Mason and Haze had met Azrael during their junior high years. Ash had introduced him, and soon enough, Azrael became a regular in their outings and training sessions.

At first, Mason didn’t care much—he wasn’t overly selective about friends—but something about Azrael always rubbed him the wrong way.

Mason could sense Azrael had ulterior motives for being around them.

"Why don’t you just transfer to Ash's school?" Haze teased Azrael one day as they played cards. "Can’t afford the ...