Once the final bell rang, I promptly set up my speech to inform them. When Mr. Drails escorted me into the school, I quickly scanned the corridors to see if anyone was around.

At this moment, no one was around, likely enjoying their lunch. Heading casually to the cafeteria, I scanned the area, glancing around and occasionally peeking out to see if they were around.

Glancing back at the cafeteria, I spotted Tisiah and Nikki. As they chatted away, I could feel my mood souring just being near them.

I let out a sigh and attempted to boost my spirits, but it's quite a challenge when they hold a grudge against you indefinitely.

I slowly made my way over to them, rehearsing the conversation I had prepared.

"Uh — guys," I exclaimed, catching their attention. "What's this fool doing here?" Tisiah asked.

Oh my stars, that was absolutely dreadful. But I managed to stay composed. "Hey, folks, I had a brainwave that could potentially thwart our blacklisting," I mentioned. They glanced in my direction and burst into laughter, finding something quite amusing. Tisiah blushed as soon as I spoke, while Nikki was already in tears.

"Folks, I'm not kidding," I declared. Their laughter came to a sudden halt. "Oh my stars, are you for real?" Nikki exclaimed. I nodded my head. "Truly, the optimal approach is to demonstrate our ability to successfully complete a mission according to his preferences."

"He left us out of the mission, how do you suppose we make our way back?" Tisiah exclaimed.

We take matters into our own hands, disregarding any need for approval.

They hushed abruptly, taken aback by my proposal. Those wide-eyed gazes seemed to evoke a warm feeling within me, for reasons unknown.

"That might lead to our prompt expulsion from this esteemed institution!" Nikki exclaimed. "Well, that would certainly spice things up!"

"Count me in," Tisiah declared. Nikki glanced at him with concern, "What do you mean?" Tisiah turned towards her and let out a sigh. "What could possibly be at stake?" Anyway, it's not as if we're going to walk across that stage in caps and gowns.

"I guess you're right," Nikki conceded. "Count me in." We all nodded in agreement, but it was time to shift our focus to Malachi and September.

September was the one that filled me with the most fear.

"Any clue on the whereabouts of Malachi?" I asked. Tisiah responded, "He probably headed to his favorite workout spot where he unleashes his energy on punching bags to stay in shape."

Sure thing, catch you all later," I said with a smile.

Racing through the lobbies flanked by staircases, I stumbled upon the training center, a deserted haven save for a lone figure.

Malachi.

As I wandered through the area, I spotted him engaging in a fierce boxing session with the punching bags. His powerful swings made me question if they were even more impressive than my own attempts at the sport. "Hey, um, Malachi?" I whispered for attention, and he gave me a quick once-over. Suddenly, a surprise attack came my way, but I managed to dodge it.

"You're looking for trouble?" he quipped. Shaking my head in disbelief. "I have no intention of engaging in fisticuffs with you, I simply wish to engage in a civil conversation, okay?" He paused, chuckling, and I sensed his seething anger was propelling him towards confrontation. "Hey, I get it, you're feeling a bit down, but trust me, I've got a plan to get us out of this mess," I reassured.

"Are you on the blacklist?" he asked. "In what way?"

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"I was pondering the idea of taking matters into our own hands, bypassing the need for his approval. If he eventually catches wind of our actions, he might retract the blacklist, granting us a chance to graduate," I proposed. "Are you up for it?"

Once more, he caught sight of me, casually made his way to his target, paused for a moment, let out a sigh, returned to his activity, striking the target with determination, and then slowly advanced towards me with an intimidating presence. "Alright, here's the plan." I must admit, your Perk did catch my attention, and I am eager to challenge you. "Win and keep your last name a secret, lose and spill the beans," he declared.

"I don't quite grasp the message you're attempting to convey," I uttered, feeling a tad bit unnerved. "I'm definitely going to be part of the arrangement," he declared. "But hey, now that you've graced us with your presence, maybe we can work something out." Are you in, or are you chicken?

"I believe I am," I declared confidently. Consider it your well-deserved reward. "I will," Malachi declared, removing his boxing gloves before lunging towards me.

We both engaged in a spirited battle, each vying for a chance to land a blow. Attempting to outmaneuver and make the most of my swiftness, but he was so fast that I couldn't keep up. I felt like I was going nowhere fast, and suddenly, it dawned on me that I was about to get smacked. My mind was racing, so I decided to catch him off guard and landed a solid punch.

"Wait a minute!" he exclaimed, skillfully evading my punch and retaliating with one of his own. I attempted to steer clear of it, but my pace was too lackadaisical. After a sudden impact, my body collided with the wall behind me.

"Ha!" he exclaimed. "Oh, so you thought you could sneak past that, did you?" I rose to my feet, feeling bewildered and lightheaded. I casually approached him, delivered a swift blow to his head, and heard the unmistakable sound of his nose breaking. He fell to the ground, and I loomed over him, trying to catch my breath.

"Do you fancy a tussle with me?" I asked.

"I am eager to engage in combat with you," he declared.

"Then, it's time to wrap this up," I declared. I raised my fist, and he eagerly accepted the challenge, leading us into a playful wrestling match. We were locked in a fierce battle, each trying to gain the upper hand, but neither of us was coming out on top. I was utilizing my quickness, but he was simply too fast.

Looking up, I spotted an approaching figure. It was the enigmatic Mr. Drails.

"Alright, Mr. Drails, I was just honing my skills with Malachi," I stated.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Mr. Drails inquired, slightly puzzled, before exiting the room. "Brace yourself for the impending academic storm," he quipped, shutting the door. We persisted in our battle, and I sensed the crimson liquid trickling down my face. Exhaustion was creeping in, and victory seemed to slip further away.

"I was pondering, if by some unfortunate turn of events you end up losing, you'll have to divulge your last name," he quipped. I was feeling quite desperate, attempting to throw him off balance, but he managed to stay steady.

"It's of no consequence to me," I remarked. I pressed him against the wall and delivered a solid blow to his stomach, the sound reverberating loudly.

"Ouch, that stings," he winced. I delivered another blow, causing him to struggle for air.

"It's of no consequence to me," I remarked, delivering another blow. Out of the blue, he managed to grab me and fling me across the room. I collapsed to the ground as he loomed above, his breath ragged.

"Do you fancy a tussle with me?" he asked.

"I'm ready to take you on, no backing down," I declared, as he lunged towards me. I steered clear of the situation, even though I could have easily grabbed him by the neck, but alas, I lacked the strength to hoist him up.

"Alright, I'll give you another chance to share your surname," he said. I embraced him firmly and delivered a sharp blow to his head, sensing the familiar sensation of his nose breaking once more.

"Well, well, well, look who's feeling feisty," he remarked as he seized my throat.

"I'm itching for a showdown," I declared, landing a solid blow on his unsuspecting face. He fell down, and I had the opportunity to grab him by the neck once more. Unexpectedly, a force struck my shin and then my thigh, causing my balance to falter as I collapsed onto the ground, utterly drained.

"It's inconsequential to me," I stated. My eyes locked onto him, and there it was - a smile gracing his face.

"So, are you implying that you're not bothered in the slightest about revealing your last name to me?" "He said," remarked the individual. "Should have mentioned that a long time ago." What is it now?"

"It's Drails, he's my uncle," I stated. He glanced in my direction, and it was clear he was taken aback.

"Oh, are you part of Drails' family tree?" he asked.

Sure," I replied.

"So, how exactly do you plan on getting the Perk? I was under the impression that it was only passed down within his immediate family," he inquired. "Hmm, that seems a bit off." He scooped me up from the ground level and gave me a comforting pat on the back. "You certainly held your ground," he remarked. "You've clearly been paying attention in your classes." "In the grand scheme of things, I must say, I do have a knack for picking things up swiftly," I remarked. "I never anticipated it would zoom by so quickly."

We departed from the training center, eager to reach our classes.