The sun is high in the sky, its rays filtering through the thick canopy of trees. Derek Onisek stands in front of the mysterious figure, heart pounding with excitement as the figure slowly reaches up to remove the white cloak that's been concealing their identity. He's ready to finally uncover the truth—who is this person who carries such immense power and knows so much about his Master, Jason?
As the hood slowly falls back, Derek's eyes widen in surprise.
Instead of the expected grizzled warrior or powerful male figure, he's greeted by the sight of a strikingly beautiful woman. Her hair is a shimmering silver-white, cascading down her shoulders, and her eyes are pure white, glowing faintly in the shade of the trees. Her pale skin almost seems to glow with an ethereal light, her expression calm and serene. For a moment, Derek is speechless, his mind struggling to reconcile what he's seeing.
Derek: (in disbelief, stammering) "W-wait… you're a… girl?"
The woman smirks, clearly amused by his reaction. She tilts her head slightly, her white eyes locking onto his with an intensity that makes Derek's breath catch. The voice that comes out of her mouth, however, still holds the deep, manly tone that initially confused him.
Woman (Auguitius): (in the same manly voice, teasing) "Surprised?"
Derek takes a step back, shaking his head in disbelief.
Derek: "But… your voice! It's still… that deep manly voice! What the hell?"
The woman chuckles softly, her lips curling into a small smile as she finally drops the pretense. With a subtle flick of her wrist, her voice shifts back to its natural tone—soft, feminine, but with an underlying strength.
Auguitius Bord: (now speaking in her true voice) "There. Better?"
Derek blinks, still trying to process the transformation. His mind races as he stares at her, his thoughts tumbling over one another. He knows what he saw before—a man's voice. How is it possible that she's this… ethereal woman?
Derek: (still shocked, confused) "You… changed forms?"
Auguitius laughs lightly, shaking her head as she crosses her arms over her chest. There's a confidence in her movements, a fluidity that comes from someone who's completely in control of herself—and the situation.
Auguitius Bord: "No. I didn't change forms. It's just a voice change technique. One of the many skills I've mastered. Comes in handy when I want to confuse people or keep my identity hidden."
Derek's eyes widen as he takes in her words. A voice change technique? He's heard of such things, but to see it used so effortlessly, by someone with such power… it's unnerving. And what's more, she seems to know Jason well enough to have found them in this secluded mountain hideout.
Derek: (still processing, incredulous) "But… who are you?"
The woman's eyes sparkle with amusement as she regards him. She takes a small step forward, her presence commanding despite her calm demeanor.
Auguitius Bord: "My name is Auguitius Bord. I come from the Angelo-Human territory. I was invited to the kingdom to observe the Gunxam Exam."
Derek's mouth falls open. Angelo-Human? He had heard of them—one of the most revered and powerful races in the kingdom, known for their deep connection to divine powers and their ethereal beauty. But to think that Jason had ties with them... it was more than he had ever imagined.
Derek: (murmuring to himself, stunned) "Master has… connections with the Angelo-Humans?"
Auguitius watches him with a knowing smile, sensing his internal turmoil. She steps closer, her white eyes studying him with an almost playful curiosity.
Auguitius Bord: "Yes, your Master has far more connections than you realize, Derek. Jason's reputation reaches far beyond the borders of this kingdom. You'd be wise to never underestimate the kind of people he knows."
Derek feels a shiver run down his spine. His Master had always been shrouded in mystery, but hearing this from someone like Auguitius only made him realize how little he knew about Jason's past. If Jason was connected to the Angelo-Humans, there was no telling how powerful or influential he truly was.
For a moment, Derek stands there in silence, trying to absorb everything he's just learned. But before he can ask more questions, Auguitius shifts her gaze away, looking out toward the horizon as if something far away has caught her attention.
Auguitius Bord: (calmly, almost dismissive) "It was nice meeting you, Derek. But I'm afraid I can't stay any longer. I have… business to attend to in the kingdom."
Derek snaps out of his thoughts, his eyes narrowing as he realizes she's about to leave.
Derek: (quickly) "Wait! Will you… come back?"
Auguitius glances at him over her shoulder, her lips curving into that same amused smile.
Auguitius Bord: "Oh, don't worry. You'll see me again. I'll be around more often now, so you can be carefree."
With that, she turns, her white cloak billowing behind her as she walks away. Derek watches her disappear into the forest, her ethereal presence fading into the shadows of the trees.
SFX: The soft rustle of leaves in the wind, the quiet crunch of her footsteps growing fainter until all is silent.
For a long moment, Derek stands there, staring at the spot where she disappeared. His mind is spinning with questions—How does Jason know her? Why is she here?—but none of them have answers. All he knows is that Auguitius Bord is a powerful figure, someone far beyond what he's ever encountered before.
He lets out a long breath, shaking his head in disbelief.
Derek: (muttering to himself, bewildered) "What the hell have I gotten myself into?"
The scene fades as Derek turns back toward the mountain residence, his thoughts swirling with the newfound knowledge of Jason's mysterious connections. The encounter with Auguitius has left him both curious and uneasy, but one thing is clear—there's far more to Jason and the world they live in than Derek ever imagined.
SFX: The faint rustle of leaves as Derek walks back toward the house, his footsteps soft and thoughtful.
After his strange and bewildering encounter with Auguitius Bord, Derek returns to the mountain residence where his Master, Jason, is seated cross-legged, eyes closed in what appears to be deep meditation. The soft hum of Teja's energy fills the air around him, the golden afternoon sunlight spilling into the room.
But Derek knows better.
He squints at his master, who looks unusually peaceful and still. Derek tilts his head slightly, his brow furrowing in suspicion.
Derek: (muttering to himself) "I don't think he's meditating…"
Slowly, he steps closer, trying to get a better look. Jason remains perfectly still, his breathing even and calm. Derek frowns, thinking for a moment. Then, with a mischievous smirk creeping onto his face, he leans down and blows a puff of air right into Jason's ear.
SFX: The soft, playful puff of air followed by a loud, exaggerated snore.
Jason's eyes fly open, and for a split second, his body jerks as if startled out of a peaceful dream. He blinks rapidly, looking around in confusion as he tries to get his bearings. Derek stands there, grinning down at him like a mischievous child who just pulled off the perfect prank.
Jason: (grumbling, still groggy) "The hell…?"
Derek: (laughing) "Oh, good morning, Master! Or should I say, 'good nap'? What kind of meditation was that, exactly? Looked more like a deep hibernation to me!"
Jason glares up at Derek, clearly not amused.
Jason: (gruffly, rubbing his eyes) "Shut up, kid. I was… concentrating."
Derek: (snickering) "Concentrating on what? The inside of your eyelids? You were out like a light!"
Jason groans, stretching his arms above his head and yawning. He still looks half-asleep, but he manages to give Derek a sharp look.
Jason: (deadpan) "I wasn't sleeping. It's a special meditation technique… one you're too young to understand."
Derek: (mockingly) "Yeah, right. Special technique, huh? I bet the monks use it to catch up on their beauty sleep!"
Jason grumbles under his breath, rubbing the back of his neck as he tries to shake off the last remnants of his nap.
Jason: (sarcastically) "You know, for someone who's supposed to be training, you're good at getting on my nerves."
Derek grins, sitting down across from Jason, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
Derek: (teasingly) "Well, someone's gotta keep you on your toes, Master. Can't have you slacking off in your 'special meditation' all day."
Jason rolls his eyes, but there's a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth despite his best efforts to stay serious.
SFX: The faint creak of floorboards as they settle into place, the quiet hum of wind outside the window.
For a moment, the two sit in comfortable silence, the tension between them easing into something more lighthearted. But Derek can't shake the questions swirling in his mind from earlier. His thoughts return to Auguitius Bord and the strange encounter he had with her. His curiosity burns at him, and he finally breaks the silence.
Derek: (casually, but with curiosity) "Hey, Master… that woman, Auguitius. How do you know her?"
Jason freezes for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly as he leans back against the wall. His expression changes from sleepy to annoyed in the blink of an eye.
Jason: (grumbling, irritated) "Oh, her? She's nothing but a pain in the ass. Trust me."
Derek raises an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden shift in Jason's tone. He leans forward, his curiosity piqued even more.
Derek: "Really? A pain in the ass? But she seemed pretty… I don't know, powerful."
Jason lets out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his dark hair as if just thinking about Auguitius is exhausting.
Jason: (grumbling) "Yeah, well, power doesn't make her any less of a headache. We grew up together, y'know? Childhood friends. And she's been a thorn in my side ever since."
Derek blinks, surprised. He hadn't expected Jason to have childhood friends, let alone someone as mysterious and powerful as Auguitius Bord.
Derek: (genuinely surprised) "Wait, childhood friends? You never mentioned that before! You two go way back?"
Jason rolls his eyes, clearly not thrilled to be talking about his past.
Jason: "Yep. Back when we were kids before I started all this training. She was always there, annoying me, challenging me to stupid contests, and showing off her fancy Angelo-Human tricks. It's a miracle I didn't snap and punch her back then."
Derek chuckles, trying to picture the two of them as kids—Jason, grumpy and serious even as a child, and Auguitius, probably teasing him relentlessly with her powers.
Derek: (laughing) "Sounds like she got under your skin."
Jason: (grumbling) "Under my skin? She lived there rent-free, kid. Every time I thought I'd gotten rid of her, she'd pop up again, smirking like she owned the place."
Derek's grin widens, clearly enjoying Jason's frustration. But there's something else nagging at the back of his mind, something he can't quite let go of.
Derek: (more serious now) "But still, it's kinda crazy that she's here now. I mean, she's from the Angelo-Human territory, right? And now she's showing up here… to watch the Gunxam Exam?"
Jason sighs again, rubbing his temples as if the mere thought of Auguitius is giving him a headache.
Jason: (annoyed) "Yeah, well, she likes to stick her nose where it doesn't belong. Don't worry about her. She's not your problem—she's mine."
Derek smirks, clearly enjoying Jason's irritation, but there's still something gnawing at him.
Derek: (teasingly) "I don't know, Master. She seemed pretty interested in me too. Maybe she'll be a problem for both of us."
Jason glares at him, his eyes narrowing.
Jason: (deadpan) "Don't get any ideas, kid. She's trouble. Trust me."
Derek raises his hands in mock surrender, still grinning.
Derek: "Alright, alright. No ideas. But I gotta admit, it's nice to know even you had a childhood friend who drove you crazy."
Jason rolls his eyes again, clearly done with the conversation.
Jason: (grumbling) "Yeah, well, don't get too comfortable. If you keep slacking off like this, you're gonna end up as much of a pain in my ass as she is."
Derek laughs, standing up and stretching.
Derek: "Sure, sure. I'll keep that in mind."
SFX: The soft rustle of fabric as Derek stands, the creak of floorboards as he stretches his arms above his head.
As the conversation winds down, the two settle back into their usual dynamic—Jason, grumpy and begrudgingly tolerant of his student's antics, and Derek, mischievous and always ready to push his Master's buttons. But in the back of Derek's mind, the encounter with Auguitius still lingers. There's more to her—and to Jason's past—than he's being told. But for now, he's content to leave it alone.
As the sun begins to set, casting long shadows across the room, Derek and Jason prepare for another day of training. The mystery of Auguitius Bord may not be solved yet, but there's no doubt that she'll return soon enough—bringing with her more questions and, likely, more headaches for Jason.
SFX: The soft sigh of the wind through the trees, the faint hum of Teja's energy as the scene fades to black.