"Jason! Are you free?" Xenon said as he barged into Jason's room, it was still very early in the morning.

"Wha- what?" Jason yawned and tried to sit up on his bed. "Get out! The sun isn't even out yet!"

"Come on, how long do you wanna sleep for!?" Xenon walked in and attempted to drag Jason off the bed.

Jason covered himself in the green barrier and went back to sleep – it has a soundproof function. It was Sunday morning.

Xenon stayed in Jason's room, waiting for him to either wake up, or dismiss the shield unintentionally. The sun rose and so did Jason.

"So, what did you want?" Jason yawned as he got out of bed.

"It's too late already, everyone will be outside by now." Xenon sighed.

"Get out of my room if you have nothing to say then." Jason replied furiously, his sleep had been cut short by Xenon.

"I need you to help me with something, this night." Xenon said to Jason.

"No way, I'll be busy all day, I need to rest at night."

"What will you be busy with?"

"One," Jason raised a finger. "Look for Aoi; Two, find Aoi; Three, get him to help me with runes, and Ecobiology and TSEUCAEE assignments."

"Okay, what if I help you do number 3? You'll do one and two yourself, and then you'll help me do what I want."

"Okay then, I'll come meet you after I've had breakfast." Jason agreed and tried to shoo Xenon away.

"Wait, before I agree to the deal, can you swim?" Xenon asked.

"Of course I can, I would've drowned the moment we got sent here if I couldn't. Why do you ask?" Jason replied.

— — —

"You can't swim? And you want me to teach you how!?" Jason half shouted as he and Xenon walked back to the Erythros tower.

They had spent the whole morning and part of the afternoon doing their assignments and were now going back to the tower. And Xenon who had hidden what he wanted of Jason beforehand decided to reveal what he needed help with.

"Yeah. Is there a problem with that?" Xenon regarded him with scepticism.

"Oh there is no problem, none at all." Jason replied with a forced smile. "Except that I can't teach you how to swim."

"And why is that?" Xenon asked.

"Because I can't teach what I don't know."

"What-what do you mean, I thought you said-"

"Yeah, I know... but i can't swim." Jason replied, he avoided eye contact with Xenon and continued on to the tower.

"Then why did you tell me you could!?"

"Because I kinda can, but not the usual way." Jason said and covered himself in a green bubble. "See?"

'Ah, I am going to kill this child.' Xenon sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Pay up." Xenon stretched out his left palm.

"Pay what up?" Jason was confused.

"Everything I've helped you with since morning."

"What?"

"I did those things in exchange for swimming lessons, now that you can't fulfill your end of the bargain, pay up." Xenon explained.

"I am not paying anything, it's your fault for not telling before." Jason replied. "And, I'm your friend, why would you collect money for helping with some stuff."

"You know what, forget it." Xenon zoomed off, leaving Jason behind.

"That guy has got issues." Jason shook his head and continued walking.

— — —

'So this is your solution? Hiding from your friends.'

'As expected of a wimp!'

"Oh shut up Aoki! This is your fault! How do you expect me to explain to them!? 'Cause I'm all ears!" Aoi shouted into his room in which there was no one else but him.

'Just tell them the truth, Aoi. Or tell them nothing at all, it is your choice after all.'

'It is not his choice alone, I want to meet that white haired boy again!'

'I'm sure he wouldn't be so enthusiastic to see you again, the boy was obviously terrified.'

'Shut up Sora! Strong people like me are afraid of nothing!'

"He was alarmed, a few people in class were, but it wasn't because of Aoki." Aoi spoke into the empty room once again.

'Yes, when Aoki wrestled for control, our energies sort of merged. Anyone with good senses would have felt the sudden increase in power and the fluctuations that emanated from your body.'

"Now how do I explain that to them?" Aoi lamented into the empty room.

'Do or don't, it is your choice.'

'But don't you dare lie! I'm not letting go of a strong opponent because you're a wimp!'

'Stop calling him that.'

'What are you gonna do?'

"You guys will drive me crazy if you keep arguing. We've been together for 14 years, why the heck won't you get along!!!" Aoi shouted into the empty room.

— — —

"So... you're ready for the last round?"

"What. Am I supposed to be excited? Who in the world wants their arms chopped off!?" Jeage replied angrily to Xenon who was by his bed.

"Hey, don't raise your voice at me, I'm not the one who stuffed the mannequin down your throat." Xenon retorted.

"Well don't ask."

"What's the big deal, it'll get regenerated."

"It will still be painful! I don't know why they can't use pain relieving or sleep inducing potions on me." Jeage lamented.

"Miss Felicity said the brown stuff might react to it."

"Lies! She just wants to torture me to make sure I don't eat a piece of the mannequin again."

"I would torture you. You're too stubborn for your own good." Xenon shrugged.

"You will not be torturing any of my patients." Felicity said as she walked into Jeage's room.

"Miss Felicity! I was just leaving." Xenon stood up immediately and headed for the door.

"What? Where are you going!" Jason said sounding alarmed. 'Don't leave me with her.' He mouthed to Xenon.

"See you tomorrow Jeage." Xenon walked out of the room.

"You bastard!" Jason shouted after him.

"Now, let the torturing begin." Felicity whispered to Jason.

"What do you mean torturing?" Jason asked and laughed weakly.

"Isn't that what you said I do?." Felicity turned away from him and walked to the doorway. "Kyle, go bring Quill and Susannah, and tell them we're using the 'Runesaw' this time around."

A few minutes later, screaming would be heard from the particular room, accompanied by the loud sawing sounds of the runesaw.

— — —

"Ah, here goes nothing." Xenon, who was naked except for his underwear slowly walked away from the beach in the sea.

He had taken off his clothes and put them in his inventory to prevent them from getting wet and to prevent the extra weight from drowning him – as if a simple shirt and trouser was enough to drown a person.

It was dark outside and almost everyone had proceeded to sleep early in preparation to face Monday tomorrow. And Xenon, not managing to find anyone to teach him how to swim decided to try it out himself.

"Huh, it's not as cold as I thought it would be." Xenon whispered as he went deeper into the sea. The water had reached his waist.

_________________

I would advise you to not go deeper.

I am not willing cease existing because you drowned.

_________________

"Oh shut up."

Xenon went deeper till the water level was just below his chest and his feet were still firm on the sea bed. He walked around a bit, slipped, but managed to recover his footing.

_________________

You do know you may drown when the tide comes back in right?

_________________

"What are you getting so worked up for. I won't drown." Xenon ignored the system's warning and continued to waddle in the water.

The tide came back in, and Xenon, in an attempt to run out of the water with his ability, slipped. He hit his head on one of the weathered rocks on the seabed, swallowed a fair amount of water through both his mouth and nose and managed to slightly electrocute himself after stupidly summoning his lightning.

Alas, he is not allowed to die yet, the tide receded and he managed to resurface before passing out. He coughed terribly as he attempted to head back to the shore.

Xenon grabbed his bleeding head and gave a very raspy cough again. He couldn't see or hear well, and breathing was painful, but his feet were firm on the seabed and he was making his way to the shore.

_________________

Told you so.

_________________

Xenon could bear to reply, he opened up his mouth to take in the never so delicious air.

"What are you doing?" Regina who came to the sea shore spotted Xenon coming from the sea with his mouth open.

Xenon stopped and looked ahead, he ignored her and continued walking towards the shore. Regina spotted the blood flowing down his face as he came closer.

"Are you okay? You're bleeding." She said.

Xenon, still not replying, brought out a shirt out of the inventory and put it on as he neared the shore. He couldn't care less about his shirt getting wet now, or Regina seeing him pull it out of thin air.

"Okay, just ignore me."

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