'Great. I knew it's going to be more troublesome.' Ashnah thought as soon as they entered the director's office. Waiting in the room are Fina, Tyrone, and Riohan.
Tyron's eyes could bore holes on her face. She's no longer surprise of the sneer on Riohan's face. Fina's worried gaze does not really helped her feel better about the situation.
"Ms. Hiraya, have a seat," Riohan said.
"Arnold has been pushing back the schedule of your interrogation, which I have found weird. However, the organization has seen you already doing well so we will not accept any more delay to this investigation," Tyron started spouting.
Ashnah was mindful of her facial expressions, afraid she might reveal what the psycho said. As what Fina said, the enemy could be lurking within their organization. She cannot alert them or else it will be harder to catch them.
Ashnah took her seat beside Fina. Fina took her hand and squeezed it slightly, "It's okay. You'll do fine," the worry that Ashnah had seen before in her eyes was well veiled. Only concern and sympathy was shown on her face.
She nodded in agreement. 'It was already Fina who said that it's going to be fine.'
Tyrone pulled his phone with him to record the conversation. "Narrate what happened."
She did stated what happened skipping the psycho's word that she's being tartgetted.
"Is that all?" Tyron said with suspicion.
Ashnah was able to comprehend why they choose Tyron to be the one to investigate the matter. He's absolutely meticulous and stingy as an investigator. Though the ruckus before might had diverted his focus but he's definitely back on his track.
"Yes," she said, trying to look straight on his eyes to make it more realistic. His gaze is more intense than before that she almost curled her fingers.
"She's telling the truth," Jin seconded.
"Impudence is not practiced in the Matsunaga's lineage as far as I can remember," Tyron glared at Jin, warning him not to interrupt.
Jin's brows were knotted, and his lips are pursed. Though he didn't reply back, the tensing of jaw clearly denoted his disagreement to Tyron's notion. Jin's eyes found hers, worried the situation had triggered something within her; but Ashnah had shook her head slightly, pointing out that he needed not defend her at the moment.
"What's the next question?" She asked to deviate Tyron's irritation back to her instead of Jin.
Tyron's glare went back to her as she inteded, and he continued with his follow up questions. Fina's hold on her hands had helped her in deciphiring the situation as to which should she tell the truth and which should she not disclose.
Three knocks on the door before its doorknob wheeled and finally opened. It was Tyra. She hesitated when she saw Jin but she willed herself to enter.
She avoided Jin's gaze and went to Ashnah. "Hey," she said awkardly.
"Hi," Ashnah greeted back with a small smile, feeling a little bit lighter despite the odds.
"I'll go outside to get some fresh air," Jin excused himself. He slightly bowed, a typical Japanese gesture, and walked out of the room, not waiting whether they'll agree or not.
"I told you to take your rest," Tyron reprimanded.
"No, grandpa. I'm doing better already," she said stubbornly.
"Stubborn child."
"Grandpa, I don't think it was Ashnah. She saved me," Tyra said in low tone, avoiding the eyes of the other people inside the room.
"Tyra, have I not taught you anything about the devil's game? The enemy's deception, without thorough scrutinization, can be seen as truth even with the gifts given to us."
Tyra fell silent, grasping for words yet found nothing.
"I understand your concern, elder." Ashnah interrupted. If she wouldn't, it the matter might escalate and she might not be able to defend herself further. She turned to Tyra to thank her for her bravery to utter her opinion despite Tyron being her opponent in this case. "And I appreciate you siding with me, Tyra."
"I'm not trying to side with you-" Tyra contradicted but zipped her mouth upon realizing that it was opposing what she was trying to do before.
Ashnah smiled a little at her willfulness. 'I never thought I'm going to agree on one thing with old Tyron. But you're truly stubborn.'
"What are you laughing at?" Tyra asked in low voice, too low for Tyron to catch up.
Ashnah just shook her head, fond growing inside of her for Tyra. She turned serious again when she turned to Tyron. Tyron could be intimidating but she needs to learn how to stand on her ground. And Tyron's menace could serve a good training in that field. For all that she knows, the enemy might be one of the elders. "I will answer every question that you had for me, Elder Tyron."
Begrudgingly, Tyron stole their attention and they continued with the interrogation.
***
Fina gained to permission to take her out outside the academy. The reason they were permitted so is because Fina said they're going to meet someone who might help her with her gift. Since they suspected that Elix might be similar to the them, they were going to pick him up on their way.
"I've heard Jin hasn't met Elix yet. So, his ability is not yet determined?" She asked while they were walking on the pathway towards the training ground.
"Yeah. But I believe they've already met by now, given Jin was the one who picked you up from the training grounds."
"Oh, yeah, almost forgot about that one," she laughed at her own silliness.
"How did you met Elix?" she asked. "Just curious. I didn't see him in my visions." She gazed forward yet her gaze isn't really looking at what her eyes sees. "I think my visions are slowly fading away."
Ashnah gasped in shock. "Does that happened always?"
"No, not always but there are few cases," her eyes slowly gloomed with sadness.
Ashnah grasped for anything to say in order to deviate Fina from her melancholy.
"Your message this morning," Fina initiated after a long while, hinting Ashnah's silent panic to soothe her.
"Right!" Ashnah said, too enthusiastically than normal. She cleared her throat. "Yeah, about that. When I've seen Melanie's memories, one of the locations that she had been with her family think is the museum. There were narra planks used as wood floorings in one of the rooms that might match your description. It's in this city's museum."
"I'll check if I can get a sneak into it." Fina already plotted her plan and did a raincheck on her mind as to whom to call to start her plan the soonest.
The commotion ahead have stirred their interest. They ran towards the group where Ashnah was practicing before. She tapped one of the trainees' shoulders. "What's happening?"
He looked look down. The dude was too tall. His height is probably his six foot something. "Ashnah." It surprised her that he knew her name and at the same time, made her guilty because she didn't know his.
Ashnah was speechless while trying to grasp his name at every corner of her mind. She was only able to breathe her relief when he continued talking.
"It was the newbie. He fought with everyone and defeated them without using his gift."
"What?" They were shocked of the news.
"Wait, please excuse us," Fina said in a hurry. They tapped their way throuh the crowd. With Fina's presence, it was easy squeezing their way through. When they finally get to see what's happening, they were surprised on how the fight between Elix and Cale has been going.
They were fighting neck to neck with each other. Cale's usually sunny smile is replaced with his annoyed expression. While Elix on the other hand is well focused on their ongoing fight.
On the rim of the battleground, other trainees are also attentive of their ongoing fight, some with astonishment on their faces and some are filled with irk. Medics are attending to those who are injured.
"Why are there so many who are injured?" Ashnah coudn't stop herself from asking.
"Well, they asked for it. Their egos couldn't take the pain of loss to the new guy," said the girl with the beautifully braided kinky hair. The other guys, looked at her with the edge of annoyance. She just raised her brows, "What? What I said is correct though or else you wouldn't be looking at me with your petty eyes."
Ashnah's interest arose. Her eyes went to the battleground where both guys are so intent on sparring. She watched their swift moves, wanting to learn every blow they delivered.
"`You done already?" Jin asked, disturbing Ashnah's concentration on their fight.
"Oh, you're back," she said coolly, eyes still on the fight, trying to not to be distracted completely.
"How did it go?" He inquired.
"Shh," she hushed him.
He turned to Fina instead, "How did it go?"
"Fine, I guess," she said inwardly.
"`Met the new guy. Late bloomers' gifts nowadays are pretty strange. His spiritual aura is kind of similar yet opposite to Ashnah's."
Ashnah was fully distracted from the fight. Her brows knotted deeply though she refused to meet Jin's gaze. She groaned inwardly, wanting to blame Jin for his interruption.
"Oh, finally got your attention," he smirked as he glanced at her.
"Why are you such a nudnik?" she said in exasperation, trying still to concentrate on the ongoing fight.
His grin only grew wider. "At least I got your attention."
She rolled her eyeballs as she turned to him completely. "Can you just say what you want to say?"
His seriousness returned as he continued. "Well, the new guy's spiritual energy seemed depleted though also compacted like yours..." He paused, calculating whether he's going to say his new discoveries or not.
"You're getting in my nerves, Jin. Decide immediately if you want to tell me or not. Don't just thrill me with your cliffhangers and stare at me like that. Your life doesn't depend on me."
There was a loud thud on the battle ground that caught all of their attention. The battle was finally won. Cale proved himself to be the strongest among them. Elix was pinned tigthly on the ground and was not able to move. He grinned from ear to ear. He let go of Elix as soon as it was announced that he was the winner. He lent Elix a hand to get up from the ground. Elix took Cale's hand.
"That was quite a fight you put up," Cale said in a sporty manner.
"You're a tough one," Elix said, breaking into a smile. "You got me good."
The crowd began clapping their hands. "That was good, you two!" they began complimenting their performance. Cale waved to Ashnah's direction; happiness is mirrored in his face, enough to exclude Jin--the source of his irk--from the picture.
Ashnah waved back that got Jin frowning. The crowd dispersed as their trainor gave out his evaluation of each of their performances.
Cale and Elix strode their way to where Ashnah stood, both dashing with their grins.
"Hey, Ash," greeted Cale. "I thought it will take you quite a while."
"I thought so, too," Ashnah said in a matter of factly manner.
"Hi, Ash!" It was Elix with his sheepish grin. But his excitement is also reflected in his eyes. "Did you see our battle?"
"Yeah, you did really great! Did you get some martial arts lessons perhaps? Cause you rock like a pro," she teased him with his accomlplishment.
"I was pretty surprised also," he said in modesty.
"Too modest per se," Fina butted in with a slight smile. There was a dawn of worry in her eyes, but it was gone too soon for Ashnah to point it out.
Ashnah worried that Elix might have something to do with Fina's vision. 'Am I going paranoid?' She shook her head mentally. She'll need a moment to think things through.
"You've met Jin already if I'm correct?" Fina inqiured.
"Yeah, I have," Elix nodded.
"Jin here has the highest gift of discernment. Did you two talk it out already? About your gift?" When Elix seemed baffled by Fina's question, she turned to Jin for further explanation.
Jin filled in the blanks, "He was called for his mock match and as how you've heard it, he remained undefeated on the ring till the last match, so we really did not talk much of the things that needs to be discussed."
"Then, how did it go? How do you classify the said gift that I had?" Elix inquired, curious of his current sitution.
Jin crossed his arms against his chest as he checked upon him again. His face serious as he voiced out his assessment of Elix's capability. "You seemed to have a weak spiritual aura. You're similar and yet opposite to Ashnah. But your potential gift is..." Jin hesitated.
"Is...?" Fina gestured him to elaborate.
"It's unknown."
His answer had gained shocked reactions not from just Fina but also those who were within earshot. Even the great Jin, who was consider to have been given the senses of the Great Creator was not able to decipher Elix's gift. His title is due to the gift given to him. His gift of discernment was able to provide him the keenest eyes to determine the auras of good and evil, even the aura of each gifting is visible with it, making his judgement of a person's ability as absolute as the Great Creator's words, thus his title of the Great Creator's eyes.
"His gift does not exude any kind of aura around his body, making his gift not visible. Though I can say his physical strength and ability are superb given he has no experience of any kind of training basing on what he stated before," Jin explained further in his knowing attitude.
Elix nodded, assuming that was just normal. When he noticed the expression of those around them, he got confused. "Isn't it what normally happens?"
"No, that's quite a weird result of Jin's observation, given his abilities," Cale explained. "Really dude, you're one out of this world." He chuckled as he raised his fist to bump with Elix's.
Elix, though didn't reflected his enthusiasm bumped his fist absentmindedly. "So, is that dangerous to say?"
"No, it's not. Quite the opposite. This organization is after the strongest gifts given to human. But if you do not have it, the org might kick you out," Jin answered.
Elix's brow flew atop, speechless of his answer.
"But we can't ignore his physical abilities. It is safe to assume that it might be his given gift," Fina stated. "It could take time. Afterall we need as much hands as we can get."
"But right now, we need to go somewhere, right?" Ashnah interrupted.
"Yes, and I'll need you," she pointed to Elix, "and Ashnah on this short trip."
"Okay," Elix nodded in agreement, his eyes wondering where they're going.
"Now, if you'll excuse me. I'll need to talk to your current trainor." Fina went ahead and talked with their trainor.
"Shall I accompany you three on your short trip?" Cale ask.
"You're tasked by the elder something already. Have it done first," Jin answered before Ashnah can, holding Cale's shoulder in his tight clasp.
Ashnah would like to roll her eyes. It's the cue to unpause their long-awaited bickering.
"It's not in your place to say when I should start or finish the job," Cale countered, shrugging off Jin's hand.
"Nah, it is. As you may know, I handle one of the high positions in the org," Jin smirked, confidence shown in it as he crossed his arms on his chest.
"Still as annoying as hell," Cale said in exhasperation.
"Thank you," Jin said truimphantly.
"`Not complimenting you," he said his lips pursed into a thin line.
"Oh, you're not?" Jin said nonchalantly.
"I'll get you some of these days," he said begrudgingly.
"Will applaud you if you can," he said coolly.
Cale opened his mouth to answer him but just shot him with his death glare when Fina walked back, interrupting their squabble.
"I've got permission. Shall we go?" Fina said as his eyes suspiciously observed the tension in the group. She shot Ashnah an inquiring look. Ashnah just shrugged her shoulders, also baffled by the boys' fight.