Project: Death for Classroom Zero

Chapter 16: Blaze

The rose monster was burning. 

Tristan quickly stood up when he felt that his once noddle-cooked knees were back to their usual strength. He laid his hand to Rain who was still recovering from the shock that they had to tormentingly experience. 

When Rain saw the hand of her partner, she grabbed it. With the nits of Tristan’s strength, he pulled Rain out of her slunking on the ground. 

Now they both look at the back of that mysterious man staring at the now dead monstrous rose which was now undergoing chemical change. It was now turning into ashes. 

“Thank you.”

That was the first thing that Tristan managed to utter as he stared at the back of the man. He could not think of other words to say, that is why all he could just do was to give simple words of gratitude.

The man looked at them. Twisting his body, and looking at them, Tristan saw the face of the man that saved them. Of course, he should be familiar to Rain and Tristan, for this man was also a student of Classroom Zero. A scholar.

Looking at his features, his silky black hair, half of the volume covering his forehead resembling a Korean haircut (which suits him), was swaying along with the warm breeze of the wind. His porcelain skin looked crimson as the light of the fire swings and swirls near him. His black eyes, with traces of liveliness, were looking at them while he forced his lips curving genuinely (or not) upward. 

“Good thing I saw you and that I was near when you’re being attacked by that creature,” he said. 

“That’s what we’re thankful for. If you’re not here, we’ll be included in the rising number of deaths in the classroom,” said Rain, genuinely thanking the man. 

The man pursed his lips. He looked back at the creature he killed. 

Looking at the creature, he said; “but that’s what we’re here for, right? To die.” 

Tristan and Rain could not answer the man. Even though he could not see, the two of them moved their stare away from him, for they could not accept the fact that he was currently spitting. 

Yes, the reason why they were here is because they will die. Only few remains. Rain knew it more than anyone else.

“We’ll die here. It’s just that … we’re prolonging our time because we’re secretly, selfishly hoping we’ll survive this catastrophe.”

“Well, thank you for prolonging our life,” said Tristan. 

The man shrugged. “I feel your need to live. Like someone is telling me I shall save the both of you even though I am not affiliated to any of you.”

“May I ask something?” Rain interrupted. The man looked at him, and smiled. The under of his eyes crinkled handsomely. 

“What is it?” the man asked.

“How were you able to kill that monstrous rose?” 

Hearing the question, Tristan snapped into his curiosity as well. It was a question for him too. How was he able to put a fire to that hungry floral monster? 

“Ah,” the man shrugged. “Just like that rose monster, I found another peculiar plant somewhere here.” 

“That gives you the flame you planted to the monster?” Tristan asked. 

The man nodded, and said, “I got a flame lily somewhere here.” 

“Flame Lily? That poisonous plant?” Tristan asked. He somehow remembered that there is a kind of plant similar to the one that the man told, while he was researching on the internet. Flame Lily has a scientific name Gloriosa superba. It is a poisonous plant that was being used, unfortunately in poisoning dogs, and even abortion.

“Yeah, somehow that one. But it literally has a flame. Twist its stem and a chemical reaction will happen, causing an eruption of fire.” 

“But that would be impossible. To start a fire it would need three things: fuel, heat and oxygen. That wouldn’t be all present inside a single plant,” Tristan explained. 

“Man, you do saw a plant moving and chasing you, didn't you?” asked the man.

Tristan stopped. He nodded in reply to the man’s question. 

“And that is quite impossible to find outside this Classroom Zero thing. I hope you know that.” 

Tristan nodded. “I know.” 

Turning the man’s back, he walked while he continued his explanations. “Then a flaring flower would be nothing but a normal plant compared to the rose.” 

Feeling that his job was already done, the man started to walk, and left Tristan and Rain.

“Where are you going?” Rain courageously asked. 

The man looked back at her, and smiled with a pursed lips. “Going on my own journey. We’re not partners, so it would be a bad choice if we all go in the same path.” 

“At least tell me what’s your name dude, so that we can find you next time in class. That is …” Tristan looked at Rain, “…if we’re still alive.” 

The man smiled. “Well, you make sure you comin’ back alive. I’m Blaze. Blaze Collins.”

“I’m Tristan Fauxier.” 

“Rain Donnahughe.” 

He made a lousy placing of his finger on his forehead, and flicked as if giving a salute. “See you then.”

With that, he started to walk back again. Behind the lines of trees on the south part of the valley, Blaze Collins disappeared. 

“Let’s go Tristan. We need to move now. There’s a high chance another rose will come in our front, and attempt to kill us. No one’s gonna give us another help.” 

Realizing that they may perhaps encounter another horrible creature of human-eating rose, they started to move. On their trail, Tristan said that they would have a higher survival rate if they possessed anything that they could use to defend themselves. Soon, they saw a huge specie of Crown of Thorns at the nearest end of the trail of flowers. 

The floral specie, just like that huge rose, was peculiar in its size. It was as huge as a tree, and the thorns in its trunk were as big as a knife. 

“This is perfect as a weapon,” Tristan said.

They grabbed a piece of thorn for each of them. The thorns of that plant were as sharp and as sturdy as the knife made of real metal. That is why, they knew that it would be good for them if they would acquire even only one of the thorns so that they could use it whenever they are in a dangerous situation. 

When they are satisfied with the thorns they will use as a weapon, they move onto their trail back again. They have no definite place to go onto. They were just actually wandering in the forest, hoping that they would be lucky to find the floral specie which Professor Buenavista was asking them to find.

Already an hour passed. Tristan and Rain were disappointingly tired from non-stop walking inside the forest. They could not bear to take a rest, for they knew it would give them only a waste of time. 

“How rare is that Titan Arum?” asked Tristan with noticeable fatigue in his voice. Titan Arum was the name of the plant that they needed to get. 

“As far as I can remember, it needs seven to ten years of gathering energy so that it could reach its peak of bloom.” 

“That’s indeed rare,” Tristan said with a laugh. 

They were now in the middle of the domains of unknown trees, perfectly arranged, and grown with specific distances to each other. The wind blew and seeped through the spaces of the clusters of trees.

Tristan noticed a stench odor dragged by the blowing wind. He covered his nose with his mouth in an effort to restrict the foul odor to penetrate his smelling sense. Looking at Rain, he noticed that he was doing the same thing. 

The smell was terrifying. Still penetrating their nose is a smell of horror—a smell of rotting flesh. 

Rain looked at Tristan with sturdy yet blank eyes. “Tristan,” she said. “Do you know what’s a special characteristic of Titan Arum?” 

Tristan looked back at Rain. He doesn’t answer, but he somehow had the idea what Rain was about to drop. 

“It smells like rotten flesh.” 

Titan Arum was somehow… near their place.