_{O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y Saturday 6 June 9 A.M. Operation Downfall has begun.}

---

It was unusual for the academy to be teeming with life on an early Saturday morning. And especially this time of the year, if one could still distinguish such time. The graduation ceremonies had reached their respective ends a week ago. But this year was different from all the previous ones. Oakridge had been in a stir for several months due to the final preparations of Operation Downfall. The army had requested each and every capable student of the academy to join the efforts. And seeing as the headmaster of Oakridge, Cid Dysely, was a retired but highly esteemed and decorated army general, it would have been foolish to think that he would refuse such a request.

The regular students of the academy had been assigned to various platoons and squads of the army. Their age dictated the overall danger of the assigned posts. The older they were, the more dangerous their mission would be. Guardians on the other hand were instructed to choose more specialized assignments in addition to aiding the efforts at the frontline. The information boards at the academy’s main entrance contained the specifics for each mission available to Guardians. The area had been completely packed when the information was initially published, but thinned out ever so slightly with each passing day.

Olivia Celestine was one of many Guardians at Oakridge Academy. She had been more than annoyed at the lack of enthusiasm from other graduates at the celebrations. Everyone seemed so tense and on edge because of Operation Downfall. It had been as if she was partying by herself. Olivia had been forced to do most of the fun with a close friend and Guardian, Selene Palamecia. It was not that Olivia did not like her, but Selene was not the best of people to socialize with. If there was a female equivalent of the Grim Reaper, Selene was it. Regardless of such annoyances, Olivia spent her morning choosing a mission.

There were four missions available to Guardians at this time. Olivia read the top most one and worked her way down on the holographic information board. A Nexus reactor was about to blow up, the filth of Doral were up to no good, the weaklings at the frontline needed help, and big magical monsters in the mountains threatening to destroy everything—great options. Olivia pretended to read the details of each mission for a good five minutes or so. But in reality she had already made up her mind. She was going to the frontlines, into the heart of the Dark Zone. The reason for that decision was not entirely obvious to the plain eye, but those who knew Olivia well would certainly have their suspicions.

Olivia suddenly jolted where she stood, noticing a figure in the corner of her eye. It was Selene. She was battle ready in her signature, black flowy garments and mighty Fleshreaver scythe scraping against the floor behind her, as she dragged it along.

“Damn it, Selene, why do you have to be so creepy, sneaking up on people?” Olivia sighed, scratching the back of her head.
“Yes,” Selene muttered.
“What? That’s not an answer—whatever. Which mission are you doing?”
“Whichever is closer to death… the blood sings to me.”
“Oh my Lord, one of these days you’re going to drive me crazy with your weirdness. You’re like this impending doom walking around, probably thinking about graves and dead people. And don’t you know that you are damaging the floor by dragging that awful weapon around?”
“Graveyards are peaceful, and dead people cannot lie.”
“Are you implying that I’m a liar?”
“No?”
“Why do I get the feeling that you are going to be the death of me one day?”
“Not me, him.”
“Who?”
“You know who. He is why you are going there.” Selene pointed at the frontline mission displayed on the information board.
“Making a lot of assumptions are we?” Olivia glanced at her friend with a sullen look.
“How can they be assumptions if they are true? I know you, you know me; we know each other enough to know that Sam is the reason why you are going there,” Selene mused.
“He’s alive, and that’s the end of it.”
“Not in these sense that you remember him.”
“What the Hell does that mean?”
“You know what happens to people in the DZ, especially people such as us. You either die or you go insane, one worse than the other.”
“That’s not true, Selene. Plenty have survived and come back.”
“Good luck to you, then.”
“You’re not going to help me?”
“No.”
“That’s right, you only care about yourself. No wonder they have you on that list,” Olivia turned away from Selene, her mind made up.
“You know what’s amusing, Olivia? If they knew what I know about you, you would be the one near the top of that list—not me.”

The administration of Oakridge Academy kept detailed files on all Guardian students. Each such file contained a psychological analysis that measured the possibility of that student succumbing to ‘conflicting ideals’ during field missions in the Dark Zone. Rumors of these files have become known as The List among the students of the academy. Because of her disposition, Selene is potentially near the top of that list. But in reality it could not be further from the truth, as she truly despises madmen and religion. Among younger students of the academy, The List has become synonymous with how feared and badass you are.

“Selene, please—I have a real chance of finding him now. It’s not going to be like before, when I randomly asked you to help me. We have the whole army at our back this time.”
“I’m not going to help you search for your dead boyfriend, Olivia.” Selene spoke with a deadened tone, as she walked away, the sound of her scythe gnawing at the floor.
“Wait! Where are you going?”
“That Eidolon looks fun. I’ll be on my cell later when you need to cry.”
“Selene…!” ...Ugh... Why do I bother?... Olivia sighed.

There was nothing left to say. They had parted on somewhat questionable terms. Olivia remained by the information board, whereas Selene was well on her way towards the shuttle bay of the academy. Transportation to undisclosed areas was always by traditional vehicles. If a mission took place in a city, then the displacement device of the academy was available. Such was the case for those headed to Doral in search of army recruits and deserters. Those headed to Mount Kinabalu had to go by air to the base of the mountain itself. Aiding the army and the mission to reclaim the Nexus Reactor were on a similar path, reachable by land based vehicles.

This was the end game. There was no telling what would happen during the missions. It was the standard saying of the military: nothing ever goes according to plan. Guardians were granted free rules of engagement with opposing factions and civilians. Nothing could get in the way of the operation to potentially disrupt Libra’s liberation.

_{O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y -{}- Nicholas Vanceon -{}- T h e L o u n g e}

---

Even as he gazed at the neatly placed parts in front of him, dark-colored pupils refused to comprehend the reality of the surreal visage before them. Nicholas "Niko" Vanceon had made the same decision he made every Saturday and laid claim to the same patch of black wall and dark tiled floor that had become synonymous with his presence. The Lounge also remained as lively and abundant with the noise of amalgamated conversation as it always had been on weekends. The bright lighting and recreational activities strewn about the area did little to distract the recently graduated Guardian from the routine he created for himself. The array of mechanical parts placed neatly together rested on a rectangle of black fabric that had grown dingy with obvious years of use and a smattering of scattered clusters comprised of beige spots. In spite of the cloth they rested on, the parts themselves held the sheen and luster of a fresh clean and polish. Niko quickly became attached to his weekly cleaning of the weapon he held dear, but this particular session was more important than any of the previous. There was no more preparation or time for training; the recently graduated Guardian was already on the cusp of his first official mission.

Sitting cross-legged in front of his disassembled trick weapon, Niko continued to contemplate the situation. It was everything he wanted, truth be told. Having been admitted to the academy a lot later than most students, the twenty-three year old had struggled to stand out amongst the litter of his class, but it was only due to the determination he had fostered in the pursuit of his ultimate goal. Now that graduation was seven days behind him, the pressure he felt dissipated. One of the hardest parts of the journey was always going to be the initial academy training and now that was virtually finished. With a few blinks back into reality, he began the process of putting everything back together. As metal screwed and clicked into place, the young man could only appreciate the subtle juxtaposition; as the parts of his signature blunderbuss came together, so too did the vision playing in his head. Potential outcomes of prospective missions played themselves out in rapid fragments, piecemeal, in Niko's mind's eye. He could not tell if it was due to excitement or caution of the unknown, but neither of those things really mattered to him. He had already been to the main entrance and scoured the information boards briefly before settling on the operation he knew he had to tackle first.

The Dark Zone was always the subject of intrigue. Many different people were curious about the area for many different reason and Niko was no different. Part of him yearned to venture into the unknown simply to satisfy some sort of twisted sense of adventure, but the rest of him remembered that there was a lead he needed to follow and, of course, it led to the Dark Zone. Besides his personal goals however, the young man was firmly decided in the type of operations he wanted to be part of and the ones where he could contribute the most always topped the list. His definition of contributing the most boiled down to dwindling as much of the enemy as possible and there was no way recruiting in Doral or checking on some mystic creature rumor bullshit was going to satiate that end. The Nexus Reactor held interest simply due to the nature of the company in question, but that would also have to be saved for another day. As a Guardian, Niko had always envisioned himself on the front-lines meeting the philosophy he had been taught face to face. The only real way he could ever hope to understand the teachings of The Cathedral was to see the things they spoke of with his own two eyes and form his own perspective. In the meantime however, there were a few more pressing matters.

The butt-stock was always the last part attached and after the blunderbuss had finally been fully cleaned and assembled once more, Niko did not spare a moment to relish his handiwork before quickly standing and slinging the over-sized contraption over his back. Organization was not only enforced by the rigid structure of the academy, but also by The Cathedral. The black cloth was already folded perfectly and pocketed for the moment in ironed denims of a dark shade of blue under a fitting, equally pressed, black t-shirt rounded out by a lightweight pair of combat boots - the normal Oakridge uniform never did stick. With a black sheath housing his short-sword hanging on his waist and his area clean of anything he brought, Niko made a beeline for the door with a brisk walking pace. He passed throngs of soldiers and other Guardians enjoying the amenities of The Lounge before emerging in the wide walkways of the main corridors where the crowds were much thinner. It seemed like everyone was getting ready for Operation Downfall and understandably so; it was the biggest militant operation mobilized in a long while.

The main entrance slowly rose above the horizon as Niko neared the information board. Though he knew he was going to accept the mission to the Dark Zone, he remembered that he had not actually paid attention to anyone who may have signed on as well. There was no way a rookie Guardian would go alone obviously. He made out a figure as he neared the board and the feminine silhouette only got stronger the closer he got until he make out the identity of the person; it was Olivia Celestine. Even if he did arrive later than most to the academy, it did not take long for the then eighteen year old to either meet or learn of certain people. Olivia Celestine was someone he had never properly had a conversation with, but learned of early on. Deciding this was his opportunity to not seem so awkward, Niko did something completely unorthodox and contradictory to his core personality - starting the conversation.

"So... Uh... Which one are you going for? If I may ask, of course..." Niko immediately sighed and brought a nervous palm to his face. He still couldn't break the ice if he was given an ice pick.

O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y Ezra Malchet

---

The atmosphere at the Academy was most tense. Ezra had seen the graduating students become guardians before in the years prior, and no such darkness had held an iron grip over the Academy as it did now. Ezra, however, understood the reason why such a mood could grasp amongst all among the Academy. It was plainly evident why, and perhaps the only rational reaction to those who valued their lives and their safety. The entire Academy had been mobilized, and not only the recently graduated guardians. The older the students were, the more dangerous their position would be. By that reasoning, then, the specialized missions designed for the newly graduated guardians would be the most dangerous.

Ezra began walking towards where those missions were posted. It was very disappointing, in a way, that this was how he would have to depart from the Academy. Even he had things and people that he would miss here. Graduation was usually a time of celebration, but his class would have the least jovial departure in probably the Academy’s history. It was all due to Operation Downfall. At that moment, Ezra realized what exactly was wrong with the operation. How had it not occurred to Headmaster Dysely that that was a horrible name? It would have been better to call it Operation Success or Operation Victory. Surely, Ezra thought, there must be some greater reason why such a name would be given.

Ezra let his mind come back to the proper matter that was at hand, and not aimlessly wander to useless topics of worthless thoughts. Beside him was Olivia conversing with her friend, or at least that was what Ezra had assumed she was. What was her name again? He probably had never been told, or if he had it had only be indirectly, through the small talk of his peers. The time had probably come that he would no longer have to compete with that wunderkind, Olivia.

Looking down at the information board, Ezra already knew what operation he would be taking. His head faced downward, and he grabbed from his pocket a note Ezra that had been careful with, as he hoped he could make sure he could have it for a long time. He had already memorized its words, but looked down at the physical copy anyways. It told him, “If you desire to find the truth, then head down to Doral and search for the mightiest fighter there. Godspeed, my friend.” So when Ezra took a look at the information board, he knew immediately that it would be the one where men were taking recruits from Doral. Ezra didn’t know who the note was from, as he knew enough to rule out his mother, and there was no one else there who would think of aiding him in his quest for the truth.

After settling that matter, Ezra had begun to walk away. He would gather his things, grab his weapon, and prepare to depart. However, he saw Jaina Madison walking by, walking close to him, and his gaze became cold. There was a time when the pair of them were close, inseparable even. They had been friends, but now that simply the past, at least for him. He would never be able to forgive her the deceit she had done to him, for the lies that she had willingly uttered. Jaina looked up to him and gave a warm smile to him, and Ezra turned his head from her. Jaina, however, would not be deterred so easily. She came here to try and reconcile the two of them, and she intended to do more than just show a hurt look on her face and then somberly leave.

“Hey,” Jaina said, giving a small wave. When Ezra didn’t answer Jaina continued with, “Y’know, thought I’d just go and, y’know, drop in. So…uh, which one did you ever end up choosing?”

“I’ll be going to Doral.”

“Doral?”

“Yes. I suspect you’ll be following right behind me. That’d be just like you.”

“Hah, as if,” Jaina said with a sad smile. “Soldiers like me don’t pick where they’re stationed.”

Ezra was surprised. He had expected that father – no, Elijah – would have stationed her close to him. Was his influence not great enough to allow that, or did he no longer care about keeping tabs on him, and had something else in mind entirely? Ezra didn’t know the answer to that. Also, he honestly was not sure about how he felt about Jaina being away from him, as strange as that might have seemed. He supposedly hated her, yet now the knowledge that she would be far away from him bothered him, even frightened him.

“I’ll be heading out towards the Nexus Reactor,” Jaina said. “The army’s sending me out there to act as assistance for the guardians. I don’t have any magic or spirits, but I’m not so bad with a gun, if I do say so myself. I’ve no idea what’ll happen out there, and I reckon things could be pretty ugly.”

“No, you’ll be back,” Ezra said.

“Well, it’s nice of you to care.”

“Maybe,” Ezra said.

However, he still wasn’t willing to be nice to her. At the time he wasn't interested in any reconciliatory efforts between the two. She had withheld the truth from him for as long as she had known him, and that wasn’t something that he’d easily forgive. He walked away, and she didn’t follow.

Meanwhile, Ezra was walking back to his room. He was still surrounded by his thoughts when he saw that Elijah was once again checking up on him. After the truth had come out, Elijah had mostly avoided him. Yet there he was now, in front of his room, and he was currently exactly last on the list of people Ezra wanted to talk to right now.

“What do you want?” Ezra said.

Elijah merely smirked, and said, “The hostility never ceases.”

“You wiped my memories and then lied to me about my entire life.”

“Still bitter over that?”

“Yes.”

“Since you seem intent on continuing resistance, let me warn you. If you do not return by my side now, and declare your undying loyalty once again, you shall indeed regret it. For your own sake, forget about all this nonsense about your past. Perhaps that way you might live to see the end of it that way.”

Then a heavy gust of wind came, and Elijah was surrounded in shadows. Elijah vanished right before his eyes, and all that remained were a collection of black feathers that were scattered by a heavy gust of wind. Ezra had no idea how he did that, and he hated when he did do it. Clearly Elijah had issued both a warning and a threat to him. Ezra clenched his fist. He entered his room to grab his weapon, determined that he would not let Elijah bully him.

_{O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y Saturday June 6 Cameron Thael Conrad}

---

It was a beautiful morning for a run, even one as laborious as this. Sweat trickled down the back of Thael’s neck, giving his skin a faint sheen under the glare of an unusually intense sun. His breath came heavily, but steady, in deliberately measured breaths, fitting the cadence of his gait. Thael’s usual circuit of Oakridge’s campus wouldn’t generally be this exerting, but today, as he had for every run over the past week, Thael was wearing full combat armour. The nano-woven carbon kevlar composite baselayer most soldiers wore was, in Thael’s case, supplemented by duratanium plating that more than doubled the weight of the armour. With his spear and shield magnetically clamped to the back, Thael was in total dragging over a hundred extra pounds around with him. Far too heavy for a normal infantryman to fight in, the load was perfectly manageable for a Guardian, especially one with Thael’s physique. The fact that he’d been out late ‘enjoying’ a spirited but tense party last night didn’t seem to affect him at all.

He was finding it hard to contain his excitement. Certainly the missions would be dangerous, but Operation Downfall meant Thael was finally going to put to use all those years of training. The thought of it literally set him aglow as his spirits responded to his excitement, a frequent occurrence that had earned him the nickname “Goldie” to some. Thael’s spirits were unusual in some: they refused to respond to quiet meditation and contemplation, they never manifested as anything other than ribbons of light, yet they were extremely attached to Thael’s emotional state. He sometimes felt like he was carrying around a crowd of excitable yet stubbornly silent toddlers. Thael envied Guardians like his friend Jack, who seemed to be able to effortlessly commune with their spirits, even gaining insight into their values and perspectives. Thael considered himself lucky to have been able to even glean a few names from his over-attached-yet-still-distant companions.

That was part of the reason that the Kimbalu Eidolon mission drew Thael’s attention. Of the four missions Guardians were tasked with, Thael judged himself unsuitable for two of the missions; the Nexus reactor mission was likely to require stealth and subtlety in tight spaces, none of which were Thael’s strong suit. The Doral mission was not a good fit either; Thael had no desire to go begging a bunch of traitors and criminals for help. That left the Hammer taskforce and the Kimbalu Eidolon mission. Thael had very nearly signed up for the Hammer; two of his brothers--younger guardians--would be with the main body of the army, and he would’ve liked to be there for them. But after speaking with his friends about their plans, he’d reconsidered. Subira and Jack had seemed fairly intent on tracking down the Eidolon, while Rogart planned on joining the Hammer. He hadn’t spoken to Olivia, but Thael knew her well enough to know she’d be going with the Hammer as far into the Dark Zone as she could. With that in mind, Thael had decided on the Eidolon mission; if the spirit-being proved hostile, a couple hundred pounds of armour and muscle should prove handy. Thael definitely wasn’t following Jack on the mission. Definitely not worrying about protecting his friend. Definitely not letting his thoughts linger on what had happened between them after a late night workout not long ago…

Blushing slightly, Thael forced his mind down other avenues. He still needed to shower, change, and say goodbye to his siblings, and Thael had yet to actually sign up for a mission. With that in mind, he picked up the pace.

Within half an hour he’d checked off the first three items on his list. Kevin and Kyle were bursting at the seams with excitement; like him, they’d been itching to join the fight for years now. The youngest Conrad brother, Connor, would be staying at Oakridge. By far the brightest of the three, when Connor was not helping out in the school’s research lab he was undergoing tests and experiments. Connor was the only one who was not a Guardian, something which baffled Oakridge’s scientists. They’d been on the verge of proving that spirit attraction was a genetic trait when Connor showed up and threw a wrench in their theories with his complete lack of spirits. At first he’d been simply a test subject, but the research staff had been quick to recognize his brilliance and Connor was now a valued assistant as well. Thael was glad that Connor would be staying behind; one less thing to worry about.

Wearing a fresh set of combat armour, spear and shield on his back, rucksack slung over his shoulder, Thael arrived at the school’s main entrance and the mission boards. The first thing he noticed was Olivia Celestine, staring up at the boards. He strode up to her and threw a casual arm around her shoulders in a sort of half hug. “Let me guess: Hammer, right?”
He abruptly noticed Olivia already had company, and stretched out a hand to the young man beside her. “Sorry, I don’t think we’ve formally met. I’m Thael.”

_{OAKRIDGE ACADEMY ◆ Subira Arendse ◆ Oakridge Airfield}

---

Graduation had come and gone faster then many could have predicted. The culmination of their efforts and training all came down to today, and years worth of preparation for this very operation had finally come to a climax. With only a weeks passing since graduation Subira had found that many of her peers were still stuck in disbelief that their time training at Oakridge was over, the seriousness of the situation finally hitting them as they prepared for the beginning of the end. She had understood long ago that Operation Downfall would not only be the pivotal moment of their careers, but the key to saving humanity itself. This was what she and so many others had trained for, and while it was a lot to take in for many, Subira had awoken the day of the Operation and begun it like any other.

Albeit a few hours earlier than usual, she went about her morning routine of showering and eating breakfast before heading to the gym. Making time for personal training in the combat simulator after her morning warm up, the lack of her usual company allowed her to focus on her own thoughts and the specifics of the mission she was taking part in later that day. Searching, and possibly taking on an Eidolon. While her first choice had been to aide the front lines of the army, Subira had found her interest falling to the Mission at Mt. Kinabalu. It certainly wasn't the thrill ride she had been wanting for a first mission, but the experience alone had set off enough interest for her sign up.

To find such a creature would be worth the trip altogether, but to absorb one would truly be a feat worth fighting for. This intent had caused a bit of tension between her and Jack, but it was nothing she knew he couldn't get over. Their beliefs and relationships with Spirits were much different, Jack having a deep connection with his own and Subira having hardly any at all. With little communication besides ghostly lucid dreams every now and then, her relationship with her own spirits was much more basic and physical. As a child her connection was much stronger, having been able to decipher and understand their feelings and intuitions, but upon her acceptance at the academy Subira began to use her spirits more like a muscle. Training herself and calling upon them like a reflex until she began to see them as more of a necessity for strength rather than a gift. She was fortunate that Jack respected her opinion, but deep down she knew that her lack of respect still struck a nerve with him.

"Ah!" Pulled from her thoughts as she took a direct hit to the side from a simulated enemy, Subira was thrown from the ground before skidding to a halt inches from the wall. Sweat beading down her skin a soft grunt rumbled in her throat as she fought against her own momentum and took off running head first towards her attacker. Fists balled, the simulation took a step back as it lifted it's arm ready to hit Subira once she got close enough. Drawing in, her breathing hitched in her throat as ducked just as the punch was thrown and with a hard right uppercut, her fist smashed through the simulation bringing her simulation level to an end. " [ Tier 10 Combat completed, please exit to the right. ] " Heart pounding, and breathing heavy, Subira wiped the sweat from her brow and exited the simulation room. Wanting to be prepared for anything, she had pushed herself above and beyond in personal training today. There was no telling just how big or strong this Eidolon would be, and considering the kind of threat it posed to the operation she knew this mission wasn't going to be a walk in the park. Still, she couldn't help but feel more at ease knowing she was going into this with friends and acquaintances at her side, differences or not.

Hitting the showers and changing in the locker rooms in the gym, Subira adorned her usual casual attire of high waisted shorts, a bright orange t-shirt and her silver letterman. Taking a pair of black gloves and sunglasses from her locker, Subira slammed it shut before picking up her water bottle and making her way through Campus to the airfield. The morning traffic inside of the school was bustling as ever, students, soldiers, and fellow Guardians bustling around and preparing for the start of the Operation. Walking past the holographic information board, dark eyes noticed the growing number of graduates standing around it, talking to one another and taking in the information pasted on the board. Catching Thael standing beside Olivia and Nicholas, Subira kept to the back of the crowd and avoided any social contact with her peers. While she didn't mind catching up and talking with Thael, Subira wasn't all that interested in introducing herself and getting caught up in a conversation. With her mission in mind, the dark haired bruiser was more than eager to get started. So without wasting anymore time she skimmed over the information regarding the Mt. Kinabalu mission before twisting on her heels and heading off, having already signed up for it earlier that morning.

Following behind the flow of the crowd and heading to the back doors of the main building, Subira took the sunglasses hanging on the collar of her shirt and put them on as she pushed through the doors and felt the heat of the sun on her skin. Eyeing an aircraft carrier landing in the airfield across the parking lot of the campus, her gaze drifted to two figures standing outsides of the station. 'Wow, and I thought I was early.' Lip curving into a small half smile, Subira raised her hand and gave Jack and Selene a silent wave as she weaved through the parked cars. Adjusting her sunglasses and digging her hands in her pocket, Subira walked up to her soon-to-be teammates. "Morning." She said, throwing a small nod at Selene. Eyes narrowing behind her glasses, her small smile grew into a smirk as she glanced up at Jack, "So, how'd last night go?"

_{O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y -[]- Serenity Danvers -[]- Oakridge Academy Library}

---

The library was quiet.

That was an understatement, of course it was quiet. It's a library! However, the hallways were packed with students of varying ages going to and fro. There was chatter and excitement, some murmurs of rumors, some nervousness and two particular individuals making out as they walked. How the heck did they achieve that feat?

Serenity sat at one of the desks, a book in front of her. She wasn't studying. She wasn't researching. She was reading. That's all there was to it. She enjoyed reading. While others enjoyed the training sessions or tactical classes, she liked to read. Sue her, it's what she wanted to do. However she knew that she was supposed to be somewhere else. As a Guardian, she was to be called for on missions. Top notch missions that normal students didn't go on. These missions were big help for the war efforts and super important.

But damn this book was good!

Serenity gave a sigh as she saw a few other Guardians walk towards the notice board where the missions were posted. She wasn't putting off the inevitable, she wanted to go out on missions, to show off her skills, and to prove herself to her classmates who more or less classified her as either a bookwork brown-noser or the class clown ditz. Was school always like this? She had a few individuals she liked and talked to. Jack being one. She studied with him often and he was always nice to her. He was also pretty cute.

What? You'd have to be blind not to notice that!

Serenity quickly gathered her things and made a beeline for the board.

---

As Serenity neared the board, she saw a few other people at it. She recognized them as other Guardians in her classes. She stepped forward, thinking of talking to them, but she decided against it. She'd rather pick her mission and prepare herself for it. There would be time for talking on the way over.

She saw a few missions she liked, but one in particular stood out. Nexus Reactor? It sounded interesting, definitely important. She quickly signed up for it. She received a message conforming it and also the detailed roster of who would be joining her. She recognized the names, but didn't know who they were for the most part.

As others around her conversed with each other, she felt out of place. This was always the case, it seemed. She liked to joke around and have fun, but most of her friends weren't Guardians.

Instead she stood off to the side and waited until it was time to go. Perhaps someone would come up and say hi, but she doubted it.

---

Operation Downfall loomed over Oakridge for months like the Mordrem they were to face. Distant, unreal, but too quickly becoming a reality for many of the students that take part in the fighting to come. Despite the attempts of the student council and the administration, the atmosphere became more somber and more tense as the end of the school year drew closer and closer each day. Those who didn't throw themselves into their studies lost themselves in any form of escape they could find.

Luckily for the latter, Jack was very much an enabler of escapism and for months he and a small crew of others had planned a massive send off party to be held the day before many of the students would be shipped out. Fundraising came from everywhere, all to provide for the bass pounding music, the venue itself, and of course, top quality alcohol for the masses. Of course, there were cautions taken. No illegal narcotics, no sex, and there were bouncers to keep the peace, either volunteers or hired, all to provide good and relatively clean fun. After all, it would be no good for the military if the Academy's best and brightest were to be locked up the day before they were to be sent out on their missions.

All in all, it was to be a night of unrelenting hedonism. It was a night not to be necessarily remembered, but a night where everyone could forget the worries of the world and live. For many, it might have been the night of their lives.

For Jack, it was just another successful party.

---

---

It was by about three when the last stragglers of the party were sent back to their dorms, partyers who would no doubt regret their decision to stay so long in the coming hours. Much of the initial party crew had already retired for the night, but there were a few who had no urgent matters and stayed to help for the cleanup. Jack himself stayed up all night, mingling with some and caring for others, making sure everyone had a good and safe time. There were a few issues of some of the Guardians peacocking their powers, but others quickly put a stop to them. Afterwards he helped with the cleanup, thanked the crew that stayed, and hit the showers, ready to wash the night off.

By the time Jack had finished drying off and gotten dressed, the world still lay dark. Despite his spirits nagging for him to sleep and rest his body, he took the time to walk the silent grounds, perhaps for the last time. Oakridge Academy, despite its faults, had still been home to him for many years, as it had been for a number of the other staff and students. A safe haven in a world where such were becoming few, it was scary to think that he may never set foot on these familiar grounds again. It was even worse to imagine how many of his friends would never set a living foot in this world again.

Jack's mind was gently shaken from such thoughts as the sun began to crest over the horizon, though whether that was through his doing or the spirits it was uncertain. Truth be told, it was hard to discern what he still had control of over himself sometimes. Some Guardians struggle and curse themselves at their lack of communion with their spirits, being able to easily communicate with the beings that inhabit your every pore and crevice, beings that can influence your thoughts and change your mind was not something completely enviable either. While Jack did appreciate his deep connection with spirits in general, valuing their wisdom and guidance and certainly wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, there were times when Jack had to wonder who exactly Jack was.

His trance was quietly broken as an early morning runner breathed out a greeting as she passed by him. Celeste, he think her name was. Not wanting to seem like a Mopey Mary, Jack responded with a smile and a wave. As she ran out of sight, he let go of breath he didn't know he was holding.

Deciding he had spent enough time skulking about with his sullen thoughts, Jack went to get himself suited up and ready at the airfield where he would be taken to the Mt. Kinabalu staging area. While most people who knew him expected the spiritualist to go on the Eidolon mission given his prenatural ability to commune with spirits, Jack actually had much more interest in retaking the Nexus Reactor since he deemed that having the reactor fall would be much more detrimental to Downfall and much more beneficial in the long run to the military than what a single rogue Eidolon could accomplish. When the Aesthetics Squad began conversing about their chosen mission and hearing that Subira had the intent to hunt down the Eidolon, however, Jack knew he couldn't let that happen. Knowing Subira, she would have been more likely to kill it first, or worse absorb it, both in his eyes a graver danger than trying to reclaim the reactor.

Within the hour Jack had kitted himself out in a light armored suit, standard survival garb, and his usual complement of weaponry consisting of an adaptable rifle and all of its attachments. His other gear, long since packed, was picked up from his room before he quickly headed toward the airfield with the morning personnel. Attendants politely guided him toward a waiting aircraft carrier, which was to be the transport for those headed toward Kinabalu. Amongst the myriad of supplies still littered about the ship, he saw several crates that were clearly listed for a MOV. Jack briefly wondered about his dad and attempted to call him one last time, but like all the other times Jack has tried recently, there was no answer. Jack pushed the obvious answer away and briefly wondered whether he would see his dad when they made the carrier would make the supply drop.

Just as the crowd began to grow larger and larger on the airfield as more students and personnel got ready for the Operation, he spotted Selene coming toward him, evidently one of the other Guardians who would come on the mission with him. He didn't know much about Selene aside from the more commonly known facts and from what little he's seen of her whenever Jack talked with Olivia. All the more reason for Jack to be on this mission, he supposed. Nevertheless, she was to be a teammate, and Jack offered a friendly smile and wave as she made her way over to the carrier.

Subira came by in short order in all her spunky glory. He took her smirking glance and playful question in stride as he put on an air of indifference. Through helmeted eyes, he examined his nails through gloved hands as one arm was crossed over his chest supporting the other. "Oh, you know," he breathlessly sighed, "it was just the best night Oakridge has seen since forever, you know. Nothing big. How about you, do anything interesting last night?"

---

---

---

_{O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y -[]- Graham Tosches -[]- The Crow’s Nest}

---

“Guess this is it” Graham muttered to himself as he leaned back against a cooling unit. Some students long ago nicknamed the place the ‘Crow’s Nest’ a long time ago; a small section of the Oakridge’s roof sheltered away from prying eyes hidden away among the venting system that kept the simulation rooms from overheating all the time. It was one of the academy’s worst well kept secrets fairly self evident from the amount of graffiti and cigarette butts that littered the small section of roof. It was far too early for the regular crowd to actually be up and about so at the moment Graham had the place to himself; he sat feet dangling off the edge watching the shapes of human figures move below going about their business. He had been up there for several hours now at this point, sleep hadn’t come to him last night and he needed somewhere where he could think by himself.

As he stared out beyond the horizon his left hand idly fished around in his pocket before he produced a cigarette from deep within the confines of his jacket. Officially all narcotics were banned at the Academy, old man Dysely having strong opinions about his students filling their lungs with ‘putrid shit’. Banned of course didn’t mean much of anything really, all it did mean was that you needed to be more creative on how you acquired and used such things. Hell that was why kids had discovered and passed down places like the Nest anyway. It was a long seated oral tradition that Graham could at least get behind. A flip of a lighter a few seconds later and the bitter taste of smoke filtered into his body, it tasted like home.

As he blew out a small ring of smoke and watched it drift upwards into the sky being scattered by the breeze, he contemplated the same thing that was on everybody’s mind, Operation Downfall. They had all just graduated and before they even had a chance to relish the thought of it they were all about to be thrown into the wood chipper. But that was what they were trained for as Guardians, professional suicide squads ready to do the things that no sane man ever would. Of course that wasn’t what the higher ups had said to them of course, no they said that they would be performing a great service for all of Libra, that it would be the turning point in everything, that they would be heroes. You never talked about casualties and the hundreds of pointless deaths that would evidently occur in the coming days, that was bad for moral.

Graham would be lying though if he said he wasn’t terrified of it all. It was that fear though that he lived for, the pounding in his heart that reminded him that he was still alive. That was way he had signed up to go to the frontlines right into the Darkzone. The stories that came back from the front where gruesome, terrifying and every bit intriguing. He wanted to take the fight to the enemy, to actually do something worth his time. When the army had taken him off the streets all those years ago they promised him a chance for a purpose, it was as good as time as ever. That and well unlike some of his fellows he had no family to worry about, no people he was leaving behind he could go get eating by some monster and nobody would care.

He took another drag from the cigarette as he reached behind his back and produced a large curved metallic object that shined in the morning sun. Upon the object in his own scratchy handwriting carved into the side read a simple word ‘Sera’. It was an antique really, a prototype built during the start of the War but passed over for more favourable weapons like the many gunblades that you see the guardians use today. Graham liked the device though it felt good in his hands and the brutal simplicity and elegance of it spoke to his own finer tastes. He ran a hand over the metal surface the sensation familiar and done with a deep level of familiarity as he hit the hidden latch that held the two halves of the blade together. A soft click sounded out into the air as the two halves of the boomerang split apart becoming two daggers that he grasped within his hands. He experimentally swung them outwards over the edge of the roof feeling the weight behind each swing. Seemingly satisfied he reconnected the two halves and restated the blade behind his back.



And just like that she was gone again between the blink of an eye. She was right of course whatever was bound to happen was going to big there was no doubt about it. Operation Downfall would decide the fate of the world but this time it was different. Or at least that was what he would keep on telling himself. With a modicum of effort he pushed himself upward and back onto his feet. He looked skywards and he figured that it was about time for him to get going. He dropped the cigarette to the floor and grinded it against the roof with his heel. He took once last look around his old haunt dreadfully aware that it was probably the last time he would see it for awhile yet if at all beyond this point. Giving a wave to the ghosts of the past he made he was way over to one edge of the roof slipping down onto a large ventilation pipe that hung to the side of the building and began to shimmy his way down towards the ground floor.

Once upon solid ground he quickly cut his own path across the grounds going as the crow flies at a light jog towards the embarkation area. He passed some other students and recent graduates that he knew and returned their waves or nods as he made his way onward. He was popular enough at the academy his devil may care attitude being something of an attraction point towards some, finding him labeled as one of the ‘cool kids’. Yet he couldn't particularly say that he knew many of the people that waved at him, maybe first names or faces but he wasn’t really the type to make friends. Not that it mattered now of course, he wondered how many of those faces would be dead by tomorrow.

As he made his way over he ran over the mental checklist in his head he was already wearing his combat armor simple and close fitting combat armor black in color was kept on his body and he had run maintenance on Sera already. That was all he really needed as the rest of the gear that was provided would be mostly sent en masse or if worse came to worse could be picked up at the front for a quartermaster. Not that they would need much of anything else while one wanted to be prepared when they entered the Darkzone if you went in over encumbered and bringing unnecessary equipment with you it would be as much as a death sentence as forgetting something important. It was all about balance, something that Oakridge had taught its students well enough.

Graham soon arrived amongst the transports getting ready to either leave for the Front or towards the Nexus Reactor. Maintenance crews ran about making sure each transport was properly fueled and was carrying that right equipment, and Guardians and regular soldiers alike were moving about trying to find their own designated transports and locations. Some calling out to one another and others just trying to make it through the crowd. As Graham made his way through the crowd bobbing in and out of the human traffic and vaulting over the occasional cart or other object in his path. Eventually he found his way towards his own designated area for those Guardians heading towards the front lines.

To no real surprise as he approached he noticed another familiar face coming in one Monika Abendroth-Faye the girl with one too many hyphens in her name. Graham at least knew her though, he figured that she probably didn’t like him that much or at all. She was all about rigidity, perfection and toeing the line. Graham was well the opposite, he was laid back, he broke the rules all the damn time and didn’t seem to have a real care in the whole world. Nevertheless it never hurt to be civil. So Graham closed the distance giving her a small wave as he jogged over.

“Well of course you and your two handed sword of imminent demise would have chosen Hammer. I feel safer already.” He explained with a mock bow.

---

_{O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y Olivia Celestine Information Boards.}

---

Much was not required for Olivia to be smiling again. Whenever life resisted, there was always something around the corner to lighten things up. However, that was exactly what some of her friends had problems with, Selene in particular. Sometimes it was difficult to tell if Olivia’s smiling and elated mood was actually genuine. It could almost be interpreted as derogatory, as if she thought her friends children who needed to be lied to. Olivia suspected that it was only Selene who saw it that way, perhaps Monika as well. Those two were not the prime examples of positivity.

Olivia did not quite register the boy beside her at first. It was not until half-way into his sentence that she realized that he was talking to her. But, when he caught the attention of her senses, a blinding smile burst onto her lips as per usual. Upon inspecting his features, Olivia concluded that she had definitely seen him before. However, she could not quite remember where.

“If you may ask? I’m not a Holy relic,” Olivia chuckled, her eyebrows clenching together. Olivia’s spirits were predominantly of the Holy element, but she quickly realized that Niko probably did not know that and thereby did not understand the pun. “I’m for the Hammer,” she continued. “Where are you going? If you’re going for the Hammer as well, we can stick together if you want.”

…How long was he standing there?... Did he hear me and Selene talking?... That’s embarrassing…

Olivia cast a glance over Niko’s shoulder to see Ezra reading the information board. She knew who he was, as Olivia had briefly spoken with his friend Jaina at some point. At that moment, Golden boy Thael showed up and brightened the situation even further. If that hunk of a man was not into his own kind, Olivia would have been all over it.

“That’s right, hot stuff. All those hours slaving in the gym has to be put to the test. You’re coming too, right? Or did you change your mind?” Olivia spoke from within the comfort of Thael’s embrace. She was eager to hear the other boy’s name, though, as him and Olivia had not been formally introduced, either.

Olivia returned the greeting from Eric, as he passed by. Her smile widened at the sight of the boy’s caring for his enormous friend, which afterwards approached the little group by the information board with a blunt greeting.

“Well, hello there Rogart, it’s nice to meet you! My name is Olivia. And yes, some of us are going with the army today. I assume you are as well? You can stick around with me, if you want, and we’ll go together,” Olivia said.

In the corner of her eye, Olivia caught a glimpse of Serenity. She knew who the girl was by name, but had never spoken to her in person. It was strange to Olivia how such a lovely looking individual was so reserved, but shining bright at the same time.

“Serenity!” Olivia called, trying to get the blonde’s attention. “Are you going with us? Come here,” she gestured with her hand for Serenity to join the rest.

Olivia’s focus was thereafter interrupted by Ollie and Monika arriving at the scene. They were the ever so heavily contrasting duo, much like Olivia and Selene.

“Indeed, very cheery,” Olivia agreed with Ollie’s statement. “I think Eric was going to the Reactor. Serenity is standing over there, she might be as well, but I’m not sure,” she continued. It seemed as if everyone had arrived at the same time, Graham included, but quickly scattered again.

The academy garage was waiting. Monika was already firmly on her way there. They would indeed be transported by land vehicles, as would those headed to the Reactor. Those headed for Doral had the luxury of going by teleportation from within the academy, while those who chose the Kinabalu mission had to go by air.

_{O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y Selene Palamecia Airfield.}

---

The glimmer of the sun was unfit for a nocturnal creature such as Selene. The murmurs of the night were much more to her pleasure. Such endeavors usually posed problems during the semesters at Oakridge, but not during the summer months. This year would prove to be different, however. Whatever they were about to get themselves into with the operation would probably consume a lot of time. Selene hoped that some manner of nightly missions would become available to them.

To her delight, a storm system was visible in the distance towards Kinabalu and the other missions. It was impossible feel it on the airfield, however. Every available aircraft was being put to use. The rapidly rotating propellers were causing a stir. Selene’s hair and flowy clothing danced in the air; it was a bit of annoyance, but her spirits seemed to enjoy it. Yet another annoyance was standing around and waiting for what felt like nothing at all. Selene sought the attention of some random member of the flight crew, asking when they could take off. Apparently, they were waiting to get filled up.

The aircraft was a tilt rotor quad-copter. It was capable of vertical take-offs and landings identical to a traditional chopper, but the tilting rotors allowed it to gain greater speeds during flight. Selene and the other Guardians were not the only ones going to Kinabalu. There were at least fifteen other students of the army going with them. They had their own schedules and missions, of course. The Eidolon was strictly Guardian business.

“I’m with you two? Great,” Selene sighed and slammed her trick weapon together. She let the two go on about their social endeavors the previous night. A second later, the same member of the flight crew that Selene had bother earlier called for boarding. “Finally,” Selene muttered and walked towards the aircraft some moments away from where they were.

_{O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y Saturday June 6 Cameron Thael Conrad}

---

“I’m going to Kimbalu actually,” Thael told Olivia half apologetically. “I have a feeling they’re going to need me up there.”
With that, he stepped up to the message board and pressed his palm against the glass, tapping a few times, and his name appeared under the Kimbalu mission. When he turned around, it seemed the message boards had been flooded with classmates, both familiar and unknown. He didn’t have time to speak to all of them, the transports would be leaving soon. He gave Olivia a final hug, whispering in her ear; “Keep everyone safe, yourself included” then drew away, wading through the throng towards the hangar. He caught Rogart’s gaze, and the two exchanged a wave and a long ranged fist-bump; the growing crowd was too loud to try and exchange words.

Finally breaking free of the crowd, Thael set off towards the hangar at a light jog. He’d been giving the Eidolon a lot of thought since his conversation with Jack and Subira. He’d gotten the distinct impression they’d already talked about the Eidolon at length, and had disagreed on something. If he had to guess, Thael thought it likely that Jack was hoping for some kind of enlightening communion with the Eidolon, but Subira was a warrior, and she was probably thinking of a more militant approach. Hopefully their differences in opinion wouldn’t cause problems on the mission. Thael had his own thoughts on the matter. In terms of basic mission objectives, turning the Eidolon against the Mordrem would be the optimal outcome. But the enigmatic assembly of spirits couldn’t be controlled, couldn’t be deployed and supported like a military asset. In all likelihood it would rampage through the Mordrem for a time, then ultimately fall to them or return to its isolation. There had to be a way to gain something permanent and controllable from the Eidolon. Could the Guardians gain its spirits for themselves? Taking them by force struck Thael as both dangerous and foolhardy; didn’t Agressors go insane trying to do exactly that? But there had to be a simpler option; after all, Eidolons and Guardians were both formed from collections of frightened spirits. Shouldn’t the Guardians be able to convince the Eidolon spirits to join with them willingly?

Thael reached the hangar, still mulling over the problems the Eidolon posed. As expected, Jack and Subira were there. More of a surprise was Olivia’s angsty friend, Sabine or Selene; Thael couldn’t remember her name. Not that Thael knew her very well, but it did seem odd to see her here. He sidled up beside Jack and Subira. “Morning gang. Guess who decided to come to Kimbalu after all?” he said brightly.

_{OAKRIDGE ACADEMY◆Charles Arcan◆Morganna LeStrange}

---

Charlie's feet, once planted on the hard floor of the training room, were quickly lifted off the ground as he propelled himself up and over the cage of fire that was consuming his previous position. Or rather his spirit did but really, what was the difference? As long as he wasn't burned alive. He landed on the other side of his opponent with a thud, and looked up at the girl who he'd been sparring with. He and Morganna were training, trying to teach her to keep her emotions under control when using her spirits. So far, she hadn't totally lost it, which was definite progress. "You're doing good so far. Let's keep it up," he said, getting back into a fighting stance, ready to dodge anything else she threw at him.

If only Charlie knew the strain she was under. It wasn't because of the massive exertion it took to keep her spirits effect from overcoming, but the very foundation controlling her emotional impulse hacked away on how she was raised. Nefara wasn't something to be controlled but to be expressed in its full splendour. Why shouldn't she be feeling jubulant while her fire chased after her prey? Why couldn't others see the surface she was doing for all of Cetra? Why couldn't they see the necessity of the Fanatics? Unlike the city-states and its soldiers, they went into the dark zone. They purged the sources of infection. They did all the work. Not them.

Seeing Charlie avoid her flames so easily, it took everything in Morganna's power to not change their training session into a frenzied attack. Morganna was used to killing everything in her sight. Her time at Oakridge took a lot of time getting used to. The Petragradian government sent her here to play nice. If she didn't, she'd be killed. She had to play along with them a while longer. However, the training bouts may be ending soon. Word was a massive operation was about to be launched. The guardians here would be a part of that.

"Doing great? You keep on...!" Morganna took a deep breath. Deep breaths. That's what helped the excitement, the rage, the merciless. Tapping into a different spell, Morganna's hands started to glow. "Let's switch things up. From rapture to fury. You ready?"

Morganna didn't wait for Charlie to respond, she launched several fireballs at the flying guardian. No matter where she was, no matter if there wasn't any immediate danger near her, only the strongest survived. Only the strong. She planned on being among the strong.

Charlie ducked under one fireball with a smirk, and sidestepped another one. The heat had singed some of the hair off of his arm but he ignored it as he used his spirits to propel himself over the final fireball. This time, he didn't wait for another attack. He charged at Morganna before propelling himself above her, then landing, spinning, and sending an icicle straight at her.

He figured if his training partner could handle the stress of being attacked while also using her spirtits, she might stand a chance out in the field. He'd heard about the big operation, and knew already about the four missions that the Guardians were choosing from. He knew he'd go wherever Morganna went. He was worried that she might not be able to control herself out in the thick of it, and he didn't think he could live with himself if he just let her loose on the world.

When her attacks missed, Morganna simply couldn't take it anymore. The will to the violence was too much. The breathing technique failed as she hurled one fireball after another. "Quit moving you, twit!" she said. Following his air movement, Morganna followed his landing as she saw ice fly towards her. Side stepping it just barely, the violence gave way to exhilaration. "Didn't you know? Fire frowns upon the ice."

Fighting the impulse to continue her frenzy, she did her breathing. Her instincts fought against the foreign concepts of calm, but Morganna knew what she was capable of doing. Massive destruction in a short amount of time. There was an incident a few years ago where she almost burnt down a locker room. A guardian was teasing her and questioning the logic of her faith. It was her second strike. She wasn't keen on finding out what happened if she got the third.

Charlie noticed her small slip up. It wasn't nearly as bad as it could've been, he knew that, but he commented anyway. "You lost it just a little there. But otherwise you did good. Great even," he said, wiping some sweat from his brow. "I think we can call that done for today. Have you heard about the missions they're offering up for us?" he asked, walking over to the side of the training room where he had an ice cold water bottle waiting for him.

He knew which mission he was planning on. The issues over in Doral seemed like the best place for his skills, although he knew that he'd follow Morganna to whatever she thought was best. Diplomacy and intrigue had always been where he felt most at home though. He'd talked to Eliza this morning and she'd been set on heading to the Nexus Reactor. Something about the sense of etreme imminent danger being rather exciting for her.

Following Charlie to the benches, Morganna picked up her water bottle and took several large gulps. Food and water never became trivial to her. She knew what it was to starve. "It's boring," she said. "Do you people keep your emotions on a leash too? It's depressing. What's the point of living if you have to limit what makes you human? The good and the bad? Why don't you people embrace it? I don't get it."

Thinking back on the missions, Morganna wanted to go straight to the frontlines and start her violent rampage. Get back to her purpose. She had a sick feeling the higher ups wouldn't approve it. She'd made 'progress'. Why lose it now she figured them thinking. How stupid they were. If they had a weapon, use it. She was a weapon. A tool for Ifrit. Every death was for it. She had to fulfill her purpose. She had to.

But she had to be smart.

"I'm going to Doral," she said. She tossed her bottle back on the bench. "Recruiting, intrigue, all that jazz. Trust me when I say that I'd rather go on Hammer. To lose myself to the wonderful stench, death, and chaos of the battlefield. But, we need bodies to throw at the Mordrem. To purge away the stigma filth." She looked at Charlie. "I will get those bodies and fill them with purpose. If they die? Everyone does at some point. It depends on how we die that matters. So says the tenents giveth onto us by Ifrit."

"Well, you're reasoning sounds slightly flawed but I'm not around to turn you away from your religion. I'm just here to make sure you don't burn the place down, which I think I've done an outstanding job of so far," he said with a grin. He gulped down the last of his water and stood up.

"Well I think I'll be joining you on that one. I've never seen Doral, and I think I wouldn't be half bad at getting some people to join us. Though, I don't know if my reasoning is as exciting as all your tak of Ifrit, but it works for me." He smiled at his student and then held out a hand to help her up off the bench. "Well, we better get going. Don't want to get left behind on our first mission."

Morganna shrugged. "As long as we kill Mordrem, it doens't matter the means." Looking at Charlie's outstretched hand, she ignored it and stood up. She didn't need anyone's help. She wasn't going to start now regardless if she was a guardian or not. "Let's go then. I'm tired of this place. Finally, back out in the world. I'm excited. You should be as well. One's worth is proven in war after all."

---

Leading the way to the central atrium, the extravagance of Oakridge was something was still getting used to. There was too much luxury here. She wagered a handful of these ' guardians' haven't ever encountered a Mordrem before. Those creatures were the vilest of the vile. A perfect example of what those infected with the stigma would eventually succumb to. It further brokered the question why her people were so frowned upon. Was it not a mercy to kill a man while he remained a man? Sentimentality got people killed for foolish reasons. She'd seen it back in Anatolia.

Making her way through the crowd, she went up to the board and saw the mission prompt for Doral. She looked back to Charlie. "You sure you want to tag along? Babysitting's probably bored you to death." She rose an eyebrow. "I could keep a secret, if you'd rather ditch."

Charlie smirked over and Morganna. "You trying to get rid of me? Well trust me when I say it'll take more than that," he said. He moved through the crowd and over to the mission board where he promptly signed up, not even hesitating. Sure, he'd rather be going on a mission with Eliza, to keep her safe, but he knew very well that she could take care of herself. Plus he didn't have to worry about Eliza setting a whole city on fire. After he'd finished signing up he stepped back and made a rather exaggerated gesture, signaling for her to sign herself up.

Biting back a crude retort, Morganna signed up for the mission as well. As much as Charlie annoyed her, he became familiar from their time together. He was one of the few guardians that didn't try to attack her for her fanatic history. "A girl's gotta try," she said as she stepped back. Looking about, Morganna wasn't sure what to do. Since they were heading to another city-state, they'd be taking the teleporter. "...Do you know when we leave?"

Charlie shook his head at her inquiry. "No idea, but this thing says we're taking the teleporter. I'm guessing it's gonna be soon. No need to waste any more time. We should head down, grab our gear along the way. Come on," he said, beginning the push through the crowd of people and towards the armory, all too ready for the mission ahead.

_{O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y -[]- Serenity Danvers -[]- Information Boards}

---

Serenity watched the others gather and converse with each other. She noted who she saw by name. She knew them all, all very strong in their different abilities. She was determined to get to know them better. Being a Guardian wasn't a lonely job, you had to rely not only on your spirits, but on those on your team. Rarely would you go on a mission alone, so it was important to make good relations with the others.

Why was she so nervous about talking to others? She couldn't help it, she felt. It wasn't as if she went out of her way to avoid communication, if she was talked to, she would respond. Maybe it was her drive to better herself in the Academy and didn't want to be distracted? It was as good a reason as any.

As her thoughts mumbled, she heard a voice ring out, “Serenity! Are you going with us? Come here." Serenity looked up to see Olivia calling her and beckoning. She knew Olivia well enough. She was amazed by her combat abilities and her spiritual gifts. Her use of Holy magic was especially mesmerizing. Serenity smiled softly and nodded, "I am going to the Nexus Reactor. I know of the others going with me." As if on cue, she felt the weight of another's arm on her shoulder as she made her way over to the group. She looked over to see Ollie's smiling face looking at her. "Serenity! Shall we head to the garage then? I'm eager to see if the others for our little adventure have arrived. I don't know this Eric very well unfortunately. But it won't hurt to arrive a bit early and see who we are traveling with, yeah?" he said. She couldn't help but slightly blush, the man was kind enough, and handsome obviously, she never had someone of the opposite sex so close to her as he was. She maybe had daydreams of Jack doing so in their study sessions, but she never imagined it progressing. "Yeah, that would be a good idea. We could get a better idea of how we'll handle combat situations based on the other people's skills and.."she paused. "Getting to know them would be better than discussing strategy. Sorry. Eric seems like a nice guy, very skilled with a rapier, he should be a handy addition to the team." she finished with a small sigh, she went kind of overboard there. She hoped she didn't scare Ollie.

_{O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y Ezra Malchet}

---

Ezra walked down the pathways of the Academy in a joyless strut, quietly traversing the halls of the Academy. From up above, the rays of the gleaming sun beat down on head and shined through his long and flowing black hair until he approached deeper into the Academy. His gunsword was slung onto his back, held inside a hard black sheath slung over him with a thick black leather strap. As he walked through the Academy, weapon slung over his back, he came to realize that this was indeed farewell to the Academy. So far hectic events had not yet allowed the feeling of departure to flow through him, but now Ezra could feel it now, with everything fiber in him now telling him that he was leaving his home. Even so, he dared not give a glance back for fear he might end up mired in the feelings of nostalgia he may not be able to escape easily.

He looked onward towards his destination, the journey’s true end as far as his life at the Academy was concerned. In front of Ezra stood the displacement device, contained deep inside the Academy. Ezra gazed at it, the stationary device gently glowing. From there he would be whisked away to an unfamiliar land in but the time of a mere moment. Graduation had flown past him quicker than he could have ever imagined, and now standing before him was the moment when he was to truly become a Guardian. It no longer was merely a title, which was his to wave around in pride as he pondered all on all the effort he had exerted to receive it. It was now a responsibility, and as the moments passed by this was becoming elucidated to Ezra more and more.

As he walked forward, it seemed to Ezra that he was not yet ready. The thoughts that had flowed through his mind and interrupted his train of thought were not altered by his epiphany of the truth of the current change, even with his realization of the new reality. He was unsure of what this meant, and what it ought to mean to him. When he gazed back at the Academy he saw the past, yet the portal in front of him forewarned of the future. However, what is was that so teared at his mind was neither, but rather the present. There was something he had left unfinished in his life here, and if he left untouched as it were he would feel its burden weighing down upon him.

At the moment the realization came that he had left the greatest friend he had ever know and ever shall know hanging. True, she had lied to him, deceived him, and had played her part in leading him astray, yet he knew those things alone were not enough to weigh against the merits of her friendship and allow for him to abandon her in good virtue. He knew now that he could not leave things as they were now and ever expect to every leave here as person fulfilled. He needed to make things right with his one and greatest friend, Jaina Madison, who had help carry him throughout his life, and who shared a bond with him which no other would ever come to approach.

Yet even though that realization had come, Ezra would not have the luck he would have so craved. Jaina was nowhere to be found. Searching high and low, in the areas which she often visited, in areas that she tended not to, and he even searched through her own quarters, but Ezra had no luck in finding her. He knew that he must be running out of time, as the hour of departure had dawned. He turned back, and arrived once again to the displacement device dwelling deep in the Academy. His hopes dashed, there remained only one option in order for him to leave satisfied. He would return alive from this mission, and she would continue alive from hers, and the pair of them would reconcile.

As Ezra had headed there, he saw a pair of other students which he had seldom seen here at the Academy, but he still knew well enough that they were former students recently graduated from Oakridge, the same as him. To look at them was to look at the sun and the moon or light and darkness, like some kind of duality or dialectic. Odder was the fact that they seemed to be walking together, which revealed that they knew each other well enough to have arrived to the mission together.

“So, are the two of you also going to Doral?” Ezra said as he prepared to go further in.

---

_{O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y Jaina Madison}

Jaina took one last look at the Academy, taking in all her memories which laid there. Then her head turned back, and she looked onward towards the future. It had been a pity that Ezra had not taken to heart her efforts for reconciliation, and the two of them could not depart from each other as friends. Now she would leave with a great regret, too late for further action in that course to be chased.

Jaina held her weapon in her hands, a specialized assault rifle equipped with both a scope and silencer, rifle loaded with the clip firmly plugged in at the bottom. At her sides sat her heavy pistol held in her holster and her short sword inside its sheath that hanged off of her belt. Jaina wore the uniform specialized forces of the army, clad from head to toe in heavy black armor. A guardian she was not, and consequentially her appearance bear no resemblance on their kind. Her job was to accompany them in combat and assist them as one who was apart from them, yet their equal nonetheless. She was to overcome the gap that control over magic gave through sheer ability, achieving excellence in the things a mere human can achieve.

Jaina stood guard near the transportation trucks which would take them all away to the Nexus Reactor. She gave a gentle smile to the Guardians as they approached. She hoped, even with her position as an outsider, that she would be able to gain a few friends here. She would worried that they might see her merely as an interloper, but she hoped that that thought was in vain.

---

_{O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y -{}- Nicholas Vanceon -{}- M a i n E n t r a n c e}

---

Stick together.

The utterance of such a simple, harmless phrase raised the hairs on the back of his neck and sent chills dancing across his skin; echoes of broken memories cycled rapidly through Niko's mind and - even while standing there, having yet to reply - he immediately summoned as much willpower as he could to banish the escaped moments back to the dark corners of his mentality. Flashes of imagined stings and throbs crackled against portions of his body and though he knew he was long passed the events that seared these intangible beasts into his brain, his feet instinctively took a few steps back and a small breath parted temporarily stiff lips in a wispy whistle only audible to the Guardian himself. Olivia held no responsibility for the internal outburst Niko suffered, but she still had inadvertently squeezed a verbal trigger.

"I'm... I'm going to the Hammer. I jus-" Niko stammered until Thael, the prototypical mountain of a Guardian, threw a beefy arm around Olivia. The boy had not noticed his looming presence, but the sight of the man instantly brought Niko back to his senses. His posture straightened and a calming hand ran through black curls before a sigh was released. It was embarrassing for sure, but the gun wielding Guardian regained his composure rather quickly. It was not like he disliked Thael in the least - hell, he did not even know him enough to dislike him - but seeing the bigger man's more natural demeanor brought stability and a reminder that the past was just that - the past. As Olivia happily melted into the throes of one-sided flirtatious non-reciprocation, Niko gave a half-hearted wave to her and the arriving Rogart before turning and heading towards the deployment garage.

He slipped passed briskly moving bodies and bustling activity without really seeing the path ahead. Thoughts consumed him, but this time he willingly gave himself to the jolts of a time that now seemed surreal. He saw the forests again, trees towering over one another with twisted limbs and aging bark that contrasted against the thickened and strong looking trunks that held each in place. He saw the overseers and their pristine white robes clutching the coiled leathers reserved for punishment and weakness and their exaggerated faces shouting orders and instructions in tandem. He saw the student forced to be the "protege's" partner and the path before them that would instill a false sense of security before revealing the ugly truth of where it actually lead. The sounds of a tense silence shattered by foreign snarls and growls slowly became audible in the flashbacks as well as the mysterious student's voice. It was understandably high-pitched for a boy of only thirteen, but Niko still remembered the feeling of surprise every time the boy would speak. He also remembered those fateful words that mark the day indefinitely in his fractured memory: We should stick together.

The deployment garage was a spectacularly huge area that ticked all the boxes of your average military vehicle hangar. Platoons of Guardians and soldiers alike scurried to and fro loading into vehicles or rushing to posts to make sure every effort, every mobilization went as smoothly as it possibly could go and then some. The academy had always been a strictly disciplined environment and this kind of behavior brought a slight curve to the corner of Niko's mouth as he exited the sanctum of his mental sanctuary and entered the reality of Operation Downfall unfolding before him. The subtle excitement he held for deployment to the Dark Zone grew slowly as he slowed his pace and almost sauntered through the area, his eyes drinking in all the images around him. This was an organization he could respect and even if he got here later than most, he already appreciated his role and felt the urge to contribute become that much stronger in a single moment. Nearing the vehicle that would take a contingent to the Dark Zone, Monika's pale silhouette came into view.

Monika probably could not be called Niko's friend, but she'd had a significant impact on the Guardian all the same. Their training sessions were sometimes long and painful, but it had created a camaraderie between the two that helped the awkward young man feel comfortable when he was around her. Even in spite of the icy attitude she was well known for. Niko almost spoke before he noticed another male Guardian already engaged in conversation with her. Deciding against the more rude action of just waltzing in between the duo, he stopped a few feet short of the dialogue and took a lean against the massive vehicle.

_{O A K R I D G E    A C A D E M Y -[]- Rogart Hendrickson -[]-}

---

"It is my pleasure, friend Olivia. And yes, I am bound for Hammer. My friend Eric is going to Reactor, so sadly he will not be joining us."

The big lug smiled and shifted in his armour. The girl, Olivia, shone with energy, unlike the boy, Nicholas, who stood just behind her, brooding, most likely. Then arrived a more boisterous young man and a positively icy young woman.

She was...Monika, according to the mental list he'd memorised. The one with the big sword. She gave everyone a curt greeting, which included a brief once-over of his physique. He caught her eyes going over every detail of his build before muttering something under her breath and walking off. Both the other youth and Olivia made comments on her nature, which made him chuckle.

"She sounds exactly like a friend of mine from home. We used to call her ledyanaya koroleva," He leaned down, placed a big mitt near his mouth and mock whispered. "Which means "ice queen"."

Rogart chuckled as he straightened back up and adjusted the huge warhammer in its sling on his back. Humour was his way of lightening a situation. Taught to him by Counsellor Roberts. He liked to laugh. His sense of humour had, in some semblance, been passed on to Rogart.

Seeing Monika strut off and then get accosted again by another young man nearer to one of the vehicles, he nodded in her general direction and addressed his next question to those around him.

"So, shall we go join her? I think this is all of us."

---

_{O A K R I D G E    A C A D E M Y -[]- Eric Wormwood -[]-}

---

The young man was about to head over to where he knew other Guardians were, when he heard his name over the general din of the staging area. Almost immediately he swiveled around on his heel and headed back to where he'd heard those mentions, and was met with his old friend Olivia, standing together with Rogart, and a bunch of other Guardians whose names he wasn't familiar with. They were discussing their deployments, and upon him hearing the Reactor being uttered by two of them, a strapping black haired man and a pretty if shy blonde lady, he stepped into their discussion.

"I heard my name, is something the matter?"

Eric smiled his finest and, without pause, stepped forward and gave Olivia a hearty hug.

"It's good to see you again, Olivia. And yes, you were right, I am bound for the Reactor. Sadly my big bear of a friend here wouldn't do too well skulking around back halls or vents." He chuckled as he gently elbowed Rogart's middle. "Too big and noisy."

The big man, in return, reached down and trapped Eric in a meaty headlock, applying no pressure with his arms so he didn't hurt the youth. He playfully tousled his hair and let Eric go when he complained.

"Yes, of course, friend Eric. Too big and noisy, you call man who has frightened you at near midnight."

Eric scoffed and straightened his suit jacket and tie, making sure the navy blue tie was clipped firmly to his shirt.

"In my defense, it was dark and I didn't have my spectacles on. You know I need these things."

He adjusted them in a huff, which made Rogart burst out in laughter, a loud hearty guffaw that made those around him pause for a second, then go about their ways.

"Yes yes, friend Eric. Too dark to notice bright white shirt and grey track pants in front of vending machine, yes?"

Rogart continued laughing as he draped a big, meaty arm over his friend's shoulder. Infected by his light heart, Eric chuckled too, but mostly to himself, before he dusted himself off and stepped forward to Serenity and Ollie, extending a hand in greeting.

"I apologise for my friend's boisterous behaviour, but I do believe I heard you two were going to the Reactor as well? I am the Eric you must've seen in the roster. Eric Wormwood, to be precise. A pleasure in meeting you."

_{OAKRIDGE ACADEMY ◆ Subira Arendse ◆ Oakridge Airfield}

---

The sassy reply to her own snarky comment had brought a surprised look to Subira's face, her eyebrows raising as she tugged her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose. Dark eyes narrowed almost threateningly at Jack, but the growing smirk made it obvious she hadn't taken his reply offensively. Instead of pushing the joking any further Subira's smirk fell to a small smile as she kept her cool. Wanting to retain the seriousness of the situation she pushed her sunglasses back up, before giving him a small shrug, "The usual. Spent some time in the gym and even more time in the simulator." That had been her routine the past week, apart from her visit with her parents the day after graduation. Consuming herself in training she had unintentionally isolated herself from others, even turning down Jack's invite to go to the send off party. "I'll go to the next party, though. I promise."

Aware of Selene only because she knew of Olivia, Subira hardly gave any reaction to the other girls relatively rude reply as she continued her conversation with Jack. It wasn't long before the flight crew called for boarding, bringing back all of her earlier excitement and hype that had died down when she started talking with Jack. Just about to follow the small crew of Soldiers coming with them to Kinabalu, a familiar voice caught her attention as she found herself staring up at none other than Thael Conrad.

"Hey, what a surprise."

While Thael had been apart of the original discussion, Subira could recall a conversation they had about their interest in joining the Army at the heart of the Dark Zone. "So much for fighting the front-lines, huh?" She was in the same boat, having changed her mind not but two days ago. Throwing out another shrug, Subira flashed Thael a small smile. "Well, it's good to have you -- and you made it right on time, too." Motioning for him to follow with a wave of her hand, Subira boarded the aircraft with her team. The time had finally come to begin Operation Downfall, and despite the calm expression on her face she was more then ready to get things started. "Here we go."

_{MT. KINABALU ◆ Subira Arendse ◆ Sidio Village Outskirts}

---

The ride to their drop off location had gone well, save for turbulence here and their as they flew into the storm looming above Mt. Kinabalu. Given a short briefing on the flight, Subira and the rest her team were to investigate the rumors within town and gain as much intel as they could. Once they had the information they needed to locate the Eidolon they were given three options: "Lead it to the Mordrem away from the Army, form an alliance with it, or destroy it." Absorbing the beast and the spirits within it was her true intention, but taking it on and destroying it would be an equally great feat. Fist clenching eagerly, she shot a glance at Jack, Thael, Roxelana, and Selene as they arrived at the base. Today would be a true test of their skill, going into their first mission with free reign and little authority. It was both exciting and terrifying at the same time, but with a team like this at her side, Subira stayed confident as ever.

The soldiers were dispatched first, walking out onto the grassy clearing and forming a perimeter for base camp. Following behind them, Subira stepped out of the quad-copter and took in the scenery around her. At the base of the mountain a dense forest of trees and greenery surrounded them while Mt. Kinabalu loomed above. Towering over like a monster in its own, dark clouds threatened to unleash hell on her unit at any second. A heavy breeze swept through her hair and clothing, pulling warm humid air and the salty smell of the ocean with it. Subira felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her as she took in the familiar scent. It was too early in the year for the region to be experiencing such warm weather, but the environment made her feel more at home and comfortable then ever.

Adjusting her sunglasses she turned her sights to the dirt path leading to Sidio Village, the town located next to Mt. Kinabalu. It was through their sightings that Oakridge had gained their intel, so it was obvious that their first step to finding and defeating the Eidolon would be to question the locals. Rolling up the sleeves of her jacket due to the heat, Subira turned around and fixed her gaze on her team, "So, should we get things started and head to the Village?"

---

Was that contempt in her eyes? No it was closer to abject disappointment than anything else. It reminded him of a mathematics teacher from a long time ago Mrs. Mulner: somewhere in her late sixties, thick curls of gray falling to about the waist, face covered in wrinkles earned not bestowed with long pray mantis like fingers that brushed over one another with a disturbing level of smoothness whenever she talked. The look in her eyes when ever she caught Graham sleeping in the back of class or flirting with some girl was the same one the living glacier was giving him, it sent shivers down his spine and sent every hair on his arm up on attention. He always had a problem with authority figures, Monika wasn't an authority figure in the simplest of terms but she certainty carried herself like one. Graham wasn't sure what bothered him more the fact that she just seemed to naturally carry herself in such a manner or the fact that his brain had automatically assumed the reality she presented to be the true one. But at least she responded he wasn't even expecting that.

He met the glower with a crooked grin eyes having their characteristic mischievous glint to them. He scratched the back of his head in a relaxed manner as it felt like she was taking him apart piece by piece with her eyes almost laughing as her eyes fell upon the shoelaces. Not one to feel left it he also took in his observations if not as blunt as she was doing. A contrasting set of pale ivories and raven blacks, a face that could have even been considered pretty if not for the emotional candor upon display at the moment. She was as well forged as a warrior that Oakridge could of produced, she certainly looked strong enough to toss him about not to mention the speed required to make her blade almost begin to be useful in a real fight. (He reckoned he was still faster of course girl might of practiced how to swing a big stick around without tiring herself out but that didn't replace years of having to run to survive that was a speed of a whole different sort of echelon.) Not to mention the whole vibe she was 'giving off' with the spirits that congregated about her, his own bright and fiery continual sparking bouncing off against hers cold and distance. They fit her like a glove, perfect for the girl that refused to turn her back to him like they were in some sort of duel.

"You sure you don't want to head over to Doral? I'd call that thing one hell of a 'diplomatic incentive'." He quipped with his usual level of jest towards her comment about being more useful on the front lines. He pondered upon her comment for a moment trying to dissect it more thoroughly. The pride and the hubris was there alright but he didn't care about surface layer, nobody told you anything on the surface. He wondered if it bothered her at all, not being able to be the best at everything, to be the best tool for every problem it must have for a standard case perfectionist like her. Before he could impose further upon a line of question she skilfully switched the focus of the conversation off of herself and onto him as eyes of ice met eyes of sky for the briefest of moments as she gazed over him once more. Graham practically smiled when he heard the doubt not so hidden in her voice. He couldn't blame her really, he didn't look the part of a front line brawler like she did he was all slender not burly and intimidating. Everyone made the same mistakes, it was all part of the technique.

"You do a marvelous job not hiding the doubt in your voice, you know that?" Graham responded with something akin to a chuckle and as he pulled Sera off of his back with his left hand. He took the weapon currently in boomerang form placing two fingers between the blade and tossed it up into the air with a flick the wrist. The weapon made lazy circles through the air as sharp metal tumbled over sharp metal as it came down he caught it between two fingers and continued tossing it up and down switching hands without really paying attention despite the fact that a movement of his hands in the wrong direction by less than a second could have them easily chopped off as he continued to speak. "Listen, I know my word ain't much but trust me Princess they don't just keep me around for my pretty face." He explained catching Sera out of the air and with little in terms of flourish redeposited it behind his back.

Back to business almost as quickly Monika talked of those who would also be departing with them. It seemed the only other one that was known for certain was Olivia Celestine. That was a name Graham knew well to be fair it was a name that almost everybody knew well enough, Ms. Celestine was another perfect little flower always toeing the line and making everybody love her from the teachers to her gym rats buddies. It seemed like Graham was with a whole bunch of sticks in a whole bunch of mud. He fought against rising an eyebrow when she mentioned coming up with theories. He wanted to say that based on principal he didn't come up with plans, theories or anything that could be halfway synonymous with forethought because in the end they all go to shit. He didn't say this of course only nodding his head in what could be seen as agreement if the only betraying motion being how stiff the actual nodding motion was.

By this point in time he had become acutely aware of somebody else watching them. He looked past Monika's shoulder to see another Guardian leaning against the MOV destined to take them to the front. Black hair and a little bit on the shorter side he had a sort of displaced expression upon his face. Graham clapped his hands together to disperse the silence. "Well as much as I loved this little chat, it would seem the stragglers are finally arriving." He explained gesturing towards the other Guardian leaning against the MOV before cupping his hands and calling out to him carrying the playful cadence of his voice over the chaos in the Garage.
"Oi! Too cool to stand up straight! Come on over! We don't bite.... well not unless you ask nicely!"

---

She knew this memory

She was nine again back in Valeheist, back home. She had finished the assignment that her father had given her early again, another book Queal's Spiritum Nexurium another age old scientific text. She was bored of course but didn't know what to do. The servants and the guards were always too busy to do anything fun and her mother much like her other siblings were all rather boring to behold. She couldn't leave the congealed mass of towering spires that made up the heart of Valeheist. She had tried that once by crawling into the rubbish shoot, when they finally found her wandering the square she was quickly thrown back into her room having no contact for nearly three days. So without any other options to follow up on she decided to try and find her father. Putting the large tome gently upon the floor and leaving her own notes tucked underneath it as to not to lose them she made her move. Small feet ghosted across cold stone floors as she moved towards the large door of her room seemingly towering up into the heavens (even though now she knew it barely rose six feet) and nudged it open just far enough so that she could slip out without the telltale creaking noise giving away her grand escape.

Out of her room she came into the central space of the main tower upon a simple landing. To one side stairs stretched continually downward and to the other they rose upward chasing after the sky. Roxelana went upwards knowing that she would find her father at the top in his office. The ascent was grueling as two steps became four and four became eight and eight became ten and so forth stretching to ever greater numbers. Her lungs gasped as her legs burned but ever still she climbed and climbed forever upwards. After what seemed to take millenniums she reached the top of the stairs. In front of her where two large heavy set doors both accented by heavy gold knockers in the shape of large snarling dragons. These silent sentinels had always struck fear into the girl's heart from a young age, their angry eyes peering down from above like god's on high. She kept her head low as to avoid making eye contact with the inanimate objects as she nudged the door open and stepped inside the office.

For a man that was considered by some to a sort of quasi-god, the office itself was fairly plain. At the center was her Father's large desk made of rich dark wood imported in from Ascadia and carved by hand by a master carpenter. It was the only true luxury item in the whole room and spoke volumes about the man himself. The rest of the space was filled with large bookshelves filled from top to bottom with texts of all sorts and various scientific equipment strewn about on tables and shelves some looking as if an experiment had only stopped moments ago. It was not the office one expected from a leader of prestigious city-state it was crowded and dirty and dust floated about the air in a haphazard manner certainly not prestigious or stately in any shape or form. None of this of course bothered the young Roxelana what bothered her was the fact that her Father was nowhere to be seen.

Then she felt it, the cold breeze brushing playfully against her cheek. She turned in the direction that it had originated and she saw beyond the bookshelves and the tables near the back of the room, the door to the balcony was open letting in the breeze and fragments of midday illumination. Slowly the young girl made her way over to the door bare feet moving gently across the floor at the tip of her toes careful to avoid any precious object or books that had dropped to the floor long ago to be forgotten about. Ever so slowly she found herself in front of the door peering into the outside eyes squinting against the light. She could see him though looking out on the city below hands clasped on the banister as he peered out. He looked bigger than the entire world, tall and broad shoulder built of towering muscle. Long hair white as snow falling at just about the point where the neck meets the collarbone. She froze where she was unsure if she should dare step forward.



Suddenly the world began to fade away as her father's own melted away into nothingness as dreamworld give way back into reality. She was back in the air transport headed towards Kinabalu. She was no longer a little girl but a Guardian ready to go hunter after a Eidolon of all things. She peered out the view port to the left of her as the vehicle came in for a landing about the clearing the towering mountain becoming larger and larger as they approached the ground. Seconds later touchdown occurred and the back hatch opened and the soldiers began pouring out going about their jobs in order to secure a perimeter and set up a base camp. Roxelana waited with idle boredom for them to filter out before she stood up and followed her fellow Guardians off of the vehicle and into the shadow of the great Mountain above towering over them like some kind of vengeful god ready to rain death upon them.

Subra the one leading the small team forward turned around putting up a question about the plan of attack. Roxelana cracked her neck with a subtle jerk before she spoke. "Whatever we do, we should do it fast. The longer we stand here slack-jawed the higher the chance that Eidolon moves."