Chapter 1: Clash at the School Office

This room wasn't made for interrogation, but for Lucas Martin, it felt like it was.

This time, inside the School's Office, it was he who will face the wrath of the Principal —he who was told to have burned the school's canteen.

Sitting on a much smaller chair, he looked over the Principal with unease, who sat on a bigger chair in front of him. The only thing that separated them was a table.

It was serenely silent, but a movement that wasn't from him broke the freezing chain of unmoving.

The Principal leaned his back on his chair and slightly moved the pen he was holding. "So tell me," he stared blankly at him.

When he came here, it was the first speech that he had heard, but came from the person he hated.

His face hasn't changed a bit —still looked like an old man. He wasn't that old, though, to be a dad. Despite knowing him for so long, the authority within him hasn't changed. His skin still has this dark tone —a tan that suited the grim personality that irritated him.

"How did you start the fire?" the Principal continued and expressed resentment with his voice. "Who helped you?"

Hmph.

If he hadn't known Mister Vacio for a long time, he would be scared of his reputation for having very strict rules. What is it to him if no one would dare to anger the renowned Principal of Aspho High? He doesn't want to know.

A moment of silence echoed loudly in the almost desolate room. Mister Vacio stared at him in disgust as if frustrated that he remained tedious while he kept his calm demeanor of a mute that won't speak any words.

As he cannot sit properly, he just clenched his jaws. The way the school kept him pestered made him think he was somewhat special to them. Also, the sore sight of the Principal provoked every nerve in him, but he decided to remain calm.

"I don't start any fire!" he almost shouted while sitting on the chair, wiping his face. It was tiring already, and it made him push himself on his chair. His messed up, pink hair almost poke his eyes. He felt that on his forehead rolled a drop of sweat.

Hmph.

Who cares if he was talking blatantly to a Principal? If that was a very brave move for someone, well, it wasn't for him. He has gotten into bigger problems than this.

No one can tell him that he can't shout like that into anyone's School Principal. It wasn't his thing for letting anyone control him.

"It wasn't done by anyone," he insisted as he felt Mister Vacio won't believe him, "and neither do I."

He rested his right elbow on the table Mister Vacio had his hands on. He stared at him as if provoking him to do the first move.

But none of them tried to speak a word. Too bad, but this Principal shouldn't expect him to blow it out.

A deafening dead space covered the whole room. It was eerie all of a sudden. He was looking when the Principal gazed perpendicularly straight at him. Again, he tapped his pen onto the table. It became awkward.

"So, there's no one starting that canteen fire…?" Mister Vacio tapped his pen once again. He can't read any hesitation on his face. It appeared that he was trying to break the ghost-quiet ambiance.

It felt like a command for him to answer quickly. If this man thought that because he was the Principal was enough reason for him to be obedient, he was mistaken. Why won't he check the CCTVs if he wanted to know who started that canteen fire?

"Yes, Mister Vacio."

A quick answer he just did to give delight to the Principal's irritated face.

But he was mistaken.

Mister Vacio's anger became more evident towards him. He slouched down and leveled his eyes. Right now, he can stare at him in level. There was a meter away from both of their faces.

If one of them can't sustain eye contact, then, that one probably lost this interrogation. One of them must have been lying in here. Maybe it was he, who kept telling that he didn't start the fire. Or maybe he, who kept asking him as if he didn't know.

"Then, was it a magic that burst out instantly?" Mister Vacio's arms exclaimed something mimicking an explosion. He leaned back and slightly swung his chair towards the right. Was it for him to feel intimidated by how he maintained his grim?

Maybe not. It seemed like he cannot suppress his anger. He can see the eagerness within him that wanted a punch to let out. But knowing him, he will control his temper. Still, it showed, as his teeth were grinding relentlessly.

Laughable.

That made him relieved and thought that maybe he had engraved an irritation to the Principal.

Yes, he let him study here for free— but what now? It was his free will and not his pleading. Who will stop him from giving him a hard time? He also caused him that.

He was staring in focus, not until the door behind him opened with a loud creaking sound of a hinge.

He noticed that the Principal was also shocked, as when he would turn back to check the door, he barely saw the Principal do it seconds first. But recalling what he looked like before he turned his head back, the Principal may appear calmer than him.

As the door fully opened, he saw who entered the room while hobbling. Standing with hesitant feet and watered face out of pressure, he, who interrupted them, rested his right hand on the wall and supported his almost collapsing body.

His cousin, Moon.

"Lucas! Have you caused trouble again?" Moon, at the door, said with worry, almost stopping midway through his entrance, closing his eyes as if regaining his breath, heaving a sigh.

He appeared to be plastered with suspense as he opened his eyes. But their sights didn't meet. It's as if he was looking at the Principal, but he has no care to peek at him if he was. His focus was on Moon, who appeared cold and scared.

If he was truly staring at Mister Vacio, the holding back that appeared on his face was reasonable. This Principal was the honored Mister Vacio as they call him —he who allowed him and his cousin to study at an academy. Knowing Moon, who was being discovered by the Principal, he would remain polite.

Moon…

He saw him look at his foot which seemed to support his body barely. His brown hair left a shadow on his pale face. He was far more problematic than Moon, as to why his cousin vowed to not become like him.

But Lucas regained his calm demeanor and whimsically turned his gaze back at the Principal, whose brows were meeting with an arch. Now, his cousin was involved. Curse that.

"Mister Moon Martin, please do leave the room while the Principal is counseling." Mister Vacio emphasized.

Something was unsettling with the Principal's voice that he cannot explain to himself. It was this uninviting tone that was hard to chew off.

"I'm sorry, Sir," he heard his cousin.

But to Lucas, his gaze can be traced as silent advice. He pitied how Moon would be associated with this mess. If he could only say, "Moon, get out of this mess while you can," then he would.

On the other hand, Mister Vacio's redundant uninviting, and grim look made an impression on him. Lucas can't identify that kind of facial feature. It was mixed emotions that looked like he has no emotions at all. He narrowed his eyes trying to read those expressions.

Then, he doted on him as he opened his mouth.

"Moon, your cousin was such a troublemaker as always." Mister Vacio started talking, playing with his pen in his hands again. That boastful certainty with his words —he never minced any of them and managed to talk straight like he knew what to say to provoke him. "I've decided that he will be transferred into White Day High. It's near the city's vicinity. He was now expelled within all of Aspho High!"

What the—

"Why? Why did you do such a high punishment?" He rapidly stood straight in front of Mister Vacio's face. His calmness gradually vanished and was replaced with anger.

What Vacio has said… He didn't like that. It was problematic!

Startling him, Mister Vacio also stood and supported his body with both of his hands resting on both the table's edges. He had kept himself lowered, to level his height. His eyes were razor sharp.

He can now read him. He was also starting to be absorbed with anger. His eyes were saying something like: no young student can degrade his years of being a renowned and strict Principal. But he had mistaken to think that he will bow to him.

That was a huge mistake.

In retort, he marked an intense gaze at the Principal, as well as the Principal at him. He was trying very hard not to punch the Principal's face with his previously itching fists first. His presence alone triggered his anger issues. He wanted to eradicate him thoroughly until his sight can never be seen anymore.

But he held himself back for Moon. Despite appearing calm, he knew that Moon was furious as well. If his cousin had known something like this, that he did something that wicked him, he has to be nice and don't do such a thing as well. Noting this case, he has to say especially to Mister Vacio.

But the Principal didn't move a little and had the guts to guard his ground. His stares were provoking him. If he hadn't known him, he will think that he can devour him as a whole, without even mincing or chewing him. But he cannot scare him this time.

With the staring contest halted midway already, he narrowed his eyes as he stared at the Principal. Mister Vacio's grim aura looked normal to him. It didn't create an intimidating attack because it was his everyday—

"Sir, I will go with him!"

A grave statement he heard from Moon. He couldn't help but turn back and saw his cousin's face was cold and full of certainty.

Curse you, Moon. What's on your mind? If he wasn't required to be formal, he would have crippled his cousin right away, more of killed Mister Vacio, and ran away with it. Because at this point, it was not scary but boring.

Not until he heard the Principal hiss in anger. He looked at him. It appeared as if Mister Vacio had reached his limits! He banged his pen onto the wall, and with a loud voice full of anger, "Then go away! No one needs the two of you. Even the gods will spit you out of this school!" he inaugurated.

He gave the Principal a cold laugh. He interpreted what he had said as hilarious. Really? There's no God in this world.

Hmph.

"Doesn't need us?" His voice was domineering. "The school kept us pestered in the past just to get the two of us back," he ended with a little laugh he intended to disgust Mister Vacio.

He awkwardly looked back and turned his eyes at Mister Vacio's right shoulder. A fire started at his sleeves immediately! The smirk widened on his face. That was what he deserved: to be burnt as well just like their canteen!

His smirk declared his clear victory over the Aspho Principal. If the Principal doesn't need the two of them, then, there's no sage reason for him to need him, too. He never needed everyone's sympathy and he has no time to settle things kindly with Mister Vacio. He has to commence things out for an end.

Mister Vacio displayed an obvious panic. The startling he did was as if asking how could he stop a starting fire that was set on his sleeves. He tried to shoo the fire but it doesn't wear off of him. Laughable.

Fortunate for him, it doesn't burn his skin, for it was just a little fire. It also didn't scatter, as per Lucas' consent. If it wasn't for Moon being here, worse than this could have happened. But as he peeked at his cousin, he was disappointed that he has gotten petrified by merely that.

"A fire?" Moon gasped, as if his nervousness revved up, and began walking out of the room before he banged the door.

It made him close his eyes but quickly shifted his gaze back to the Principal. It was the two of them again that were left inside this room. The fire on the Principal was still with him.

Making a move to insult Mister Vacio even more, he stepped slowly toward the Principal while maintaining the grin he used to wear after he has set fire to him.

The Principal kept shooing the fire on his sleeves while Lucas now rested his arms in the same position where the Principal's hands rested earlier. He posed dominantly and slouched lower, looking up insultingly at the Principal.

Now, it was he who have the upper hand in the cold war they were in. This delight of getting payback was a must to be felt.

"I can start a fire with great rage," he tried scaring Mister Vacio and tried blowing wind at the fire on the Principal's sleeves. To his intention, it doesn't die, and turned to stare at the Principal with a malicious smile.

Looking at Mister Vacio's helpless face, and low-key admitting to himself that he has the highest chance to win this talk, he fed himself with this fuzzy feeling of being a winner. It was gratifying. He can finish things by himself alone.

"Don't you dare make me angry again," he added as he raised his right brow, and tapped Mister Vacio's sleeves, causing the fire to burn out. That was the best irritation he thought he can cause Mister Vacio with exerting the least effort.

He moved back with his shoulders lifted and hands raised in a boastful shrug, declaring his triumph over the Principal, making his face more furious than before.

The Principal looked at him as if wanting a payback as well, as the smoke started to appear on the sleeve of his tuxedo after the fire on his shoulder had burned out.

He had seen what he needed to see. He turned back from him.

When he started walking away, Mister Vacio exploded with a loud rant. "I won't forget this, Blaze!" he shouted mildly, but it sounded like a deliberate holdback.

He stopped his right foot from leaving the floor and suspended his left which was on the lead. Blaze?

He didn't turn. He doesn't want the Principal to read what he was feeling. "Blaze?" he asked while trying very hard to hush his laugh. "My name is Lucas Martin."

"Don't underestimate me, Blaze Harper. I knew everything that has to be known. Either this life or the past's."

He neglected this joke as he faced back the Principal with narrowed eyes, brows arched. "Blaze Harper, huh? What a disgusting name of yours!" He added and turned his gaze at the vase on the table, and it was suddenly being set on fire!

He saw a sudden shock reappear on Mister Vacio's face but quickly regained his grim. It looked like he was trying to maintain it, not until he saw the smoke coming from his hands: the aftermath of flames.

"But true to that name…" he stared at his smoking right palm, intentionally scaring Mister Vacio, "Blaze truly suited me."

But that doesn't scare Mister Vacio anymore. It was like he was smiling with an ace on his sleeves by now. "It's you… The past you!"

What was that?

He decided to walk out of the room. This old man spouted nonsense already, and it was none of his business. He just grinned, and was about to open the room's door, until—

"Leave our school as soon as possible, Fire Monster!" Mister Vacio shouted as if he can't help how he provoked him to retaliate, instantly popping out in front of him, and holding his neck by his right hand above his head, lifting him to the floor.

How?

He was in evident confusion and panic, trying to release his choke. It can't be! He has to end up the victor of this. Mister Vacio has to admit his loss! But…

"How? How can you—" he repeatedly tried to be freed from Mister Vacio's choke. It caused a whimper on his neck, resulting in him having a hard time breathing. "You teleported?"

This chokehold felt like he has no control over the situation! He has to leave him!

He was then dropped off instantly from the choking! With his knees bent after he fell and not able to stand for a while, he looked up at the standing Mister Vacio.

"I'll leave this hell from now!" Lucas was up to prove that he can still win over Vacio. He felt his lips hurt after saying that, and a taste of blood reached his tongue.

Mister Vacio stared at him as he tried to stand up as if belittling him. He kept this irritating face for a while. It's not his years of being a Principal that will threaten Lucas.

He did finally stand up and cleaned his slightly bleeding lip. He glared sharply at Mister Vacio. He opened the door, and before leaving the room and closing it back into a loud shot, he furiously retorted, "We will settle this soon…"