5 The Demon King’s Trail.

'Well, I can try going to a class even though I'm dismissed,' Dean pondered. He walked down the hallway like a lost duck. There were throngs of students, and a pair of cold hands around his shoulders. He felt chills run up his spine.

"Hello?" He asked.

"You the famous Dean Towers?" He gripped Dean firmly.

"No, I'm not, now can you get off me?"

The kid laughed and put his arm around him. "Yes, you are, Dean. Now, please be quiet this is an important day for you."

"What are you talking about?" He turned around.

The guy behind him had blades of black hair on his face gently placed like bristles on a broken brush. He pushed him down the hallway and kept holding his finger over his mouth. All of the kids in the hallway were probably on bathroom break, or trying to escape their teachers. And they were too preoccupied to notice the two kids turning into the darkness.

"You won the jackpot kid! Now, just wait till we're around the corner, and I'll talk to you."

They went around a spiral passageway that ringed them up to the second floor. He didn't even know this side of the building existed; it was like the castle was a binder, and this was a new page. The classrooms that he could see inside the hall were full of water, and had students hovering over floating desks. He turned back to look at the kid one more time who was guiding him to an empty hallway.

"You can talk now, Dean."

Dean, nervous as he was, asked, "you going to tell me your name yet?"

"I will in a minute. I was told by a higher up that you did pretty well with your entrance exam, is that true?"

"Oh, is this about the entrance exam? I think I only beat that record by a second."

It was really two seconds. And Samuel was still angry about it. It would make it even harder to give out the reward next year!

'Mr. black blade' laughed, "Hmm, Interesting. What did Elizabeth do for your reward?"

"I think she give me a kiss on the cheek. Frankly, I thought it would be something better."

"Ha, you really think she'd only gave you a kiss in the cheek." The kid laughed.

"Well, yeah, did she give you something better?"

"Oh, so you think you know who I am? I don't even know who I am," he laughed.

"Well, I can't think of too many guys who would be interested in that record. It would mean you'd needed to try out for her class, right? I think she only had you and two other students who didn't graduate..."

Dean had a hunch about his guide. He heard about an infamous second year from Elva. Before he was scooped up and tossed into the 'chair of hell'. Oh god, he really didn't want to remember that. But this man really matched the description. And Dean had a feeling his name started with a D. And that D was followed by an A...

"Damen, right?"

Mr. black blade smiled. "Ha, well I can't tell you, right, but maybe your right about the name. Now, turn left here and put this in your right pocket."

Dean caught it. "What is it?"

"It's an anti-monitoring prism. It reflects probing frequencies. You should always keep one on you when you go outside, Dean."

Dean nodded. "But, why would we need it where we're going?"

They walked right into a small alcove with a door that led to another door, and another door. There were at least a hundred doors at this one! It stretched as far as the eye could see. Dean felt his gut telling him to get out of here quickly. It was like there are over one hundred secret rooms to die in! And he felt a small kick in his belly and scratched his head. What the hell did he eat in Samuel's office?

The cultivation worm was currently inside his sacred cavity, and had just arrived at the tree. It immediately decided this was its tree of life. It wiggled its way into the fruit of wisdom as Dean scratched his side watching 'Damen' go up to the mirror. Luckily, this pathway wasn't about the dark scary doors.

"You can tell they keep this place pretty safe right." He waited for Dean to agree. "You want to see something cool?"

"Ugh, sure."

Black blade's hand glinted with little sharp bolts of thunder as he reached inside the glass. When he got there, the mirror immediately changed from reflective to opaque. There was four arrows pointing towards the bricks and he kicked them before a ladder dropped down out of one of the doorways.

"Just climb the ladder, and you'll figure it out. There should be a guard standing at the doorway who will show you the ropes. Congratulations, Dean, I'll see you around!"

The guide went to walk away and felt a hand wrap around his shoulder. It was then he realized he needed to change his way of greeting students.

"You want me to climb up horizontally?" Dean stopped him. "It looks like a place where woman go to die."

"Well, you're not too bad looking. How old are you twelve?"

"Fourteen, and I have a really ugly scream."

He really did.

"Well, just know that I Damen am not a bad guy." Damen laughed.

Dean pouted. "Oh, so you decide to tell me your name now. After you guided me to a doorway in death cove."

Damen waved bye to him, like he was upset, without answering.

'He acts like he would climb a ladder into a dark tunnel.' Dean raised his left foot then his right. Space seemed to reorient itself. He, finally, stopped feeling ridiculous and ascended his way up the sideways ladder. He couldn't even begin to explain what just happened. gravity had made a split decision to change directions. He scrambled up the ladder and was tugged into the room.

"Hey welcome Dean," Collin greeted, "Glad you were nominated."

Collin explained the room to Dean. He scratched his head and listened to the explanation intently.

Basically, it was an area called the realm of luck. There was a guiding treasure spirit inside showing the way. It was the will of its master that he gave the appropriate choices for the candidates. However, when the treasure spirit saw Dean it started to panic. Please don't let him get it, he worried. Collin spent a few more minutes explaining how important this day was for him. And that he had to thank Ms. Cameron when he saw him. And finally he stopped talking and explaining.

Dean didn't want to go but felt a gentle push, and stumbled inside before a series of golden bows expanded out into the room. He made his way into the realm of luck.

The first golden path was right in front of him, and there was a gilded fork to his right after about ten choices on a unfortunate maze. But for some reason, Dean kept following his heart and it was pissing the treasure spirit off. Please don't take my lovely treasure, he wanted to say. And then ten stones later he came to the crossroads of two golden roads. Again, the treasure spirit seemed to say your fate is decided at this moment. But please don't take my good treasures, please! The lines faded quickly out of his vision. It seemed like his luck was all on a coin toss. It spun in his head and he finally just followed his heart.

Dean went to the right. His instincts seemed to tell him it was a delectable choice. The ground started crumbling like a bakers surprise, and a small box floated out of the wall surrounded by an orb of white light. Unfortunately, it wasn't food like he imagined. Some panacea that would change his element forever. When the box opened, as soon as it made it to his feet, a small baleful book spun into the sky surrounded by two giggling fish of fire and ice.

"Am I supposed to take this," he asked.

The fish nodded before they effused into gas.

It felt like it was calling for him and he grabbed the binding.

"Hands of the Demon King Cultivation... Seriously!"

Dean scratched his head. He obviously realized that the Demon King had the 'blank' element. But it would only make sense if you found this eight hundred years ago. Because there was the great purge eight hundred years ago. All the evil artifacts were supposed to be gone. But evil isn't always black and white, and was it really easy to destroy the Demon King's belongings?

"Dean, you'll have to leave now¬¬, or it will kick you out," Collin hollered.

"Got it, Collin!"

Dean looked back noticed all the paths fading away. All that was left was one little tear drop path. The path he hadn't chosen.

"Collin, what does it mean when a path turns blue?"

Dean looked back with a tacit sadness written on his face.

Collin scratched his head. Should he tell him that it meant the realm of luck was crying for him? He imagined having to go through four years of regret. Going to class everyday with his head down... Uhm, it didn't seem like a good idea. Nope, he wouldn't want that. But he really had no idea the treasure spirit was just upset it lost its most valuable item. And it was hoping for Collin to tell Dean to go back and trade items. Well, regardless, Collin ended up explaining to him all the different types of paths in the world, and all the many ways you could go right regardless of any direction you chose. Dean had a feeling in his gut he had made the wrong choice.

The bell rang, and the hallway shook.

Collin escorted him to the lunchroom so Dean didn't end up lost in any of the other doors.

He waved him adieu at the second floor. A beautiful and gentle hand grabbed his shoulder. Luckily, this time it was his other shoulder.