"I am back?" Janet said as she looked around. Her eyes were a bit red and so was her nose. It seemed she had cried her eyes out.

Namen stood beside her with a complicated expression on her face. Her tensed brows loosened as she released a sigh.

Max looked at them, he didn't know how to react.

"Very well, you two have passed my test…." The old spirit said with a smile as he looked at the two.

"I did?" Janet asked as she looked at him. She didn't remember doing anything except for crying.

"Yes, be more confident….what you did isn't an easy feat. Don't forget that feeling….It will help you ahead…" the old man said as he looked at her.

"As for those who failed…" the old man said as his eyes flashed past each one of the failures. "You lost due to your own weakness…you have no one to blame...you have no right to demand anything…."

Elly clenched her fist as she listened to him. He was indeed right….she had failed…

"But, it isn't the end…if you don't want to accept this outcome....then beat that weakness…get stronger….I will be still be here...Come back if you dare…" The old man smiled as he looked at them. His words had indeed shook them. He had left something for them to ponder over.

The old man didn't say anything else but just looked at Max and Mr. Cool.

"There you have it…I will leave the rest to you…."

And with that, he vanished….

"I don't remember allowing him to host a tournament here….that old geezer…." Mr. Cool's face turned ugly but the old spirit was gone.

"I see...is this what he wanted to do?" Max muttered.

A hope for the future…or there was something beyond that he couldn't think....

The first requirement to break the mortal shackles was acceptance...obviously that alone wasn't probably enough...but….it still was better than nothing…

"Wait? Does that mean?" Janet suddenly turned her head to look at others.

Their expressions made her realise the fact. They had indeed failed….

"You don't need to feel bad for us?" Aria replied as she forced a smile on her face. She had too much on her mind to smile naturally.

Elly was still lying with the towel on her head and didn't respond at all.

"You two ladies, over here…"Mr. Cool beckoned them as if he was trying go hit them in some night pub.

Namen walked towards him with a frown. She felt that he was being rude.

Even Max felt a bit odd.

"Uh...it's just a habit...my bad…" Mr. Cool realised and laughed it off.

As Namen and Janet stood in front of them, Mr. Cool was ready to deal with the situation but Max stopped him for a moment.

He looked at Janet and then spoke, "I know you have been dragged into this…..you don't really have to do it. Do you really want the things to change..…"

He didn't want her to get caught into this. He knew that she just followed around because she didn't want to be left all alone. But her friends failed and there was no reason for her to go through it anymore….

Janet might have had accepted Max's suggestion if it was before but now….she didn't want to….

"I am sorry…." Janet said as she looked at Max with a sad look on her face.

"What for?" Max asked with a confused smile. She didn't need to be sorry for this….

"For everything…." She said and then raised her head to look at Max, "I will make up for it…"

'Huh? What is she talking about?' Max looked at her.

"I want to know the truth…" She took in a deep breath and showed her determination. "I won't leave my brother alone…''

Max felt his eyes widening.

Did he hear something wrong?

Janet had realised a few things now….and one of them was that Max had been wronged. From the very day he was born, he didn't have anything that she had to herself...and yet he had reached this stage….

And what had she done on the other hand?

He didn't have his parents with him for a long period of time. She had heard from her mother, raised in loneliness…..and when he returned...they were missing…

She was still going on and hating him for something which wasn't even his fault and was just an accident….

Could she imagine herself growing up like that?

If she ran away now, how could she call herself a family….was there any difference in his situation even after he returned?

In that case, she would make that difference….she would take care of this little brother of her, the one she always wanted…

Even though they were cousin's, she didn't thought of it like that and accepted Max as her own brother.

Reason?

Well, Max's story was one reason….as for others, Aunt Lithiya was always kind to her and treated her like her own daughter since she didn't have one, before Lilly of course….but even after she had Lilly, her attitude didn't change….and lastly, she had taken after her mother, Vitni at the core...

"Girl, did you hit your head somewhere?" Max asked as he looked at her. He was afraid something had happened to her during the test.

"Is this the way you should be speaking to me? Call me Sister Jan from now on…" Janet said as she grabbed Max's head and messed his hair as punishment.

Max's head was down, veins were popping out on his face.

'This isn't happening…..' Max thought as he raised his head, he had to let people know their limits.

But when he saw her smiling at him, her eyes were still a bit red and watering….he stopped and looked at her for a moment...

'Tsk..I will leave her for today…'

"Come with me…" Max said to Namen leaving Mr. Cool to deal with Janet. He really wouldn't be able control himself if she did that again..

''Why are you leaving me with him?" Janet asked as she looked at Mr. Cool a bit scared of him. He was a bit weird after all.

"Bahamut….deal with her…." Max asked looking at the kid who had finally opened his eyes and Bahamut nodded his head.

Mr. Cool looked as if the food had been snatched away from his mouth…

….

"I am glad you passed honestly...you were the one I was willing to take in…" Max said as he looked at her.

He could use her to win over Tyler as well…..and get someone in the Frost family.

Two birds with one stone....

"Do you have a crush on me?" Namen asked as she looked at Max.

"No…" Max replied with lines appearing on his face.

"Then…"

"You are just the right person….you will be desperate when you know the truth after all…" Max said with a smile.

Namen suddenly had an ominous foreboding.

"W-What do you mean?"