Buji was forced to a stop by the words that reverberated from the voices across the room. He wanted to keep listening to kill his curiosity. He heard what Mr. Zin had said and put a smile on his face.
'A good place. Wonderful!'
But the voices suddenly became dim, he couldn't grab all they were saying again. As a result, he stepped closer, straining his ear to catch all fragments of the conversation, and he was shocked after hearing Emra's voice.
"I'm happy the plan is working accordingly. And, daddy, I also have the book now, and I won't be returning it anytime soon," Emra stated.
The smile on Buji's face vanished as soon as he heard what Emra had said. He tried to consume the words in him but couldn't swallow them – he was shocked.
'My doubts were right. There was something more to this invitation than I thought.'
He still listened, bringing his ear closer so he could grab more of the things they said.
"Unknowingly to him, he has been under my watch," Emra began. "Buji doesn't seem like others. There is a different aura I get whenever I'm around him. Unfortunately, he's yet to realize it."
Buji couldn't tell exactly how things happened inside Mr. Zin's room. Each of their reactions and all that, but he was sure of one thing.
The room reeked of betrayal, especially from Emra. He, however, stood at a point near the grand doors and continued to listen.
"Different how?" that was Mr. Zin's voice.
"It's kind of hard to explain," Emra admitted, clutching the book in her hands. "Recently, he seems to move like someone carrying a burden he isn't able to bear."
"I noticed it too. The incident down there in the living room made him suspicious in the eyes," Mr. Zin replied with a calm male voice.
Buji could sense that Mr. Zin leaned against his chair since he heard the creaking sound of the chair. Judging from the building's appearance, he imagined that the chairs might be somewhat made of gold or at least silver, but he was distracted by Mr. Zin's voice.
"You don't know, but Buji is suspected to have a different bloodline, abominated by the association."
Emra hesitated before asking. "And what if it doesn't reveal itself?"
"The Awakening ceremony shall tell. That was why I asked you to invite him so I could use my remaining slot," came Mr. Zin's voice.
Buji felt Mr. Zin had paused for a while. He imagined if he had put on a wry smile after what he had said.
"Whether his bloodline was going to reveal itself or not, Buji will become an asset. Or a liability."
'An asset or a liability. What does it mean by that?"
"Buji is only suspected to be the last of the bloodline that has long been forbidden to exist…" Mr. Zin cut his words short. "That book you hold will reveal more if you want to know."
"S-E-A," Emra muttered, meaning she had glanced once more at the book.
Zin however asked the question that piqued Buji's interest.
"What about the boy?" Mr. Zin's voice asked. "From what you always say about him, he is super smart, so be careful with him."
"About that, I will be careful especially now I'm not sure he's still left in the dark. During our jog this morning, he spoke like he had read the book," Emra replied.
'It should have been like mother like daughter, but in this case, like father like daughter.'
"Of course, I am still left in the dark," Buji's voice was pale enough to be heard by him alone.
Outside where Buji stood, he was losing patience but he needed to keep longer. A plan? The book? The ceremony? They were connected, and he was just at the center of it.
'Damn!'
Buji clenched his fists at his sides, his heart pounding very fast with an organized rhythm.
He couldn't condone any more speeches from them. And the last thing he wanted was to be caught as an eavesdropper.
With a slow but deliberate move, he stepped back heading back to his room. No need to meet Emra because although he might be weaker than her to react, his mouth was going to be faster than him with his reaction.
***
Back in Buji's room, he was weakened by all that he had heard, especially from Emra. He just sat on his bed, wearing a sad face. Should he back down now that he has heard all these?
'Of course not Buji, can't you play by the game?'
Play by the game? Emra alone could possibly send Buji to his early grave. He was just 17 years old and still had more to achieve in life than expected. But his encouragement grew again.
'You don't need physical combat skills to play the game. The mind should be first, before anything else.'
The mind…
It is always ahead of you in any action you think you might or have taken. Whether your actions were pale, weak, or strong, they are conceived and considered in the mind before execution.
'And that is true. But playing the game with the mind will make me weaker.'
'You're yet to understand this Buji. No matter how you want to think about it, anything you do was conceived by your mind, so, keep it up.'
His different thoughts conflicted with each other. But Buji came to a conclusion.
"Using the mind to play the game was just perfect. He had been doing it all these while, using his reserved demeanor," he muttered. "But that has always made me the weakling."
He needed to make his own plan. But how was he going to?
He stood from his bed and went to his drawer, pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen. He began to scribble notes on the paper, mapping out what he knew so far.
[The Book: has been collected by Emra, and he was going to leave it with her for now. Although the book contained information he was yet to download, but sometime in the future…]
[Their Plan: he was not too sure about their plan. So, he needed to make different counter plans in case. Like, their plan was all tied to him]
[The Ceremony: a pivotal event that would reveal something about him. The beginning of how Mr. Zin and Emra, or probably, the hunter's association will act towards him]
As if trying to remember something, Buji leaned back, his gaze fixed on the ceiling.
'And the school?' he thought.
The school was going to be the powerhouse of what would come next from onwards. So, that's the key.
"That's the key," Buji whispered in realization, rubbing his thumb against his middle finger to a snap.
Whatever Mr. Zin, his daughter, and other hunters might be planning hinged on that darn Awakening ceremony. If that's the case, then he would have to play along—for now.
He thought next about Emra. It was still unbelievable to him what she had done, but that was human for you. So hard to be trusted.
'But her voice. Unlike the confident Emra he had known, there was something with her voice. Was it… whatever it was?
He smirked and said. "That being the case, two can play this game, Emra."
Buji finally resolved as he neatly folded the paper and tucked it into a book, placing it back in his drawer.
He wouldn't confront Emra yet. He was going to use her as his informant.
'I only hope she will last wrong around me.'
Just as he was about to lie down on his bed for rest, he heard a soft knock at his door. His heart skipped a beat.
With cautious steps, he approached the door.
"Buji?" Emra's soft voice called from outside the door.
Bro reluctantly placed his hands on the doorknob, he hesitated for a while.
'Why is she here? Okay, Buji, calm down, pretend as though nothing happened.'
Buji tightened his jaw. He opened the door to meet Emra's gaze.
"We need to talk," Emra retorted.
"About?" Buji asked with a calm but guarded voice.
Emra turned backward, observing her environment as if to ensure no one was listening. Then, she turned back to Buji with a usual expression of hers.
"The ceremony," she replied simply.