In the quiet ambiance of the Aurora Sentinels HQ located in Tokyo, Albert Blake, the corrupted CEO, sat behind the desk. His silver hair caught the ambient light, and he leisurely poured himself a glass of red wine from a bottle resting on the table.
A knock echoed through the room."Enter."
The door creaked open, revealing a tall young man holding a file. Without hesitation, he approached Albert and handed over the file. Invited to sit, he pulled a chair opposite Albert and settled in.

"Ferid, you'll oversee Phase II," Albert declared.

"Huh? Where did this come from all of a sudden?" Ferid was taken aback by the unexpected assignment.

A dark grin crept across Albert's face, a signal Ferid recognized as a sign of something devious at play.

"The demon brat has arrived," Albert disclosed after a brief pause.

"Demon brat?" Ferid furrowed his brow. "Ah, I see now. So, among the 20 candidates is Advin Damen. This is quite surprising. What a bold child," Ferid expressed his astonishment.

Albert nodded, finishing the last of his wine with a gulp.

"The signals picked up by the tracer are remarkably strong. One of the candidates is undoubtedly him," Albert stated.

The tracer was crafted with the sole purpose of pinpointing Okami's location, the demon sealed within Advin years ago.

"Hmm, intriguing. Do you have any suspicions about which candidate it might be?" Ferid inquired.

"I suspect candidate number 7. The one in the black cloak," Albert responded.

"Understood. I'll monitor him closely," Ferid pledged as he rose to leave.

"That brat is my invaluable asset. He must succeed in this exam, no matter the cost. I'm relying on you," Albert emphasized, stressing the term 'precious tool.'

"Don't fret. I understand the importance of safeguarding valuable assets," Ferid assured him. "I'll take my leave now," he added.

"Of course," Albert murmured, leaning against the back of the chair.
A foreboding darkness enveloped Albert's demeanor."You'll regret stepping into this, kid," a wicked grin stretched across his face.
As Ferid left, an air of malevolence lingered around Albert, hinting at his ominous intentions.

☆☆☆

"Blood, blood everywhere, spill some more," echoed in Zac's mind as he jolted awake. His heart raced, his body drenched in sweat. He found himself lying in an adjustable hospital bed, the sterile scent of antiseptic lingering in the air.

Derrin entered the room, visibly relieved. "You're awake. What a relief," he sighed.

"Where am I?" Zac inquired, sitting up slowly.

"True Cross Hospital. How are you feeling now?" Derrin asked with concern.

"Better," Zac replied, but his gaze drifted away. Memories of the unsettling nightmare clashed with his foggy recollection of events- the looming exam, encounters with Arashi, the pounding headache, and then the blackout.

Derrin observed Zac's face in silence, noticing the absence of expression. Zac was skilled at concealing his emotions, but Derrin sensed an underlying discomfort about missing the exam.

"Can you tell me how I ended up in the hospital?" Zac inquired. Deciding not to dwell on it any longer, Zac chose to move forward.

"I received a call from your number. Someone informed me that you were in the hospital," Derrin replied.

"Who was it? Did you meet him?" Zac inquired.

"Yes, I did. It wasn't a pleasant encounter, though. He was quite rude and didn't disclose his name," Derrin recalled.

"Can you provide more details?" Zac prompted, seeking further information.

"He was a tall young man with violet hair. I don't recall much else," Derrin recounted.

"Arashi, I suppose. I encountered him at the HQ. I didn't find him rude at all," Zac remarked.

"He's rude. You have no idea what he said to me," Derrin countered.

"Such as?"

"Nothing," Derrin replied, looking away.

The door was knocked, and two girls peeked inside.
"Is the patient here?" One of them inquired.

Zac nearly jumped in surprise. "Ria, Mimi, what brings you here?"

"We came to visit the patient," chirped Ria, with dark brown hair and matching eyes.

Zac shot a glare at Derrin, who grinned in response. "By the way, who's the patient here?" Zac feigned innocence. Mimi laughed. She was the other girl, a blonde. The four of them were friends from school.

"Ooh, aren't you suffering from diarrhea?" a mischievous smile played across Ria's face.

"Diarrhea? Who told you this?" Zac was taken aback.

"This is what you wrote in your leave application," Ria shrugged.

"Derrin!" Zac shot another glare at Derrin, realizing he was the mastermind behind the scenes.

Derrin couldn't help but chuckle at the situation, and soon, the three of them burst into laughter. When the laughter subsided, Ria spoke up.

soon, the three of them burst into laughter. When the laughter subsided, Ria spoke up.

"Tomorrow are the auditions," Ria announced.

"Auditions? For what?" Zac inquired.

"Our class is putting on a play for the other classes and our parents," she explained.

"And Ria is participating," Derrin chimed in.

"So, you want to spoil the play. Ah, now I get it," Zac teased, stroking his chin.

"Zac! Do you want me to punch you?" Ria's fists clenched as she spoke, prompting a mischievous smile from Zac while Mimi and Derrin quietly chuckled.

"Zac, are you also auditioning?" Mimi asked.

"Yeah, sure."

"Yay! Let's all give it a shot," Mimi chirped, receiving nods from the others.

As time passed, they engaged in various conversations, and Zac appeared to be in good spirits. His headache had subsided, and the doctor granted permission for him to go home. After bidding farewell to the girls, they returned to the dormitory.

☆☆☆

"I am your examiner for Phase II, Ferid Bon," Ferid introduced himself. "Let's begin."
His hand ignited, swirling clockwise to conjure a portal. "Your task is to locate a specific gem in the forest through this portal. Along the way, you'll encounter various precious gems, but the one you seek is a black gem with a deep scratch in the middle. Be mindful, there's only one of this kind in the entire forest," Ferid explained before pausing.

"Are you pitting us against each other? Why is there only one gem for 20 candidates?" someone inquired.

"I haven't finished yet. Pay close attention," Ferid responded."Let me clarify further. In the forest, there are a total of 7 black gems. However, out of these 7, only one is genuine-the rest are fake. If you succeed in locating the authentic gem, you will pass Phase II."

"So, it implies only one candidate will pass. They've indeed altered the policy," commented Alice.

"This is quite intriguing. A challenging competition indeed," remarked Ayumi.

"I have a question," the figure cloaked in black raised a hand. "How do we distinguish between the real and fake ones?"

"If you manage to find the real gem, a portal will open," Ferid explained.

"That implies we'll need to inspect every black gem," the same boy remarked.

"Yes. Now, form a line and step into the portal. Phase II starts now!" Ferid instructed.

Once all the candidates had departed, Ferid settled into the chair. A screen materialized in the air.

"Let's enjoy the live spectacle," Ferid muttered to himself.

Is it alright to put that gem in the forest?" A young man standing next to Ferid asked.

"Yes. The dark gem will help us find out who among the candidates is Advin."

"But how." The other person still seemed confused.

"Advin's abilities are deeply linked to the power of darkness. The dark gem will definitely react to his presence. Well, there's so much to explain. Lets hear it some other time." As the conversation came to a close, Ferid redirected his focus to the screen.
With an air of anticipation, the scene shifted to the candidates entering the portal, setting the stage for the Phase II challenge to unfold.

edirected his focus to the screen, leaving the explanation for another time. With an air of anticipation, the scene shifted to the candidates entering the portal, setting the stage for the Phase II challenge to unfold.

"This is what they call the Forest of Gems. It seems more like a graveyard," Dan remarked, his voice echoing in the barren, desolate land.

The candidates stood in shocked silence. There were no trees, no shimmering gems-only the eerie sight of human skulls embedded in the ground.

"Forest? This can't be right," Ayumi exclaimed, a mix of surprise and disbelief in her voice.

"I imagined something beautiful," Alice murmured, disappointment evident in her tone.

Stuck in place, they all grappled with the surreal reality before them, uncertain about their next move. The chapter closed on their confusion, leaving them stranded in the peculiar and haunting landscape of the so-called Forest of Gems.

☆☆☆