An exchanged glance. The language of looking at each other. Donovan and Aeris could understand what they were saying to each other just by nodding their heads at their own rhythm. They could now begin with their journey of finding their group members.

  Aeris: “Let’s begin then.”

  Not even a step and the bell rang loudly through the place. Students left like they were in a hurry, bumping shoulders with Aeris and Donovan carelessly. Some apologizing while others ignored it.

  Donovan: “How about we discuss this by call, what do ya’ say?”

  Aeris agrees by nodding and expressing a gentle smile. Now at home, they initiate their discussion.

  Donovan??: “Knowing the rules, we must get one non-booster for our team to be verified, right? Well, that’s gonna be our main priority. We must find that person. “

  Aeris??: “If we want to do that, we should ask separately to be quicker.”

  Donovan ??: “You’re right. And, something that concerns me a little bit is that teacher…”

  Aeris??: “What teacher? The one who explained the tournament?”

  Donovan??: “Yep. His presence seems obscure and dizzy.”

  Aeris??: “Huh? You’re being a little paranoid.”

  Donovan??: “I’m being serious. Aah, don’t believe me then, but I’ll watch him just to make sure I’m telling the truth.”

  Aeris??: “Up to you ?????♀?. I got things to do, I’ll text you back later.”

  Donovan??: “Sure, bye.”

  Aeris??: “Byeee!”

  Later on, they started chatting about the school, experiences, things they like. Everything you can count in a conversation when meeting someone. But… Would all of this matter in Unity Tournament..?

  The duo zigzagged through hallways, seeking people for their determined group. As willingly as they were, their expectations would slowly vanish from students’ responses. Aeris looked at two students with a gentle smile. But, they instantly turned around and moved on. She seemed confused, trying it out again.

  Aeris: “Hey ummm… Don’t you have a group for the tournament? We can-”

  Coldhearted Girl: “No thanks, I’ve got things to do.”

  Aeris: “Sure, no… no problem.”

  Donovan looked at her, patting her shoulder thrice. As the girl left, another student passed by. Aeris repeated her question and she got ignored.

  Donovan: “It’s my turn to ask.”

  Aeris: “Okay.”

  Donovan: “Follow me.”

  A noisy environment would not be appropiate for the duo to ask key questions. Now at the Unity Wing, a specialized building for cooperative activities, nervousness kicked in. 30 people were enough for them to just leave without saying anything.

  Donovan: “Yeah… I’m good.”

  Aeris: (Slight frown, with a glance) “Ugh don’t be such a boring taciturn. We have to try.”

  She grabbed his wrist and pulled him closer to follow her lead, asking the first student.

  Aeris: “Hey ya! I can sense strength within you, would you like to join us for the unity tournament?”

  Student 1: “Ehh… I don’t know.”

  Aeris: “Oh it’s fine, are you a booster or a non-booster?”

  Student 1: “I’m a booster.”

  Aeris: “Cool, cool! Join us then.”

  Student 1: (scratching his head.) “I’m… already in a group. Sorry.”

  Aeris: “It’s fine, have a nice day!”

  The student waved back as the duo passed by him, moving on. They asked random students once again.

  Aeris: “Hey! We offer an available space for you to join our group for the unity tournam-”

  Student 2: “Ugh, aren’t you that girl Aeris? No, hell no!”

  That student immediately left with her group as they mock Aeris.

  Donovan in his mind: “One more mean rejection and I’m shutting their shitty mouths up.”

  He presses his trembling fists in frustration, no words but pure action. Aeris looked at his fists concerned.

  Aeris: “Hey, you good?”

  Donovan: (Back to his calm behaviour.) “Hm? Oh yeah don’t worry, it’s just that I remembered something I have to do.”

  She acknowledge his comment without saying a word. They kept asking and asking to the point of giving up. After 2 hours of relentless search, they sat down hopelessly.

  Aeris: “I guess we won’t find a formidable group… We might have to do the tournament by ourselves.”

  She leans on her arm, retorting as if she were asleep. Donovan touches her shoulder and expresses his thought.

  Donovan: “Us? Alone? It’s a possibility but.. It’s best to follow the rules for no inconvenience.”

  Aeris: (Nodding) “You’re right…”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Before they could plan out to challenge other students all by themselves, a frustrated voice resonates within the corridors.

  Apathetic Student: “Agh, for God’s sake. You’re very annoying, get out of here, sheesh! Who the hell wants to pair up with a useless girl like you?! What do you do, huh?!”

  Kind girl: “I… I support people-”

  Apathetic Student: (Staring at her.) “I. Don’t. Care. A. Bit.”

  One of the friends of the disgruntled girl throws sauce at the kind girl, freezing as a response. The group laughed at her as they left, humiliating her. Aeris and Donovan where late, seeing how the group walks away with nothing more to say. The brown-haired girl with sauce on her face sees how the duo approaches, laughing at herself carelessly

  Kind girl: “Oh don’t worry, those are friends who like to make jokes… And we are in the week of jokes… Ha… ha… ha…”

  Aeris: (Pulling napkins out of her lunchbox to clean the girl.) “We heard a part of what they said… You’re seeking for a group. Well! Can’t wait to kick them in th-”

  Donovan: “Beware of who you surround yourself with. Cute faces do not equal to kindhearted actions and manners.”

  Aeris: “Aaaand you’re all cleaned. Anyway, my name is Aeris, and he’s Donovan. We’re seeking members to join our group for the Unity Tournament.”

  Kind girl: (Nervous.) “H-huh? Me? I don’t know… I’m not popular or talented, I’m not good at anything. I don’t even know what I’m good at.”

  Aeris: “We are not popular either. Or well. Until now.”

  Kind girl: “Until now? Wait, what was your name again?”

  Aeris: “Aeris, Aeris Juno.”

  Kind girl: (Astonished, slowly backing away.) “You’re the girl who kidnapped the ninth-graders a-and?!-”

  Aeris: (Sighs, nodding her head.) “I kidnapped them because I was controlled by a, friend. Let’s say. However, I did not kidnapped them for the reasons everyone is thinking of. It was all to find this dude.”

  Aeris extends her hand in a diagonal position to express her search for Donovan.

  Kind girl: “Him? You kidnapped them all for HIM? WHY?!”

  Aeris: “It’s… a long story. I’ll tell ya when the right time comes.”

  Kind girl: “Oh I see. Don’t worry, I can understand you. I’ve been misunderstood too, many times. By the way, my name is Liora! Liora Marchetti! Nice to meet you!”

  Liora shakes hands with Aeris and Donovan as they began a casual talk.

  In a delightful, embracing earthy-themed room where air circulated goodly, Lawrence focuses all his attention in a crucial moment, about the files he stole from Hjalmer’s real base. Hovering couple of names of said to be dangerous individuals. The previous files catch his interested he would not sleep for days; He has not seen any of this his entire life. Becoming static when seeing a peculiar file. A file named “-.-. --- -.. .” showcased a 4-digit password. Knowing it would take all day, Lawrence tries to bypass the code with his hacking skills. Successfully accessing the video, he played it with no expectations. With an static black screen, a young, somewhat raspy voice is projected.

  ???: “I have been looking for truth… And when I’ve got caught, they stopped me, telling me to wait. Obeying all this time like a snail’s eternal trail. coughcough

  The person continues to cough aggressively, as the static noise fades all sound as the video ends. Lawrence remains silent, playing it once again as he records it with his cell phone.

  Lawrence: “This voice… It’s kind of like Hjalmer’s… Is it him?”

  His doubt makes him open another file with an interesting title.

  “FIRST STEP TO THE ALTERATION PROTOCOL”

  Lawrence approaches to the screen slowly, scrolling as he read the steps. Each page became more horrifying; Despite only being the first step. When he read the last paragraph, somehow he started having a headache, remembering himself being in a eerily, twisted hospital. Quickly closing the file, he searches on his disorganized desk a USB he had prepared, connecting it to his computer o transfer all the files to the USB. However, one file could not be transferred. “This file can’t be downloaded, would you like to skip it continue your transaction?” Lawrence accepts without thinking twice. A few seconds later the specialized antivirus somehow got disabled. He remained calm, opening the program, but… The silence let the overheated laptop’s fan be heard. RAM and CPU were filled. It was astonishing, since Lawrence only had his website and music playlist open. He panicked, quickly disconnecting the USB to turn off the PC. For his surprise, when he held the power button to turn it off, it didn’t! It overheated further until it caught fire. Lawrence sprinted to the living room, searching a fire extinguisher. He found a relaxed Eleorona scrolling through her phone. She saw him desperate, asking what was going on.

  Lawrence: “Damn it! Where is it, where is it, where is it?!”

  He didn’t response, keeping his mind only in the fire extinguisher.

  Eleorona: “HEY! What’s wrong? What are you looking for?”

  Lawrence: (Looking at her.) “THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER. I NEED IT RIGHT NOW, WHERE IS IT?!”

  Eleorona got up and lend him the fire extinguisher in just two seconds, Lawrence desperately sprinted back to his room, cleaning out fire. Eleorona patiently climb the stairs, reaching to Lawrence.

  Eleorona: “Did you spill soda on your pc or what?”

  Lawrence: (sigh) “No, no. One of Delta’s file corrupted my PC making it overheat.”

  Eleorona: “What?”

  Lawrence: “Yeah. I started looking at this files to find something different. All of those files contained either enlisted names or incomplete structured plans, but, there was a file which described an atrocious method to manipulate a booster’s emotions. To finish it off, those seven pages where only the first step.

  Eleorona: (Closing and blinking her eyes, astonished.) “W-what? Control a booster’s emotion?”

  Lawrence: (Nodding vertically.) “Maybe telling Donovan and Aeris about this could, you know…”

  Eleorona: (Nodding horizontally.) “No. It is not the time. That tournament is… sigh “

  Lawrence: “Do you notice anything odd from that tournament?”

  Eleorona: “Unity Tournament seems to be an event to union boosters and non-boosters for good, however, it holds an innocent, but promiscuous feeling like a Cerbera odollam.”

  Lawrence: “You’re telling me the Unity Tournament is possibly a trap?”

  Eleorona: “50/50.”

  Having Liora got their rised their optimism to search for more members. So, what to expect from here on? Finally hiring two more members? No, hell no. They all rejected them. Liora saw how neutral Aeris and Donovan were, cheering them up to search for more.

  Liora: “Don’t give up guys! Patience is virtue! We’ll get two more members if we keep going!”

  Donovan: “Agh, let’s do it tomorrow, there’s no need to continue. I’m tired of searching expected answers.”

  As they walked carelessly, a basketball bounced at a unique rhythm. The echoed rhythm came from the gym, picking the trio’s interest, peeking through the wide-open gym doors. Inside, a tanned, athletic boy with sunglasses practiced alone. Dribbling with a controlled rhythm, making Donovan step inside the gym. The tanned guy suddenly sprinted forward, jumping vertically with an exalted expression.

  “HAAA!!!”

  The ball slammed through the hoop with a tremendous force. He celebrated with the energy of a king. He turned to the group with a grin.

  Energetic guy: “Hahaha! Did y’all see that? Damn, I wish it was recorded!”

  Liora: “Yeah, it was great. Maybe we can convince you of something.”

  She looked at Donovan and Aeris, gesturing for thhem to explain, but instead…

  Donovan: “Oh, are you going? Explain it to him.”

  Aeris: “No, no, you’re the leader. Come on!” Donovan: (Almost whispering.) “But you explain it better!”

  Aeris: (Following his tone.) “Yes, but you know in detail what we can do!”

  Donovan opened his mouth to reply back, only to be cut off.

  Liora: “Agh! For God’s sake, you two are hopeless! I’ll explain.”

  She quickly laid out the Unity Tournament proposal: What were the goals, team details, strengths they were looking for.

  Liora: (folding her arms) “…And that’s all. Any questions?”

  Energetic guy: “Pft. Hah. That’s, that’s it? That’s everything? Really”

  He spun the ball slowly on his finger, eyes narrowing with a disappointed tone.

  Liora: (Quick blink.) “Uhhhh… yeah?”

  Energetic guy: “No, no, no. That’s now how I’m joining. I don’t just join a team like that. I have to know who I’m fighting with.”

  He tossed the ball under his arm, stepping forward until he stood before Donovan.

  Energetic guy: “You. Blue jacket.”

  Exchanging gaze, grinning at each other.

  Energetic guy: “Basketball match. You win, I ask for one favor, whatever I want. You win, I join. Deal?”

  Donovan: (stared at his hand, then his face.) “Deal.”

  Energetic guy: “By the way, my name is Luka Beaumont.”

  Donovan: “Nice to meet you, my name is Donovan Ivanel.”

  Luka: “Good. Let’s make it interesting then.”

  Chapter 10 ends...