"I've been to school, once, sort of." Jett replied with uncertainty.

Valeria jumped, immediately interested in the word 'mission,' much like a dog.

"Can't I do this one?" Valeria sat up with eager attentiveness.

"No. You're too old, Jett's around the 17 mark, he can blend in with the academy students." Maros said, shutting her down.

Valeria flopped back onto the couch in defeat.

"So I'll be infiltrating an academy? What do you need me to do, sir?" Jett asked as he stood up.

Maros tapped on a large stack of folders, each one overflowing with paper.

"You, my disciple, need to go through this entire stack."

"Like gloss over or…"

"No, you need to memorize it. And you need to research."

Jett's heart sank as he sighed internally, though he kept his poker face.

"Uh… research what?" Jett gulped.

"Divine Crusader spies. Then you'll root them out from inside."

The brewings of war had stirred for quite some time within the social realms of Strata, both top and bottom. Now the initial stages had begun.

With the Upper City being so secure, converting young noblemen into spies seemed like the best strategy for acquiring inside intelligence.

"This seems like something the Storm Wardens and Spire's Hand should handle, not me."

"I'm glad we see eye to eye," Maros said. "Spire's Hand was given the job, and knowing full well that the Wardens can't ignore matters of security in wartime, handed it to us. And we are entirely backlogged with internal affairs. Shitty, right?"

"Right…" Jett said in a tone of minor disbelief. "So how much time do I have to prepare?"

"Just under a full week, don't want you to miss your first day." Maros stated seriously, though Jett almost thought he was joking.

All Jett could do was stare lifelessly into the distance in bewilderment.

Maros walked away, quickly vanishing like the wind.

After he left the room, Valeria burst into a fit of laughter.

"Yeah, hahaha, all you Jett. I'll pass on this mission. Have fun at school!" Tears welled in her eyes as her laughter turned hysteric and uncontrollable.

Jett carried the egregiously heavy stack of folders up the foyer's stairs, all while Valeria tormented him with each step.

***

Afraid of his desk breaking under the weight, Jett set the box on the floor next to it. Several folders on top fell, the papers inside spilling out.

'Damnit.'

It was obvious: Jett was livid.

A mission was always nice. It was an opportunity for Jett to learn and grow, he understood that well.

That didn't mean learning and growing would be enjoyable.

It would be a very long week.

Before engrossing himself in work, at the same desk he used to study, Jett wanted to talk to Maros.

He needed to talk to Maros. What happened that night couldn't happen again.

Maybe he needed to come clean.

'Let's see where it goes. Can't reveal my hand too early.'

Keeping his cards close was how Maros operated anyway, Jett would know.

He walked out of his room to the top of the foyer stairs.

Valeria was on the couch, now recovered from her fit, though her face was still red.

The mere sight of Jett's dull yet annoyed face nearly set her off once more.

"Where's Maros?" Jett called down, his serious attitude the only thing keeping Valeria's dam of laughter from bursting.

"Uh," she took a deep, recollecting breath. "Think he's around the back of the house."

Jett walked down the stairs, opening the door, though he swore he could hear faint snickers.

He stepped out front and looked into the sky. The cold made his hair stand on end.

'Another cloudy day.'

Yet, there was beauty to be found in them. The clouds, rather than a dull grey, always seemed to be a perfect white, as they teetered on the edge of the sun breaking through.

With a deep breath, Jett followed the gravel path around the back of the manor, a satisfying crunch producing a rhythm with each step.

When Maros finally became visible, Jett froze slightly in anticipation.

Fear tingled his brain and churned within his stomach.

'What am I so afraid of?'

He needed to learn what was wrong with him.

Jett needed to brave the fear. Otherwise, he would not gain.

The fearful boy picked up his pace, his feet moving from gravel to soft grass as he approached his mentor.

Maros paced slowly, enthralled in the sights of the backyard, yet his face remained as stern as always.

It was the small garden on the backyard's edge.

His left arm was behind his back, while his right arm held a watering can at his side.

Stolen novel; please report.

"Sir," Jett called out from a few meters away, his voice resolved. "I have a few questions."

Maros turned slowly, his expression unreadable.

"Walk with me, Jett." he commanded, leaving no room for refusal.

Jett complied, following Maros as he gradually strolled through the small garden.

"In my years, I've never really liked gardening," Maros admitted. "Taking care of something, just for it to die in the inevitable end, I never grasped it."

'Where is this going?' Jett was filled with confusion and anxiety, though he didn't know why.

Then he figured out why when he noticed the direction they were heading in.

Maros continued. "But I tried it. It's fun, and above all, it helps me grow, even in my old age."

"…But I noticed, that someone dug a hole in my garden."

Jett's blood ran cold as he froze in place.

Maros motioned towards a circle of upturned soil.

…

…

…

"What am I going to find in this hole, Jett?"

Jett's heart sank. His entire body ran rampant with a chaotic dread, akin to a terrible storm raging within him.

Maros had revealed the river, and Jett was forced to show his hand.

"The… the possessions of, uh, Adam Brunet." he admitted through a slight tremble, unable to meet his superior's gaze.

Maros let the revelation fester in the air, staring down upon Jett in contempt.

Then he sighed.

"Why did you kill him, Jett?"

"That's…" he stuttered "…that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

Maros's eye slightly perked in interest. "Go on."

"There's… something wrong, with my Soul. I barely recovered any through rest. In my Soul Realm, there's a…"

"Blessed by divinity, or cursed," Maros interrupted Jett as he began to spiral. "You're a large bag of secrets, Jett. Your Soul is fragmented."

Maros put the watering can on the ground, glaring at Jett's shaken stare with a smoldering intensity.

"This will be the last time you keep secrets from me."

"I'm sorry sir, I didn't know that it would…"

"Your condition is not the issue, it is your disobedience and disloyalty after the fact. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Jett said, his shame genuine.

"Now dig."

With his heart heavy, Jett dropped to his knees, his hands clawing at the fresh soil and tossing it aside.

The hole revealed the Brunet patriarch's blazer, which wrapped everything Jett wore that night along with everything he took from the murdered man.

He took everything out of the hole, setting it off to the side.

Maros bent down, putting his hand over the pile of evidence

As his arm slowly began to glow, the pile went up in white flame. The two backed away as a result, standing next to one another.

"I value you, Jett. Have faith in the fact that you will not be easily discarded."

Jett felt shock, along with relief, at his mentor's mercy.

Though, a lingering unease touched his instinct. There was something about his words…

The master and the disciple stood silently by the crackling white fire.

Jett had to muster the courage to speak once more.

"What did you mean about me being cursed, sir?"

Maros exhaled to absolve the tension. "Having a Fractured Soul is a curse. It explains your speed and control, as well as your growth, but you know the downside. When you can't gain enough Soul passively, your being instinctually seeks out Soul."

"Can… Can it be fixed? I don't wish to kill. At least, not without meaning or intent."

"Fractured Souls can be mended, but it's too impractical. Likely, it's a side effect of your surviving the Soul Storm. It's better to just live with it, not that big of a deal now that we know, and can therefore prevent."

'I can get Soul from beasts and such I suppose.'

Jett was still disappointed. Despite the upside, no one would appreciate an ability that rotted their self-control.

"I should've seen the signs sooner. Don't fret, I'll handle it. But when you expend Soul without killing, you are to tell me or Joanne immediately."

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

The two stared deep into the warm, white flames.

Maros used the watering can to extinguish it. Only ash remained.

"Let this be the last time we have such a conversation."

Jett nodded in response.

***

At his desk, Jett slumped deep into the chair.

The unfamiliar burden had been lifted.

He couldn't help but reflect on what he had.

Fate had set Jett on a desirable path. Fortunate. That was all he felt.

Jett wanted to busy himself. With so much emotional baggage dumped, he didn't want to dwell on it further.

And what better to busy himself than through an entire school's worth of profiles?