The Animagus: From Hunter to Monster

"We need to talk," Emra retorted.

"About what?" Buji asked with a calm but guarded voice.

Emra turned backward, observing her environment as if to ensure they were alone. Looking satisfied, she returned her gaze to Buji with an unusual expression.

"The ceremony," she replied simply.

"What about the ceremony?" Buji decided to be persistent with questions, feigning nonchalance simultaneously.

"At least, can you let me in?" Emra asked.

Buji hesitated for a moment, but after realizing himself, he shrugged, pulling the door wider.

"Oh, sorry, sure," Buji replied, opening the door wide so that Emra could get in.

He closed the door after Emra had come thing, his hands reluctant to free the doorknob for a second longer.

'Why is she here when we have nothing to talk about again? After she has finished stabbing my back.'

Emra went straight towards Buji's drawer and stood there for some moments staring at the drawer before finally sitting down on the bed, close to the drawer. Unknowing to her, Buji became aware of her every move for the moment, especially now she was in his room. But he decided to act numb.

'Act numb? Should I ask her about the book?'

After biting his lips in contemplation, he decided to speak out.

"Emra," he called out softly.

Emra who sat on the bed, looking lost in thought with her head bent down raised it up to focus her gaze on Buji. Her face recorded an unsettling mixture of distraction and intent—which means she was in thought.

'Thoughts about… how they were going to use their plans against me.'

"Yes," Emra answered, distracting Buji's thoughts.

"Sorry if I disturbed your thoughts," Buji mocked with an innocent, "although you aren't the type to always think."

"Me? Well, I was trying to figure out something… personal," Emra replied. "Lol, I was really not offended deeply by the disturbance.

'Something… personal? She's this stupid to rouse my suspicions about her. Well, what do I have to say?'

"So, what about the Ceremony," Buji tried to draw Emra's attention.

"Did I say ceremony?" Emra hesitated before asking. "I meant school sorry," Emra corrected herself quickly.

Buji kept his expression normal, though his mind screamed at her perfect pretense action.

"The school?" Buji repeated.

"Yup," she replied, nodding as though trying to convince herself. "Our school is the only Hunter's Academy in this Eastern metropolis. It's where every Hunter with even the bleakest hope of success starts their journey. As far as you are found to possess some kind of innate potential..."

"Have you started your explanation?" Buji asked dryly in interruption.

"Oh. Yes, why?" Emra replied with a tone of slight annoyance, facing Buji in an attempt to find answers.

"That was not a good start if I should comment," Buji kept a mean face while making this comment. Feeling that Emra might suspect his mean face, he yawned theatrically, covering his mouth.

"Haauh…! I am just so tired."

Emra squinted her eyes but said nothing about Buji's sarcasm. She moved uncomfortably, sitting straighter on the bed.

"In any case, the Academy is the foundation for all that we do as Hunters," she continued. "It's not just about figuring out how to stand out in battles. It's about strategy, discipline, understanding the creature we are hunting, and above all, discovering our strengths and weaknesses.

"And what's yours? Buji asked, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed against each other.

"My strength?" Emra asked, tilting her head to face Buji.

"Yes, and your weakness if you can say," Buji replied.

'Of course, she was not going to tell me about her weakness.'

Weakness often results from one's unresolved trauma, self-doubt, or an overreliance on certain flawed coping skills. If she tells Buji her weakness, that is going to be the beginning of her downfall against Buji, especially in the future.

She has not found out all her weaknesses yet, and she is not going to be revealing the ones she found out. Anyway, making someone like Buji know her strength was also risky, so, Emra had to deceive Buji.

"My strength is intuition," Emra said. Although she was intuitive, that was not a considered strength in the academy.

'Intuition and it didn't let you sense I had been eavesdropping on your chat with your dad. Well, what can I say? I did call it a flaw and not a strength.'

Buji was unaware of the fact that he had been misled in information. He only presumed in thoughts with was he told, although he was still going to find out more at a later time.

"You're funny, Emra. Are you joking or trying to joke?" Buji asked.

"Joking?" Emra replied with a question.

"I mean, how intuition is a strength," Buji doubted.

"Actually, we don't call it strength. Upon your awakening, you will awaken with a talent. Your skills will be built upon the talent you awakened," Emra explained.

"So?" Buji expected to hear something from Emra but she didn't respond.

'But intuition cannot be a talent. So, she is lying now. Interesting.'

"Right," Buji reclaimed, then perking his ears up, he asked. "What exactly happens at the ceremony?"

Emra glanced down at her hands. She hesitated before she started. "It's… hard to put out an explanation or should I say narration? The event can look different for everyone. You did better witness it yourself."

"Different for everyone, how?"

"For many, that's the moment they unlock their true potential. Well, there are a few who awakened useless talents and have to hone more skills to keep up," Emra explained.

"And there are the rare ones, you awakened no talent. That's a bad sign and an atrocity against the Hunters' Association…" her voice trailed off as she mentioned this. "But, I heard it happens once in a blue moon."

Buji could hear his stomach bobbling at Emra's words, but he refused to show any sign of his facial expression.

'If I showed any sign of fear, she was going to find out I might not have read the book, and therefore, know nothing about the bloodline they talked about.'

'So, I have to keep up so she thinks they are way ahead of me.'

"Although I still need to find out…" Buji murmured to himself.

"What?" Emra asked.

"Nothing," Buji replied, making sure not to look conspicuous.

Emra smiled faintly. What Buji said wasn't clear to her ears although she did hear his voice. But she only decided to let it slip off.

"I will be on my way to my room now," Emra said, getting up from the bed she sat on. "And I did like to wish you good luck in advance… it's in five-day time."

"Thanks."

"And one more thing, during your early days in the Academy, you will not be allowed to mingle with older students. So, I might be out of reach," Emra put in as she walked to the door.

"But just know that not everyone among your fellow awakened will be your friend," she concluded, opening the door before her.

"Just be careful," Emra said and closed the door behind her.

After Emra left, Buji went to his drawer and pulled out the paper he had scribbled his notes earlier.

Adding some new points, he wrote:

[Strength, talents, skills, and weaknesses.]

[Not all will be your friend.]

'Not all will be your friend!'

Just then he realizes something about the last point. One is surely not bound to have everyone as a friend. This only meant that… Then raising his head, with his index finger tapping on his lips, he thought.

'What does it actually mean?'