Darren the man of mystery

Upon hearing Reo's question, Mr. Tomiya replied, "Dismiss it! Should any voices occur in your mind, disregard them as it could be the sounds from your elemental form."

"But I don't have a form yet," Reo stated, clearly perplexed.

Mr. Tomiya explained, "Every individual born with an element also inherits a form. Nevertheless, the form remains inaccessible until the prerequisite conditions for its utilization are met."

"Alright," Reo acknowledged before affirming, "I comprehend. I will strive to ignore the voices, should they ever resurface in my mind."

"Yes, but always remember that the form poses no threat to you," Tomiya reiterated.

"Okay, I will keep that in mind," Reo assured him before signaling a goodbye, and Mr. Tomiya reciprocated the same. However, as Reo stepped out of the room, Tomiya expressed concern and mused, "Well, that's intriguing."

Reo exited the classroom to find Micheal and Aurora patiently waiting. Aurora proposed, "Let us proceed to the Colosseum so I can demonstrate my unique skill."

Amelia, realizing that they were about to leave, called out, "Wait, don't leave without me!" She quickened her pace to catch up with the group heading to the Colosseum.

Upon reaching the Colosseum, Aurora confidently strode to the center. Micheal, Reo, and Amelia positioned themselves close to the wall, their eyes training on Aurora as she prepared to summon her weapon. The whisper of wind was audible as a violin materialized in her right hand, bow in her left.

"So interesting!" Reo exclaimed, awestruck by the sight. Aurora then began to play the violin, declaring, "Unique Violin Skill: Song of the Wind," before a tempestuous wind swirled around her, forming a massive sphere that continued to expand.

Both Reo and Micheal were visibly impressed by the wind sphere. Aurora subsequently discontinued her skill and strode towards them.

"That was noteworthy," Reo commented. In response, Aurora suggested, "You should witness Alice's choice of weapon for yourself. I believe she named it a 'hunting rifle', discovered after her visit to the second world."

Upon hearing this, Reo inquired curiously, "What is a hunting rifle?"

Micheal replied sagely, "It streamlines the process of hunting significantly. All Alice has to do is pull a trigger and the target falls. However, it's not effective at close range, despite its efficiency. In reality, it might be better if you ask Alice directly. An explanation often pales in comparison to seeing it firsthand."

"Alright," Reo acknowledged, beginning their return journey to the dormitory. Along the way, Micheal paused by the corner to observe a shop that was under renovation. "It appears they have ceased construction for today," he noted, upon turning left to continue towards the dormitory.

Upon arrival, Reo courteously greeted Charlotte - the resident front desk staff - with, "Good evening, Miss Charlotte." The young woman reciprocated their acknowledgement with a cheerful, "Good evening, boys."

Subsequently, they proceeded to their dorm room. After unlocking the door with a small, metallic key, Micheal made his way into the bathroom, while Reo decided to remain in the room to change into more comfortable attire.

Reo made his way to the kitchen where he assembled a variety of ingredients for dinner. They included two Ivern birds, four potatoes, rice, and red fruit. Engaging in the cooking task at hand, he prepared the Ivern birds, fried the potatoes, and mixed the rice with the red fruits. After a period of time, he completed his culinary task and portioned out the food.

Simultaneously, Micheal entered the kitchen. He navigated to a vacant chair, pulled it out, and seated himself, preparing to partake in the meal. Following suit, Reo also seated himself and began to eat.

"Remarkable, this is truly delectable," Micheal commented as he engaged in the meal. "Your culinary skills seem to continually improve," Micheal complimented.

Greeting Michael's praise with a beaming smile, Reo humbly responded, "Perhaps."

The conversation then diverted towards the upcoming event; the King's party. Reo asked, "Micheal, are you looking forward to the impending event, being permitted to grace a party hosted by our king?"

Micheal replied, "Absolutely!" Reo, also expressing excitement, mentioned the honor of being guests at such a significant occasion.

Their conversation continued with Reo's next question, "Are you particularly thrilled to meet Aurora?"

Without hesitation, Micheal responded, "No doubt, it's going to be an entertaining encounter."

"Have you considered your feelings about meeting Alice at the event?" Micheal inquired quaintly. He continued, "During her last appearance, she was quite radiant. People mustered up courage merely to converse with her, let alone ask her for a dance. Surprisingly, she turned them all down."

Reo responded pensively, "Given the calibre of attendees with impressive backgrounds, I highly doubt that she would prefer to dance with someone like me."

"I wouldn't be so certain," Micheal retorted confidently, "but should she actually request to dance with you, be prepared. You'll likely earn the envy of many."

Soon after, both finished their tasks - Micheal doing the dishes while Reo tidied the room. Preparations for bed were subsequently in order.

"Goodnight," Micheal exhaled, with Reo responding in kind. He then dimmed the lamp, maneuvered up the ladder connected to his bunk, sprawled out, and matched Micheal's sentiment, "Goodnight Micheal."

Reo ceased his contemplation of the ceiling and hauled himself up on his bed. Positioning himself for meditation, he gradually closed his eyes and transitioned to his ethereal form. Extracting himself from his terrestrial body, he levitated above the city, relishing the aesthetic brilliance of the city. Succumbing to his curiosity, he descended to the shop where the unexpected sight of Darren rattled him. Intrigued, he pursued Darren, floating discreetly a little distance away.

Without taking notice of Reo's spectral presence, Darren meandered through the bustling city and targeted the museum located in the city's center. Darren navigated his way around the statues until he reached the statue of Justine stone, behind which a small, white button camouflaged against its equally white backdrop. As Darren pressed the button, the statue rose to reveal a staircase.

Confusion enveloped Reo. He questioned the scene unfolding before him. Why was Darren still in the city? Where was the staircase leading to? The truth struck him like a bolt of lightning while he was pondering these questions. He abruptly halted his meditative state, a realization dawning upon him. The invisible force stood in his way, barring his entrance.