The next day, William woke up in his cocoon and discovered his Emblem was missing again. His sheets remained intact, the pillow was nice, and his head reached up from his little cave.

  Weirdly enough, his Emblem was resting on his chest when the light illuminated his day, so after a quick push, he got it back to his arm and whined about it like usual.

  “Uhm... No. No. Not again... Please, let this be a good day.” William begged the cursed sunlight and got up from his bed. He wasn't tired, though, nor exhausted in mind. After a change of clothes, as he was about to head to a different day than the rest of them, he went to the kitchen, where he met Mi-Yung alone.

  “Morning.” He said to her lonesome, worried face. She looked depressed, deep in thought, and he knew she didn't sleep at all.

  “It's already light... eh?” Mi-Yung remarked and sat as if the table was her answer.

  William approached her. “Is Luke fine?”

  “Yeah. He went out to sort things out. Maybe make a report or something. I wanted to join him. Alas, this is not my usual call, and I have other things to do.”

  “Really?” William said, assured what this one was about. She was also pretending. Great.

  “He didn't want me meddling with his business, you know,” She said, stretching her arms in distress.

  “He went even in his condition?”

  She nodded.

  “Why haven't you gone with him?”

  “I promised you today was...”

  “I don't care.” William asserted and pushed his fist on the table. “Luke is more important to you. Don't pretend I am something big. I am not.”

  “I can't change much about him right now, and don't kid yourself; you barely know him.” Mi-Yung reclaimed her spirit, glanced at him, and changed her posture by leaning back in the chair and pretending to check her hair—an attempt to hide her flustered anxiety or her arms. She knew troubles as these went on for days, but didn't want to feel them. She judged it, hoped, and feared it more. It was a bad habit. She never wanted to lose what was important to her ever again.

  “You said something else last night. Who is Lady Dia?”

  “So you've heard...”

  “I am sorry if that's bad. I didn't want to trouble you with Luke last night, but I did.”

  “No. This is your home, and it is expected of you to get it right. Dia... she is the best Healer in the world and part of the Academy.”

  “Healer?”

  “A subtype of the Elementalists and a Class with very distinct aspects. You know them. Don't pretend.”

  “Sub-type?!” William frowned and almost punched the table again. “Walkers have sub-types? How many?”

  He did, in fact, know plenty about it, but hearing the whole truth or branches was different than taking care of it via some shitty diaries.

  “Yeah. Every one of us is a unique story put into the System. It is complicated but not bad. Class is like a stake of our existence, or... calling it a profession is better? Nah,” Mi-Yung said and waved her hand dismissively before her face. “Dia will help me. I know she will. It will take time and effort. The problem is, I'm not sure if this expedition or Luke's merits will be enough. The Assembly might voice it like a reward, but his worth isn't much. Rank 5... I mean. It isn't a lot. He won't reach Rank 7 in his lifetime.”

  “Well, acting as if Rank 6 is a bad thing is even stranger. He fought above his Rank and protected what was important.” William argued, hiding his anger behind his crossed, clenched arms.

  “What would you know about it?”

  “It is better to solve it sooner rather than later.” William quoted. “Because you can't stop thinking about it. Isn't it about regrets? Wounds? Hidden demons? Never mind. Some spars are nonsense. I don't want you to have regrets.”

  “No,” Mi-Yung said firmly and got up quicker than William expected. She jerked the table aside in one swoop, forcing it to the wall, and before William knew, she pinned him to the wall. “Don't talk to me about regrets. There are so many of them... deep and everywhere.”

  “Alright,” William said, arms put in the air, and his eyes set on her solemn face. Mi-Yung pushed her palm on his chest and pushed him to the wall until it cracked.

  Releasing him, she apologized. “Excuse me... Spar will happen. I already sold you off to the Association and Yondu in this manner, and I guess even that old man has his moments and habits.”

  William frowned. “Pardon?”

  She repeated it, mentioning Yondu again—her boss, who caught William's attention weeks ago. Her reveal was mild, at best. William checked his shirt and Emblem before shrugging some dust off. “Whatever. I don't remember your conditions, and this spar is your idea since it involves Vials and my promise to you. Of course, I will keep that in mind. I agreed, like with that test with Old Dream that was probably about something else.”

  This hurt Mi-Yung a little, though she saw no point in dwelling on more distracting thoughts. She barely talked about what this spar was about besides seeing William's secrets that he vaguely described, and he never showed her what he was hiding.

  It was eating her spirit for a long time, and the Association and Yondu Division should have quite a deep interest in anything Gale-related. It wasn't good or bad; it was cautious curiosity that was, for Yondu alone, borderline exemplary— and hopefully much higher.

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  No other Pillar will be involved, or so Mi-Yung thought.

  She had never stated that this spar was a big event. For her, it was similar to a training, but for others, it might be a push to listen or a show of answers.

  “Fine. Get ready, eat, or let's go already. No library today. We're going there right now.”

  “It's just a spar,” William muttered, still dusting himself beside the wall and the destroyed table, weighing at least two hundred pounds.

  “And you are talking too much. Get moving.”

  William grumbled, got a quick meal, and had very few things to get ready for. In five minutes, they walked out of the building, and reaching their destination was quick, thanks to Mi-Yung's impatient, rough demeanor and terrible mood, which manifested in her speedy steps.

  William had trouble keeping up with her, but still reached their destination in the military parts of West District, which was half an army base and half a mix of residential streets and businesses.

  The military was a significant part of the Federation, comprising hundreds of different types of buildings. Most were tall, and they weren't as stacked as usual. Most had obvious faces with a lot of things hiding underground, away from people. There were many open areas and almost no greenery.

  The ground was either rocky or made of concrete blocks; the blocks felt heavy and substantial, and William couldn't tell how deep they were. It felt sturdy like roads for tanks or something.

  Most of the buildings had deep underground levels, and others stood as they were, with a couple of floors featuring sturdy designs. There were numerous gyms, training chambers, and various areas designated for Walkers alone or for military drills involving normal people, Walkers, or a combination of both. People trained everywhere, repaired vehicles, jogged in groups, or moved on to their positions.

  William wasn't unfamiliar with such processes because he had seen such order and military discipline in many forms, both Outside, when he arrived here all those weeks ago, and, well, anywhere. People had a group in blood, and military prospects around North America were quite common.

  Mi-Yung led him to a bulky five-story building that resembled an office more than a military operations unit, with arenas and quite nasty procedures within.

  “What can I expect there?” William asked.

  “That you wouldn't go back to your words.”

  “I don't plan to.”

  “Let's hope. There is a military talk that I feel I should mention, but perhaps I don't have to. I said that I wouldn't participate in this spar, and I don't plan to change my mind. There are also choices ahead of you. Who to fight? How? Where? How it could go, or in what specifics?”

  “I thought you would state this business better since you came up with it. I will do anything you ask for. It's just a spar.”

  “What sort of is in your mind?” Mi-Yung stopped and gazed at him. “This is about your Emblem and Rank 0 and everything that I fear, and you did or still do. So don't talk nonsense and don't think it is not a big deal, because it is.”

  William shook his head and glanced aside. “Yeah. I heard about that. Ten years this, and red this, and kill that. I want a spar that shows. The one where one side is trying their moves against the other. Nothing crazy, please.”

  “And what do I want from you?”

  William grunted in response. “I don't know. The trade-off was interesting, so I won't back away if it's not going to be too annoying.”

  “Then let's go,” Mi-Yung said coldly, opened the door, and walked inside. She wore an unassuming military uniform of no particular Division, yet even then, her hair and face stood out, as did her overall demeanor.

  Inside the building was nothing odd. There was a reception where an old, retired soldier perked up and saluted when he noticed the new guests.

  “Oh, Miss Song?” he said, smiling. “This is the one? That boy?”

  “Hello, Old Raff.” Mi-Yung stopped aside, looked around, and seemed as impatient and moody as in the morning. William's guesses were correct; she wasn't like this for any reason or with any particular people. She was honest to the bone and didn't hide it.

  Raff noticed it and heard the reports about the expedition and dealings with Yondu. Nobody who's aware should be surprised or willing to play around with her.

  “Where?” she demanded.

  “I think you are earlier than expected, Miss. I don't think anyone is here yet. Association representatives are coming here through many channels. I guess in an hour or so, things will be ready.”

  “Whatever. ? We can prepare or meet potential targets.”

  “Oh, I see. Targets... That's curious. You are taking it with rather special attention. You might go into the Fourth Arena. You know where it is.”

  Without further ado, she left and gestured for William to follow. This time, she wasn't in a hurry for fear of bumping into people in tight corridors. They were simple walls, showing rooms, doors, and military barracks full of equipment, gyms, and little sparring arenas. Mi-Yung went deeper, reaching stairs that went below the ground level.

  There, William saw not that different corridors again, but five minutes in, after he walked through a door into a vast underground area, he changed his mind. It was large, holding possibly even a thousand people, with enormous pillars supporting the tall ceiling and a broad room.

  Upon entering, more stairs led to a single-level area with dozens of arenas arranged in several rows, looking like cages, rings, or cubic rooms. Not every one of them was open and see-through. Large lights lit the whole place.

  There were plenty of people here already, punching each other, shouting, and training. It wasn't spotless, clean, or bloodless. Still, he saw no obvious Arcana, but bet many Walkers were there.

  Soldiers looked the part, as that was their profession and way of life. There was almost no apparent difference between them and Walkers because of the Yondu Division alone, which took part in this base. It had its rules that William tried to understand, such as the absence of significant disparities, but in missions, the situation was different. Walkers were superior to normal people, and one ought to get it, yet they were brothers and sisters here, proving their work in the military and ideals of the Yondu Division.

  Right. William noticed these patterns and saw many women enrolled in the Yondu Division because there were never enough soldiers. Not every Division was the same, but that was fair. There was no point in thinking of the former world, where the military was seen as a man's job.

  And with Walkers being roughly seen as equal in gender, the power balance between them did much to fuel doubts about old methods and opinions that still linger to this day. There were reasons and benefits that made both Walkers more appealing than the other, but at the end of this sequence, Arcana was fair and magical and did not care too much about it. By science and philosophy, the difference stayed, as it couldn't be helped. Everyone had ups and downs, yet before Darks...

  In Yondu Division, it didn't matter too much. Most soldiers either sparred, gave off lessons to young men and women, guided tactics, or waited or rested on the floor and benches.

  Mi-Yung's arrival did not go unnoticed. Many soldiers knew most Assembly individuals by heart and felt a sense of awe at her arrival. Many Walkers held such appeals by their names and accomplishments, and shying away from them was impossible. Mi-Yung was a Lower Pillar, relatively young, pretty, and potent, which made her very popular.

  However, no one approached her, perhaps because they knew better than to do so, after noticing her mood, or because it was common practice not to mess with big shots. Everyone knew that watching was acceptable, and nobody knew about the deal she had created out of whim or secrets.

  However, someone did approach her near her destination. It was a sunny old man, a Walker, notable by his deep azure Emblem that went from his forearms all the way to his shoulders as if it was part of his muscles and back. He wore a tank top, so his Emblem glinted in softness, not resembling a gem at all, as it was large, infused into his muscles, and blended seamlessly with his skin.