Chapter 18: The task 1
As another hour ticked by while waiting for the Mage's return, Void busied himself with trying to convince Octavius that he wanted to get inside his body so he could converse with the girls. But Octavius acted like he wasn't even there.
When Void realized he wasn't going to give in, he decided to use another means.
[You know, I forgot they can't see me.]
Octavius's ears perked up at that, his curiosity piqued, but he didn't grant Void an audience. Instead, he silently wondered what Void's words meant and what he was plotting.
[And since they can't see me,] He started moving towards the girls perched at the side discussing about the task to come, Octavius gaze followed him suspiciously. [I can do this.]
Void snuck up and gave one of the girls' boobs a sly grab without them noticing. Octavius's eyes went wide, and he charged towards Void, ready to swat him away. But Void vanished into thin air, only to reappear in front of another unsuspecting girl and pointed his index finger at her chest.
[This one's got berries on her chest, but I bet...] He squatted down, trying to sneak a peek under her skirt, but Octavius was hot on his heels. Void disappeared again, leaving Octavius looking frustrated and flustered.
Octavius spun around, scanning the area to pinpoint Void's next location. He knew Void couldn't have gone far, so he scrutinized the surrounding females. His gaze landed on Marilyn, the long-haired girl. That's when he spotted Void, lurking behind her, his index finger toying with her hair as he shot Octavius a mischievous grin, his eyebrows twitching upwards.
In an instant, Void vanished from behind Marilyn and reappeared in front of her, surprisingly sporting a pair of glasses.
With an air of mock sophistication, he pointed to her chest, as if showcasing a priceless artifact. [And we have these beautiful oranges —]
Before he could continue, Octavius felt an invisible force prompt him to intervene. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Void and Marilyn. He commanded Void, "Get in!"
With a sly grin, Void's essence dissipated, and he entered Octavius's body. As he settled in, Void quipped, [Oh, I thought you'd never ask.]
Octavius thought it best to keep Void contained within him. This way, he could control Void's actions and decide when to give him freedom. Octavius planned to stay in charge, only letting Void act on his own when absolutely necessary.
"Get in?"
Octavius's gaze snapped upwards, meeting the girl's questioning stare.
He swiftly realized that she couldn't see Void, and therefore assumed he was talking to her.
Just then, Void's voice echoed in Octavius's mind, [Mm Mm Mm... look at those oranges, ] sending Octavius's eyes involuntarily drifting towards Marilyn's chest.
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He quickly averted his gaze and responded, attempting to play it cool.
"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to say hi. I'm Oc— Edwin," Octavius introduced, catching himself before revealing his true name.
Marilyn's response was curt "Marilyn."
Octavius attempted to diffuse the tense atmosphere, saying, "Your hair looks—" but his words trailed off as he felt a sudden and unwelcome stir. The rod between his legs sprang to life, pointing unmistakably at Marilyn's abdomen.
Before she could notice his awkward predicament, Octavius swiftly sat down on the ground, clutching his knees to his chest. Marilyn's gaze faltered, and she looked at him quizzically. Octavius's nervous glance only added to the awkwardness.
"I— sorry, I've been standing for so long, and my legs just... couldn't help itself," Octavius stammered.
[It couldn't help itself, alright.] Void chimed in his head, referring to his erection.
Octavius braced himself for Marilyn's reaction, expecting her to think he was crazy and walk away. But to his surprise, she slowly lowered herself to the ground, sitting beside him.
"It's okay," she said with a gentle smile. "My legs have been aching too. I just didn't want to look odd sitting on the ground."
"What do you mean odd? There's a lot we can see from down here."
[A lot] Void repeated dreamily as he watched the girls from across, chat. The breeze rustled their skirts, affording Void a good glimpse of their thighs.
Octavius, realizing his words might be misinterpreted, hastily tried to rephrase, but Marilyn simply chuckled, putting him at ease.
After a bit of awkward silence Marilyn spoke up with a thoughtful expression. "How did you uhm... know or come up with the Wild card option?"
[Yeah, I was going to ask you that too. Was that an original idea of yours or is it known by others?]
"It was a tactic my father taught me," Octavius responded to void mentally.
[Don't do that next time. It could draw suspicions.] Void cautioned Octavius.
Marilyn's expectant gaze brought Octavius back to the conversation. "Well?" she prompted.
"I, uh, picked that up from a friend," Octavius replied.
Marilyn nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing slightly before she asked another question. "Is he here or does he live in Wysteria?"
Octavius' response was brief. "He used to."
Before Marilyn could press further, Octavius swiftly changed the subject. "The puzzle, though – it was quite challenging, wasn't it?"
"No, no it wasn't." Marilyn responded, and both Void and Octavius focused their attention on her, intrigued.
Even Void knew it wasn't an easy feat, knowing you can't undo the creator's puzzle easily.
"What made it seem easy for you?" Octavius inquired.
"Well, when I found out I belonged in the Architect faction last year, I started brainstorming ways to study magic so I could get into the Academy."
She paused and then added "Nothing sinister, I assure you."
Octavius gave her a reassuring smile and she continued.
"I stumbled upon some ancient books with similar maze-like patterns I'd found in the box," she explained. "Another book had distinctive marks that matched the ones etched into the four sides of the box. When I first read about it, I tried to decipher the meaning, even attempting the spells and delving into more books. But the more I learned, the more perplexed I became – the mystery only deepened."
She continued, "Then I discovered another text called 'The Way of Life.' And after what we experienced today, I think we might have inadvertently tapped into it."
"I'm lost," Octavius stuttered out. Her words made sense and didn't make sense to him at the same time.
Void, on the other hand, remained quiet, seemingly already realizing how they had unlocked the box.
"The Way of Life consists of four essential elements that can flow. One is Touch, the second is Music, the third is Blood, and the fourth is Water. When I examined the box, I noticed one of the puzzles was already fixed. And that I figured was the Touch. The second clicked when I sang to its tone, and I watched the puzzle unlock. But before I could do the others... well, you know the rest."
Octavius recalled the events that took place earlier, and he realized she was right. Even he didn't know anything about that.
Octavius decided to keep Marilyn close, sensing she might become a valuable ally in his quest to enter the Academy. "So, let me guess," Octavius said with a chuckle. "Your talent lies in being a Sage?"
Marilyn chuckled and responded, "No, it's actually my hair."
Before Octavius could inquire further, she turned the tables, asking about his talent. Octavius suddenly found himself at a loss for words, but as though the universe sensed his hesitation, it intervened as the mage arrived, and Marilyn swiftly rose to her feet, diverting attention from Octavius's momentary speechlessness. The others gathered around too.
"Your first task lies within the Blackstone Sanctum," the mage announced. "The first ten among the 114 of you who can retrieve the Aetherstone will earn the right to enter the Academy."
As soon as he spoke, the crowd erupted into murmurs. The Blackstone Sanctum was infamous for its deadliness; no one who had ventured there had ever returned to tell the tale.
Octavius couldn't quite understand why that was their first task, knowing fully well the mage knew most of them were amateurs.
"You will each be given a pistol," the mage continued. "Once you've obtained the stone, shoot the pistol, and a portal will retrieve you. However, if you feel you're not equipped for this challenge, you may withdraw now."
The mage's gaze drifted toward Marilyn as he spoke. When no one opted to leave, he cleared his throat and declared, "May the best among you prevail."