It was the same thing for both of us…..
*******
October 19th 2015,
Jason woke up just before his alarm went off. Once again, sleep had eluded him, haunted by the recurring nightmares that had become all too familiar. He sat up, his gaze falling on the picture frame on his bedside table, a photograph of his younger self standing proudly between his father and mother. He sighed deeply, running a hand through his disheveled hair.
If only his kid self knew what he was like now.
Jason pushed himself out of bed and headed to the sink. He splashed cold water on his face repeatedly, but the dark circles under his eyes stubbornly remained.
With a weary look, he removed his shirt in preparation for a shower, revealing a burn scar that stretched from his neck down to his shoulders. The scar was a cruel reminder of a mission he had almost failed, a painful memory etched into his very skin
An hour later, Jason was dressed and ready for work.
*******
Jason and Lisa had scheduled the makeup battle exams for Kazemaru, Tendo, Silva, and the newly admitted student, Eric Egoshin, to take place that day. Unlike the main battle exams, this session would be more private.
Only Jason, Lisa, and the students who had previously passed the exams would observe the battles. After ensuring the participants had fully recovered from their injuries sustained during the previous tests, the two instructors decided it was time for the retake.
At the moment, the students stood at the entrance to the battlegrounds, the same area used in the prior exams. As they prepared to start, Lisa stepped forward to address them.
Lisa: Listen up, everyone. Before you head into the exams, I need to explain the rules. Pay attention because I won't be repeating myself. Got it?
Everyone: Yes ma'am!
Lisa: So unlike the other exams, this time, you won't be fighting each other.
Kazemaru: We won't?
Silva: Why not?
Lisa: For starters, we only have three second-year students, and two of them are on a separate mission right now. The last one is still recovering from being stabbed in the chest after the last incident.
Tendo clenched his fist.
Kazemaru: Makes sense.
Lisa: So, for this exam, you'll be battling the shadow monsters that have been set up in the battlegrounds. You'll be graded and ranked based on how effectively you use your skills and techniques during the fight.
Eric: (to himself) Shadow monsters, huh? (adjusts his glasses) I guess I won't have any problem going all out then.
Lisa: (glances at Eric briefly) That's all. When you hear the signal, begin your exams.
Everyone: YES MA'AM!!!!!
Meanwhile, Jason stood at a distance, watching Lisa address the students retaking their exams. After a while, Lisa approached and stood beside him.
Lisa: He looks just like him, you know?
Jason: If I had a dollar every time someone said that, I'd be rich. Even Haruto and Koichi mentioned it.
Lisa: Haruto and Koichi haven't left yet?
Jason: Nope. Apparently we need more hands here in HQ since we're heavily understaffed right now so they're sticking around for now.
Lisa: Where are they now?
Jason: They said something about escorting Gabriel to a meeting he has with the board members today.
Lisa: That doesn't sound good.
Jason: (cracks his neck) It's not. Gabriel's been under fire for his leadership ever since the deaths of our former classmates and the Kaimi Daja incidents. People are tearing him apart for how little progress we've made in capturing them.
Lisa: But we've taken down some of them, haven't we?
Jason: Yeah, but aside from what Karla and her... bizarre sister situation revealed, we've got almost nothing. The Kaimi Daja are still at large and we don't know their base despite having two of their members in our custody. Without that, how can we take them down? The board will just keep pinning all the blame on Gabriel and that's why I can't stand them.
Lisa: Do you think things will ever go back to how they used to be?
For a moment, a memory of their time as students at the Hunter Academy flashed through both their minds. They shared a bittersweet smile.
Jason: No, they won't. But I wish they could. If they did, everyone would still be here with us.
Lisa: Yeah. Sanito and I would've gotten married. You and Joshua would still be bickering while Marlo tried to break it up. Haruto would still be chasing after Koichi. And everyone else… they'd still be alive. Safe and sound. But…
******
Twenty seconds later, Jason signaled the students, and the make-up battle exams began at once.
The students wasted no time, unleashing their skills and techniques as they tore through the shadow monsters released into the battlegrounds. From the observation room, Jason, Lisa, Takimo, and Rin watched closely.
Kazemaru, Silva, and Tendo stood out in particular, performing exceptionally well and efficiently eliminating every shadow monster they faced.
Jason: (to himself) They're all doing well, just as I expected. They have high potential. But they're not the ones I'm focused on right now.
He looked at a screen showing Eric running all by himself.
Jason: It's him. Eric Egoshin.
Lisa quickly noticed Jason's focus.
Lisa: He hasn't run into any shadow monsters yet.
Jason: True. He's unlucky, isn't he? I was hoping to see what he could do.
Lisa: Oh, wait, look! He's found one!
Jason: Has he?
Lisa was right. As Eric moved through the battlegrounds, he finally encountered a shadow monster.
The creature was navy blue, stood eight feet tall on all fours, and had three hideous eyes that made it terrifying to behold. Its grotesque form would have unnerved the average person, but Eric remained completely unfazed.
Eric: (to himself) A shadow monster, huh? Took long enough to find one.
The monster began to circle him slowly. Eric exhaled and calmly slipped into the Heitō stance, his hand hovering near the hilt of his sword.
Eric: (under his breath) Just like big brother used to do it.