._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._.
Both Ashton and Jamil watched Aurelia walk away into the night. The celestial sky dragon illuminated her path as she walked on and on away from them until she disappeared through a corner.
Ashton heaved as soon as she had disappeared and then he turned at Jamil as if asking 'what happens next?'. Jamil just shook his head on a pretext he had read what was on Ashton's mind.
A bright light illuminated through Jamil's pants and both boys looked to know what was shining so bright through Jamil's pocket. Jamil thrusted his hand into his pocket and brought out the source of the light. It was his 'MOONSTONE'. It had a silver sheen which caused it to glow so much.
"Ashton, I'd see you tomorrow, okay? I have to get back to my pavilion right now." Jamil announced urgently.
"Huh? But wait, tell me what that is." Ashton tried to say but Jamil had sped off in a hare race.
Sigh!
Ashton also turned away from the direction Jamil had run to and his feets seemed to walk him back to the dormitory Marcus had taken him to the night before as he was not familiar with the academy so well yet. He also deep his hand into his pocket to bring out his Jade tag and he couldn't help but wonder what the G-R-E-E-D inscription on the tag meant. He sighed exasperatedly as he couldn't find the answers he seemed to all these fleeting questions that were piling up in his mind.
He pocket the Jade tag back into his pocket from whence he had withdrawn it and continued his lone journey back to the dormitory. He passed by some students who were still going about their business around the dorm's site and he couldn't help but grasp a bit of their conversation.
'Yes, it's about me. Their petty gossip is about my existence in the academy.'
"Get a life people!" Ashton sneered at them.
Their eyes were laced with heavy malice as they watched him walk past them.
…
"...He's daring Marcus, the first student to level up past level five within a short time…" someone said through their teeth.
"...I saw him walk into the Grand Mage's pavilion earlier today…" another said.
The other gossip parties gasped in awe at the news. "I bet he will be having some much harder time in this academy…"
"...Oh poor boy, he will have it rough for sure…"
"...why are you showing empathy? He's just an attention seeker…do not mind the fool's analogy to gain more insights…"
"...I hope he doesn't cross the line and try to act funny with me." A guy said out loud. "I will definitely crush you with one single blow. Menace." He mouthed shouting his last words out so Ashton could hear him well and stay off his lane.
He shook his head as he reached the dorm and as he stepped into the dorm's gallery, he felt a bright light burn his thighs.
"What?!" He bellowed, thrusting his hand into his trouser pocket again to find the blood sucker that was burning though his skin and alas, when he had brought it out, he realized it was the Jade tag. It was glowing as bright as the crescent moon.
Some strange intricate lines that seem like a forgotten sign language start to etch itself on the Jade as it glows. Ashton stared and stared trying to grasp what it was but the more he stared, he seemed more stupid.
Sigh!
Finally, the lining stopped and Ashton smiled as he understood what the lining was all about. It showcased something similar to a fortress map
"Bet these lines were never on the tag when Marcus gave it to me." Ashton muttered to himself scratching his hair a bit.
"That is the outline direction to your room Ashton." Marcus' voice broke into the poor boy's intuitive thought.
"Huh?" Ashton mumbled, finally noticing Marcus' presence behind him. "Were you following me?" He asked his brows furrowing in suspicion.
"Come with me!" Marcus said ignoring Ashton's question.
Marcus gave instructions on how the Jade tag works as they walked. The lines were meant to lead him to his room for that night and it will never appear again when he has finally found the room to which belonged to him.
The hallway was filled with students who are yet to assemble their thoughts and go to bed yet and Ashton was attacked by their prying eyes as well. He also stared back irritatedly at some who would not take their eyes off him. As they kept walking, Ashton glanced at the Jade tag he was holding and he hoped it wouldn't let him to the room Marcus had showed him to the previous night.
'Share a room with him? Alone? That's vile. One of us will die first if we stay together in a confined space.'Ashton puked in his thoughts.
Alas! His suspicion came true as the intricate lines that appeared on the tag seemed to disappear through the bright glow the Jade emanated when they reached the front door to Marcus' room.
"Here?" Ashton asked, making a face.
"Yes, here." Marcus simply said.
"Damn!" Ashton cursed under his breath hiding his face to chide himself from his embarrassing thoughts.
Marcus opened the door and beaconed to Ashton to go in first. Ashton walked in slowly as he tried not to fret. Ashton's intrusive thoughts about sharing the room alone with Marcus was cut through by a thin knife.
As his eyes surveyed the room, he saw some other students inside the room. They were three in number and as Ashton's eyes darted about examining them in utteral surprise, his eyes landed on a familiar face.
He stood akimbo as he said, "Oh, I know you. Do I not?" He asked moronically. "What are you doing here?"
The boy sneered standing up to his feet and walked towards Ashton swiftly. "Fancy seeing you here..." He grinned devilishly and without warning, he sent a solid punch into Ashton's face.
"...Ashton." The boy completed as he watched Ashton fall to the ground- unconscious.
'How many times have I fallen off grid today?' Was the last question that ran across Ashton's mind before it went black into an eternally Labyrinth filled with darkness.