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[center][h2][color=87CEEB]ARRIVAL[/color][/h2][/center]

It all began with a rather gaudy welcome befitting the equally theatrical procession of new students to the academy, just as she had been told beforehand by her handler. The ringing bells, the voices of the crowd, the flower petals raining down upon the students, all the bright colors typical of a festive celebration. These were all also things that she had been told to expect.

[color=87CEEB][i]This is... Quite a lot to take in.[/i][/color]

And yet despite all the information and expectation she brought with her, it all still felt so weird; almost out of the world even. The last time she had seen this many people gathered together was the day she and the rest of the new candidates of the Lotus Sentry were formally inducted into the organization after a few months of intense training, and even then it had been a rather subdued ceremony despite the great number of people present. It was cold, tense, and spartan that day. The only loud enough noises back then began with the main part of the ceremony: the noises of weapons clashing, screams of the dying, and the cacophony of magic tearing the arena apart. The ceremony that she and half of her peers survived after killing off the other half. Unforgiving, horrible, and heartless. It was a far cry from this procession where joy, excitement, and extravagance reigned supreme. This celebration was a new experience with a bit too much stimulation for her senses. Too much for someone who were trained to be dull to emotions and needless stimulation.

Memories of other, far humbler but just as joyful celebrations surfaced in her mind. Chuseok, the yearly harvest festival celebrated in her home village. Heroes Day Celebration, in honor of the Tan Keoulian heroes who ensured Tan Keoul's independence against invaders. And her own 15th birthday party... It was when she remembered this that the memories wavered, replaced with bleaker ones. A sense of dread started to fill her mind, and she involuntarily flinched as she walked. It was just a few days after that very birthday celebration that Eun-Ji's life were to no longer be her own.

[color=87CEEB][i]No. There's no point in remembering such things. No point in lamenting what had already came to pass. [/i][/color]

With that though, she quickly regained control of her mind, shaking the distracting memories off. She was here in a mission after all, as her commander had repeated again and again to her. A student she might be and study she will indeed, but she must always remember that this were all so that she will be an even deadlier weapon for the emperor and Tan Keoul to utilize.

So there, among the artisans and the other civil servants that made up this section of the student procession, Seung Eun-Ji kept her gaze mostly straight to the front. She tried her best not to attract any attention as she definitely didn't need anymore stimulation considering what were already there were quite enough to discomfort her. Unfortunately, her rather exotic dress wasn't really helping her much with not attracting any attention. Sure, she was far from the only one with exotic appearance in this day and the crowd of students made it unlikely for her to be anyone's specific center of attention, but that fact didn't really help with making her feel anymore comfortable. She hoped that the procession will end quickly, but hoping by itself won't actually affect anything much. So she decided to focus her attention towards the beating of her own heart instead as she walked with the rest of the procession. [i]Thump thump thump[/i]. Focusing on the sound of her heart had always been a source of comfort for her. It reminded her that even if her life were no longer her own, at least she's still alive regardless. [i]Thump thump thump thump[/i]. Soon enough, all other noises faded away, shut out of Eun-Ji's mind. She continued to walk while performing her own little ritual. A deep breathe in, a deep breathe out, repeated over and over for a minute and finished with a softly whispered mantra. [color=87CEEB]"Long live the emperor, All hail Tan Keoul, For the prosperity of the Lotus we live."[/color]

And just like that, she had fully obtained control. The previously overwhelming noises, sights, and vibrations no longer affected her as all became nothing more than barely perceptible distractions. She looked to the side, to where the crowd were cheering the students on. Yet in her eyes, they were as if mere blurred images. Nobody in the crowd were of particular note, as with the noises they made. She continued her observation of the surrounding, all pointless stimulation tuned out from her senses. Here, far behind the noble students, there really didn't seem to be anything much worth of note. If there had been any, her focused mind would quickly pick it out among the insignificant. It would have been like a sharp image among the blurred ones, or a clear sound among the tuned out silence. If only she had been closer, Leon Solaire and the little show he had put on would have been one such sharp image and clear sound, but as it happened she was simply too far away from there.

[i]One with the flow, one with tranquility. Merge with the world.[/i]
[color=87CEEB][i]One with the heaven, one with Dunjia. And the world will declare to you its shape and voice.[/i][/color]

Thus Eun-Ji continued walking with the procession among the artisans and other civil servants, senses at peace yet also focused. One of the five hundreds, moving onward to the plaza that was to be their destination.