As they made their way through the airport lobby, the students dragged their luggage along. Jalon had no choice but to carry all four suitcases by himself, since the boys who helped him load them on the bus were not with him. Some flight attendants took pity on him and offered to help him with his luggage.

They pushed through the crowded airport, where some of the passengers waiting for their flights recognized them. Some of them ran over to offer to carry their luggage, while others asked for photos and autographs.

"OK, enough guys, we're here for the trials, not for show," one of the professors said, calmly asking the airport security to keep the others away from the candidates. They finally reached the outside of the airport, where a luxurious travel coach was waiting for them. They were about to start loading their stuff when Norval spotted something.

"Hey, Jalon, look at that. Isn't that the kid you told me about? The one from Seolara?" he said, pointing to a taxi at the end of a row of parked cars on the sidewalk. The other candidates followed his gaze and saw the little boy. He was surrounded by security, and a lady with glasses held a cup of juice for him. He would take a sip now and then and give it back to her. He noticed the candidates at the other end of the parking lot, while the rest of the huge men were busy stuffing his stuff into the cab.

He signaled to the lady and started walking towards the candidates. His walk was strange, and his bow legs made him look even smaller. He didn't scare any of the candidates; sure, he was only sixteen years old, but they expected him to be more terrifying based on his reputation. He looked like a normal sixteen-year-old spoiled kid, contrary to what they had heard.

"So, you're Ithea's candidates?" The kid said as he approached them, "I've heard a lot about you."

"And we've heard a lot about you too. I'm Norval, and I'd like to introduce myself..." Norval reached out his hand, hoping for a handshake in return. The kid casually ignored his hand and moved on to Luciana.

"Luciana. The princess of Ithea. I've heard a lot of things about you too. In fact, I could say I'm your admirer."

Luciana knelt down and looked into the kid's eyes. She couldn't keep a straight face and burst out laughing.

She teased him about his height by patting his head and saying, "I thought you would be taller."

"Hey! I don't care about my size at all. If it wasn't for the law that forbids marriage between races, I would have been your husband by now. My father is friends with yours,"

"Sorry, but you're way too young for my taste." Luciana pointed to the lady holding Eadmer's juice box and said, "Oh look, your nanny is calling you." Jalon and Norval chuckled under their breaths. Eadmer glared at them with a burning hatred in his eyes.

"Everyone underestimates me. We'll see each other on the battlefield. We'll see who's the little kid there!" he shouted, stomping his way back to the cab. The other candidates couldn't stop laughing at his tantrum.

"Are you sure this is the guy I'm going to fight?" Luciana asked.

"Alright. He may be childish, but he has an unbeatable record of success. So, I wouldn't underestimate him if I were you," Jalon said, trying not to laugh.

They finally got on the coach and started their journey.

MEANWHILE


"Are you sure about this?" Mr. Starkridge enquired, his fist slamming on the table.

"Sir, yes. Cecily has told Judy everything, including the poisoning of Nelanian," "What should I do sir?" inquired a voice on the other end of the line. So I just let her go?"

"Of course not, you idiot. She has the potential to put us all in grave jeopardy. Do whatever you can, and do it discretely. Judy Ben Mor must not get out of that house alive,"

"Yes, sir,"
Mr. Starkridge hung up the phone and slammed it against the wall. It blew up into a million pieces and showered down all over the office. He then pushed a stack of folders and papers that had been on top of his table to the ground.

"If King Vonner finds out I'm dead, she can't ruin this for me." Mr. Starkridge thought to himself, "I need to get out of here as soon as possible."


IN ETHEL'S RESIDENCE

"So you're saying the school administration and the king were responsible for everything?" Judy inquired. She had started the interview by taking down everything she heard on her notepad, but as the narrative became more detailed, she had entirely stopped writing and all she could think about was how that story could be true.

"Everything I've said is completely accurate. Cecily finished her coffee and added, "We were all in that office when we faced the school director."

"I... I'm at a loss for words. All of this seems too unbelievable. Though I am aware that the king is capable of such an act. He's been involved in various scandals in the past, and he's not who the public thinks he is," Judy responded.

"So, what are your plans?" Cecily enquired.

"We have to put a stop to it. The world must hear of this, and we must take steps to ensure that no one else is harmed. I'm going to tell the whole tale. I will not leave any facts out, and if I receive confessions from the other candidates, this will suffice to show everything. First, I must find Nelanian. He must seek assistance before it is too late. Are you aware of his whereabouts?"

"I'm not sure. I assumed he had returned to Rhaizen Gales' family, as he had previously lived with them, but I called their place and he was not there. He wasn't supposed to be back there in the first place."

"I'll alert my sources and tell them to keep an eye out. If they see him, I'll let you know, but for now, I need to acquire all the information I need before I leave," Judy explained.

A man emerged from a side door to the room's right, carrying a pot of hot coffee and a few mugs. He walked right through Cecily and over to Judy. "Shall I interest you in some coffee miss,?" he asked, placing the mug on the coffee table and opening the coffee pot.

Judy replied, "Yes, thank you." 

After tilting the coffee pot, a hot stream of coffee poured into the cup, filling it to the brim. The man then began to walk out of the room with a small bow.

"HOLD ON! Don't drink that coffee," Cecily shouted at Judy loudly enough for the servant to hear.

"What is it?" Judy inquired, perplexed.

Cecily remained silent. "Hey, come back here," she said as she twisted on her seat to face the servant.

The servant stayed motionless for a few moments before returning his attention to the two.

"What is your name, I've never seen you before?" Cecily enquired.

"Miss, my name is Robert." He tried to sound calm and collected as he replied, "Robert Golding."

"This is the first time I've seen you. And I'm familiar with all of the servants in this area,"

"Miss, I got recruited last month. So I'm still new here,"

"One month. That's strange. You've lived here for a month and have no idea what the house rules are? That mug in which you offered the coffee, Is an antique from the hallway's utensil cabinet; no one ever uses the utensils in that cabinet. Plus, you are wearing perfume; the house regulations clearly stipulate that no servant should wear perfume when reporting to work since the smell of perfume irritates my aunt. not to mention, you're dressed in a groundskeeper's attire, and groundskeepers don't offer coffee; only maids do. So I'm going to question you, "Who are you?" once more. Cecily said as she stood up.

Judy placed the mug back on the table and clutched her purse. She pulled out a vial from one of the pockets of her purse. The potion in the vial was a precautionary measure in case she faced any danger. It would make her invulnerable to pain and injury for the next fifteen minutes if she drank it.

The servant spun around and flung the coffee pot at the two ladies, trying to escape. It flew past Cecily's head and shattered some books on the shelf. The scalding liquid splashed on the books. It soon started to eat through the paper as if it were acid.

Sparkles was sleeping on her mat near the door when the servant was running towards it. She woke up and saw the servant charging violently towards the exit and pounced on his leg instinctively. The man screamed and smacked the dog across her face as she sank her teeth deep into his leg.

Judy stepped away from the burning books and gulped down the whole vial in her hands. Cecily took out another vial from her pocket in her robe and dashed towards the door, stumbling a bit because she was still wearing her flip-flops. Sparkles cried out in pain as the man kicked her in the stomach mercilessly, making her let go of his foot. He limped out of the mansion, heading for the gate.

"Shut the gate! Hit that  button, and watch Sparkles!" Cecily screamed as she staggered out of the house, her finger jabbing at a button by the front door that had a speaker over it. Judy slammed it down and heard a beep, then glanced outside and saw the gate closing slowly. The man was almost there, but he was too late. He decided to climb over the damn thing. Big mistake. A vial flew out of nowhere and smashed right in his face.

He felt a burning sensation as a cloud of pink dust enveloped his face. He couldn't see anything. He passed out and fell back on the ground. Cecily ran over to him in her flip-flops, another vial in her pocket. She gulped down the stuff, which gave her a surge of power, and lifted the limp man over her shoulder. She carried him back into the house and tossed him on the floor, not giving a damn about his safety. She ran back to Judy, checking on Sparkles.

"Is she okay? Is she hurt?" She asked, worried.

Judy nodded, "She looks fine, just sore. She'll be all right."

The other servants and butlers heard the commotion and came running downstairs. Cecily saw them and shouted at them.

"Quick! Tie this bastard up and get Auntie down here. NOW!" The servants scrambled, doing as they were told. Cecily picked up Sparkles and walked back to the fireplace with Judy.

"That coffee was poisoned. Judy, he was going to kill you!" They watched as the chemical ate through the books on the shelf. Judy touched her throat, imagining how it would feel if the acid was in her instead of the books.