Flame Academy

/8/

It's already Friday morning and I'm currently walking towards the Administrative Building. I was discharged from the hospital only an hour ago and after I fixed myself inside our dorm, bigla na lang dumating si Miss Jessica at sinabing pinapatawag ako ni Sir Laxus. Napa-oo na lang tuloy ako bigla at walang choice kung hindi pumunta sa office ni Sir Laxus kahit gusto kong pumasok sa klase ngayon.

Pumasok ako sa Administrative building. I smiled at the teachers and greeted them good morning before going in the second floor. Ilang minuto lang din ang lumipas bago ako makarating sa dulo ng hallway at tumigil sa tapat ng office ni Sir Laxus.

I knocked once and I immediately got a response from the inside. I slowly opened the door and just like the last time, nakita ko din si Miss Lara sa loob at pareho silang nakaupo sa dati din nilang pwesto noong huli. I closed the door and sat at the same sofa after Sir Laxus motioned for me to sit down.

"Masaya kami at mukhang mabuti na ang lagay mo," nakangiting sabi ni Sir Laxus at hindi na ako nagulat sa paraan ng pananalita niya. I already became used of his 'ancient' way of speaking.

Miss Lara nodded. "We are relieved to see you, Kate. I'm sorry because we immediately called for you even if you only got out from the hospital this morning. We just really need to talk to you."

"Okay lang po." I smiled. "Ano po bang pag-uusapan natin?"

They looked at each other and I had the same thought again. Tumayo naman bigla si Sir Laxus at may kinuha sa table niya. He went back on his seat and placed a small jar on the center table. When I looked at it, my lips parted in awe when I saw shining white ashes.

"I had the same expression the first time I saw those ashes," sabi bigla ni Miss Lara habang nakatingin din doon. "I am really amazed by that kind of ashes. It was like glowing and it feels so magical. I cannot take my eyes off it."

Wala sa sarili akong napatango-tango. Miss Lara is right. And just like her, parang ayoko na din alisin ang mga mata ko doon. But I also looked at Sir Laxus when he spoke because I might be called disrespectful if I won't.

"Nakita namin ang mga abo na 'yan sa kwartong pinagsasanayan ng mga—"

"Training room," Miss Lara butted in and slightly glared at Sir Laxus. Napangiti na lang ako dahil mukhang naiinis na naman si Miss Lara sa mga salitang sinasabi ni Sir Laxus.

"Nakita namin ang mga abo na 'yan sa training room kung saan ka namin natagpuang walang malay," Sir Laxus said and even emphasized the English words in his sentence. Ngumisi lang si Miss Lara. "At alam mo naman sigurong walang estudyante o kahit na sino sa paaralang ito ang mayroong kapangyarihan na gumawa ng ganyang uri ng abo?"

I nodded. Sir Laxus took one paper from the center table and in just a snap, it burned. His gray flames swallowed the whole paper and it turned into gray ashes.

"Every time we use our flames to burn some things, those things will turn into ashes with the same color of our flames," Miss Lara said and looked at the gray ashes scattered on the floor.

Napatango-tango naman ako. Pero 'di ba gray naman talaga ang kulay ng abo? I was about to say that when I suddenly remembered one day in our dorm. Bea was writing something on a paper but she suddenly burned it using her flame and it turned into yellow ashes. Kaya sa huli, nanahimik na lang ako at hinintay ang susunod nilang sasabihin.

"At iniisip namin na ang taong sumira sa training room na iyon ay siyang may-ari ng puting abo na ito. Imposible namang ang batang lalaki iyon dahil asul ang kulay ng kanyang kapangyarihan at mahina pa ang flame niya upang sumira ng isang buong silid. Imposible ding si Zachary iyon dahil itim naman ang sa kanya," sabi ni Sir Laxus at muntik na yata akong ma-nosebleed sa mga sinabi niya. He seriously looked at me and nervousness overwhelmed me. "At maliban sa kanila, ikaw lang ang nandoon ng mangyari ang pagkasira ng silid na iyon."