Slip Up

"Heat, is everything alright?" Mr. Andani asked.

Heat did not reply but kept panting heavily. His heart was racing, and he was feeling uneasy.

Zainab shook him. "Heat, Heat!"

Everyone in the class watched, unsure of what to do while his panting grew heavier by the second.

Supido stood up and helped Heat to his feet.

"Mr. Andani, can I take him to the nurse?"

Mr. Andani nodded and Zainab followed them behind. Supido took Heat into the restroom and placed him on the floor. Zainab stood outside, reluctant to enter the men's restroom.

"Heat, listen to me. I'm trying to create a passage for my spa into your heart. Do not try to resist it; help it reach your heart."

There was a dim glow of blue spa on Heat's chest, where Supido put his hand. It was a glow similar to what the First Division produces when healing. Heat's panting abruptly stopped. Zainab leaned closer to the door to try to figure out what was happening.

"What's happening to me, Supido?" Heat asked.

"I'm not sure. Tell me how that tattoo completed itself."

"I don't know."

"Heat, I can't sustain you for long. Tell me and I might be able to help you."

"I'm not kidding. I don't know. I didn't even know I had this tattoo till lunch today."

"Does it feel like the tattoo is drawing out spa?"

"It feels-" Heat's eyes shut and he began panting again.

Zainab could not remain patient; she opened the door of the restroom only to see Supido lift Heat unto his shoulder.

"Where are you going with him?" she asked.

"Were you outside all this time?"

Under normal circumstances, Supido would easily detect a presence around him. However, since he was focused on reviving Heat all along, He could not detect Zainab's presence. He earlier presumed she returned back to class when he entered the men's restroom. He looked at her, hoping for a negative answer. She stood still for a moment, not knowing the answer to provide, whether a negative or a positive answer. She didn't know what he expected or wanted. Zainab never really understood Supido, she always saw through the thick veil of the "coolest guy in school" but she had never been able to figure him out. At the moment, she was wondering why Supido brought him in here and whether she should answer. Her silence, although lasting a few seconds, made the answer clear to Supido.

He looked directly into her eyes and his eyes switched to that of a wolf's—they leaked.

Zainab's mind went blank, Supido had trapped her in a lu'a.

"I asked what you heard."

"I could barely hear a word you said, all I remember was you said something about sustaining Heat."

"Please tell Mr. Andani that I'm taking Heat home since the nurse is not in school."

"Okay," Zainab replied and walked out.

Supido took Heat into his car and drove him home. After that, he returned to school.

A classroom door flung open, unleashing a stream of students into the hallway as the school bell rang to signal the end of class. One by one, the doors were forced open as students flooded the hallway. In the midst of all the noise and commotion, a large rugby player shoved others aside as he walked into a different class. Still seated in his chair was his friend, the top athlete in the school.

"Dude!"

"What's up?"

"What happened to Heat?"

"Oh, that."

Supido headed towards the door as the hallways rapidly became empty.

"There were rumors going on and about."

Ursus was the only member of their gang who wasn't in the same class; same grade, different classroom.

"If the rumor was that Heat was panting like he just ran around the world in class and I sent him home, it's true."

"What's wrong with him? I heard he had a really cool tattoo of a naked lady, and that it was changing…apparently."

"He had a mysterious tattoo drawn on his arm during lunch."

"Had?"

"He doesn't remember anyone drawing the tattoo and we both don't know how it got there. However, after thinking deeply about it, I think I realized what it was."

"And?"

"That tattoo symbolizes repair. It's like the rod of Asclepius, except there's a lady in there and not a rod. It's a very ancient symbol of spa theft. That kind of mark appears on a person who loses their energy to another person."

"So someone is stealing Heat's spa."

"Yep."

"That must suck." Ursus chuckled. "Well, see ya at practice."

"By the way, should anyone mention the tattoo again, tell them Heat covered it with make-up all the time, but it was disappearing today, that's why he seemed to have a morphing tattoo."

"Got it!" Ursus replied. He saw Supido's car close by. "Dude, ya brought the F1 to school today!"

"My cousin scratched the other one."

Ursus chuckled. "Fancy excuse, see ya."

Practice was the term the amen in the school used to refer to their training back at Ur-tir'ak. All the amen except Heat. He still referred to it as training.

Meanwhile, in a crowded parking lot, Aquila bumped into Zainab.

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay that was my fault. I'm not feeling very good," Zainab said.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"I might be able to help."

"Okay. Just promise not to tell anyone."

"I promise."

"When Supido and I took Heat out of class today, I can swear that I remember seeing Supido's eyes turn into some kind of wolf-like bright yellow eyes. I don't remember what happened from then, all I remember is that I went back to class to deliver his message, while he took Heat away. Everything seems like it was just my imagination, but anytime I think about it, it just feels so real."

Aquila was surprised to hear that. Supido never made a mistake when putting a human under his control. When Zainab finished, Aquila remained silent for a few seconds.

"I think it was just some kind of imagination. You were probably too concerned for Heat. Try to think of something else."

"Maybe you're right."

"Hey, why don't you hang out with me until your chauffeur arrives?"

"Thanks, I could really use that."

Zainab followed Aquila to her car, chatting along the way.