The dining table which had been lively up until a few moments ago had lost any semblance of vitality. The tension and silence felt so thick and tangible that Ryn could swear he felt it pressing against his body, threatening to crush his very being. His words were left hanging in the air, his mother and father had practically gone mute. After finally mustering up the courage, Ryn's father, Ray Sylzar opened his mouth, but not before closing it again only a second later. His father was unsure of what to say, how to word what he wanted whilst also maintaining his fatherly figure for Ryn. He didn't want to send Ryn off with a show of weakness, leaving his beloved son with regret but… He felt something trickle down his cheek, soon followed by another.

Ray looked at his parents' crying figures before him, his heart twisted into a tight knot suffocating him. He could feel his own throat begin choking up and before long, his eyes began welling up. He quickly got up from his seat and gently embraced his mother, her sobs only seemingly growing in intensity with his show of affection.

"My child… My sweet, sweet child." Ryn's mother whispered under her breath. She clutched at his shirt, not wanting to let go of him; the fear of losing her pride and joy, her little baby tore at her heart in a way only a mother could truly understand. Only a mother who'd been through the nine months of pregnancy, waking up in the middle of the night to an infant's cries, cleaning up after its mess, watching him return home with cuts and grazes, watching Ryn go off to school for the first time… He was her everything, her love, her boy. So for that same child, to be so suddenly torn away from her at the young age of sixteen, she could not accept it, her very being rejected such a notion.

"Ryn…. Please…" Alice didn't know what to say, what to ask of Ryn. His Sword Heart awakening was not his fault, nor was him being beckoned to Anvil. She knew asking him to stay would just have the adverse effect of what she truly wanted, only serving to place more unnecessary guilt on Ryn's conscience.

"Alice…" Ryn's father placed his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to gently console her, his own eyes still filled with tears. He'd watched Ryn grow, from a clueless child to…. Ryn was a man now, Ray knew this. His son was sixteen but Ray knew deep down how smart Ryn was, how capable he was. Ray's eyes locked with the man in front of him, a melanncholic look in his son's eyes. "Ryn… I… I've failed you. I don't know much about this Sword Heart stuff, nor do I have enough money where I could've given you better resources. A man of your caliber, deserved a better father… A Clan where your potential would've been noticed and worked on. I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry…."

Ray watched his father break down, tears streaming down the usually cheery man's face, his shoulders trembling greatly. Ryn's free arm which wasn't embracing his mother gently pulled his father in, resting both his parents' heads on his shoulders, his own head in between theirs, facing the opposite way.

"Mom, Dad… Failed me? Don't be ridiculous," the tears in Ryn's eyes gently trickled down his cheeks. "You gave me everything, made me who I am. The thought of another set of parents, don't entertain such an idea. Everything I am now, is all thanks to you two, you've both been there for me, even when I've made mistakes and caused problems. You never failed me, Mom… Dad. My greatest success in life, my greatest achievement will always and forever be, being a Sylzar. That the blood of you two flows through me is so much greater than anything." Ryn slightly tightened his grip around them as he felt both of their grips increasing, his parents' sobs ringing in his ears. "I will come back to you… alive. Anvil's forges are not powerful enough to shatter a Sylzar. A Noble or Great Clan may offer their children, their Steeled, techniques and training, but… they are not Sylzars. I will return to you both, and when I do, let's all enjoy a meal at this table like normal yeah?" Ryn's voice was trembling throughout his farewell, his parent's clutching his back.

His mother looked into his eyes, her own matching onyx pair filled to the brim with tears. Ryn knew his mother loved him, so much so that if he'd spent the rest of his life trying to repay her, he still wouldn't be able to match the love she'd shown him. He watched his mother's lips quiver as they wanted to speak but couldn't find the strength to. Seeing his mother like this… Ryn didn't know how to describe it, he felt ashamed and guilty, blaming himself for her sadness. After a few moments of silence, his mother slowly spoke, tugging at his heartstrings.

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"Ryn I love you… I love you so much, your mother will always love you no matter what. Your father does too, the both of us will always be here, waiting for you, take as long as you'd like. We'll wait for you my darling, darling child." Ryn felt a light kiss on his cheek from his mother, his little farewell seemed to fuel her hope for his return. He could see the sadness in her eyes which had gone red from crying, but she was forcing herself to be brave. To be brave for Ryn. As both his parents' heads remained on his shoulders, Ryn couldn't help but close his eyes, a warm and content smile slowly spreading across his face. Perhaps in acceptance of his fate, or just the atmosphere causing it.

After their emotional exchanges, Ryn headed up to his room; it wasn't too big, nor small, it was cozy, homely. His eyes landed on a phone laying on his desk, the only thing he'd take with him to the Steeled Centre, nothing else was of value to him.

Steeled Centre was for every year's batch of Steeled, those who'd only just awoken their Sword Hearts. Ryn had only recently awoken his own Sword Heart putting him at a drastic disadvantage, with only a month left till he had to venture into Anvil, he only had one month to truly learn as much as he could from the Centre to survive in Anvil. To make matters worse, despite Ryn's Sword Heart having been awakened, his Sword, had not yet been manifested, with there just being scraps of steel in his heart.

To manifest their sword, from the scraps, the Steeled needed a burning determination with skills to match it. Ryn felt he had neither. Most of the Steeled from the Noble and Great Clans would have already manifested their own Swords and learnt how to fully utilise their abilities to their limits as a Steeled. The Noble and Great Clans… Ryn's thoughts drifted back to Vira of the Eternal Sword.

'His children must have it easy huh- Their dad being one of humanity's strongest and all, a sword path laid out for them and training from young to top it all off. Life really is unfair. Twenty three years ago he said didn't he? So how did he manifest his sword?… The clans did not exist then, the Heart of Sword had only just appeared seven years prior to that, why did he manifest such a powerful sword? How… did he manifest such a powerful sword?'

He stepped towards his desk before briskly picking his phone up and putting it in his backpack. He teetered over to his window before staring up into the night sky. The moon had an ethereal glow, even in the darkness the light it brought was like a beacon of hope. He stared and stared, almost in a trance like state. Perhaps his earlier conversation with his parents had influenced his feelings right now but, the moon was so very beautiful.

Tears slowly streamed down his face, the realisation that this next month would probably be his last had truly dawned on him. There was still so much he wanted to do. He couldn't name anything but he knew he just didn't want to die. He wanted to live a happy life. Nothing indulgent nor over the top, a simple shop owner would suffice. Then one day he'd settle down with the woman of his dreams, have children, grow old and then… maybe then death could take him. But Ryn was sixteen, he didn't want to go so soon.

He slowly calmed down before plopping onto his bed, the moon's light casting a light onto his face, making his already pale face even lighter.The red around his eyes and nose from crying evident against his skin. His eyes shimmered under the light, as they looked back towards the moon. A small desire began forming in Ryn's heart, a desire to escape it all, to be with the moon, observing everything but not having to face any of it. He yearned to be up there, in the night sky along with it, just so long as he didn't need to be down here. .

'I really am going to miss this…' Ryn's eyes drifted back to his wooden ceiling.

'I put on a brave front for Mom and Dad but honestly, I don't have high expectations. My chances of beating those noble kids are next to none and despite my Sword Heart awakening, the blade hasn't actually been for-'

Ryn's thoughts were suddenly cut short as a burning pain gripped his heart. It felt like a thousand hammers were smacking away at his chest; he fell to the ground and clutched at himself, almost as if trying to dig into his ribs and reach his heart. He felt on fire, as if thrown into a furnace, his skin melting only for it to be replaced and repeat the cycle. The pain was overwhelming, his eyes felt as if they'd pop out at any moment as they slowly rolled back into their sockets. Foam appeared at the edges of his mind shut itself down. The ability to pass out a beautiful respite from the pain.