The bell rung for lunch. Soon the hall of men was moving and chaotic. Jack joined the mess and walked away from the team, leaving them packing up their stuff.
Stuffing his hands into his pocket, he headed to training in the fields. He wasn't the one training he was the one teaching and so he had to get there early.
The corridors were full with men of all ages; old men from as old as sixty to men as young as sixteen. Jack himself was twenty four, only a few months younger than Ara. No young boys were allowed in these corridors, they were kept in a separate building until they turned fifteen, when they were put in another building where they would train until their next birthday.
Jack thought this was wrong. Boys as young as this shouldn't be put through war; it was just wrong.
But there was nothing he could do about it, and so he shook his head and got on with his day.

Ara sat on the fountain in the park, clutching a wooly, white hat to her chest. It was Jack's, from when he was twelve.
It was the only piece of him she had for four years, and every month she used to take it out and weep over the best friend she had lost. Those days all on the 15th, to mark the day they had to say goodbye.

Aria and Jake stood face to face, tears clear on both of their faces. This was the last moment they would have to see each other as friends, until they become enemies.
Jake offered a weak smile and raised his arms for one last embrace. She obeyed and fell into his arms, feeling them curl up to trap her to him.
Resting her head on his chest, Aria let another wave of silent rain come from her eyes from the clouds of her emotions.
"I love you Jake, you know that right?" she said to him, looking up at his face. He glanced down at her and grinned his goofy grin, a flash of himself.
"Of course I do! And I love you, never forget that."

The flashback ended as soon as it started. Ara blinked, two, three times and took in her surroundings. The park was busier than normal, women walking together arms linked and laughing. Not a care in the world.
She remembered when she used to walk with Jack on the weekends, normally just before lunch time. And then they stood at the pond and fed the ducks with leftovers from their picnic.
That was during the summer, when the sun was out and proud in the sky and the grass was green as emeralds. Sprinklers showering their water over the flowers and whatever wildlife making their calls and responds.
The past was her fondest memory, when boys and girls were equal, when there wasn't death hanging around the corner, waiting to snatch and grab any victim coming their way.
The splashing of the fountain awoke her from her daydream; a bit of water had jumped at her and struck her skin. From where it touched her it was wet from the moisture and cold from the blowing wind. Goosebumps showed up on her skin as Ara wiped off the water.
She looked down at the fountain's surface littered with coins, or wishes. Metal glinted in the sunlight and cast light shadows on the walls of the fountain.
Coins lay in her pocket, ranging from 1ps to pounds. Ara dug into her pocket until she found a 10p coin. The face of Queen Elizabeth looked sideways at the fountain, as if knowing where it was going. The glum expression showing it didn't care.
Carefully, Ara balanced the coin on her thumb and index finger. With a quick, sharp movement of her thumb, she flipped the coin into the fountain, watching it sink to the bottom as she made her wish.