Kenneth endured the blazing heat and found himself face to face with the injured black feline. The wounds Kenneth inflicted on the panther were still there but they were healing. Strangely enough, the feline was unaffected by the Immortal Flame. Its eyes locked onto Kenneth as he closed in. Its gaze was less threatening and more of curiosity compared to the first time they met. Its long tail swiped to the side and then back, putting out the flame around it. It began circling Kenneth and putting out the blazing heat around them. Its jaw then opened. Kenneth's right hand reflexively reached for his lightsaber, anticipating an attack. Instead of a roar, a lady's voice was heard. "What's your name, child?" The black panther spoke! Kenneth was surprised by the sudden development, it took a minute before he could answer. "I'm Kenneth Fong." He slowly tucked his lightsaber back onto his belt strap. "Fong? That's not a very common name among these parts." The feline said. "It isn't. I'm not a Native," Kenneth began to relax slightly. "None of the Demon Edge wielders were. You're no exception. What brings you down here? To Madame Cornelia's treasure trove?" "Coincidence," Kenneth shrugged. The black panther purred and said "You're a funny boy. There are no coincidences." Suddenly, the ceiling began shaking violently and dust began to fill the enclosed space. "This place is falling apart. We should get going," The feline clawed at the empty space in front of it. A rift in space was created where its claws were. "C'mon," It beaconed Kenneth to follow it into the rift. Kenneth looked around and decided that was the best option available.
Kenneth was greeted by the cool breeze of the night as he emerged from the other end of the rift. There were faint shouting coming from below as he watched Spokes officers surrounded the Corona Fountain. "It's a beautiful night. Too bad for madame's treasures." The black panther stared at the commotion down at the Corona Fountain. The rift led them to the top of a small hill overlooking the old Southern Wing of Idan Academy. Kenneth sensed no hostility coming from the black panther and decided to gain more information regarding the items stolen by the stranger. "What were those items that they stole? They seemed pretty certain of what they were after." Kenneth asked. "Relic of a lost past. They are useless on their own but if the thieves truly know the purpose of those relics, we're looking at a new dark age if they were to succeed." The feline replied.
""What?! Seriously?" Kenneth exclaimed. "Good luck tracking down the relics, we shall meet again, young one." The black panther scratched it paw at the empty space in front of it, causing a rift to form as before. "Wait, where are you going?" Kenneth asked. "Nothing you should concern yourself with. By the way, you need to work on your footwork. You're swinging a long sword as if it was a short sword. Farewell, boy." With that, the black panther disappeared into the rift. Kenneth found himself alone in the quiet hill top. The commotion down at the Corona Fountain seemed to have died down. The Spokes officers were leaving after they cordoned the area. Fray and Cathy were missing from the site as well. Using his remaining energy, Kenneth hopped from tree tops and descended the hill.
Kenneth went to see his friends in the infirmary prior to returning to his hostel late at night. The gesture allowed him to sleep peacefully at night, knowing both his friends were safe. That night, Kenneth had the strangest dream. A full length mirror appeared before him in an empty bright space. "What the heck?" Kenneth stared at the mirror then around himself. The entire place was barren except for the mirror. "Hello, Kenneth. Welcome to long sword masterclass, I will be your instructor for today," Kenneth was startled by the voice coming from the mirror. He took another look at the mirror and found his reflection waving back at him! It caused him to flinch and leap backwards. His reflection moved closer to the mirror and the next thing he knew, it was standing right in front of him! "Are you ready?" His reflection said. "En garde!" A long sword suddenly appeared in his right hand and also his reflection's. "Whoa-whoa, what the heck do you think you're doing, buddy?" Kenneth grabbed the long sword with both his hands. "Training, of course," his reflection answered. "Let's start with the basic stance. Langort." The reflection bent its knees slightly and twisted its hip. Holding the long sword with both its hands, the reflection held its position and waited. "What are you expecting me to do?" Kenneth lowered his weapon. "Langort, also known as Long point. Is a good position for transition to a high cut or horizontal cut. Now, you give it a try." The reflection said. Kenneth shrugged and followed his reflection. "Good. Now we try the high guard," The reflection raised its sword high above its head and maintained the position. Kenneth imitated the reflection posture.
After teaching Kenneth the basic stance of a long sword, his reflection proceeded with the basic cuts. "How long is this gonna take?" Kenneth asked. "It won't be long," his reflection smiled. Kenneth sighed and picked up his sword. Kenneth was unsure how much time had passed when his reflection lowered its sword and walked towards the full length mirror. "Where are you going?" He asked. His reflection stepped into the mirror without replying. His entire world was plunged into darkness afterwards. The next thing Kenneth heard after a long moment of silent was his familiar alarm bell. He opened his eyes to his familiar hostel room with his smart watch showing 6.30 a.m. "What the heck was that even about?" Kenneth felt more tired than he usual does after a night's sleep. As he got off from bed, he felt his arms feeling sore, just like after an intense workout. Then, he recalled his long sword training during his dream. "Perhaps it wasn't a dream after all!" Kenneth thought to himself as he dragged his feet to the bathroom. After washing up, he went for his uniform and headed to his class. The classes went on as usual despite the incident that happened a day ago. It was a hot topic among his classmates. However, nobody noticed he was the one deeply involved with the incident at the Corona Fountain. "Hey, have you heard what happened at the Corona Fountain yesterday night? It got all the Spokes Dogs on their feet." Sal said. Kenneth merely shrugged and acted as if he knew nothing about it. "Guess you really are living in your own little world." Kenneth responded with another shrug of his shoulders.
Kenneth left for the old Southern Wing soon as his classes ended. He ascended the old staircases to the third floor where the club room was located. The old maple wood door creaked as it was opened. The light smell of incense filled the air as the door opened. The club president was the one who lighted them and the others had no complaints. Kenneth found himself alone in the club room as intended. He purposely came earlier than he usually does to prepare for what was coming. After setting a miniature Arc Net at a cupboard, he set the projector in place, facing the wall. He then replayed the recording of his encounter with the stranger underneath the Corona Fountain the other day. There was no mistake about it, the robbers knew exactly what they were after. There was another thing which Kenneth noticed about the robber that set the entire treasure trove on fire. The way he moved and his strikes, they were oddly familiar. Either way, he would soon find out. Fray came next, he had an arm sling over his left arm which was fractured during the fight with the Midnight Tail. "How are your wounds?" Cathy asked after taking a seat at her usual spot. "They are just minor scratches, no biggie." Kenneth replied. "You're seriously strong, to be able to fight the big cat." Fray praised. "I have a good teacher," Kenneth said. Soon after, Miss Rowena entered the room. "How are you guys doing? What actually happened at the Corona Fountain?" She went straight to the main agenda. "About that, I have something to show you guys." Kenneth approached the projector placed on the front desk. "What's that?" Fray asked. "It's an image projector that plays recorded images." Kenneth tried to explain it as simplest as he could have, knowing very well Fray wouldn't understand either way."It can do that?" "It's better if I show it to you," Kenneth said.
With the press of a button, the wall came to life with video footage of Kenneth battling the robbers and also the Midnight Tail. "What incredible sorcery is this?" Fray asked. "It's called science," Kenneth replied. Then, everyone remained silent except for the conversations between him and the robber. The short video soon ended and there was a concerned look on Miss Rowena's face. "From the video you saw just now, the robbers clearly knew what they were after right from the beginning," Kenneth pointed out. Fray and Cathy nodded. "The question is, how did they know we were there on the same night, at the same time?" Kenneth said and turned his gaze towards Miss Rowena. "Have you showed this footage to the Spokes?" She replied in a serious undertone and her face devoid of emotion. "Not yet," Kenneth answered. "Good," She said and the turned to leave. "Where are you going, miss? You seemed to have ignored my question. How the robbers knew we were there at the Corona Fountain that night?" "I heard you the first time, and I don't know," Miss Rowena replied. "I don't believe it! You're hiding something! Who else had all those information and know of our little detective activity," Kenneth raised his voice. "You think I was in on this?" Miss Rowena stopped and turned to face Kenneth. "Absolutely!"
"What were those relics and why were they so desperate to get their hands on them?" Kenneth demanded. "They are dangerous artifacts meant to be kept hidden forever." Miss Rowena answered. "That's a rather vague answer don't you think." Kenneth said. "I don't have time for this nonsense!" She headed for the door once more. But Kenneth intercepted her and blocked the exit with his body. "You're not leaving until I get some answers! Your actions almost got my friends killed!" "They survived didn't they? You managed to ward off the black panther with your sword, didn't you?" Miss Rowena pointed at Cathy and Fray. "That's my point! How did you even know I had the Demon Edge?!" Kenneth almost shouted out loud. "Move aside, you're wasting my time!" Miss Rowena tried to push Kenneth aside. "Don't make me do it!" Kenneth raised his left palm as a warning. "You'll regret this, boy!" Before Miss Rowena could cast a single spell, the Arc Net was activated, nullifying all magic in its vicinity. Then, Kenneth pushed Miss Rowena backwards and forced her into a chair behind her. "What are you doing?" Cathy stared in disbelief. "Getting some answers." Kenneth said and approached Miss Rowena while restraining her with his psionic energy. "You don't want to do this," Miss Rowena said calmly. "I'm getting my answers one way or the other," Kenneth's eyes stared right into Miss Rowena's. Just like his grandfather taught him, the shortest route to the mind is the eyes. The instance his psychic energy was projected into Miss Rowena's mind, he was transported into a virtual construct that represented one's mental defence. Miss Rowena was clearly not new to psionic mental attacks as Kenneth soon found out the hard way.
Kenneth found himself in a dark tunnel made of limestone and at the end of it was a metal gate laced with golden letters. The letters looked familiar but Kenneth was not really good at reading the Ancient Tongue. Suddenly, the roof of the tunnel shuddered and shook violently. The entire tunnel soon followed and light was seen coming from the opposite end of the tunnel. Kenneth rushed for the gate but a strong gush of air sucked him towards the opposite direction. Kenneth found himself outside the tunnel and faced with an unbelievable sight. The entire tunnel was located on the back of a gigantic elephant! It was Miss Rowena's mental fortress. Judging from the size of the creature, Kenneth doubt he was able to penetrate her defence and get anything out of her mind. As he levitated in the air and was preparing to leave, the elephant trumpeted. It's trumpet unleashed a deafening shock wave that instantly knocked Kenneth out of Miss Rowena's mind and into the air. Kenneth crash landed onto the top of a desk and broke right through it. "Stay down and try not to get in my way or else you really are going to get hurt, young man!" Miss Rowena's voice changed together with her appearance. Even from his lying position, Kenneth could recognize the face. It was the lady officer that was after the Sonora Cartel! "What are you doing here?" Kenneth asked while getting up. "My job," The officer then left the club room without another word. "Are you alright?" Fray helped Kenneth to his feet. "Who is she?" Cathy asked. "A Spoke officer. Ran into her a few months ago. She was the reason I was suspended." Kenneth replied.
The three of them then cleaned up the club room before they went their separate ways. On his way back, Kenneth stopped at the academy gate and hesitated. Something didn't feel right to him. If Miss Rowena was a Spoke officer, he doubt she would commit such an audacious crime. He turned around and headed towards the Detention Center. It was a place Kenneth frequently visited since coming to live in Idan. It was a sort of a jail for all the delinquents and underage criminals. Just as he entered the building, he met a familiar face at the information desk. "How's your wound?" Kenneth asked the officer whom he saved the other day. "Hey, thanks for saving me back then. Where did you go after that. I thought you were gone case!" The officer replied. "I am George Langhen by the way. So, did you manage to find what you were looking for?" George proferred his hand. "Sort of." Kenneth shook it with both his hands. "What brings you here?" George asked. "I actually have a favor to ask. Can I talk to Marcel? He was one of the guy I rescued from the fire. Please?" Kenneth replied. "I supposed it's possible. Marcel denied everything when we questioned him regarding the incidence. He didn't remember a single event from the incidence. But we did found traces of hypnotic spell on him. Couldn't determine the type but it must have been a powerful one. We're still keeping him for observation. You want to see him?" George asked. "On second thought, I think it doesn't really matter if I do. Thanks for the info," Kenneth said and turned to leave. "Let me buy you a meal the next time we meet. I owed you my life." George waved. "Sure thing,"
With the new information from George, Kenneth was convinced whom the culprit was. He just needed to fish the person out. Kenneth took a quick shower and left his hostel in a hurry. He needed extra precautions and gadgets if he were to go up against a powerful mage that was able to completely hypnotize someone and wiping the memory clean afterwards. He headed towards one of the many gateways out of Idan, the very one he came in 2 years back. The Monsoon Season was at its peak at the Vanilla Valley. It attracted fish enthusiasts from all over Nirvana to catch the giant Ryby. He went to the receptionist of the River Fairy Cottage to rent a motorcycle. The receptionist by the named Hazel recognized him immediately the moment he approached the counter. "The usual?" She asked. "Yeah," Kenneth nodded and left a few notes on the desk in exchange for the key. The electric motor emitted a soft hummed as Kenneth started the engine. After strapping on the helmet, Kenneth sped down the hill that was all too familiar.