"You have not deceived before," he apologised and dashed out.
Soon, Kilos was back among them. He felt he could have shortened his journey if he hadn't tried to play the smart guy. Having forty-five minutes to catch up could only mean there wasn't much time left.
Regret!
He pushed the thought from his mind. Kilos was disappointed as he noticed the note was no longer where he had left it. Tears accumulated in his eyeballs as terrible thoughts rushed through his head. He was now losing his ability to withstand it all.
As a child, Kilos Barber had no sister, no brother, and grew up on the streets. The story of his life hadn't been told yet because he hadn't met anyone bold enough to sit him down and talk. Those he supposed might know something avoided him like the plague.
Girls? None.
He didn't know why he was left to pass through the earth without a compassionate father and no caring mother.
Coming to the academy had been the saddest story of his life—until he met Dr. Le-an. She was the only woman who had ever said, "I will help you." She was his Eros—the son of Aphrodite and Ares, the goddess and god of war. Eros had the power to make people fall in love, and Kilos had somehow fallen.
What he saw at the second point was no different from the first—both papers were gone. Sweat poured profusely through the pores of his skin. He checked his watch to see how much time was left. He had forty minutes.
Kilos got confused. He didn't know what to do or where to go. He stood still, hoping someone might come along so he could ask a question that might help him trace his dear friend.
But then, the sky began to darken, and signs of rain appeared. Wind, thunder, and lightning gathered in one place to usher in a new era, a new history, and the beginning of one of the greatest realizations a man could ever have.
The thunder struck through Kilos—first in the head, then the stomach, and then all over. He yelled at each instance of the hit and tried to shield himself with his hands, but it did little to help. He fell to the ground, still lamenting and rolling about.
He felt his legs enlarging beyond their usual slender size, now pressing tight against his trousers. His belt gave way to the expanding waist. His arm structure transformed—muscles well-developed and conspicuously protruding.
All over, his body showed a multiplication effect of development.
"Now you can access your summoner's realm. Summon your force to manifest," Senior Barber spoke with a baritone, revealing the real man he was, no longer using a child's voice.
"My summon force to live," Kilos thought.
It had taken him a tedious process to arrive at this, but it was a welcome development. There should be nothing holding him back—if only to call, to yell it out.
"My summons force, show yourself!" His voice echoed through the heavy downpour.
Being a summoner had always seemed easy for others, but Kilos hadn't found it easy or convenient. He didn't know why he had to be broken down before becoming powerful.
Before him stood a huge force in the form of a man, radiating circuits from head to toe. This was the formation that developed for him when he fell down.
Kilos was surprised as he stared intently. He took his time to walk around and examine whether it was real, because the force didn't have the stature of a boy. After completing his inspection, his surprised face brightened with a smile of satisfaction.
"Pleased to meet you at last. You shall be called KILA," Kilos said with satisfaction and pleasure, finally having someone to walk with him.
A piece of paper floated across his leg in the flood, and Kilos bent down to pick it up. As he read it, he smiled.
"Let's go on a journey," he said to Kila, beckoning him closer. "We're looking for my friend."
Kila stepped closer, and the two merged into one body. Kilos ran out of the arena to continue his pursuit. The paper he found was a direction to a secluded part of the school—but the name was unfamiliar. Still, he believed the direction would guide him.
Kilos no longer felt tired the way he used to when his heart would threaten to jump out of his chest if he didn't stop to recuperate. But he wanted to be faster than this, knowing how far he had to go. He checked his watch—it was five minutes left before the regret he had been warned of.
"Kila," he summoned the force, "you should be able to do something here. C'mon, make me faster."
Kila separated from him, stretched forth his hand, and held Kilos. The journey was no longer on the ground—it was by flight. Rushes of wind and dirt charged toward them, and buildings passed by as if flying toward them. Frightened, Kilos closed his eyes to calm his heartbeat, trusting that Kila would deliver.
Kila stopped abruptly.
"You stopped?" Kilos opened his eyes to understand what had happened. "...Are we at the...?" He held back his words as he saw students in black uniforms.
The distance between them was no more than a stone's throw. Their formation suggested they had been practising to achieve such well-coordinated moves. In the centre was a log of wood, and someone was tied to it. Kilos couldn't see clearly who it was due to those standing in front, but he had no doubt—it was Le-an.
Sensing his anxiety and the purpose of his coming, the boys parted left and right. Right at the centre stood Le-an.
"Are you guys crazy?" Kilos fumed, glancing at their masked faces. "What did she do?" he demanded.
Some of them walked over and pulled the log from the ground. Le-an groaned under the tight ropes as she crashed down with the wood. They picked her up and led her toward a minibus.
"Where are you taking her, you crazy guys?" he screamed at the boys manhandling Le-an. "What do you want? I'm here—take anything!"
Le-an was thrown inside like a sack of trash. As he watched, the boys on the right and those on the left moved inward, crossing to block his view.
"Move aside and let us talk!" he roared at them, then stretched his neck to get a better view of the bus.
"You have nothing to offer the Brothers, but you have an assignment to execute," one of the boys came forward to state their demand. "You've stepped on toes, and lessons must be learned, right?" His arrogance revealed he was a prominent member.
"I did no wrong to anyone!" Kilos protested.
"You have to catch the bus because down there is water—no, an ocean. If you can catch it, you'll get your girl."
As soon as those words were spoken, the bus engine roared to life and began to move forward, accelerating toward the water. All the boys roared with uncontrollable laughter. Kilos hadn't even realized the bus had started moving.
The leader raised his hand and they silenced.
"Kilos Barber, let's see what you've got," he declared with a sinister look.
Kilos dashed into their midst, forcing his way through while their laughter continued. Pushed here and there, he finally broke free to the edge, where he could see the bus—but it was already far away.
Kilos ran wildly, but an obstruction tripped him—a stick hooked his legs and brought him down. He tumbled hard.
The boys erupted in mocking laughter again and began to leave the arena, confident that Kilos would never be able to recover Le-an.
"Kila, come forth!" he screamed, his voice echoing across the field.