• “You win.” He took Aurelia’s sword and proceeded to a table, where he left it for another assistant to assist her in the process of making it hers. The final parting gift. He then called for the medics to carry the overdosed boy away.
    Aurelia watched with vague interest before heading over to the table to pick up her energy blade. The girl sitting there studied Aurelia over the top of her pink glasses. Aurelia thought she could see a bit of admiration in the girl’s hazel eyes.
    “I gotta give you one.” She said as she pulled on a pair of cotton gloves.
    “No one has ever defeated Jus before.”
    Next, she pulled out something from the hilt before placing the cold metal in Aurelia’s hands. Waited for it to take effect. They didn’t have to wait long, Aurelia observed. Her hands suddenly felt charged and glowed with white light. The light started shifting colours, first splitting into seven colours, a rainbow literally surrounding her hands. They shifted into a darker shade. A bluer shade, a shadow blue. The colour receded from her hands and travelled into the lightweight hilt.
    The energy twisted and looped around the hilt, reshaping, reforming. The dark blue ribbon arched and dove into the opening of the hilt. They shot out again, minutes after their disappearance and took shape, forming a thin, sharp edged blade of a dark blue colour and the hilt wasn’t spared. The dark blue ribbons encircled it and remained still, transforming themselves into shadow blue leather.
    “Wow.” She was only able to push one word through her shocked lips.
    The assistant didn’t seem to be impressed by the blade’s transformation, having probably seen her fair share’s worth and passed to Aurelia what she’d worked so hard to earn, the black belt.
    Holding the belt with something of a reverence in her hands, Aurelia stared at it, watching with wide eyed astonishment as the now familiar shadow blue threads of energy curled around her arms and travelled into the charcoal band. The blue seeped into the blackness and twirled around, forming patterns. The patterns which strongly resembled flowing water.
    She packed the belt into her bag with especial gentleness before slinging it over her shoulders. Looking around the room for her final time as a student, Aurelia breathed in deeply, the air perfumed with the scent of sweat and hard work and felt a feeling of nostalgic pass through her. Pushing it away, the girl left the building and headed onto her next destination, the Hearty Romina, for a quick chat with her co workers before she headed for the loneliness known as home.
    “Hey Hec!” She called cheerfully as the door bell jangled merrily, signalling her arrival. The jolly owner returned her smile as she crossed the distance from the door to the counter in three quick strides. Remembering the way Aurelia had been when he first entered the store, Hec couldn’t resist a bigger grin.
    “Mind if I grab a bite here?” She inquired, darting her sapphire eyes around the cosy interior of the little restaurant. “The test wore me out.”
    Chuckling in his usual way, Hec waved a hand at the nearest unoccupied seat.
    “Not at all. Feel free to.”
    Aurelia nodded her thanks as her long legs took her to the table and she rested those same weary legs thankfully. One of her friends, Jam (her real name is Janiquil though), brought her the menu.
    “Rea! I was beginning to think you were avoiding me!” The girl twinkled her dimples at Aurelia as she darted off to deliver a couple to an available table. Smiling at her friend’s antics, Aurelia picked up the menu and skimmed through quickly, knowing full well what was available, she worked there, after all.
    “Ready to order?” Aurelia smiled as Janiquil paused beside her table and whipped out the customary pencil and pad.
    “I’ll just have the Romina Sandwich Special and a glass of juice. Apple please.” She smiled at Janiquil as the girl retrieved the menu and repeated her order back to her as she herself had done so for the other customers numerous times. A quick confirmation later and Aurelia could only wait for her meal to arrive.