Professor Xena couldn't help but raise an eyebrow hearing the mocking tone of the man sitting in front of her. "You will never change your attitude, Kay."
Hearing professor Xena's answer, Kay started laughing so loudly that the whole room started trembling. "Why should I change? I'm happy being myself. I will never allow people who want to change me, or tell me how I should act or be, be near me."
"I respect that. But I should ask you to at least have a proper attitude on school grounds. You are also a professor after all." Professor Xena protested.
"Only in name. Still, we know each other quite well, and it's not like you are a student." Professor Kay argued back.
"Ok, I don't want to continue discussing this topic. We have already discussed it many times in the past." Professor Xena finally admitted defeat.
"So, what brings you here?" Professor Kay seemed to agree with her words.
"There has been a new student in the academy that I would like you to teach personally." Professor Xena got right to the point.
"I'm sorry. But you know I'll refuse. I don't accept personal students no matter their status. Even if the crown prince came personally asking me to take him as my apprentice I would still refuse." Professor Kay didn't leave room for discussion.
"He is no noble. In fact, he is of low status, just like you were in the past." Professor Xena paid extra attention to professor Kay's reaction.
"Oh? And why should I personally teach a student with low status?" Professor Kay's tone of voice betrayed a hint of interest.
"He has awakened the death element." Professor Xena answered while looking around the room.
There was some silence in the room, before professor Kay asked. "Is it true?"
"After all these years, why should I lie to you?" Now it was professor Xena's turn to mock him.
"Is the headmaster involved in this to keep me longer?" Professor Kay looked serious when asking this. His previous funny tone nowhere to be seen.
"I'm not sure of that. The headmaster is wise and has knowledge far beyond mine. I can't say if he is involved. But from what I saw from the kid, I don't think he is related in any way to the headmaster." Professor Xena seemed troubled when answering such a question.
"Then, are you telling me this is fate? Isn't this too much of a coincidence?" Professor Kay sounded a bit angry.
"Was it not you the one who said in the past that coincidence doesn't exist, and only the unavoidable did? Maybe this was bound to happen." Professor Xena tried to calm professor Kay down.
"Ok, you can bring him to me. But that doesn't mean that I will accept him as my apprentice." Professor Kay quickly dismissed professor Xena.
"Maybe you should do some cleanup before he gets here." Professor Xena gave her last words before leaving.
Meanwhile, Jack had just finished his daily training and was taking a bath.
After finishing bathing, he was planning to go sleeping when he heard a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" Jack opened the door and saw professor Xena standing in front of him.
"Come with me." Professor Xena turned around and started walking with Jack next to her.
It was already almost midnight, so there were no students in sight.
"Where are we going, professor?" Jack couldn't keep his curiosity in check.
"You are going to meet someone. I don't want to tell you too many things. Just be yourself." Professor Xena didn't give Jack many hints.
Soon, Jack found himself in front of professor Kay's room.
"He can enter." A voice came from inside. He seemed to already expect them.
"Good luck boy." Professor Xena smiled and left.
Jack was finding everything strange, but he decided to enter the room.
It seemed that professor Kay didn't listen to professor Xena's advice. The room looked as dirty as before, when she visited.
"So you are the student that has awakened the death element? Come, sit here." It was then, Jack noticed the man in front of him, pointing to a chair in front of him while sitting on a stool himself.
Jack got a profound feeling while looking at the man, so he didn't dare play game with him.
"What is your name, young man?" Professor Kay seemed to be evaluating Jack while looking him up and down.
"Jack. Jack Immortal." Jack calmly answered.
"Immortal? Are you cursed?" Professor Kay looked bewildered when he heard his answer.
"Why should I be cursed because of my name?" Jack looked frightened for a second when he heard his question.
"It doesn't matter. You don't seem to be cursed. I thought for a moment you were cursed, and that was the reason you managed to awaken the death element. But it seems like I was mistaken." Professor Kay sighed in relief.
"People who are cursed usually awaken the death element?" Jack wanted to understand better his element.
"Well. Not really. If you are cursed while being an infant then it can influence a bit. But it is still an extremely rare element between humans." Professor Kay answered.
"Who would be despicable enough to curse an infant?" Jack sounded outrageous.
"The world is cruel. You should know that." Kay answered before continuing. "You know. It is said there is a hidden island where a big group of powerful death element mages reside. They curse their children when they are little so that they have a bigger chance to awaken the death element when they grow up. Many of them die early, but those who survive are all to be feared."
"Well, those are just rumors right?" Jack couldn't believe there could be such a place in the world.
"Facts can be misleading. But rumors, whether true or false, are often revealing." Professor Kay smiled, but didn't dwell more in this topic.
"So tell me Jack, what is your goal here in the academy? You should know that students who manage to graduate, all get high status after. So what is it you want? Money, recognition, power, women?" Professor Kay asked with a disinterested look.
"Knowledge." Jack answered without even thinking.
Professor Kay looked surprised hearing Jack's answer. "Would you care to explain?"
"This world is so big and hides so many secrets. I want to have the freedom to travel all around it. And for that, I need knowledge. To seek my freedom." Jack explained his way of thought with a serious face.
"It is true that this world has many interesting things. But there are also hidden dangers waiting in the dark. Would you still want to travel the world knowing you could lose your life at any moment?" Professor Kay was paying attention to what Jack said.
"I only want the freedom to roam this world the way I want. If anything or anyone wants to take away my freedom and end my journey, I will chop them to pieces! Not even gods can decide when my journey ends! Only I can!" A tinge of red came to Jack's eyes when he said those words. And his blood started pumping for a second before calming down.
"Gods huh? Challenging divinity. Challenging the immortals... A dream of the past." Professor Kay seemed to get lost in the river of time for a second before coming back to reality.
"Ok then, you convinced me. I will take you as my personal apprentice. Don't disappoint me." Professor Kay gave his final statement with a smile.