BLOODLINE SEVEN

"Ha!? Are you Ace? As in Ace Gale?" I asked, surprised, to Ace, who was Piro.

(Translation Note: By the way, the pronunciation of Piro is 'Pyro' or 'Pairo'.)

"Oh... Y-yeah," he said shyly.

We're both here in the cafeteria of the Emerald building. Each class has its own building, but there's also a mixed cafeteria here at school.

I still can't believe he's Ace Gale. The guy I was 'chummy' with on the kiss cam.

An awkward silence fell between us. Of course, now you've kissed someone and become friends with them. Oh well, you guys can figure it out because the author doesn't know how to explain.

"S-sorry," he suddenly stammered.

"Huh? Why are you apologizing?" I awkwardly asked him.

"W-well, I took your first kiss, and now..." he was still embarrassed.

"That's okay. Didn't you say it was just a friendly kiss?" I asked him.

"Yeah... A friendly... kiss," he said awkwardly.

"And since we don't really know each other yet, let's introduce ourselves," I suggested to him.

"Okay, you first," he said.

"Ahem. I'm Shione Andrew, 16 years old. I live in QC, just an ordinary student aiming to graduate," I introduced myself.

"Well, I guess it's my turn. I'm Ace Gale, 17 years old. I live right outside the school, and I want to be a successful agent someday," he said.

Wow, so he wants to be an agent, huh? What a dream. Being an agent is a prestigious title these days.

"Well, if you don't mind, Ace, would you teach me how to 'douggie'—I mean, would you teach me how to use this power?" I asked.

"Yeah, sure. After we leave the cafeteria, let's take a rest first, and then we'll continue with your power control practice," he replied.

"Yes, thanks Ace," I thanked him.

"No problem, it's you after all," he said. But I didn't hear what he mumbled, so I just shrugged it off.

"Ace, wait a moment. I'll order first. What would you like?" I asked him.

"Um, one burger spaghetti with sweet and spicy sauce. That's it, thanks," he replied.

Fancy. He's making me order for him.

-_- Just kidding.

I quickly stood up and went to the line. It was really long. Like, really long. Maybe it took five minutes before I could order.

"Hi sir, what would you like to order?" the guy asked.

"Um, one two burgers, two spaghetti with sweet and spicy sauce," I replied.

"Drinks, sir?" he asked.

"Coke, two," I said.

After a couple of minutes, my order finally arrived.

"May I take your card, please?" he asked.

I handed him my card. Yeah, we have cards here in school, and we use them to pay. Every student has their own card with an amount of money per week. Isn't it a lot? We're in the twenty-third century now. Even a simple candy costs ten pesos.

Well, everything has changed. Change is the only thing constant in this world. Change... Yeah... Change. No other than change...

I quickly took my card and returned to our table with Ace.

"Ace, I'm sorry. It took me a while. The line was kinda long," I apologized to him.

"It's okay. Thanks," he said.

"Nah, we're friends, and friends should help each other," I replied with a smile.

We talked about anything that came to our minds. He's really fun to talk to, always lively and never runs out of topics. My jaw hurts from laughing so much. I didn't know he had this side to him.

"Let's go, let's head to the training hall since we've rested enough," Ace said to me.

"Let's go," I replied.

We quickly went to the training hall a few minutes later because it's close to the cafeteria.

"Okay, since you already have your first skill, you should use it now. Enhance your skill so that your body can adapt more quickly. But let's go back to basics for now. You know the basics of the elements, right?" he asked, and I nodded.

"Good. You know that to control the water element, you have to move like water. To control the earth element, your body should be as hard as rock. To control the wind element, you need high stamina, and to control fire, you must control your emotions. Each element has its own way of control, right?" he continued.

"Now, we'll start the first trial. Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yep," I confidently replied.

"This test will determine how well you control your emotions. Now, step onto the magic circle so we can begin," he instructed.

I stepped onto the magic circle, eager to start the trial. I want to master this power soon.

"Ready... In three... Two... One... Go," he snapped his fingers, and tentacles appeared, surrounding me.

"Don't panic, Shione. They're created to test you," he reassured me.

"What? Are you sure I won't get hurt?" I asked in panic.

"As I said, you need to control your emotions to use the fire element properly, including the fear of being hurt," he explained.

"What the heck, Ace!?" I asked in shock.

"Well, if you want to back out, you can," he said.

"No! I'll continue," I told him.

I have to do this. I need to, because even if I don't do it now, I'll have to someday. It's better to do it early.

I prepared myself. I have to do this. I must.