All of them jumped from their seats and voiced in unison. "Bait!?"
Well, I got Jax's power. Might as well use it before it disappears.
Lucina approached me and put her hand on my face. "The similarity is uncanny!"
Rollen and Lumina yelled at her. "What are you doing? You have a fiance right there!"
The black-haired beauty pouted, and the scrawny young man blushed. Lucina chuckled and returned by Jax's side.
The power undid itself and I was back to normal. "With Lucina outside the Academy, we'll stroll around as a couple!"
Jax understood my thoughts and jumped in. "So, if whoever's after me is watching, it's possible he'll make a move..."
"I know it's flimsy, but it's the best we have at the moment. Besides, they won't know it's me so we can catch them off guard!"
Lumina, wearing a worried look on her face, paced back and forth before she turned towards me. "What should we do?"
"Keep your distance and keep an eye out for anything suspicious…"
They looked at each other and nodded.
They left for their respective rooms, except for Jax, who stayed at my place until this was over. During the night we remained silent and to our corners. It's been a long day with its difficulties.
The following morning, we attended class, and for the first time in a while, Jax came as well. I informed Madam Reena beforehand of the situation, and she didn't pry further.
After class, I rushed to the principal's office regarding my ban.
I knocked twice on his door but no response.
The black smoke poured out of my body as I phased through his walls. I saw him napping on his couch. How carefree!
I walked over and nudged him a few times until he woke up. "Oh, you are awake! Good!"
He turned to his side. "Principal sleepy! What do you want?"
Annoying old man! I could feel my blood boiling. "Can you lift the ban on fighting, please? It's urgent!"
He flapped his hand around, signaling me to go away. "Yeah, sure… Ban lifted, now go away!"
I better go before he wakes up and change his mind. Saying nothing else, I rushed out of his office.
I returned to my room and lay down on my bed.
I don't remember sleeping, but when I opened my eyes, everyone sat around me, chatting and laughing.
Rollen, with a face full of joy, gasped. "He's awake!"
These guys… What are they doing here? "Is it time?"
"Not yet, you can rest for a while longer…"
The girl with the long silky black hair answered in her softest voice ever.
I could rest, but there are still things we need to do before we go out. First things first. "Lucina, what's your power?"
The golden-haired girl looked at her fiance. Jax nodded with a smile.
The girl held out her palm, and a flower blossomed out of it. "I have a bond with nature!"
Woah! That's freakishly amazing! Without even thinking about it, black smoke poured out of my body and enveloped her.
The girl struggled and fought it off without succeeding. A few moments later, it returned on its own back to my body.
I felt rejuvenated and my feet were as if they had roots on them. Never have I felt so grounded before.
My heart ached when the wooden floor transmitted its coldness, and warmth enveloped my soul when the world out of my room shared its vibrance.
I held my palm out, and a flower blossomed.
Lucina and the others shared the same confused expression.
For the sake of trust among this group, I guess it should be fine to confide in them. "My power just recently awakened. I can phase through solid objects and walls, and for reasons I don't yet understand, I can take and share powers!"
I said that as I shifted into Jax whilst roots poured off my feet, piercing the wooden floor and black smoke dropping from my palms. I let the smoke cover the room while the roots grabbed them and lifted them.
"I trust it will remain between us!"
This may seem like blackmail, but I want to keep it hidden for as long as I can. This group of people may become allies, therefore a little trust-building isn't out of the question.
I released the powers and returned to my appearance. It shook them pretty well, but it's enough to make them understand.
Rollen approached me and pulled on my sleeve. "Can I take some of your time?"
"Yeah, what is it?"
Because Rollen is shorter. He stood on the tips of his toes to reach my ear and whispered. "Did you mean it?"
Oh, the demonstration convinced him? I'm curious what he has in mind. "Yeah! But before that… What changed?"
Rollen looked at the people around him and sighed. "As I am now, I can't help you!"
For that? Don't need it! "I appreciate the sentiment, but if it's not for you, then forget it!"
Rollen, taken aback by my response, lowered his head and returned to his seat. For the rest of the evening, he didn't say a word.
After a few alterations to the plan, it was time for the stroll.
Because of the protective membrane of Madam Reena, we took our walk, out of the Academy. We met at the entrance with Lucina. The others would follow soon after.
As we dawdled around and chatting, she asked out of the blue. "Why are you wearing the hood when you can transform?"
"I can't maintain it for long and then it takes a while for me to use it again!"
It's not like I can tell her that if I overuse it, the power will disappear, but still. I didn't lie!
['Uhm. Rikeron? Can you hear me?']
The earpiece. Forgot about that. "Yeah, Rollen, what's up?"
['There's someone following you for a while now!']
I held the blushing golden-haired hair girl and whispered. "It's showtime!"