Jaire sat upon his bed. He had ran all the way home, ignoring all else until his door was shut and curtains closed, leaving his relit latern as the only source of light. 

*Thump thump thump*

His heart beat heavily, as he stared at the closed box.

So...this is it. An actual-

*Knock knock knock*

"Jaire? Can I come in?" His dad's voice spoke through the door.

"Y-yeah!" Jaire responded while quickly tucking the box under his pillow.

The door opened and his dad looked at him with confusion. "Soooo, I noticed you didn't buy anything to eat, what's up with that?"

"O-oh! uh, I kind of...already ate? Y-yeah! I ate!"

"Really?" His dad questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Where?"

Jaire's mind worked overtime as he spoke, "I, um, well I met up with Lin again, since you know I saw her this morning. And well we decided to eat at the..uh...well there's this one place called, the um, well I can't remember but its at the square. See all these new vendors popped up today, since the Ceremony means-"

"Stop." His dad interupted him with a raised palm. "Say no more. I understand."

"Y-you do?"

"Of course Jay, I was young too you know." His dad responded with a wise nod.

Huh??? "Um...okay?"

"I'm no prude you know. 'Forgetting' my duties, 'eating' at the 'other side of town', I've done it all Jay."

"Um, yes? So can-"

"Man those were the days." His dad continued, "I still remember this one time when your mother and I skipped work to hang out by river. I know I know, you aren't allowed out there, but back then it was different. Too many people were busy rebuilding our town to care about two young kids sneaking out for a little fun, and boy did we have fun that night. God your mom was an animal, she ro-"

"DAD!! STOP!!" Disgust coursed through his mind as he pictured- OH GOD NO!!!

"Ah, right. Ahem. Anyways, I get it okay? So no need to be ashamed. Anyways, I'll take your mom and kids out to eat now alright? So we'll see you later Jay. We'll be in the third row aisle 14. Or was it row 14 aisle 3? Or maybe-"

"Just go already please!"

"Right right. Well, I'm off. And open those curtains, it's far too dark in here, you'll burn your eyes out."

"Okay I will bye!"

The door closed shut, and once more Jaire was alone.

Ughhh...just what I needed, more mental trauma...Sighing, Jaire waited until he heard his family leave before pulling the box back out.

With a deep breath, he slowly opened the lid. The sleek black scabbard sat silently within it while his lantern reflected within the gem. There were no visions this time, nor did the mysterious voice speak to him again. It was nothing more than a fancy ornament.

But its not. Its much more than that...

Gulping, he took another few breaths before proceeding. First, he ran one finger down the scabbard. It was cold to the touch, far too cold, and it was smoother than he imagined it would be. He imagined trying to pick it up, only for it to slip through his fingers.

The gem glistened, and he watched as the flame's reflection dancing playfully within it. It swayed from side to side in a tranquil motion, growing and fading as the flame flickered. It gently flowed and ebbed, pulling and pushing, until Jaire was following along it its waltz. 

It called out to him, but he lingered over the handle. A chill flowed up from it, brushing against his hand like a soft breeze. Though only his hand came near it, he felt a sensation crawl up to his face. It...tastes salty?? 

He didn't understand, but if anything, it was just further proof of the magic held within the dagger. 

This is what I've been waiting for. It's finally going to happen. All I have to do is-

Surrender.

Arm still extended, he froze in place.

An invisible force pressed him from every direction, holding him to perfect stillness.Terror swept through him as he desperately tried to pull free, but he could not break its all-encompassing grasp. That is when the pain started. His hand convulsed before his very eyes. Each finger upon it twisted and bent on its own accord, sending painful shocks up his arm and to his mind. One by one, the bones within it where crushed beneath the insible pressure, reduced to nothing. Desperately, the others frantically clawed against their fleshly prison, but they met the same fate with agonizing pain. His hand was slowly being devoured, and it clawed closer with each second, until-

"STOPPPPPP!!" Jaire screamed and tumbled backwards upon his bed. He slammed straight into his wall with a heavy thud while heaving desperately. A few moments later, his eyes shot towards his hand. Thankfully, it was still intact, though numb from strain. Relief poured through him, but it stopped short as he looked ahead.

The box was still open.

Jaire immediately lunged forward and slammed the box shut with a heavy slam. 

"Fuck...that..." He spat out. It took another ten minutes for Jaire to fully calm down. Once he did, he opened the curtains for some fresh air and sunlight. That was when he glanced at the sundial.

It was noon.

Oh crap! I have to go!! Hastily he changed out of his clothing and into his Ceremonial battle gear. The gear composed of light but durable metal plates that were masterfully woven into a skinsuit to form defensive armor. It was specifically designed and crafted to endure the hardships faced at the Cermony without hindering mobility, allowing for each student to showcase their best abilities with reduced risk of injury. Though it was quite tough, it was not a substitute for armor. It was only meant to withstand forces that regular students could produce. True professionals in the five Paths donned heavier and tougher gear to combat the Zvyrs.

Within a few minutes, Jaire was out the front door and dashing through the back alleys. He was hoping to avoid the traffic upon the busy street, and since the Ceremony was such a huge event, he was definitely sure they would be packed. It's at the coliseum, so it's going to take at least 15 minutes through here even if I keep running at full speed. Arggg, don't people have anythinig better to do!?

Although he asked himself that, he also knew the answer. The Ceremony acted as not only a rite of passage, but a release from the tension. Life upon Tartarus was tough, and the constant barrage of Zvyrs reminded people on a daily basis of how dangerous the world truly was.

Rivivera, his hometown settlement, was one of 10 that still stood. Excluding the capitaly city of Charavalon, which stood at the center of human civilization upon a naturally protected plateau, each of the bordering settlements were under constant threat of destruction. From what he knew, there were originally 20 settlements established, but over time most had fallen to the Zvyrs. Lin herself was a refugee from one of these lost towns.

Therefore, to keep morale high and the people busy, the coliseum was built to host various of town-wide events and shows. And the most popular was the Ceremony of Ages, as nothing was more entertaining than watching, betting on, and cheering for a bunch of kids as they go through obstacles courses and fight for dominancy.

Oh man I am so late! Wait! He stopped and looked around. Am I going the right way??

Many of the buildings in Rivivera looked identical. They were brown, square, betwee one to three stories high, held simliar amount of rooms, held two windows upon each outer wall, and were topped with a flat roof.

According to Lin, this uniformed construction had two goals in mind: expansion and rebuilding. The settlement walls were rather large, reaching about 100meters high, and thus difficult to expand. Therefore, if/when the population began to boom, the people would need to build upwards instead, and as such the square buildings were perfect for that. Additoinally, if another attack happened to cause destruction upon the settlement, each building held simliar layouts that were easily reconstructed.

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Of course there were exception to this, as the more creative minds would carve designs upon their walls or hang trinkets and the such, but generally the populace kept their possessions within their premises and thus, if you had no idea where you were, it was easy to get lost.

Damn, I haven't been down this way in forever. I can try running on top of them? No that's incredibly rude. Damn it, let's just head back and-

“Boo!” A voice spoke directly behind him. Jaire yelped and spun around with fright. That fear soon changed to annoyance as he recognized his would-be attacker.

"Cut that out!" He barked. Can't my nerves get a break today?!

“Heh heh, sorry sorry," Lin giggled, "it's just too tempting when you're like that though."

"I'm not in the mood Lin." he grumbled. "Besides, what are you doing here? We're going to be late!!"

Before he could continue his mad dash, Lin wrapped her arms around him. "Awwww someone's grumpy! Where are you goingggg! Stayyyy!"

"S-stop! The ceremony is starting!" Is she insane?!

"Ohhh? Is it?? Then, why haven't I heard the pomp and circumstance begin?" She asked with a mock-confused look upon her.

"T-that's because-! Uh...wait..." That's right, horns beging blasting half an hour before it begins...so what...Thinking back on it, he hadn't really checked the sundial, only giving it a glance before dashing away. Perhaps he had made an error?

"Lin...what time is it?"

"Mm, Imma say close to 11. Why? What time do you think it is?" She giggled as she let him go.

I'm an idiot. He groaned and slumped against a wall. I'm seriously not having a good day.

"Hmm, let me guess, 'I'm an idiot, today sucks.' Something like that?" Lin questioned as she stood by his side.

How does she do that? Lin always seemed to know exactly what he was thinking, even when he wasn't completely sure of it himself. He once asked if it was part of her magic, but she promptly denied it, claiming her magic doesn't work like that. But maybe-

She sighed. "No Jay, I can't read your mind with my magic. Like I've said dozens of times already, you just have a really easy to read face."

No I don-

"Yes, you do." She giggled.

"Bah, whatever." He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her onto him. She yelped in "surprise" as she fell into his embrace.

"J-Jay!" She spoke while her face flustered. "S-stop, we're in public."

"Come on baby, no one's around, let's have some fun." He spoke with a smile as he pressed her body onto his. Although his suit made it impossible to feel anything but blunt pressure, he played his part with a smile. She weakly tugged away, turning her head this way and that while continuing to gently berate him.

He knew she could escape at anytime she wanted to, being one of the top students at the Academy and all, but this was part of the game she liked to play, where she was the 'damsel in distress', as she called it. Due to her family's influence, Lin had in her possesion books that supposedly came from Earth. They ranged from scientific and philosophical ones, to comedies and thrashy romances. She had lent him her books over the years, and over time he learned to play his part in her fantasies.

"You know you want it too baby, I know you do."

"S-stop it! You animal! You-"

“Shouldn’t you two get a room?” A deep voice broke from above. Jaire jolted in place as Lin slipped out of his embrace. while a cloaked figure landed on the floor next them.

After a short pause, it slowly unraveled and straightened. Within, a guy with a painted face looked at them with dull, uninterested eyes. He wore the ceremonial battle gear as well, but his was dyed in blacks and greys, and he sported a long black cloak.

“Jaq?!” Jaire shouted, “Where the hell did you come from!?”

“From above." Jaq responded, “You should be more perceptive, child.”

“Oh god for the last tim-WE ARE ALL THE SAME AGE!” Lin snapped, face redder than a cherry. “How long were you up there for?!”

“From the start. I was intrigued by Jaire’s frantic run and so I followed him. Turns out it was just a romantic rendezvous. Figures.” Jaq replied with a clique of his tongue.

“No it wasn’t!!” Jaire yelled, “She was just...wait really? From the start? Why didn't you come down sooner?...What were you hoping to see Jaq?”

“W-what?!” Jaq stuttered in his regular voice, “No! It wasn’t lik-”

“Pervert.” Lin cut him off with a disgusted look.

"What he do this time?” A female voice came from down the alley. The trio turned to the approaching female. She donned the same ceremonial gear but with the sleeves removed to expose her menacingly buffed arms.

“Hey Cherry!” Lin happily waved. "Did you follow Jaire too?"

"Yes." Cherry responded.

Damn, her too? Jaire thought with a frown. All jokes aside, I really DO need to be more perceptive."Hey CC.”

“Greetings CC, how are-”

“So!" Lin interjected, "Here I was here having an innocent conversation with Jay when JAQ decides he wants to be a CREEP and STALKED us! Can you believe that?!”

“Yes.” Came the curt reply.

“WHAT?! That’s not what happened!” Jaq cried out.

Both continously interuptted each other while trying to tell their stories, but soon the conversation jumped to a variety of other topics as Jaire and Cherry joined in. Like that, time lazily passed them by.

"Tch, watch your tongue, you are speaking to the greatest Slayer that ever lived." Jaq shot back to Lin, who had criticized his over-the-top outfit.

"Pfft, you?" Lin responded, "Pleeeaaase. You never even stood a chance against Cherry if not for Jay's help."

"True." Cherry responded.

"Hey!! I can totally beat-"

"Oh?"

"Uh...I mean...eventually, not now. But besides you've trained to be a Bulwark so that's different! Compared to other Hunters, I'M the greatest one there is!"

"Oh yeah? And what about-"

Jaire zoned out, good cheer washed away by melancholy.

So this is it.

At long last, it was time to part ways. Jaq would join the Hunters, CC the Bulwarks, and Lin the Seekers. Three completely different Paths. 

After the Ceremony, every new recruit would have to spend a full year at the bootcamps of their respective factions. There they lived with little to no connection with the outside world. They would gruelly train to survive outside the walls, to fight alongside one another, and to deepend their loyalties to the cause. On Tartarus, one mistake could lead to the deaths of thousands of people, thus nothing less than absolute perfection could be tolerated.

What if they find other friends? Ah who am I kidding, they definitely will. For most, childhood friendships just couldn't compete with the bond shared between faction members. They fought together, bled together, and in many scearions, died together. That unity ran so deep that most people continued to live near one another or within the compound even after the year had ended. In most cases, they also married one another. That's just how it goes. And I'm no better, I'll probably end up with someone from...from...

He still had no idea which faction to choose, sullying his mood further. How can I though?! It's not fair! Why can't I just work for each huh? I'm strong! I'm more than capable!...why does it have to end like this...and how are they so chipper? Don't they realize this is our last time together? By this time tomorrow we will have to report to our Paths. How are you guys-

A hand squeezed his own and Jaire looked up.

“Jay?" Lin spoke with a soft smile, "Do you want to help me belittle Jaq for some laughs?"

"What?!" Jaq retorted, "The audacity! Tch, how- blah blah blah"

Lin smiled at him as she squeezed once more. "It's okay Jay, let's just enjoy it yeah?"

...oh god she's right. I'm so stupid. Of course they are thinking about it too! But instead of sulking they want to just enjoy the moment. Ugh I'm being such a screw up! Okay, it's not too late, I can still-

*THOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMPF*

Horns blasted, drums began, and cheers shouted in the distance. The Ceremony of Ages was about to commence.

No...no no no I...

"Well...guess this is it."

Cherry stood and the others followed suit.

"..."

Seconds passed in silence, as the four glanced at one another.

At last, Cherry moved. She approached both Jaire and Jaq, raised her hands to them. Jaire instinctively flinched, and saw Jaq do the same, as a smirk crossed Cherry's face. She gave them both a pat on the head before turning towards Lin. 

“Thank you.” she spoke, and proceeded to hug the tinier girl.

Tears swelled in Lin’s eyes. “Oh Cherry! I’m going to miss you so much! Take care of yourself! Please don’ for...f-f-forget..”

Lin began to full on cry as Cherry comforted her. “There there. I will be fine. Be a good girl.”

The girls stayed embracing, while Jaire gave Jaq a glance. Awkwardly they both shuffled in place.

"Tch, how childish."

"Mm, yeah."

"..."

"..."

"..."

“So, uh, take care I guess.”

“I always do.”

Jaire sighed internally. I don’t know what I expected.

"You too.” Jaq hurriedly spoke before approaching the girls.

Heh. 

“Excuse my impoliteness," Jaq began, "but we must be off. Let us make haste CC, I believe they deserve some time alone.”

With a final squeeze, Cherry let Lin go and walked off with Jaq.

“Well then," Jaire smirked, "That was a scene.”

“Shut up! This is very emotional okay?”

“Oh yeah I get it. It was...heartbreaking to be honest.” Another pang of sadness hit him. Does it really have to be this way? Isn't there anything we can do?...am I really going to lose-

Suddenly, Lin embraced him. “Don't think that way. Never.”

“Think what way? I don’t know what you-”

“Enough. Please.” She spoke while squeezing him tighter as his plates pressed into him.

I'm...

“Hug me dammit.” Came her annoyed voice.

Obediently, he embraced her.