After getting fixed up by the doctors at the infirmary, Xavier was sent to a holding lounge in wait for a final diagnosis.

  While he was there, Xavier looked around and saw a few other students who participated as well.

  As Xavier continued to survey the room, witnessed Sally approach him from a distance. "Well, well, well, look who it is; mister finalist himself, who would've thought?" Sally said, scanning Xavier from head to toe.

  "Yeah well, you tend to pick up a few things here and there when a whole class is against you."

  Sally's friend accompanied her, but stood right behind in order to avoid being recognized. "A familiar face I see," Xavier said, peeking around back.

  "Who, Jasmine?" Sally asked, moving out of the way.

  "Yeah, she tried to ambush me in a desert. Can't say it ended well for her," Xavier replied.

  Sally looked at Jasmine with an air of curiosity. "Well, let's just say. He left me in the middle of the ocean with a frozen wave stuck up my ass," Jasmine said, making Xavier chuckle.

  "What's your deal anyway. Sally, was it?" Xavier asks.

  "What do you mean?" Sally replied.

  "Well, you know, your spells. With all those, monsters and stuff."

  "Oh! I'm Domini; our expertise is centered around manipulating animals and beasts, commanding them at will."

  "Oh. So, do they come in little, red and white coloured balls?"

  "Uhhh, no? What are you even talking about?"

  "Never mind. Does it work on people though?

  Sally chuckled, "Would you bark for me Xavier?"

  Perplexed, Xavier replied, "What? No!"

  Sally laughed, "Then it doesn't work."

  "So, what's up with that eye of yours," Jasmine asks, carrying an air of suspicion.

  "Oh, it's nothing. I barely even notice it's there at times, but the doc says it's the main reason behind my low reserves," Xavier replied.

  "Why not just get it removed?" Sally asked.

  "Uhh yeah, someone I know advised against that, and he seems to know what he's talking about, so I trust him," Xavier reluctantly replied.

  "Oh, so you don't have a mana disease. I guess we can be friends now," Jasmine said.

  "Is that really what all the fuss was about? I thought Principal Jena already sorted that out?" said Xavier.

  "Yeah well, rumors spread speculating a cover up. Crazy world we live in," Sally replied, waving her hands.

  "Hey! You should meet the last member of our friend group," Jasmine suggested, and began to lead the way. "Don't get too excited though, he can be a little bit weird."

  "Say, how were you even able to pull that off though. Taking into account you've got like, almost no mana at all?" Sally asked in an inside voice, as the two walked behind Jasmine.

  "Uhh, it's a special technique. A secret too, so I'm not supposed to disclose too much information about it," Xavier replied.

  "Shame, does it involve those markings though? You look really terrifying with those patterns on."

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Yeah, it's a part of it," Xavier replied.

  The three arrived at a round table, where a group of sorcerers were playing chess.

  A scrawny kid with curly hair and round glasses, who patiently waited his turn, stood up in order to greet the three.

  The afternoon sun shining through the window behind him at an angle, highlighted the pimples on his face, and his bone-like structure.

  "This him?" the boy gestured towards Xavier; each of his movements, as though he were about to fall off at any given minute.

  "Yeah, I'm Xavier, nice to meet you-"

  "Jeffery," Jeffery said, holding out his hand for a handshake. "I've heard, quite a lot of rumors about you, and some of them seem to be true," Jeffery looked at Xavier from head to toe. "As invisible as a ghost, and quite the physique I might say."

  Xavier at the time had bandages across his abdomen, as a result of his fight with Gabriel; he had no shirt on, but wore his cloak open in the middle.

  "Yeah well. When you're like me, you tend to use every conceivable option available to win."

  "And that meant training your body to make up for the lack of mana I see," Jeffry said, nodding between words. "Think I could use that?"

  "I could show you the ropes if you're interested," Xavier nodded.

  "So, does that mean we can hang out from time to time?" Sally asked, leaning over the table.

  Xavier paused for a while, suspended in thought. Xavier thought about all the time he spent training himself at school, and how far he came because of it.

  Xavier wasn't quite willing to give all that up, and waste it away playing with the only friends he could ever make. "Still thinking about it hotshot?" Sally asked.

  "I- I kind of want to train so-"

  "Oh, weaklings dragging you back huh?" Xavier got interrupted, as Sally leaned in closer on him; until they were face to face.

  Sally then took Xavier by the hands, turned him away from the table, and said, "Tell you what, I'll let you in on a little secret. There's this crimson dragon that resides at the top of mount kaiju."

  "All members of the Domini clan who attempted, failed to tame it, and never came back alive, but if our little macho finalist is looking for some form of training. Then, you can take it on; just don't say I didn't warn you," Sally explained.

  "Okay but, why are you telling me all this?" Xavier asked.

  Sally let go of Xavier's hands, and put hers behind her back, "You can think of it as a form of trust; if you've never had friends before then, this is how we form bonds,"

  "Okay I understand that but, mount Kaiju Sally? that's more of a death sentence," said Jeffrey, as Sally's voice wasn't so much of an inside one.

  "I did warn him though, so if hotshot over here has a death wish then, who can stop him?" Sally shrugged and left for the table.

  Xavier liked the idea regardless and said, "Sure, I'll take you on." Capturing the attention of everyone present, as, even the chess players turned, in order to get a better look of the dead man.

  "For the record: everyone present, at this table here today? Heard nothing, if he doesn't come back alive," said Jasmine.

  Xavier's interactions with his new friends got him home in high spirits despite losing his match against Gabriel earlier that day.

  "So, tell me. how did it go?" Gasper asked enthusiastically, watching Xavier walked in through the front entrance of the living room.

  A big smile swept across Xavier's face, "oh?" confused, Gasper uttered.

  "Oh, I lost!" Xavier replied enthusiastically, making Gasper pout in disappointment.

  "Why would you build up the suspense like that just to let me down?" said Gasper.

  "Because I, my beloved teacher. Have something to show you." Xavier took a knife, and hurled it towards the wall, but before it struck, he swapped positions with it, and tilted his head so that it wouldn't hit him.

  "Oh, a teleportation?" Gasper asked.

  "Yeah, although I don't necessarily need to swap in order to teleport. The swapping is just a neat party trick," said Xavier.

  "When, did this happen?"

  "Earlier at school today, while I was playing with my friends. We wanted to see how far we could skip stones across the ocean. I won't lie, they had some crazy distances that I could see, but they couldn't."

  "So, by the time my turn arrived, I aimed slightly further just to be fair, but then I suddenly teleported there. Almost went for a swim."

  Silence fell as Gasper caressed his chin, "Friends?"

  "Yeah, friends," Xavier pouted gently taking the knife off the wall.

  "I'm just messing with you kid," Gasper playfully jabbed Xavier. "So how far can you teleport?"

  "Places I've been to before, and as far as my eye can see," Xavier replied.

  "And how far is that?"

  "About a thousand kilometers out."

  "A thousand! So that's where all that mana goes to," Gasper said, flabbergasted. "Any blind spots though?"

  "None," Xavier replied. Gasper fell silent, stuck in thought. "Is, something wrong?"

  "Oh, this opens doors alright. Tell you what: say we head on over to the Hephaestus water-front capital this weekend, and get you a good pair of kunai so you can have some really flashy moves!" Gasper suggested.

  "Sounds good, but I'll need to perfect my lightning abilities first; I was able to pull off a few good moves today, but they all ate away at my mana," said Xavier.

  Gasper stopped caressing his chin and put his hands on his hips, "Now that's just begging to get your ass kicked."

  "But, you said I couldn't best a Euthenian in fire power; yet all of my strongest spells needed, fire!"

  "True, you do have a point there. I guess it's my fault for sending you out there unprepared huh?" Gasper said, and placed his hand on Xavier's head. "Don't worry: next time, you'll definitely beat that Euthenian!" spoken with much enthusiasm.