The sun had risen fully, yet the early fog stubbornly lingered, curling low over the cobbled paths like a memory unwilling to fade.
Sen paced slowly into the guild. Behind him was Miss Chin seated in her wheelchair as she gazed at the rising sun. He listened to the boy strode his way to the guild hall a smile cropping up on her face.
" They grow up so fast. " She thought as she heard the guild door open. She remembered how the trio, Sen Mira and Neil, used to fool around her stand trying to get free things to
eat and how they used to get caught by miss Ludge at her bakery.
She heaved a deep breath and let it out.
"Now here they are drawn to different paths and future… Things won't be the same again . "
She heard the guild doors close the sound echoing in the guild hall.
" All the best to you three. " she said a tear forming.
A few steps away, two men loomed like statues, each built like a fortress and clad in matching black vests over leather armor. Thick arcane-inscribed gauntlets encased their forearms. One chewed on a toothpick lazily, while the other cracked his knuckles as he approached miss Chin. He pushed her wheelchair by the handles towards the carriage the carried her into it.
Near the guild doors stood a woman with raven-black hair, sleek and shoulder-length, cut sharp like her gaze. Her posture was reserved but watchful, arms folded neatly behind her back. She was watching as the two men loaded the carriage with bags and luggage. She then slightly turned her gaze towards the guild door. Inside they was the last person in her escort team.
Sen stepped into the guild hall. The sound of wooden wheels faded into silence, and all that remained was the creak of the guild door. He scoped his surroundings and landed on two people standing next to each other and one a little further back.
Mira stood with her briefcase at her side, the handle clutched tightly in her gloved hands. Her coat was buttoned up to her chin, a
navy sash tied neatly across her chest. A little to the side was a lady. Her uniform bore not a single wrinkle with the buttons of her coat gleaming. She held her gloved hands behind her back, fingers interlocked like a general surveying troops.
Neil stood a few paces behind with an imperial coat draped over his shoulders. Its deep navy fabric trimmed in muted green with a silver-stitched crest pressed over the left side. The coat's sleeves hung loose at his sides, swaying faintly in the slight breeze that passed through the open window to the side.
Sen joined the Neil and Mira. Mira's eyes were glassy as they wavered trying not to tear. Neil stood behind her his new look a big contrast to his former. Something
had changed in them. Sen could feel it , a striving force from both of them.
Silence hung over the room as they each gazed at one another. None of them wanted to speak first.
Mira broke the silence with a light laugh.
"Well… this is hard. "
" Yeah. " Neil and Sen said in agreement ending with chuckles of their own.
Sen stepped forward, his voice quieter than usual. "We'll see each other again. It's not goodbye… just a change of routine. Right?"
"Yes. It's a see you soon goodbye" Mira said, though her fingers brushed at her eye like brushing away dust.
Neil only nodded.
Mira continued her voice shaky as though holding back a cry.
" Promise me something you two. " she said pausing due to the falling tears that streamed across her face.
" Promise me… that no matter where we are, or when, we'll always stay friends. Okay? " she said with unrestricted tears dripping to the wooden floor.
Sen and Neil shifted closer. Mira turned suddenly and wrapped her arms around both of them. Sen and Neil slowly brought one hand to the back of her coat,
holding her just a little too tightly as they savored the moment.
Her approach was silent. She strode in her tailored uniform , the polished heels of her boots barely echoing in the large hall from the corner she was standing at.
She came to a halt behind Mira, hands clasped behind her, posture immaculate. Her eyes took in the scene of the three wavering to interrupt. But duty called.
"It is time, Lady Mira," she said, her voice as flat and dignified.
Mira lingered one heartbeat longer, eyes glassy but jaw tight, before finally letting go of Sen and Neil. "Yeah… yeah, I'm coming."
She turned and followed the woman without another word, and as she walked, the butler subtly adjusted her pace to match Mira's faltering steps—not rushed, not slow, just… with her.
She stopped at the guild doors and said before fading from Sen's vision one last time.
" See you later , you two. "
Sen waved while Neil only nodded. Sen was used to those words but they had never stung this much. She usually said them at the end of the day after an entire day of mischief and playing but he always knew that they would see each other again the next day. But today was different. Suddenly the next day felt like never.
Sen and Neil watched as she left with the lady butler. The sound of the closing down reverberated across the hall. Sen turned to Neil who was gazing at a symbol inscribed onto the guild floor a few steps from him. It was the same as the crest on the imperial coat he was wearing.
" I'll be for the capital soon. " Neil said his gaze still to the floor.
" The capital, huh? " Sen asked his voice void of joy.
" Yeah, am joining the imperial academy there. "
Neil slowly turned to Sen. He looked at his hand , the one with the rune symbol at the palm, then slowly rose to meet his eyes.
" After the Miasma event I realized that I was weak— " he paused as he clenched his fist tighter gritting his teeth.
" I was weak and couldn't save the ones I cared for. I was mad at myself, mad at everything. When I visited you at the medic hall and felt the anger that aired from you, I got even more mad on realizing that what I had gone through was nothing compared to what you did. Yet you didn't give up and
got past it."
Neil clenched his fist tighter then in a firm voice said.
" I promise you this… I'll get stronger and —crush anything in my path. "
Sen looked at Neil as his aura flared with steeled resolve and determination. A slight gust of windrushed through the room swaying Neil's coat that hung by his shoulders. Sen smirked as he felt a rush of excitement and zest through his body.
" Alright then… " Sen said with a smile.
" I'll get stronger as well. And next time we meet … "
" We'll see who's strongest. " they both said Sen with a huge smile on his face while Neil with a small smirk his eyes slightly wider
than usual.
Outside two men stood near the guild hall door. One man leaned against the guild wall , arms crossed his lime-green hair radiate in the sunrays. The other had a mug in hand his eyes barely seen through his dark hair that faded into a blue hue at the tips
with a , a knowing smirk playing at the edge of his lips.
Even though they couldn't see inside they felt it . They felt the arcane from both of the two younglings inside the hall. It flared bigger and brighter with the passing second evidence of the life long spark that
had been lit.
Time passed quickly and Sen was now standing next to the drunk man as he watched the carriage that carriage miss Chin and Neil get smaller and smaller along the path. He smiled as he watched the dust cloud rise and fade with the wind. He felt something in his heart. The feeling of saying goodbye to both Neil and Mira had not sank in. He could feel a slightly piercing pain in his heart tears blurring his eyes. And yet he smiled. He turned to the man besides him.
" I've chosen the path I want to take. " he said.
" Oh have you now ? " The man asked.
" Yes. I want to get stronger and make sure am not left behind alone again. " He said as he looked at his empty.
The rune on his right palm pulsed—a soft, light blue light pushing against his skin like a
heartbeat.
The man looked at Sen then in a roaring laugh patted Sen at the shoulder.
" It's going to be harder than that kid but that's a start. " he said still laughing heartily.
" Why am I even telling you this? " Sen asked fuming as he walked away from the man.
He finally stopped laughing then called out to Sen.
" Hey Kid, don't worry I'll help you get strong. "
"Call me Orin. "