"Welcome to Primary City, the beginning of every hunter's journey and the safest city in the country. Please make your way to the Registration Office if you plan on becoming a hunter. Registration closes in 10 minutes."

        "We made it, Gin!" At last, the determined siblings made it to the city of their new beginning. Its beauty was incomparable to anything they'd ever seen before. Little radios could be found at different heights on different buildings and vendors that repeated the same message over and over. The two brothers paused to catch their breath and share a proud smile before continuing to locate the Registration Office.

        "Hey Tow, what do you think our names should be? Now that we're registered hunters and all that?" A hot-headed, short girl beamed with joy now that she and her friends finished signing up for the long process of becoming a hunter. The past was one thing the three of them were more than ready to leave behind. A fresh day, with fresh air, to bring in a fresh beginning. 

        "That's not how this works, idiot. We've only registered for the exam," she answered her friend.

        "Yeah but we have you and Neo, so we've basically already won. We're a trio, who can beat a trio?" 

        "How many times have I told you to never underestimate your opponents, Rufo? Besides, we can only kill one monster at a time. What if the exam is fighting 20 monsters in 20 minutes?"

        A light scoff left Rufo. "There's no way that's the exam, this is just to become a primary hunter. All we are going to have to do is prove we can kill a monster," he replied rather nonchalantly. They had this in the bag, they were sure of it. It was registration day, that was all they needed to do for today, which was all two out of three of them were concerned about. "At most, they'll have us kill two monsters and probably make us do some competition, you know, between participants."

        "We'll see tomorrow. For now, we should rest up and I can finally have this cupcake Rethe made for me!" Tow's excitement seemed to do nothing but grow as she pulled out a brown cupcake the size of her hand from her bag. With Tow now lost in her mouth-watering fantasy, Neo and Rufo watched as she slowly peeled the grey wrapper off, anticipation filling them as she did. 

        "Incoming, get out of the way! Gin, keep up!" In the distance, Neo and Rufo noticed two boys pushing their way through the small crowds of nervous possible hunters-to-be. They didn't seem to be trying to not it people, their only focus was the registration building behind Tow.

        The wrapper was off and heaven in a bite was moments away from Tow's chapped lips. Just the thought of sinking her teeth into the warm cake was enough to mesmerize her. An extraordinary chef would be an understatement when describing her brother. Known pretty far for his delicious treats, her brother Rethe delivers treats to her for gestures of good luck. 

        "Xeno, slow down- excuse me!" With warning, the two knuckleheads Neo spotted earlier dashed their way between him and Tow. Just as before, they didn't pause, even after acknowledging the fact that they made Tow drop her cupcake. The one in the front was shorter than the one following close behind him. His black, curly hair just barely bounced in the wind but the taller one's voluptuous dreads covered almost his entire head, the amount seeming to overflow. They looked to be teens, no older. Tow's eyes never left the cupcake that was now one with the cement under her bare feet. Almost an exact representation of her heart at that moment, she thought.

        "Tow, it's alright. I'm sure we'll be able to get you another one," Neo said gently while crouching beside his ally. Her feelings became apparent to those around her when her naturally carrot-colored hair burst into a frantic flame, just barely missing her friends. Their soothing words helped the flame die down before it could grow any larger but Tow's heartbreak had already caused a scene.

        "Ekacpuc!" she sobbed, snot flying from her nose and saliva shooting out her mouth. Rufo dropped to her other side, ready to try and console her but the laughs and mocks of the teens got the trios' attention. While most were just giving the trio concerned stares, they found her war cry funny. Neo knew became futile to dwell on it once the duo made it into the registration building. It was emptier than they expected, duller than they'd hoped. Straight across from them was a vintage wooden desk. Sitting in the matching, tall wooden chair, an old woman.

        Rushing up to the counter, Xeno and Gin came to an abrupt halt to read the poster of rules on the wall. 

• Participants are forbidden from targeting one another unless told to do so.

• Outside weapons, armor, and other gadgets are strictly prohibited. You will be provided with items of your choice before your exam.

• Magic is allowed

• You are not to stray outside your exam site or facility without a proctor. 

        "Piece of cake!" Xeno exclaims before turning his full attention back to the woman behind the counter. With wrinkles covering the majority of her face, the two boys assumed her to be no younger than 40. Her thinning silver hair only seemed to support their theory. Her droopy eyes lit up at the sight of the two boys. 

        "Welcome boys. My name is Sam, I'll be helping you register today. Unfortunately, you can not register as a squad, group, or crew until your second hunter exam. Please decide amongst yourself who will go first, then come back." Xeno and Gin eyed each other for a moment before Xeno stepped forward. "Any other rules will be stated at the start of the match and must be followed for the duration of the game." Xeno glanced up from the document he was currently signing.

        "Game?" he asked.

        Sam hummed gently while replacing Xeno's signed papers with fresh, blank ones for Gin. "Yes, participants will be tested by completing special hunter games designed to challenge and improve particular hunter skills. These games are often used outside of the exam to build on and practice your abilities." The elderly woman caught sight of Gin's slightly trembling hand. Offering him a warm smile, Sam tenderly caressed the back of Gin's hand. "Don't worry, I'm sure a handsome man like you will do just fine."

        Unsure of how to respond, Gin cleared his throat awkwardly and finished signing the paper.

        "You gentlemen can wait in the lounge area until the games begin." Like a prey eager to escape its predator's sights, Gin took hold of his brother's arm and pulled him off towards the next room. Moments before they stepped through, the entrance doors slammed open once more. The voice of the newcomer became muffled as the door leading to the lounge slowly started to close.

"Just this once. Timing is important as a hunter, remember that," was the last thing Xeno heard Sam say before his attention was completely diverted to the new sights before him.