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Chapter 7. [Part 2: The Promise]

"HE PROMISED. HE promised to try. But he gave up. He gave up anyway," Azalea said, rubbing Elvy head. Outside, the sky was dark and no one else was awake, but Azalea stayed up, determined to finish the journal. "I saw his suicide letter, I memorized it. He said he was done trying. Why?" Azalea asked her half-asleep wolf.

Part of her understood why he ended his life. He must have been tired. Tired of trying, tired of living with an ability that made him feel like a monster.

But another part of her, the selfish part, hated him. Because if he were alive, maybe he could have helped her. He could have continued trying to control this madness.

Azalea felt like she was being teased. Carlisle Lysander brought her hopes up by promising to find a way. Then he killed himself, destroying all possibilities of Azalea to get help.

"You don't suppose his Wanderling could speak to me, right?"

"THIS TUNNEL WAS shorter yesterday," Azalea grumbled.

"Yes, I'm sure it was," Mr. Forkle said. He stood a few feet away from the entrance of the training area. "Have you read Mr. Lysander's journal?"

"Yes, it was an interesting insight, and he's... funny."

"You could say that. Kind of like... "

"Keefe?" Azalea said. "You can say his name, you know? I won't burst out crying like a baby."

"Of course," Mr. Forkle said a little awkwardly. "So, Miss. Zee, do you understand why I think you need to train?"

"Yes." Azalea said. "I also think you're taking advantage of me. You want me to control my ability, to master energy beams, or whatever, but it isn't for my own good. It's to use me as a weapon. There is no way you would help me when you barely even know me."

Mr. Forkle sighed. "I suspected you'd think this way. I have two reasons why I want to help you. One, it is true that I want to train you so that you can help me. But it's not for my own good. It's for the greater good."

"The greater good," Azalea mocked. "And your second reason is going to be because you want me to fight people and kill them for the greater good, right?"

"No, it's because Mr. Sencen asked me to."

'What the...' Azalea thought.

"Mr. Sencen, like Cassius Sencen or... Keefe Sencen?"

"Keefe." Mr. Forkle said.

Azalea felt a weird feeling of happiness flood in her chest. She didn't want to feel it, she didn't want to feel anything related to Keefe or even have thoughts about Keefe.

"Screw Keefe, man." Azalea mumbled. "So you want me to show you my ability now?"

"Yes, please." Mr. Forkle said. But he continued standing in the same position.

"Do you want to be obliterated? Or do I have to go find a new teacher now?" Azalea asked.

"That isn't what I meant, Miss. Zee. I'd rather see your power," he raised his finger up to his temple and tapped it. "in your head."

"Excuse me?" Azalea said. "No way, man. You aren't allowed to go exploring in my head."

"I won't be exploring, Miss. Zee, All you need to do it to think about the times you've used your ability."

"What if I accidentally think of something else?"

"If you're determined enough not to show me anything, you won't." Mr. Forkle said.