Chapter 20: Test
Inside an office stood three boys with their heads lowered, they were standing before their teacher who had a look of disappointment on his face.
"What was the meaning of that?" He asked in anger. Derek was quite disappointed in them as a result of what happened earlier. "Klein! Answer me!" He yelled at Klein who didn't dare to raise his head to look at him in the face.
"It was my fault, I apologize," he said to him, with his head still lowered. "I know I'm wrong but I could not resist the seduction, especially when she freely offered her body to me. No one would reject such a free meal after all," he added with a hint of mockery in his voice.
"Bastard!" Michael grunted and was ready to attack Klein but Derek intervened immediately.
"You don't attack anyone in my presence!" He said to the boy who scoffed and looked away. "And you," he said as he turned to face Klein. "There was no rule stating that you can't have fun among yourselves but you should be aware that there is something called a boundary. You went as far as having sex with someone else's partner, is it right? You just crossed your boundary or did you not know that?"
"She gave herself to me, what does that have to do with me?" Klein asked him back.
Derek chuckled and shook his head. "You don't talk to me in that manner, don't forget what I'm capable of doing to you," he said to Klein who lowered his gaze abruptly. "As I was saying, because of your actions, a ruckus was caused and as such, you will be punished to set as a warning to others," He said to him.
At this point, Alex who had been silent for a while decided to speak up. "What for?" He asked Derek who turned and faced him. "Why should he be punished for something he didn't do?" He asked him again.
"What do you mean, kid?" Derek asked him, amused by the look on his face.
"You said it was right to have fun, right? He did it so why should he be punished? The one who deserves to be punished is this guy here who started the fight and not him who was humiliated as well," Alex replied.
"Can I ask you a question?" Derek asked him and he nodded. "If you were in the same situation as him, what would you do? Fight or let go?" He asked and Alex fell silent. "You see, kid... You are still too young to understand certain things. But let me give you a piece of advice, when you have a girlfriend, have her to yourself and don't let anyone else touch her or you'll end up being humiliated." Seeing that Alex remained quiet, he smiled and continued. "With that being said, Klein will still be punished—"
"No, I don't accept it!" Alex suddenly said, cutting through Derek's speech. "If you must punish someone, let it be the two of them or better still, the three of us."
"Why are you being so head-bent on helping him?" Derek asked him with a slight frown on his face. But Alex didn't reply to his question, causing him to sigh. "If you are so desperate to help him, there is only one way to do it," he said to him.
"What is it?" Alex asked him, expecting him to say something casual.
"You must pass the test that I'll give to you, only then will I consider letting him off," Derek replied. "What do you say?" He asked him, studying his expression.
"Isn't it just a test? Sure, I'll do it," Alex confidently replied.
Derek inwardly laughed at Alex. Staring at his confident gaze, he didn't know whether to call his behavior stupid or nice.
"Follow me then," he said to Alex while standing up and then led him out of the office, to a room close to his office. The other two boys followed them curiously and the four of them went into the room, there, they noticed a tube placed in the center of the room and after studying it, they noticed that the tube reached the ceiling of the room and also went as far passing through the ceiling. Alex moved closer to the tube and looked up, but all he saw was a dark end.
"Where is this tube connected to?" He curiously asked Derek.
"It's a secret," Derek said with a finger on his lips. "Now, let's get down to business," he said while approaching the tube, when he got to it, he pressed a button on the body and it opened immediately. "This is what your test looks like, when you get in, this tube will take you to a different place and that place is filled with different monsters of all sizes, classes, shapes, and types. These monsters you will have to fight until your time is up," he explained to Alex who was taken by surprise.
Alex thought it would be something very easy, he didn't expect that the test would be this challenging. Just listening to Derek talk about the monsters was alone to get him scared.
"You shouldn't force it," Michael said to him with a hint of mockery in his voice.
Alex ignored him and glanced at Klein who was staring at him speechlessly, then he turned to Derek and asked. "Can I be given another test?"
"No! This is all you must do to save him," Derek replied firmly. Seeing the reluctance in his demeanor, Derek sighed and said. "Kid, you should not always worry about other people, save that worry for your own self."
Alex glanced at Klein again and saw him still staring at him. Who knew what was running through his mind as he stared back at him but there was a mixed expression of hope, anger, and sadness etched on his face. This was the kid he fought on his first day at the school, the same kid he wanted so much to win, this same kid kept helping him times without number. What was he expected to feel towards him? Is it resentment? Indebtedness? Or guilt?
"Fine, I'll do it!" Alex said, breaking the sudden silence in the room.
Klein was pulled out of his thoughts by what Alex said, he had made up his mind to stop him from taking part in the test but before he could speak, the boy was long gone. Alex had entered the tube immediately after his reply and after he went in, the tube closed back. Klein had wanted to see him but he couldn't find him.
"Why can't I see him?" He turned to Derek for help.
"You won't be able to see anyone inside it but they are able to see us. That's just how it is," Derek replied.
"But is he going to be fine?" Klein asked again.
"That depends on his will to survive."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone