"Jeez," Finn breathed, he covered his face with his hand. After listening to Tim's explanation about the curse, he was left shocked. He would never believe that something like that could ever exist.
"Why do you think I have no friends?" Tim asked and let out a sad laughter. "Who in their right senses will offer to use their blood for a something they don't know?!"
"This is sad," Finn mumbled, not able to explain how he was feeling deep down. Tim was suffering.
The curse had matured to it's final stage — The stage that is capable of taking its victim's life any moment from now.
He turned and glanced at Tim, the boy was still too young to die. At least, not now that he got to be friends with him barely ten days ago.
"Hey, it's okay to die," Tim whispered. "I have nothing to live for so I can as well die—"
~Pah~
The sound of a slap echoed and Tim held his right cheek in shock as he gazed at the angry-faced Finn.
"Wh-what was that for?" He asked in a crying voice.
"This is not you talking like a dejected old fool so I helped slapped out the demon that is possessing your body, idiot!" Finn replied and Tim sighed. "How can you speak of dying when you haven't even figured out your true potentials?"
"You don't understand—"
"Speak no more, I don't want to hear any more word from you," Finn interrupted him. "If you don't have anything reasonable to talk about, you can as well go to bed." He understood what Tim was passing through at the moment but he wasn't going to allow him feel frustrated or depressed about his situation. Isn't it just sacrificing a little amount of his blood for the ritual? It's not like losing that amount of blood can kill him. That said, he made up his mind to help him... Because that is what friends are for, right?!
----------
The next day came — The long awaited Beast Awakening Ceremony and everyone was very much excited about it.
"Finally, I can't wait to tame my beast!" A student cried out in excitement as they all moved to the beast arena.
"I have been dying for this day to come!"
Among this crowd of excited kids were Tim and Finn, walking together. Many students saw them and we're surprised to see the two of them together — especially for Tim who never had any friend due to the curse.
"Hey, have you guys heard the latest news now?" A student with tongue longer than his dick asked his group of friends.
"Heard what?" They asked, curiously.
"Those three friends are no longer together," the boy said and everyone gasped. "Those two over there left their friend because he couldn't master resonance, they said they couldn't mingle with a failure like him."
"What? Did they actually say something like that?" One asked.
"More than that," the boy replied. "They made new friends with the famous golden squad and ever since then, they stopped associating with their friend."
"Isn't the golden squad a group of arrogant and spoilt brats? Why would they make friends with them and abandon their best friend?"
"Those brats must have—"
"Shhh! Here they come!"
The group of students immediately stopped talking as the said golden squad walked past them. This group comprised of a boy named Karl, a handsome boy with silver hair, James, a boy with jet-black hair and blue eyes, Layla, a girl with orange hair, Clara, Emma's roommate, Emma herself, and then Ryan; a total of six people.
Their shoulders were raised and their heads high up as they made their way into the arena.
"Look at them, acting all high and mighty!" A student scoffed.
"Tsk! I'm sorry for those two because they are going to regret it sooner or later."
Finn and Tim overheard what the students were saying and Finn let out a sigh.
"Are you worried about them?" Tim turned and asked him.
"Hell no," Finn replied. "I no longer give a damn about them and thank God that bastard doesn't stay with us anymore, I won't have to be bothered about dealing with his face everyday."
Ryan had suddenly left them, he packed his bags and moved away during their absence. They returned and could not find his stuffs in the room.
"Are you sure?... Are you sure you are okay with it?" Tim asked him. He was worried that Ryan's sudden change will affect his friend considering how close they were before.
"I have thought about it carefully and I figured that there was nothing to loose. I think it's best we part ways because ever since they stopped talking to me, I feel that my life has become brighter," Finn replied.
Tim narrowed his eyes at his friend. "Are you saying that they've been the cause of your misfortunes?"
"I didn't say that but if that was the case before, then I am ashamed of myself now," Finn replied and smiled bitterly. "I made the wrong choice of friendship."
Sensing her master's sorrow, Lui brought out her head to look at him. The look on his face was noticeable — it was of both anger and regret. This made her growl angrily but because she was very small, no one heard it. But inwardly, she was burning with rage. Whoever made her master sad, she was going to kill without hesitation.
At last, they arrived inside the beasts arena and caught sight of many huge creatures. Some looked ugly, scary, and intimidating while some looked cute and fragile. The students were all excited about today because they've been waiting for it since the term began. They could not wait to own a pet since it was they needed to do.
After everyone had gathered, Director Lyra went up to address them and after all the long sermons was done, the main event began.
The first student was called upon to tame his first beast and after trying to tame impressive ones, he ended up taming an E-rank flame praying mantis. He tried but it wasn't impressive. Sad, he walked back to his stand with his new pet trailing behind.
Next to be called upon was a girl. She tried her best and ended up taming a D-rank shadowdog.
Many more students went up to do theirs when their turn came but even after spending two hours there, no student had succeeded in taming any impressive monsters.
"Next is Karl!" The director said and Karl walked over to where the monsters were lined up. He walked over to a large tiger and stood before it. The beast in reaction roared at him and tried to attack him but the huge chains forcefully pulled it back.
"Hey, that's a white tiger! How is he going to tame such ferocious beast!" A student asked.
"He is going to use some tricks, he is so good at that!"
They watched as Karl, ignoring their words went further to bring out a small round object from his pocket and fed it go the beast who after consuming it, sat down obediently.
Seeing that the beast had already become obedient, he smirked and began to form a contract with it. Unlike Finn's method of taming his beast, in order to tame a beast, one must form a contract with their beasts and that is done by using blood. So Karl cut his wrist a little bit and then let his blood drop on the tiger's head. That spot began to glow which it then lasted for about some seconds before it vanished.
After this was done, the chains binding the beasts disappeared. It indicated that Karl had successfully tamed the beast.
"He really did it!"
"He is full of tricks."
While others spoke, Finn was more curious about the thing Karl fed the beast.