Rudra was lying on the bed, eyes closed but tension was clearly visible on his face. Jackson was roaming around the room restlessly. His movements showed that he was in deep confusion.
"How is this possible?" Jackson muttered. "Can Max really do this?"
It was nine o'clock at night. Jackson's restlessness was increasing with each passing moment. Just then the door opened and Max entered the room. There was a shadow of fatigue and confusion on his face.
As soon as Jackson saw him, he quickly walked towards him.
Jackson: "Max! Give me back my Black Flame Apple!"
Max was shocked. Composing himself, he said, "Black Flame Apple? What are you talking about?"
Jackson: (angrily) "Don't lie! You snatched the apple from my hand in the park in the afternoon and ran away!"
Max was confused. "Me? I don't remember anything. Have you gone mad?"
The lines of anger on Jackson's face deepened. He raised his finger and said, "It wasn't me who was mad, it was you! You were so unconscious. When I saw you, you came to me, snatched my apple and disappeared."
Max looked at him in surprise. He was really unable to remember anything. Then a soft voice echoed in his consciousness.
AI (laughing): "Wow, Max! You made fun of me."
Max said angrily to himself, "You're just going to keep quiet? I'm already upset."
AI: "Hey! I didn't even say anything. By the way... did you see anyone laughing today?"
Max thought, "Maybe after leaving the library... my strength and lifespan were also decreasing. And my eyes... they had also changed."
AI: (mockingly) "Okay! And what happened to the Black Flame Apple challenge? Did you complete it or did you leave it incomplete?"
Max sighed. "I don't remember anything. But after I saw Jackson in the park, everything went blurry. When I regained consciousness, I was a complete mess."
AI: (laughing) "So that's why. When your stat points ran out, you went into sub-conscious mode. If you hadn't found the Black Flame Apple at that time, you might have..."
Max: (nervously) "Maybe what? Tell me clearly."
AI: (mysteriously) "Hey! Why are you so scared? Whatever happened is over now. But if you hadn't found that apple, things could have been even worse. Maybe, you wouldn't even be standing here now."
The lines of worry on Max's face deepened. He turned to Jackson. "Jackson, I really don't remember anything. If I did something wrong, I'll get you a new Black Flame Apple."
Jackson laughed and said, "The new Black Flame Apple? Do you know how much it costs? 1 million Rudras!"
Max's eyes widened. "1 million Rudras? That's impossible! If I had that much money, I could treat my illness."
Max mustered up the courage to ask, "Is there any other way?"
Jackson took a deep breath and leaned towards him and said, "There is a way, but it is very dangerous. For this, you have to go outside the walls of the academy. You can't even imagine what the world is like there."
The room fell silent. There was both fear and confusion in Max's eyes. But now it was certain that in the coming days he would not only have to win back Jackson's trust, but also face unknown dangers by going beyond those walls.
Mystery and pressure
There was silence in the room. Jackson stared at Max angrily and said, "Max, you don't understand the seriousness of this situation. If I don't get that Black Flame Apple, my powers will go out of control. I don't even know what will happen after that. We have to arrange it as quickly as possible."
Max was listening to him carefully. This was the first time he came to know that the Black Flame Apple was not just a simple fruit, but a means to control power. Jackson took a deep breath and said, "I get a Black Flame Apple every month. It has become my necessity. But now my power is going out of my control."
Jackson held his head and slowly lay down on the bed. Within a few moments, he fell asleep.
Max became even more confused now. He said to himself, "Why do all these problems come only in my life? Can I never live peacefully?"
Then the AI's voice echoed in his mind.
AI: (laughs) "People often have this misconception that others have no problems in their lives. But everyone has their own struggles, which are not visible."
Max did not reply. He lay down on the bed, but could not sleep the whole night.
---
Next morning
As soon as it was morning, all the students were called for class. Max reached his class, where he saw that Rudra and Jackson were already there. Jackson looked at Max with angry eyes, but did not say anything.
Max suddenly looked at the door. Anna entered the class and started walking straight towards Max. Seeing her coming towards him, Max hesitated. He was afraid that Anna might have misunderstood something after seeing his condition yesterday.
Anna: (coming to him) "How are you now, Max?"
Max said hesitantly, "I am fine. I was just a little tired."
Just then the door of the class opened and a tall, stern-faced man entered. He was the teacher of the class.
Teacher: "My name is Robert. And from today I am your instructor. Let's start the class."
Robert pointed to the board and said, "Today's topic is 'Powers.'"
He began to speak in a deep voice, "Ever sinceEver since we came to this planet, many strange incidents have happened with humans. These incidents led to the existence of our powers. But till now no one knows everything about this planet."
Robert paused for a while and looked at the students and said, "Tomorrow I will make you choose your future subjects. Whatever decision you take, take it carefully. The rest of the information is on the notice board."
Saying this, he went out of the class.
---
After class
The students slowly started leaving the class. While leaving, Jackson stared at Max and said, "Max, my eyes are on you. Bring that apple as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences will be bad."
Rudra had also left the class. But Anna was still there.
Anna slowly came and sat next to Max. She looked at him and said, "Max, I know you are a little worried. But if you ever want to talk, I'm here to listen."
Max looked into her eyes. He couldn't tell if Anna wanted to help him or if she was thinking of something else. But it was clear that Anna's presence was a relief to her.
Max asked Anna with some hesitation, "Do you know anything about the Black Flame Apple?"
Anna's eyes widened as she heard this. Her face showed nervousness. She said in a low voice, "What are you going to do with it, Max?"
Max fell silent. He felt uncomfortable. His silence made Anna think.
Anna said after a moment, "The Black Flame Apple is extremely rare. I have never seen it, but I have heard a lot about it. This fruit grows in dangerous places. It is said that the environment around it is extremely deadly. So it's not easy to get it."
Anna looked at Max. She was trying to understand his seriousness. But she didn't ask more questions. Perhaps she understood that everyone has their own personal reasons.
"Are you really planning to find it?" Anna asked, a little confused.
Max took a deep breath. He said softly, "Yes, I have to find it. Someone's life is tied to it."
Anna was a little surprised by Max's words, but she didn't say much. She knew that everyone has their own responsibilities. She only said, "If you need information, you can probably find some in the old records in the library. But be careful, Max. This fruit is as mysterious as it is dangerous."