Chapter 16: Chapter 16: How much are we talking?

After the incident that happened during training with Gabriel, it was decided unanimously that Emory should solidify his foundation with the aether before trying to commune with the record again.

And thus Emory's week went by pretty normally, he would perform the training exercises he discovered from the book Gabriel gave him, the foundation of it all revolved around circulation of his aether so he would try to solidify his control by constantly circulating it around his body whenever he had free time, and he would occasionally also try to increase the complexity of his practice by trying to multitask by going about his everyday activities while still regulating the aether.

It didn't always end well for Emory, he'd usually end up focusing too much aether at a spot, causing himself a sharp pain and nothing more so he figured he should master the basics before trying to perform advanced exercises.

On the other hand, while he wasn't practicing his aether control he was actively avoiding Athena. After the scene they caused in the school hallway, she had been trying to approach him non-stop, probably to apologise or maybe try to wriggle her away around another 'study', either way Emory didn't care and he wanted nothing to do with the girl anymore, he might have had a thing for her in the past but that was all gone now.

School was over and it was time for Emory to head on to the bookstore for his part-time. As he approached the door of his classroom, he met with Athena who stood in front of the classroom door, acting like a human barricade.

"Move" Emory commanded, his tone cold and unwavering

"N-no" Athena said. She locked eyes with him and Emory could see the determination in her eyes, she was going to see whatever she was planning to do through.

"You're in my way, move or I'll move you" Emory warned her

"No, not until you hear me out. I went too far with my research and I'm sorry for it…it was stupid and weird" she said admittedly looking up at him

"Okay, is that all. Now move" Emory said, his tone icy and without comfort

"Y-yeah and also to show how sincere I am, I would like to invite you for a hangout, this weekend" Athena said. Athena was know for being smart and being loquacious, but one other thing she was known for was that she never entertained boys or even girls. Besides her little friend group that consisted of two other girls namely; Beatrice and Brittany, she never spoke to anyone. So this was coming out of the blue ad completely out of character for her but Emory could care less.

"I decline. Now move" Emory deadpanned

"Huh? Wait I just wa-" Athena was interrupted as Emory lifted her of the ground with minimal effort and set her aside like she was a random piece of furniture, this made Athena blush with embarrassment and slight anger. Emory walked out the door not looking back at her once.

"Wait! I'll-I'll pay you" Athena said

Emory froze in his steps and all his cold and icy demeanor instantly melted away at the mention of money. What did she just say? Pay him? How dare she? After what she did, she thinks paying him would allow him forget and then hangout with her, it's insulting but just out of curiosity….of course he wanted to know just how much she was offering…to satisfy his curiosity and nothing more of course….

He turned around with incredible speed and walked up to Athena "Pay me? Are you insulting me?" he asked

"I didn't mean it like that, I heard you work part-time so i-"

"How much are we talking here?" Emory asked, raising an eyebrow

"200 dollars for an hour, I know it's little but" Athena replied.

"Deal!" Emory said, a shameless smile appearing on his face before shaking Athena's hands with enthusiastically.

"Really?" She said

"Dont make me change my mind"

"Okay meet me at Rose's diner at 11:00 am" Athena said before rushing out of the classroom hurriedly.

"I was planning to forgive her eventually since she apologised but she went and proposed a weird deal, I wouldn't normally take it but it's free money, who declines free money besides that money could help out around the house top. She must be rich to be deal out such amount easily" Emory mused

Emory was leaving the school and preparing to make a quick walk for the bookstore before he heard his name coming from a familiar voice from behind him. It was Liam calling out to him.

"Hey! What's up Emory" Liam said as soon as he was close enough to Emory.

"Hey. I'm fine, just heading home" Emory replied

"Cool me too, let's walk together" Liam said, throwing his arm around Emory's shoulder. "So tell me, how'd it go with your girl? The one that wants to 'study' you" he asked

"Her? She's good, but you were wrong. She wasn't into me or anything, she just really wanted to study me and it didn't go too well" Emory said and then proceeded to narrate the entire story to Liam, leaving out the recent development(their scheduled meeting at Rose's diner).

After Emory was done talking, Liam placed his fingers on his chin as if contemplating something, his expression serious and frank "I was sure she was into you, a girl doesn't just walk up to you and say's she wants to study you" he said

"Well this one does apparently" Emory said

"So it seems, so it seems."

After that, the two talked for a while, about school, basketball which was really the only thing that tied the two teenagers together, Liam try to bring in talks about girls and parties social lives but the conversation didn't last long as Emort didn't have anything to contribute, leaving Liam to talk on while he stared looking lost and unsure what to say, he was theast person you should try to hold that type of conversation with. Liam soon parted ways with Emory just before reaching the bookstore.

"You're late" Emory was greeted by Michael as soon as he stepped into the store

"I'm sorry, I was slowed down by some friends" Emory said as he hanged his backpack on the coat hanger

"Friends? Who are these friends of yours?" Michael said raising a curious brow

"Relax, they are just harmless teenagers…well just teenagers." Emory assured Michael

"Abd do they know about your…situation?" Asked Michael, folding up his arms

"No i didn't tell them about it, even i did they won't believe me. They'll just take me as another boy with 8th grade syndrome"

"Very well then"

"Where's Gabriel?" Emory asked

"He's on clean up duty today" Michael answered

"Clean up duty? What's that?"

"As you have been told, the barrier of space and time is thinning out, due to the constant assault from the angels trying to force their way in and in result more and more fallen have been appearing. Gabriel and myself have been controlling the situation by forcing them back but it's only a matter of time before it gets out of hand." Michael explained

"I thought you couldn't kill other angels" Emory asked.

"We can't" Michael said

"So how do you 'clean up'?"

"Simple, we force them back the same way they come. When the fallen force their way through, they leave a hole in space but the hole does not stay open forever, so we force them back into the the hole and wait for it to close up or i close them up myself"

"I see, so how can I help?" Emory asked

Michael gave Emory an inspecting look before answering "You're not ready yet, just keep up your training and save your strength for Zalos, you'll need it"

"I am ready, I have been training, I'm ready!" Emory said with resolution

Michael shot him a look once again, before leaving the counter and walking towards Emory.

"Is that so? How about a little test then" Michael said, a sly smile slapped on his face. He waved his hands and knees again they appeared in the training room. "Four, five maybe eight would do" Michael said before vanishing

After a few seconds, Michael reappeared and soon a fallen appeared, and then another and another and another and another one, they kept appearing until Emory could count ten fallen.

"Best them…no kill them and I'll consider letting you join Gabriel and I in damage control" Michael ordered before vanishing again. Now only Emory and the ten fallen were left on the room.

"Michael and his teaching methods, I don't think I'll ever look forward to them. But then, this should be a piece of cake" Emory said, smiling as he began circulating the aether around his body. He had been itching to check out the progress of his training and as much as he complained about the challenge, deep down he was excited to fight!

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