“Rainie! Why are you here?” I asked.

“I’m here because I want to study. Isn’t it obvious?” Rainie rolls her eyes and reply in a matter-of-fact manner. I got angry and I walk closer to her, with my fist surrounded with fire.

“Don’t.test.my.patience. You know I lack in that.” I threatened. A tinge of fear flashes across her eyes as she steps back.

“Alright! I’ll say! But extinguish THAT first” she replied while staring at my fist. I shake my fist and the fire died down. I look at her, waiting for her to explain herself.

“I’m here, because I want to challenge you again. I want to win you fair and square so that I wouldn’t have to act like a coward every time I’m around you. That’s why I transfer to your school, but being in your class came as a surprise to me as well!” she revealed. I thought about it, and somehow the reason seems reasonable enough and thus I let it go. However, I still have another question to ask.

“What’s your relationship with Arron?”

“You can say that we are childhood friends, but relax, I do not have any feelings of romance towards him. That is of course, unless he has different feelings towards me” Rainie provoked.

“Trying to get me jealous? Try harder alright. I heard from him that your parents used to discuss things with his parents. Do you know what they usually talk about?” I questioned.

“And tell me the reason why should I help you? What benefits do I get?” she asked back.

I ponder for awhile before I say with an evil grin, “Well, benefits I do not have. BUT I promise you that if I happen to find out anything, anything at all, that you’re hiding from me, you will have a very very hard time here.”

“You’re always threatening me. When can you stop using this method? Dammit! I think Arron would have told you that we were always at the living room whenever our parents have their ‘adult talks’. Both of us have no idea what they actually talk or discuss inside.” Rainie replied reluctantly.

“I use this method because, they always work.” I smirk at her. As what she said tallies with what Arron told me, I believe her and let her go.

*Rainie’s POV*

Whew that was a close shave. It’s a good thing that I know her well enough to know what she’s thinking. She will never believe that I have no ulterior motives if I suddenly appear around her. Good thing I thought up a story before I was caught by her. It seems as though she knows the existence of the ring. But since she has yet to ask me anything about it, I shall keep quiet. My parents are always threatening the Yan’s to hand over the ring to them. The ring is something that is so powerful, that if a non-ESP user is to use it, they will be able to do things normal human couldn’t. However, if the ring is to land in the hands of an ESP user, their powers will increase tremendously. So many things can be done once an ESP user laid their hands on it. But I need to get it back, from Arron. I know that he has the ring.

*end of POV*

I sit on my bed, staring at the ring on my palm. What does this ring do? Why did someone hurt my family to get this ring? As I am curious about it, I put it on my ring finger. Suddenly a warm feeling went through me. I can feel that my power is creeping out under my control. I look at the table beside me and it burst into flames. I was caught by surprise and I couldn’t react at that moment. As soon as I realize what was happening, I panic and I run to my bathroom to get water to extinguish the fire. Smoke filled my room as the fire was extinguished.

“Hey what’s this smell…?” Arron came running up to my room. “Woah! What did you do!” then he caught sight of me wearing the ring and he ran to me knocking me over and pull the ring out. “This ring is dangerous! Why are you wearing it? Do you know what kind of danger you have expose yourself to? How can you be so careless!” he reprimanded.

“How will I know what it is capable of? I didn’t know what this ring does, remember? What’s with you screaming at me suddenly?” I retaliated. He looks at me with an angry expression. Suddenly, he pulls me into his embrace.

“I thought I was going to lose you.”

“Silly! Why will you lose me because of a ring?” I laugh at his silliness. He pulls away and stares right into my eyes.

“I have not been honest with you and I’m sorry for that. I should have told you what the ring is capable of right from the start.” He sits me down on my bed and follow suit.

“You knew what the ring can do?”

“Yes I do. My mother told me about it. Return the ring to me first.” I reluctantly return him the ring and I sit there, waiting eagerly for him to continue his story.

“Alright, here I go. This ring, it’s called the power ring. It is a ring that is made after you refine the emerald using pure ESP power. It contains a lot of power inside. So much that if a non ESP user were to wear it, they will be able to do things normal humans are incapable of. So much power that if an ESP user were to wear it, they might be so obsessed with it and lose their mind, or they will self-destruct, because of their inability to control the overwhelming power they now posses. My father died because of this. I have no idea how my family got this ring. From what I heard from my mother, my father found it on the way home one day, which sounds very unreliable. I do not want to see you end up like my father, especially when you have a unique ability that can conjure fire in mid-air.” He said in one breath. I look at him, unsure of how I should react.

“Erm… ok… so this ring is dangerous to me. But why doesn’t it affect you? Have you not once tried it on before?” I wondered.

“This puzzled me as well. I didn’t know why it didn’t affect me. I used to wear it every day when I was young, but I never once feel that I have power. At first I thought it was just a junk jewelry, until just now. I really thought for a second that you are going to end up like my father. I was so terrified.” He confessed. I pull him in for a hug and caress his hair.

“Don’t worry; I’m not that lousy an ESP user alright.” I assured him. He pulls away from my hug and tilt my head up, making me look at him straight in his face. He kisses me lightly on my forehead.

“Sleep early. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Can you… Erm… Can you sleep with me tonight?” I asked while blushing. He looks at me with a bewildered look.

“Are you trying to seduce me?” he teased. I got shy so I turn my head away and crawl into my bed, getting ready to sleep. I heard the door closed. My heart sank as I stop myself from tearing. Suddenly I felt someone snuggle up beside me in the bed. I turn around and see Arron looking at me, smiling.

“I thought you left…”

“Woah! When did it happen?” Arron asked when we saw Wang Zi and Ya Tou walk into the class with their hands intertwined.

“About time both of you” I laugh.

“Stop teasing us. I never knew he felt the same way towards me” Ya Tou said shyly. Wang Zi looks at her with such longing as he hugs her in front of us. Ya Tou was shocked at first, but she hugged him back soon after.

“Yo guys, we’re still here and we are still in class” I said as I turn away from that scene.

“Gui Gui! We cannot lose to them! Come into my warm embrace!” Arron said as he stands up and pounces on me.

“I’m supposed to run into your embrace, not the other way round!” I screamed as I struggled to break free. Wang Zi and Ya Tou looked at our behavior with a puzzled expression.

“Erm… so do both of you think that you guys owe us an explanation as well?” Wang Zi grinned. Only then did I realize that both Arron and I have not revealed our relationship to them as well. I look at them as I play with my fingers nervously.

“Erm…”

“Don’t stress… we’re just playing with you. We already know your relationship with Arron since that time Rainie came to our class. It’s way too obvious alright. Even if you’re trying to hide it, Arron definitely has no intention to hide it.” Wang Zi reassured me.

“So Rainie, how is your progress in getting back the ring?” the hooded figure asked.

“Master, I’m now in the same class as them. After days of observing, I discovered that Arron has the ring with him. However, for now, I still do not know where he keeps the ring. As soon as I find out the location of the ring I will bring it back to you.” Rainie reported. Suddenly, the door leading from the corridor into this room open as a person step in.

“Ah… here comes my treasured spy. Come; tell me what you have found out.” The hooded figure said. Rainie’s eyes widen in shock as she looks at the person walking towards them. She never expect that this person will be the spy that master had planted inside Ying Jie’s circle of friends. She didn’t know how to react to this new discovery.

“Master, I found out that up to now, the only person Ying Jie trust is Arron and vice versa. To get the ring, I must break into their house. However, I must first know where the ring is. Once I get to know the location of the ring, it will be a piece of cake to get it.” After that person finished reporting, Rainie was still looking at this person, not yet recovered from the shock.

“Rainie, I command you to find out the location of the ring and tell my treasured spy. Even though both of you are in the same class, you are not to make any contact. I wouldn’t want Ying Jie to suspect my spy, or else all of our efforts will go down the drain. Clear?” the hooded figure commanded, waiting for a reply.

“Arron, do you have the feeling that we are being followed this few days?” I asked. He looks around as if he’s trying to find anyone lurking around us. He shrugs his shoulder and looks at me. “Alright, maybe I’m really being too sensitive.”

But little did I know; my intuition is always correct.