"Are you okay?" Landon asked me for the umpteenth time.I nodded, averting my vision from the ground, to Landon."How did your challenge go?" I asked him, in order to change the topic.I didn't want to have him asking questions I wouldn't be able to answer.As expected, he got distracted.Landon smiled brightly, flexing his muscles, "Took down my opponents with the few moves you taught me. They didn't see the moves coming so it knocked them right out of consciousness. Learning to fight on so much sand did help me get even better with fighting on the floor."He finally learned the moves."Good. We will be proceeding."As I said those words, Landon took a stance, creating a distance between us and curling his hands, ready to attack."Before we begin…."Ivan knew Landon and I sparred regularly. He must have been watching. For the first time, I felt relieved my abilities were still unknown to anyone but Micah, Magda and Aki.If I had used them to spar with Landon, he would have definitel
"If you really do not want to do this, I'm honestly not going to try to compel you to." I wasn't expecting him to decide to help me even after getting to know that Ivan was hot on our tail so, I was half expecting him to decide to back out now."I said I was going to help so I'm helping." He answered in a tone of finality but it was still a little weird to know he was helping because he wanted to."Thank you." I have been using those two words more than I ever did on Earth, in Lath."Thank me when we're out." He glanced at me and offered a smile."What do they see now?" I asked him where we passed by a group of Specials who didn't bother to spare either of us a glance, much to my surprise.They would never not stop to look at me for being the weakest.Moreover, I was pretty sure Landon had managed to earn an even bigger reputation by taking down every one of his opponents today during challenge, like he had said.I knew he was making them see what wasn't real."Nothing." He answered,
Landon kept the illusions up until we returned to the training ground.Since we didn't have to stay for too long in the faculty, we still had enough time to train before my daily routine."So?" He smiled but I could see the exhaustion under his eyes.Now that I saw how much power he possessed and how creatively but easily he could use his abilities, I supported that he deserved a higher rank than D-grade.I couldn't tell him I didn't find what I was looking for. It would only make him curious to know what I had gone in search of.I didn't even know exactly what I wanted to find but it was definitely not the secret room in use by the Principal.What could he possibly do in that room?Why had he gotten rid of the other bed?Whatever he wanted to do, it had to be similar to what he had done to Zenin and my mother.But there was just one bed now?Was he experimenting on himself?Did he probably notice the folders that I stole?He didn't seem bothered when I saw him so he likely didn't eve
"Why did you never tell me anything about Ivan's classified ability?" I asked him upon entering his Universe."You didn't have to know about it." He didn't sound remorseful.Well, he wasn't obliged to giving me information about anyone in the academy."You said not to have myself bleed during the fight. Why? Ivan's ability only needed my sweat."He was hiding something and I needed him to tell me."It is your blood you should care for and not your sweat, Kastian." He sighed."He can take my form and use my abilities by just touching my sweat. He has no use for my blood." I argued."If you do not believe me then that's on you but I tell you, Kastian, it is your blood Ivan values and not your sweat." There was something dismissive about his tone.How does he expect me to simply trust his words when he wouldn't clarify anything?"You do the same thing to Landon." I ignored the tiny voice in my head.I hid certain information from Landon because it wasn't safe for him to know.He is simpl
Time passed by so quickly and soon, there was just one day left until my fight with Ivan.Aki, Micah and Langrid were handing out my last training session today.By the end of tomorrow, I would either still be in Lath, carrying out the proper obligation of a Special by going on missions or I would be thrown back to Earth.There was absolutely no way I was letting the latter happen.Everyone already forgot about me on Earth. Going back there would be worse than being here and being called weak.However Ivan was going to fight me, I was going to fight back harder and I was going to win."Before we begin, Kastian, I would like for you to constantly keep in mind that you have the strongest prototype and that makes you the strongest. Even when you weren't fully in control of your prototype, you were still as strong.""You were like a ticking bomb that could explode anytime. Ivan could only taunt you from a distance because even he knew what you could do and you proved what you could do whe
I released Aki and unchained Langrid.When I freed Micah of my mind, I saw the relieved look on her face."That was impressive." Langrid smiled as I healed them.This was the first time he was genuinely finding anything about me impressive.I never thought I would be able to defeat any of them when they decided not to hold back on me but I did.I guess I did have a chance against Ivan after all."Ivan wouldn't see this coming. Go harder on him and kick his ass.""Like I kicked yours?"Aki lifted his chin proudly, "Like you kicked mine."When they were all completely healed, I waited a while to heal too before we stepped out."So Ivan really can't see any of us?" I believed Langrid when he said he had put measures in place to ensure that we were always invincible when we gathered together.But I still didn't feel comfortable after Ivan had shown up."He can't, Kastian. Like I said, he's only trying to manipulate you before your fight with him. If you get too scared and back out, he's g
Once I was in his Universe, I created several replicas of myself.I saw his outline give me space to train.When my screen appeared, I changed my mind to train in his Universe rather than Lath.That way, I could try to get him to tell me more about Ivan wanting my blood since apparently, Micah, Aki and even Langrid knew nothing about it."Remember, they are no faster than you are. You created them, you can destroy them. Always keep that in mind."I created them, I can destroy them and I will destroy them.Without wasting any more time, I created a dagger using my blood and flames.This was the same thing that had weakened Langrid.I wasn't so sure the flames would do any real damage to my replicas since they were also made of flames but I was a hundred percent sure my blood would do a lot of damage."Don't create that thing. You might not get a chance to so it during your fight with Ivan." He advised and I heeded.I had no idea what rules that shithead might set so I must learn to fig
I got out of bed and took a really short shower. The water felt cooler on my skin and I kept icing up everything in the bathroom.It was a good thing I had flame abilities too.What was I thinking, believing that it would be as easy to get a newly unlocked ability under control as he made it sound?I took longer than I should to put in the academy suit because I kept icing up all of the suits.When I was finally ready, I made sure flames were at the tip of my fingers as I stepped out of my room so I didn't accidentally ice up someone.As I walked through the hallway, Specials kept making side comments and snickering as they stared at me.I guess Ivan and I weren't the only ones looking forward to this day.From the mocking smiles on their faces, it was obvious they had already concluded the fight but I didn't let that get to me.Today, I was going to decide my fate by myself.They had all made me understand that Ivan was going to try to mess with my mind but I wouldn't let him.I woul