As we enter the banquet hall, everyone ignores us, all eyes watching the screaming man at the front of the room, he too is Japanese, and quite handsome. There is a whirlwind of orange energy swirling above his head, surging into his body and coursing through his veins from his wrist to what looks to be his eyes. Shutting his eyes, he begins to shake violently for what seems like forever. I watch as his hair changes from black to red.

As Anaka leads me to the front of the room, my eyes are drawn toward Her Majesty, who is sitting at the front of the room on her throne on an elevated stage. She has a commanding presence that emanates both grace and authority with just a single glance. Looking past the Japanese man, she smiles at me with a look of intrigue.

I feel my palms go cold and clammy as she stares at me. I do not know how I know, but just by looking at her I know this woman has killed her fair share of people in her life and I think it wise to stay on her good side. Next to her is standing a colossal man, towering over everyone present, while still seated. His immense stature and bulging muscles resemble that of a formidable bull. My heart skips a beat as I stare at him, again a sense of familiarity tugging at the edge of my memory.

Witnessing magic for the first time is a truly spectacular experience, surpassing any preconceived notions I have had before now. Leaning toward Anaka, I quietly inquire, “What are they doing to that man?”

“Oh they are just channeling his gift properly before the sound gets him,” she mentions.

Perplexed, I ask, “The sound?”

“Ask Oleras, when you have the chance, he's the older gentleman standing next to him, he can explain it better than I ever could.” She says, gesturing toward the man who retrieved me from the compartment along with Anaka this morning.

I am only able to nod my head, not sure how to really respond to that. What does she mean by the sound getting him?  It is an odd statement without any context to go on. 

Looking back at the man, I notice he is breathing heavily, staring up at Her Majesty as she steps down from her throne to carefully examine his wrist. I watch as the old man removes a strange-looking device from his wrist.

It is a strange-looking device with a crystal at its center. In the interior mechanism, I can see thousands of needles moving like mechanical horseshoe crab legs, controlled by gears and levers. On the top of it, there is a lone button that must be used to engage and deactivate the device after it has started.

As Her Majesty looks at the man’s wrist and peers into his eyes. I notice both look bruised and slightly burned, especially the area where the device had been attached. “Well then.” Her Majesty says, “Show them.” Turning around, he lifts his wrist into the air to show everyone a peculiar black marking, resembling a fireball with an angular swirl at its center, which has appeared on the bruised area of his wrist.

My attention shifts from his wrist to his eyes, as our eyes meet, it reminds me of the strange illusions I witnessed back in the hospital room. They radiate a fiery orange glow with a slight singe at the edges and have a fluid, flame-like motion in his irises. Although his eyes are bloodshot and visibly irritated, they are still remarkably captivating.

Her Majesty, with a proud expression, grabs his wrist and proclaims “He bears a pyro rune, mark of the Pyroember. Though it is a common blessing, it is undeniably potent.” Turning her attention from the nobles in the hall to him directly, she continues, “You shall prove to be a formidable asset in the battles that lie ahead.”

A Pyroember? I wonder what that is supposed to be? Probably something to do with fire.

The old man, Oleras-sensei I believe is his name, steps forward, placing his hand on the man’s back and magically conjuring a piece of ice, perhaps to soothe his wrist. He says, “Once I have completed your training, you will do such grand things with the torrents of fire and infernos you can control. It will be quite spectacular, Master Akito.”

Akito? Wait, this is Itō Akito-san? As he takes a few more deep breaths he looks at me, probably realizing it is me too. He approaches me, nursing his sore wrist with the ice Oleras-sensei had given him. He is quite attractive. “Sakurai-san.” He politely asks me, as I feel my cheeks turning red.

Nodding my head, I respond, “I did not realize it was you until he said your name. What was going on, exactly?”

“Oh, they just told me I was to receive a gift.” Pausing momentarily, he stares down at his wrist, probably as confused by all of this as I am. “This is not what I expected when they said it. I just wish it did not have to hurt so much.”

“How much did it hurt?” I ask, only partially wanting to know the answer.

Taking no time to think, he quickly responds, “Beyond comparison.” I wonder if they are going to do the same to me and I think about how I have not felt any real pain in the past eight years. I do not want to feel pain, but I also do not want this sound, whatever it was, to get me.

Our conversation has caught Her Majesty’s attention, as she gestures toward us, “Young lady? What is your name?”

I feel myself turn white as she addresses me. I turn as our eyes lock for a fleeting moment before I shift my gaze back to Itō-san’s wrist and his fiery eyes, the pain he experienced still fresh in my mind.

Growing impatient, she asks me once more, “Well, what is your name, young lady?”

As all eyes present fall on me, I turn my full attention toward her, I offer my deepest and most respectful bow, keeping both of my arms firmly pressed to my sides as I bend, ensuring my back remains straight and dignified, just as my father had taught me to do. “I-I am-m S-S-Sakurai M-M-Maho.” I stutter because to be quite honest this woman and her whole entourage terrify me.

Acknowledging my effort, Her Majesty responds, “A fine display of etiquette, Lady Maho. You carry yourself with grace and respect.” 

Keeping my head bowed, I reply, continuing to stutter. “T-t-thank you, Your M-majesty. It is my h-honor to b-be here.”

“Seeing as the others are let to have arrived, please step forward and present your wrist to Lord Oleras.” She instructs me.

With an unsteady resolve, I raise my head and approach Oleras-sensei, as the room falls into a hushed silence. Everyone continues to stare at me as I move closer to the sensei. Noticing the worried expression on his face, makes me feel all the more worried, myself.

“This one?” I timidly ask, lifting my left arm, as he nods in acknowledgment. Offering me a piece of leather to bite down on, I can see the bite marks still freshly pressed into the leather from when Itō-san had used it. Placing it in my mouth, I watch Oleras-sensei strap the device onto my wrist.

The metal is still warm, perhaps from the energy that had recently been coursing through it. My breaths begin to gradually become more rapid as he looks at me and gently asks, with a hint of true concern in his voice, “Are you ready, Mistress Maho?” Grabbing onto his hand with both of mine, I nod, preparing myself for the pain that was about to hit. “Don’t worry too much, it will be over before you know it.” He states.

Hesitating for a moment, I close my eyes and hear the click of the button being pressed. I hear the gears inside the mechanism beginning to whirl as I feel the tiny needles moving back and forth, hovering just above the surface of my skin. I can see a yellowish light emanating from my wrist, bright enough that I can see it through my eyelids.

“Oh dear.” I hear Oleras-sensei anxiously say. That is definitely not the kind of thing I want to be hearing when I am expecting pain at any moment. I open my eyes, to see the bright yellow light moving from the core of the device into the needles. I bite down hard on the leather strip, closing my eyes as I squeeze his hand with any strength I can muster as the thousands of needles begin digging into my wrist. My feet begin tapping frantically on the ground, as I try to take my mind off the pain. It is too much for me to handle but I try my best to push through it. I pass out, only feeling the constant pain, enough to keep me barely awake.