45. A secret

We ran. Nina surprised me: even though she was a slow walker, she was quite the fast runner. Our pursuer fell back soon as we entered a very shrubby area. She had probably stopped when she had seen the blue ribbon and the yellow ribbon I had thrown away. She must have given up on the red one for now.

Nina’s breathing was calming down. When she suddenly squatted, I stopped, wondering if it was her shoelace again, but no: she was watching a puddle, or rather the tadpoles that were swarming in it.

“I like tadpoles.”

“Ah… Yes?” I said, crouching myself to see the black little things swimming in the water.

“Tadpoles can’t breathe air when they’re born, they eat all day, and their tail disappears when they grow.”

“Oh. I didn’t know.” I smiled. “From now on, I will see tadpoles under a new light.”

“Mm. Also, watch out,” she pointed at something just between my feet. “It’s small, but it’s a paral spider. ‘Paral’ because its bite paralyzes.”

“The hell?!”

I stood up and hurried backwards before realizing that a spider bite would most likely not be able to affect undead people. My reaction seemed to surprise Nina.

“It paralyzes small preys, not humans.”

“Is that so?” I laughed, a bit annoyed. “I was not scared in the least.”

“Liar.” Suddenly her face darkened. Whoa, was she so susceptible to lies? Even joking lies?

“Anyway, you sure know a lot about nature. Since I was born in a lighthouse, I’m like a baby in the woods, never better said. Do you know what those flowers are?”

I was pointing at some big blue flowers I had never seen in my life.

“I… don’t know,” she said. And she stood up. “We’ve gotta find a red ribbon.”

As she started walking, her foot slipped on the mud, and she fell over. I hastily went to help her up.

“Nina! Are you all right?”

“Mm…”

“Maybe we should take a break? Did you even sleep at all last night?”

“Mm,” she nodded. She took a deep breath, then moved forward. “I think I know where to find one. Let’s go.”

She cautiously stepped on a root… Her foot slipped again, but this time I was behind her, and I caught her in time. Wait, wasn’t she supposed to be lucky?

We walked for some time until Nina stopped in a narrow corridor bordered with red spiky bushes. I scanned the surroundings. Did she see something?

“Sorry.” Surprised, I looked back to Nina. She turned to me as she confessed: “I thought I knew the way, but in fact, I’m lost.”

“…” No way, that was why she was looking so gloomy all this time? I laughed. “I’d be surprised if anyone knew the way in a jungle like that! Come on, cheer up. There’re two of us. We’ll find a red ribbon, then find our way to the base. No need to worry.”

“… You sure are confident for someone who’s not as lucky as I am.”

“Eeeh? I’m lucky too. Or rather, I already used up all my bad luck.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah!”

We got out of the spiky corridor and found a beautiful place covered with moss. It was so tempting that we decided to take a break, and we settled down, lying on that green, fragrant bed. We could hear the birds singing and the leaves rustling as the morning sunrays managed to brush past the canopies.

“Such a nice day.”

“Mm.”

I directed my deathforce on my fingertips and stroked the moss. It was soft. I grinned.

“Who would say we’re in the middle of a test. I think I could compose such a nice song here, about the green moss, the morning light shining on the leaves… It’s like in a bucolic painting. Heh.” I kind of felt cool using such a literary word.

“… It’s beautiful I guess.” She paused. “Gilda said we must go back before night falls. If at noon we didn’t find a red ribbon, you go back first, Armen.”

She was serious. I frowned at the luminous canopy, a bit upset.

“Nonsense. Do you think I deserve to pass this test more than you do?”

“… No. If I said that, it’s probably because I’ll find a red ribbon anyway, so you shouldn’t worry about me.”

“Because you think you’re lucky, huh?”

“Yes.”

“How do you know it’s not only in your head? That ‘luck’ power.”

There was a silence. Did I ask it too bluntly? Nina Clover sat up on the moss.

“Armen Moon. You’re not one to mince your words, are you?”

“Ah… I’m only asking.”

“I know. And I don’t know what to answer. My power… it’s definitely in my head, but it’s real.”

What was that supposed to mean? She went on:

“I told you I was from the countryside. Falcon High is in the Hawaii Valley and is quite far from my home, since my parents are forest keepers that live in the mountains. I have to walk one hour to get to school. First, I have to cross an old wooden bridge, then go around a long narrow path next to a cliff, then go down an endless worn-out stair of an abandoned temple.”

It sure was the countryside.

“So you say you were lucky to survive that.”

“Mm. It’s a dangerous path. Sometimes, when I go to school, I get this feeling that the bridge has collapsed, or that I have fallen over the cliff, or rolled down the stairs, but I don’t really experience my death. It’s as if all the bad things that could happen to me happen in parallel worlds. My power decides to choose the better option and makes me live in a world where I’m always safe. I’m not always aware of it, but sometimes I get that feeling,” she repeated. “Like when I’m about to cross a road and I stop for no reason, then see afterwards that a bus has just passed and that I would have been run over if I hadn’t stopped.”

“…”

“You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”

“No. Actually, I don’t know what to think,” I confessed.

She glanced at me, then stood up.

“My classmates say I’m a goddess. Actually, I’m not.”

“You don’t say.”

Her lips went up a bit. Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t seen her smile once since I had met her.

“But two years ago a transfer student came and said I was a fake. Maybe because of that we became best friends. However, over time, she came to believe in my power the most, saying I could become even a Ruler if I wanted. She was the one who told me about this examination. She said that, if I passed, it would mean she was right.”

I snorted as I sat up. Nina had agreed to take such an important examination just to test her luck? I couldn’t believe it. I chuckled.

“I see. If you pass, will you go to the training?”

“I don’t think so.”

“That’s too bad. It would be funnier if you came.”

The silver-haired girl looked at me, startled.

“Why?”

“Because I like you.”

Slowly, Nina’s eyes opened wide, her face went red… she crossed her arms as if to protect herself.

“Wh-What did you say? You like me?”

“Yeah. Let’s be friends.”

“Friends?” Nina swallowed hard and calmed down. “Oh. Okay.”

I grinned, embarrassed. My words may have been a bit misleading… but her reaction was so touching that I didn’t regret it.

“Great. For now, let’s go find the red ribbon!” I said.

She nodded.

“Let’s go.”

We kept going around in that dense jungle. Even though Nina said she was lucky, we still encountered a boar that we had to run away from, a snake that nearly hit her head when it fell from a tree, and a spiderweb that was as hard as steel… At one point, we found a tunnel under a tree and went there thinking it was a good place for the jury to hide a ribbon. We almost got caught by a giant mantis. As we were running away, Nina tripped on a root, I helped her get away from the tunnel hole, and we finally stopped next to a clear brook. I took a look at Nina. Her clothes were muddy all over. She was a mess.

“Look, Nina. I think you have the wrong idea about what good luck means.”

To my bewilderment, she gave a little chuckle.

“Oi, I’m serious,” I complained. “I spent the whole night with no problem at all, and now in just a few hours we’ve been through hell.”

Her face suddenly darkened.

“Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing for? It’s not like it’s your fault that the jury threw us in a jungle. Those bastards… What do they take us for? We’re teenagers. I even saw a middle schooler among the candidates. I didn’t know the Heroes were such bullies…”

I fell silent as Nina raised a hand.

“I heard a voice.”

I pricked up my ears. I could hear nothing more than the murmur of the water.

“You sure it wasn’t in your parallel world?”

“It was not.”

She stood up, frowning, then broke into a run. Snorting, I followed her.

Nina was right: soon, I heard voices too. They were coming from a small clearing in the woods. They were loud.

As I crouched in the bushes beside Nina, I took a look at the scene.

Three people were fighting over two ribbons that had been tied to a pole in the middle of the clearing. One of them was the bald guy in a tunic that had asked about Gilda’s nickname; the second adversary was a corpulent guy. I didn’t think I had seen him on our bus, so I concluded that the other two groups of candidates had been thrown in the same jungle, which made sense. I hoped Arkifa was doing well.

In the clearing, the corpulent guy was kneeling as if in pain. The baldy was raising his hands in a martial artist stance, facing the third adversary…

I looked at this one, fascinated.

The guy was on fire.

I had heard about fire manipulators. I had even seen some in Farskyer. But the best of them could at most ignite their own hand. I had never seen a guy surrounded by intense crimson flames all over his body. Was it real fire? Who knows, but neither of his two opponents was daring to get closer.

“Armen,” Nina whispered, “What do we do?”

“What do you mean?”

I couldn’t avert my eyes from the crimson fire guy. The grass, at his feet, wasn’t burning. So it wasn’t a real fire after all. But what was it then?

I heard him laugh.

“Are you frightened perhaps?” he asked the baldy, moving forward. “Let me warn you: if you touch me, you’ll end up just like the fatty no matter what you do. Now, do you still want my ribbons?”

There was a tense silence. Finally, the bald guy clicked his tongue and ran away.

“Hahaha! Run, run! You too, fatty, you fought well, you’ve still got a few hours before the test ends!” Stepping intimidatingly towards the corpulent guy, he chased him away.

That voice… was definitely familiar. As the crimson fire disappeared, absorbed by the user’s skin, I widened my eyes. No way.

“Noah?!”

The scream slipped out of my mouth. His eyes turned in our direction, and he held out his arm, igniting it.

“Who goes there?” I stood up, raising my hands. “What, if it isn’t the stupid superstar. I thought you would be dead by now. Oh, and the silver girl is here too. What do you want?”

“Nothing, really,” I said with sincerity. “As a matter of fact, we were leaving. Bye.”

“Haha, you saw my crimson fire and you freaked out, didn’t you?”

“I did. Good luck!”

“Wait! I’m coming with you!”

“What?! Why?”

“Just because.”

“Get lost.”

“Wanna try my fire?”

“… Lead the way.”

Noah laughed as he caught up with us in the woods.

“That’s the right thing to do, stupid superstar. We from the Champion Institute are overpowered bastards. Better be with than against one of us, don’t you think? I’ll protect you guys.”

Like hell he would protect us. If he found out I had a red ribbon, he would most likely snatch it and run away…

A sudden growl jerked me back.

“Wh-What was that?”

“A boar? No… A tiger?” Nina suggested. Couldn’t she be a bit more alarmed?

Noah stopped, glaring at us, then confessed:

“I’m hungry.”

I froze.

“What? You don’t mean you’re gonna hunt the tiger down to eat it?”

Noah showed his teeth, flushing.

“Idiot! I mean it was my stomach! Stomachs growl when they’re hungry!”

“Oh, so it wasn’t a tiger, thank goodness,” I said as I passed by Noah.

“I was surprised too,” Nina admitted, following me. “I mean, I’m supposed to be lucky.”

“Oi, you two,” Noah threw his right arm over my neck, the left one over Nina’s. “Do you want me to fall into cannibalism?”

For an instant, he gave me the goosebumps. Minutes later, we found some berries for Noah.

“How do you know they’re eatable?” he asked, sprawled against a tree trunk.

“Nina has eaten some, and she wouldn’t have picked them up if they were dangerous anyway.”

Surprisingly, my poor argument convinced him. Well, I was convinced myself. Noah devoured the berries, then handed the last one to me.

“You can have it.”

“No need.”

“I’m being generous: eat it.”

“No, thanks.”

He ground his teeth.

“Take it!”

“I said no need.”

He lost it. He grabbed the collar of my hoodie and half lifted me against the trunk of a tree.

“Are you picking a fight with me, stupid superstar? Do you think my hands are filthy because I’m from the Champion Institute? Huh? Huh?”

“What? No—”

“Then…!”

He suddenly tripped on a root and we fell. Again?! But this time, I was the one who fell on him. And, who knows why, his body was immediately set on fire. The crimson flames exploded under my eyes. I felt an odd surge of energy go through my whole being, and for a moment, all my muscles gave away.

“Crap,” I heard Noah gasp under my weight.

I couldn’t see well his face through the flames, but it appeared more and more neatly as he was absorbing the fire. He pushed me away, cursing louder and louder.

“I’m done for!” he finally grated.

I sat up. My muscles were working again just fine.

“What’s up with your weird power?”

Noah looked very upset, but when I spoke, he stared at me in amazement.

“Are you… okay?”

“I guess. I just lost control of my movements for a moment. Is that your power?”

“No! No, it’s not! You’re not supposed to act so calmly after my flames swallowed you up like that!”

“…” Could it be his power didn’t work on me as expected because I was an undead? “Then, how should I be acting?”

“Not like that!” Noah threw a fist on the ground.

I took a look around. I had left Nina eating berries, but it was strange that she hadn’t come back. I was caught by surprise when Noah grabbed me by the collar. Again.

“What now?” I sighed.

Noah’s eyes were blazing.

“Don’t say anything about this to anyone, you hear? If the Champion Institute finds out I used my whole power on someone, they will imprison me for three more years, that if they don’t beat me up to death, so… if you say anything… you’re dead.”

An evil glint glowed in his eyes. True, I’m dead since last year, I thought. Then I frowned. The Champion Institute, huh? From what Noah was saying, it was clear that he was afraid of it. What kind of place was it, really?

I gave a firm nod.

“You don’t need to worry. I won’t say anything. But you know, I have a bad feeling about those badges they gave us. If they’re recording our voices…”

Noah’s grip on my collar loosened. His hands were trembling. He was pale. Obviously, he hadn’t thought about that possibility. Truth to be told, I hadn’t either until that moment.

After a silence, I asked:

“What kind of power is it?”

Noah threw an intense gaze my way, and I thought he wouldn’t answer, but he did, in a tired tone.

“Normally, when people come into contact with so much fire, they lose all willpower and start following me like idiots. My fire is like a drug. I can use a bit of it to cause temporary submission, but if I overuse it, people become severely addicted and can’t come back to normal of their own will. Some people can’t come back to normal at all.”

A drug-addicting energy… That was one scary power. Even more so since he didn’t seem to control it well. Also, from what he said, it wasn’t the first time he overused it, not even the second time. So that was the reason he had wound up in the Champion Institute.

Noah stood up abruptly.

“Enough talking. Where’s the silver girl?”

“No idea.”

He scanned the surroundings, then shrugged.

“Maybe she ran off. Anyway, I’ve changed my mind: I’m leaving. See you, stupidstar.”

Now he abbreviated the nickname? I rolled my eyes.

“Take care, perv.”

When he left, I stood up and searched for Nina. Where did she go? I called out her name. I found her engrossed in a rectangular big leaf… No, it wasn’t a leaf. I widened my eyes as I knelt behind her, looking over her shoulder.

“A map?!”

It was a small map pinpointing the location of neighboring ribbons! Nina looked at me, and her eyes lit up.

“How about we start looking for those?”

She pointed vaguely at a location. I was stunned. Why would we be searching for those ribbons? According to the map, all of them were blue, and all we needed was a red ribbon now.

Then, something clicked into place, a possibility so unthinkable I was surprised it crossed my mind.

“Nina,” I said quietly. “Can you tell me… what color is my hoodie?”

Nina turned pale. She didn’t answer. Or rather, she couldn’t. My hoodie was unmistakably dark gray, but Nina couldn’t say it.

“Nina…” I was thunderstruck. “Could it be that you can’t distinguish colors?”