The instant the sun shone through the window, Reina woke up. As common amongst Fire Artists, they rose with the sun. It filled them with life and energy. Case in point, Reina fell to the ground.

Well, not really. She caught herself just in time and began doing push-ups. It was her normal work-up she did every day. The only reason she hadn’t done it yesterday was that the apocalyptic dream/vision forced her to immediately head to Sistiline and skip her training. If she was going to get into the Academy though, she needed to be in top strength.

Reina growled at the thought of the dream, but at the same time, fear shot up her body. Her memories of the vision were still fading, and she was beginning to consider writing what she could still remember down. Neverstien was ground zero for a horrific event that wiped out humanity, and Reina needed to stop it. No pressure.

Reina changed her work up to old plain pushups and clap pushups. The sound of her hands hitting each other filled the room and for a while, Reina was able to focus just on working. Until her mind came rushing back again. She didn’t want to go to the Academy. She didn’t need the attention and glory that came from being a student. And she definitely wanted to avoid the trouble.

She wasn’t the type to use her powers. Sure, she had threatened sometimes but she was rarely the type of person to follow through. She may have acted as nonchalant as possible about the whole tent issue, but deep down, Reina was mortified about it. Reina knew her powers were different from the others. The System was altered for her, in ways it wasn't for everybody else. She didn’t want anybody else to find out, especially people who courted chaos.

“50, 51, 52,” Reina counted without missing a beat. She had down this so much it was nothing. Her max was 502. She paused now. Avery would usually come by around this time to stop her exercising and Reina would always refuse. They would end up with Avery on Reina’s back as she continued working out, talking, and giggling. The fact that this didn’t happen meant a lot to both of them.

Dejected now, Reina continued. Last night, when the trio had made their way indoors, Reina and Avery had immediately begun fighting. Avery was annoyed at how careless Reina had been and how she flaunted her power about without a care in the world for the consequences. Reina had denied that but Avery kept on going on and on until she snapped too. They had said some not-so-very-nice things and then stormed off.

She had hoped sleeping would have cooled Avery off but apparently not. Reina grunted as she reached 100 and shifted into a one-hand push-up. Down and up she went as she quickly adapted to this new type and she focused on her thoughts once more. What could she do to make it up to her best friend? If she wasn’t going to the Academy she would have more time to talk to her and give her a present. Yet another way that stupid vision interfered in her life. Maybe Reina could go out and buy a pie with loads of whipped cream on top? Sure, that would be the death of her money but Avery was worth it and more. Besides, what would she even use the money for in the Academy?

Feeling better now that she had a plan, Reina began going up and down even faster. She began doing this a few weeks after she arrived in the orphanage. Reina had been ripped open; she'd outstretched a hand and while she thought it had been accepted, it turned out the other person had a knife behind their back. Betrayal, anguish, terror; those had been the emotions she'd been filled with. Why did Reina have to be "friends" with the other orphans?! Just because they were the same age didn't mean they wouldn't be the same! Those were the kind of thoughts Reina had.

She was all alone and didn’t want to interact with anybody. So, since she was bored and all, she threw herself into her training. Reina was determined to become stronger, so she would never again have to go through that again. She worked out, keeping herself locked in her room. Sistiline was worried for her and came to her door many times but Reina never responded. She couldn’t trust any of them.

Her workout at the beginning only consisted of pushups and curl-ups, as she didn’t want to go outside just yet to run. But that all changed one day when Avery entered her life. Reina could still remember the day as if it was yesterday.

Reina had just finished her workout when Sistiline, the only one brave enough had knocked on her door. Just as always, Reina had done what she always did and didn’t respond, just listened to the newest news. However, she heard something that intrigued her.

“Reina?” came the voice of Nun Sistiline through the wooden door.

Reina didn’t respond, still going up and down on the floor. “I have some news you may like.” Reina didn’t care. It was just meaningless things.

“A new girl came. Her name’s Avery. She’s around your age.”

Reina grunted as she went faster. She only cared about one person anymore, and that was because she needed to kill him. This random girl didn’t mean anything. Nun Sistiline sighed when there was no response. “Okay. I’ll come back later, all right?”

Reina didn’t say anything and waited until her footsteps went away. The moment they did, she stopped working out and immediately jumped onto her bed. Bouncing a bit, Reina reached out underneath her bed and retrieved a battered old box. She creaked it open and fingered a weathered cloak. She draped it around herself and sighed. Just the feeling of it made Reina feel safer. It brought back memories of happier times, with the reassuring comfort on her body.

There was a slam and Reina bolted up to search for the intruder. It didn’t take her long. A younger Avery was on the ground on top of the door. Reina was momentarily shocked into silence.

“Urgh.” Avery sat back up, rubbing her head. “That hurt like crazy! Oh, hey!” she exclaimed, apparently seeing Reina for the first time.

Reina’s eyes narrowed and she pointed out the doorway. Avery cocked her head. “What?”

Reina grit her teeth. She swore this girl was doing this on purpose. She never saw anybody not understand her cues. And she was absolutely not going to break her streak of not talking. Not for this jerk! The door had been closed on purpose! Reina turned her back to the troublesome girl and shifted her cloak around.

“Um, hello?” the girl asked. Reina remained silent. "Geez, you’re not even going to talk? I heard about you, you know. You got here a few months ago. In those months, you haven’t said a single word, and everybody is terrified of you. Do you really want that?”

Reina didn’t say a word, but truth was, the girl was right. She didn’t want to have to do this, but she needed to.

“I think you’re just scared.”

Reina’s head turned sharply at her blunt statement. She gazed right back at Reina, unflinching.

How dare she say she was scared? She had done more in twelve years than this girl would ever achieve. She had faced opponents who would give heroes a run for their money, and prevailed! She had watched something that no child should be forced to watch, and yet still she had prevailed. And now, she was on a mission. She knew what her purpose was. Could this girl say the same?

Reina tried to convey all this with her eyes. The girl sighed. “I think you’re scared that you’re going to make attachments and have them ripped away again.”

Reina froze. Did she know? But how?

“Nun Sistiline told me. She wanted me to befriend you. I think it’s because I kind of know what you’re going through. I lost my parents too, recently. It was a fire that killed them.”

Reina inhaled sharply. The pain of being trapped underneath a ton of debris; hearing the flames crackle nearby; her parent's lifeless bodies nearby catching on fire; choking on the suffocating air; and most of all, seeing her leave Reina behind. Reina shook her head. That was in the past!

“Don’t worry. I was afraid too, because I thought that if I loved people again, they would be taken away from me. But now I realize, that life is short. Death will always come, but life is interchangeable. You can make it better and worth living, or you could be alone forever. You look super brave. Why don’t we take a risk together to make our life happier? After all, isn’t that what our parents would want?”

Then she held out her hand, her eyes shimmering with hope. Reina had twiddled her fingers, indecisive and wracked with nerves. This girl had been spot on. She was afraid. But maybe this would help her. Reina’s parents would want this for her, she know they would.

Reina sighed deeply. For them. She would do this for her parents, to make them happy. Reina reached out and took the girl's hand. The girl beamed and started pulling Reina down toward the kitchen. They stopped at the door, and Reina tried to breathe. For some reason, it wasn’t working. The girl smiled and squeezed gently.

“Don’t worry,” she whispered, and all of a sudden, Reina could breathe again. She nodded.

“By the way, my name is Avery.” The newly realized Avery grinned at her.

Reina cleared her throat, and for the first time in many weeks, said something to somebody. “My name is Reina.”

That had been the start of a glorious friendship. Which was now having a block.

Reina groaned as she shifted to the other finger on her other hand. She owed everything to Avery. Avery had shown her the bright world after it had become gray, and taught her it was okay to love again. She made everything better. And when Marie came along, Reina instantly felt a connection to the little bouncing ball of energy. She wanted to take care of her and shield her innocence from the world. Avery had felt the same.

Reina grunted. The workout was hard. Keeping up her entire body with only one finger was no easy task. At long last, she finished. She took a deep breath and did the next set. She put both of her palms down and lifted her entire body into the air, from head to toes. She wobbled a bit but quickly regained her balance, becoming straight again. Her muscles strained with the effort, but she managed to keep this up.

Five minutes passed and with an exhausted gasp, she let herself drop. Reina laid down on the floor for a few minutes, letting her body relax. She grinned. This was going to be fun. Her hand went underneath the bed and scrambled for what she knew was there.

“Ah-ha!” Her fingers grasped the concrete edges and she pulled it out, revealing a three-inch-thick square piece of concrete. Another good thing about reconnecting with the world. You had people who help you. Nun Sistiline had given this to her after watching one of her workouts. It was riddled with minuscule craters, some larger than others.

Reina lowered her hand so it hovered a few inches above the concrete slab. Holding her breath, she flicked a finger. Another crack formed when her fingertip struck the concrete, but nothing major. Exhaling, Reina repeated the action before switching to the other hand. Each time, only a small crack appeared. After a few minutes of doing this, Reina placed the slab back in its original spot. That exercise had been all about physical strength; being able to control the amount of strength she exerted.

Now for the frames.

Reina retrieved her sword from the nightstand and made her way to the center of the room. She clamped the sword between her teeth, which, in hindsight, was a bad idea, but hey! Reina never stopped to think. She jumped up and grabbed the frames. She lowered her sword to her legs and began bringing her legs up to her chest and down again, along with the sword.

The sword weighed a lot; not as much as her smasher but still heavier than the average. It weighed about as much as a cabinet, and it had taken Rachael quite a while to gain the amount of strength necessary to use it.

Groaning, Reina did this over and over again until she stopped, panting. She'd reached her limits. She dropped down and after gently placing her sword back and wiping off the sweat, crept down the stairs. At the same time, Reina wished Avery would be there and that she wouldn’t. Luckily or unfortunately for her, Avery wasn’t. Instead, it was only Sis.

Sis raised a brow the instant Reina entered the room but didn’t say a word. Reina pretended she wasn’t there while she went around, getting toast and milk. She chomped them down and made to exit the orphanage when Sis finally spoke. “You know she’s sad.”

Reina sighed. “Well, hope you had fun watching me make and eat my breakfast.”

“You know she doesn’t like fighting with you.” Sis continued as if uninterrupted.

Reina rolled her eyes. “You think I do? I hate it! But. . . . . . I have a plan!”

Sis’s eyes widened and she rubbed her forehead. “Oh, not this again.”

Reina frowned. “What do you mean?”

Sis gently laughed. “How do I put this? You’re not the best with gifts.”

Reina fumed. “Yes, I am!”

“How about the time you gave me a rat for my birthday?” Sis teased.

Reina flushed. “Gary said you would like it!”

Sis grinned. “Oh, believe me, I did. How couldn’t I? After all, it was the first gift you gave me. Still, tell me your plan first, okay?”

“Fine!” Reina grumbled. “I’ll get the pie she likes so much, put mountains of whip cream, and then hand it to her with an apology.”

“Hmm.” Sis tapped her chin. “Simple but efficient! I must say, I didn’t expect this from you, Reina!”

Reina huffed and turned away. “Well, I’m full of surprises!” She stormed out.

Sis giggled and took a sip of her coffee. “You truly are. . . .”

Outside, Reina was sprinting. This was part of her workout as well, running as fast as she could. Not only would it increase the strength in her legs, but it would also make her stamina bigger. Reina watched the sky as she ran. Or, more accurately, the sun rising. She woke up super early, as usual, to fit in her workout. And she was glad she did. The orange color of the sun splashing in with the baby blue tint was amazing.

Reina pushed herself further. She wanted to reach five miles before the sun was fully out. After an hour of running, where she occasionally slowed down, she finally collapsed.

“Oh, god, I overdid it,” she stated, her chest heaving up and down. “Uh, I think my legs are jelly!”

“Indeed you did, and indeed they should be after all that running you did.” stated a familiar voice. Reina grinned and looked over to find an old woman with a shawl over her face.

“Hello there.” Reina greeted. Amy nodded in response.

Ever since Reina first began running, she had found Amy at the same spot every day; leaning against the tree with a peach in her hand. The first few times this had happened over and over again, Reina had started to get nervous, so she confronted her.

Amy had calmly replied she was here to observe such an interesting young girl. She said it was rare to find somebody so determined and was curious to know the reason why. She was worried Reina was pushing herself and offered the peach to her. After Reina hesitantly took it, Amy told her while it was good to run and exercise, it meant nothing if she overdid it.

Ever since then, Reina always talked to Amy after her run and they grew to become pretty close.

“How’s your daughter?” Reina asked as she bit into the peach given. She moaned as the juices flooded into her mouth.

Amy cackled. “Doing good, doing good. She just recently got married, you know.”

Reina’s brows shot up. “Really? Well, congrats for her.”

Amy smiled. “Yes, she is growing up and leaving the nest. It is quite sad. But I hear you have been considering doing the same?”

Reina nodded absentmindedly, focused more on the peach. “Yeah, I’m going to the Academy.”

Amy’s eyes widened. “The Academy?” she repeated dubiously.

“Yep.” Reina popped the P.

“But, Reina! Are you sure-?”

Reina cut Amy off firmly. “Yes. I’m sure.”

Amy didn’t look entirely convinced but nodded along with it anyway. “Just be careful. And try to forgive, all right?” she pleaded.

Reina sighed. “Sure, I’ll do that.” She chewed down the last of the peach and got up.

“Leaving already?” Amy asked. Reina nodded.

“Need to go clean up the beach,” she answered before jogging over to the beach, noticing Amy’s slightly sad wave. The moment Reina reached the beach, she went right to work.

The entire beach, which had once been a beautiful and glimmering oasis with its shifting sands and shiny ocean, was now a dump. Every square inch was filled with trash of all sorts, and nobody came her anymore unless it was to throw something else away. Reina added this as part of her workout and she wanted to make this place clean before she was forced to leave. So she went into overdrive, picking up piles of trash at the same time and walking over to the nearest dumpster.

Even as the sun reached the crux of it's cycle and began descending, she kept on picking up trash by heaps and dumping them. By the time night fell, the entire beach was cleaned up before the sun came down. Reina groaned as she finally woke up and observed the fruits of her labor.

“Oh, hey! This looks pretty good!” she exclaimed, proud of all her hard work.

There was a rustling behind her and she instantly turned to face the threat. It was a little duo, boy and girl. Reina was instantly awed. They were so adorable, she just wanted to pinch their little cheeks!

“What is it?” she wondered. The girl nudged the boy forward and he stumbled. Reina hastily helped him up but he withdrew almost as quickly.

“Ouch,” Reina muttered to herself as the boy bit his lips. As if he was participating in a mental argument, his face contorted with frustration. Finally, he sighed.

“I really like what you’re doing. Just keep it up and you can become a good hero.” he acknowledged and patted Reina on the back. He turned around before pausing and shooting a thumbs-up to her. They both left the way they came, leaving Reina dumbfounded.

“Did he just-? That brat-?” she asked. She groaned.

“You know what, I just don’t care anymore.” Reina made to go back to the orphanage but happened to look at the sun. Or rather, the lack of it. Her eyes widened. “The bakery!”

She sprinted, maybe accidentally running over a few people and causing car accidents, but she made it. Just before the store closed as well! Reina crept inside and bolted toward the pie section. She quickly selected the one Avery would like the most and bought it, slapping the last of her money down onto the counter.

She headed out, whistling and being a very satisfied customer in general. Reina entered the orphanage and exchanged a sly look with Nun Sistiline.

“Hey, Reina! Aren’t you going to eat?” asked Momo, one of the older girls at the orphanage.

Reina scoffed. “Like I would be hun-!” A loud growling sound cut her off and she flushed red. She ran to the cupboard, swept her arms and stole a large mound of canned food, and bolted back up the stairs.

Momo sighed and shook her head fondly. “That girl never changes.”

Reina excitedly charged up the stairs to Avery’s room and knocked rapidly. “Avery!” she exclaimed.

There was rustling and then the door clicked open to reveal Avery with bloodshot eyes. Reina frowned. Had she been. . . . .crying?

“Hey, are you okay?” Reina asked. Avery sniffled and glared at her best friend.

“Of course I am! What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be practicing for your precious Academy and new friends?” she barked. Reina raised an eyebrow.

“Okayyy. Um, I just wanted to give you this!” She raised the box and gently shook it. “Tada!”

Avery reached out to take it when something came to Reina. Her eyes widened. She forgot the whipped cream! Reina shoved the box into Avery’s arms.

“Just one moment please.” she giggled nervously before jumping down to the first story. She landed heavily and everybody turned to look at her, confused and a tad bit scared.

“Is everything o-“

“Where’s the whipped cream?!” Reina shrieked. Falling silent, Gary pointed at a cabinet.

Reina tore through it, found the can, and jumped back up to the second floor. She arrived right where she left off and began pumping loads and loads of the white stuff onto the creamy pie. Finally, the can was exhausted and she tossed it aside. Grinning wildly, Reina presented the whole thing to Avery, who merely raised an eyebrow. She eventually groaned and took it indoors, locking the door as well. Reina frowned once more.

What was with her? Did Reina do something? Other than the whole test incident, of course, but even so! That wasn’t something Avery was likely to do! So what else did she do? Maybe Avery realized that Reina kept on stealing her diary and reading it? Or maybe she figured out that Reina crept into her room while she was out and filched some of the super-secret cookies she had hidden underneath her bed which tasted divine.

Nah, no way, right?

Reina entered her room and closed the door, leaving her alone with the huge pile of cans. She plopped down and started eating, ripping the lids off easily.

“Hm!” Reina moaned as the tuna’s flavors entered her mouth. “This is some good tuna!” she exclaimed before diving in again.

As she ate, her thoughts went back to the future. Even with all the training she did, could Reina really prevent everything? Was she being egoistical in simply thinking she could? Reina stared at her hand and clenched it into a fist. No matter what, she'd do anything to protect the people she loved. This, Reina Romane swore!