Roenan lay on the top bed of a bunk in a long wide room that was lined with numerous bunks on both sides. It had always reminded Roenan a little bit of the hospital, except it was darker and muggier in here. There was an old rickety roof fan that blew near his bed, and he was lucky for that, despite the noise. The guys on the edges of the buildling complained in various languages of the humidity in the air of the room.

He rolled to his side and looked over side of his bed and down at Saive lying on the bunk under his. He was resting on top of his sheets and had the back of his left wrist covering his eyes. He was breathing evenly.

Roenan still wasn't used to how good he looked. When his eyes were open, they looked unreal against his dark Jaedan tan. His muscles finally were well toned again, but not overly-bulky. The sinew of his muscles explained his incredible deftness and skill when it came to physical work and combat. Roenan had to remind himself that Saive had been trained like this many times before. That was a main reason that he was able to bounce back so fast from his feeble state after he was being fed properly and able to train again. Saive has worked relentlessly to get back into shape.

Roenan was back in shape too, and he felt good being in his body. He no longer felt pained or exhausted when he had to do simple tasks. Saive had been giving him side lessons with Jaedan training tricks to help him become quicker in physical combat and he felt better when he moved.

Roenan knew it was a struggle for him at first, but Saive had been learning to find some control over his ascension. At the beginning, the guards had figured out Roenan was able to pull Saive out of the ascension, and they would have him do it immediately whenever he fell into it. Roenan would often end up combatting him after the fact, since he normally always came to, with fists swinging or his hands around Roenan's throat. The guards seemed to secretly enjoy watching the two Jaedans brawl.

All that remained of his ascension now was a blank flash in his eyes before he took someone down, whoever had dared to touched him. It had become well-know to everyone throughout the boot camp that you didn't touch Saive unless you wanted a proper ass-whooping. Roenan assumed the cure to his ascension had been that Saive needed to be pushed into learning to control it. He was also healthier and not enduring interrogation torture, which allowed him to heal.

"Quit looking at me." Saive demanded without moving his wrist from his eyes.

"Sorry, I'm restless." Roenan responded.

Tomorrow they would both be graduating from the camp. Roenan was growing excited to head to the university instead of being in their dingy camp. And he was frankly feeling cocky to have met his personal deadline of six months, which hadn't been easy.

When Roenan wasn't physically training, he was up all hours of the night and day drilling Vernijjian into his mind, only to shut his books to head to class and have it drilled into him during those sessions. He was glad to have had the month and a half of basic Vernajjian training from Drakke at the hospital, because it had helped him to understand certain grammatical rules he might have struggled with at the camp.

He refused to speak Jaedan from the moment he entered this stage of boot camp and he also forced Saive to have conversations with him in Vernajjian. Saive detested it. But he knew Saive was aware that he wasn't going to let up on his persistence to practice Vernajjian, so he would to humor him questions or responses in the language occasionally. Roenan felt like he owed a lot to Saive for his help in training him Jaedan fighting techniques as well as putting up with his persistent Vernajjian need.

"I fucking love you, you know that right?" He said rhetorically to Saive in Jaedan. "You're my best friend and I'm glad you're here with me." Saive moved his wrist to looked up at him with his stunning silver eyes. Roenan smirked at Saive's disgusted expression and made a gesture like he'd ruffle his hair if he was close enough.

"I hope we're not dormed together at the university." Saive muttered. He hid his eyes back under his wrist.

Roenan laughed. "What? You don't want to come up here and give your friend a cuddle? I've been deprived of affection for an unbearable time now."

He had gotten to know Saive fairly well in the past few months. Even though Saive didn't expose much about himself, Roenan figured out his humor, his mannerisms, and other different traits he had. Roenan was about the only person Saive put up with or even bothered talking to, which secretly made him feel a little special.

Saive dropped his wrist from his eyes again to look at him. "You're asking me to go up there so you try to wrap your arms around me and pout when I toss you off the the bunk for it?" Saive asked.

"Ooh... I do like it rough. Don't tempt me with a good time." Roenan winked.

"Is that so?" Saive asked in a bored tone, dragging both wrists up to his eyes this time.

Roenan paused. "Speaking of affection...what is your romantic preference?" Roenan asked in Jaden. "Are you like me or like others."

"'I'm not like anyone." Saive answered.

"That's true. You are one of a kind. But answer my question."

"I did."

Roenan rolled back over in defeat to stare at the ceiling again. He was completely giddy with the thought of having some kind of freedom again, even though he'd still be stuck inside the wider-known Vernajiian military camp.

He sat up restlessly and looked around and saw a few foreigners scattered throughout the bunk room, either lying in or on top of their beds. They had definitely been given the oldest barracks in the camp. The Vernajjians who went through boot camp had much better accomodations. And Roenan suspected they'd gone through much easier training.

Roenan has also gathered that the Vernajjian boot camp population, who would be graduating in the same wave as Roenan and Saive, were ecstatic that they'd be back out in time for the end-of-spring military ball that was coming up at the University. Roenan had to endure many stories about what they planned to do to their girlfriends after they got them out of their gowns on that night. One particular guy had mention how he intended to force his date to have sex with him if she didn't give in, and Saive had beaten him so badly that he spent days in the infirmary. Saive had been sent down with the military officials for punishment. He hadn't been able to assist Roenan with any training or studying for a while after that punishment. Roenan learned not to ask what happened to Saive when he'd get punished.

"One more day, Saive." Roenan said, as if to himself. "One more fucking day."

"We're getting closer to escaping for Jaeda with each hour." Saive mumbled in response.

For some reason that hit Roenan a little. He hadn't particularly hated the Vernajjians as much as he thought he would. Sure, some of them were brutal, but he had met plenty of others who were able to talk normally about their own families and friends and who had good senses of humor. But Saive couldn't even fathom the idea of attempting a friendship with a Vernajjian. He'd only shut down or pick fights around them.

———

The next morning Roenan and Saive got up and dressed in their military suits. They'd been given a medal to pin on their breast to indicate that they had graduated boot camp. They attended their ceremony and went through the motions as they were instructed to do. Saive made the point to look bored and unthankful the whole time, but Roenan was more proud of himself. By the time the reception came around, Saive was practically bouncing on his toes.

"When are they going to let us out of here already?" He asked.

"Saive... try to enjoy yourself a little. There's alcohol." Roenan gestured toward the bar.

"I don't drink." Saive responded.

"Why is that, anyway? Are you underage and too scared to bend the rules?" Roenan asked, lightheartedly.

"I'm your age, idiot. And it makes you lose your guard." Saive answered lowly.

Roenan blanched at Saive. "I'm twenty-three, Sai."

"So am I." Saive answered, as if it should have been obvious.

Roenan let out a laugh that was more a noise of disbelief. "You're joking right? You have to be at least a decade younger than me. In the hospital..."

"I was suffering malnutrition and being mistreated daily, if you forgot. Look at me now, we don't look all that different."

Saive wasn't wrong. Roenan was so used to being with him every day that the progression of his health and outer appearance never really crossed Roenan's mind. But thinking back now, the Saive in the hospital could have been a completely different person. A helpless kid.

"Anyway." Saive said, looking self-conscious as Roenan looked him over. "I'm going to find a place to nap this out."

Roenan sighed. "Seriously, just try to enjoy yourself. You'll survive a few more hours."

"I'll enjoy myself when I'm out of here." Saive responded stubbornly, before turning to disappear into the crowd.

Roenan shook his head lightly before he turned away and managed to walk around and meet a few people. He figured that if he was going to be forced to go to school with them, he may as well get to know them. Most of the people he spoke to were minorities and he spent a couple of hours learning about how they ended up at the camp. Many of them seemed to have been turncoats, having given up information and swearing themselves to Vernajja. They said they'd prefer to live life elsewhere than to die on the spot. But Roenan couldn't relate because he never had information and Saive was never giving his up, which led to the torturing and interrogations. He didn't understand why he was here... or why Saive was still alive.

Roenan eventually found himself in conversation with a Vernajjian while getting another drink at he bar.

"That shit's strong, just a warning." The Vernajjian had said after Roenan ordered a shot of the liquor Drakke had brought him at the hospital.

Roenan smiled. "Thanks for the heads up. You come here often?" Roenan asked, gesturing to the quick makeshift bar that had been assembled for the purpose of the graduation.

"Hah, man. I honestly can't wait to get back out to a real bar. I miss the company of women, you know what I'm saying?" He nudged Roenan with his elbow.

"One hundred percent." Roenan lied. "Unfortunately, I'm confined to the university encampment from I've been told. No city or town bars for me."

The Vernajjian nodded. "Well, you can always swear yourself to Vernajja. A drastic way to the pub." The bar tender handed him his beer.

"I'm Urri." He said putting his hand out.

"Roenan." He responded as took he Urri's hand and shook.

"Hey, I just want to lend some parting advice..." Urri said as they dropped their hands. "Befriend people who have connections. You might end up with some leniency." Urri took a sip from his cup before adding, "And drop the creature. He'll do nothing but bring you down."

'The creature' was a nickname the camp had come up with for Saive. Saive was aware of his nickname and completely unaffected by it. Roenan was actually envious of his ability to not care at all about what anyone else thought of him.

The bartender slid Roenan his shot and he eyed it for a moment before he picked it up and lifted it to Urri in a cheer. He took the shot and set it down with a clank, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"It was nice to meet you, Urri." Roenan said, before walking off to look for Saive.