Chapter 11: Our little secret

"I-I think I-I'll take my leave first" I said as I got up.

I turned the knob, and the door was locked. I stepped back a little bit, and looked back only to see that Anne was not there. I knew I was in hot soup. "What am I going to do now?" I thought to myself, hoping Venus would hear, and come to my aid. 

"How long are you going to stare back?"

Just then, I was struck in my chest, as I flew into the table behind me. I helplessly tried to get up, as my arm was dislocated. Then I felt a heavy load on my chest. She had her foot on me.

"What are you dong in the academy? What more do you guys want from me? Did father send you? Speak up, or I'll have to dispose of you." 

Since I lacked an energy core, I had faked one, by concentrating QI where my energy core would have been. Since it was mixed in with a little bit of navitas, it'll be hard to tell the difference, as it looked, felt and worked like a normal energy core. Even Venus admitted it was difficult to notice, even for her. "How did she even find out?" I thought to myself.

"She must have taken some of your energy to study when she got back. She tested its density, as QI from a normal core would be quite dense, but obviously yours wasn't" Venus responded, at last.

"Then how have I gone unnoticed, passing by all these teachers?" I asked Venus.

"She might have a natural affinity with energy. It's called a mana heart. It is so rare that I didn't even count it as a probability" 

"Stalling for time are we? I'll have to be a bit rough now"

She stamped her foot in my chest, Twisting into my heart. I was going to scream loud, making a goat horn sound peaceful, but she gagged me with her left foot, that was previously on my right arm. 

Then I recollected myself. I survived 10 years in a cave, survived a kidnapping, enrolled into Yulo academy, excelled in the entrance exams, and was about to die to some teacher?  "I am not about to take that" "What was all that suffering for?" "I have to fight back" "No, I'll kill her"

I was engulfed in the waves of rage, held hostage by the chains of wraths. I bit into her foot, and as she retrieved, losing her balance, I grabbed her foot on my chest and threw her across the room. She went right into the shelf, as the shelf collapsed on her. Then I stood up, with some effort of course. She got up and charged at me, looking pissed. She went straight for an overhead hook. I spun her around, using her energy against her and threw her again. Then she got up looking like she was hurt badly, the angry expression now gone. I charged her, and we smashed into the wall.

"I dont know what happened to you. I dont know or care whoever did whatever to you. But I do know one thing, attacking an innocent student is not the way to go about it"

She was almost crying.

I raised my hand, balled my fist and punched. I hit the wall behind her, smashing it. My body wasn't listening to me. 

"What's happening to me?" I said I slumped on the ground passing out.

"Wake up kid!" 

"Are you stupid?!"

I looked around me. I was on a bed, soft and white. The room was lavish, polished blackstone all around which was a rare mineral. The chandelier was neat, studded with jewels. There was a fire pit with a desk, some books and pens, with someone sitting on the chair behind it reading a book. It was a female. I recalled what happened before.

I was fighting Miss Anne, and I had the upper hand when I passed out. I tried to get up and the woman spoke.

"Dont try to get up. You wont be able to"

I tried anyway. I fell right back down. 

"You really are stubborn, cadet 101"

The woman turned around. It was Miss Anne. "What am I doing here?"

"She brought you here after you passed out. Doing all that just to knock yourself out. I should've hit you harder when I could" Venus responded.

"Yeah I can figure that much out. I'm asking why she'd bring me 'here'. It looks like she lives here. The school has an infirmary" I shot back at her

"So, mister. What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you that, Anne Ertha"

"H-How did y-"

"You're nametag. You're pretty slow for a professor" I gloated.

"Why did you attack me, Miss Ertha? Why did you stop? And the sudden hospitality, I mean one second I'm at your throat, and the next you're nursing me to health?"

"So actually, my father is a-"

"He's THE JON ERTHA?!"

"YOUR SUPPOSED TO LET ME SAY IT!" she yelled frantically.

"Now, were was I? Ah, yes. My dad is Jon Ertha. Ever since my mom died when I was kid, he went paranoid. He made all of us train vigorously, to reach what he called 'Perfect energy control'. I couldn't take it, because I lost vision in my left eye. Then he tried to marry me off to some random family. Then I ran away to the academy, as a professor. Ever since then he has abandoned me, or so it seems. Since he is a merchant, every now and then he send someone to get me back, or someone volunteers to kidnap me for him" she explained.

"So long story short, you thought I was here to kidnap you, to get you back to your father"

"Yes"

"How did you deduce that?"

"You dont have an energy heart. The one you seem to have is compromised. Masters of certain levels lessen the density of their QI and reduce the core's size, to seem weaker than they actually are. Of course, when in situation where necessary, they return it to normal. Many of the people after me have used this tactic. You looked no different from them, cadet 101"

"I have name. Anyways, how did you deduce that I wasn't one of them? Seeing that you're all the way over there, with your guard lowered, changing my clothes and bathing me, even bandaging the very wounds you gave me. Why do all that? How long have I been here?" I asked.

"I couldn't have taken you to the infirmary because you were unconscious, and weren't holding up your fake core. Upon close inspection you would've been caught. I made an excuse that I you attacked me because you wee drugged, and I offered to help. I had to wash you up. There was no way that I was letting you in those clothes with all that blood and sweat. Lastly, I knew you weren't after me because, I sensed no bloodlust in your actions. I saw it in your eyes, but your heart said otherwise. It was like you were being forced to do that. It couldn't have been you as you used 'berserk'. Most of your flesh was ripped open, your eyes red and your pulse fading. That's how I got away with the excuse. Happy now?" she said, as she turned to face her books.

"You missed one. How long have I been here?" 

"A week, I think"