Two days before the registration. Two days before a blossom. Two days before an ultimatum. After a long period of time when the War of Boosters concluded, The Kairos Legacy Institute brings back the Unity Tournament. More students enter the school to continue seeking members, as well as other discuss who to take advantage of. Donovan and Aeris walk up the stairs as they chat normally. Far away, a familiar voice shouts their names, it was Liora waving cheerfully. Luka waved slowly, with his eyes closed.

  Aeris: “Well, well, well, here are the noobies.”

  Liora: (joyfully) “Heyyyyy Aeris! Did you saw the message I sent to you last night?”

  Liora suddenly slid her arm through Aeris’ shoulder with a smug. Maybe Liora was trying to say something related to something or someone Aeris can’t stop thinking about…

  Aeris: (avoiding eye contact) “Uhhh no… I felt asleep.”

  Liora: (unamused) “Whatever.”

  Donovan: “Yo, Luka. What’s up with that soggy face?”

  Luka: “Don’t kn..ow… Jhust did nOT sleep ghood.”

  Donovan: “Pfft… And why do I feel trembles on the floor?”

  Luka: (opening his eyes quickly) “Sorry sorry I had my jégosgalia active without noticing.”

  Liora: “Yeah… I asked my mother what was going with him and she said his jégosgalia is slowly molding itself.”

  Aeris: “Ugh, I hate when that happens, last year I couldn’t adapt to Hjalmer’s moves… After a week, I felt more confident and passed the test. I don’t know what the hell happened. ”

  Donovan: “Did you overwork yourself?”

  Aeris: “Yep…”

  Donovan: “Tch. That Hjalmer must be hiding fom us. Anyway, we’ll see eachother at lunch, take care!”

  Liora & Luka: (waving) “Bye!”

  Donovan & Aeris waved back, going to their classroom.

  The economics teacher taught students the concept of inflation, an important topic which is affecting other countries slowly. As he taught, a resounding voice called students for an important meeting.

  Resonant male voice: “Hello, hello… 3,2,1… students from Kairos’ Legacy. The director has allowed a continuation of recruiting more people to prepare for the Unity Tournament. Please listen carefully the next instructions. Number one, a member of the group will temporarily have the leader badge. If your group is already full, there’s no necessity to exit class. Number two, places recommended to recruit is in the gym as it offers a big space. Number three, fights or encounters of Pulse and Peaceniks are forbidden. If we notice any discussions or fights, we’ll allow We desire a complete organized progression for Unity’s group registration. Thank you.”

  Liora: “Pssst, Luka!”

  Luka: (lifting his head up slowly, sleepy tone.) “Hmm, wha?”

  Liora: “You heard that, right?!”

  Luka: “Yeah?”

  Liora: “Donovan should do it!”

  Luka: “Why?”

  Liora: “Because I trust him!”

  Luka: “Ouch.”

  Liora: “That’s not what I meant! I think he’s great to recruit someone in just minutes, okay? I’m not insulting you or anything!”

  Luka: “Ok, ok, he’ll do it, jeez. I’m tired. Go tell him.”

  Beaumont went back to resting his head on the cold desk. Liora asked the teacher to let her go to Donovan’s classroom, giving her permission.

  When arriving, Donovan was already at the door.

  Liora: (fast speech) “Hey dude, you can be the leader, okay? We trust you.”

  Donovan: “Wow, wow, wow, calm down, I’m going to the bathroom. But okay, sure, we just need to let our teachers know.”

  Liora: (both hands with thumbs up) “Okie dokie!”

  Donovan: (turning to his back) “Uh teacher, for the recruitment I’ll be the leader placeholder representing the group of Liora Marchetti, Luka Beaumont and Aeris Juno.”

  Mr. White: “Thank you for specifying. The recruitment will begin in some minutes so be prepared.”

  Donovan: “Anyway Liora, excuse me.”

  Liora: “Sure sure, I’ll see ya, good luck finding that person.”

  Donovan gently hits his chest in confident way as he smiles to her. When entering the minimalistic styled bathroom, everything seemed quiet and peaceful. He could zip down his pants and let that waterfall get released, until a frustrated guy entered. Another guy opened one of the toilet’s door relieved from doing what he was supposed to do. The frustrated guy immediately noticed that face, suddenly trash talking him.

  Frustrated guy: “THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM? YOU’RE NO ONE TO TALK TO MY LEADER LIKE THAT.”

  Pacifist guy: “What bro? I just commented what’s on my mind. You don’t have to take it personal.”

  Frustrated guy: (getting closer) “What’s up huh? Come on let’s fight.”

  Pacifist guy: “No.”

  The two were behind Donovan, sighing from shouts and annoyance.

  Donovan: “Could you guys please take this somewhere else rather than the bathroom? This is not a place to fight.”

  Pacifist guy: “Absolutely, just an idiot would settle a fight in a place like this.”

  Frustrated guy: “The fuck did you said…?”

  The frustrated guy’s eyes started glowing gray, signaling an activated jégosgalia. Donovan quickly noticed it, zipping his pants up to handle the frustrated guy. However, the pacifist dodged an arrow imbued with electricity, piercing through a wall.

  Donovan: “Nice dodge.”

  Pacifist guy: “I released that nuclear bomb and now you want me to fight you? Jesus Christ, give me a break.”

  Donovan: “The hell are these factions even about?”

  The two guys turned their heads to the towering, skeptical Croatian.

  Pacifist & frustrated guy: “You don’t know?”

  Donovan: “Hell nah.”

  Pacifist guy: “Well The Peaceniks, the faction I’m from and the Pulse, faction this guy is from. We have different perspective on how we see the usage of the jégosgalia… We often end up fighting for who’s the best or what faction got the best jégosgalia.”

  Donovan: “Uh yeah sure, I’m not joining any faction.”

  Frustrated guy: “You’ll have to. And not because I’m forcing you, it’s because that’s how things are being managed recently, specially for the Unity Tournament.”

  Donovan: “What does the factions even have to do with the tournament? What makes the difference between in a faction and not being in a faction?”

  Frustrated guy: “You’ll see.”

  Donovan: “Whatever, don’t make any mess until captains are done recruiting more members."

  The Croatian left them minding their own business as he went back to his classroom.

  The professor hands a badge to every captain of the groups.

  Mr. White: “Remember, only 1 member of a group is allowed to recruit. Good luck.”

  Many left enthusiastic, exhausted and excited with many ideas of why the tournament is organized. But what they’re mostly eager about the reward. A reward that anyone would desire over and over. The golden-eyed teenager stood there, waiting for every captain to leave so he could begin his recruitment.

  Mr. White: “Anyway, let’s continue. Where was I at? Oh yeah, Mind Equilibrium…”

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  As Mr. White spoke, his voice faded away while Donovan closed the door. He puts his hands on his jacket’s pocket to wander off in the vast installations of the institute and find a clueless student who’s looking for a group recruitment.

  Donovan: (checking up his watch) “Okay let’s see… 10:28 A.M. I’ve got almost an hour to get someone on the group.”

  When walking to the hallway, he noticed booths created by students themselves just to recruit others in their group by having an allusive resource which psychologically makes them trust the ones offering?!

  Donovan: “…? The hell?! They just announced this. How these even got prepared in the first place? Maybe it was a booster who had the ability to hear from great distances. Or… eh I don’t know.”

  Charisma is a highly important key to connect with people. To know them, to understand their feelings. That’s how leaders easily convinced students without a group to join them. With ‘faithful’ words. But Donovan… He just stood there thinking to himself how is he going to convince someone to join him? Believable lies? No, he had to plan of another way to persuade a booster to join them.

  He walked through the allusive stands with a serious face. Other leaders would stare at him and rotate their heads as he walked by. But inside, his heartbeat got faster just by the looks.

  Donovan: “Geeeee I’m doing it I’m doing it!”

  His steps got quicker at 2 meters away from the end of the stands, recovering his relaxed rhythm after some seconds from the tingling sensations over there. At just 20 meters, there was a short, blonde haired girl with an Y2K outfit walking like a model. 6 meters away, eye contact.

  Donovan: “Hey, excuse me. The Unity Tournament will take place in some days and I was wondering if you need a group. I’m the leader as for now, we got 1 space available.”

  The girl would scan him from toe to head like she has never seen someone like him before.

  Blonde Girl: “Mhm, you’re…. Cute.”

  Donovan: (with a gentle smile) “Oh thanks, haha.”

  Blonde Girl: “I don’t know… I’m going to the stands to see if my friends got available spaces too. I’ll come back.”

  Donovan: “Sure, by the way, what’s your name?”

  Blonde Girl: “Kiara. Nice to meet you.”

  Donovan: “Name’s Donovan. Donovan Ivanel.”

  -both gently shaking hands-

  Kiara: “My, my. You got some strong hands. You exercise. 2 hours, 5 days a week.”

  Donovan: “Oh? Did you doxx me or something?”

  Kiara: “Pfft haha! Someone like you?”

  She laughed and slowly blinked with a flirty gaze.

  Kiara: “Possibly~. Anyway, I’ll be back, I guess.”

  Donovan: “Okay blondie.”

  When she was leaving him by, she turned her head, smilling with a wink.

  Besides the hallway, people on the second floor saw them talking for the first time which thought to themselves it could end up in two situations. They either get engaged or break up with some dramatic situations. At Donovan’s perspective, he saw Kiara asking her friend about something, supposedly the available space. She hugged her friend and went back to him.

  Kiara: “Got news for you… Um.”

  Donovan: “You accepted her offer, that’s okay Kiara. I’ll find another person.”

  Kiara: “Man, I wish I could’ve been in your group but she asked me yesterday… uh… Good luck finding that person though! I wish you the best!”

  Donovan: “Thanks a lot, anyways, I’ll get going.”

  Kiara: “Wait, hold on. You don’t mind if you…”

  Donovan: “Hm?”

  Kiara: “Number…??”

  Donovan: “What?”

  Kiara: (serious face, neutral tone) “Your phone number.”

  Donovan: “Oh that, here ya’ go.”

  Both of them exchanged numbers and there it goes again the stares.

  Kiara: “Thank you! I’ll message you after school, take care!”

  Donovan: “You too.”

  Since he couldn’t get Kiara in his group, he moved to the gym with no expectations. For Donovan’s surprise, stands were not there. Only charisma and kindness. Leaders with a great speech improvised with hand gestures, emphasizing a greater chance to get students in their group. Donovan despite being good at this when it’s just a small group, felt better to not blend in the ambient…

  Donovan: “Tch. Feels boring and odd. I don’t want to offend anyone here but… My group requires someone who is brilliant or has a good jégosgalia.”

  Seeing those people made him leave. They didn’t noticed him. Just another regular booster student. He blindly wanders through the school thinking to himself about many things that could happen in the Unity Tournament. Walking through the hallways, turning right, turning left to end up in the library. Gazing his surroundings, seeing the books… They called him. He was not sure why would he even be in the library, but he thought it would be a good chance to distract himself a bit.

  The institute preserves books and crucial documents to comprehend the never-ending history of humanity. From origins of how these concepts turned to be real to mournful scenarios that happen daily in the world. He slid his index finger through the spine of different books.

  Donovan: “The Concept of the Erased… Nah. Overcoming as a Non-Booster… They even got these books? Oh, Booster Records: The noble and the fallen. Hmmm, this can work.

  The golden-eyed teenager started reading the book in a random order to catch anything different from what they usually teach them.

  “Some boosters engraved their names throughout their brilliance of humanity, others would burn down even their slightest information about them for what they’ve caused. From what it was to carry a lethal jégosgalia in the palm of their hand. Simons Parker, remembered as ‘Killer Tempest’, tamed storms for the protection of his country. In contrast, Mark Vale scorched his sanity, all thanks to his jégosgalia. He consumed his allies and enemies, until nothing remained but ashes and dread. To remember them is not to honor nor condemn, but to remind: every situation carries its own despair.”

  Donovan scanned through the last line slowly, his lips moving silently before letting it slip out

  “Every situation carries its own despair…”

  From behind, another voice echoed the same line with tranquility.

  ???: “Every situation carries its own despair. Funny how true that is.”

  The golden-eyed closed the book and stood up firmly, facing the guy with curiosity.

  ???: “Just like any other book with advices, it recycles many perspectives disguised as philosophy. But despite it, the lines hints a booster’s nature. Useful to be aware of yourself too.”

  Donovan did not pay attention to what he said, he only stared confusingly at his chromatic-like eyes. It glimmered, just like the eyes of an Ivanel.

  Donovan: “What about it? Don’t you apply it?”

  ???: “I dissect my own mistakes, repeating them is mixing old colors with my current colors.”

  Donovan: “Can you speak normally.”

  ???: “You aren’t able to understand a simple metaphor? I didn’t expect an Ivanel to be this slow.”

  Donovan: “I did understand. You’re talking about how bad it is to mix your old decision-making with your current mindset. It doesn’t define how you are. And talk normally.”

  ???: “Talk normally? That’s how I talk. Well, informally.”

  Donovan: “That’s just absurd.”

  ???: “We are not getting anywhere, Donovan.”

  Donovan: (grabbing him from his shirt, unbelieving) “How do you know my name?”

  ???: “Emil. Emil Radi?. I have a physical jégosgalia type. See these eyes? Yeah, that’s my jégosgalia. Chromatic Vision.”

  Donovan: (letting him go) “Cool, cool. What does it do?”

  Emil: “You think I’m telling you?” Not unless you tell me why you’re here.”

  Donovan: “I’m just distracting myself a bit from recruiting people for the tournament… I’m not that good to persuade.”

  Emil: “Oh, the Unity Tournament. Pfft. If you ask me, it’s odd to bring the event at this time. And way more suspicious after you were gone.”

  Donovan: (raising his voice) “How… How do you know?!”

  Some students looked at Donovan with a neutral expression, catching their curiosity.

  Emil: (shushing) “Hey, hey, lower your tone. It is simple if you think about it. Gone for a week and come back after the news of some base destroyed in the Svetac Island. And the blue-haired girl appeared this week. Why wouldn’t that be concerning?”

  Donovan: “So? What if I was excused for a training session during a whole week? I have nothing to do with that.”

  The golden-eyed acted a little bit too tense… Emil remained calm trying to find out what was he hiding.

  Emil: “No, you have something to do with that. People told me they knew there was an old friend of yours who attented in this school too.”

  Donovan: (taking a deep breath) “What about it? None of your business.”

  Emil: “You look tense and you’re avoiding my commentaries with childish responses.”

  Donovan: “None of your business is a phrase that anyone can use. It demands privacy despite sounding mean.”

  Emil: “Since Hjalmer was gone, your colors swtiched to cold, dull tones. You didn’t became some popular kid like the majority. You choose carefully who to befriend to forget him and now…. He’s back.”

  The youngest Ivanel took a deep breath, tilting his head towards the exit to leave the library.

  Emil: “Here’s the real privacy. Now tell me what’s going on.”

  Donovan: “Okay, okay. I’ll tell you everything…”

  He gave Emil details about how it all started. From meeting Aeris, the TOPS to the incident of the Svetac Island.

  Emil: “Wait, wait, so why is Aeris here in the first place?”

  Donovan: “This was the only public school nearby her house so…”

  Emil: “And what about your sister and her friend?”

  Donovan: “Oh! True, now that you mention it, I gotta call them. They’re in Italy still investigating what Hjalmer intends to do.”

  Emil: (patting his shoulder) “Do that later. I’m in the group from now on.”

  Donovan gently smiles and gives Emil a strong handshake.

  Donovan: “Pleasure to meet you, Emil.”

  Emil: “I say the same, Donovan.”

  Donovan: “Anyways, I’ll go back to my classroom. What are you gonna do?”

  Emil: “I’m staying here in the library, I’m gaining more and more knowledge to learn that thing called Dvasinis Nexus.”

  Donovan: “Good luck with that. Took me some time to learn it too.”

  Emil: “Understood. Present me your friends later on, okay?”

  Donovan: (waving.) “Sure, see ya.”

  After his success, he returns to his classroom seeing the reactions of his classmates like they were…. Amazed or shocked. Even the professor paused his explanation.

  Donovan: “What?”

  Mr. White: (confused, almost fast speech) “Donovan it has only been 20 minutes since everyone left.

  Donovan: “Oh… Yeah I… Someone accepted my request. I don’t know about the others.”

  Mr. White: “You must have a peaceful presence because boosters in this school are not easy to handle. Anyway sit down. We’re almost finished.”

  As the teacher gave another boring explanation that could be better explained in a interactive way, Aeris tried to call Donovan’s attention.

  Aeris: “Psst!”

  That onomatopeia calling ain’t enough. Again.

  Aeris: “Psst!”

  His attention was still focused on the teacher’s boring explanation. She hesitated, she could get caught so Aeris pulled out a sticky note and passed it to Donovan.

  “Can we talk in the Dvasinis Nexus for a moment?”

  Their minds connected through the spiritual link. It was kind of like a telepathic instrument which required some concentration and linked energy.

  Aeris via DN: “How did it go?”

  Donovan via DN: “Great. I’ll present him to you when we’re on lunch break.”

  Aeris via DN: “Sure but what about Elen and Lawrence? I’m worried.”

  Donovan via DN: “I was casually going to call them during lunch. Let’s just wait until class it’s over and we’ll be there.”

  They disconnected their minds from the nexus, focusing on class.

  But then, the youngest Ivanel thought of telling it to Liora or Luka, it didn’t mattered who.

  Donovan: (raising hand) “Excuse me, Mr. White, but can I let my other comrades know I recruited someone else?”

  Mr. White: “Sure, sure, go ahead.”

  The golden-eyed teenager stood up and went to Liora’s classroom. Donovan knocked the door slowly and opened the glass door.

  Donovan: “Hello, sorry for interrupt but is Liora Marchetti or Luka Beaumont here?”

  Luka stood up without saying a word, though he looked dead as hell.

  Donovan: “Damn you’re still with that change huh. Anyway I gotta tell you that I was able to recruit someone.”

  Beaumont’s dead face quickly vanished and lighten up by the announcement.

  Luka: “Who? Who? I need to know!”

  Just like any other Beaumont, eagerness is a trait that runs in the family. He would grab Donovan’s shoulders of dying to know what student did he recruit. Maybe a cool one? A fighter? Another basketball player?

  Donovan: “I’ll present him to you guys on lunch break.”

  Luka frowns because he demolished his excitement in a dry way, switching back to his sleep deprived face.

  Luka: “Aight.”

  Donovan: “Let’s see if you get along with him.”

  Luka: (slight smile) “Hm? Well I won’t ask. I’d like to see for myself. Anyway, bye bro.”

  Donovan: “Bye, bro.”

  They bumped their fists and went back to classes.

  Chapter 12 ends...