NOVEL WEB Chapter 5: Angel’s Card, Devil’s Price
"Nine hundred ninety-nine thousand Auron," the angel said, handing the number over.
"Thank you so much for your kindness," Ashen replied sincerely and turned to leave, planning to get back to school before anyone noticed he was missing.
"Wait, Ashen. Take this."
The angel stopped him and handed over a card it shimmered faintly with golden patterns.
"What?! Are you serious?! Thank you so much! But… how can I possibly thank you enough for this?" Ashen stared at the card in awe, stunned.
"You don't have to do anything," the angel said with a soft smile. "This is a gift. You remind me so much of a human I once knew."
Ashen smiled, bowed slightly, and waved goodbye. He took off, heart pounding, lungs burning — but he didn't care. He had the card. He had the card.
As he ran back toward the school, joy swelling in his chest, he suddenly spotted his mom, Riley, outside their house, wiping down the windows in the yard.
"Oh crap— please don't see me, please don't see me," he muttered, ducking slightly and darting behind a hedge.
He finally made it back to school. Still breathless, but his happiness lit up his entire face. That was… until he saw Alice and Raven waiting at the school gates during break time.
"Well well well, look who finally decided to grace us with his presence," Raven raised an eyebrow, arms crossed.
"You won't believe what just happened!" Ashen grinned, practically bouncing on his heels.
"You better explain why you ditched class," Alice narrowed her eyes, clearly not letting him off the hook that easily.
Ashen opened his mouth to respond, but riiiiiiing!
The bell rang. All three let out synchronized groans.
"March of the fallen warriors," Raven muttered as they trudged back to class.
In "Intelligence and Tech Artistry" class, the three sat together at the back. Ashen leaned in, whispering to fill them in.
"Okay, so listen. I got on the school shuttle like usual, but when it stopped, I didn't get off. I waited till the whole bus was empty. Meanwhile, you two bozos were too busy playing with your ring systems to notice I was even missing."
"It's not the first time I ignore you," Raven said with a smirk.
Ashen chuckled. "Anyway, the bus drove off again to pick up another group of students. When they got off, I just pretended to be one of them and slipped away. Instead of entering school, I bolted straight toward the academy."
"Why the heck would you go there?" Alice blurted a little too loud.
"Shhh—" Raven hissed, eyes wide as she noticed the teacher glaring right at them.
"All three of you! OUT! Get out of my class right now! Go to the principal's office — and don't come back without a written apology!" the teacher barked, furious.
Ashen, Raven, and Alice stood up reluctantly and began making their way downstairs to the principal's office.
"Act natural, don't let him suspect anything," Raven whispered.
"Relax. I got this. Just follow my lead," Alice said confidently, brushing her hair back.
They knocked.
"Come in," the principal's voice came from inside.
"Hiii~" Alice greeted with her signature awkward giggle, stepping into the room.
"Oh, Alice! Come in, come in. Let's continue that talk we started earlier," the principal welcomed her.
She took slow, deliberate steps inside while her brothers followed closely behind her.
"Don't you three have class right now?" the principal asked, suspicion creeping into his voice.
"Uhh, no, they let us out early. But never mind that! Weren't we just talking about something earlier? That topic, remember?" Alice replied, trying to redirect him.
"Ah yes… What happens if someone loses a floor?" the principal said, recalling.
"Exactly! Let's continue from 'what happens if we lose a floor,' shall we?" Alice grinned innocently.
The principal nodded. "Alright. So, if you lose a floor — whether by giving up or being defeated — there's a heavy penalty. That's why most people prefer to stay and survive there, no matter what it takes."
"What kind of penalty?" Ashen asked, his voice serious.
"You won't be allowed to enter that floor again for the number of years equal to its number. So if you lose Floor 3, you're banned for 3 years. Unless, of course, you pay 1.4 million Auron — that'll cut the time in half. And don't forget, each entry card you use gets wasted."
"Seriously? How hard could these floors be?" Ashen raised an eyebrow.
The principal leaned forward. "Extremely. That's why most people only make it to the second floor… and then stop. Trust me, it's brutal in there."
"Yeah, we all know that one guy who's still stuck there after all these years," Raven said, arching her brows.
Suddenly, the principal checked his holo-pad. "Hold on… Just got a message from the faculty group. Apparently, I was supposed to meet with three students this period…"
"Forget about it, sir! Those poor kids, I mean—who even are they?" Alice said with her usual awkward-yet-sly smile.
"Alright then… just ring the bell on your way out," the principal sighed.
The three stepped outside and rang the bell.
In an instant, students poured out of classrooms like a chaotic monkey stampede.
Ashen, Alice, and Raven grabbed their bags, ready to head home. The school shuttle only handled drop-offs, so getting back was always their responsibility.
As they walked toward the school gate—
"Hey kids, hop in. I'll give you a ride."
"Wait—what are you doing here?!" Alice blinked in surprise.
It was none other than…