Chapter 2: Brave New Beginnings

Aria could not get out of that auditorium fast enough. By the time the steel doors slid apart to let her through the shouts of jubilation behind her hadn't even tapered off. 

The young woman's steps hurriedly carried her down the uniform hallways of the Magtek Operative Academy. Soft thumps rebounding off the still empty hallways with her rapid gait. 

'Thank the Gods.' She thought. 

It had been the hardest eight months of Aria's life. From the moment she had arrived M.O.A. put her under intense scrutiny. No more than anyone else. This was where the best of Magtek were trained after all. However, unlike other students Aria's family was capable of dishing out punishment without worry of retaliation from Magtek. Absolutely no slacking off for her, every test, every assignment, every field evaluation would be perfect or else. 

This led to a sort of permanent tension pulling taught at the base of her neck and across her shoulders every single day for the better part of a year. Even now, walking free from the graduation hall and about to set herself free from the confines of the steel trap of a building, that tension was still there.

Even with her new pseudo-freedom there came a price. Her usually unreadable expression twisted into a harsh grimace. Her jaw moved slowly side to side as it always did when she was deep in thought. It was a habit she had picked up as a little one, much to her attendants dismay. She had never quite broken the habit. 

The muse of this action was displayed on the retinal H.U.D.with a quiet whirring alert.. Dr. Kiroshi, her new boss, had sent a message. 

[Kiroshi: Ah! Congratulations my dear! It is not every day you graduate. Your Father reached out already and informed me you would begin your duties immediately. Very generous of you. Why don't you come by right after the ceremony? Your clearance is already in the system.] 

A harsh puff of amused air fell from Aria's nose as she dismissed the message. What a devious old man. Dr. Kiroshi knew full well the exact date and time she would have finished her studies. That information was readily available to someone of his level. It was likely that her Father had not spoken to him in some time. He did not make a habit of wasting his time with small things like when his daughter started her new job. What a villainous little liar.

She was pulled from her irritated musings by the sound of running footsteps behind her.

"Aria, wait up!"

Aria almost winced at the painfully familiar voice. Turning her head she looked slightly downwards to the beaming expression of one of her newly-former classmates. 

Lillian wasn't like most of the students at M.O.A. She wasn't from a wealthy lineage family. She had no notable features, olive skin, dark regulation length hair, muddy brown eyes with an albeit bright smile always on her full lips. The tiny ray of sunshine had no outstanding strengths or defining traits. All things considered when Aria had met her for the first time she had thought the girl would be gone in no more than a few weeks. 

It was most of the reason Aria had gone out of her way to attach herself to the girl. Not out of any sense of pity, Aria had never been cruel without reason. Because if Lillian was as out of place as she was, she would be the perfect camouflage for Aria. 

"Yes, Lillian?" 

Aria spoke with an awkward smile. Still after all these months not fully used to Lillian's boisterous attitude. 

Lillian did not seem to share the same reservations concerning Aria's painful social awkwardness. 

"Where are you going already? Everyones going out to Rusco's to celebrate graduation!" 

Before Lillian could even widen her eyes, puff out her lips and fold her hands cutely behind her back Aria''s pale hand shot upwards and blocked the girl's expression from her sight. Quickly yanking her head so she avoided the brutal strength of Lillian's adorable pouting face. Bloody fiend. 

"Take a guess. Dr. Kiroshi is waiting for me already." 

Aria's long legs began to move again. Forcing Lillian to drop her expression with a loud sigh and a roll of her eyes. Her much smaller legs forced to work exceptionally hard to keep pace with Aria. 

"Are you sure you can't reschedule? Come on, it's graduation day! Most of us aren't starting in our positions until next week, why are you in such a rush huh?" 

Aria grimaced at the question. Feeling a wellspring of mingled emotions bubbling below the surface of her chest at the seemingly innocent question. 

'Because I don't have a choice.' 

She thought to herself before letting her shoulders rise and fall in a nonchalant shrug.

"You know me, I love to work."

Lillian let out yet another exasperated noise somewhere between a groan and a high pitched whine. Aria felt a slight pressure tug at the sleeve of her pristine uniform. Forcing her steps to slow and silence the faint sound of their boots echoing off the plastene walls. 

"Hey." 

Lillian's voice demanded attention. Low in pitch and…almost mature. Almost. Enough to garner Aria's full attention. 

"You're going to be careful right? The stories about that place…it isn't as safe as they want us to believe.." 

Lillian's expression was flat and dark. Her lips drawn in a taut line making a slight unease pulse in Aria's veins as she looked down at her friend. 

Of course The Tower wasn't safe. She had never once expected it to be. It was after all the prison of the Deva. Not just because she would be working in proximity to the most powerful and dangerous Spellweavers on the planet, she was going to be the Handler of one. 

Threat class Deva Spellweavers. Magus who throughout recorded history have exhibited a unique and particularly catastrophic ability set. Each one possessing an entirely individualistic form of Spellweaving. This was not taking into account their ability to cultivate connections with creatures that Magtek had taken to classifying as Divine Entities. Despite Dr. Kiroshi, and many other talented researchers, best efforts Magtek been unable to find a way to observe or even identify these entities outside of the Magus's descriptions. 

This on top of their ability to utilize most of if not every class of Spellweaving techniques that are currently documented by Magtek, including foreign Spellweaving like the techniques the U.C.A.A. and the O.T.C. used. 

Most citizens and even Magtek personnel had little to no access to any of this information. Part of Aria's selection involved a summarized briefing sent to her SYNAPSE. by Dr. Kiroshi himself. It had only provided her with the essentials.

Aria held the intense gaze coming from the chocolate eyes of her only friend on this side of the planet with the best effort she could make towards a kind smile. Not quite sure how else to comfort Lillian she…lifted a hand and placed it atop the shorter girl's head. 

'What the hells am I doing?'

"I'm going to be alright. I promise. I'll keep in touch." 

Somehow the painfully awkward gesture seemed to work. Lillian's expression lightened and the intensity of the moment faded quickly. The girl let out a cheery giggle and sternly answered. 

"Of course you're keeping in touch! You're getting lunch with me at least once a week!" 

"Every other week." 

"Maybe even twice a week if I have a lot to share!" 

"Lillian." 

Somehow this bickering put Aria at ease. Her muscles noticeably released the tension that had been coiled below her skin like a snake. Even breathing seemed somewhat easier. This was the other reason she had befriended Lillian so quickly when they had both arrived. 

The girl had the ability to make her forget the world for just a little bit.