Chapter 21: Flaws, Fires, and Friendship

"Hey Raffy, are you all right? You seem a little off today."

"Huh?"

"I said...are you all right?"

"Oh, yes. All right...I am."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Pinggoy, I am sure."

"Okay, if you say so. Come on, let's get inside and show me what you've got."

"Ok."

They went inside the room to see Raffy's powers. Raffy, however, is still preoccupied of thinking that the girl who saved him was Justine. He wanted to tell this to the guys but he thought to keep it just to himself.

"Do it Raffy!"

"Just a minute Addison."

Raffy still could not believe that it was Justine who saved him. He tried to forget this so he could concentrate.

"Raffy, are you going to show us or would you like me to force it out of you?"

"Don't be like that Pinggoy. I'm getting there. I...something just crossed my mind."

"Well then, show us what you've got!"

Raffy decided to show them first a ball of fire. He snapped his fingers and a tiny ball of fire appeared in front of them. The others were pleased with this except Ramch.

"Do you call that fire? I can do that with a lighter. Do something bigger than that...much bigger."

"But Ramch, that's dangerous. We might even..."

"Oh shut up Paolo. So Raffy, want to show us more?"

"Raffy don't do it. It's dangerous. You might even set this place on fire!"

"Let him do it Paolo. It's not like he can't control his powers can't he?"

"Joed? You're agreeing with Ramch?"

"Yes. And if you don't want him to do it then you get out of this room."

Raffy, who wants to impress the group decided to do it.

"Paolo, it's all right. I can control it. Don't worry."

"Do whatever you want."

"Thank you."

Raffy put his hands together as if he is praying. Slowly, he pulled his hands away from each other. Then suddenly, fire started to appear in the middle of his hands. He pulled them farther and the fire between became bigger.

"Now that's cool. Isn't it Paolo?"

"Whatever Ramch."

"Hey, lighten up. Sorry about what I said before. I just want to see his power that's all. I'm somewhat jealous of them because they have their powers. I also want to have powers you know. I'm really sorry. Are you still mad?"

"Just a bit. Don't think that you will have no powers. I know that all of us will have our own, we just don't know when."

Ramch and Paolo smiled at each other and watched Raffy do something amazing with the fire that appeared between his hands.

"Hey guys, do you want me to make a fire wall?"

"You can do that?"

"Of course I can Jessie. It's like that of a Mage's in Ragnarok."

"Cool. Let us see then."

"Here goes."

Raffy quickly clapped his hands together causing the fire to explode into many sparks. Raffy did not expect this to happen so he didn't know what to do.

"Raffy! Look at what you've done!"

"I...I didn't mean to do it. I did not know that it will explode!"

"Whatever! Just extinguish the fire. You can absorb them can't you?"

"I think so, but I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"It means that I don't know, Joed! I don't know! I don't know how to absorb it!"

"Just stop arguing you two! I already told you that what you're doing is dangerous! But you don't listen. Let's just get out of here and try to find a way to kill the fire!"

Everybody went out of the room to find someone who can help them. Unfortunately, there were no people inside the hotel. Everybody is in the spring enjoying themselves. By the time they found help, the fire already spread to the whole floor of the hotel.

"Oh my God. What have we done?"

"We did not do anything Jessie. It was Raffy who burnt the hotel."

"Hey! Why are you blaming me? It was you guys who told me to show you my power!"

"Yeah, because you told us you can control it!"

"Well...I...so what?"

"So what? Would you kindly look at what you've done to the hotel?"

"Would you stop it you two! Raffy, just admit that you've been wrong and Paolo was right. And Paolo, please stop blaming Raffy. It wasn't his fault. We wanted to see his power even though we know that it is dangerous. Now if we would just tell the management that..."

"Wait, hold on a minute. Francis, are you saying that we confess that we did that?"

"Well, yeah. We are responsible for the fire aren't we, Joed?"

"But no one needs to know that."

"But still..."

"Let it go Francis. It was an accident, isn't it guys?"

The gang came to the conclusion that it was indeed just an accident. And no one needs to know the truth that a kid who can control fire accidentally burnt the hotel down to rubbles.

"Well, I think it's back to working at the Inn. Shall we go guys?"

"Ramch, we shall."

"Well thank you, Francis. How about you guys? Are you coming?"

"We're coming. Let's go people! Hey Paolo, Raffy, are you coming?"

"Be right there with you Pinggoy."

All of them, except Paolo and Raffy, started to walk back to the Inn. Paolo went back to talk to Raffy who is still staring at the burnt hotel.

"Hey Raffy, are you all right?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm all right."

"I...umm...I just want to apologize for what I did before."

"No, it is me who is supposed to be apologizing. You were right. It is dangerous, I...I just wanted to impress you guys, that's all."

"You know, you can impress us even without your power. It has already happened; you can't do anything about it."

"I guess you're right. I'm really sorry."

After Raffy apologized, Paolo punched his arm.

"What was that for?"

"Next time, try listening to me. You do know that I'm always right, don't you?"

"Oh really?"

Raffy then punched Paolo's arm, which made him shout.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"Just getting back for what you did!"

"Hey!"

Paolo and Raffy went towards the others while exchanging punches with each other. As the gang returns to the Inn, they do not know that something worse than the fire will happen to them.