Audri made a big mistake. Had it been one day? Maybe two? She didn't know. She hadn't seen Matthew. For the first day she had been wondering, she expected to run into the other hunter who'd tried to kill them, back at full strength. But she never did.

Had they taken eachother out? Mutual annihilation. She tried to keep that thought from her mind.

The thing weighing most heavily on her mind was hunger. She hadn't brought any food with her into the gate, she hadn't thought about it when she ran in to "save" Matthew.

Now, Audri sat against a tree, curled into a ball. Her knees were up to her face as she looked down into them.

Why was she so stupid? Of course Matthew hadn't been on the otherside of the gate like she'd thought. Life was never so easy. Life was hard. Being a hunter was hard. At times- including now- she wondered why she became a hunter in the first place.

It was him. It always had been.

She still remembered the day she decided to register for the Trooper guild just a few days after her awakening.

She felt her mind drift to a time where she wasn't alone. Where she wasn't lost. Where she found her new career. The one that had led her here.

***

Audri looked over the several applications on the table in front of her while sipping her iced coffee. She thought it would jog her mind to finally make up her mind on what she wanted to do with her life. But ultimately, all it did was cause her to stress more.

She could always join the F.B.H as some sort of office worker. But that would mean sitting in a cubicle for god-knows how long. Maybe she could be law enforcement... but that would take a lot of training rather than just being awakened human.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

She was snapped from her thoughts as a figure stopped in front of the table she sat at.

"Mind if I sit here?"

Audri looked up to see a young man gesturing to the seat across from her. His face looked strangely gentle, a faint smile was sat across his lips. His eyes were a nice light brown, the light from the window nearby reflecting off of his irises, nearly making them glow.

"Oh-uh... sure go ahead." Audri stammered, hoping she hadn't been staring as long as she thought she was.

The man promptly pulled the chair out and sat down.

Audri tried to keep her glances to a minimum as she kept looking over the application options. She was snapped from her thoughts when the man in front of her spoke up.

"Watcha working on?" He asked.

Audri looked up to the man, he had a croissant in his hand along with an iced coffee next to him. Written on the cup in marker was 'Mathuw'. How did this coffee shop manage to misspell the names so consistently?

"Just... trying to find out what to do with my life. Careers and all that." Audri sighed and moved a bit of her hair behind her ear while glaring at the pages in front of her as if they'd magically reveal something.

"You an awakened?" 'Mathuw' asked.

Audri nodded. "Yes. I'm a D-rank."

The man nodded in agreement. "Sweet, you're more fortunate than me at least." The man chuckled. He produced a card from his pocket and faced it towards Audri. It was a Hunter's license. On the front was a picture of the man along with his name 'Matthew Adams', as well as his rank.

Audri's eyes widened slightly. "You're a hunter, even though you're E-rank?"

Matthew shrugged. "The world needs more hunters." He pocketed the card. "Speaking of," he gestured to the pile of paper in front of Audri. "You could join the guild I'm a part of. Though I suppose I haven't been there too long. If I pull a string or two I could probably get you in my squad; could always use more hunters."

Audri looked to the papers then to the man's mind face. She let an out a smile. "I think I may do that."

***

Audri was snapped from her memory when she heard a light ding in front of her. Similar to the sound of a bell.

She slowly looked up. Her eyes widened slightly. A translucent golden screen hovered in front of her. It was made primarily of white stone and rimmed with thin beams of light. As she watched, words written in light began to appear.

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[You have had close interactions with a 'Fragment of Brilliant Light']

[Would you like to gain the job 'Apostle of Light' and follow the Fragment of Brilliant Light's will with all your heart]

[Y/N]

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