Chapter 7 Surprise

"Luna."

A gentle voice from across the table snapped Luna back to reality and she looked up to see her mom watching her. They were celebrating her results with a fancy dinner, but Luna's mind was somewhere else.

"Yes? My bad, I spaced out for a second," Luna responded with an apologetic smile as she looked around. "Where is dad?"

Her mom stared at her with squinted eyes before replying, "Your dad is on a call with someone important. We have a surprise for you and he is finalizing it right now."

"Oh," Luna acknowledged and returned to her thoughts while nibbling on her food. No matter how much she tried not to think about Number One, he kept coming back to her mind.

"Are you thinking about the boy that beat you in the Selection?" Luna's mom asked curiously, causing Luna to roll her eyes.

Luna was usually honest with her parents but she hid the whole confrontation she had with Number One. She knew her mom would take it the wrong way.

"Mom, this is not what you think," Luna stopped her mother before the lecture even started. "I am just curious about his Soul Art. This is the first time I saw it, so it's obvious I would be interested. That's it."

"Good, good," Luna's mother nodded in approval. "I know you are at the age to be attracted to the opposite sex but it is not the time to think about the boys. Ascending to the Inner World should be the first thing on your mind."

A headache struck Luna as soon as she heard those two words.

Inner World.

It was a heavenly place where one could unlock their full potential and advance to a completely new level. Every Soul Artist from the Outer World aimed to enter that land of bliss and Luna was one of them. That goal was implanted into her brain from the moment she could walk.

"Don't worry, he is the last man I would be interested in," Luna assured before changing the topic. "When are you departing?"

Luna's parents were years ahead of her and they already reached the threshold necessary to Ascend to the Inner World. She already knew the moment she entered the Academy, they would leave her to take the final step in their lives.

"We actually plan to leave tonight. Our team has already been waiting for a month so we can't delay any longer," Luna's mother informed. "We only have ten floors left to beat and we will finally complete the Dungeon."

Luna trained her whole life to follow her parents' footsteps, but she would still shiver whenever they mentioned the Dungeon. No one could blame her though since that place wasn't exactly a fairyland with sunshine and rainbows.

It was a man-made Soul Tower connecting the two worlds together which was filled with beasts and traps that could kill you at every step. If one wished to Ascend to the Inner World, they had to first prove themselves in the Dungeon. Only the strongest Soul Artists had a place in the Inner World.

"I will work hard to join you in the Inner World," Luna promised just before her Dad walked back into the dining room. "Dad, you are back."

"Robert?" Luna's mom called her husband happily. "Did you succeed in securing a spot?"

A tall, middle-aged man nodded at his wife and sat announced to Luna happily, "We have a surprise for you. I had to pull a lot of strings to get you in but it was definitely worth it. We won't have to worry about leaving you alone anymore."

"What are you talking about?" Luna questioned suspiciously. "What did you do?"

"Remember how we talked about sending you straight to the Dragon Academy in the Capital?" Robert asked proudly. "Well, I just talked with the Headmaster of the Dragon Academy and he is willing to personally test you tomorrow. It's more of a formality of course since your Selection results are more than enough to qualify you."

Luna froze on the spot while her mind exploded with mixed emotions. Why did she feel like her world was about to collapse?

"Hmm? Is something wrong?" Robert questioned the sudden change of character. "Why aren't you celebrating? Isn't it what you always wanted?"

"I don't know…" Luna replied honestly.

Going to the Dragon Academy was a dream come true for any Soul Artist but why did she feel sad thinking of never seeing Number One again? He was just a lunatic who was messing with her.

"Luna, this is an opportunity that will change your life," Robert pointed out sternly. "If you reject it, not only will I look like a fool but you will not receive it again in the future."

"I think it is about the boy she met today," Luna's mother chipped in, causing Luna to panic.

"No, it's not about him," Luna quickly countered. "I just like the Wing Soul Academy and I made a few female friends today."

Robert threw a doubtful gaze at Luna and stood up. "The Dragon Academy has so much more to offer and you can always find new friends. If that's all that is holding you back then it's decided. You will travel to the Dragon Academy tomorrow morning."

Luna opened her mouth to refute the idea yet no words came out. She paused to rethink her future and finally nodded, "Alright then, I will go."

Even though Luna disliked such a sudden turn of events, Number One wasn't enough to stay behind. She knew his secrets would bother her for a while, but she would eventually forget about him.

"Perfect," Robert nodded in approval as he hugged his daughter. "You should rest early while I handle the transfer. I will also buy you a train ticket for tomorrow before we leave."

"I am going to my room to pack myself then," Luna replied and left without any further comments. Before she closed her room though, she heard a sigh coming from her father as he assured her mother.

"Don't worry, she will be fine. She will find a better man in the Dragon Academy. I already asked the Headmaster to pair her up with some talented students."

Luna could only roll her eyes and shut the door in frustration. She threw herself on the bed while covering her face with a pillow but that didn't stop her mind from playing with her.

"Why… Why are you all I think about…?"

***

That night was basically sleepless for Luna but she was already used to it. Her training sessions were sometimes prolonged over many days so a single night was nothing for her.

"I can handle it from here on my own," Luna informed as she hugged her parents goodbye. "They are waiting for you."

Luna's parents decided to stay with her till morning to make sure she entered the right train but their team was already getting impatient. If they delayed their travel any longer, their team would depart without them and they would miss their chance to Ascend.

"Promise us you will enter the train to the Capital, alright?" Robert requested as he looked at the distant tracks. "It should arrive soon, but we really need to go now. I already asked someone to pick you up from the station, so you won't get lost in the Capital."

"Don't worry, I won't run away," Luna assured with a shrug. "Also, you should think about yourself more. I don't want to find out you guys didn't make it big when I storm into the Inner World."

"Tch, when you join us, our names will be known by everyone," Robert snickered as he took his wife's hand. "We are leaving. Don't slack and work hard!"

The two looked up and their backs lit up with a ruby glow. Everyone in the train station gazed at them in awe and watched as their Soul Energy formed into two pairs of beautiful wings. Their team of eight people was already waiting for them in the sky and Luna's parents launched to join them.

​ Soul Wings were the most common way to discriminate a beginner Soul Artist from an expert. It allowed one to travel freely without relying on Soul Trains used mostly by the commoners. Unfortunately, Luna didn't have enough Soul Energy to form her own wings which forced her to travel like everyone else.

When the Soul Train finally arrived, Luna entered her premium suite and looked outside the window to get a glimpse of her hometown for the last time.

"Should I leave now?" Luna joked to herself after realizing she already fulfilled her father's request but eventually stayed seated. Although she was curious about Number One, she already moved on over the night.

Or at least that's what she thought.

"Huh?" Luna paused as she suddenly noticed a man in a black hoodie has approached the train right next to her. "No way that's him, right?"

Luna didn't see the man's face but his body was extremely similar to someone she knew. He walked up to one of the conductors who immediately recognized him. They conversed for a moment before the conductor pulled out a small box from his pocket. The man in a hoodie inspected the box before completing the trade with a bag of Yellow Soul Crystals.

"It's him!" Luna exclaimed to herself while leaning to the window to see the man clearer. His Green Storage Ring was the exact same Number One got from Darius and the bag of Soul Crystals looked exactly like the one she gave him.

Luna was momentarily engulfed by a strange desire to follow him when she saw him leaving but she shook her head to get rid of that thought.

"No. He is not my business anymore," Luna muttered to convince herself and she opened the window for some fresh air. Too bad, she happened to hear the conductor's phone call that ruined her whole conviction.

"He is leaving the station right now. You can get him on the way to the Academy," the conductor relayed before warning. "Make sure you don't damage the Storage Ring. The Soul Artifact the boss wants should be inside."

The conductor ended the call right after and entered back to the premium lounge. He checked everyone's tickets only to stop in front of Luna's suite and frown, "Wasn't there a lady here? Where did she go?"