Apophis (XIV Series #3)

AGNES I unintentionally lit someone on fire. In my defense, she was the one who asked for it. The woman behind the desk wordlessly turned her head towards me as if telling me to deal with the problem with her stern gaze. I looked back at her completely puzzled, and impressed by how nonchalant she was about her upper body in flames. I snapped my fingers in realization. That’s it! I know what I have to do! I took my phone out from my pocket and held it upwards, making sure that the woman behind me was inside the frame of the camera. With a grin, I positioned to take a photo of the lady, saying, “Say cheese!” I flinched a little, hearing her palm slam against the table. I laggardly turned my head to see her reaction and flashed her a cheeky smile. The woman heaved a deep sigh before the fire dissipated into steam, and her reddish scales morphed back to her normal skin. She clasped her hands together and intently stared at me, probably rethinking all of her life choices up to this point, and having to deal with a troublesome student like myself. “Ms. Sathana,” She started. The tone of her voice was already chilling. It always has been, but it gets worse every time I do something, well, not to her liking. I breathe and her eyes already look like they would shoot arrows with flames for its body and a knife for a tip. “I would assume that you’re well aware as to why I called you here after you astoundingly failed the written exam and kindled me,” Her tone has gone deeper as she lowered her chin down. “On fire.” “I understand your underlying concern for me, Mrs. Ebersol, and I appreciate it very much.” I conveyed my feelings as I shook her hand respectfully. She raised an eyebrow, feeling a strange crumpled paper in her hand, and looked down in disbelief. “Did you just slip a dollar to bribe me?” “Don’t underestimate the power of a dollar.” I winked, leaning back on the chair as I slowly crossed my legs. She gave me a disapproving look, ignoring my incredibly charming smile that I had practiced in front of a mirror a thousand times. Tsk. I thought for sure the bribe would work this time. This woman has already mastered the ways of a hardworking 8-9 hour shift parent and a mother of three to have her heart be as formidable and tenacious as that. She might be able to wrestle an alligator if she wanted to. And she would probably win. She would. She definitely would. Mrs. Ebersol was the type of person who would be the president of every Parent-Teacher Association or be an assassin for her secret part-time job. Either way, it was pretty dangerous to mess around with her. With me as an exception, that is. She hates to admit it, but we’re really good friends. I already see her like my second mother. We passed by each other on the street once and had a second of eye contact. We’re so close that we don’t even need to greet each other. “Why do you even persist in taking the Promoting Exam without being properly equipped with training and education? This has been your third attempt, all of which resulted in failure just by the first part of the exam alone.” She spoke, the frustration in her voice more evident than usual. “You need to stop being stubborn and attend your classes.” “School?” I let out a loud scoff to show her my disagreement. “What for? I can easily become stronger if I train by myself. Experience is the best teacher, they say. No offense.” I immediately barked at her upon the realization that I may have shattered bits and parts of her ego. “Then, how come you can’t even follow a simple instruction, such as handing me that book with your fire magic?” She pointed at the object from the corner of the table like she did earlier when I first entered the room. Instead, I ended up setting her face into a blaze. I glanced at her, bewildered that they were asking me to do things that didn’t make sense. “Because everyone knows that fire burns things, not carry objects.” No s**t. Even I knew that was a pretty stupid request. I couldn’t understand why I needed to go through all of these formalities when I knew I was powerful enough to get the highest rank without this education she insisted I should take. Unfortunately, to attain bragging rights, it should be documented officially in the Ministry of Licensed Magic or no one will take you seriously. It’s a matter of the utmost importance to my reputation to be better than everybody else. “Magic isn’t one-dimensional and you would know this if you continued going to school.” She said, knowingly. “You could learn so much about your power than you could ever imagine.” She calmly replied, closing the folder that contained my previous test results. Disappointing results, might I add. “But as long as you refuse to study, you won’t reach the potential of a Black caste.” My hooded eyes rolled to the side, an irritated groan escaped my lips after suddenly having a strong urge to punch anything at close proximity. For a moment, I think I pictured an austere gaze of an old widowed woman who had lost all compassion towards her family. I remember despising that face even at a young age and it hasn’t changed until now. It only became worse as her wrinkles multiplied in just a blink of an eye. I stomped my foot down and pulled myself up from the chair I was sitting on. “Blah, blah, blah.” I grunted in dismay. “Whether I’m at home or here, I get nagged at regardless!” I indignantly stated, grabbing my bag from the floor. “Next year, I’ll definitely pass the Promoting Exam. Just you wait, Mrs. Ebersol.” I turned my back after taking the crumpled dollar bill on the table and made my way outside of the room.