"The last tests will take place tomorrow. And I hope you guys are more than ready now." Aurelia smiled, turning at Ulysses then back at Ashton.
'Maybe it's way better to have the test now and get my spirit guide just like Marcus had said.' Ashton thought to himself and a small grin etched in his face. 'It is time to level up!'
He lowered his gaze as he stared menacingly back at Aurelia trying to make the best of his intimidating glare and helped it up with a crooked tone as he said,
"I am more than ready."
Aurelia nodded at his resolve, not sure if she could believe his words or not. All he could give out as a response was a small nod and a faint smile. Marcus turned his head away trying to hide a laugh as well.
Ulysses scoffed as he walked towards Ashton and he suddenly struck his left foot forward sending a big kick into Ashton's stomach.
"Argh!" The poor boy groaned at the sudden attack. "F-fuck you!" He managed to cuss as he grasped his stomach tight.
"I do not think he is fully prepared for this tests." Ulysses shrugged, gently clicking his tongue against his teeth as he shook his head disappointedly as he wondered how Ashton couldn't manage to duck the unprecedented attack with quick reflexes at the very least.
"We better start again from scratch!" Alden finally said after a long while of keeping mute.
And with that, the training began all attention was focused on Ashton as he was still the weakest of them all.
More falling, more trampling, more small satisfying wins. While they were all busy training Ashton's arse off, Jamil had showed up briefly with some water jars and some of Ashton's favorite steamed buns. Jamil was getting a special training from Damien as he was the one who was in charge of managing and teaching Jamil the principle of the academy concerning being a junior administrative mage.
***
Ashton dropped dead on the lawned grass, his breath haggard and his chest thumping hard as he laid to the ground. His eyes were raised into the sky and he couldn't help but admire the crystal dragon ball that was gracefully sitting in the night sky while emitting its bright light over the earth.
"Wish me luck!" Ashton muttered to the crystal dragon ball and a small smile crept on his lips. "Make me win…"
"You should get up now. The others have left already." Marcus said, breaking into Ashton's petty talk to the moon.
"I'm fine." Ashton said back, closing his eyes as he relaxed himself into the grass. He didn't mind spending the whole night there as long as he wasn't disturbed at all.
Marcus scoffed as he sat next to Ashton, his eyes also raised up to the moon. He brought out a small container and opened the lid.
Ashton's right eye shot open as he heard Marcus scriffle to open something. He tried to raise his head up from the grass to get a better view of what Marcus was opening beside him.
Marcus smiled at Ashton's move and he finally turned him after scooping the content in the container with two of his fingers. He tried to smedge the content on Ashton's bruises and the boy tried to shrug off.
"Do not touch me!" Ashton warned shifting away. But Marcus didn't mind his words as he continued to apply the medicine on Ashton's bruises and small wounds.
Ashton flinched again as he tried to tell Marcus not to touch him again. Marcus sighed and eventually handed the container to Ashton.
"Do it yourself then."
"No! I do not like the way it smells. What is it for by the way?"
"To heal your wounds." Marcus replied, his voice soft and concerned.
"I can just get Alden to heal me up with his ability again." Ashton protested as he tried to return the container back to Marcus.
"If Alden heals you again, your ability's pathway will be blocked again and besides we do not know who you will be fighting with tomorrow. You might want to save up the stress of flunking at your test again."
Ashton's resolve faltered and he finally succumbed to Marcus' words. He started to apply the medicine on himself, flinching his nose as the smell hit him hard.
"What happens after tomorrow?" Someone who had been laden within the grass field suddenly said, making Ashton and Marcus' hearts skip one bit.
"Who's there?!" Marcus demanded as he looked towards the direction of the sound but Ashton quickly let down his guard again as he knew it was Jamil who had said that.
"Why haven't you left yet Jamil?" Ashton asked.
Marcus heaved a sigh exasperatedly and faltered too.
"I just have a lot on my mind Ashton." Jamil began yawning a bit. "Master Chen's words are eating me up and I cannot help it any longer."
Ashton sighed at Jamil's words and he finally set aside the container Marcus had handed over to him. "Is it because only one of us can join this academy? Or you're afraid you will lose at your test tomorrow?" Ashton teased trying to calm the tension Jamil's words were building in the air.
"Marcus." Jamil called sitting up from the grass. "Who do you think will be ousted from this academy? Ashton on me?" Jamil asked.
Ashton sat up from the grass too and turned at Marcus waiting to hear his reply earnestly.
The question had pushed Marcus to a brink of a cliff and he thought about what to say for a minute.
'Choosing one of both boys will definitely make the other disheartened…' Marcus thought to himself as he shifted his gaze from Ashton to Jamil. They both looked tense as they awaited his reply. 'Fuck it! I will just tell them the bitter truth.'
"So?" Ashton asked, his voice low and calm as if he was awaiting a death sentence.
"It's you…Jamil." Marcus finally said and the boy heaved a sigh of relief. He continued. "Just because you got the position of a junior administrative mage does not secure your space in this academy. Ashton seems to have unlocked a special room in Master Chen's world and he is the most likely to get into this academy." Marcus explained.
A very big smile that couldn't be as hideous as a green snake in a green grass fledged itself on Ashton's face. He declined back into the grass as he tried to count the stars in the sky.
Jamil heaved a sigh exasperatedly and he said to Marcus.
"Well, I will also fight my way in to become a student of this academy. I do not care if I have to take Ashton down if it only means I would be staying.
"I bet you cannot try that." Ashton laughed at Jamil's silly remark.
"Better watch your back bro." Jamil simply said getting up on his feet. "The night is long gone already, we better start going back to get some fancy rest before the big day tomorrow."
Marcus also stood up and Ashton followed suit. They all made their way out of the field and back into the bustling vicinity of the academy. Despite the fact that night had fallen, there were more student mages still hanging around. Some were training their ass' out while some were gossiping.
As the trio walked on in silence, Damien suddenly appeared out of nowhere and stopped them. For a minute, they all stood there examining each other's faces without saying a word, then finally, Ashton volunteered to break the condensing silence.
"What do you want, Damien?" He asked his eyes menacingly fixated on Damien.
Damien rolled his eyes irritatedly at Ashton and he sneered at him by saying, "I've got no time for you idiot!" He turned at Jamil.
"Hey you fucker, you think you can spend a lot of spare minutes with your stupid friend huh? Do you not get the gravity of your new position in this academy? Or do you think you're just meant to be there without doing nothing?"
"I was training," Jamil subtly replied, folding his hands in front of him.
"Training? With Ashton?" Damien sneered, grabbing Jamil by the neck. "Do you even bother to report his activities to me? Don't be fooled by the illusion of friendship Jamil, do your job properly!"
Ashton got teased to his toes with how Damien was spewing nonsense at Jamil. He stepped forward and sent a fisted punch into Damine's face making him lose his grip on Jamil.
"Leave him alone!" He raged as he tried to be a shield for Jamil by gently pushing him behind him.
"Ashton." Marcus called trying to suppress Ashton's brewing anger with his call. "Let's just go."
"You cannot leave…not until I finish their bastard!" Damien shouted as he advanced towards Ashton. He tried to send a blow into Ashton's face but it seemed as though Marcus' lessons were far more etched into Ashton's memory.
He swerved backwards successfully ducking the attack. A small smirk ensued on his face making Damien grow more angrier at him.
"You are sure as good as dead!" Damien sneered as he turned away to take his leave but a voice intercepted his plans and he was left with no other choice than to stop in his tracks.
"Greetings, Elder mages." Damien and Marcus chorused with a small bow. Jamil turned as well offering a small bow in respect of their presence amidst them. They were the silver ringed Mages from the night of the ritual.
"Ashton, your fate shall be sealed tomorrow with only the physical strength test." The right right handed silver mage pronounced his tone not conveying an ounce of emotional empathy.
"What?! That's unfair. What did I do wrong?" Ashton protested with a frown.
"You do not question his authority!" Damien sneered.
"And with what supreme authority will you bound Ashton to only the physical strength test?" Master Chen said in his boisterous voice as he announced his arrival.
Every single person bowed to him except Ashton who was standing arrogantly and staring at Master Chen as he walked into the scene.
"Ashton will take both tests tomorrow. No one can seal his fate except he does that by himself."