Chapter 8: My first friend

Tenet saw death. He saw it multiple times. He felt it as his sword pierced through flesh. He sensed it as he watched the light slowly fade from their eyes. He experienced it, as he watched the sky with a powerful clarity and peace before darkness took over.

Tenet hated death, and loved it. He hated being dead, the feeling of fighting and killing. But he loved dying. Well no, he didn't enjoy it in a sadistic sense, nor did he want to die. But Tenet couldn't help but yearn that sense of peace in those moments as he died.

'Maybe I'm going crazy. It does sound crazy'

He waited in the darkness, as the rest of the unit made their way to sleep. The sparring had told Tenet one thing. He was weak. Before he had credited his Rank 8 as a result of running away. But the sparring had dispelled any ideas that perhaps he deserved a higher grade. It revealed a cold, hard and undeniable truth. He was weak. Pathetically so. That's why, despite his constant complaining, Tenet had decided one thing. He needed to train.

He stayed still, in the dark, ears straining to hear any sign of someone coming downstairs. Tenet didn't want them to know about his decision to train. He liked to think it was because it would be cool to train in secret, but the truth was he didn't want anyone to join him. The rest of the unit exceeded Tenet, so the only thing Tenet could do was work harder. How could he do that if they also started working harder? He knew it was selfish, but he couldn't stand being weak. It felt like an itch under his skin that kept him from allowing himself to rest.

As soon as he was about to get up, he heard something.

Tenet froze.

'Someone realised? No. Who?'

In that darkness he was unnoticed, as someone crept down the stairs. Slowly they made their way outside. In the outside light, Tenet saw a flash of blood red hair.

'No. Not him. Why would he be leaving at this time?.'

After waiting five minutes Tenet also made his way outside. He decided not to follow Jellal. Arthur had warned him that everyone had their secrets, and he didn't care to learn of them. They weren't friends, it wasn't his business.

So Tenet made his way to the training hall. But, by a series of bizarre coincidences he and Jellal kept making the same turns.

'He can't be trying to do extra training as well right? No way. Is this why he's so strong?'

He saw Jellal enter the training hall. His usual cheery face was contorted into a dark expression, his eyes a stormy blue as he took the sword and moved through the forms that Otto had taught them.

Tenet watched for a moment. He considered turning back. But the moment he did, memories of being defeated and outclassed rushed through his mind. So he did something he never would do.

He decided to be upfront.

Walking into the hall, he allowed himself to get noticed by Jellal.

"Oh, hey Tenet, what are you doing here?"

Tenet laughed, "Come on, shouldn't it be obvious? I'm the weakest here. But, why are you here? You're one of the best in the unit. Unlike me."

Jellal gave a half smile half grimace, "You know that's only because I'm stronger than you lot. My strength is saving me, if it wasn't for that, even Finn could outdo me in pure swordsmanship."

Tenet was silent, he hadn't expected Jellal to be thinking like that. He was strong, yet he was feeling the same thing as him. Weakness.

"Want to spar then?" Tenet offered. "It's better training anyway." Jellal considered a moment before nodding. "Why not?"

Taking a wooden sword he readied himself, facing Jellal.

"How do we do this then?"

"We'll spar, if we nick a limb you can no longer use it. If we hit anything vital, it means death" Jellal responded.

"Alright."

Tenet waited for a moment, then darted forward, hoping to use his momentum to catch Jellal off guard.

He swung, Jellal swiped the blow away, before flicking his sword back at Tenet.

Tenet watched as it came for his head. He remembered the way Theymin somehow used his wrist to flick the blade and redirect the blow. Trying to copy it, he flicked his blade back, trying to redirect the blow. As soon as the blades met, Jellal's overpowering blow broke through his attempt at defense, striking his skull with a resounding CRACK.

"Ahh fuck", Tenet winced, stumbling backwards.

"Ahh my bad, you good Tenet?"

"Y-yeah, your strong man."

"Want to go again?", Jellal asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, let's go for an hour."

Tenet returned back, his body full of bruises, his head spinning. He had lost every single spar, but still there were a couple of times where he managed to last a bit before losing. With the extra training on top of the day, he stumbled up the stairs, struggling to stay awake. His eyelids felt heavy, and his legs began wilting. Before he knew it, he was sitting on one of the steps on stairs, his eyelids sliding shut.

''I'll just rest my eyes for five minutes, than continue.'

In a matter of seconds, the soft sound of breathing could be heard as Tenet had fallen on the stairs, 7 floors below where his room was.

Jellal entered the Dorm room. After sparring with Tenet, he stayed behind for another half an hour to do a little more training. As he walked up the stairs, he noticed a figure slumped on the stairs leaving his floor. It was Tenet.

"Hey Tenet, are you alright." Jellal felt a pang of worry. 'Did I hit him too hard.' But as he approached, he heard the soft sound of breathing and realised that Tenet must've fallen asleep on the stairs.

He considered leaving him there and just going to bed, but he dismissed the thought immediately. Sighing, he picked Tenet up in a fireman's lift. 'I'll just let him sleep in my room, I can't be bothered to carry him up all those stairs.' Again he felt a pang of sympathy for his fellow cadet, who had to go up and down those stairs every single day.

BEEP.

Entering his room, he gave Tenet his bed, deciding to take the munji, even though it was less comfortable. He heard from his mother that his people had once been known for their incredible hospitality. It was a passing comment told to him by his mother as they hurried down the cold streets, trying to find a warm corner to sleep in; but he took it seriously.

Jellal knew little of his own people, and he felt as if there was a hole inside his soul where that knowledge should've been. As a result, he held in high regard the few things he did know.

'Ahh, rest well Tenet.'

Sighing, he went into the munji. "Speakers, play my music."

A female robotic voice replied to him. "Playing my music now."

Soon the soft sounds of his traditional music echoed softly through the room.

In the corner of his eyes, he could see Tenet switching to a more comfortable position, obviously relaxing more as the music played.

Smiling softly, Jellal closed his eyes, allowing the soft, country instrumental music to wash away his thoughts.

His breath came slowly, and soft, his heart beating slower and slower as he sank into the gentle embrace of sleep.

 ...….

Tenet awoke in his bed. For a moment, it didn't feel strange, as he threw off his covers. That's when he remembered he didn't ever remember reaching his room.

Turning he saw Jellal, sleeping on the munji.

'Did he carry me to his room? He must've seen me sleeping on the stairs. But why? If I was him I would've left him there. Jellal was just a -.' The word colleague seemed to die on his tongue and before he knew it he had said allowed, "Friend. You're my friend."

Jellal's deep blue eyes flickered open as he turned to face Tenet. "Of course I'm your friend, idiot."

Tenet smiled, a genuine smile. "Yeah, don't be trying to get any ideas, I'm still into women."

Jellal groaned, turning away from Tenet. "Speakers, set an alarm for fifteen minutes later.."

"Affirmed", rang a female robotic voice.

'Jellal's my friend huh.'

 He hadn't been a loner in Alston high, but didn't have anyone he considered a friend. It was a good feeling. Heartwarming. But again Arthur's reminder rang through his mind.

'Surely Jellal could be trusted at least?'

Sighing, Tenet climbed out of his room. His body was sore, his muscles tight, and were aching horribly.

"I guess I should stretch out first. Otherwise I ain't gonna survive today."

Checking his watch he saw he had Metaphysics in the morning.

'At least I'll have the early morning free of physical activity. I should probably call my dad at least'

Deciding to leave the room first, he swiped to the contacts page on his watch. It had two contacts saved. One was Arthur, and the other was Carer.

Pressing carer, he let the watch ring.

"Good Morning, Alston Adoption centre. May I enquire who's speaking?"

'Huh. I never knew my dad worked at an adoption centre. I thought he worked in a phone company.'

"Hello, I'm calling to see if I can speak to my dad. Mr Sparrows, he works here."

"I'm sorry sir, but that person doesn't work here."

'Did Arthur give me the wrong number? Odd.'

"Ahh, no worries."

Frowning, he messaged Arthur.

'Hey Arthur, it's Tenet, you didn't give me my dad's number, it was an adoption centre?'

Sighing Tenet pushed the situation to the side, he couldn't afford to be distracted. The Exams were close after all. He made his way to get ready before the morning rush. 

He knew today they would learn about the trials that would occur due to the connection of the metaphysical mutation to the physical world.