“What the hell, guys?!” Rey shouted as Tatia finished tightening the restraints on him. Back at Ringmasters Training Academy, Rey was taken back by Sana, Krystal, Prince, Heer, Zayn, and Akira after they had found him in the city. Once he was taken to the school, Headmaster Devil arranged for Rey to be strapped down in a testing room where Ryan, Tatia, and Aiden were monitoring him.
“We’re sorry it has to come to this,” Tatia told Rey. “But we have no other choice.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me! I’m just sick!” Rey shouted.
“Rey, you used dark magic on us back there. Hell, the fact that you even attacked us to begin with proves something is wrong,” Zayn said. “And those markings on you-“
“Shut up! I don’t need to hear anything about what happened back there!” Rey yelled. “Now let me go! I hate being strapped like this!”
“Stop it, Rey!” Sana shouted back.
The whole room fell silent at Sana’s sudden outburst at Rey. Rey looked at Sana, speechless. He could see tears running down her face. Sana rarely got emotional like this, but when she did, he knew it was serious.
“Something is wrong with you,” Sana told Rey. “I don’t know what it is. But you need to keep your voice down and let us help you. Otherwise, you’re just going to make things harder on yourself.”
“Sana’s right, Rey. You have to stay calm,” Heer said. At that moment, Headmaster Devil made his way inside the testing room.
“I have some bad news,” Headmaster Devil spoke to the others. “Someone broke into the school chamber and stole the Shakti Orb. It must have been activated. That’s what triggered Rey’s transformation.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Prince said. “You’re saying that orb is what did this?”
“It wasn’t the only factor. I found these in his room at the health center,” Headmaster Devil replied as he showed the others what appeared to be a small gray bottle of pills. “This was the medication that Lady Chameleon was giving to Rey under the disguise of Nurse Sheila. These pills contain Madame Naga’s venom. The same venom that she used when leaving that wound on Rey during their battle.”
“You mean that Rey’s been increasing the concentration of the venom in his body by consuming those pills every day?” Akira asked.
“Precisely. And it explains the markings on his body,” Headmaster Devil added. “It appears to be an enchantment. The only issue is…I don’t know why Madame Naga is doing this specifically to him.”
“So, what are we supposed to do?” Aiden asked. “He’s going to be trouble for us if he transforms into that beast again.”
“I won’t transform!” Rey responded. “Please! Just let me out of here!”
“Rey, we have no other choice. It’s best you stay here till we figure out exactly why Madame Naga is doing this,” Tatia told Rey.
“There’s also another issue,” Headmaster Devil continued. “The thief that stole the Shakti Orb…was Neil.”
Rey could feel the room’s atmosphere fall silent. He couldn’t really comprehend what he had just heard. It sounded almost like a joke. He even looked at Heer, who looked equally shocked as well.
“What the hell are you saying, old man?!” Rey yelled at Headmaster Devil. “Are you suggesting Neil is helping Madame Naga?!”
“There has to be a mistake,” Aiden said. “No matter how foolish Neil is there’s no way he could do something like that.”
“But there is proof,” Headmaster Devil replied. “A strand of hair was found near the chamber. I had it scanned for DNA testing in the basement lab and the DNA was found to match Neil’s. That means only one thing. He stole the Shakti Orb and is now working with Madame Naga. It perfectly explains him not being around for the past few days.”
“I can’t believe Neil would stoop this low,” Prince said.
“Maybe Madame Naga’s controlling him?” Krystal suggested. “I mean that’s like a classic villain move right there.”
“Madame Naga may be powerful. But she doesn’t have the ability to control minds,” Tatia responded. “But since Rey responds to the powers of the Shakti Orb, she can control him as long as the orb is in her possession.”
During the conversation, Heer ran out of the training room, her eyes watery. Krystal called out for her. But it was all in vain. Aiden headed out the door, following Heer to see her right outside the room, crying as she looked down at the floor.
Aiden didn’t know what to do in the moment. He too was shaken by the news of Neil. Just when he was about to put his hand on her shoulder for comfort, Heer looked up at Aiden, wiping her tears and said, “Aiden, tell me what they’re saying isn’t true.”
“Heer…I don’t think I can say anything right now.”
“Why?! He’s your brother! No matter how bad things have gotten with him, the Neil I know would never do something like this.”
“Heer, we can’t put this past him. It does explain his actions as of late.”
“It’s a shame you think that way. I may not know the truth right now. But I know Neil well enough to know that he would never betray us like this.”
“Heer, I-“
“Tell me…where is Runa right now?”
“She’s staying in a room in the girls’ dorm house. Why?”
“We need to go see her.”
“Heer…is this really the best time for that?”
“It’s absolutely necessary. Are you coming with me or not?”
Seeing the adamancy in Heer’s eyes, Aiden simply nodded his head and proceeded to leave with Heer. What could she want Runa for at a time like this? Aiden thought as the two walked down the hallway.
Back inside the testing room, there was a long moment of silence. The situation at hand was dangerous.
“Okay, old man, what are we supposed to do now?” Zayn asked Headmaster Devil.
“Ryan, you will monitor Rey,” Headmaster Devil said. He turned to the others and said, “As for you kids, you will just have to let me and Tatia handle things from here.”
“You can’t be serious. We can’t just not do anything while Madame Naga is probably planning something that could put Rey’s life in danger,” Akira retorted.
“Well, you have no choice as of now. This is something for adults to handle,” Tatia replied.
“Now, go back to your dorms,” Headmaster Devil ordered.
“Wait! Sana!” Rey called out.
Sana turned to Rey, seeing him look distraught for the first time ever. He looked as if he had a lot to say but wasn’t sure how to say it.
“Listen…you know that I have no idea what’s happening to me,” Rey told Sana. “I swear I’d never hurt anyone.”
“Rey, please. You’ve been going through a lot lately. And what’s happening to you isn’t your fault. For now, it’s important you stay put here like Headmaster Devil wants.”
“But-“
“You’re not safe right now. Please, for my sake, just stay here. We’re all going to help you some way or another. Okay?”
Rey was distraught and upset. But he knew saying anything further wouldn’t get him anywhere. He simply nodded to Sana.
Even though she didn’t want to go, Sana left Rey’s side and headed out of the testing room with Krystal, Prince, Zayn, and Akira. Ryan, Tatia, and Headmaster Devil remained inside while Rey turned away, unable to comprehend how drastic the situation was right now.
Outside, Sana, Krystal, Prince, Zayn, and Akira walked silently down the hall. They all were confused and perplexed in their own ways but weren’t sure what to do.
“I can’t believe they won’t let us do anything,” Akira said to break the silence.
“If only there was a way to find out why Madame Naga is targeting him,” Prince added.
“Maybe there is a way,” Sana replied.
“What are you thinking, Sana?” Zayn asked.
“Madame Naga has allies, right? So, there has to be one that we could talk to.”
“I would say Runa. But I don’t know if it’s best to bring up her traumatic memories,” Krystal replied.
“There’s still one person out there,” Prince said. “If I remember correctly, Fida got sent to Daredevil Prison.”
“That’s right. We could get her to help us. Maybe we can break her out,” Sana said.
“Hold it! You want us to break her out?!” Krystal exclaimed. “How are we even going to do that?!”
“My dad has the paperwork regarding her stay over there inside his office,” Zayn replied. “I could get it and we should be able to get her out if she proves to be useful to us.”
“Why would we do that?! She almost killed that Stallion guy! What if she kills us?!” Krystal exclaimed.
“We have no other option, Krystal. We’re going there,” Sana said.
***
And so, Sana, Krystal, Prince, Zayn, and Akira went ahead with their plans to visit Fida at Daredevil Prison. After Zayn had snuck into Headmaster Devil’s office to get Fida’s paperwork, the gang had taken off. As they entered the gates of the prison, they arrived at what appeared to be the front desk that was in the center of the prison’s lobby. “Hi, we’re here to see Fida,” Sana told the receptionist at the front desk.
“That’s interesting. She’s the first one to have gotten more than one visitor.”
“Someone visited her before us?”
“Yes.”
“Can you tell us the name of that visitor?”
“Sorry, I’m not allowed to give that information.”
“It has to be Madame Naga,” Krystal mumbled.
“If you want to see her, she’s all the way down the hall, at the very end,” the receptionist told the group.
The gang made their way through the doors that led to where the prison’s inmates were kept. They walked down the narrow hall. Krystal gulped, seeing the many faces that were surrounding them. How is this any different from any other prison? Krystal thought.
Once the group had reached the end of the hall, they turned to the last cell that was on their right. Emerging from the shadows was Fida, who looked at the group, surprised to see them. While two of their faces were unfamiliar to her, the rest of them were clear as ever. She knew they were the same kids from the party. Krystal, disturbed by the haggard look on Fida’s face, said, “Wow, you look worse than the last time we saw you.”
“Oh, that’s exactly what I wanted to hear,” Fida said. “What do you little bastards want?”
“Someone’s a little ill-mannered,” Akira said.
“And someone is also not in the mood for annoying children. What do you want?” Fida questioned.
“We came here because you’re an ally of Madame Naga’s,” Zayn said.
“Ex-ally. I was cut off,” Fida told the group.
“Then that gives you an even bigger reason to help us,” Sana said.
“And why would I want to help you brats?” Fida asked.
“Trust me, Fida. If we had other options, you’d be the last person we’d come to. But our time is limited,” Sana responded. “By helping us take on Madame Naga, you will at least get a chance to get back at her for putting you in this situation.”
“Last time I checked, you and your friend took quite a beating from her,” Fida said. “Your friend might very well be a lost cause. Considering you’ve had to come to me for help, it’s obvious she has succeeded in her plan.”
“Okay, listen up!” Krystal exclaimed. “If you want to get out of this hell hole, you’ll tell us what serpent lady is planning to do with our friend, Rey. I really don’t care if you want revenge on her or not! You were a part of this mess. So, you’re going to make things right or else, I’m pretty sure Zayn can convince his dad to make your imprisonment here far worse than it already is.”
Fida sighed, knowing she had found herself to be in quite the predicament. She had no interest in helping these kids, but at the same time, she was desperate to make Madame Naga pay. She looked at her hair, staring at the unruly ends. She looked down at her garments, unable to bear the discomfort she felt in them. Fida looked back at the group and said, “All right then. Get me out of here and I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”
***
After speaking to the receptionist and a member from the management staff of the prison, the group was able to get Fida released after presenting Headmaster Devil’s paperwork. Fida made her way out of the prison gates with the others. They all ran together, making their way towards the academy as quickly as possible.
“It feels good to be out of there,” Fida said. “Though I will say, I’d be happier if it weren’t for the hawk eyes watching me.”
“Look, you almost killed someone. We definitely need to keep an eye on you,” Akira said.
“Speaking of which, why did you attack that guy?” Prince asked Fida.
“It doesn’t really matter. You can say that there are limits when dealing with my temper,” Fida said. “In that cell, he wouldn’t stop going on and on about how Madame Naga wouldn’t want anything to do with me now that I was behind bars. He started to taunt me on a more personal level. So, I gave it to him. Little did I realize that the bastard would be right.”
“Okay…someone has anger issues to sort out,” Krystal murmured.
“Well, now we need to focus on who’s really important right now,” Sana said. “What is Madame Naga’s plan?”
“She didn’t tell me every detail. Though she did tell me more than what she shared with Droh and Runa. So, here it goes,” Fida started. “Madame Naga used her venom on Rey in order to transform him into a dark beast.”
“Hold on!” Krystal interrupted. “She has the power to turn anyone into a dark beast with just some venom?!”
“It’s not ordinary venom. That attack spreads venom rapidly into the body that can alter a human-beast’s energy, thereby morphing its powers,” Fida said. “This isn’t the first time she’s done it. She did the same thing to Runa actually.”
“She turned Runa into a dark beast?” Prince asked.
“She saw potential in her powers. At the time, Runa had command over sound and demonstrated strong sensory skills for a little girl. So, Madame Naga tried to enhance them by using her venom. But Runa’s power wasn’t exactly what she was looking for, so she looked elsewhere,” Fida continued. “For a while, she’s been looking everywhere for someone who would make the perfect vessel for her plan. And she found that in Rey.”
“But how did she come to know him?” Akira asked.
“She used Droh to gain intel on different human-beast students at different schools. One thing he knew was that every academy has documentation on all the students. But to make things simple, she ordered for him to gain the documentation of only those who possess tiger forms,” Fida explained. “The reason for this is because human-beasts that belong to the Tiger Clan have the possibility of possessing the R-gene.”
“R-gene?” Zayn asked.
“It’s a gene that exists only within members of the Tiger Clan. From what Madame Naga said, it allows for a human-beast to obtain extraordinary power that’s unimaginable. Because of how powerful it is, human-beasts that possess this gene are subject to losing control over their powers should any external force disrupt the human-beast’s energy system,” Fida said. “Certain families within the clan are able to have this gene passed on. And based off the documents Droh found, Rey is one of them.”
“That explains those documents we found in Droh’s home back in Italy,” Krystal said. “They were after Rey this entire time.”
“It also explains Runa’s inability to control her powers. The mutation must’ve been so erratic for her. It’s no wonder she acted the way she did with us,” Prince said.
Sana kept quiet, taking in every word that was being said in the conversation. She felt so helpless inside, knowing Rey was in great danger. She couldn’t help but feel that none of this would’ve happened had she been able to protect Rey that day. She could feel that her eyes were starting to water. The guilt was now worse than ever.
“Sana, don’t you go crying on us!” Krystal exclaimed.
Sana’s endless loop of thoughts stopped the moment Krystal spoke. She was surprised to see her act the way she did.
“Krystal’s right. We know what happened that day was terrible. But it’s all in the past now,” Akira said. “All we can do now is save Rey. It’s not too late for him yet.”
“Yes. And even though I haven’t trained with you for too long, I think you’re strong enough to save him and stop Madame Naga,” Zayn said.
“Thanks, guys. I’m sorry for getting so worked up,” Sana said. “So, Fida, what happens to Rey’s powers now?”
“Well, the external force of dark energy mixed with his R-gene could cause him to lose control over his fire powers. But that doesn’t matter for Madame Naga,” Fida said. “With the Shakti Orb, she’ll use it to bring Rey to her and absorb all of his power. With power that great, she’d be an unstoppable force. After that, there’s no telling what she’ll do next.”
“So, why go and be an ally to her if she was to be the one to gain all the power in the end?” Prince asked.
“Because that wasn’t what she told me. She promised to share the power with all of us. And for us dark beasts, power is what we thrive on,” Fida said. “Besides, that doesn’t matter anymore. All you should care about now is saving your friend. Nothing else.”
The group continued their run, getting closer to the academy. As they kept running, Sana couldn’t stop thinking about Rey. All she could hope was that Rey would be okay by the time they got back.
***
Back in the testing room of the academy, Rey remained tied down while Ryan stood guard by the door, keeping a close eye on him. Rey could feel sweat dripping down his forehead as the fluorescent blue lights on the ceiling flashed upon his face. He looked over to where Ryan was standing. Ryan, seeing Rey was looking at him, asked, “What is it?”
“Nothing.”
“There’s clearly something.”
“You must be getting a kick out of seeing me tied up here.”
“If I was sadistic, sure. But I’m not. You’ve been through a lot, kid. It’s been tough for you.”
“Tying me down like this isn’t gonna help. I have no idea why the hell that snake lady is doing this to me. So, why do I have to get punished?!”
“This isn’t punishment. For your own sake and for others, its best you stay down till we figure out how to stop your dark powers from taking over again.”
Rey looked back at the lights. Even though they were very bright, he found comfort from looking into them. It was like a form of protection to him.
“Tell me something,” Rey said. “Do you think I’m a monster now?”
“Just because you’ve been mutated, doesn’t mean you’re a monster.”
“I attacked my friends. I could’ve actually hurt them. I can’t even imagine what Sana must be thinking right now.”
“Sana understands what you’re going through. Believe me. She’s the last person to think that you’re a monster.”
Suddenly, Rey’s eyes beamed as he felt a vibration of some sort nearby. As he continued to look at the lights, he felt as though his body was beginning to freeze. Some sort of odd tension began to rise inside him. Ryan looked at him, puzzled.
“You okay, kid?” Ryan asked.
Rey didn’t give an answer. His eyes started to burn just like before and the markings on his body glowed purple again. Startled, Ryan drew out his wand, seeing Rey break out from the restraints and transform into the form of the dark beast he had taken on earlier. Ryan tapped his wand, making it transform into twin pistols. But before he could fire, Rey pounced at Ryan, slamming him to the wall with great force. With Ryan down, Rey barged out of the testing room, heading towards the nearest window, breaking it as he jumped out to escape.
As Ryan tried to get up, Headmaster Devil and Tatia made their way inside the room.
“What happened here?” Tatia asked as she came up to Ryan to helped him up.
“He transformed. I tried to stop him, but he overtook me before I could do anything,” Ryan replied. “I don’t know how he could’ve gotten triggered.”
“His senses must be a lot stronger now. He probably picked up the Shakti Orb’s presence,” Headmaster Devil said. “We have to find the kids and send them after him.”
Suddenly, Sana, Krystal, Prince, Zayn, Akira, and Fida made their way inside the testing room. “Where’s Rey?” Sana asked, concerned.
“What the hell is she doing here?!” Headmaster Devil said upon seeing Fida.
“Relax, Devil. I’m not here to kill anyone…yet,” Fida responded.
“Fida is going to help us take down Madame Naga. She told us everything we have to know,” Akira said.
“And why should we trust a comrade of Naga’s?” Tatia asked, glaring at Fida.
“You got no choice at this point,” Fida answered. “The boy is being used as her tool for absolute power. In his current state, his powers combined with the Shakti Orb would be able to make Madame Naga invincible. She’s planning to use the orb to absorb his power. If you fools want to prevent that, then we have to head towards her tower.”
“Her tower?” Krystal said, puzzled.
“You mean that abandoned tower outside the city?” Sana asked Fida.
“That’s where Madame Naga is. And I’m sure that’s where the boy is heading,” Fida replied. “Which means we all have to head over there now if you still want to save him.”
“Then, there’s no time to waste! We have to go now!” Zayn exclaimed.
“We’re coming with you,” a voice said.
The others turned around to see Heer enter the room along with Aiden and Runa.
“You want Runa to come with us? But she’s just a kid,” Prince said to Heer.
“Runa wants to help us. Besides, I want to make sure Neil is okay,” Heer replied. “There has to be more that we don’t know. I don’t think he’s capable of betraying any of us.”
“Runa, are you sure you’re okay with this?” Headmaster Devil asked.
“I want to help,” Runa answered.
“And I fully support her and Heer in this,” Aiden added.
“All right then. In that case, I say we all move out!” Tatia told everyone.
With that, Sana, Krystal, Prince, Heer, Zayn, Akira, Aiden, Tatia, Ryan, Runa, and Headmaster Devil all made their way towards the front doors of the academy as quickly as they could to get on the move. Once they reached there and opened the doors, they were met by their first obstacle. Lady Chameleon was standing outside before them.
“Oh great. More henchmen,” Akira said.
“If you really thought we’d let you get to the boy before things were all set, then you all are dumber than I thought,” Lady Chameleon smirked.
“Whatever! In case you didn’t notice, there’s eleven of us and only one of you!” Krystal exclaimed.
“Think again,” Lady Chameleon said as she snapped her fingers.
Suddenly, a countless number of dark beasts emerged from the shadows, their dark red eyes glowing as they all prowled, surrounding the academy like an army. These dark beasts had the form of big cats, some of which had similar markings to the ones Rey had.
“You just had to say something,” Prince said to Krystal as he shook his head.
“Ryan, go to my office now!” Headmaster Devil ordered. “Sound the alarm there and call for our students. We need all the help we can get.”
“On it!” Ryan nodded as he ran back inside the academy.
“Even if you call every single maggot that belongs to this school, you still won’t be able to defeat us,” Lady Chameleon said.
“Oh, shut up already!” Fida shouted. “You can quit the taunting. It’s gotten old already.”
“That’s ironic considering you were doing that to us not too long ago,” Krystal said.
“Sana, Heer, Runa, and Aiden…you all go ahead and get to Rey,” Headmaster Devil said.
“Are you sure?” Sana asked.
“Yes. We got this under control,” Zayn responded.
“Hurry! There’s no time to waste!” Aiden said.
“You’ll need me as well if you want to get to the tower,” Fida said.
Sana drew out her wand as Heer, Runa, and Aiden transformed into their beast forms, all four following Fida as they quickly made their way past the dark beasts while Lady Chameleon looked on.
“Poor, simple fools! Even if they get there, there’s no stopping Madame Naga from taking over,” Lady Chameleon cackled.
Swiftly, Lady Chameleon was struck right in the back by what appeared to be a sword. But it wasn’t an ordinary sword. The sword had a blade that appeared to be made of pure diamond. And once struck, Lady Chameleon could feel a rush of pain in her back as she fell to the ground, unable to process what just happened. She turned around to see it was Tatia who had launched the sword into her back.
“What…the hell…was that?” Lady Chameleon spoke slowly in pain as she started to get up.
“That was my mom’s blade,” Zayn said.
“Mom?!” Krystal exclaimed.
“Your arrogance was getting on my nerves,” Tatia told Lady Chameleon.
Lady Chameleon grunted as she slowly stood while the sword broke with blood dripping quickly down her back. Lady Chameleon looked at Tatia’s sword, seeing it disappear within seconds. What kind of ringmaster is she?! Lady Chameleon questioned.
“My powers are far different from any ringmaster you’ve ever seen,” Tatia said. “Don’t think that just because the cards appear to be in your favor that fate will follow the path you foresee.”
***
Inside the academy, Ryan finally made it to Headmaster Devil’s office. He hit the emergency button that was on the wall beside the door. The button activated an alarm sound that rang all throughout the building and across the campus itself. Ryan turned on the speakers next to the emergency system and called into it, saying, “Calling all students and staff! There is an emergency at the academy! We need everyone present now! I repeat! We need every single one of you to help!”
Ryan’s announcement had spread all over the campus. Lady Chameleon grinned as she stared back at Tatia and the others.
“You think getting all your students will do anything?” Lady Chameleon scoffed. “They might as well sleep eternally.”
“You might want to turn around and eat those words,” Krystal said. Confused, Lady Chameleon turned around along with the other dark beasts. She saw the many students and staff members of Ringmasters Training Academy, all surrounding her and her army of dark beasts. She turned back towards the front of the academy to see even more students had gathered along with Tatia, Headmaster Devil, Krystal, Prince, Zayn, and Akira. Ryan had also joined, entering through the academy doors, standing beside everyone.
“You see…there’s a reason MY students are the best,” Headmaster Devil said. “They not only get here…but they do it fast.”
“If you’re going to fight with your army, then our school is no less of an army to you as well,” Ryan added.
Lady Chameleon said, “Impressive. You have quite the turnout here. But don’t think that means we won’t rip you all to pieces.”
“Talking won’t prove anything. A real fighter doesn’t need to boast in the presence of the enemy,” Tatia said.
“Very well. Give it all you got,” Lady Chameleon talked back.
Headmaster Devil drew out his wand, transforming it into his weapon, which was a long wooden staff with a green sphere on the top of it that was held together by a golden band. Everyone else prepared themselves with the ringmasters transforming their wands into their weapons and the human-beasts taking on their beast forms. In his offensive stance, Headmaster Devil called all to attack.
Copyright © 2021 Meryl T
All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.
The Ringmasters Society 