[sub] [color=#B9BABC] O A K R I D G E  A C A D E M Y[/color] 	[color=d8996d]Ezra Malchet[/color]	[hr] [/sub]

The atmosphere at the Academy was most tense. Ezra had seen the graduating students become guardians before in the years prior, and no such darkness had held an iron grip over the Academy as it did now. Ezra, however, understood the reason why such a mood could grasp amongst all among the Academy. It was plainly evident why, and perhaps the only rational reaction to those who valued their lives and their safety. The entire Academy had been mobilized, and not only the recently graduated guardians. The older the students were, the more dangerous their position would be. By that reasoning, then, the specialized missions designed for the newly graduated guardians would be the most dangerous.

Ezra began walking towards where those missions were posted. It was very disappointing, in a way, that this was how he would have to depart from the Academy. Even he had things and people that he would miss here. Graduation was usually a time of celebration, but his class would have the least jovial departure in probably the Academy’s history. It was all due to Operation Downfall. At that moment, Ezra realized what exactly was wrong with the operation. How had it not occurred to Headmaster Dysely that that was a horrible name? It would have been better to call it Operation Success or Operation Victory. Surely, Ezra thought, there must be some greater reason why such a name would be given.

Ezra let his mind come back to the proper matter that was at hand, and not aimlessly wander to useless topics of worthless thoughts. Beside him was Olivia conversing with her friend, or at least that was what Ezra had assumed she was. What was her name again? He probably had never been told, or if he had it had only be indirectly, through the small talk of his peers. The time had probably come that he would no longer have to compete with that wunderkind, Olivia.

Looking down at the information board, Ezra already knew what operation he would be taking. His head faced downward, and he grabbed from his pocket a note Ezra that had been careful with, as he hoped he could make sure he could have it for a long time. He had already memorized its words, but looked down at the physical copy anyways. It told him, “If you desire to find the truth, then head down to Doral and search for the mightiest fighter there. Godspeed, my friend.” So when Ezra took a look at the information board, he knew immediately that it would be the one where men were taking recruits from Doral. Ezra didn’t know who the note was from, as he knew enough to rule out his mother, and there was no one else there who would think of aiding him in his quest for the truth. 

After settling that matter, Ezra had begun to walk away. He would gather his things, grab his weapon, and prepare to depart. However, he saw Jaina Madison walking by, walking close to him, and his gaze became cold. There was a time when the pair of them were close, inseparable even. They had been friends, but now that simply the past, at least for him. He would never be able to forgive her the deceit she had done to him, for the lies that she had willingly uttered. Jaina looked up to him and gave a warm smile to him, and Ezra turned his head from her. Jaina, however, would not be deterred so easily. She came here to try and reconcile the two of them, and she intended to do more than just show a hurt look on her face and then somberly leave.

[color=1a7b30]“Hey,”[/color] Jaina said, giving a small wave. When Ezra didn’t answer Jaina continued with, [color=1a7b30]“Y’know, thought I’d just go and, y’know, drop in. So…uh, which one did you ever end up choosing?”[/color]

[color=B9BABC]“I’ll be going to Doral.”[/color]

[color=1a7b30]“Doral?”[/color]

[color=B9BABC]“Yes. I suspect you’ll be following right behind me. That’d be just like you.”[/color]

[color=1a7b30]“Hah, as if,”[/color] Jaina said with a sad smile. [color=1a7b30]“Soldiers like me don’t pick where they’re stationed.”[/color]

Ezra was surprised. He had expected that father – no, Elijah – would have stationed her close to him. Was his influence not great enough to allow that, or did he no longer care about keeping tabs on him, and had something else in mind entirely? Ezra didn’t know the answer to that. Also, he honestly was not sure about how he felt about Jaina being away from him, as strange as that might have seemed. He supposedly hated her, yet now the knowledge that she would be far away from him bothered him, even frightened him. 

[color=1a7b30] “I’ll be heading out towards the Nexus Reactor,” Jaina said. “The army’s sending me out there to act as assistance for the guardians. I don’t have any magic or spirits, but I’m not so bad with a gun, if I do say so myself. I’ve no idea what’ll happen out there, and I reckon things could be pretty ugly.”[/color]

[color=B9BABC]“No, you’ll be back,” Ezra said.[/color]

[color=1a7b30]“Well, it’s nice of you to care.”[/color]

[color=B9BABC]“Maybe,” Ezra said.[/color]

However, he still wasn’t willing to be nice to her. At the time he wasn't interested in any reconciliatory efforts between the two. She had withheld the truth from him for as long as she had known him, and that wasn’t something that he’d easily forgive. He walked away, and she didn’t follow.

Meanwhile, Ezra was walking back to his room. He was still surrounded by his thoughts when he saw that Elijah was once again checking up on him. After the truth had come out, Elijah had mostly avoided him. Yet there he was now, in front of his room, and he was currently exactly last on the list of people Ezra wanted to talk to right now.

[color=B9BABC]“What do you want?” Ezra said.[/color]

Elijah merely smirked, and said, “The hostility never ceases.”

[color=B9BABC]“You wiped my memories and then lied to me about my entire life.”[/color]

“Still bitter over that?”

[color=B9BABC]“Yes.”[/color]

“Since you seem intent on continuing resistance, let me warn you. If you do not return by my side now, and declare your undying loyalty once again, you shall indeed regret it. For your own sake, forget about all this nonsense about your past. Perhaps that way you might live to see the end of it that way.”

Then a heavy gust of wind came, and Elijah was surrounded in shadows. Elijah vanished right before his eyes, and all that remained were a collection of black feathers that were scattered by a heavy gust of wind. Ezra had no idea how he did that, and he hated when he did do it. Clearly Elijah had issued both a warning and a threat to him. Ezra clenched his fist. He entered his room to grab his weapon, determined that he would not let Elijah bully him.

[hider=Summary]
Ezra chooses to go to Doral on the basis of a note that tipped him towards Doral. Jaina tries to reconcile with Ezra, but Ezra is still bitter. Elijah appears before Ezra and threatens him to stay out of the way.
[/hider]