An hour later, Kieran handed out the rewards and made an official announcement that no drugs would be allowed in future training sessions. Then, he dismissed the group.

  The mention of pills had everyone eyeing Knight.

  At this point, Knight looked like a lost soul, standing there like he didn’t know where he was. Ryder and Vale, on the other hand, looked like they might explode. The Force-Recovery Pills—those could’ve gone for at least 500,000—and now? Gone.

  “You… I really don’t know what to say to you.” Ryder threw up his hands in frustration. The money was wasted, but there was no way he could ask Knight to return it, not without completely ruining the cohesion of their little team.

  “He must have taken the pills,” Knight said, his voice full of conviction. Vale nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I think so too. Otherwise, it would be impossible.”

  When they said this, some of the others in their little circle felt a bit more at ease. If Axel had beaten them without taking anything, they’d never accept it.

  Ryder sighed heavily. “Does it matter whether he took the pills or not? The Force-Recovery Pills were gone. And honestly, even if he did, he kept it way more low-key than you did.”

  Knight just shut up. He didn’t have anything to say to that.

  Meanwhile, Cassia, Storm, and Drayke, who’d heard the commotion, were all surrounding Axel with smiles plastered on their faces.

  “Axel, from now on, you’re my big brother. You took the medicine without anyone noticing!” Drayke clapped Axel on the back.

  “I didn’t take the pills,” Axel said, genuinely bewildered.

  “Come on, don’t play dumb. You hid them from us, huh?” Drayke grinned. “Don’t worry, we won’t rat you out.”

  Cassia, putting on a mock pout, put her hands on her hips. “Give me the pill and I won’t report you. Axel also learned to play dirty.”

  “I really didn’t take anything,” Axel said, rolling his eyes. Was everyone seriously convinced he’d popped a pill?

  “Look at this guy—he not only has the Force increased, but now he’s got acting skills too! No way, he made a killing today, and now he’s gotta treat us to dinner!” Drayke was practically glued to Axel, not letting him escape. In the past, he and Axel had been at the bottom of the totem pole among their friends. But now? Now Axel was his big brother.

  “I’m with Drayke,” Storm said in his usual deadpan voice.

  Axel wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. He could barely afford a meal at this point, and 500,000 wasn’t exactly pocket change.

  Treat them to dinner? His pockets were emptier than his face.

  At that moment, footsteps echoed, and Kieran walked up to the group, a smile on his face. “Axel, come here for a second. You guys, go on and get some rest. We’re back at it tomorrow.”

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  Drayke and the others thought Kieran was going to pull Axel aside for some special treatment. They were envious, but one by one, they headed off to get some rest.

  But Axel’s heart skipped a beat. Did he figure out I used the awakening skill? His mind raced, thinking of excuses and how to explain himself later.

  Kieran and Axel made their way to a lounge near the playground. As they walked, Kieran kept glancing at Axel. The kid had a maturity to him that was way beyond his years.

  He had just finished informing Principal Mason about what happened today, and, of course, Mason had a lot to say about it.

  After all, the Force-Recovery Pills had been bought by Mason himself for a specific purpose.

  "Relax, I’m not here to steal your stuff. Sit down."

  Axel gave off a clear "don’t get too close" vibe. Unlike the typical respect students had for teachers, Kieran could tell this was just a defense mechanism, something Axel had built up over time. "If I’m not mistaken, your Force has improved a little more since yesterday. Am I right?"

  Axel nodded. Aside from the small piece of red crystal he’d gotten last night, he’d used up everything else.

  "What a monster," Kieran murmured under his breath.

  The raw stones were useful, sure, but they were just a supplement. Axel’s rapid growth could only mean one thing: his natural talent was extraordinary.

  "But that Force-Recovery Pill?" Kieran continued. "I suggest you wait a few days before taking it."

  Axel gave him a puzzled look, and Kieran smiled knowingly. "Don’t think of awakening as something that’s easy to handle. Your Force is increasing so fast because your body can actually handle it. Think of it like this: inside you, there’s a small pond."

  "The Force is like the water in that pond. If you use raw stones to replenish it, the pond keeps filling up."

  Axel listened carefully.

  "When the pond’s not full, you can keep adding water, no problem. But what do you think happens when the pond’s almost full, and you keep pouring in more water?"

  Axel thought for a moment and answered softly. "It will overflow."

  "Exactly." Kieran nodded. "Most of the Force will just spill over and be wasted. A small part, though, will slowly expand the pond, make it bigger."

  Axel understood now.

  "You should’ve noticed that the efficiency of absorbing raw stones has slowed down recently. That’s because your original pool, as we call it, is almost full."

  "Original pool?" Axel repeated. He’d never heard that term before. Still, thinking about it, he hadn’t really felt a dramatic slowdown, either.

  Kieran saw Axel nod and assumed he understood. He gave his shoulder a reassuring pat.

  "To expand the original pool, you need to push your body’s limits and use your original Force to nourish it. That’s why I had you run so much."

  "You’re almost at your limit now, so I suggest you take the pill after a few days of special training."

  Axel raised an eyebrow, clearly concerned. "A few days? Will that be enough?"

  Kieran smiled slightly. "Not quite enough, so I recommend you take the medicine after the awakening test day. But it could affect your final results, so that’s your call."

  Axel was a bit surprised.

  Kieran, noticing Axel’s look of surprise, shrugged. "Axel, don’t look at me like that. The world’s not full of bad guys. Otherwise, do you think this wall could stop those mutant beasts outside? It’s the human heroes and the army that keep it all together, you know."

  Kieran gave him another pat on the shoulder. "One more thing I need to remind you about—though the chance is small—I still think it’s worth saying."

  Axel’s attention sharpened.

  "Don’t get into any fights before the test day. If you get hurt, especially seriously, it’ll mess with your results. Even a little blood loss can have a huge impact on your performance. Your Force levels will dip for a while, and it’ll take time to recover."

  Kieran said it casually, but it made Axel feel uneasy.

  That was the last thing he wanted to hear. It threw a wrench into his plans.

  The green crystals were almost used up. Axel had been hoping to use his few remaining savings to treat himself to something nice, and continue to feed Annabelle with his own blood.