Blessing Of The Sky looked the same with his dark brown hair and golden eyes.
This time, he was wearing a four-piece suit that matched his eye color. A smile lingered on his face as he stared at the camera while the interviewer behind the camera spoke.
"So, Mr Sky, you stopped a rampant Walker about a day ago with frightening ease. While they might not be of any significance to you, they pose a large threat to mundane people—citizens who can't afford a Beast Art. Are there any new implementations to limit their movements? The Walkers, that is."
Blessing Of The Sky looked dead at the camera and his smile faded, "We, at the Global Anti-Walker Program, G.A.P, try our best to detect the dimensional tears from which these Walkers emerge."
His eyes traced abstract lines in the air as they turned distant, "We naturally are trying to perfect this method but we would like to implore the patience of everyone while we try our best." He replied confidently, his eyes locking on the camera.
Alex felt like Blessing Of The Sky was staring directly at him but before he could continue to devour more of the interview, the bell rung and interrupted him.
He groaned and stood up, heading to his classes.
"Alexander Song!!" Mr Tyson yelled at Alex for the umpteenth time during that single period, "Did you hear me?"
Alex nodded like a frenzied parrot.
"Good. It's best you start to prepare for the exchange program the school signed you up for." Those words dragged Alex's attention back to the class.
His eyes became saucers.
"What?!! Exchange program??" Mr Tyson scowled at his rhetorical question.
"See, I knew you weren't listening and yes, you have been signed up for an exchange program to a different city in another part of the country. Great Eulon City." Mr Tyson tried to make it sound exciting.
Alex felt a bubble of joy swell in him at the memory of Blessing Of The Sky decimating a Walker in mere moments but it popped at the cold fear of death.
"I could die!!" He pleaded. Just because legends could save the day didn't mean that nobody lost their lives. Relatively, a single lost life was nothing compared to a million.
He was sure that if he died, nobody would care, overlooking him for the far more interesting saves by living legends.
Alex looked at Mr Tyson in the eye and immediately knew he had no choice, "When am I leaving?"
Mr Tyson smiled, "In two days. You'll be staying there for a week." The class snickered at Alex's expense.
"Oh don't feel too bad, you'll have some company. Tony is going as well." At those words, Alex wanted to cry.
'You have got to be kidding me! I'm sure the insufferable bastard set this up.' Alex turned to Tony and saw the latter frowning.
At least, the displeasure was mutual.
Classes blurred in Alex's view as only the thought of the exchange program filled his mind. Only the bell signalling the end of the school day managed to snap him out of his strange state.
____
Alex entered his room and brought the book out from underneath his bed and kept it open in front of him as he resumed what he had attempted the previous day.
He managed to draw a smidgen of energy from his core, this time without disastrous consequences.
Following the lines dictated by the book, he tried to control the energy.
Alex felt a level of resistance as he forced the energy to take on the path through his body. The more he pushed, the more resistance he felt but he never gave up.
He gave a massive push and a sharp pain shot through his body. Alex immediately stopped, "Shit! I can't force it." He groaned before trying again.
This time, he used a passive-aggressive force to push the bit of energy through his body. By the time he made a whole line, out of dozens, he was drenched in sweat and exhausted.
His muscles ached and shook with every excess movement, 'How? I didn't even exercise.' He groaned before pushing himself off the ground and heading to the showers.
He came out after about ten minutes but didn't see his book on the room floor.
Alex stormed out of his room and saw his dad sitting against a wall with a bottle of whiskey in hand. An expensive brand of whiskey.
Like Alex, David, had blue eyes. His mid-section had a bit of fat while his jaw had stubble.
"Dad, have you entered my room," Alex asked, ignoring the stench of alcohol emanating off of his father.
"Don't you mean, MY room? And yes, I traded it for this priceless bottle of premium booze. Hehehehe. Come have a sip." His dad said amidst hiccups.
Blood flowed to Alex's eyes as he heard his dad's words. His fists clenched and his jaw tightened.
He exploded out of the house, his eyes frantically scanning the street. A tall figure was already turning a corner at the end of the block, the familiar shape of the book tucked under his arm.
'Is that person from the IOA? No, I doubt it. They would have either killed us or arrested us.' Alex suppressed his apprehension and charged after the person holding his Beast Art.
As he closed the distance, the person welding it stopped and turned around with a knife in hand causing Alex to stop.
"Who tha fuck er 'yer?" He pointed the blade at Alex, "My book, give it." Alex almost couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth.
The moment he saw the knife, he wanted to run. After all, the organizations involved with the Beast Art would chase after the delinquent and not him if he let it go but yet… yet he wanted his Beast Art back.
" 'Yers? 'yers?! Hahaha. I traded 'dis right here 'fer a good bottle of me premium whiskey. Go play with sommon else, kid." He waved Alex off before turning around but Alex wasn't going to have it.
Alex planted his left foot into the ground and spun clockwise, driving his right shin to the temple of the man.
He barely maintained his balance and turned to see the result of his attack.
The man had stumbled a bit, dropping the book. Now pissed, he turned to face Alex before brandishing his knife once more, this time to kill.