Tale Of The Half-Blood Wizard

Ignoring his joke, I repeated my question, "Have you ever thought about how one of us is going to be thirteen years from now?" my eyes wandered far away wondering if I would be able to visit Azalea's place again, or would I see Naar again? 

"If unable to see it means you need a flashlight or spectacles. That is simple!" so annoying. Again he replied to my question with a joke. If he was asked to draw a picture of an animal in art class, he would only draw dots then that they were fleas. 

"No kidding, please! I am serious!'' I tried to make him understand. "If it were me, what would you do?" I asked quietly. 

Erick was silent for a moment, creating quietness among us, "We will be sad Tha. That's for sure." He sounded serious. "Your close friends, like me, Mocha, and Momon would be both sad  and dizzy." 

'Wait a minute? Why are they dizzy too?' I thought. I just kept quiet and looked at Erick and felt confused. 

"No one would give us a cheat sheet in mathematics assignment, you are the best. If the master is gone, where should we go to get a cheat?" Indeed, I wanted to bite this young man severely in front of me at the moment. He was really good at draining my patience.

"Thirteen years from now, we don't go to school anymore, idiot!" I said exasperatedly, then I hit his head to make his brain work a bit. 

Erick pursed his lips. "Yes. Maybe we will go directly to college." He said. "Aren't we always solid as a friend, solid and stupid." 

"Not us! You are the only one that is stupid," I said curtly. Then I got up from my seat and left the classroom. I walked towards the building next to my academy, intending to find someone there, Antonie or Zie who might be playing the role now. 

"Tha, why are you here?" I was surprised when it turned out that Zie found myself first. I had to be natural because he did not know who I really was. 

"Brother, I want to skip the classes. Come on, go with me," I was spoiled as usual, "I'm hungry. Don't you have a pity on me?" I added. 

Zie checked his watch for a while, then smiled softly at me. Without saying anything, he immediately pulled my hand and we left the academy building. We ran together, hand in hand. We left the gate despite the security's yells towards us. 

At the park next to the academy, Zie asked me to sit on one of the chairs there. "Tha, wait here. I'll buy some food for you, okay?"

"Okay!" I replied fast. Then I saw him go to a queue at one of the fishcake stalls by the park.

It felt so long ago I did not see the face to be the reason for my smiles, and I really missed it. During this time, I still could enjoy my chatting time and spending the whole day doing a lot of things, such as skipping classes—like today—with him. It would be a big lie if I hated him. I wished time froze so we were in this event, unmoved, to be able to see him all the time. 

"Tha, are you okay?" I gasped when I found Zie was already in front of me with lots of snacks in his hands. 

I smiled reassuringly and nodded. "Can you sit down for a moment?" I signaled him to take a seat in front of me. Zie just compiled, though I could see the confused look on his face. 

"Brother, I will say it quickly. There is someone who is lying in a critical condition and I should have been in the spirit world to take his place. But I got lost here," I still saw the confused look on his face. "I'm not from this time., I'm from thirteen years from now." I said, trying to reassure him. 

"Thirteen years from now I went to Azalea's place and became one of her subordinates. I killed Mr. Yon with the help of the Manjis," Now I saw a shocked expression on that face. I also know that you were asked by Antonie to accompany me to go through my childhood time, and also your duty to die in front of me to kill my mentality. I know it all." He was still quiet, looking at me with an unreadable expression. 

"Brother, please help me go to the spirit realm. Let me help my friend. I have to replace him." Once his expression changed after I finished begging him. It was an angry expression on the face that was usually calm. 

Zie stood up abruptly, leaving all food he bought without any words. On the other hand, I just kept silent, busy thinking of ways to go to the spirit realm, where to go, and who to meet, but asking Zie about it. 

'Am I wrong to ask him?' I was really confused. Then I decided to run after him, "Brother, please help me do that replacement to the spirit realm," I moaned. 

Zie turned around and stared at me. "What do you want?" It was such a cold question. 

"Help me, please," I begged him, looking at his cold face and cold expression I had never seen before. 

"Tha,  do you think I can do that? After so long I put everything at stake to take care of you, now you asked me to help you die? Think about it! If that man is really dying, I prefer killing him to saving him," I was shocked to hear his high-pitched voice. It was the first time I saw Zie really angry. There was another side of him hidden from me. I was speechless and confused as well as who to ask for help from. 

…

My truancy failed. I finally returned to class for the last lesson. My feelings were mixed up because I never expected it would be so complicated. 

"Daydreaming again?" 

I turned toward the source of the voice. Of course, it belonged to that hot mouth. "I'm tired, Ery," I put my head on the table, "I wish I were wind even for a minute so that I could go anywhere freely."

Erick smiled mockingly. "Your brain is watery," He praised me but more reproach to my ears. "It is good to be wind, you don't need to study for the exam or do the assignment." 

"Yes Tha, Ery got the point in there," Mocha added. "We don't need to get scolded  by mom for having low scores," Then she put her head on the table like me. 

I really wished to have a natural and simple mind like them. Listening to all the crazy ideas from them made me want to go back to the time when I could act silly without any burdens. 

Not long after, the teacher from the last lesson today came. We prepared our books and everything. It was like I really came back to my school time. I listened to the teacher attentively and jotted down every important piece of information. It was really classic but honestly, it was so much fun. Back then I would have complained a lot but after all the things I had been through, the school was the most fun thing and I was really grateful for it. 

When the last lesson was over, I found Zie had been waiting for me by the classroom door. Everyone looked at that young man who was currently exposing his cold and unusual expression. 

"Look who is waiting at the door," Ery chirped as he saw Zie. "The beloved brother has come." He tried to hug me, teasing me. 

"Say it one more time I will make sure you'll get a zero for the mathematics quiz." His expression changed right after I said so. He did not even bother to reply to me. 

I left Erick immediately and approached someone who looked at me from the classroom door. "Brother Zie, where are we going today?" He did not reply to me but pulled my hand away from the place. I was just quiet and followed him. 

We walked out of the school building, I felt that we weren't heading home. I just followed Zie wherever he took me without asking too much. I knew that his condition was not good, so I would rather not make it worse. 

"Brother, would you care for some candies? I —" I did not continue my words when Zie stopped walking. Spontaneously I halted too. 

"Tha, you have known that Antonie sent me. Can you just behave naturally to me?" his voice was level before he finally turned back and stared at me coldly, "You hated that man so much and you know what my job was, so it is better you hate me as well." I did not know how to reply to him.. For some points he was right.