The Unmasked – Chapter 9
The next day, all the students were waiting outside the training room. None of them looked excited. Leon and Isla stood together, glancing around at the others.
"On the first day, more than 150 students participated," Leon muttered, "but now only 70 have shown up."
Isla nodded. "Not surprising. This training feels more like torture."
Finn's face was pale with fear. His eyes filled with tears."I don't wanna face those disgusting bugs again," he cried, clinging to Leon's arm.
Leon gave him an annoyed look. "I don't like those bugs either, but we have no choice. We have to do this if we want to participate in the competition."
Suddenly, the door creaked open. Darius Sir stood there with a devilish smile."Welcome, students!" he greeted.
All the students glared at him with death stares.
"Huh, looks like many of you don't like this training," Darius said, still smiling. "But I'm very happy that you've come again. Enjoy your training."
He stepped aside, and the students walked in slowly. Once everyone entered, Sir shut the door behind them and set a timer for 30 minutes.
"All the best for your exam," he said calmly.
Everyone took their places and closed their eyes to begin meditating. For the first five minutes, nothing unusual happened. The room was quiet, filled with focused energy.
But suddenly, something changed. All of the students began to feel movement on their bodies. When they opened their eyes, they saw bugs and lizards crawling on them.
Most of the students panicked and immediately used their powers. From the balcony above, Darius Sir watched everything.
Those who used their powers were quickly wrapped by roots and pulled out of the training room.
Fanny tried her best to keep meditating and ignore the insects on her skin. But the bugs kept crawling all over her. She fought the urge to react, but eventually lost control. Her eyes shot open, and she used her fire powers to burn the bugs off. Sir removed her from the room as well.
Finn was also trying to stay focused. He trembled as bugs crawled on him. But when a lizard slipped inside his pants, he flinched. It crawled up his thigh, and he tried desperately to hold still. But then it moved into a very private place.
Unable to control himself, he accidentally blasted his pants in panic. Sir quickly sent roots to grab him before he could blow up the door.
"You need to wear something," Sir said calmly.
Finn was bright red with embarrassment. He covered his lower half with his hands and ran toward his room, nearly crying.
Only two students were left in the room — Leon and Isla. Sir watched them closely.
Leon struggled to stay focused. Bugs crawled on him, and even a snake slithered onto his back. He was terrified, but he kept his eyes shut and focused.
Then, the snake crawled toward his neck, then up to his face. It became too much. Leon broke focus and used his psychic abilities to push the snake away.
Sir sighed in disappointment. "I thought Leon would pass…"
He sent roots to pull Leon out and said, "You did better than most. Don't be disappointed. Try again next time."
Leon smiled weakly. "Okay, Sir."
Back in the room, Isla remained perfectly still — her face calm, her body relaxed. It was like she didn't even notice the bugs or the snake coiled near her.
Leon, watching from outside, was stunned. "She's so focused… unbelievable."
Sir was impressed too. Only five minutes remained on the timer. If Isla could stay focused for just a little longer, she would pass.
Suddenly, Sir's eyes widened. A soft yellow aura began to glow around Isla's body.
He stood up immediately and stopped the timer.
"Isla has passed the exam!" he declared.
Everyone gasped."But there were still five minutes left!" someone said.
"Maybe it's because she comes from a noble family," a student whispered.
Leon stepped forward. "No. That yellow aura… it only appears when someone reaches a very high level of focus. It means their control and power have increased."
Everyone turned toward Isla in shock. Fanny and Finn were speechless.
Sir walked over to Isla. She opened her eyes slowly and stood up.
"How do you feel?" Sir asked.
"I feel… more powerful," she replied softly.
Sir placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're a very talented girl."
She smiled proudly.
"You don't need to come for training anymore — you've already completed it. But if you want, you can keep coming to motivate your fellow students. Just don't join the next training for another week or two."
"Why, Sir?"
"First, you need to rest. This kind of shift in your body can be dangerous if not handled properly. And second, the other training isn't ready yet. We didn't expect anyone to complete this in just two days," he said with a smile.
"Okay, Sir. I'll come tomorrow to practice more," Isla replied.
As they left the room, Fanny ran and hugged Isla.
"I knew you were gonna smash it, girl!"
Day 3 of Training
All students, including Finn, Fanny, and Leon, tried their best to focus for 30 minutes — but again, all failed except Isla.
Day 4 of Training
Same result. Only Isla succeeded.
One Week Later
All the students were now covered in bugs and snakes — but they had become better. They managed to focus properly.
From Leon's body, a purple aura began to emerge.
Sir stood up quickly, smiling. "Another student is about to pass," he thought.
But then, his smile faded. The aura around Leon felt dark… negative. Leon was sweating heavily. Inside his mind, a shadowy figure whispered to him, trying to manipulate him into hurting people.
But Leon fought back, refusing to give in.
Meanwhile, from Finn's body, a bright orange aura appeared. And from Fanny, a deep red aura.
Sir beamed with joy. "More students are passing!"
Soon, several more students began to glow — some with blue auras, some with pink.
When the 30 minutes ended, Sir announced, "Thirty students have passed the exam so far. You can now move on to your next training."
"Is Isla already there?" someone asked.
"Yes," Sir said. "But you can take a break if you need it. Just go and check what your next training will be."
Leon, Finn, Fanny, and the rest of the successful students walked toward the next training room.
"Who's in charge of this one?" Finn asked.
"Probably Edric Sir," Leon replied. "He's not the kind to make us do anything cruel."
Finn looked relieved. "Thank god. We need someone nice after all this."
But as they approached the training room, they spotted someone unconscious on the ground — pinned under a massive rock.
They all rushed forward.
"Wait—is that Isla?!" Leon shouted.
It was.
Isla was stuck under the huge boulder.
"Who the hell dropped this on her?!"