brewed tea in several teacups.

“You’re leaving, ma’am?” the lady asked.

“Yeah, Mr. Madarame and I have business to attend to.”

“But how can he do anything in this state? Maybe some of my tea can help him sober up.”

“Oh, Lacey. I forget that you’re new around here. This here is nothing new. We’ll be on our way now.”

With that, Haruka walked out of the room, still tugging onto Shuto. One of these days, I’m going to lose all respect and dignity I have because of him, Haruka rolled her eyes.

Volume 1

24. The Great Tatia

February 25, 2025 imeryli

In the depths of Daredevil City, Sana, Aiden, Heer, Runa, and Fida were quickly making their way towards Madame Naga’s tower with Fida leading them.

“How much longer till we get there?” Sana asked Fida.

“We’ll be there shortly! Just pick up the pace!”

“How do we know you won’t just turn your back on us the moment we face Madame Naga?”

“I already told you…she visited me in the prison just to cut ties with me. Why would I subject myself to such mockery again? All I want is to see her suffer the way I did back in that cell.”

“Why are you so hell-bent on revenge? All because she cut you off?”

“It’s nothing I can explain to you. You have no idea what I’ve given up for joining her.”

Well then, Sana thought. It’s best to leave her alone then. I need to be focused on saving Rey at this point. I just hope the others will be okay back there.

***

Back at the academy, the students and staff were occupied with battling Lady Chameleon’s army of dark beasts. Despite how tough the beasts were, the students didn’t hold back in fighting. Zayn and Akira were holding off a beast just fine. Akira flapped her wings, launching gusts of sand towards the beast while Zayn amplified her sand power with his clarinet. While they were occupied with this beast, Akira looked over to the side for a moment to see another beast was going towards Zayn.

“Zayn! Look out to your right!” Akira exclaimed.

Zayn turned to the right, seeing the dark beast leap towards him. Before he could defend himself, a sound wave attack came from the beast’s left side, hitting it into the ground. Zayn looked over to see the attack had come from Krystal’s sonic bell.

“You okay?” Krystal asked Zayn.

“Yeah, thanks for that,” Zayn said.

“Wow. Never thought I’d hear you thank someone,” Akira said.

“We still have these two beasts to take down,” Prince said.

“Oh, right! Prince, use your Sonic Roar on them!” Krystal said.

Prince transformed into his beast form and let out his Sonic Roar attack at the two beasts. Akira assisted him with more sand power from her wings. Krystal further amplified Prince’s roar by plunging her sonic bell to the ground, releasing a strong sound wave that combined with Prince’s roar. Zayn helped Akira by launching a gust of sand from his clarinet and with all attacks combined, the two dark beasts were down. And soon after, Ryan and Headmaster Devil stepped in. Ryan fired away his fiery pistols at one beast and Headmaster Devil spun his staff in circular motion, generating a wind wheel that hit the other one. Both beasts disintegrated to bits.

“Good work, kids,” Headmaster Devil said as he and Ryan rushed over to take on some other beasts further across the field.

“We make quite a good team,” Krystal said to Zayn.

“I’ll admit…you’re not bad for a rookie,” Zayn said.

“Not bad! I beg to differ! That wasn’t even my full power on display!” Krystal exclaimed.

“Krystal, why aren’t you using the Chain of Leo?” Prince asked after transforming back into human form. “We didn’t scour an entire town just for you not to use it.”

“Well, I can’t just use it just like that. I need to train with it,” Krystal said.

“Krystal! Look out!” Akira shouted.

Krystal turned to see a dark beast was leaping straight at her. She was just about to counter with her sonic bell until Zayn intervened with his clarinet, launching a sound energy beam at the beast. Krystal let out a deep breath, relieved.

“You shouldn’t let your guard down,” Zayn said.

“Oh, shut up!” Krystal exclaimed.

“He’s right! These things are everywhere!” Aster said, fending off against two dark beasts along with his sabre.

“And where’s your partner, Aster?” Prince asked.

“Just wait for it,” Aster smirked. “Go for it, Tina!”

Krystal, Prince, Zayn, and Akira looked up. An eagle was soaring high, making its way down towards the dark beasts with its wings glowing brighter than ever. This was Tina in her beast form. She dove right in between the two dark beasts, her wings hitting them. The iron armor on her wings was enough to cut through both the beasts, disintegrating them.

“Show off,” Krystal said, rolling her eyes.

“With so many of these around, we’re gonna need more power to beat all of them,” Zayn said. “You thinking what I’m thinking, Akira?”

Before Akira could reply, she found herself surrounded by more dark beasts. They circled her, Zayn, Krystal, and Prince. There wasn’t enough time to count them or attack one by one.

“I’m thinking we kick things into high gear,” Akira replied to Zayn.

Zayn nodded in agreement. Akira flapped her wings, flying high up in the sky. Her wings flapped more and more, gaining more energy as she went further up. Zayn prepared his clarinet, calling out “F major!” He played away his clarinet, releasing a sound energy beam that went bursting its way towards the group of dark beasts. They all emitted dark energy beams to counterattack, but the combination of their power ended up boosting the strength of the sound energy beam as the beams collided. The dark beasts were hit by the blasts of soundwaves that rung through their ears, weakening them enough to distract them.

“Now, Akira!” Zayn ordered.

Krystal and Prince looked up at Akira. She was unable to be seen as a bright glow enveloped her body. Her siren form had now shifted into that of an animal. She transformed into a creature that had huge golden wings with armor-like edges around them. Her body itself had the resemblance of a lioness, except she had snow white fur and green leaf markings around her neck and right down her face up to her nose. And her legs had golden bands wrapped around them.

“Whoah!” one of the students outside of the academy gates exclaimed upon seeing Akira’s transformation. Several students had paused in their battles to look at Akira. But among them, it was Krystal who was in the most disbelief. While she was aware of how powerful Zayn and Akira were, she could’ve never imagined a transformation like this.

“Um, Zayn…what is she?” Krystal asked, still trying to comprehend what she was seeing.

“This is her feroness form.”

“Feroness?”

“You’re already aware that Akira is a mystical human-beast. All sirens possess an alternate beast form. This creature that she transforms into is referred to as the feroness species. They’re basically cat-like creatures with wings.”

“So, how come she waits till now to take on this form?”

“Well, she tends to use it only when most necessary. But to be frank, her beast form is so powerful that she tries to build up the energy for it in siren form prior to taking on this.”

Akira looked down at Zayn and nodded to him. This was his signal to get moving.

“You might want to stand back,” Zayn said as he stood before Krystal, pushing her back a little bit with his hand on her shoulder. Krystal nodded as she stood with Prince and the others. Zayn closed his eyes and got his clarinet ready. “A major!” Zayn called out as he then commenced into playing his clarinet. As soon as he played, Akira let out a mighty roar that combined with the power of Zayn’s A major attack to form a powerful sound wave that made its way towards the swarm of dark beasts, shattering the ground they stood upon. In the middle of the chaotic sound waves, Krystal, Prince, and the others were overwhelmed by the massive power that was being emitted from the attack, baring Headmaster Devil and Tatia.

Tatia turned towards a shocked Lady Chameleon. Zayn and Akira’s attack had disintegrated all the remaining dark beasts at once. With the dark beast army gone, Lady Chameleon was the last one standing. She could see all the academy members glaring at her. But despite the fact her army was vanquished, she remained calm.

“What’s with you?!” Krystal questioned.

“I have to hand it to you all. Your performance was a lot better than I expected,” Lady Chameleon replied. “But even then, I’m still standing here.”

“You won’t be for much longer if you don’t surrender already,” Zayn said.

“Please. Where’s the fun in that?” Lady Chameleon said. “Now that you all are worn out, I can finish you all with one blow.”

“I beg to differ. I’m far from worn out,” Tatia responded.

“Is that so? Well then, I’ll start off with you,” Lady Chameleon said.

“Very well,” Tatia said.

“Tatia, how can you battle her by yourself?” Headmaster Devil asked. “I can assist you at least.”

“Devil, you know her as well as I do. Once she’s made up her mind, that’s that,” Ryan said.

“That’s right,” Tatia said. “But just know, I will welcome backup should I need it.”

And so, Tatia and Lady Chameleon walked towards each other while everyone else stood aback to keep their distance. Zayn, Akira, Krystal, and Prince stood by Headmaster Devil and Ryan, only a few feet away from Tatia while Aster, Tina, and the other students and staff were right behind them.

“Your mother has this under control,” Headmaster Devil said to Zayn.

“I sure hope she does,” Zayn replied.

Lady Chameleon cracked her knuckles as she watched Tatia draw out her wand. All the human-beasts had transformed back into their human forms as the fight was getting underway. There was an eerie silence that hovered over the two while the students and staff of the academy looked on.

“Tell me, do you plan to transform now?” Tatia asked.

“I’ll transform when and if I feel like it,” Lady Chameleon said. “I’m more than capable of taking you out in human form.”

“Wouldn’t she have a better chance of winning if she just changed into her beast form?” Krystal asked.

“For some human-beasts fighting in human form can allow one to build up magical energy for their beast form. You’ve seen Akira do that already,” Headmaster Devil said.

“Even then, she’s able to change her form into whatever person she pleases. If that’s something she can do alone in her human form, I can’t imagine what her beast form is like,” Akira said.

“But I have to say…if anyone can handle Lady Chameleon, it has to be Zayn’s mom,” Aster said.

“And what makes you such an expert, Aster?” Krystal questioned.

“Tatia Hawkwing happens to be a member of the Ringmasters Society. She’s also one of the masters of the society’s council. Only the most powerful ringmaster could obtain such a position,” Aster explained.

“That’s right,” Akira said. “And even though I’ve never seen her battle, Zayn has always told me that her sword magic is unlike any other.”

“Well, she did pull out a diamond sword earlier,” Krystal said.

“I think she’s got more than just diamonds working in her favor for this match,” Prince said.

Lady Chameleon stood her ground, brushing her hair out of the way as she looked directly at Tatia. She began the battle by launching a dark energy beam that formed from the palm of her hand. Tatia braced herself, transforming her wand into a diamond sword and hitting the energy beam with the sword’s blade to deflect it back at Lady Chameleon. But Lady Chameleon kept on going, launching the energy beams at an even faster speed. Tatia kept deflecting them with the sword, running around the field area to keep up with the speed of Lady Chameleon’s attacks.

“She’s keeping up with her pretty well,” Krystal said.

“Yeah, but she’s gonna need to go on offense at some point, ” Prince said.

Lady Chameleon leaped from the ground, vanishing in seconds. Tatia stopped, unable to see her. She was struck from behind by another one of Lady Chameleon’s dark energy beams. Tatia fell to the ground, managing to get up. Damn it. She got fast rather quickly, Tatia thought.

“What was that? She was attacking from a distance up until now,” Krystal said.

“The energy beams from afar must’ve been a trick to get Tatia worn out. She was so busy deflecting them that it gave Lady Chameleon time to build up the energy for a speed-based move,” Headmaster Devil said.

“With such speed, Tatia has to nail a blow on her quickly or this could turn for the worst,” Ryan said.

Krystal was even more intrigued to see how things would go. She turned to Zayn, who seemed to be anxious as she noticed him clenching his fists.

Come on, Mom, Zayn thought.

Tatia slowly got up from the ground. She was panting more than ever. Lady Chameleon looked at her and said, “What’s the matter? I thought the great Tatia was more capable of putting up a fight.”

“Don’t get too cocky. I’m a lot more cautious now of your moves.”

“Really? Can you predict this?”

Lady Chameleon leaped from the ground again, swiftly vanishing like thin air. Where is she now? Tatia wondered as she frantically looked around. As she turned around to see if Lady Chameleon would attack from behind again, she was taken by surprise as she was hit by a blade-like scale that pierced right at her shoulder. Tatia saw the scale was coming from Lady Chameleon’s arm, that was now covered in a pointy, reptile-like armor. She fell back to the ground, her right shoulder now covered in blood.

“From the look on your face, it seems you didn’t see that coming,” Lady Chameleon smirked.

“Damn it,” Tatia said.

“This isn’t looking good for her,” Prince said.

“She is just too fast,” Akira said. “At this rate, I don’t even know if Tatia can get her.”

Krystal could see Zayn getting more and more anxious. Part of her wanted to comfort him, but she also knew that the situation was too drastic right now.

This is getting intense. If she doesn’t land a hit soon, it’ll be over for her, Headmaster Devil thought.

Come on, Tatia. I know you can win this one, Ryan thought.

Tatia slowly got up, using her diamond sword for assistance. With her level of speed, it’s nearly impossible to strike her. There has to be a way to predict her movements. And with her scale arm at play, I have to be twice as careful now, Tatia thought. Come on. Focus. There has to be a way I can get her.

Tatia looked down at her sword, seeing her fragmented reflection in the blade. It was that very sight that caught her attention. That’s it. She has only been able to strike me up close. The long-range attacks from earlier were merely used to build up her energy for the close-range attacks, Tatia thought. I could try to get out of her range, but with her leap movements at bay, she’ll just keep getting closer to me. That means, I have to be able to see her before she notices that I see her coming.

“I’m getting a little bored here,” Lady Chameleon said. “I’ll just finish this up quickly.”

Lady Chameleon leaped again out of Tatia’s sight. Tatia held her diamond sword up, getting in a position to attack. But mainly, she was looking carefully into the blade to see the reflection of her surroundings. After a few seconds, she saw Lady Chameleon right behind her through the blade’s reflection. Swiftly, Tatia turned her stance, piercing her diamond sword into Lady Chameleon’s arm, shattering a few of the scales on it.

Tatia could see the shocked expression on Lady Chameleon’s face. She pulled the blade out quickly, jumping back as she saw blood drip quickly from Lady Chameleon’s arm. Lady Chameleon fell, screaming in agony as she held onto her bloody arm.

“How…how could you read my movements?”

“It helps when you can see things before your enemy realizes you’ve seen them.”

“Yes! She finally got her!” Krystal exclaimed.

“That was a pretty clever move, too,” Aster said.

“I really didn’t want things to get this far, but you’re a rather interesting opponent,” Lady Chameleon said as she rose from the ground. “No matter. It can’t be helped.”

Tatia kept her guard up as she watched Lady Chameleon begin to transform. Shiny, dark-armored scales began to form all over Lady Chameleon’s body, enveloping her into a cocoon. It only took seconds for her to burst out of it in her beast form. She didn’t have the appearance of a typical wild animal. Her form was of a large, mystical reptile-like creature with dark scales and sharp claws. Her body and face were that of a serpent and she had long pointy horns on the top of her head that curved inward. But the most striking part of her appearance was the devilish look in her eyes that were of a blood red color.

“And I thought Madame Naga alone was scary,” Prince said.

“Hey, Akira, doesn’t she look like a mystical dark beast to you?” Krystal asked.

“She’s a horned serpent. They’re plenty of them in Euphoceus. Most of them tend to be dark beasts from what I’ve heard,” Akira said.

“So, she’s from the same world as you?” Prince asked.

“Looks like it,” Akira said. “Now the real fun begins. Horned serpents, dark beasts or not, tend to not hold back in battle.”

Lady Chameleon launched a dark energy beam from her mouth. As the energy beam came towards Tatia, she immediately used her diamond sword to deflect the beam back to Lady Chameleon, who simply moved her head slightly to the right, so the beam could pass by her.

Lady Chameleon whipped her tail forward with Tatia dodging each hit and instead jumped onto her tail and transformed her diamond sword into an obsidian sword, stabbing it into Lady Chameleon’s tail. Lady Chameleon roared in pain as she shook Tatia, who swiftly grabbed her sword back off her tail. Tatia landed safely on the ground before looking up to see Lady Chameleon shoot a dark laser attack directly from her eyes. Tatia was hit in the chest before she could do anything.

“Mom!” Zayn shouted.

“It’s okay, son! I’m fine!” Tatia replied as she got up.

Tatia noticed Lady Chameleon’s angry red eyes as blood was slowly dripping from her wounded tail. Tatia transformed the obsidian sword back into her wand. She raised her wand up in the air and suddenly the ground around her began to rumble, startling Lady Chameleon. Suddenly, five granite swords emerged from the ground, rushing their way towards Lady Chameleon. Confused on what to do, Lady Chameleon launched countless dark energy beams towards the swords, yet the swords dodged them as if they had minds of their own.

“Her swords are literally dancing around serpent lady’s attacks!” Krystal exclaimed.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Prince said.

“Sword magic. It’s one of a kind,” Headmaster Devil said. “Normally ringmasters transform their wands into their perspective weapons. But Tatia can do that and more. She can create swords from the wand itself and command them without even lifting a finger. Some ringmasters possess this ability to utilize their wands in wand form alone, which is known as caster magic.”

“Oh! Kinda like what Aiden did with our little detention session,” Krystal said.

“Exactly,” Headmaster Devil said.

“And as you’ve seen, her swords aren’t just your average blades. She’s able to make them from minerals, gems, rocks, you name it,” Zayn said. “This is what Earth style sword magic is like.”

As the swords came towards Lady Chameleon, they suddenly separated and surrounded her in circular motion, cementing their positions into the ground. Lady Chameleon was puzzled. She noticed that the blood dripping from her tail had started to drip around in circular motion just like the swords. Tatia held up her wand as it began to give off a bright glow. The glow became so radiant that it blinded Lady Chameleon’s eyes.

“I call upon the power of my swords!” Tatia shouted. “Dance of Swords: Shattering Earth Attack!”

The swords all glowed along with Tatia’s wand and had suddenly risen from the ground. The swords plunged themselves back into their places within the ground, releasing an intense tremor from underground that shook Lady Chameleon right from beneath her. The tremor’s intensity was increasing by the second, rattling her even more as she didn’t know what to expect next. But as the ground continued to shake under her, she could feel that something was moving beneath her. She looked down as a fist made of pure rock emerged from the ground, punching her body upward towards the sky with great force.

The students and staff looked on, with some unable to comprehend what they just saw. Lady Chameleon transformed back into her human form, coughing up blood as she crashed to the ground. Tatia walked towards her, glaring down at her. Lady Chameleon slowly turned towards Tatia, unable to even speak as she coughed up more blood.

Tatia’s swords disappeared. And the tremors had stopped. “Well, that’s that then,” she said.

Krystal couldn’t believe what she had seen. She couldn’t even imagine what everyone else around her was thinking. Amazing. That must be the power of a ringmaster from the Ringmasters Society. And I thought Zayn and Akira were powerful on their own, Krystal thought.

She turned to Zayn, who seemed relieved. She noticed his hands were much more relaxed now than before.

“You look better now,” Krystal said to Zayn.

“Huh?”

“You seemed anxious earlier. At least your mom won.”

“I never doubted her. And who said I was anxious?”

“Please! Your hands were telling a different story!”

As the two were bickering, Prince and Akira stood by, watching them.

“Amazing. She manages to pick up a fight with Zayn,” Prince said.

“I’m surprised he’s even giving any energy for that,” Akira chuckled.

With Lady Chameleon and her dark beast army defeated, students and staff were helping each other out, taking to each other’s injuries. Headmaster Devil was concerned with Tatia, seeing she was wounded pretty badly.

“Tatia, shouldn’t we get you treated for your wounds?” Headmaster Devil asked.

“Yeah, but we should first take care of Lady Chameleon. I’ll call the council to have her arrested,” Tatia said.

“There’s still the matter of Madame Naga. Shouldn’t we go to the tower to help Sana and the others?” Ryan asked Headmaster Devil.

“At this rate, I don’t even know if we can catch up to them in time,” Headmaster Devil said.

“So?! We can’t just stand here,” Ryan said. “Sana endured so much when she last went up against Madame Naga!”

“You just have to trust her this time,” Tatia said. “It’s the hardest thing for a parent to do. But you just have to do it.”

“And where’s this coming from?” Headmaster Devil asked.

Tatia turned around, seeing Zayn talking to Krystal while Prince and Akira were hanging around with them. Seeing Zayn this way warmed her heart. It even made her forget about the pain coming from her bleeding shoulder.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve worried about Zayn. He’s been through so much. But

now, I see that he’s in the right place now. The place where he should be,” Tatia said. “Sana’s not alone. She has people she can count on. As parents, we can’t always be there for every battle our kids face. All we can do is have faith they can face them.”

Ryan was surprised to see Tatia like this. But her words did resonate with him. He nodded in agreement with her, knowing that Sana was strong enough to fight on her own.

“You make a great point. But even then, shouldn’t we take some safety measures?” Headmaster Devil asked.

“I need to call the council anyway. I’ll ask them to send someone over to the tower in case they need backup,” Tatia said.

“All right. That sounds good to me,” Headmaster Devil said.

Headmaster Devil noticed Ryan looking towards the direction where Madame Naga’s tower would lie. He put his hand on Ryan’s shoulder, startling him.

“Sana can do this,” Headmaster Devil assured Ryan. Ryan was grateful to see his friend be so comforting to him. And he had Tatia’s words to go by as well.

Faith. That’s what we need, Headmaster Devil thought. We’re counting on you, Sana.

Volume 1

21. Battle for The Chain of Leo

February 22, 2025 imeryli

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

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

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

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

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

“I’m so tired,” Prince said.

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

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

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

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

***

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

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

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

“How…how can I do that?” Runa asked.

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

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

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

“I think so.”

“Good. Then go for it.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“It’s no big deal.”

“By the way, is Rey still sick?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“That’s why I’m the coach.”

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

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

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

“Perfect,” Aiden said.

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

***

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

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

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

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

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

“Nothing. I just expected this.”

“Expected what?”

“You to get distracted like you always do.”

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

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

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

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

“That’s right,” Krystal said.

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

“What?!” Krystal exclaimed.

“So much for that plan,” Prince said.

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

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

“Ghosts? Really?” Prince said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“What?”

“Let’s go. I have an idea.”

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

***

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

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

“I had some work to finish.”

“As did I.”

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

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

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

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

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

“No one has gone to see him?”

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

“Who is this nurse?”

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

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

“Sure thing. Have a good evening.”

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

***

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

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

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

“Well, this works perfectly.”

“What does?”

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

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

“Not if you can jump over the fence.”

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

“What?” Prince asked.

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

“And exactly how would we jump over?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I know. Even I’m surprised.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“You might be right on that.”

“How so?”

“Look over there.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Your idiotic talk was getting on my nerves.”

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

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

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

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

“I actually have another idea in mind.”

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

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

“How…how do you even know that?”

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

“Wow. That’s…actually a smart idea.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Go for it again!” Krystal exclaimed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Just trying to help.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Well, I’m proud of you.”

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

“That’s not my idea of celebrating.”

“Oh, don’t be such a party pooper!”

“To hell with the drama.”

“Oh! Haven’t heard that in a while!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Shut up! I am smart!”

“Your test scores last term say something else.”

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

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.”

Books, fantasy, Volume 1

1. Welcome to RTA

January 8, 2025March 4, 2025 imeryli

It was seven o’ clock sharp in the evening at Daredevil City, one of the largest cities in New Iris, America. All the guests had gathered in the arena for a big event that was being held at one of the city’s private academies. At this academy, many civilians had arrived at what appeared to be the academy’s arena. Once all the guests were settled down in their seats, the lights went out, shrouding the area in darkness. And at that moment, three spotlights flashed into the arena, focusing on three individuals.

In the center was a girl, who was dressed in a red trench coat, a white blouse with a red bowtie, a black skirt, a pair of black boots, a pair of white gloves, and a plain round top hat. The girl had wavy medium-length hair of a raven black color that was flowy like air. She opened her bright, chocolate brown eyes, looking at everyone who had gathered in the arena.

To her right was another girl, who was dressed in a red vest over a white peasant blouse, a black ruffled skirt with gold fringes, black boots with gold bands around them, a black choker necklace, and a round top hat with a gold band around it. This girl had long, straightened brunette hair with a blonde streak that framed her face, and her hazel eyes beamed in the spotlight as she stood with a bold stance.

Lastly to the left was a boy, who was dressed in a long black trench coat, a white shirt with a gold bowtie, red pants, black boots, and a top hat with a red band around it. He was quite tall, and his light brown hair stood out underneath his top hat along with his dark green eyes that opened in the spotlight.

The three individuals bowed before the audience. “Ladies and gentlemen…welcome to the RTA, also known as the Ringmasters Training Academy,” the center girl began. “I am Sana J. Malik.”

“I am Krystal D’Cruz,” the other girl introduced.

“And I am Neil Galloway,” the boy greeted.

“And we are your ringmasters for the evening,” the trio greeted in unison.

The audience clapped and cheered as all the lights came on in the arena, dazzling the place like a movie premiere. Sana, Krystal, and Neil were now surrounded by several other performers, ready to perform with them on the stage. “Enjoy the show!” Sana told the audience.

What followed was a series of circus acts by the performers in the arena. Sana, Krystal, and Neil made their way out from the arena as a group of jugglers riding unicycles came circling their way before the audience, who watched with intrigued eyes. Once the jugglers exited, Krystal went with three tightrope walkers onto the tightrope, leading them as she pranced her way forward. She waved an umbrella in her right hand as she successfully reached the end of the rope with the other walkers as well.

Up next, Neil came upon the trapeze, positioning his legs upward as he held on from the bottom, while a second performer united with him by joining his legs in the same position. There was a balance of symmetry between the two as they held onto the trapeze for the audience to watch in amazement.

Then, Sana came back into the arena, following with two performers, who brought in a large red and white striped box with wheels attached on the bottom. Once the two performers left, Sana drew out a wand from her trench coat and tapped onto the box. Once she tapped onto it, the door of the box opened, revealing a boy who was dressed in the same attire as Neil. He had wavy medium-length hair of a dark chocolate brown color and big brown eyes that popped out as he made his entry.

Sana then looked at the audience, and closed the door of the box. She waved her wand over the box door and then tapped it again. Once the door came down, in place of the boy, was a majestic tiger. The audience clapped upon seeing the magnificent act, with some standing up in admiration.

The tiger stepped out from the box and Sana led it into the center of the arena with her wand. She then directed her wand to a series of hoops. Once she pointed to them, the hoops then caught on fire to the audience’s shock. At that moment, Sana directed the tiger towards the hoops with her wand and the tiger then made its way through the hoops, jumping through them with such remarkable ease, not letting any of the burning flames catch onto its body. By the time the tiger reached the end with success, the audience clapped.

Sana then led the tiger back into the box, closing the door. The two performers came back and took the box back inside the circus tent, while Krystal and Neil jumped into the arena next to Sana, bowing before the audience as the other performers entered in. The audience stood before them and clapped, cheering for the magnificent display of artistry. Sana, Krystal, and Neil stood proud before the audience and said, “Thank you for coming. Have a good night.”

And so, the show had ended and the guests in the audience made their way out of the arena while the circus performers headed back inside their tents backstage. Sana, Krystal, and Neil headed into the dressing room where the box was left. Sana opened the door of the box and the tiger came out. “You can change back now, Rey,” Sana told the tiger.

And at that moment, the tiger had transformed into the form of a human boy; the same human boy who first appeared in the box. And his name was the name Sana had just called him by; Rey.

“Did you see how much love I got out there?!” Rey exclaimed. “Man! I’m a star!”

“Oh, shut up, Rey,” Krystal retorted. “My umbrella dance on the tightrope was the highlight of the show and you know it.”

“Says the girl who almost tripped at the end,” Neil chuckled.

“It doesn’t matter, guys. Everyone loved the show. That’s all that’s important,” Sana said.

“Prince! Heer!” Neil called out upon seeing a boy and a girl enter the dressing room.

The boy wore a classy navy blue suit with a white shirt and black tie and had a cherry-flavored candy cane that was sticking out from his mouth. His hair was a shiny ivory black and smoothened back on the top while his eyes were of a dark brown shade. The girl wore a blue jacket over a long white dress. She had long, curly brown hair and light blue eyes. “Great job today, guys,” Heer said.

“You saw us?” Neil asked.

“Well duh, moron. We we’re watching from the first row,” Prince said, irritated.

“The show would’ve been better if we had Prince in place of Rey,” Krystal said.

“Hey! You know I was the real star of the show! The crowd was going wild when I came in!” Rey retorted.

“Students,” a voice called.

The six individuals turned around to see a middle-aged man, dressed in a black cloak with an emblem on the back of the cloak. He had pale blond hair and blue eyes that gleamed like sapphires.

“Headmaster Devil,” Sana, Rey, Krystal, Prince, Neil, and Heer said in unison as they bowed down before the man.

“A dark beast has been detected outside of the academy,” Headmaster Devil told the group.

“Are you kidding me?! Right after the show?!” Krystal complained. “I don’t have time to get my hands dirty!”

“But how did it get near here?” Rey asked.

“The gates to the academy must not have been fully closed after the guests entered,” Sana concluded.

“You know the drill,” Headmaster Devil said. “Get to work.”

“You guys go,” Krystal told Sana, Rey, Neil, and Heer. “This outfit is not meant for beast slaying.”

“This goes for all of you, Krystal,” Headmaster Devil ordered. “Now get with your partners and get the job done.”

“Yes, sir!” Sana agreed.

“And just when I was getting ready to take a cat nap,” Prince said.

At that moment, Rey, Prince, and Heer had transformed within a matter of seconds into their new forms. While Rey changed back into the form of a tiger, Prince had transformed into the form of a lion, while Heer had turned into a snow leopard. And so, Sana, Krystal, and Neil took off along with Rey, Prince, and Heer in their transformed states while Headmaster Devil watched them go.

The six individuals rushed down the campus of the academy and went outside of the main entrance. Suddenly, a dark-colored beast emerged from the shadows of the night, aiming to attack. The beast had the composition of a wildcat. What really made the beast stood out was its vampire red eyes and long fangs. The six of them dodged the beast, surrounding it in circular motion. “You really picked the wrong time to call for animal control!” Krystal shouted at the beast.

“Rey, go to your right and attack it from behind!” Sana ordered Rey. Rey then went forward and jumped upward, pouncing the beast to the ground. As he tried to hold it down, the beast kicked him off into the wall.

“Heer, hit him directly!” Neil told Heer.

Heer dashed off, directly pouncing the beast into the wall to hold it down. “Krystal, you can make a move now,” Sana told Krystal.

“All right then,” Krystal said as she drew out her wand from her vest. She spun her wand around and gave it a single tap, transforming the wand into a large sized circular shaped ring in a gold color that had a big red bow with a golden bell attached to it.

“Prince, use your Sonic Roar attack! I’ll add more power with my sonic bell!” Krystal ordered.

Prince nodded and immediately let out a mighty roar, which emitted large sound waves towards the beast. Heer got out of the way, while the beast remained traumatized by the loud noises from Prince’s Sonic Roar. Krystal then rang her sonic bell and plunged it into the ground, which released a sonic boom attack that further weakened the resistance of the beast.

“I’ll make the next move,” Sana said as she took out her wand and tapped it to transform it into the grand trident known as the trishula. “Rey, attack with a fireball move!” Rey emitted a fireball attack directly from his roar, which hit the beast until it was down on the surface. Sana then jumped in, plunging her trishula into the ground, which created a ring of flames around the beast.

“I think you need some cooling off now,” Neil said as he took out his own wand. Once he tapped it, the wand turned into a blue archery bow with an icy looking arrow attached to it. He pulled the arrow onto the bow and then hit it directly at the beast, striking it in its heart. At that moment, the arrow had not only hit the beast, but it spread a coating of ice that completely froze it.

“Why in the world would you freeze it?!” Sana shook her head. “That thing would’ve burned to ashes anyway.”

“Hey! My arrows do that. They freeze targets once they’re weakened,” Neil talked back.

“Quit complaining! You can just melt it down, Sana,” said Krystal.

“Right. Rey, go ahead,” Sana ordered Rey.

Rey released another fireball attack at the frozen beast, completely melting it down until there was nothing left but its ashes. “Eww! The smell of those things once they’re dead is horrible!” Krystal cried.

“Good work, guys,” said Sana. “Looks like we can call it a day.” And so, Rey, Prince, and Heer all transformed back into their human forms. “Well, that was a good work out!” Rey exclaimed.

“Thank God that’s over. I need to take that cat nap,” said Prince. “Good night.”

***

The next day, it was a silent morning at the Ringmasters Training Academy. All the students of the academy were just entering the school from their respective dorm rooms. However, there was one boy, who for some reason was being constantly looked at as he walked down the halls of the academy.

The boy was indeed sharp looking, as he came dressed in a fine white suit with cream-colored shoes, a blue shirt, and a white necktie. His hair was even well groomed, smoothened out with small spikes coming from the top. He made his way into what was known as the Devil’s Lair, also referred to as Headmaster Devil’s office. The boy opened the door and the headmaster looked up from his desk and said, “Good morning. Please sit.”

The boy made his way to the seat in front of Headmaster Devil’s desk, crossing his legs as he sat down. “I’m glad you were able to come,” Headmaster Devil told the boy. “This is a great opportunity for you.”

“Not really for me. More for your students.”

“Right. As you know, this is the Ringmasters Training Academy, one of the most exclusive academies in the country for students who excel in the performing arts and are fit to be professional circus performers or even better, ringmasters. Now besides you, me, and the rest of the academy, everyone else in the city and beyond simply thinks this is a school for a bunch of circus artists.”

“But I know that you all have a larger purpose beyond the mere entertainment for city folk.”

“Of course you do. Otherwise you wouldn’t have come here. This academy doesn’t just train students for the circus world. A ringmaster is known as the leader of the circus and the main star of the show. But for us, there’s a different meaning. Students in this school are divided into two groups…ringmasters and human-beasts. Every ringmaster is partnered with a human-beast. The ringmasters are students who are capable of coordinating themselves and their quick thinking skills with their human-beast partners. The human-beasts are the students who are able to transform into wild animals and use their own abilities to match up to those of their partners. Every partnership is formed based on compatibility and usage of skill as each human-beast has their own special power that matches up with each ringmaster, who yields a wand that transforms into a weapon that carries the same power. All these characteristics are what make up the ideal ringmaster duo.”

“Headmaster Devil, I know the deal. You don’t need to go into all the details that have been pounded into my brain many times before even entering this building. I myself am a highly trained human-beast, so I would know how things work around here. That’s why you brought me to your school. The question is…which students are the best at capturing the dark beasts? This school can only create so many exceptional students. And by exceptional, I mean ones who are qualified for recognition in the Ringmasters Society.”

“Of course. You had to bring that up. But let’s focus on the important matters. The dark beasts are everywhere. No one knows who or what they are or where they’ve come from. Heck, no one even knows why they continue to exist. All we know is our students are the only ones who are fit to stop them from wreaking havoc across the city and other places in the world. And since you’re a highly qualified human-beast yourself, you’ll be a great example for the students to follow.”

At that moment, Headmaster Devil’s office phone rang. He immediately took the call.

“Hello?”

“Headmaster Devil, the students are seated in the auditorium for the assembly.”

“All right. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Headmaster Devil hung up the phone and got up from his seat, with the boy getting up as well. “It’s time for the presentation,” Headmaster Devil told the boy. “Shall we?”

The boy nodded his head and followed Headmaster Devil out of the office and into the halls. The two made their way towards the auditorium. Inside the auditorium, while students were getting seated, Sana, Rey, Krystal, Prince, Neil, and Heer all sat down in the first row, near the front of the stage.

“Why didn’t you wear the pink blazer I gave you?” Krystal asked Prince.

“Please. I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing that color,” Prince said as he chewed on the raspberry-flavored candy cane that was in his mouth.

“Well, now look at you. You’re wearing navy blue which completely clashes with the pink ensemble I have on,” Krystal said as she pointed to her light salmon-colored blazer, pink halter top, rose pink ruffle skirt, and pink-colored pumps. “If you’re going to be my partner, at least coordinate matching colors to show it! And why must you always have those candy canes in your mouth? Christmas time is not all the time!”

“To hell with the drama,” Prince said.

“You can be so mean sometimes, Prince!” Krystal cried. “If you would at least cooperate in coordination of color combos, then we’d be the style icon duo of this school! Just imagine!”

“No one wants to imagine,” Prince mumbled as he shook his head and continued to chew on his candy cane.

“Does anyone know what this assembly is for?” Sana asked.

“From what I heard, Headmaster Devil is introducing some special guy to the school,” Rey replied.

“What makes him special?” Heer asked.

“Beats me,” Rey said. “From the rumors, I heard he’s a professional human-beast. So he’s supposed to be like a mentor at the school now.”

“Wow. Really?!” Sana asked.

“HA! I bet he’s not that good!” Neil smirked.

Then, Headmaster Devil entered onto the stage of the auditorium, heading towards the podium. All the students and professors stood up from their seats as the headmaster looked upon them. “You may all sit,” Headmaster Devil permitted. And so, everyone sat down, looking anxious as they waited for the headmaster to begin.

“Students and faculty…I am very pleased with the progress of our students at the academy. To others in the world, we may seem like a bunch of clowns or slacker circus artists. But we are more than that. And I am proud to have you all as students of the academy,” Headmaster Devil began speaking. “With time, I have begun to see that there are some of you who have the potential to qualify for the Ringmasters Society. Only the best of the best can be recognized for acceptance. For some of you, that would be a great honor. But only the most elite can make it to such a prestigious position. And now that I see students are training more and more to enhance their abilities, I would like to introduce a new addition to our academy. He is not joining us as a student…but as a mentor. He is one of the most well trained and highly skilled human-beasts in the city. In fact, he has trained all over from Europe to Asia. And so, he will provide great guidance to some of you. Please give a warm welcome for Aiden Galloway.”

While the other students clapped, Neil’s eyes beamed as his mouth dropped slightly in shock upon hearing that name. And at that moment, the boy, Aiden Galloway, made his entry onto the stage. As Aiden walked onto the stage, Sana, Rey, Krystal, Prince, and Heer all shared the same shocked face as Neil had.

“Neil! He looks exactly like you!” Krystal exclaimed.

“How is that possible?” Heer asked.

“That’s because he’s none other than my twin brother,” Neil replied as he sulked in his seat.

The others gave off surprised faces as they watched Aiden stand before the students and faculty on the stage. And it was true. He looked exactly like Neil from head to toe. And Neil wasn’t too happy to see Aiden on the stage. Sana looked up at Aiden, who gave off a stern, yet confident stance as he stood before the student body. I wonder what it’s going to be like with this guy around, Sana thought.

***

After the assembly, Sana, Rey, Neil, and Prince were walking down the hall during free period while Krystal and Heer had gone off to get breakfast in the cafeteria. “So…what do you guys think of Aiden?” Sana asked Rey, Neil, and Prince.

“I don’t think he’s so tough,” Rey replied. “I bet me and you could take him out.”

“Is he as strong as everyone says, Neil?” Sana asked Neil.

“Why should we care?!” Neil retorted. “He’s not a student here. Besides, he’s not the kind of guy to mentor anyone! I don’t know what drugs Devil was on that made him pick that guy to be a mentor here!”

“Someone’s a bit touchy,” Rey whispered to Sana.

“Typical,” Prince rolled his eyes. “A stupid tough guy who can’t stand his obviously better brother.”

“Did you say something, Prince?!” Neil said.

As the four kept walking, they stopped to see Aiden coming right in their direction. Aiden looked up, stopping as he saw the foursome together. He then turned to Neil, who glared at him in return. “You got a problem or something?!” Neil shouted at Aiden. “Quit looking at me!”

Aiden closed his eyes, smirking. “Still the same old idiot,” he said.

“What’d you say?!” Neil shouted further at Aiden.

“So, we finally come face-to-face with the school’s top dog,” Rey said. “We got thirty minutes till class starts. That’s plenty of time for a little battle. You in on this, Neil?”

“Oh, I’ll join you!” Neil agreed, fist pumping Rey in agreement.

“What?! You guys are crazy! We’ll get in trouble!” Sana exclaimed.

“Come on, Sana. We’ll take this guy out in a flash,” said Rey.

“To hell with the drama,” Prince said as he then turned away. “I’m outta here.”

“What the hell?! Why are you being such a wuss?!” Rey asked Prince as Prince began walking away from the group.

“I don’t do stupidity,” Prince replied as he continued walking with his back turned. “Later.”

“What a chicken!” Rey exclaimed. “You ready to fight?!”

“If you morons wish to get expelled, then be my guest,” Aiden replied.

“Guys, just go to class,” Sana told Rey and Neil. “Besides, we have a test for our Energy Enhancement class.”

“We have a test?!” Rey exclaimed.

“Damn it! I didn’t study!” Neil cried.

“We’ll settle this later! We gotta hit the books now!” Rey said as he and Neil dashed off down the hall.

“I’m sorry about them,” Sana apologized to Aiden. “They can be a bit of a handful.”

“Don’t be sorry. I know how my sad excuse for a brother is like,” Aiden replied. “You’re one of the first students I’ve met around here. What is your name?”

“Oh…Sana,” Sana answered. “Sana J. Malik.”

“Sana,” Aiden repeated in a quieter tone. “Well then…it’s nice to meet you. I hope to see you again.”

“Uh…sure,” Sana said.

With that, Aiden walked away, heading down the hall while Sana looked on.

***

Later on, Sana made her way to her Energy Enhancement class. She walked over to her seat, which was right next to Rey in the middle of the classroom where all the desks were set up side by side in three columns. “So I heard you met Aiden during free period,” Krystal told Sana, sitting behind her and Rey next to Prince.

“Who told you?” Rey asked Krystal, turning around.

“I did,” Prince replied. “Whenever someone does something stupid, someone has to talk about it.”

“I’m not stupid!” Neil exclaimed, sitting on the right column, next to Heer.

“Why are you so surprised about him being here?” Heer asked Neil. “He is your brother after all. Didn’t he tell you he was coming to the school?”

Neil sulked in his seat. “Let’s not talk about that,” Neil said while Heer sighed, shaking her head.

“But I saw you speaking to him alone, Sana,” Krystal said. “What was he like?”

“You spoke to him when we left?” Rey asked Sana.

“Only for a moment. Then he left,” Sana answered. “Why do you look so upset?”

“Shut up. I could care less,” Rey said, turning to the front of the classroom.

“Anyways Sana, tell me. What’s Mr. Aiden like?” Krystal asked Sana. “He may look like Neil, but somehow he’s actually more polished. There’s something charming about that guy. So, what did he talk to you about?”

“Would you shut up already?” Rey said to Krystal, turning back to her.

“Well then!” Krystal exclaimed.

“Krystal, he just asked my name and that’s all there is to it. You act as if he was ready to propose to me or something,” Sana said.

“Oh fine. Whatever you say,” Krystal said.

Once the bell rang, the teacher, Professor Luna, entered the classroom. She placed her briefcase onto her desk, brushing aside her neatly combed blonde hair that was tied in a ponytail. “All right, class. I know you were all expecting a test today. But I have decided to postpone it till tomorrow,” Professor Luna announced.

“Are you kidding me?!” Rey exclaimed. “I did fifteen minutes of cramming for nothing?!”

“Instead, we are going to discuss the importance of energy conversion during battles,” Professor Luna said as she began writing on the board. She then turned, and looked at Prince, who sat back in his seat, chewing on his raspberry-flavored candy cane while placing his feet on the desk. “Prince Blake,” Professor Luna called on Prince.

“Yeah?” Prince replied.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to put your feet on the desks?” Professor Luna said to Prince. “And why do you keep having those candy canes in your mouth during class?”

“To hell with the drama,” Prince mumbled, rolling his eyes.

“What did you say?!” Professor Luna asked Prince.

“I was just wondering why you care so much. My family has paid every damn dime to get me in this school. That makes the academy my home. So I can treat it like home. If treating it like home means chewing on my candy cane and putting my feet up, then deal with it,” Prince replied. “Besides, I do pay attention in this class.”

“He’s actually talking back,” Krystal said in a whispering voice, sounding surprised as ever.

“Is that so?! Well then, why don’t you come up before the class for my demonstration of energy conversion,” Professor Luna stated. “And I need another volunteer. Ah! Heer St. Hale! You come up with Prince to the front of the class.”

Heer nodded her head silently and went up to the front of the class along with Prince. As the two went up, Rey and Neil noticed Aiden through the window of the classroom, walking in the hall. The two looked at each other and Rey whispered, “He’s right there. Here’s our chance.”

“Rey Murgatroyd! Neil Galloway!” Professor Luna shouted. Rey and Neil turned to Professor Luna. “You think this is chatting time?! Fine then! You two can go out in the hall!”

Rey and Neil got up from their seats, giving off smirks as they left the classroom. Sana moped in her seat. I have a bad feeling those two are going to cause some trouble, Sana thought, shaking her head.

Outside of the class, Rey and Neil stepped out into the hall and hid quietly behind the pillars as Aiden was walking down the aisle. “I say we sneak attack on him,” Rey told Neil.

“Right. You can pounce on him from behind. Then I’ll make a move,” Neil added.

“Good idea!” Rey exclaimed.

“What are you two doing?!” a voice asked from behind Rey and Neil.

Rey and Neil gasped as they turned around to see Headmaster Devil standing right behind them.

“Headmaster Devil!” Rey and Neil exclaimed in unison.

“You didn’t answer my question. Why are you two out lingering in the hall?” Headmaster Devil asked.

“We were sent out of class, sir,” Neil replied.

“I see,” Headmaster Devil said. “So, what was this whole sneak attack plan you both were discussing?”

“Oh…that…um,” Rey mumbled. “We were just talking about an act…for the next circus show! Right, Neil?!”

“Right!” Neil agreed.

“Yeah, yeah. In my office,” Headmaster Devil ordered. “Let’s see what I have to do with you two idiots.”

Rey and Neil gulped.