39. I Didn’t Give Up

~Test Hall~

"What was that just now?" Hiro asked staring at the ceiling.

He was on the floor, faced up. He didn't know when he fell but he remained there trying to figure out what he saw.

"He is awake," a hoarse voice said. "Do get up let's proceed with the test. If you are unable to continue with the test, you will have to forfeit,"

"I'm good to go," Hiro muttered and struggled to his feet.

He looked around and was first greeted by thirty six who still had her nonchalant expression on her face. Beside her was thirty seven who had finished her test while Hiro was unconscious. Thirty four and thirty eight (the other boy) remained beside the pillar stuck in an illusion. The man on the other hand was at the end of the room opposite the entrance.

"The time for this test is up, so let us proceed,"

The man snaps his fingers and instantly thirty four and thirty eight were freed from their trance.

"Huh?"

"Hmm? I'm back,"

Respectively, thirty four and thirty eight gasped, looking around the room, with widened eyes.

"Follow me,"

The man instructed as the wall behind him glides open, leading to another room. He walked in and the quintet followed behind him. Inside the room was a huge orb, standing at 6ft high and was 6ft wide. Within the orb were lights of different colors.

"Enclosed inside this are several spirit flames. What you need to do is, place your hand and see if you are able to attract anyone of them. After that, I'll release it and you will try to integrate with it,"

"Integrate?" Thirty seven asked.

"Sorry wrong choice of word. You'll try to refine and make it your own,"

"And if we fail to do that?" she asked again.

"We move on to the next test. Be warned, if you notice you can not, give up on it. It's better to be alive than to be dead. You may begin,"

The man steps back and watches as the five of them walked up to the orb. He was satisfied to see that they didn't hesitate even after hearing what he had said.

Thirty eight was the first to place his hand. As soon as he did, five lights flew toward his palm. They hovered around for a bit but after a while three flew away. He smiled at them and wondered. "Will I have to refine both?"

Thirty four was next, and he got no reaction. No light flew toward him. "Hmm, bummer," he sighs.

Next was thirty seven. When she placed her hand, several lights flew toward it. Her lips curled into a smile and her eyes beamed with joy. "Which one do I choose?" she thought.

Hiro came after her. He placed his hand and just like thirty four, there was no reaction.

"Luckily, I'm not the only one," thirty four thought while looking at Hiro.

But he was soon disappointed. Flying over from the center of the orb, at a fast visible speed, was a dim red light. It was so dim, it made one feel it would go off at any moment.

"Sigh, even that is better than none," thought thirty four.

Finally, thirty six placed her hand. Her facial expression still nonchalant as ever. The moment she placed her hand, almost every light flew to her. The many light before thirty seven and the two before thirty eight were no exception. They flew like crazy, clustering the space before her. Some twinkled like a star in the night sky, from time to time, as if trying to catch her attention.

The man's lips curled to his ear. Thirty seven's jaws dropped. Thirty four tried to hide a smirk, but wasn't able to. Luckily, no one was looking at him, to see his terrible facial expression that had formed from trying to hide the smirk. Thirty eight sighed bitterly.

"There goes my chance of getting a spirit flame,"

Hiro on the other hand was confused. He didn't understand why all the lights flew over to thirty six. Only a few light remained where they were and his own was one of them. Though he was happy, he wondered why it didn't go too.

A moment later, something shocked everyone. As fast as they flew over, all the lights clustering in front of thirty six flew away. It was as if they were a herd of antelopes fleeing for their lives.

The man's smile capsizes as all the lights returned to where they came from or flew further away from her. Thirty seven couldn't help but flash her white teeth at the lights that had returned. They were fewer than before but she was still happy. Thirty four covered his mouth with his palm and strangled a laugh. He just couldn't help it. Thirty eight on the other hand hugged the orb. Extremely delighted that the two lights had returned.

Thirty six tried to remain nonchalant, but eyes twitched involuntarily. Yet again, Hiro was confused.

"Those who didn't get a light, step back," the man said and walked up to Hiro. "Those who got several, choose the one you want while we start with him,"

He stretched his hand at the dim red light. Hiro watched as a white hand appeared inside the orb and grabbed it. The man pulled his hand back and the white hand came out.

It was a huge hand and in it was a red flame. A flame that looked more of dying embers than a flame.

"You may begin,"

"What do I do?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out,"

The white hand lowered to Hiro's waist level. It faced the ceiling and it opened up, releasing the red flame.

Hiro looked at it for a while before stretching his right hand toward it. The red flame moved toward his hand, until it kissed it. Hiro felt his palm burn. It was painful but it wasn't unbearable. The flame wrapped his arm like a snake. Taking a deep breath, Hiro closes his eyes.

"That's strange," the man voiced inaudibly and watched as the flame glided up Hiro's arm. It went up until it reached Hiro's shoulder and wrapped around his neck. "It wants to kill him?"

The man stretches his hand to take action when a disembodied voice sounded in his head. "Do not interfere,"

"What? That was head master's voice," the man thought and whispers. "Headmaster, it is a strange spirit flame. This boy may die,"

"It's a dying peak grade spirit flame. There's something in the boy's body it wants, that's why it is energetic. Whatever that is, must be something that would save it. A child's life for a peak grade spirit flame, I am ashamed to say it but… it is worth it,"

As soon as the voice replied, the man's eyes widened. At that moment, the dying flames ignited and it burned bright. The man couldn't believe his eyes. It was just as the head master had said. The ember flame had grown bright and was still growing. It had covered the entirety of Hiro's head and it was growing over his body.

"If this continues, the boy really is going to die,"

Meanwhile, above the building, up in the sky dark clouds grew. And hidden among those dark clouds was a bright red orb. And in that orb were…

"Stand down vice master, we both know you are no match for me,"

"I cannot, headmaster. That boy was brought here by the old ancestor, if he dies, that will mean trouble for the academy,"

"She requested no special treatment, it means if he dies it wouldn't matter,"

"If only that were the case," the vice master voiced and swung his sword.

~Ting~

The head master greeted it with an axe and parried it. He took a deep breath and roared. "Do not let me get serious,"

"That boy's name is Enji Hiro,"

"Why are you telling me that?"

"Others shouldn't think about it but you and I should. There…"

"What are you yapping on about? There is no known family with the name Enji,"

"Yes, there isn't. However, there is a man called Enji, and he just adopted a son,"

"I am aware of that. The great Enji's son will be arriving tomorrow or the day after,"

"Why would the great Enji send his son to the academy?"

The headmaster frowned at him. "Because the Lu family did not accept him,"

"In that case, his son…"

"Will answer his name," the headmaster completed the vice master's words. "But he hasn't arrived,"

The axe in his hand disappears as he sighs. "Arg, until we confirm his identity we can't let him die,"

The red orb disappears and the duo turns down with a frown on their faces.

"How?" the headmaster asks."How did he get the fire off his head?"

"I don't know,"

…

Author Here

Hi guys, how are you doing? Wanted to thank you all for your support. Accept my biggest thanks. I promise to make this book worth every bit of your support. Don't stop and stay tuned