Needing An Answer

'What the heck is going on with Zain? These days, he seems to be on edge. I wonder what is going on. And more importantly, why isn't he telling us anything? If I'm being honest, he is starting to ask more like Kayden day by day. First, it was during the inter-student competition, and then, it was the time when he had started hanging out more with that student with the tattoos.

'I just hope that he doesn't go ahead and do something dangerous or reckless that might make the academy put him under punishment. I can't just stand by and watch one of my friends get into trouble just like that,' Carter then started to think about that day when Zain had told him and the other about what Kayden had been doing.

Back then, they were all mad at him for keeping such a secret from them, however, fast forward over a month later, and everyone was currently getting ready for the challenges that lay ahead, doing whatever it required to ensure that they end up with the best possible outcome during the future expedition course.

Blake and Madison seemed to be thinking the same thing. They were all worried for Zain. Moreover, they had heard a couple words here and there about a secret society around the academy. Though they could easily tell that it was nothing but something that the students had made up to scare each other. Just how on Earth would a secret society be functioning in the middle of a military base?

It just made no sense, and also, there were the higher-ups and other military personnel, who were more than capable of dealing with whatever sort of threat that may be looming in the shadows. Still, their real threat was still the Shales, so everything else was kind of considered to be minor I'm the eyes of the higher-ups.

Eventually, the class had come to an end, and it was time for the students to head over to the cafeteria to have their breakfast. While in the middle of eating his, a group of first years had approached his table. Taking a quick glance at them all, he shifted his gaze back towards the sandwich in his hands, before taking a big bite out of it.

"I would like to ask you something," Kayden then said, swallowing down the large chunk of bread and an assortment of ingredients. "Did you perhaps go after Paul yesterday?" He asked, going straight to the point.

Of course, Kayla knew who Paul was-one of the five strongest students amongst the first years, currently their Titan three, someone who had a tracker class ability. She knew quite a bit about him, thanks to the intel she would constantly receive from the students who were loyal towards her, doing their best to dig up and gather whatever information they could get about each and every student at the first year level.

"Hmm… if I'm being honest, you got a lot of guts asking me a question like that out of the blue. But since you're in on all of this as well, I might as well tell you the truth," she said, taking a seat opposite him while the other students were seated in the other chairs around the table. "I didn't do anything to him," she suddenly said, taking a large sip of her drink.

"What? What do you mean by that?" Kayden asked, standing up from the table. Seeing his reaction, the others were ready to defend against him, but fortunately, he hadn't done anything, merely standing up from his seat after hearing the words that had come out of her mouth.

"You really had nothing to do with it?" Kayden asked, believing he had misheard her the first time. 'There's a good chance that she's lying. At the end of the day, she is under no obligation to keep me informed of everything she does. Maybe she decided to just keep this but away from me after the incident that had taken place with Zain.

'Perhaps she doesn't want me to flip out again, and just wants me to be calm and in control while we solve this mystery. She may not want to constantly have to deal with an out of control student simply because she was doing things which he hated. Who knows, from now on, she might only involve me if the person she wished to interrogate had no sort of connection with me.'

Thinking about all of this, Kayden was finding it difficult to believe her when she said she wasn't involved. Although he hadn't known her for quite long, he already had a good idea of her and how far she was willing to go to get what she wanted. She might as well go against all the first year students just to discover the truth.

"If you don't believe me, then that's not my problem. It's not like you can beat the truth out of me or anything like that. Remember, it's not like you are working for me by your free will," Kayla responded, her attention mainly focused on her lunch and not the student standing in front of her seat.

"Take that as a threat or simply just fact, I don't care," she said, eating through her breakfast peacefully. "But if you think that I'll willingly take such disrespect from you the next time, then you must really be asking for a beating. Remember that," while saying this, her eyes began to glow, and Kayden could feel a burning sensation around his neck, causing him to open his eyes wide in shock, before taking a seat back onto his chair.

'This… how good is this girl at using her ability?!' Kayden couldn't help but wonder, as he had completely lost interest in his breakfast, focusing all his attention on the red-haired student. He remembered back then, when Kayla was interrogqtibg Zain in her room. When the latter was reluctant to answer her questions, as well as throwing insults at her, she had used her ability in ways that Kayden never thought was quite possible for someone of her level. The same could be said for the time when she was questioning the student named Kumon as well.

'This girl… she truly is the strongest,' Kayden thought, while cautioning himself not to try and anger her while she was still at the level of being the strongest. He still had his plan of gaining strength, but for now, all he could do was be patient and wait for the right opportunity to come his way so he could take good advantage of it.

Meanwhile, while breakfast at the cafeteria was going on, another red-haired student couldn't stop staring at the Titan one. As a matter of fact, said student couldn't stop glaring daggers at her. His attention had been fully focused on her all day long. He couldn't focus on anything except the thought of dealing with her.

Zain was currently seated with all his other friends, however, There was another student seated with them as well. Madison wouldn't stop asking about his tattoos, whether they were actually tattoos, or if they were perhaps birthmarks. Hearing her question, everyone present couldn't help but feel like something was wrong with her. Just how on Earth could all of that be considered as birthmarks. And even if it had something to do with his ability, it wasn't like people were both with their abilities in the first place.

If that was the case, then humanity might have had a better fighting chance against the Shales. Instead, people are only able to obtain abilities using Mana cores, most of which sell at high prices on the internet. Though there are individuals who go about selling them on shady websites such as the dark web. Still, those still sell at high prices, as well.

Ever since a while ago, he and Kumon had started hanging out a little bit more. Of course, Zain wouldn't just buddy up with anyone. While his relationship with his other friends was based on mutual understanding, his connection with Kumon was based on something else. In the first place, it wasn't like they actually knew each other. They had just met each other within the confines of the academy.

He had gained interest in the tattooed student because he believed that the student had a way of gaining strength which would allow him to surpass the first year titans. Although he had his doubts about it, after the incident that happened during the inter-student competition with him and that second year, Zain had developed a more intense desire to pursue strength.

He had heard about Kumon through the rumors that the students would usually spread. He eventually found out that Kumon was able to fight against Paul and even managed to beat him in a fight, claiming his rak. At the same time that day, Paul had challenged him as well that very same day after receiving medical treatment at the infirmary, angered by the fact that he had lost his rank to such a student. He had managed to defeat him in the end, reclaiming his rank as well.

All of this had taken place a few days after the inter-student competition. Kayden didn't even have any idea of this. Zain believed that Kumon might have been hiding his true potential all this time. The fact that he was able to go against the Titan three, was something that Zain couldn't just overlook.

Though, there were still things that didn't make sense to him. For one, there was a time when Kumon had been challenged by two lower ranked students, and ended up getting severely beaten by the both of them, even getting his rank taken away from him in the end. And also, his personality and demeanor just seemed to be quite different during the last few days.

'What's wrong with this guy?' Zain thought, shaking his head. 'Why does he keep talking about a Shade business he plans on starting in the future? No one cares about any of that! And also, why does he keep staring at that table?' He wondered, glancing at Kayden, who was seated a good distance away from where he sat.

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I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.