Chapter 19 CHAPTER: 019
Asher and his class use the training field, a large opening in the middle of two buildings.
“Fire is uncontrollable. We will no longer be using enclosed spaces since you all have passed the first basic stage of breathing and emotional control.”
Asher feels like those words are being directed at him, and he's not complaining because, indeed, he's getting better and living better even with the nightmares that still wake him up in the middle of the night.
“This will be our rule class from now on. You will be taught advanced levels of fire control and fighting techniques,” the instructors continue loudly.
Suddenly, a student raises her hands. “What's going to happen once we graduate, Mr. Barry? Do we continue to live in the academy or can we leave?”
“Once you've reached the highest level of elemental control. You will become graduates of the academy. You will be given the choice to stay here and work as a teacher or leave the academy and face the real world, but before then, you should focus on polishing your skills and wielding your fire better. Do you understand?”
Asher swallows the clot in his throat as he realizes he has nowhere to go if he ever chooses to leave. Perhaps he can travel around the world and settle where he's comfortable, or maybe he'll never leave the academy and settle for being a teacher instead. Only time will tell.
“What are you going to choose?” Rase nudges his side and crosses his arms over his chest.
“I don't know. What about you?” He turns to the other boy.
“I'm leaving. Probably settle in a nice city, and build a home and family,”
Asher almost cracks a smile. “Never take you to be optimistic.”
Rase smiles and shrugs. “Me neither. I guess people just change and want better for themselves. We're only eighteen. We still have a long way to go, right?”
Asher nods and goes back to the lesson.
“What we're doing today is simple. Each of you is going to create a firewall and use it as a counterattack,” the instructor continues, and each student takes their place, spreading far and wide in the open space.
Simple is an understatement in creating a firewall. Asher scoffs and follows every word of the instructor, mimicking his hand movements and keeping his emotions as calm as possible; any slip-up will result in a burning bush. Asher can't have that.
But then suddenly, it happens as water spouts from the pipes on the ground and starts a spray. Instantly, murmurs break out, but those murmurs turn into screams as the water sprays in full blast, soaking heavily on them like rain.
“WHAT THE FUCK!” Students exclaim, scampering away to take shelter; even the instructor is gone in a minute while Asher stands there, soaked to the bone, with his gaze fixed on the corner where a few elemental watches are hidden behind walls, and Asher recognizes only one of them, Xavi.
Asher’s heart suddenly beats fast at seeing the boy again after four weeks. Did he get prettier?
The blue-haired boy grins widely, staring back at Asher, and then he waves, gesturing for Asher to come over. Something propels Asher as he almost takes the first step, but suddenly, his wrist is grabbed, and he whips his head to see Rase, equally soaked.
“Let's get out of here!” He says loudly and immediately drags him along, running towards the direction of the academy dorms, but before Asher disappears, he turns his head one more time to see the poisonous look in Xavi's eyes as he watches them.
Asher bites back a smile and looks away, running alongside Rase.
~
The moment they return to their shared room, Ori and Kaeleen are already there. Rase goes to his bed, and Asher goes to his.
“I'm pretty sure it's not raining outside. What happened to you two?” Ori asks as he sits up on his bed, adjusting his glasses.
“I'm sure it's the ice elementals. Those fucking bastards are still pissed off that we discovered their little party site and have sworn to make our lives miserable.” Rase rants in anger.
Asher lets out a cold sneeze, and a wild shiver runs down his spine. Without thinking, he takes off his shirt, and instantly, gasps erupt among his roommates. Asher freezes, realizing what he's done.
“What are those?” All three of them said at the same time, eyes fixed on what they saw on Asher's body.
On Asher’s body are patterns; they run down his back and spread across every part of his body in weird markings, almost like bolts of lightning, but light and almost blended to his skin, yet still visible. He never takes off his clothes in front of people because of them.
“Did you get tattooed? Is that even allowed?” Kaeleen frowns deeply, reaching out to touch Asher’s back, and he immediately shivers, breaking out of his trance as he grabs a towel and wraps it around his body, even if the marks are still on display on other parts of his body, especially his hands. The patterns stop at his wrists.
“They are not tattoos,” he says as he turns to look at him.
“How did you get them?”
Asher blinks. He rarely talks about them. Most of the time, he forgets he even has them but every time he takes off his clothes, they are there to remind him of his difference. “I've always had them,”
“Always?”
Asher sighs. “I was born with them,”
One of the reasons his parents call him a monster. Imagine being born with patterns that almost make you not human. He was barely breastfed by his mother because of them.
Ori's eyes go so wide they look like they're about to rip out their sockets. “They look so cool! I wish I had some on me too!”
Asher won't wish them on anyone. They look beautiful yet make him different and weird. A normal human isn't meant to have markings on their bodies. Asher doesn't know what he is, doesn't know if he's meant to exist.
“How come we've never noticed?” Kaeleen blurts out.
Maybe because Asher has been so careful never to take his clothes off in front of them, unless now he's been careless.
“Can we not not talk about them, please?"
The three of them share uncertain glances at each other, then nod their heads.
“Thank you,” Asher murmurs. He grabs a new set of clothes and goes to the shower.
When he returns a few minutes later with oversized clothes that cover his entire body, he finds Rase waiting beside his bed, and immediately, the boy stretches for a mug of hot chocolate.
“I thought you might be cold,” he says shyly, waiting for Asher to accept the drink.
“Thank you, Rase,” Asher says, yet he can't even manage a smile. It's like his facial muscles are dead or he has forgotten how to smile. Asher almost feels bad, knowing he can't give the boy a smile despite his kindness.
He takes the mug from Rase with a blank face, and the silly boy scratches the back of his head with a little blush on his face.
Asher doesn't deserve his kindness.
“Rase and Asher, sitting in a tree. K.I.S.S.I.N.G.”
Ori suddenly sings, and Rase burns brighter than a tomato.