The Convergence Trial took place in a small room with no windows. Scattered on the floor were a myriad of bright coloured pillows. Kai gingerly sat on a red one and tucked his hands into his lap. He couldn't stop thinking about the fact that he was appointed leader. Kai was no stranger to responsibility, given his arduous tasks at the farm. However he felt a layer of uncertainty in assuming a leadership role. It wasn't just cauliflower or green beans he was responsible for, but people.

"What do you think the Convergence Trial is anyway?" Isaac quipped, he shifted uncomfortably on the pillow. "Is that Rupert guy going to come in here and show us what's going on?"

"Not Rupert." Kai turned his head to see General Elara Windrider stride in, her hands were on her hips. The recruits stood up immediately, bowing their heads slightly. She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "Sit, sit no need for any proprieties." Windrider looked around the room in confusion. "Where is the fourth recruit? I was informed Squad fourteen had four soldiers."

"We're not sure General." Kai spoke up.

"Hmm. That'll be a problem then. The Convergence Trial is all about bonding with your fellow recruits, if the bond is strong enough its possible to hear each other in your minds which will aid you when your in missions." From her pocket she brought out a candle and incense. With swift efficiency she lit the candle and let the sweet smoke sweep into the air. "It's very simple really, just sit round in a circle, hold hands and breath in the smoke. You'll have to do the trial again when Tomoya arrives, but we're currently out of the incense needed so it'll be another few months." She nodded at them. "Well get on with it then." Kai watched as she left the room without a backward glance.

He felt extremely awkward all of a sudden, aware of the fact that he was still in his threadbare farm clothes, sweaty and slightly sea sick from the long journey to Alaska. He was beginning to feel a little comfortable around Isaac, Bayu was a mystery to him though. He hadn't said a word since arriving in the room. He sat with a straight posture, his hands clasped neatly to him, his eyebrows raised slightly.

"Shall we start before the incense burns out?" Kai reached his hands out tentatively. Isaac took it with no hesitation, his hand was slightly damp. Bayu's hand was strong and smooth. Kai cringed at the deep callouses on his hands.

The smell of the candle was like cinnamon and bergamot. He breathed it in deeply and closed his eyes. Kai didn't know the first thing to do in establishing a bond. He squeezed tighter on Isaac's hands, opening his lungs and taking another whiff of the candle, slowly it was as if he saw a white twirling light dancing in a black space.

Isaac? Isaac can you hear me?

The silence around them grew thick, wrapping the two in a cocoon as they sat cross-legged, fingers intertwined. Kai felt the warmth of Isaac's hands as if it were sinking into his very core, steadying him. He breathed in sync with Isaac, allowing his heartbeat to settle into a similar rhythm.

Yes, Isaac's voice echoed in Kai's mind, soft and hesitant. I can hear you.

Kai felt a surge of relief, his thoughts brushing against Isaac's like the faintest touch of fingers against skin. Slowly, the light between them grew, forming into threads that wove through the darkness, connecting their minds in a way that felt more real than words. Kai could feel Isaac's pulse as his own, every tiny beat echoing back to him, both comforting and electric.

What are you feeling? Kai asked, almost shyly, as if afraid to disturb the fragile connection.

Isaac's presence warmed, his thoughts blooming into soft colors that Kai felt rather than saw. I'm... nervous, he admitted. And... I don't know, I feel exposed. He squeezed Kai's hands tighter, grounding himself. But with you here... it feels safe.

In that moment, a rush of memories flashed through Kai's mind—images of Isaac's childhood, his workshop cluttered with half-finished inventions, the harsh glare of his father, the smoke of the factories. Kai inhaled sharply, feeling Isaac's essence imprinted within him, as if they were no longer two separate beings but part of a single heartbeat.

I can feel you, Kai murmured, astonished, his voice soft even within their joined minds. Like I'm part of you.

Isaac's thoughts shimmered, brushing against Kai's in something close to a smile. I guess... that's the bond.

For a moment, they sat there in silence, bound by the faint, glimmering light that pulsed between them. It was as if every breath, every heartbeat, was now shared, deepening their connection until Kai could no longer tell where he ended and Isaac began.

Shall we try to reach for Bayu? Isaac's voice was gentle, but there was a trace of curiosity Kai could feel rippling through their bond.

Kai took a deep breath, grounding himself, then nodded. Yes. Let's reach for him together.

They stretched out their joined thoughts, letting the white light spill outward, like a thread searching for Bayu in the dark. At first, there was silence—a sort of muted resistance, like their minds were brushing against a heavy velvet curtain. Kai could almost feel the distance in Bayu, as though he were standing just beyond reach, hesitant to let them in.

And then, with a whisper of warmth, Bayu's presence flickered at the edge of their minds, a faint pulse, guarded but unmistakable.

Bayu, Kai called out, focusing on that glimmer, gently coaxing him closer. Are you there?

There was a pause before Bayu's voice emerged, distant and cautious, as though he were peering through the veil, uncertain. I... yes, I think so. His presence was subtle, the sensation carrying an odd mix of calmness and tension.

Kai steadied himself, sending out a wave of reassurance through the bond, hoping Bayu would feel it. Memories of the afternoon drifted unbidden through their connection: Bayu's hands, long and graceful, arranging his collection of rings; the regal tilt of his head; the thoughtful way he'd eyed each of them as if measuring their souls. Kai could sense layers beneath Bayu's composed exterior—a quiet storm, full of complex depths and burdens he kept well hidden.

It's strange, this bond, Bayu murmured, his thoughts guarded yet drawn to the connection. I didn't expect it to feel... so personal.

Isaac's presence pulsed gently, warm and welcoming, as if silently encouraging Bayu to open himself a little more. Neither did I, Isaac admitted. But we're here together now. All of us.

Kai felt Bayu's presence waver, and then, in a soft ripple, another fragment of his essence slipped through. A quick flash of vivid color filled Kai's mind—paint strokes, bold and vibrant, the colors of tropical dawns and shadowed forests. Kai felt the pull of something deeper, a longing, perhaps a hidden piece of Bayu himself woven into those colors. It faded almost as soon as it appeared, but the sensation lingered, leaving behind a sense of vulnerability.

I feel... exposed, Bayu confessed, and for a moment his thoughts seemed to hover in the space between them, brittle yet unyielding.

You're not alone, Kai reassured him, feeling his own presence swell to support Bayu's. He steadied himself, focusing on the warmth flowing between them. It was different with Bayu—like trying to catch a butterfly by its wings. But the connection was there, fragile yet real.

As if sensing his Bayu's unease, Isaac's voice softened, and his presence seemed to envelop Bayu's, steady and sincere. You're safe with us.

The bond flickered once, and Kai felt the air shift, a shared heartbeat emerging slowly, faltering, but binding the three of them together. Bayu's pulse was distant but there, holding back yet unmistakably linked to theirs, his essence carefully contained yet drawn toward the unity between them.

Kai let go of their hands slowly. He was shaking all over. It was too intense, too invasive. Bayu stood up, his robes sweeping around him.

"Is it alright if I use the bathroom first?"

"Yeah that's fine, go ahead." Kai mumbled. He looked over at Isaac who was wrapped up in a ball, trembling.

"Isaac? Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I uh, I just need a minute."

"Okay. I'll be in the room if you need me."

Kai thought of writing another letter to his brother, about the snow in Alaska, or the opulent airship that he will be calling his new home. He considered writing about the Convergence Trial also but balked at the idea, he could scarcely wrap his head around it. Wasn't it kind of cruel? Having to bare every single part of yourself to people you hardly know? All it did was further weigh down his responsibility as a leader. He saw fully and truly Isaac's fragile nature, he could vaguely peace together some of the vulgar words he's father spat at him as they lay engraved in his mind like a tattoo. Bayu was much better at hiding himself, but Kai could still feel the images in his mind of Bayu cross-legged, paintbrush in hand, swirling intense and dizzying emotions into parchments of paper.

He didn't want to think about what they saw when they peered into Kai's mind.