Ascent [ 4 ]

Kai's thoughts immediately went to enacting his plans. Patting Jack on the shoulder, "Okay, let's get started. Ascend."

However, to his surprise, Jack instantly shrugged off Kai's hand. He was startled. They had agreed to join him, hadn't they?

'Did Jack just go back on…"

Before Kai could finish that thought he head speak in a panicked tone, his face reflecting his worry, "What about Ms. Anderson and the others?!"

The younger teen was agitated. He was thinking about the rest of his class. What would happen to them? Who would tell them their plans?

"Ah! Shit…"

'How could I forget…' A twinge of regret flashed across Kai's face, but he didn't have the leisure to think about it. There was no time to think so he blurted out what came to mind.

"Get them to enter with you. We'll meet up in the trial."

Kai then saw a violet vortex form above his head. He tightened his grip on Sia's hand, not wanting to be separated from her when entering the trial.

Steadying her breath, Sia prepared herself to enter the trial, calming her nerves like she had always done at the start of each of her competitions. Whatever they may face, Sia wanted to be able to perform to the best of her abilities.

Jack tossed over his one-legged camera stand to Kai upon seeing the vortex. He knew that was probably going to take them to the trials. As such he used his quick wittedness to give the two something they could use to defend themselves with, , "Here, take this…"

Before the rest of his sentence left his lips, a streak of red came out of nowhere diving in to tackle the couple. Then in a blink of the eye, they were gone without a single trace. It hadn't even been 10 seconds since Kai spoke the word "Ascend."

"...use it as a baton… and they're gone…"

Jack stared blankly at where they had stood, all alone. He had been left behind. Thankfully he had not been swallowed along with them.

'It seemed like being "in physical contact" was accurate…'

It took him a second to recollect himself and get his thoughts sorted.

'That must've been…"

Jack caught a glimpse of the figure who had rushed in to try and save Kai and Sia. That figure had red hair. The only person with red hair that had any incentive to save the two of them would be Sammi. 

He would hardly believe a random stranger would just jump in and save them. A red haired one at that. Especially when they don't know what that vortex entails. It was more plausible that a person would try to help their friends out of danger. Or so Jack deduced.

And it was such. Sammi had made her way over, through the crowd of people, to get them to regroup with the rest of the class. She was about to call out to them when she heard "ascend" come from Jack's mouth.

Then she saw a distortion above them. Without another thought Sammi's body moved on its own, erupting into a sprint. As she got closer, it became more evident that something was about to consume them.

'Is it an invisible monster? A portal? Some sort of explosion?'

Sammi didn't know, she just had to reach them. Reach them. Once she reached them, maybe she could save them. She didn't want to lose them.

It would haunt her. 

But would she make it? As soon as that question popped into her mind Sammi saw a terrifying sight, the vortex expanded. 

'Oh no!'

It was about to engulf them. At that moment her fight or flight instincts kicked in. Adrenaline pulsed within her veins, she launched her body to tackle them out of the way.

She did not fully grasp what was happening, but after witnessing everything that had happened in the past 5 minutes, Sammi became paranoid. This paranoia led her to her current reckless state.

As such Sammi crashed into Kai and Sia as the purple vortex transported them into the Ascension Realm. Fortunately for Kai, he managed to catch the one-legged stand before the impact.

…

…

…

Jack heaved a sigh of relief after the stand disappeared alongside the three. 

'Well, at least now all I have to worry about is getting the rest of the class to the Ascension Realm.'

But how was he going to convince them to enter?

He wasn't a reliable pillar of support that people could lean on like Kai, nor did he have Sammi's charismatic personality and leadership skills. Lastly, Jack didn't have the air of confidence that Sia seemed to naturally exude.

By all tense and purposes, he was the least competent of the four. Being the youngest in the class also didn't help with his situation.

What could he say? What should he say?

He couldn't possibly ask them to join them in the trials that may or may not lead to their deaths. Although Kai had been able to give out some reasonable arguments to join the Ascension Trial, even he could not reassure Sia and Jack of their safety.

Jack didn't know why Kai was so insistent or where his confidence came from, but he knew he could not convince the others to agree with something he himself was not fully sold on. His classmates would instantly see through his less than sound reasonings.

Especially Shirayuki, who was keenly perceptive of people's emotions. A single change in expression would be all she needed to tell how you were feeling.