Everyone looks at James in horror. Shocked by his confession. ‘’You’re not joking, right?’’ Sage asks in shock. Charlie’s jaw is agape and Vesper sighs, ‘’Gasp.’’ She says. Chloe puts her mouth to her face, ‘’He is your brother?’’

‘’No kidding.’’ Theo says, also shocked. ‘’Is that what you were worried about?’’

‘’Yes. Sometimes I don’t know if I’m happy or not with what I’ve done in my life.’’ James says, feeling bad.

‘’What do you mean, man. Why didn’t you control him when you were young?’’ Sage asks, standing up.

James sighs, ‘’Alright.’’

A long time ago, James is wearing an Aureole uniform along with his brother Alex. They both walk to the school, excited, ‘’Wow.’’ Alex looks at the golden school in awe.

‘’It’s like a castle, right?’’ James says, crossing his arms. ‘’I can’t wait to learn in a place like this!’’  Alex exclaims. James chuckles, ‘’I hope you make good friends. And no matter what happens, I will protect you.’’ James holds Alex’s hand. James was 14 years old at the time while Alex was 12.

Later on, at break time in the cafeteria, James and Alex are both eating the food given to them. ‘’Big bro. The classes were tough, do you ever think I will improve in math?’’ Alex asks, curious.

‘’You will. Once you practice.’’ James smiles. They both share a laugh.

Until…at 4 pm they are ready to go outside the school, James holding Alex’s hand, and then a senior Is in front of them, ‘’Where do you kids think you’re going?’’

‘’Home. Why?’’ James says. The senior chuckles, ‘’You don’t go home here. Remember this is Aureole Academy, the school of no return.’’

Alex is shocked. ‘’What?!’’ James shouts, ‘’No, you’re lying!’’

‘’Look outside, is anyone going home?’’ The senior asks them. Alex and James both look and are surprised, ‘’But why?!’’ Alex asks, tears in his eyes.

‘’This is the school.’’ The senior walks away leaving James and Alex in shock. Alex starts crying, ‘’No. I want to go home!’’

James comforts him, ‘’Don’t worry it’s alright. I will be there.’’ ‘’You mean it?’’ Alex asks. ‘’I mean it.’’ James replies, softly.

Years pass and James and Alex are both grown. James is now 16 years old, and Alex is now 14 years old.

One day James enters a dorm, tired. ‘’Hey, little bro. Are you alright?’’ James gasps and sees the room red and misty, ‘’Brother!’’ James starts running but Alex stops him, ‘’You don’t need to be concerned, big bro.’’ His voice is different, deeper.

‘’Why is your voice like that?’’ James asks. ‘’Look, I’m tired of this school. Why do they trap kids and force them into tournaments? Just to leave? I hate it! I want to burn this school to the ground.’’ Alex says.

‘’I know this school is terrible, but brother, please. Don’t burn it do— ‘’ James gets cut off when Alex shouts, ‘’Is there any other way? The gate is trapped, the exam determines winners, there’s no choice. I need to burn it down. And I want you to join me.’’ Alex extends his hand.

‘’No. I refuse.’’ James slaps his hand, ‘’I’m going to find a way for people to get out faster. I’m going to let people escape that’s what I’ve been planning. You will see. I will find the person who caused this madness!’’ James shouts, confident.

Alex is shocked by his refusal, ‘’But brother. Did you say that you’ll always be by my side?’’

James is shocked, he speaks, ‘’Yes. But I won’t support—’ James gets kicked, hitting the cold harsh floor.

‘’I thought you would always support me.’’ Alex says, sniffing. The misty red atmosphere disappears and Alex is gone. James shouts, ‘’Alex! Come back!’’

He coughs, ‘’Brother. No.’’

He looks up, ‘’I will make Team Aureole you will see, and then we will be at the top to achieving my goal!’’

James shouts, coughing, ‘’You can’t burn innocent children!’’ James looks down crying, ‘’I promise I will be the top group and get the Phoenix Key, and save you! Brother!’’

And he kept that promise. Months later, James formed a group called Team Aureole. He first recruited Chloe, then Vesper, then Sage, and Charlie. He started becoming the top group and spent years chasing the Phoenix key but he kept failing due to the other group Team Asteroids.

One day, James, Chloe, Sage, Vesper and Charlie were running, in the final stage of the exam, ‘’Alright, we made it. We’re gonna win.’’ James tells them. Chloe agrees, ‘’Yeah. I can’t believe it. It’s been years.’’

They all look up and see the waterfall, glowing with energy, cherry blossoms following. The sky shining with a blue-pink atmosphere.

‘’I’m gonna save you, brother.’’ James thinks to himself. They see the Phoenix Key up on top.

‘’Great. Now how are we gonna get up there?!’’ Charlie shouts. ‘’Maybe we should go sleep.’’ Sage says, about to collapse.

‘’You sleep, you idiot. No one’s gonna carry you, except the sweet smell of death!’’ Charlie shouts at him.

Vesper thinks, ‘’Hmm. So, the key’s on top of the waterfall. Should I use my shadows, sir?’’

James nods, ‘’Go ahead, Vesper.’’

‘’Alright. And in return? A blood body? Of course not.’’ Vesper mutters to herself. Shadows sprout from her back and carry all of them. They all scream.

‘’We’re gonna be free!’’ Chloe shouts. Charlie looks up, unsure. Sage smiles, ‘’I can’t believe it.’’

Cherry blossom leaves rain on them, as an aura of light shines on them. ‘’I can’t believe it.’’ Vesper says shocked.

A small tear drops from James’s eye, ‘’Brother…’’

They are so close to getting the key but the atmosphere instantly changes to red, fire raining. Alex’s red demonic eyes appear in front of them, ‘’Hello. Older brother. Having fun?!’’

They all gasp and tremble in fear. ‘’Alex?’’ Sage asks, stammering. James is shocked, ‘’It’s…. you?’’

‘’You don’t think you are gonna be free, are you?’’ Alex asks, his voice demonic.

‘’Move out the way, I’m getting this key to save you!’’ James pleads.

‘’Save me? I don’t want to be saved. I just want to burn this school into ash!’’ Alex shouts, forming a red beam, ‘’Stay with me, stay with me, stay with me, Stay with me.’’

The repetition of Alex’s words causes James’s eyes to twitch and then he shouts, angry, his eyes now red, ‘’Shut up! I’m not staying in this place and you’re coming with me got that! Why don’t you let your silly fantasy burn away?!’’

Purple mist surrounds James and he blasts towards Alex, ‘’I’ve had enough of this. Don’t you want to be with mom and dad again?! Don’t you?! Just listen to me for once. Things can’t go your way!’’

James screams. Alex is shocked and feels hurt, ‘’Oh. And I thought you would stay with me to the very end.’’

‘’Don’t you understand a thing I’m saying, you idiot?!’’ James shouts. The moment Alex hears those words, something in him snaps, ‘’I’m an idiot?’’

‘’Yes, you are. You always were!’’ James shouts, forming a large purple beam. But then Alex forms a large red web which instantly catches James, exploding him away, bleeding and heavily injured.

‘’James!’’ They all shout as James drops to the ground, unconscious. His arms and legs torn.

Alex pants heavily, looking down on him. ‘’You are an idiot for not recognizing how corrupt this school is.’’

Alex turns around and the Phoenix Key explodes, along with the waterfall. Team Aureole’s jaws are agape.

 Alex’s red demonic eyes stare at Team Aureole, ‘’And you, get out of my sight!’’ he shoots a huge red beam at them. But….

BLAST – James is in front of them on the hill, defending them. His body back to normal, ‘’Brother. I can regenerate.’’ He extends his hand to him, ‘’Now, come back to me!’’

‘’It’s too late. You don’t want me, and I destroyed the key. So, leave.’’ Red mist appears and Alex disappears, James shouts, ‘’No, brother, No!’’

He cries, smacking the ground, ‘’Please!’’

 That memory has scarred James ever since. He keeps remembering it day and night, every time he sleeps, it always haunts and comes backs to him.

In the present, James sighs, ‘’And that’s my story. It’s my fault for not being there for him when he fell the hardest, it’s my fault for letting him go. And now this happened.’’

Everyone looks at him, sad. ‘’Man.’’ Sage says in shock, ‘’It must hurt seeing your brother turn out into someone you’re not.’’

‘’But James. Are you gonna keep blaming yourself?’’ Vesper asks, ‘’He wanted you to be there for him all the time, he wanted you to control his life. That wasn’t healthy, he’s now free to do whatever he wants.’’

‘’He’s going to burn down the school, Vesper. I don’t think you understand. Killing many innocent people, do you want that to happen? It’s my fault and it will always be!’’ James shouts, coldly. He then starts sniffing, ‘’I am the worst brother. If only I had been on his side and comforted him during hard times, then this, would have never happened. He wouldn’t have turn into…’’ He starts crying, tears streaming around his face. ‘’A cynic.’’ He says with a chocked voice.

He starts trying to hold tears, but he can’t. He starts crying, full ugly crying. ‘’I am everything bad.’’

He continues crying. Team Aureole looks at him and feels bad. Chloe walks to him, ‘’Hey.’’ She touches him, ‘’Everything’s gonna be okay.’’ She says softly.

James looks at her, his eyes red and puffy, ‘’No, it’s not.’’ He continues crying, hiding his face.

Theo looks at him, sympathetic, ‘’James. I know what it’s like to blame yourself for that.’’

‘’No, you don’t.’’ James says, chocked.

‘’Yes, I do. Because I thought I used to influence my brother’s tantrums. I know everything about blaming yourself. But it’s not your fault. People are different, they can’t be the same. You gave Alex enough comfort and love, it’s his fault for being clingy towards you!’’ Theo shouts. James turns around, ‘’What?’’

‘’He has a good point. From what you described; Alex is a sensitive person who disliked the system. I don’t blame him; this place is crap. But instead of following a normal solution, he wants to burn it down. He kept too much anger in his heart, but you never asked him what was wrong!’’ Charlie shouts, pointing a finger. Everyone gasps, ‘’That’s not what I said, Charles.’’ Theo shakes his head.

‘’What did you expect me to do? Recap what you said? James just said ‘’I’ll be there’’ and that’s it. He never asked how he felt, he never talked with him about that, and that’s he led the broken path. He formed a cult, because people have the same feelings as him. So, cry and blame yourself, headmaster. But keep going, because life isn’t gonna wait for you!’’ Charlie shouts at him. James puts his hands down, his face a mess, ‘’I guess. I should have talked to him.’’

‘’But he’s not the only one. What about the others, they all broke right? Is there any thing we can do to heal them as the top quote unquote protectors of this school?’’ Sage pops a can of soda.

‘’Well, there’s nothing we can do. They are on a way different league than us. And even though we try capturing them, we would be dead by now, and once again they will disrupt the Phoenix Exam. We have to find a way to train for the exam and also find their hiding spot at once.’’ Vesper says.

‘’You’re right.’’ James says as he stands up, all his tears gone, back to his mood. ‘’Wait, how did you— ‘’ Chloe asks, shocked.

‘’I’ve discovered the problem. I needed a boundary to establish and also communicate better with Alex, I get it now. It’s my fault, and I don’t have time to sulk it in. Because we are Team Aureole, and we will help those in need.’’ James says, doing a pose.

Everyone looks at him, shocked. ‘’In the meantime, the Phoenix Exam is in 1 week. So, we have very little time to prepare. We should make every second count. And also, Charlie, you’re staying.’’ James puts on his glasses and adjusts them. He turns to Theo and extends his hand, ‘’Theo. Will you lend us your support once again?’’

Theo is shocked, he hesitates, ‘’I don’t have anywhere to go, do I?’’ He thinks to himself. ‘’I will join but, only because you are my only hope of going back home.’’ He says, looking up at James, ‘’Don’t disappoint.’’

There’s heavy silence in the room as James smirks. ‘’I won’t.’’ Theo looks at him, he is still unsure. He still doesn’t think we will be useful and only wants to go home, but he accepts it and nods, ‘’Alright.’’

Chloe walks to him, ‘’Theo.’’ Theo looks up. ‘’Welcome to Team Aureole.’’ She says softly.

Theo looks up, ‘’Thanks.’’