For someone else

While few students paid attention in what they were being taught by their homeroom teacher, others spent their time chatting with their seat mates and friends but this neither bothered the teacher nor the interested students.

Among the students who seemed to be interested in the teacher's seemingly unending lectures sat Rafael but in truth, his gaze was what was on the teacher; his mind was occupied by something else. He was only jerked back to reality when he noticed that the teacher was speaking directly to him.

"Um?" He asked with a widened eyes.

"What do you think is the reason why you can't gather soul energy for someone else.

"Because you gathered it I guess." Raf replied without giving the question any thought. The thoughtless answer from him got his teacher dumbfounded for a while.

"Did his reply make sense even to him? I never knew him as someone so dull if this is how he has become then I think he is now a total jerk."

"How can you make such a rude comment about him? I still remember that after he saved our arse in our first year you began to think he was the coolest guy you've ever met."

"Yeah, that was then. Now, he is no better than a jerk. Are you angry at me for calling him that?"

"Don't ever go back on your words if he gets better."

"I know he won't."

"Then I will cover for him anytime he gets bullied like he did for us in our first year."

"You have said this earlier yet you did nothing even when you saw Bonny threatening him." Dora reminded

"I mean it this time. Erica said in an assuring manner.

After asking a dozen of other students the same question, their teacher decided to leave it for another day. "I advise you to research on it and give me a feedback in our next class. Good day!" He said then left.

"Jerry why don't you try to nourish your soul and get stronger?" Rafael who seemed like he just woke up from a deep slumber asked his seat mate.

"Because I think I can't."

"Have you ever tried?"

"Yeah but the energy always refuses to obey me no matter how hard I try." He replied helplessly but instead of pitying him, an idea popped up Rafael's mind.

"What reason did Mister Cornel give why we are not able to gather soul nourishment energy for someone else."

"He said we should research on the topic ourselves."

"Like he always does." Rafael chipped In with a dissatisfied look on his face. "Okay I will go and check it out in the library when we are done." He said conclusively.

"Yeah do it and tell me what you discovered." Jerry said in excitement throwing a wink at Rafael.

"I think the reason why you can't nourish your soul is because you are lazy just as you sound now. I wonder why you were selected into this academy. You should have been left alone to deal with those beasts outside like most other people" Rafael replied with a stern look hoping to vex Jerry but in response to that Jerry just giggled.