Returner's Revenge

Awakeners and Heroes

By the time Kris woke up, everyone is staring at him with suspicious eyes. [Ah- I’m here again.] he says to himself and Johannes asks if he’s fine while the doctor welcomes him back. “Wow, I did not expect to see you so soon. But I think nothing happened this time. My assistant here did not detect any injury in your body nor your mana pool. You might just have fainted due to exhaustion. I heard you were being chased by other students earlier so that must be the culprit considering that you just got released from here earlier.” The doctor says with a smile.

               [Yeah- go on ahead and laugh at me.] Kris keeps his thought to himself as he apologizes for the inconveniences that he brought to the people in the infirmary yet again. “I did not expect to pass out like that.” Kris says while scratching his head.

               But he knows that if they were to learn what he discovered before fainting, they would also have the same reaction or worse. “I’ll be going now. I should just rest in our room than trouble everyone here. Thank you very much for helping me again doctor.” Kris waves his hand before leaving and Johannes follows him. “Though we did not do anything worthy of your thanks but no problem. Please visit us again, there are not much students that come to the infirmary in the first place.” The prince says as he waves his hands back with a nice smile on his face.

               “What happened back there in the room Kris? Why did you faint on the floor?” Johannes inquired as they walk back to their rooms. Kris is a bit conscious of the surroundings after getting going through what he had earlier.

               “Nothing much, just as the doctor says, I might be a little exhausted from all that running.” Kris repeated what the doctor said but Johannes doesn’t buy his lies. “If you don’t want to tell me then its fine but it hurts me if you lie. I know you a lot longer than anyone here in the academy. We grew up together, and both of us are aware when we are trying to hide something and I can sense that. If you can’t tell me now, you can tell me about it in the future. I will wait.”

               Guilty of lying to his friend, Kris turns to him with a sad look in his face. “Sorry about that Johannes, I did not consider what you would feel. I’ll tell you when the time comes. You will be the first one that I will tell so just give me more time.” Kris says at the two make up.

               “Since you are how around here, why don’t we train inside our room? That way, there will be no one to pester us.” Johannes suggested which greatly surprised Kris. [Is this it? My friend who lost interest in training is asking me to train with him? Did he feel the effects of the 300 year old plum?] Kris thinks to himself but then Johannes suddenly  takes back what he said.

               “Oh- I totally forgot that you need to rest. Guess, I will be training on my own. Be sure to recover fast or I’ll leave you behind.” Johannes says to Kris who then lets out a chuckle. “Hahah! There is no way I will stay idle. Watch me, I’ll catch up faster than you think.” Kris said and the two made a turn to finally reach their room but to their surprise, the headmaster is standing beside their door.

Johannes tries to confirm if that door is the real door to their room and looks around and realize that he is not hallucinating. “Good day headmaster.” The two greet the old man standing beside their door and the headmaster bows his head. Taking their greeting generously. “Looks like you have been busy the entire day. I hope that you can spare this old man some time. There is something that I want to say to you Mr. Grindall, can you please head in first Flynn?”

               Heeding the headmaster’s words, Johannes enters his room while looking at the headmaster with confused expression. [Did Kris do anything wrong? Is this about the incident? Is he here to tell Kris about the additional punishment himself?] he hesitantly close the door but Kris gives him a glance, ‘I’ll be fine’.

               “Isolation plane.” The headmaster waves his arms and immediately change their surrounding. Kris recognize the spell, a spell that have been used frequently on confidential meetings that he had been in the past. [Not that this plane gives a little protection to the people inside, it also doesn’t leak any sound and prevents any plans during the war from reaching the ears of the enemies but the hands of evil is far stretched that there are some spies in the officials that leaked the confidential information.]

               The headmaster looks at Kris while the young man is thinking back in  the past. [Looks like he is also aware and knowledgeable of this spell. Did he read this from somewhere?] the headmaster then grab Kris’ shoulder. “Young man, I hope you know why I chose to punish you that way.” Kris nod his head.

               “Yes, I am well aware headmaster. I apologize for the damages of my actions, though I don’t have much I will try to add for the restoration of the arena. I will try to get some jo-“ the headmaster chuckle after hearing his words and laughed wholeheartedly. “Hahaha! Nah- there is no need for you to do that. Everything is good that you know the consequences of your actions. You probably know why I chose that punishment instead of expulsion right?”

               The headmaster understood that Kris knows the reason why and so he reminded him. “The academy is a place to encourage mages and improve their abilities. Though duels and other things related to combat are allowed, excessive display of violent behavior is not allowed. I understand that it was a duel but that doesn’t mean you should use a f*******n spell in the first place. It is called f*******n because it is not to be used in civilian grounds and would be dangerous in the hands of the wrong people. I hope you understand what I mean young lad.” The headmaster said to Kris who obediently nods his head.

               The headmaster quickly cancels his spell and is about to leave when all of the sudden he leans near Kris’ ear and whispered. “I know that you have another f*******n spell. I just hope that it will not destroy the balance in the academy. Please be mindful of what you do, there are people backing you up and I can say that I am one of those people. Don’t let power dictate what you do, do not bow down to power. Let the power bend to your will, that way you will not be consumed by pride and darkness. Always walk the path of light.” The headmaster then tap his shoulder and left with a smile.

               “Please de me a favor and don’t make the doctor worry much. He is the kind of person that stretch his hand even in hard times just to help someone but due to some circumstances, he is always alone. It would be great if he makes some friends so try to be good to him.” Kris have mixed emotions about what the headmaster told him. [System, what do you make up of what the headmaster said? Don’t you think it’s weird?] Kris asked the system who immediately gives it’s conclusion.

               Answer: The subject must have a spell that can detect whether a person has some incredible abilities and spells. Artifacts are mostly used in such things but there is a certain spell that would allow the user to detect such things. ‘Astral eyes’ allows the user to see through people’s spells and capabilities. This spell has much uses than just seeing if a person has a strong spell. It can also be used to measure a person’s capabilities and can alert the user about spells that are cast near the vicinity.

               Additional information: I did not detect the use of ‘Astral eyes’ or the activation magic circles around he subject’s eyes.

               Kris then turns to the headmaster out of shock. [Then what do you think is the reason? If he is not using such a spell, is it possible that he is an ‘Awakened’?]

               Answer: That is most likely the reason. The subject must have awakened the ‘Astral eyes’ and is regularly using it since the day of the subject’s birth.

               Kris then grit his teeth shock. [Awakeners, they are those people that are gifted with other kinds of special abilities that most mages don’t have. They either awakened such abilities in their parts of the body. Those who awakened some abilities in their eyes, they are usually able to see some things that most people are not able to see. Some have awakened some abilities in their hands and feet which give them strength of some kinds. There are also people that have awakened abilities in their hearts but it is uncommon. But the most dangerous of all the awakened people are those who have special abilities in their tongue. They will be able to command people to their will but using this special ability is hard to control.]

               “Looks like there are people like that huh? I did not think that I would get to meet my first awakened person here in the academy. Now that I think about it, what was the name of the headmaster? Most of the awakeners are heroes due to their overwhelming strength. Is he perhaps a hero in the past?” Kris mutters to himself as he stands alone in front of the door but still could not shake the thought of the headmaster’s identity.

              [Awakeners are so few that there are only 10 are recorded to have emerged within the span of a hundred years. I wonder how many awakeners are here in this time.] Kris still thinks of the awakeners even after lying on his bed. Johannes is curious of what are the things that he and the headmaster talked about but kept his mouth shut, knowing that it is personal. “Johannes, you still have that stigma in your hands right?”

               Johannes is surprised of what Kris blurted out but then remembers the talk they had in the past. “Are you talking about that awakener thing again?” Johannes ask and Kris nods his head. “Yeah- I am not certain that you are own. That overwhelming strength when you use your hands is the proof of it. And it looks like you are not alone. You can ask the headmaster about it since he is also an awakener.” Johannes drops the weighs that he is lifting after hearing those words.

               “What do you mean? The headmaster is an awakener?!” Johannes exclaims.

               “Yeah, and I think he has special abilities on is eyes.” At first, it looked like Johannes is not interested in the talks of awakeners but when Kris mentions that the headmaster is also an awakening, his interest is piqued.

Meanwhile

                             [To think that Kris Grindall would have two f*******n spells. Where did he get those spells in the first place? The time when he was unconscious in the arena, he only has one bright light around him but when I saw him again, there I two. What is that student hiding? But enough about that, his room mate is just as interesting as well. I did not met much awakeners in my lifetime but to think that the student Flynn has the ‘Stigma of Brute Strength,  Armlet of Giants.’ Looks like the prince had not mistake to support those two. They will indeed be one of the pillars of the kingdom in the future.] the headmaster smiles and walks in a portal that sends him straight to his office where a man standing beside his table waits.

                             “You really like using portals huh? That’s really you, Heinrich the Dimensional Walker. Once a habit is always a habit, or so they say.” The man says in an intimidating tone but the headmaster just ignores him and head straight for his chair. “If you have that much free time then you should have spend it on yourself. And stop bothering me, you have your own academy to worry about so why are you here? To pick a fight with me?” a few bulging nerves appear in the man’s forehead after the headmaster chews him out.