Glancing at the seat to his left, Ryn read the following:

[Dahlia of the Eternal Sword.

10th December 2066]

'Why's she here so early?... Though I'm not one to talk.'

Shuffling to the edge of his seat, as far as he could from Dahlia's, Ryn turned his head towards the heiress of the Great Clan. She walked with a powerful stride, one which exude strength and confidence. Each step though silent, felt as if they were laced with meaning, walking towards a goal, never aimless. She stood a few inches taller than Ryn, though he estimated he'd be able to catch up soon enough, the idea of being the shortest in the room, even though there were only two of them here, didn't sit well with him. Their eyes met for a moment, a silent acknowledgement of each other's presence before Ryn averted his gaze, opting to stare straight ahead rather than at the ethereal girl about to take her seat beside him.

A couple seconds later, Dahlia reached her seat and softly sat, the air around Ryn slightly moving, her scent entering his nose.

'She smells nice…'

The two remained in a somewhat awkward silence for a while, Ryn unsure of what to say, or if he should say anything.

'Aren't I only thinking like this because it's THE Dahlia….. had it been anyone else I'm sure I wouldn't think this hard over something so insignificant.'

Exhaling, Ryn decided to ask a question pertaining to the two of them.

"Did you figure anything out, about the runes, on the guards?"

Dahlia remained quiet for a second before lightly shaking her head.

"…No."

'What a great conversation….'

Ryn sighed internally, was he the problem here? Or was the girl just socially inept? Ryn couldn't quite figure out which it was.

"Mind showing me Song of Stars again? We can try rack our brains together and see if it makes a difference?"

Outstretching her right hand, Dahlia manifested Song of Stars, a golden glow immediately emitting from it. This time, she was the one to speak.

"…Odd… it only usually glows in the moonlight… this room is rather dark, the only light coming from artificially created light…"

Ryn had noticed that same issue with Lunar Whisper the night he observed Dahlia and Aspirant Claudia's lesson.

"Lunar Whisper has the same problem… it usually only glows in sunlight, however I noticed it glowing in the dark the night when I observed your lesson."

The two remained in silence for a while, unsure what to make of it. Dahlia was the first to make a suggestion, coming as a surprise to Ryn.

"It's obvious the two are related… maybe the presence of the other causes the same effect as it being basked in their respective lights?"

It was a valid theory, perhaps just being in a certain range of the other caused the effect of it being in light. Ryn looked at Song of Stars again, another question coming to mind.

"When it has that glow… what's different about it? Or is it just aesthetic?"

Dahlia eyes him for a moment, her face betraying no emotion which may have been passing through her head.

'You'd think she'd bee somewhat nervous, I mean she is going to Anvil of all places…'

"My sword's abilities are more effective when it glows… That's all."

Just like that, the conversation came to a close, Ryn had gained a really valuable piece of information, finally understanding what the glow was. He was assuming that the effect it had on Dahlia's sword would be the same as his, both swords were two of a kind after all. The two remained in silence for a while after that, then slowly more and more Steeled entered into the building, each taking their respective seats. Their eyes all lingering on Dahlia the moment they entered, as if she was some unreachable deity.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

'I mean sure she's a clan heiress but, I mean she's just a human, it's not that serious to just come and start a conversation with her rather than revere her.'

The time slowly crept towards 11:15pm, forty-five minutes until midnight, until the day they'd be sent to Anvil. Ryn spotted Tobi entering the room, just like every other Steeled, you could tell the boy was shaken, shaken badly. His hair was disheveled, hands fidgety, all the tell tale signs of a person under stress. It tugged at Ryn's heart to see the first friend he made here, in fact the only one he made, so far from his usual cheery self.

Fledgling Marco walked up onto a raised dais, a steel lectern with beautiful depictions of roses twisting around its body seemingly being raised out of the ground. The already dim lights dimmed further, not that it made a difference to Ryn, he could see perfectly fine after all.

"To all Steeled present, tonight is the night, you will set foot in Anvil and it will be like nothing you've ever experienced…"

Fledgling Marco went on for around thirty minutes, highlighting the importance of confidence, searching for a stronghold whether it's Silver or Clan Glory's. It was all information Ryn already knew, information he considered quite rudimentary in fact; if anybody were just learning this information now for the first time, he truly feared for said person's life. There were roughly fifteen minutes remaining until midnight, despite it going so close to the time his life would flip on its head, Ryn didn't feel too worried, sure he had a lingering sense of fear in the back of his mind but, his confidence in his ability to survive overshadowed it almost completely.

"As for the final things you need to hear before entering Anvil, we have someone here far more qualified than anyone else to deliver it."

Ryn already had an idea, it was only natural for him to be here on such a monumental day, especially if his own daughter was involved. Arisen Vira stepped onto the dais, his everything quite frankly screamed of strength. Ryn understood just where Dahlia learnt to walk the way she did now, from the way Arisen Vira carried himself it was clear he was the one in control, as if he himself was a blade.

Clearing his throat gently whilst running his hand through his pure white hair to push back a few strands which were loose, Arisen Vira's presence on its own was enough to raise the morale of the majority of the youth sat in the seats, each one looking towards him in reverence, as if he were a champion sent by the Gods to save them from a horrible fate.

Ryn snuck a glance at Dahlia by his side, her face the same deadpan as usual, though in her cloudy grey eyes, the same as Arisen Vira's, he could subtly make out a hint of admiration and respect. It was only natural, seen as how it was her father, the man who'd raised her and taught her lots of what she knew. Turning his gaze back to Arisen Vira, who was looking towards Dahlia, Ryn could have sworn his eyes locked with the powerful Arisen's eyes but for a brief moment before lowering his gaze slightly. Just eye contact with the leader of The Eternal Sword was enough to send a shiver down Ryn's back, being made precisely aware of the different realms the two were in.

"Most of you… Will die."

Arisen Vira's first words were not what Ryn expected at all. They were cold, blunt and harsh, which looked as if they had the adverse of the desired effect on the hearts of all the Steeled, their faces growing despondent.

"It is only nature for some to die. Likewise, it is natural for others to overcome this ordeal, to come out stronger, to come out different than when they went in. It is up to you to choose which category you wish to fall in."

Ryn watched the faces of his peers, they didn't look to have changed much, still wallowing in their self-misery.

"Swords are forged upon anvils, tempered, tempered, tempered, until they can be tempered no more, until they are a statement, an ideology. A will. Swords are only a tool in the hands of a fool. In the hands of someone destined for greatness, a sword is a discussion, a sword is your will. Remember that. Whatever your will is, Anvil will help you create it in its first forge, you will leave Anvil with what you want. You must simply grasp the opportunity."

A minute or two remained until midnight, Arisen Vari slowly turned into smoke, as if having never been there, dissipating into the air, his voice ringing out once more.

"May the destined ones be forged."

Ryn felt the overbearing presence leave. How had he turned to smoke? Was that one of his abilities? Ryn stopped looking towards where Arisen Vira had been and slowly closed his eyes.

In the hall of frantic Steeled, a young sixteen year old boy who had until recently not wanted to live, sat… calmly. His raven black hair rustled slightly in the wind generated from some of the panicked movements by the Steeled besides him. A small smile lingered on his face, his eyes closed, an elegant black blade glowing blue gripped in his hand.

Besides the boy, was a stunning young lady who had been preparing for this moment her entire life. Her snow white hair rustled alongside the boy's beside her, her eyes too were closed. Her expression was collected and composed, no sign of fear or nerves at all. In her outstretched right hand, a beautiful white blade wreathed in a golden glow sat comfortably, ready for whatever was to come.

Somewhere far, far away, perhaps not even on the Earth, a young boy sat under a thick canopy of trees, his warm beige skin covered in mud and grime. His once onyx eyes were now an ever-changing spectrum of colours, one moment red, the next blue. His jet-black hair had grown quite long without him having realized, falling over his shoulders, spilling slightly onto his back. In his right hand, he grasped his own blade which he rested against his shoulder. A beautiful branch.