"YOU WANNA BE WHAT?"

Fei asked. I think I have spaced out. I couldn't say what's in my mind.

"I wanna be… Shit!" I screamed.

"You wanna be shit?" Fei giggled.

"Look!" I pointed at the sky and the clouds are whirling very fast. Lightning jolts are zapping really fast. Soon, it became darker.

"What's happening, Fei?" I asked him.

"What…" Fei looked at the sky and then looked at me. "Trick… Look around you."

I stared at my surroundings. It seems that no one is panicking. Why are they all calming down? Can't they see those whirling clouds in the sky?

"Fei, what's the meaning of this? Why does everyone seem not to care what's happening? It might be bad. Look!" I pointed again. It's still moving really quick. "A lot of magic circles start to appear in the sky, like twinkling stars. I saw yours! Over there. They're going to the clouds…"

Fei hugged me real tight. "Oh, gosh. I'm sorry, Trick." Then, he put his hands on my shoulder. "I want you to know that I'm gonna protect you and I'm gonna let nothing happen to you."

"Why are you so weird?" I queried. What is he saying to me?

"Hey, Trick! Come, let's go back now. People are starting to come to the shop." It was Oakley, calling me.

I turned to him and asked. "Oaks, do you see that?"

He followed the direction where I was pointing. "The blue sky?"

"No!" I yelped. "The whirling dark clouds! Look!"

"What are you talking about, man? I ain't seeing nothing over there," Oakley said.

"Oakley, if it's okay, can you please cover Trick's shift for today? I'm gonna work it out with your boss," Fei requested.

"Whoa, wait, is there something happening? Is it the magic thing again?" Oakley whispered.

"Worse. I need to take Trick right now, but first…" Fei went to the alley swiftly, then returned in less than a second, as if he never left. "All good now. I've talked with your boss. Trick no longer works at Robbie's."

"What? Hey! Why did you do that? You lost me my job!" I howled at Fei. Is he crazy?

"I sort of tweaked your boss's memory that only Oakley works at Robbie's, but you have to trust me, Trick. Please, I need you to understand this," Fei said. "Oakley, I'm really sorry, but I have to take Trick away now. I'm sure Rakisha would understand why I did this. Don't worry, the afternoon shift barista will assist you today. Trick, let's go."

"Oaks! I'm really sorry, and I'll see you again," I said before I lose sight of Oakley, because…

"Gramms, is it what I think it is?" In just a blink of the eye, we were at the Xing Mansion once again, due to Fei's power of teleportation. He just held my hand and voila, we're here.

Right now, we're inside the office of Mrs. Xing. It has a minimalist style, which is really pleasant to the eyes. Earth tones are used and there are not many of those striking colors, especially the furniture.

Mrs. Xing spoke as she turned her chair towards us. "Although I can tell how emergent this situation is, I believe that this is still my office and it is customary that those who would wish to require my attention shall go through the door."

Fei winced and again, in just a blink of an eye, we were in front of a door. I could barely tell that we moved. Fei then knocked three times and opened the door.

"Gramms, is it what I think it is?" Fei rushed right away to ask Mrs. Xing.

Mrs. Xing walked towards me and stood in front of me. She held my hands and smiled at me. "I apologize to you, Trick."

I smiled wryly, as I am really confused! "I'm sorry, too, Mrs. Xing, but I have no idea why you're apologizing to me."

"Since you have witnessed the annihilation of the ingelids, you have been counted as one of the participants to the tournament," Mrs. Xing, as usual, straight to the point with her words. No chasers!

"No way…" I uttered. This is insane. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Xing, but I do not have any powers. I can't compete. I don't know how to fight."

"Rules are rules, dear boy," Mrs. Xing stated. "You have witnessed the Nubris. As I recall, nubrises appear to a mortal who is invited to participate in a magical tournament. For some reason, a mortal gets to be invited when it becomes involved with a sorcerer, a witch, or any magical being in the killing of the monster worms."

"Has it happened before?" I asked.

"It has, yes, many times in the past Pertasurms. Mortals who got involved accidentally or intentionally have been brought to the duel and have them fight. Sadly, no mortals have survived, that is why we use the oblivion to defeat the magical creatures or beings to hide the ingelids in the vision of the mortals," Mrs. Xing explained.

I was petrified. I could not move a single finger. All the things she said were terrifying me. What's gonna happen now?

"Gramms, Trick, I'm sorry. It's all my fault," Fei hugged me and he was sniffling. Is he crying?

"Remember what I told you after we kill the ingelids?" Mrs. Xing asked Fei.

"No, what is it?" he replied.

I did. [You're unaware.] That's what Mrs. Xing told Fei that day.

"You're unaware," she repeated. "You're unaware that a mortal should not be in the presence of the ingelids."

Fei held me tighter. He was really sorry for what he's done. "I didn't know. Or maybe I have forgotten since I was young when I witnessed a Pertasurm. I'm really sorry, Trick."

"But… you told me that you wanted me to become a sorcerer? You wanted me to join the tournament too?" I let go of Fei and stepped backwards. "Are you lying to me?"

"No, dear," Mrs. Xing quickly responded. "I can tell that my grandson has a clear conscience."

"When I said that I want us to join the tournament, I just want you to be my muse, like an inspiration who is with me while I fight," Fei spoke.

"Can I do that without having any powers? I mean… Do I really have to be a sorcerer for me to become your muse?" I'm so confused right now. I mean… Do I have to deal with all of this just to be with him?

"Let me tell you again. I want you to become a sorcerer, for you to become part of my family. And I want you to be there in the tournament to support me, as you're gonna be my source of strength… Because believe it or not, Trick, you're the one I wanna be with forever. I don't see myself with anyone else. It's just you. Only you. I know everything happens so fast. We didn't even have a proper date," Fei chuckled.

"And you lost me my job!" I complained.

"What did you do, Fei?" Mrs. Xing's smiling face was suddenly replaced with a frown.

"Gramms! I can explain," Fei uttered. "Since he saw the Nubris, Trick will be closer to danger. Even before the tournament starts, powerful beings might attack him and I want to protect him. So, I tampered the memory of his boss and cleared Trick out of it. He's currently unemployed because of it."

"And how do you plan to support his finances?" Mrs. Xing squinted her eyes further.

"He can be my secretary. In that way, he'll be very close to me. He'll be with me wherever I will go. I don't have a secretary, right, Gramms? It's been two years since I started working in the company and I realized I didn't have one," Fei grinned. "Also, he can live here in the mansion, can't he, Gramms? That way, I can be very sure that he's in safe hands."

Mrs. Xing became speechless. It seems that Fei had planned out everything already. When did he come up with those ideas?

"Young man," Mrs. Xing faced me and held my hands softly. "My grandson has plans of his own, and I leave that to the two of you. However, regarding the tournament, rest assured that you will be safe here. We, the Xings, promise to protect you at all cost. I just want to let you know that the mansion is open to accept all souls. Now, off you go. I would like to enjoy my English breakfast tea and cookies in peace. Would you like to have some fortune cookie before you go?"

"No, Gramms, thanks," Fei said.

"Okay, then." Mrs. Xing pointed to the door and Fei and I walked out. Upon closing the door, he grabbed my hand and intertwined his fingers with mine. Then, we walked in the hallway, with our hands swaying.

"So… Secretary, huh?" I said. "Did you ever consider that I have no clerical experience at all?"

"Nah, you don't have to worry about that. I just want you to be closer to me. Imagine, I survived in the company for two years without an assistant," Fei said and stopped walking. He faced me and cupped my chin. "Again, I'm sorry if you think I am lying. I just wanna let you know that my conscience is clear. I just wanna be beside you and I want you to be part of this family."

Somehow, I felt the sincerity in his words. I guess I was just confused earlier with the things that I found out. However, with the talk that I had with Oakley this morning, and the realizations that I had, plus the accidental participation in the tournament… I guess, it was really meant for me. Why didn't I know this before? Like, why didn't I get a sign?

Sign?

[Would you like to have some fortune cookies before you go?]

[A lot of magic circles start to appear in the sky, like twinkling stars. I saw yours! Over there. They're going to the clouds…]

My heart beat so fast. "Oh, gosh…"

"Why?" Fei asked.

Suddenly, I remembered the message on my fortune cookie.

[When the stars converge, everything else will fall into its perfect place.]

This must be it. This must be my fortune. This must be my destiny.

With no hesitation, I faced Fei, and told him, "I wanna be a sorcerer."

Fei's face brightened. "Yes! Finally! I'm so proud of you, Trick!"

"But…" I whispered.

"There's a but?"