My last class for today ended at 3 in the afternoon. I had nothing else to do so I went to my clubroom.
The clubroom is located in the NGME building. It was more of an abandoned room than a clubroom since there were only two members in the currently unofficial club, The Exploration Club, hiking, camping, swimming, and etc. It even includes survival and emergency measures. A year ago when I joined, there were a total of 5 members including me.
Being in the club was fun, but unfortunately they were all graduating students, so after that I was the only remaining member. At the start of this year, I tried to invite new students but they only wanted to join after they knew that I’m the Ace Mage. It was insulting and I knew they weren’t going to take it seriously so I gave up. I tried to invite Allen and Anne but they won’t quit the track team. The club is still standing due to me being the Ace Mage and I get to take some quiet time alone here but deep down, it never bothered me for a fact that I’m a loner. Since then I’ve decided to invite those that will surely be helpful. The second member, Kei, is on a sick leave from an accident a month ago, even if he’s already recovered a week ago, so I’m the only one here.
When I got to the NGME practice hall, the students there were playing catch-the-wisp, they were all girls too. The goal of the game was to throw the wisp again as quickly as you get it. The wisp is made to explode if touched for more than 2 seconds or if thrown too fast. It was a risky game, so players always put up protection barriers beforehand. There was someone familiar sitting at the bench reading printouts and answering multiple papers, she was wearing glasses, she’s probably a busy person, but she seems to be from the same class as the playing students. So I thought that she’s being harassed to do their homework. This was confirmed by my own eyes and ears.
“Mika! Hurry up and finish those before Mr. Verst leaves the school!” one of the players shouted.
I thought so, social hierarchy. Just because one is weak and unpopular, they become the slaves of the insects on the higher social level. If having friends is like this, then forever alone is better. I was just about to pass through that cesspool of feudalism when the shouter earlier threw the wisp at Mika.
By instinct, I raised my hand and manipulated the air around the wisp.
The spell I cast took the oxygen away from the fire spell making it disappear before it got close to Mika. The fact that I’ve been bullied since grade school made me into what I am, I could notice stuff before it happened. I became vigilant, cautious, and better.
They all stared at me and there was silence for a while. The silence was broken when Mika got up and said “Ren Blake, the Ace Mage of New World International.”Her eyes were unexpectedly calm, seems like she’s used to this kind of treatment. The others in the practice hall just stood there motionless, unable to speak because of shame.
“Yeah, that’s right. Follow me to my clubroom upstairs, I have a proposition to ask of you.”
“But I have to...” I knew that she meant her “friend’s homework”.
I faced the shouter from before. “You, what’s your name?” She was pretty, I guess. But she has that same face my bullies used to after I pummeled them.
“M-m-my name? It’s R-r-resa.” she stuttered. I was sure she said a longer name but I only heard Resa.
“People who can’t do anything have no right to boss around those with talent. Hard work is good for you. It makes you better.” I said while approaching Mika and asked “Are all of these Resa’s?” while putting the papers in my hand. She replied a simple nod. I then incinerated the papers.
I faced Resa and said “Next time do your own homework, how can you learn anything if you don’t?” I turned around and decided not to go to the clubroom for today, so I went back the other way past Mika. As I went past her, she whispered “Thank you.”
I thought it was destined that I went through the practice hall today. I went out of the NGME building and I noticed the new vending machine they installed here yesterday. I checked for any ice tea. They had a green tea variant. I decided to try it. It tasted good. Maybe I could use another favorite vending machine. As I was walking towards the parking lot, I looked back to see Mika walk out of the NGME building and head to the vending machine where I’ve been, she wasn’t wearing her glasses anymore. I remembered why she seemed familiar. She was there at the hospital when I visited Kei some weeks ago. She must have been visiting someone too. I smiled at the fact that there might be a third member by tomorrow.
“You’re probably thinking that she might become a new member, don’t you?” said Jill from my vest pocket.
“I almost forgot you were there, Jill.” I joked.
“You’re obviously joking.”
“I guess so.” Jill always notices this kind of stuff or I might really suck at jokes.
I opened the compartment and took out my helmet, put it on and turned on the engine. The HUD came to life as it zoomed in on my location. The time was 3:20. I should better take the SUV for getting my mother. She might have brought tons of souvenirs.
“Set destination: Signal Tower.”
The HUD displayed the best route. I silently thanked the world for solving traffic.
It took about 10 minutes to get back to Signal.
When I arrived at the underground parking lot, most of the parking space has been filled. The SUV was colored matte red and the license plate said BLAKE. I opened the door with the same cardkey as my bike’s and entered the SUV. I haven’t used this since Lisa asked me to come with her and her friends to a summer camp last vacation.
I inserted the card key into ignition and started the engine. I went ahead and went to the gate again. “Please place your hand on the scanner.” I did as usual. The screen ahead showed the usual profiling. Then it asked the password. I quickly said it. Then the gate opened. It was 3:32. From now it would probably take about 25 minutes to get there. I activated the HUD display inside the car. “Set destination: NAIA.”
I got to NAIA later than I expected. It was 4:21 now. I parked near the entrance and went inside the airport. The terminal was more crowded than I expected. The notice board showed the flight from Russia bound for 4:25 hasn’t arrived yet. I went to a Starbucks and ordered a small-sized iced mocha latte and a brownie. I went ahead to the waiting lobby and looked out to the planes on the airfield. I watched planes lift off and wait while munching on the brownie. The sky was too dark for an afternoon, probably because of a monsoon. Then I saw it, a Boeing 747 with “Philippine Airlines” painted on it. It was the inbound flight from Russia. I quickly drank the mocha latte and threw the plastic cup to a nearby trash can. The P.A. announced that the inbound plane from Russia has landed at Gate 27. I went ahead to the waiting area and waited for the passengers to come out.
“We’re here at last.” John said. He looked over to Luna who was sleeping. “Luna, we’ve landed.” he said while shaking her.
Luna woke up as if she was just born.
“I was having a fun dream.” she said while stretching.
“Well, I’m interested to know what your dream is, but we better get to my apartment at Signal and set up our stuff.”
“Why do you have an apartment at the same building as our target again?” Luna said while adjusting her disguise.
“My parents bought it before I met you when they visited the country, the place was good, and they wanted a place here. In the end they died, I got the place to myself and a whole lot of other goodies.” he said sarcastically.
“Sorry for asking.”
“Don’t be, it doesn’t matter.”
The plane stopped moving and the pilot said in the P.A. “We have landed, folks. Please exit accordingly.” Then, the plane door opened from the outside. A flight attendant with an obviously fake smile was on the other side. Everyone quickly took their bags from the overhead cabinets and went out accordingly.
John went ahead first and Luna quickly followed suit. They got to Immigrations and John was the first to give his passport to the officer in the booth. A Filipino probably in his late-forties was stationed. The officer checked if he was illegal and asked “Are you here for business or pleasure?”
John answered “A little of both.” Then the officer stamped his passport and said “Welcome to the Philippines, Mr. Rivers.” John took his bag and went ahead. He looked behind and saw Luna to be the one going next.
Luna gave her passport and waited for the officer to ask the usual question. “Are you here for business or pleasure?” he asked.
“Neither.” was her reply. The officer in the booth gave her a puzzled look then stamped her passport and said “Enjoy your stay in the Philippines, Ms. Crescent.”
Luna walked ahead to where John was waiting. “Why is it you always say the same irritating crap? Adults don’t like cocky kids.” asked John.
“I enjoy looking at their faces when I say that.” Luna said while smiling.
They walked to the main lobby. There were a lot of people there. Most of them were reunited families hugging and kissing each other. Her trained eyes scanned through them for possible threats while casually walking. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Ren Blake looking at her direction.
What? How? Why is he here?
She looked over to John and saw that he also noticed Ren Blake. They both know that they shouldn’t act weird to avoid suspicion but this completely took them by surprise. She saw Blake react and walk over to their direction.
He recognizes us?! How?
Ren Blake walked past them and talked to another person that was on the same flight as they did. He had a striking resemblance to the woman he talked to. Luna deduced that the person he met could supposedly be Mia Blake, she was wearing a white trench coat, black slacks and leather boots. John and Luna signaled each other to keep moving. They went in Starbucks, ordered two coffees and sat an unoccupied table by the window. They watched as Ren Blake took his mother’s personal travel case. It looked a lot like the one Luna had left behind, she thought. Seems like Mia Blake had brought a lot of souvenirs since an airport staff was pushing a trolley filled with a lot of other bags while following the mother and child. They walked to the airport entrance and left.
“That was a shock.” commented John.
“More like electrocution rather than just a shock. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest.” Luna said.
“I never expected his mother to be on the same flight as we did. That was the weirdest coincidence I’ve had in my life.”
Luna pondered for a while before saying “There might be a reason for why this happened.”
“You think it’s a sign that they were here at the same time we arrived. Kind of like what the Scholar mentioned before.”
“It’s just another reason to take this one more seriously.” Luna said while finishing her coffee.
Luna got up while John finished his coffee. “We should go now.” John said while getting up himself. They walked out of the airport and into the Philippines. They got a taxi and asked the driver to go to Signal Tower. The driver said “Too far”, and then John said to take them as far as he can. They removed their wigs while the taxi was moving. The driver dropped them off at a street not far from New World International. John then asked the driver “How do we get to Signal from here?” The driver said in broken English “Take bus at NWI.” then he drove off.
“He forgot to tell us how to get to NWI.” commented Luna.
“Let’s just ask around.” John said.
The street they were in was undeveloped by the recent progressive years. They both knew they were in the slums, the worst place a foreigner should walk around in. The solar-powered lamp posts here needed repairs or replacing. Luna could feel stares from the darkness. Then she asked John “Do you think that the taxi driver deliberately dropped us off here, while thinking we’ll get mugged or something.” John replied “No I don’t think so. I’m still suspecting that might be the case. Anyway we should get to a more crowded place.”
Luna put her guard up just in case a degenerate mage appears. As if replying to her thoughts someone spoke in badly spoken English. “You lost tourist?” A dirty unshaven young man with tattoos on his body appeared in front of them. He was only wearing a green top and shorts. John replied “No, we’re not.”
“No, you lost.” said dirty tattoo.
“Beat it, creep!” shouted Luna. The “creep” didn’t react to this well and said “Give up your stuff.” John expected this and quickly lunged forward, punched the guy at the gut and finished with a spin kick, all of that in just less than one second. Tattoo was barely a challenge. He didn’t even have a protection barrier up. But this attracted a lot of attention. More people from the degenerative group started to appear. Most of them were in the age limit capable of magic or ESP and they were all holding blunt objects such as a bat and a crowbar. Some of the weapons seem to be enchanted.
“You are in the wrong turf at the wrong time.” said a guy in his mid-twenties. He was the only one wearing something that passes as decent clothing. Both John and Luna concluded that this guy is the pack leader. “Beat the American up, the chick is mine.” was his orders.
It posed a problem for the authorities that almost anyone has magic now. But even with the awakening of the New Generation, some don’t get natural abilities. They have to learn how to do it. There are those who abuse this power, victimizing weaker magic users or espers. Such example was this group, even though most of them don’t know how to use their abilities.
“You wouldn’t want to mess with us, asshole.” John said.
“I think I do.” Hooligan Alpha raised his hand and conjured fire from his hand and formed a fireball. He threw the fireball toward John but John dodged before it hit. Basic Pyrokinesis, he’s just an amateur.
The other hoodlums shouted stuff like “You got lucky!”, “You’re dead.”, and “Give up!”
Flame Creep threw another fireball but John caught it and made it larger. Some of the hooligans got scared and ran away. John raised the newly improved fireball and threw it towards the remaining assholes including their Alpha. They were all able to dodge and the fireball exploded behind them.
“We should get going before the cops’ arrive.” Luna said.
They left the flame-illuminated street and continued walking forward. An automated fire truck went pass them and headed to where they’ve been to. After a few minutes they saw the University. The gate was intricately designed and a “NWI University” was welded on it. There were two bus stops, one across the street and the one near the gate of NWI. The bus stop that they needed to get on to was right across the street from where they were. They got there and looked at the schedule for the bus posted on the bulletin board there, besides them there were two girls also waiting for the bus, probably students.
“There’s one coming in 5:30, it’s 5:21, 9 minutes left.” Luna said while reading the route the bus takes. It goes through the upper section of the district. Mostly, there are stops at nearby famous residential establishments such as the Lotus Gardens, Silverwood Estates, and Signal Tower. There is a 30-minute cycle for the arrival of a bus at every stop.
“Do you want to see more specifics about Blake?” asked John.
“Of course.” Luna took the folder in her hand and read Ren Blake’s file. “Ren Blake lives alone with his sister most of the time. Their mother comes home rarely due to job inconsistencies. He’s also the Ace Mage of NWI. His specialization is Transmutation but he can also use other specialties to a certain level.”
Transmutation as defined in a dictionary is to change one form to another. When defined as a magic specialization it is control over different forms of matter. Its strength is defined by the user.
“He’s one of the 15 people in the country that has more than one specialty and is also one of the strongest.” continued Luna.
“My gut says he’ll be interesting.” John said.
The bus was coming up now. John and Luna picked up their bags. It was a second or so before the bus came in front of them, it stopped then the doors opened. They went inside the bus. There were a lot of people in the bus, and they decided to sit at the back. The two students also sat at the back next to them. Luna’s instinct told her that they purposely sat next to them. The bus moved ahead when one of the students talked to her.
“We overheard you talking about Ren Blake, so we couldn’t help but ask if you know him. Oh, where are my manners my name is Theresa Beckett.” she then added, “And this is my friend Mika Yuzuriha.” she said while referring to the other student beside her.
“We’re both students at NWI. We met Ren Blake earlier this afternoon.”
Luna was interested to know how students see Blake so she asked “How’d you meet him?”
“Well, I was playing catch-the-wisp with some of my other friends when he humiliated me in front of them.”
“He’s a bully?” asked Luna.
“No, it was my actually my fault. I bullied Mika then. I was making her do my project when I...” Resa looked ashamed then so Mika continued.
“Resa threw the wisp at me and Ren dispelled it before it got close.”
“So Resa’s the bully and Ren is the hero, huh?” remarked Luna. “Then why are you two still together?”
Resa recovered and took the lead again. “Well after he saved Mika from being hit by the wisp, he destroyed my papers and said ‘If you don’t do your own work, how can you learn?’ or something like that. After he left, my other friends left themselves. Mika was the only one who stayed behind to help me calm down. Because of my encounter with Ren Blake, my eyes opened a little and I’ve decided to become better.”
“So by meeting him you changed to a better person.” John said.
“Um, who are you again?” asked Mika.
“By chance, were there rumors of a new instructor and a transfer student coming in tomorrow?” asked John.
“Yes, a lot of students were talking about something like that.” said Mika. Both Mika and Resa seemed to mull over this for a while before Resa said “No way, you’re the rumored instructor and transfer student?”
“Yes, we are the rumored instructor and transfer student. We’ll be joining you guys’ tomorrow.” John said.
The bus driver announced “Silverwood stop coming up.”
“Well, that’s my stop.” said Resa.
“Don’t worry. You might be able to see us tomorrow.” John said.
The bus stopped and Resa hugged Mika before saying her good-bye. She walked out and waved to Mika before she walked home. The bus started to move again. It was awkward to be beside someone like Mika. She emanated that I’m-a-quiet-person feeling, so it was hard to start a conversation with her. The silence bugged Luna and she spoke.
“Can I ask something?”
“Sure. What is it?” said Mika.
Luna rarely talks to someone in her age group so she doesn’t know how to converse well herself. But this was her chance to know more about Blake. “So, what course are you in?”
“I took NGME RDI. I’m a first year.” NGME RDI or New-Generation Magic and ESP: Research, Development, and Innovation is one of the only three magic courses together with NGME Anti- Crime Special Forces and Investigations and NGME Magic Special Forces. NGME RDI is a program for students that want to maximize their potential and have a mutual relationship together with modern technology and magic. While NGME ACSFI is focused on anti-crime police work, NGME MSF is focused to military applications.
“I’m transferring to the second year of ACSF, too bad. What club are you in?” Luna said. John faked her records so that she can get into the same class as Ren Blake and with help from the headmaster of NWI, he was able to make sure that she got there.
“I’m not in a club but I’m thinking of joining one I got interested in today.”
“Which is?”
“I feel like I’m being interrogated.”
“Sorry.”
“The Exploration club, Ren Blake and one other person are the only club members so it’s an unofficial club.”
“Ren Blake sounds like a good person, what do you think of him?”
“People say he’s a scary person, but I think he’s actually nice.”
“You like him?”
Mika blushed at what Luna said and she nervously replied “It’s not like that. It’s just that I owe him from back when he protected me. I just see him as a hero.”
Luna stared at Mika while grinning and said “It fits his name.”
“Excuse me?”
“His second name, Yuusha. It means hero in Japanese.”
“Signal stop coming up.” was the bus driver’s Announcement.
“Well, that’s our stop.” Luna said. “I hope I get to see you tomorrow, Mika”
“Yeah, me too, I’ll find you tomorrow.”
John and Luna got out of the bus and they both waved at Mika in the bus when it left. They walked over to the gate and a guard approached them.
“Sir, where’s your I.D.?” asked the guard.
John scuffled through his bag and took out an I.D. He then gave it to the guard.
“Sir, your I.D. has been expired for 9 years now.”
“The apartment belonged to my parents. It was passed on to me when they died. I went here once to complete the ownership papers. Then I went back home and never returned until now.” explained John.
“Just wait a moment sir, we’ll just call someone from the office to verify you.”
A few minutes later, they received a call telling them to direct John and Luna to the office.
“After you get to the split road, go left and you’ll see the office there.” said the guard.
“I know. I’ve been there before.” John said.
They walked over the cobblestone path, found a split road up ahead, and went left. They found the office but it looked more like a two floor office building. There was a guardhouse beside it. They went inside the door and asked the receptionist if they were expected. They were directed to go to the room on the left. The door had “executive manager” written on it. They went in and an old man in a suit greeted them.
“My name is Harry Cloudborne, but you can call me Manager Har. The residents at the tower call me that.” said the man.
“I’m John Rivers and this is my sister, Luna.”
“Yes, we’ve met before. You will have to renew your I.D. if you want to stay here, it’s just procedure.”
“I understand. What do I need to do?”
“A renewing fine is needed, 1,500 pesos per year, so 13,500 pesos. Your sister will need one too. A new one costs 750.”
“That’s understandable, what else?”
“We’ll also have to update your residency status. Another fee is required for this, about 1,500 pesos each.”
“Okay. Is there anything else?”
“We also have to re-connect your electricity and water supply, 3,000 pesos each. All your furniture is still there untouched but you will need to clean the apartment before you get in. We have cleaners here available but you pay them for every job depending on the size of your apartment. Your apartment is a two floor three-bedroom with two comfort rooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, balcony, and a family size living room. That’s 4,500 pesos.”
“Okay, send those guys in while we’re still talking so I don’t waste anymore time.”
“Er, yes of course.” Manager Har went to his phone and dialed a three-digit number.
“Send a cleaning team to apartment 2847, pronto.” He then dialed another three-digit number. “Re-connect electricity and water supply in 2847.”
“You seem to be used to this.” John said.
“I’ve been the manager here for a long time. Now then there’s one more. You and your sister will need to be registered in our security system to prevent one of those ‘unknown person alerts’, another fine of 2,000 pesos each, a total of 30,250 pesos.”
“I’ll pay through credit card if you don’t mind.” John knew that by using his credit card the others will know where they are, but it was just part of the plan. They needed to be followed in case of emergencies.
“Of course, you can do that in the accounting and records office.” Manager Har led them out of the room and directed them towards a room in a different wing. The room itself looked like a small bank complete with their own vault.
“What’s in the vault?” inquired Luna.
“Documents from the Tower residents, some keepsakes, and the usual cash.”
“Why do you need it? The residents can just go to a more secure bank.” Luna said.
“Our security here parallels that of any other famous bank. We even have a few tough mages as guards here.”
“Where do I need to pay?” asked John.
“The cashier booth there.” Har pointed to a small window on the wall.
They approached the booth and talked to the cashier on-duty. They paid their “fees” and went back to the manager’s office. There was a good-aged woman waiting in front of the door holding a manila envelope.
“This is their documents, yes?”
“Yes, manager.” replied the person.
Har took the envelope in his hands and said “Carry on now.” The woman walked away quickly. “This envelope contains your new residence I.D.s and two identical cardkeys. You can go to your apartment. The cleaners are probably finishing by now.” Har went inside his office.
The two of them walked out of the office building and went straight for the Tower.
“That guy Har had a lot to say about fees but not a lot about goodbyes, doesn’t he?” remarked Luna.
“You should have been here when I fixed up my ownership papers.” John said.
The two of them were now at the entrance. The place looked normal except for the oversized fountain up front. They flashed their I.D.s in the scanners and went inside. They went ahead to the elevator. There were ten of them, five to the left and five to the right. They approached an unoccupied elevator when Luna said “Is that a bar and a pool?”
John looked to see what Luna meant and was amazed by what he saw. There was now a deluxe resort-sized pool beside the tower and a large bar by its side. “Wow, this is new.” John said. There was only one person in the pool and three people drinking at the bar. One of the people in the bar looked familiar too.
“You didn’t say there was a bar here and an extremely large pool.”
“Well, 9 years ago the pool was supposed to be behind the tower and there wasn’t a bar then.”
The elevator dinged and they went inside. The elevator became different too. The walls were now glass and they could see what was outside. Behind the Tower was a small park with paved roads and a pond. “They certainly had a lot of improvement in the past nine years.”
They reached the 28th floor and went out. The place itself looked new. The maintenance crew must cost a lot. They went ahead to apartment 2847 and used the cardkey in the scanner. The room was newly cleaned and they could clearly smell the air freshener.
“Everything looks the same as it had before.” John said.
“You sure those guys didn’t take any souvenirs?” Luna asked since there weren’t any decorations.
“I’m sure. I took the decorations back home. I only left the furniture.”
John opened the window to the balcony and looked outside. The sun was setting now. He could see the pool clearly from there. The only person swimming in the pool was still there.
“Where’s my room?” asked Luna.
“The second door on your right.”
Luna entered her room. It was a small one with a bed and a cabinet. There were only gray sheets on the bed and her pillow was uncovered. “We probably should go shopping tomorrow for fixing this place up.” shouted Luna. They also needed more clothes since they didn’t have enough.
John was in the kitchen checking the electric stove. It refused to work and John said “Yeah, we also need a new stove and some utensils.” They were planning on staying here even if Ren Blake wasn’t the successor.
“Let’s order pizza for dinner tonight, or maybe some Japanese take-out?”
John took out a brochure he got at the airport and dialed the Pizza-hut number. “What pizza do you want?”
“NY meat lovers.”
“Okay, we’ll order 16’ NY meat lovers and a 16’ Hawaiian.” he said to the phone.
Luna changed her clothes. She now wore a tank top, shorts, and flip-flops. What was under it was a swimsuit. She walked to the door and said “I’ll go check the pool downstairs.”
“Take care.”
Luna walked over to the elevator that was going down and pressed the button. The elevator opened and a girl about 14 years old was there wearing a t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops. She had dark hair and her eyes were blue. Luna went in as the girl stared at her hair. The elevator closed and it went down.
“Hey, you new here?” asked the girl.
“Yes, I just moved with my brother.”
“I thought so. If there was a beautiful silver-haired girl in this building, I should have known.”
“Are you going to the pool?”
“Yeah, and seems like you too.”
The elevator stopped at the 25th floor and a couple entered. They were going to the 15th floor. The elevator started going down again. The couple was talking to themselves and the girl with blue eyes said “My name’s Lisa Blake, I live two floors above you.”
Luna’s heart skipped another beat. It seems like coincidence have been following her since arriving in the PH. She tried to hide her surprise and said “Oh, is that so?” and then she chuckled. She thought to herself, if this girl is going down to the pool then there’s a good chance the familiar person in the bar is Mia Blake drinking to her heart’s content and the swimmer in the pool might be Ren Blake.
“What’s the matter? You spaced out for a while there.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. My name is Luna.”
The elevator stopped at the 15th floor and the couple walked out. The elevator closed and it moved again.
“You should meet my brother. He only has a few friends, so it’ll be good for him.”
“Is he at the pool downstairs?”
“How’d you know?”
“Just a guess.”
Lisa stared at Luna again before saying “Wow, just now you reminded me of my brother. You’re smart and good-looking too.
“Then you can call me big sis.”
“You really should meet my brother. You two could make a good match.”
They reached the ground floor. They went out and Lisa said “Well, if you need help or anything our apartment is 3018.” Lisa ran off toward the pool and jumped in it.