"The mark we saw at the back of your neck." Sandy said. "Is it the one that makes do what you do?"
"Indeed..." Neil replied. "I have been cursed ever since I was little..."
Silence.
"Then how are you able to use this gifts of yours?" Chiyo asked.
Neil took two steps towards his comrades as he spotted curiosity on their face, he smiled at the sight of it but tried hard not to let it known to them.
"My father always said." Neil began. "Always turn your disadvantages into a weapon that will become an advantage to you.... And I did just that."
Silence.
"Now that you have all known my secrets..." Neil smiled. "I hope you all will still see me as the same Neil Randolf you've known before."
The hall had been silent for a while and tension filled the air, they knew Neil was right about the point of exposing his own secrets.
Neil knew they weren't gonna feel the same about him no matter how hard they pretend to, Neil walked out of the hall and headed straight to his dorm.
"Eventually... We're are all cursed by one thing or another and that's for sure." Sandy said.
"Indeed..." Ned adjust his specks. "Besides normal gifted can't be able to do what we have done so far..."
"It's true..." Lyn commented.
Delia watched them for a while before she departed from the hall, not looking back at everyone as they watch her leave the hall.
"Delia?" Sandy whispered to Ned in a questionable way.
"We don't know much about her though." Ned adjust his specks. "But her own curse might be the reason she behave this way... That's for sure."
.
.
.
It was like every other afternoon with it's boring and love activity going on inside the academy, Neil sat at the field and began to observe the geographical view.
"It's been a week now." He thought. "And we weren't punished by the school authority for leaving the school again to rescue Chiyo."
He looked towards Chiyo as she plays with her teddy bear with Freda and Zoe closely by her side, she looked very happy and lively than she used to before.
"Something doesn't feel right.." Neil thought. "And I wonder what it is.."
Neil interlocked his fingers and placed them to his mouth with the elbow relaxing on his lap. He was in deep thought on what to do next.
"Miss Wade." He suddenly snapped.
Without further delay he left the field and walked through the hall towards Miss Wade's office, he got to the door and knocked softly.
"Come in." A soft voice called out.
Neil walked into the office to meet Miss Wade busy with some files on her desk, he stood in front of the desk for few seconds without uttering a word and it brought the attention of Miss Wade and she looked up to see the cold but nice eyes of Neil as he stared at the table. She smiled gently so that it would make him feel at ease, but Neil's face remained calm as it has been the whole.
"What's wrong Neil." Miss Wade asked.
"There are things that had been running through my mind the whole time." Neil said. "But first I need to know why we haven't been punished for breaking the school rules again."
Silence.
Miss Wade averted her eyes from Neil's face to stare at her desk for a while, Neil could sense something has happened again and Miss Wade has refused to share it with them. She remained silent for a while before looking at Neil to shoot a more kinder smile at him, Neil looked at her as she stood from her chair and went close to Neil. She sat at the desk and ushered Neil to sit on the chair, she crossed her leg and placed her arm on top of the desk.
"Well... The principal knew that he need not punish you kids for doing what should have been done by adults." Miss Wade began.
"But what about putting ourselves in harms way." Neil said. "We got punished for doing that for Kai right.?"
"Indeed." Miss Wade. "But that was not why you were punished..."
"Then why?" Neil questioned.
"Because it came from me... It was i who sent you on the mission to save Kai." Miss Wade said. "That's why you kids were punished."
"Those that include yours?" Neil asked.
"Is this what you came to ask me.?" She said. "Or is there something else.?"
Neil smiled knowing what Miss Wade was attempting on doing, she wants to avert the questions and Neil understood.
"Besides." He thought. "She's right anyways... He wasn't here to question that... But something else."
Neil placed both arms behind his head and closes his eyes.
"Nope... There's something else." Neil said. "It has to do with everyone in my class and what Lui said when we were battling him."
"And what is it that he said." Miss Wade asked.
Silence.... Neil opened his eyes and stared at Miss Wade for few seconds and saw curiosity in her eyes.
"He said we were cursed... That we were not gifted." Neil said. "What does he mean by that Miss Wade?"
Silence
"Well.." Miss Wade chuckled. "He is almost correct about that.."
"And why is that?" Neil asked.
"Because those that are gifted are the ones who's powers are not that destructive... They pave their way there but still not destructive and an example is your father..."
"But my father is the psy king." Neil said. "Why isn't he called a cursed?"
"What's the difference between you and your father Neil?" Miss Wade asked. "Your father uses telekinesis... But what is your own gift Neil."
Silence
"That's what he meant." Miss Wade smiled. "Those that are called cursed posses more than one gift."
"Is that why classroom D was created in the first place." Neil said.
Silence.
"Indeed... No wonder." Neil said.
"But most people around the globe thinks that those in classroom D are the least... But they don't know that D is the deadliest of all gifteds ever known.... I myself was once in classroom D."
"Ofcourse..." Neil smiled. "You teach there every day."
Miss Wade scoffed and jumped off the table, she walked towards the door.
"Let's take a walk.. You know..." She looked at Neil. "The walls have ears."
She walked out of the office and Neil followed.
.
.
.
"Are you trying to tell me that everyone in my class are all cursed.?" Neil asked calmly.
"Yes." Miss Wade said.
"And how's that possible.?" Neil asked.
"Well...." Miss Wade waved her hair to the back. "One thing I know for sure is that all your friends have a background stories.. You've known Zoe's and Freda's right?"
"No I don't." Neil said.
"I see... The truth is...." She looked at Neil. "Their background story is what caught up with Chiyo... The people who adopted Freda and Zoe when they were young were the ones who came for Chiyo."
Silence.
"I know what ya thinking." Miss Wade smiled. "Both of them are only abominables."
"What's abominables?" Neil asked.
"Not what... Who." Miss Wade halted. "Abominables are gifteds that had been advanced prematurely through the means of concentrated compounds and bonds... They are being reborn again with the help of a chemical compound that was destroyed years ago."
"Are you trying to tell me...." Neil looked at Miss Wade.
"Yes... We fought them before..." Miss Wade said. "And I lost someone very important... And that destroyed the project D."
Silence... Neil looked at her for a while but he was thinking it all through and fix them up in the missing puzzles.
"Oh sorry... This is about your friends and nothing else." She chuckled.
"How many types of gifted do we have.?" Neil asked.
"Three... maybe more." She smiled and walked away.
Neil watched her for a while before catching up to her as they continued their chat, they walked past the field and Neil halted and watched the river flowed slowly under the dawning sun. He had acquired more than he should know, his friends being either abominables or cursed makes his heart heavy. And the one thing that makes him surprised the more was the way she reacted when she mentioned about a special someone, making her sad in the process.
"Was she in love?" Neil wondered.
Neil decided to let her go for she kept walking and didn't bother to look back, he squatted and observed the rivers for a while... observing the slow movement of the rivers as they sparkled under the dawning sun, it's bloody-orange colour made it more enlightening.
"As the rivers flows slowly in a circle... So does life flows."
Neil turned to see Prof. Hiro standing close to him with his hands fixed into the pocket of his well ironed and starched suit. He smiled and looked back at the rivers with worry written on them, Neil knew something was wrong and fishy that made the professor to stand by him.
"Although your powers came up... I still felt your presence." Neil said.
"I see.." Prof. Hiro smiled. "Then why am I here.?" he asked.
"You wanna punish me for going out to a fight?." Neil looked down.
"No..." Prof. Hiro sighed.
He turned and looked at Neil.
"It's the opposite actually." He said. "You stepped up when needed to... That's the boldness and cowardice of a leader."
Neil scoffed.
"But what mattered was that you brought them all back in one piece." Prof. Hiro looked up. "And that is what mattered..."
Silence.
"Neil..." He called out.
Neil lifts his head to meet Prof. Hiro's face to see gratitude written on them... There was something else on his face... He wants to ask of a favour. Neil don't need to be a psychic to be able to know what he is about to ask for.
"Please..." Prof. Hiro began. "Watch their backs for me."
Silence.
The evening breeze suddenly went cold and calm as it blew past softly, brushing off the hair that fell over his face as he watched Prof. Hiro walked away slowly in a manly gesture... A man with great investments, Neil looked at the river again.
"You don't have to ask me to watch their backs." Neil murmured. "I already made it my obligation..."
Neil stood up and inhaled deeply...
"It has always been." He finished. "I wonder if they will watch mine too."