"Oh, you’re the guy I met down there, right?"

Sebas made for the door, hoping to get away before he would once again succumb to that ill fate of his when it came to his love life.

"Nope! Not a clue who you’re talking about."

As he stepped in, she grabbed him by the sleeve, pulling him out. She looked at him, standing closer than Sebas would have liked.

"No, you’re that guy; I’m sure about it."

She held tight, not allowing Sebas to slip out of her grip, forcing him to uselessly try to slip out of her grasp—not that he couldn’t do it, but he didn’t want to hurt her by accident or something.

"Ok, fine, I’m that guy. Happy now?"

"No, I’m not happy. What are you going to do about it?"

Her eyes were transfixed on him, like she had caught her prey, holding it in her claws. Sebas was taken aback, since he had never been treated like that so suddenly, by a person he doesn’t even know.

What the hell did I get myself into?

He kept on blankly staring, lost in thoughts, countless possibilities storming his mind.

"Hey, are you alright?"

He snapped out of it.

"Well, I would have been fine if someone didn’t randomly harass me."

She smiled at him, a white smile that would have etched itself in the hearts of many, almost doing the same with Sebas—perhaps it did, but he didn’t wish to acknowledge it.

"Come on, now." She distanced herself, holding both of his hands. "We might be future teammates, considering that we both enlisted at the same time."

"Well, it’s weird for teammates not to know each other’s name, you know?"

She gasped, blushing slightly.

"I’m sorry. I allowed my feelings to get the best of me." She followed with a slight laugh, one of embarrassment. "I’m Lilith."

Sebas took a mental note of the name, trying not to forget it, then nodded slightly.

"Lilith… nice name. I’m Sebas."

She made sure to properly shake his hand, a seemingly normal gesture for once. Sebas had barely known this person for a few minutes, and she already acted as if they were lifelong friends.

"So, Sebas, say," she put on a tempting face, "how about we meet again after our teams are announced? I hope we get to work together."

Sebas felt a mixture of emotions that words could not even hope to outline, something that had happened to him only a few times in his entire life. He absent-mindedly shook his head, flimsily walking inside his room. He nearly hit the doorframe because turning his head proved too intense a task for his current brain power.

What the fuck was that? I don’t even know how to feel right know... JUST WHAT THE HELL?

He wanted to scream out, but he risked being kicked out for making too much noise—the last thing he’d need at the moment. Having his feelings played with was a dance he had taken part in, perhaps more than once, so he learned to refuse such an offer, tempting as it may sound, but there was that part of him that wished to just go ahead and accept that invitation.

"Nope, fuck this; I've got a mission here. I better check around and unpack my luggage."

He did just that, going from room to room, getting a feel for the entire apartment. It sure was nice. He placed his clothes in the dorm’s cabinet, and that was all. Snooping around led him to the internet router, which he gladly connected to. The rest of the day he spent inside, coming outside only to get the food he ordered. Lucky for him, Lilith didn’t pop out of nowhere.

With that, his first day as a member of the organisation passed like time does during sleep, faster than one could believe it to be.

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The sound of his alarm made him jump out of bed. He hadn’t gotten used to it yet, and being in a new environment didn’t help either. Following his usual routine was a bliss, which he gladly partook in. A good breakfast—one that he enjoyed cooking—followed by changing into proper attire.

Less than half an hour had passed, and he was already down in the lobby, waiting for everyone else to come. The silence was something that didn’t delight him, which is why he started listening to some music. Time passed, people started gathering, and he was still waiting in the same spot, not moving a finger.

Around one hour later, the same man who tested Sebas came in, waving at Sebas. He took out his earphones, and barely made his way over there.

"Good morning, Sebas!"

"Good morning..." his voice broke into an awkward noise since he didn’t remember actually hearing that guy’s name.

"Tony, the name’s Tony."

"Tony."

He went in for a handshake, which Tony gladly responded to. A firm grip, something you don’t see every day any longer.

"Ok, one member is here; time to wait for the others."

"Just how long do we have to wait?" asked Sebas, already annoyed at how much time he had wasted just by sitting there.

"They should be here any minute," said Tony, as he checked his watch. Sebas liked the simple yet classy style the watch had.

"Oh, here they come."

Sebas watched, trying to get an idea of who his teammates were as people. Lilith was there, together with two other guys who were taller than Sebas, but not taller than Mark.

"So we have squads of four people?" questioned Sebas under his breath, but it was loud enough that Tony could hear.

"There should be one more; I just wonder where that person is."

The three other members came in, introducing themselves. Lilith was already acquainted with Sebas, while the other two guys made the usual

"I’m John, and this one right here is my friend, Luke."

John’s height was average, but his facial features were strong, etching themselves into the minds of those who have seen his face. Light blonde hair, worn in a messy style, paired with brown eyes and a strong jaw. He had the looks; Sebas had to give him that.

Luke, on the other hand, was the opposite. He appeared to be a fan of short hair, his buzzcut making it obvious, while his eyes, the same colour as his friends', appeared to be monotone. His face was a bit chubby, and his nose was slightly bent upward.

Sebas greeted them, introducing himself as well. He could only pretend not to notice the way these two guys were laughing and exchanging glances while looking at him.

I might have to gut these assholes.

"Ok, everybody, we just need to wait for one last member to arrive here."

They sat together, the two guys mostly talking with Lilith, while Sebas was minding his business. He walked around the room, trying to calm himself down, forcing his anger to subdue. Before long, Tony pointed to someone, then that someone made their way to the rest of the group. It was a girl, around the same height as those two guys, with short, dark hair and a nice build. The guys suddenly started talking with her, each of them making fools of themselves like no one else could.

This is why I can’t stand idiots.

Sebas approached as well, introducing himself, to which Luna, the last member, replied in the usual manner. The situation was a bit tense since these people, who had never met, were forced to work together on missions that would wind up placing them in danger.

"Now, everyone, I know that you might find this situation to be awkward, but we should all get along and try to cooperate, since this is an important aspect of your work. Now, I would like for all of you to share some information related to your class."

John went ahead and started first.

"I’m a swordsman, the same type you’d see in movies, but I can use magic to improve my physical abilities. Fighting hordes of monsters is a walk in the park for me."

Luke smirked, preparing his own introduction.

"I’m a wizard, specialised in all sorts of magic, but mainly attack magic."

Lilith decided it was her turn.

"I’m a healer; I guess what I can do is self explanatory."

Luna didn’t seem like the type who enjoyed talking, but she had to do it anyway.

"I’m a berserker; make me angry, and shit goes down."

Her description lacked a lot of information, which Sebas thought he’d get to know as time went on.

"I’m an assassin. I can use certain magic to conceal myself and strike the enemy when they least expect it."

John and Luke were whispering and chuckling, which annoyed both Sebas and Luna, who made them stop with a glare.

"I see," started Tony, who wrote down some things in a tiny notebook, "you guys have a balanced team, with both long and short range. Now, please follow me."

They went outside, where a car awaited their arrival.

"Please get in; we’re going to test how well you guys can work together, and what better way to do so than actual combat? Lucky you, a gate opened somewhere close. Prepare yourselves, since this is an actual life-and-death situation."

Both John and Luke were playing the ‘high and mighty’ role, pretending that such trivial matters were nothing compared to their skills, while the rest of the team was silently watching and preparing.