"Good morning sir!"

The six voices said in unison as they stood at attention. Their tone and expressions were completely different, though, fitting their personality, but the same innocence and curiosity shone on their faces under dawn's gentle light. They stood amidst a large, green gold, stretching towards the horizon like a peninsula, the large structures in the sight of the West direction. A gentle breeze blew, washing away their anxiety and any hard feelings, their joy elating.

Jay laughed softly, bending in his knees to reach their height, though Galen and Evelyn were a little taller than him in that position. A kind smile appeared on his face, an expression that accompanied his humble tone with much grace.

"Call me Jay, all of you."

Trina frowned at that, but nodded nevertheless, ready to follow whatever her leader said.

"Welcome to your first training as a group! You have to use all the skills you've been learning in your regular classes and apply them here. Develop your bond, coordination, and trust.

"We aren't going to doing any team building exercises. Instead, we'll start off straight away with a test. Follow me."

The six followed Jay into a large, dark room, only lighted by a few rays of light. A large circle was drawn on the floor, covering the entire hall other than one little section. Six points were marked in it, all equidistant from its adjacent one.

"You'll now each be given three blunt blades, each marked with paint that leaves a mark when touching a specific cloth. This cloth will be put on your collarbone, ankles and abdomen.

"These spots are the weakest points of demons. The ankle renders them unconscious, the collarbone purifying their energy, and thus ending their life. Their abdomen does the same as the collarbone, though it's more painful for them."

Silence surrounded them for a while as they took in this information. Galen was the first to move, snapping the others to reality. Audrey shook her head and did the same, and so did the other

They walked towards the ends of the circle, the simple action showing their personality. As they stood still, Audrey observed their expressions, sighing. She was the only one with a mental ability, and her morals stopped her from looking into anyone's mind. She couldn't invade their safe places.

Audrey took a deep breath, a calm look coming in her eyes. She would simply use her strong senses to recognise others' presence and understand their aura, predicting their moves.

"Start."

The scene around them suddenly changed, walls arising from the ground. They were a simple black colour, though the lustre aided the room in its lighting, that was otherwise dark.

A maze? She thought, pursing her lips. She didn't think Jay would start off with something so simple, but decided to think about it later.

The atmosphere wasn't tensed in the slightest, other than little seriousness towards Audrey's diagonal left, where she judged would be Trina. There was a gentle, empty presence vertically in front of her, while two excited ones to her right. A rather mysterious one was on her left that she couldn't completely comprehend, but Audrey realises who it was nevertheless.

Her small hand rested in the blade on her right, holding the hilt to be ready. She wasn't as discreet as Galen, but she was sure to make use of her past training. Her weight to cautious steps, making as little sound as possible. The aura too her right was slightly elated, and she heard hasty footsteps coming from the direction, though there was something very odd about it that she couldn't put her finger at.

Audrey made her way forward, gently feeling the sleek wall as she put her ear on it, the cold settling her nerves. The sound of loud footsteps vibrated through the metal, and Audrey played close attention to it.

Suddenly, her eyes grew wide as she pulled her head away, taking deep breaths in relief. Sure enough, she heard a vibration of high frequency through the metal, though at her distance it was very minute. If her head had been pressed against the wall, the vibration would've definitely played with her senses.

That smart Conrad, Audrey shook her head with a smile. She continued to walk forward, aware of her surroundings. Her closed eyes were focused on her forehead as she imagined everyone's position.

She took a right turn to stay off Conrad's path. At that moment, she had only one target in mind and couldn't encounter any other. She walked closer towards the calm aura, though she also senses the mysterious aura making his way towards him.

Suddenly, a strong wind blew, and Audrey took a large step towards her left, a blunt blade brushing her arm. The aura came to a stop to reveal a thin figure hit her blade at Conrad's collarbone, a brown colour dripping. Her grin grew wider as she noticed both green paint on her abdomen and yellow on her collarbone, two blades sitting at her feet, though the yellow was more accurate. Even she had just put her blade in the right spot; one inch left or right and it would be wrong.

Two simultaneous sounds reverberated through the room, giving a subtle and sombre feeling, though indicated that two of the players were out.

Audrey took discreet steps backward, frowning as Galen's aura wasn't in her grasp. She didn't think that he was after someone else, now. He was definitely looking for her.

Her senses caught the aura once again, though it was very faint. The atmosphere began to get heavier, but at the same time, emptier.

Audrey nodded her head, grabbing the hilt of her blade tightly. Very swiftly and quickly, she removed her right blade and swung it around her at her chest level, slowly opening her eyes. She smiled in relief as Galen appeared, white paint in his collarbone. The movement was gentle and precise, and so she was successful in her aim, though she had missed the chest by inches.

Audrey suddenly frowned as she felt a subtle, cold tip at her ankle, a sticky substance hitting the right place.

She sighed, turning backwards as two more simultaneous sounds came, this time one being her target, and the other her herself.

Out of the corner of her eye, Audrey noticed blue ink on her ankle, matching the blade in the tiny girl's hands, though her expression showed she was the most mature of the six. She nodded towards Audrey with a short smile before silently making her way into the game. Audrey judged that Trina wouldn't go looking for Elek, though what Elek has in his mind was awfully hard to predict.

Trina shape-shifted her feet into that of a tiger's, moving quietly. Her hearing receptors has tunes into that of a bat's, catching the smallest sound made. They picked on Elek's breathing, though he seemed to be steadying it now.

Trina walked away from the sound, turning towards her left. Now, she stood diagonally behind Elek with only a wall between them. Just as expected, a blade floated above her, the controller levitating it fast so Trina's eyes couldn't follow it. She realised the blades followed a pattern, and so stretched her arm while shape-shifting it into an ape's, her feet returning to the normal state. The blade came in her arm easily, after which she held the blade firmly in her own grip, turning swiftly to face a mischievous smile.

Elek laughed nervously, stomping the floor harshly. He had noticed Trina's tail sneaking behind his back, but the action caused walls to rise around him, creating a shield around him. He could see Trina, but she couldn't see him.

Elek stuck a tongue out, very carefully levitating the slab beneath him along with one of his blades. The metal moved towards Trina, and she wrinkled her forehead, looking at it suspiciously. Suddenly, it came slamming into her collarbone and Trina dodged to the right, protecting her collarbone with her right arm. Nevertheless, Elek managed to slip it in between, marking Trina with his signature yellow paint.

Trina gave Elek a genuine smile, looking straight into the metal slab. Elek's smile widened gently as he realised something cold pressing against his ankle. He laughed along with the sound of two more simultaneous bells, though he knew Trina's was the last. The walls sank back into the floor, and Elek got a better look on Trina's strong tail, though she had released the blade and was shifting into her human form.

The other four made their way towards Trina and him, smiled on everyone's faces. They began to discuss the test immediately while encouraging each other.

"I could've blocked Elek's attack if I had mastered that move, shape shifting my hand into a metal."

Evelyn frowned immediately. "You can do that?"

"Yes, though it's rather difficult."

A bewildered expression came on Evelyn's face as she stared at Trina, finally shaking her head. Elek gave her a hard pat on the back, laughing.

"Thanks to Elek's little trick," Trina said with a smile, "I realised what the maze actually was for. We had figured the need to be silent, but not the method to be sneaky. Other than Galen, of course. I could only just avoid him."

"Oh?" Audrey asked, raising her eyebrows. "What did this guy do?"

Trina pursed her lips. "At first, I didn't understand. But once Elek did his whole stomping process, I realised that Galen had managed to remove a metal slab, and would attack me through it. Thankfully, his weapon was translucent and not completely invisible, so I could dodge in time."

Trina suddenly turned her head higher, and the others turned to see what had happened. Jay walked towards them with a big smile, his long hair moving about his kind face.

"You all did very well, I'm satisfied," Jay said gently.

"I'm sure you all are now aware of yours, as well as your team mates' strengths and weaknesses?"

All six students nodded in unison, earning Jay's gentle smile. He gestured for them to follow him, taking them into the dining hall.

The bright rays entered the hall gracefully through the large windows, accompanying the soft breeze. It's cold touch relaxed everyone's minds after that heated test, though everyone felt nothing but thrill or curiosity.

The six took their small plates to help themselves to fruits for breakfast. Everyone had a number of oranges on their plate, though Trina and Elek had settled for sweet lime juice with an apple. Audrey took a special liking to a particular herbal juice, giving the vibe of a drink humans called 'tea', only the ingredients were different and the drink was thinner.

"So," Evelyn said while popping almonds into her mouth. "What do we do now?"

"Eat," Conrad said plainly, causing Evelyn to roll her eyes.

"And after that," came a gentle, deep voice, "take a break for an hour or half to settle the food. Then, we begin training."

The six nodded towards Jay obediently before he left with a smile. They began chatting away, though Trina stared at her food, deep in thought. Elek noticed her expression and wanted to say something, but he decided to remain silent.

"Conrad," Audrey began suddenly, her curiosity intensifying. "how did you do your vibration thingy?"

That caught Trina's attention. "He did what?"

Conrad have a shy smile before explaining. "It's kind of a held-back move. Instead of letting the kinetic energy actually impact the metal, I attempted to convert all of my energy to only sound energy so that it could produce a vibration of high frequency."

Audrey laughed gently, shaking her head. "That's a very smart move, but if it had got me, I'd be stuck in oblivion for god knows how long."

"It's not like that, I'm not very strong as of now," Conrad replied in a modest stone, earning a hearty pat from Evelyn.

A small smile came on Trina's face as she observed the others. Some time passed, and she eventually relaxed, conversing with the others.

"Ava!" Audrey suddenly exclaimed, standing up. Ava let out a gentle pat before patting Audrey's head before she came to a stop.

"It's time for your training to start."

Elek raised two fingers, gesturing that he needed more time. Ava smiled in understanding, earning a cheeky grin from the boy.

After they were done, they followed Ava into a building, climbing two floors up. The room they entered was large and well lit, though there were a number of interesting things on the wall that were used to change the environment. Around twenty targets hung on one side of the room, looking similar to a dart board. Ava walked towards it, before pressing a button. Blinds covering the windows came down, restricting the flow of the light. Audrey felt a sudden rush of overwhelming intensity that she couldn't quite understand. She looked at the others faces to see the sane expression, though Galen and Trina were unaffected, simply eyeing their surroundings.

"We'll start with a simple target practice. It is very important for our aim to be right to hit the demonic creature in the right place when we have to resort to violence. Our blades are different and contain a special type of energy, so we prefer to hit their collarbone where the proper effect takes place at its best."

The six nodded slowly, though Trina raises her hand, furrowing her brows.

"And what about the ankles? That's also a place which causes the demons to fall unconscious, and for their energy to be cleansed, right?"

Ava gave her a gentle smile, nodding. "I see you've done your research. We prefer the collarbone since proper cleansing of the energy can take place."

Trina nodded, though she was still a little wary. Audrey took a glance at Trina, uncertainty on her face. How using a weapon was justified as cleansing energy wasn't something she fully understood.

"First, practice without using your ability for fifteen minutes. I'll help you correct your technique."

Ava smiled gently as she walked around, observing the trappers' choices. As expected, Galen picked a long, balanced blade, it's colour dull so it didn't catch anyone's attention. Elek grabbed a similar one, though it was shorter and thinner. Ava frowned slightly, following his movements carefully.

Elek took a deep breath before pulling his palm back towards his arm, pinching the blade firmly with his thumb and index finger. He propelled it forward swiftly, releasing the blade when his arm almost made a right angle. The blade spun a few times before it a bull's eye, and a small smile came on Elek's face.

Elek then threw a blade-heavy knife before a handle-heavy knife, hitting the target precisely in both attempts. He walked towards the targets to retrieve his blade, all the while deep in thought, though his smile remained. Ava nodded slowly, walking towards a large board with a number of buttons as she hit one of them. Elek's target began to rotate as small circles appeared on the board, defining themselves as Elek's new targets.

Elek smirked, picking the balanced blade once again. He observed the board closely, analysing its speed. He realised that it moved in one direction, but there was no set speed or a pattern in the change of speed. However, he knew that it could never be at a total random; he just had to figure out the minimum duration of each speed.

Elek sighed, pulling his arm back and throwing the blade swiftly. The blade didn't spin as much as it did before, but it hit the target nevertheless. He took his time to attempt the shot, moving his arm forward with great precision. It missed the target by a centimetre, and Elek purses his lips, smiling.

"Impressive," Ava said softly. She walked towards him and rested her hand on his shoulder. Elek's eyes brightened, and he muttered a shy word of thanks.

Instinctively, Audrey began to clap to appreciate her friend. For a moment, it was the only sound echoing through the large room until Galen joined her so she didn't feel awkward. Evelyn tried to control her laugh, but after she made the same gesture, everyone followed the applause.

Elek's cheeks now hurt even after the sound died down. He somehow felt confident, though still smiled shyly. The dim setting made the perfect environment for him, a solemn feeling of joy crossing his mind.

"Have you trained before?"

Elek nodded towards Ava. "It's for my levitating ability. I figured it's a good long range attack."

Ava have an understanding nod, agreeing with him. She then walked towards the others, observing how they did. No one could aim as good as Elek, though Audrey, Galen and Conrad were close, doing their best. Ava didn't need to check on Galen much since she trained him herself, though she did so anyway since she couldn't be overconfident. He didn't meet Elek's level either, but was very close, only missing his target by three centimetres or so.

She then walked towards Trina who was struggling a bit.

"Hey Trina. Having a little difficulty?"

Trina gave a serious nod, though smiled at the same time. Ava stopped her hands, bending Trina's palm properly towards her arm. Trina widened her eyes in understanding, though waited for her to give her instructions nevertheless.

"You have great balance and control over yourself, but because of your ability, it must be confusing for you to understand your weight and use the amount of force according to that."

Ava did a handstand, gesturing for Trina to do the same. Trina followed her, staying in the pose for a while, until she couldn't hold it any longer.

Ava then showed her a series of stretches, mostly bending her arm and pressing it firmly against herself boy sideways and forwards.

"Now try shooting again, but be aware of the amount of force you have to use."

Trina nodded, furrowing her brows in concentration. She bent her knees and pulled her arm backwards while taking a deep breath. All of a sudden she was aware of the most minute change in the atmosphere, harmonising her breathing with the gentle movement of the wind. Trina adjusted her fingers before understanding herself, releasing the blade according to that.

It still didn't quite hit the target, but Trina could evidently see and feel the improvement. Not only was it closer to the circle, but she know also felt free and relaxed.

Ava gave her an approving smile, leaving her to observe the others for a while.

"Alright, everyone! Now we'll try a different method. Come around me and form a circle."

The six walked to where Ava stood, the tiles cold against their bare feet. Light fell brighter in this open area, though the breeze was as sweet as before.

"Stand in a way that will allow you to face one partner properly in your angle. Audrey, you will be standing opposite to Trina. Elek to Galen, and Conrad to Evelyn."

The children followed her instruction, feeling a small thrill of curiosity. Ava gave them five balanced and very blunt blades.

"You are to throw this at each other, and make sure that they collide in mid air. Don't move a single step away from your place, and don't make too much noise in your attempts of communication. You may use your abilities."

An intense frown came on Conrad and Trina's faces. The rest remained calm, though Evelyn was unsurprisingly hyperactive.

Audrey looked in Trina's eyes, understanding her aura line. A gently dark green surrounded her, a sombre and serene wave overcoming her mind. Audrey controlled it patiently, entering it instead.

"Do not react. This is Audrey. Match my line of sight, and angle your hand one eighty degrees to mine."

Trina nodded, a small smile coming on her face. She murmured something, but Audrey shook her head. She hadn't mastered this ability yet, she wasn't even close, but she'd definitely work on it.

Trina rested her chin on her hand as she thought, looking at Audrey. She clicked her fingers, pointing towards Audrey then turning her fingers to her head. Audrey raised her eyebrows, hesitating until Trina nodded firmly.

Audrey took a deep breath, the cold breeze stinging her nose. She waited until her resolve was firm.

A low clink! came from Audrey's right. Elek grinned proudly as he saw the two blades lying opposite to each other, though a modest smile was on Galen's face. They had succeeded in their second attempt, though Audrey expected no less.

Galen flashed an encouraging smile towards Audrey, and she nodded slowly in return, entering Trina's mind. She was very careful to only touch the surface of her thoughts, but even still, the force of her consciousness was something that awed Audrey. The green environment accompanied the presence of greatness, though there were funny sparks of blue scattered in her mind.

Audrey saw Trina's visual of their ideal shot, understanding what she needed to do. She withdrew from her mind, bending her knees and keeping her ack straight. She pulled her arm back but held the blade rather firmly, not wanting it to spin.

At Trina's count, the two girls released their blades. The shot missed by a few inches, but their plan would definitely work. They weren't discouraged, not yet, and so immediately tried the next shot.

The next three attempts failed, and the blades didn't seem to get any closer. Audrey closer her eyes, recounting their shots to understand the flaw. Audrey noticed that their force wasn't equal, and hence, so wasn't their speed.

Audrey gestured towards Trina to make the angle closer to a straight angle. Trina nodded, taking her position with her hand crossed behind her back.

The two released their blades in unison, intrigue running through them to see what happened. The two blades' hilts only brushed each other, but it was at least an improvement.

Audrey turned her last blade in her hand, looking at it intently. She took a deep breath before giving Trina an encouraging smile, taking her stance. Time moved normally, and Audrey was able to follow the object with her eyes, clearly seeing that Trina's tip hit Audrey's hilt.

Audrey sighed, though a smile cane on her face. Ava rested her arm on Audrey's head to assure her. Audrey wasn't disappointed or frustrated, though; she made progress, and that's what really mattered.

"Alright, that wraps it up!" Ava announced, her tone marked with satisfaction. Audrey turned towards Conrad and Evelyn's side and saw two blades sitting opposite to each other, though in far angles. She figured that even they had just managed the collision, though Evelyn's face, as usual, was covered with excitement.

"You all have some time to explore this area until I come back. Jay will give you your next instructions."

The six nodded and went into their respective directions immediately, as if a magnet were pulling them.

Audrey's eyes brightened as she stared at the illuminated shield. She picked it up carefully, examining it carefully. A finger tapped her shoulder, it's gently cheeky touch giving away whom it belonged to.

"Elek! You want to look at this too?"

Elek nodded with a grin, taking another one of the shields. He inspected it closely, tapping it to test the material. The cold touch of the metal as Elek ran his fingers through it sent a wave of curiosity in him.

Elek pressed a button while facing the shield towards the open. A short spear emerged from it, thin but sleek and sharp. It shone brightly under the sunlight, reflecting it in different directions. Something sparked in Elek's eyes. He looked at the blade and ran his fingers on it, disappointment showing in his eyes for a split second.

He closed the shield, though Audrey thought she saw a yellow spark clicking beneath his hand. Audrey shook her head, looking back at Elek's testing.

Elek pinched the opposites of the shield. Suddenly it grew outwards, and the quality and strength of the metal wasn't compensated with its size.

A satisfied smile finally came on Elek's eyes. Elek presses yet another button, and a rope sprung out of it that grew into a net trap. Elek's smile grew wider. He rested his hands on the centre of the shield, closing his eyes. Instinctively, Audrey closed her own, feeling a strong force of purity surround her.

Audrey's eyes fluttered open to see Elek putting the shield back where it belonged. Elek looked around, seeing various different weapons in his friend's' hands.

"You've got a really good eye," Elek said firmly, turning towards Audrey. Modesty and little pride shone in her eyes, though she wasn't sure what to say. Elek walked towards Galen, observing his blade intriguingly. Galen had already bent it at the trisections in a way the enemy would be completely trapped and in his control.

Audrey smiled, shaking her head. She walked towards Trina who was working with a simple blade. Conrad and Evelyn were rather interested in a sword, and so Audrey decided to accompany Trina. Even then, though, Audrey was more interested in their daily weapons. She'd never seen people work with the other weapons around them, other than different sized blades.

She wondered why, and suddenly wanted to know more about their past.

——-

"They really are the same as they were three centuries ago, aren't they?"

Jay nodded towards Ava as he walked into the room. Their sense of unity was unmistakable, and was now a strong presence in the atmosphere. The six sat together, their emotions reflecting in their eyes as they discussed what they found. A heavy feeling weighed on his heart as he was reminded of the past, it's grandeur and elegance living in his mind.

"It's the six again, for the third time," Jay said proudly, though he felt inferior to them. It was his turn to guide them, though, and he would do beyond his best.

"Come here, everyone. We'll begin our second session."

Though their expressions were different, their curiosity and virtues shone bright in their eyes, the colours reflecting the light in their own style.

Gratitude could've never been higher in a room. The six grateful to have such a high being be their mentor, and their mentor grateful to have the six as his students.

----- -------

"I hope you show the past soon."

Audrey's gentle voice was filled with curiosity, though something distant lingered in her mind.

"Or at least I hope I remember it soon."