PREVIOUSLY;
Meeting with Nafika only brought more questions to Neon's mind. "Do not wander during the 7th hour, Neon", the warning echoed in Neon's head all day, he's hardly learnt a thing but he won't mind. He's the kind of person that can be patient, and who don't find it difficult to catch up with the easy stuffs. It's the hard stuffs he's bothered about, and this "7th Hour", "the Merge phenomena", "the Hunter's Mark", and "other Hunters"; he couldn't be patient any longer with regards to these matters.
----
Hall AMCE03-3F (The Course Hall on the 3 Floor of Com. Engineering Department Section)
Neon still lost in thought, when suddenly; he was interrupted by Prof. Lorenzo's Call.
"Now Mister Neon, I see you have the tendency of daydreaming every now and then in my class"
Lorenzo remarked with a deep and matured commanding voice, the kind that would get everyone's attention even in the center of a supermarket.
Every other student that was following up turns around to stare at Neon at the back. At first he wasn't aware of his current predicament, until he noticed how quiet the hall had become; Lorenzo wasn't speaking anymore so something must be wrong he thought.
"I'm I in trouble?" Neon thought, a little nervous with all eyes on him.
There was one eye in particular that was more shocked to see Neon in class than any other; Yes, it was the eye of the girl with a parasol(umbrella) besides her desk; the one Neon met along the way to campus.
"Oh my Gosh!!! It's – It's him!" The girl thought as she couldn't stop panicking in her boots upon this revelation.
"umm, my apologies – "Neon attempting to weave his way out
"I will accept your apology, but only if you can answer this question" Lorenzo interrupted Neon. Then he points to a nearby student using his marker (the digital pen he uses to write on the Hall's screen during lecture)
"You, Walter. Let us assume Mr. Neon is now your professor in the Course – New Techniques in Programming. What say you ask him a question, the same you did just now"
Suddenly the whole class starts grumbling as Walter stood up fixing his beige tie, all formally dressed and with a maddening smile on.
"Silence! I will have no random chatter in my class" Lorenzo commanded immediately, the class silent once more.
*Walter Cunningham; just the opportunity he thrives on, embarrassing his mates is his forte, not exactly your popular guy; must be making a lot of enemies in his early college days. Can't believe I'm task in rebuffing his question. It is true he's an annoying brat, but he's bright, intelligent and will probably make it big in life, I will give him that. My concern now is his question; it won't come easy"
"Hehehe, I've always wanted to see what his face will look like when he's cornered; oh how I will relish this moment" Walter thought to himself.
"Now, Walter; go on, we don't have all day" Lorenzo said.
"When using STLs in Modern Languages, it is easy to navigate through the entries with our new method call Navigate. Now, my question is this; given our Navigate function is polymorphic, what drives the core of its polymorphic nature?" Walter asked.
*It was a very difficult question, that needed a simple answer, but I had no idea where to start.
"darn it, I know Eclipse asked me to keep a low profile, but if I don't maneuver my way out of this mess, it'll scar me for life" Neon thought to himself as he looks around the hall.
Everyone was silently counting on him to get it right and put Walter in his place, the girl though had a worried expression all over her face. She was one of the 4 Girls in the hall.
"Now Mr. Neon, I feel I should remind you; if you don't get this right, you'll lose 10 points in my upcoming assessment, that is 30% off the marks you were to obtain in general. That way, you'll think twice the next time before daydreaming in my class" Lorenzo said.
*Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Lorenzo
"I am yet to Fail to answer his question Sir, how long do I have?" Neon enquired.
"One minute, nothing more" he replied.
Walter chuckled deviously. Neon smiled faintly.
"Let's see…" Neon activates his Mind Read ability.
"hahaha, there's no way he's getting this right, I can already feel the anxiety, the pressure is all over him like roaches on leftover garbage hehahah" Neon didn't find this thought helpful.
"Poor Neon, he's going to be a victim of another one of Walter's antiques. I wish there was a way I could help him out…" Neon learned he has a new admirer.
"well, knowing the right answer would've been helpful; might as well just cut the chase and go for the hotspot" Neon thought as he then stared at the professor.
"Walter Cunningham, always trying to sully his mates' reputation. It will not win him many friends but he won't care. Now Mr. Neon, how much do you really know about the new iterate operator, the pio-sigil (the pio-sigil is a new symbol in this world, and it's the answer to the question)" Neon finally found something helpful.
"you're wasting our time. What is the answer?" Lorenzo getting impatient.
"…it's the new iterator, the pio-sigil" Neon replied.
The whole class waiting eagerly for the prof's remark. Walter was shocked as he knew the answer to his question already.
"Good. You can sit down, you too Walter. Stay attentive next time Mr. Neon"
Lorenzo asks them to sit as he walks back to the digital screen and continued his lectures, explaining the functions of the pio-sigil operator in much detail as the class soon realized why Neon's answer was correct.
"Grrr…" Walter restless, angry with how things pan out as he constantly grits his teeth.
"Well, that was tense, but I don't get it; the pleasure in someone else misfortune, why does it please him I wonder" Neon thought to himself as he finally follows up the course, his mind taken off Nafika's warning.
The Parasol Girl keeps staring at him for the remainder of the class, she's now lost in thought thinking about Neon.
"wow, he's so cool, I never should've doubted him, not after what happened on the way here, how he was capable of deducing my thoughts" The Girl couldn't keep her mind off Neon.
-- It was now break time --
Based on the College's structure, each floor had mini roadways on each side that can take you all the way to the various sections of the college besides the Main Elevator tower. These mini roadways had pods instead of lifters. Pods with 5 seats that travels using a specified path. It was a futuristic thing (well it is real in TCC). The 3rd floor corridor were crowding with students, some sitting on the corridor benches sharing lunch, others gambling and placing bets while some people were just discussing hot topics, gossips and fun. Neon was all alone though as he was on his way to the pod station.
"Prof. Samantha's second class is my last for the day, should get some fresh juice, it'll take some concentration to follow after her" Neon thought as he searches his wallet for some coins.
Going through his wallet, Neon found himself in the available pod without noticing the person he got in with. His head wasn't facing forward. It was just the two of them when the other person besides him activates the pod to drive. Neon didn't find this normal as others were coming to join him in.
"huh, we're already moving…but- "Neon thought as he looks back out and see other students taking a different pod.
"Well, if they have a pod then no problem I guess"
Neon closes his wallet after removing 7 coins, then he looks around the pod and find someone leaning on the opposite side as they travelled to the canteen.
The person then smiles and lifts his head up, his hair was clean black, and like an anime character it was a bit spiky, soft spiky on his forehead. His eyes lit up with crimson and he had this cold feeling with a fair complexion. his dressing was a tight fitting black shirt, and dark jeans, light white sneakers for shoes, easy for running and stealth. Everything about him says danger. Neon soon realized, he was in the presence of a supernatural.
"Yo" The person greeted with his wide smile on.
Neon steps back a little without changing his gaze on him.
"The Name is Seyhn. (pronounced as 'sane')" His voice sounded like he's about to cry, its cracked and crooked, but that just makes it more menacing.
He said and suddenly Neon found his arm on his shoulder and Seyhn was already behind him. He looks ahead and sees as the Image in Seyhn's previous position was just fading away, a mirage.
"Forgive me, but, you'll have to be come with me now"
"Wha- "Neon didn't finish the word as both of them were warped somewhere else entirely.
The pod arrives at the canteen empty and people were wondering why, then it turns around, making the return trip back up.
-- The Other Reality --
In this reality, the world was grey, there was no sun, no moon. The atmosphere makes it always seem like it'll rain heavily soon, it was cold; it looked abandoned, and it looks like an illusion. The air was lighter, and time seems to move slightly faster here.
TCC {PR} -- Ruined Chapel of Nailia {OR}
Nailia – The Former Holy City, was the other reality of Tarline and at the location of TCC in the Present Reality, in the other Reality we have the Ruined Chapel of Nailia.
The torn blue carpet besides the altar, Neon suddenly appears, he was shocked where he finds himself, as he looks around panicking. The building had crumbled and shards of glass were found on the floors, broken stones, half decorated pillars and dirty flower petals on the floor. Everything indicates a once great beauty brought to ruin.
"…where I'm I? "Neon said as he looks around.
"Ha ha ha ha, Welcome to Nailia's Ruined Chapel-" Seyhn got the laugh as he appears a fair distance away from Neon.
"Neon."
he completes his sentence as his expression suddenly becomes vile and he stretches both arms wide as a blue kind of energy was suddenly vibrating around him. His voice sounded my intimidating than before. The voice of a cold blooded Assassin.
"Tsk, it's you!" Neon takes a huge step back and takes a stance like he's trying to defend himself.
"This will be a good place to die, don't you think?"
The aura pressure getting heavier as the Chapel floors were vibrating heavily as if hit by an earthquake, Neon experiencing the pressure.
"A place where souls are offered Redemption, from all their vices in accord to their virtues; such far-reaching conditions to be met I must say" Seyhn chuckles after the last phrase
"I've never liked these places to be quite honest with you"
Seyhn having a terrifying monologue as he slowly approaches Neon who all he could do was take steps backward, scared of the presence in front of him.
"then why did you bring me here?" Neon asks with unease.
"For the lives you've prematurely ended Neon, I am here-"
Seyhn said as he was bringing this 2 blue aura infused palms together close to his chest the half broken pillars around the ruined chapel scattering all the more, the floors cracking.
"TO SET THEM FREE!!!"
Seyhn yelled as he smashes his infused palms on the chapel floors and 3 blue flame beasts with horns were resurrected besides him, angry beasts with large fangs and sharp ended tails. Their claws could rip diamonds to shreds as they growl to intimidate their foe that is Neon in front of them.
"What the Hell!!!" Neon was terrified of what's happening in front of him.
"hurhh, hurhh"
Seyhn breathing heavily as he was bleeding from his mouth, then he wipes off the blood with the back of his right hand and stood up smiling at Neon.
"your sins has finally caught up to you Neon. You can never really get away with murder as you think." Seyhn said with a smile on his face.
"What do you mean?" Neon enquired, and trying to buy some time to think of a way out of this grim situation.
"We've been watching you Neon"
"We?" Neon confused
"Belinda (Neon's real Mother), Kross (his real Father), Jena (kid Sister), Oneil, Freda, many names, many lives you've taken; as a supernatural. You took judgment into your own hands, those who you feel betray you die, an amusing Candidness wasn't it?" Seyhn asks the rhetorical question.
"why didn't Eclipse notice him sooner, why is he still in restriction mode; where is he?" Neon thought as he couldn't contain his edginess.
"Trying to call on your Hunter? what a pity; he will do you no good in the presence of my Fiery Beasts" Seyhn trying to belittle Neon's desperate attempt to survive.
"Really the best case scenario is if you die in one piece, now where's the fun in that; I mean, you most certainly didn't hold back when you stake the hearts and beheaded those you've made fallen, why should you be spared the same treatment, truly infuriating" Seyhn said as he shook his head left to right.
"What are you talking about? I never- "Neon trying to protest
"Save your excuses for when you meet the Maker, it is my duty, the candle light that illuminates your existence, I shall make disappear!" Seyhn spoke with huge promise as he stretches his left arm side.
"Now, my Fiery Beasts, END HIM" He commanded.
"GROOOOWWWWLLLL!!!"
The beasts all three of them dashes with maximum velocity towards Neon, with the zeal to rip him apart limb from limb as they leapt.
"DARN IT, ECLIPSE!!!!" Neon cried out desperately.
. END OF CHAPTER