“I understand what the protocol is for,” Gray started, but a looming, shadow cloaked palm stared him down, asking for his silence, while Forin coughed into one of his hands despite his face staying covered.

  “Protocol exists to protect us,” Forin said after his coughing calmed down. He took a deep breath as he closed his eyes for a moment to center himself before speaking again. “I’ll excuse Ash here with a warning, but Gray,” his eyes focused on Gray as the palm contorted into a singular pointing finger, “this is the third time you’ve gone against proper soul stream protocol since being moved to Broolhaven.”

  “Being moved?” Ash took note of the language as he glanced over, watching Gray’s calm demeanor shift as he started scratching at his neck through his sweater.

  “Look it wasn’t a protocolable situation,” Gray didn’t look at Forin while he spoke, he looked off to the bookshelf to his right instead. “If the stream had a normal entry point, sure, but even Ren said he got sucked inside without a choice.”

  Forin pulled down his mask for a brief moment as he turned away, downing something from a mug he had nearby before clearing his throat. “And what does protocol say we do about forced soul sea entry?”

  Gray stayed silent as he leaned back in his chair. The hand he was scratching at his neck with fell to sit in his lap.

  “Immediately secure an exit,” Forin started to answer for him, “and regroup outside before determining a re-entry point.”

  “I think he did his best with the circumstances,” Ash spoke up. “As soon as we found Ren, he and Abbey went through the exit Gray made for them while we made sure to solve the problem.”

  “A problem you weren’t authorized to solve.” Forin sighed again before he held onto his head with his elbows digging into his desk. “And now you’ve absorbed a soul fragment without even getting any proper training, or even fully understanding your soulbond.” He looked up, now staring at Ash who he was previously willing to excuse. “Did you even finish the first chapter of the book I gave you before you ran head first into a soul stream?”

  Neither of them answered as Ash wondered if the book was still sitting in the same spot at the bar. He only found out later that Ren had started using it as a coaster when he got too lazy to find one behind the counter.

  Forin suddenly stood up, the sound of his chair scratching across the floor loud enough to make Gray flinch. “I’ve heard enough to make my report, but Ash,” Forin’s eyes burrowed deeply into Ash’s sitting form, “I clearly can’t let you leave without proper instruction.”

  Gray quickly stood up. “Hold on there’s still more I need sa–,” A shadow covered palm shoved its way in front of Gray to stop him in his tracks.

  “I just said I’ve heard enough to make my report. You’re free to go.” Forin cut him off.

  Gray opened his mouth to say something, but after a moment, he shut it again before falling back into his chair, arms crossed. “I’ll stay right here for anything you’ve got to say to him, unless you’re about to be the one to follow him out into the field.”

  Forin stared Gray down for what felt like a few seconds before the shadow limb reaching across the desk disappeared in a sudden burst of flames. Forin sat back down into his chair, a sullen expression worn across what little of his face that Ash could see.

  “You understand this is your last chance? Broolhaven is an H rank city, so there isn’t anywhere left for you to be transferred to.”

  Gray avoided his gaze as his arms stayed crossed under his chest. Ash spoke up instead to break apart the silence after Forin’s statement.

  “What happens when you get kicked out of a H rank city?” Ash asked, genuinely curious and a little concerned.

  Forin looked off to the side, drinking out of his mug again while he briefly lowered his mask. He cleared his throat a couple of times while no one else spoke. “Your Diver privileges are revoked,” Forin answered, “and I shouldn’t have to explain what that means.” Forin’s gaze landed on Gray, but he still refused to look back at him. Since he didn’t get a response he turned to Ash instead to tell him what he wanted to say in the first place.

  “There’s so much you don’t know about your soul yet, and the souls of others, but you already absorbed a fragment of the first stream you went into.” Ash felt Forin look past him again

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  “I don’t really know what happened,” Ash brought his hands together in his lap, “I was holding onto a piece of the key that seemed pretty important to Betty, and before I knew it, I brought it back outside the stream with me.” He held up his hand and stared at the back of it, but no mark was present. “It kind of burned up and went inside of me.”

  “I’m afraid what I want to tell you about this requires clearance F and above,” Forin began as one of his hands started restlessly tapping his fingers on the desk. “What I can tell you now is absorbing soul fragments like you did is incredibly dangerous for new Divers. I didn’t even think to warn you about it considering you aren’t fully authorized to dive yet.” Forin didn’t have to look at Gray for him to glance his way this time, knowing what he meant by that.

  “A Diver’s soulbond is meant to slowly grow and improve over time as you get used to the shape your soul forms. Absorbing soul fragments this early when your own bond is already so loose puts the shape at risk.”

  Ash clenched his fingers together in his lap as he remembered not being able to summon his bond in the alley behind Gatsby’s.

  “It’s only been a day, but were you able to summon your bond?” Forin asked him.

  “I was, but only for a little bit.” Ash admitted. “After I left the stream I haven’t been able to do it again.” Ash continued to hold his hands together as his left gently massaged his right. His fingers tensed up as he thought back to the diner, and that him summoning his soulbond really might have been a fluke after all.

  “That’s what I feared,” Forin leaned forward over his desk with his head cradled in his hands, “soul melding like this so early can have disastrous effects.” He looked up again, his eyes peering at a view only he could see as he stared at Ash. “You’re lucky your soul has so much room for growth, even this early. In a few days, when you’re fully certified,” Forin brought a hand up to his throat, giving it a few gentle rubs as he cleared his throat as quietly as possible, “we’ll run some tests in a controlled environment.”

  “Real training.” Gray finally spoke up, the arms of his red sweater still firmly crossed. “You’ll do a good job,” he looked over to Ash, eyes controlled and focused, “so try not to worry about how things went today.” Gray planted his feet on the edge of Forin’s heavy looking desk and pumped his legs to scoot him and his chair backwards before he hopped up onto his feet.

  “Well, you told me twice you’ve already got enough for a report,” Gray’s gaze fell back on Ash, “and you can’t do much with our new recruit until a few days pass, so we’re done here,” Gray stuffed his hands into his pockets as he stood there, “right?”

  Forin didn’t answer right away as he looked off towards the monitor sitting on his desk instead. “We’re finished for now,” his hands already went back to resting at his keyboard, “but I expect you to be present for his training if you’re so keen on being his mentor.”

  “Planned on showing up even before you said anything.” Gray tapped on the back of Ash’s chair before he turned around and headed towards the door. Ash found his way back to his feet as he gave Forin a small nod.

  “I still have more questions, but the tension in here is starting to get to me…” Ash remembered the scrap of paper in his pocket that would actually be useful once he got back home and grabbed his phone, noting to himself he’d just message Forin later.

  As the two left the room and closed the door behind them, they both immediately heard a loud series of metallic clicks that barred the way back. Gray, completely unbothered, started his way down the hallway at a pace that made Ash take bigger strides to keep up.

  “Didn’t realize the tension between you two was so…thick…,” Ash blurted out without really thinking.

  Gray kept walking down the hall, his pace slowing considerably, but he didn’t turn around. “He’s just really uptight about the rules down here.” Gray’s voice was soft, lacking the edge it had in Forin’s office. “I mean, I get it, but.” Gray stopped in his tracks as his shoulders sank and he leaned into the wall beside him, making his back land in between two unmarked white doors. With his hands placed in his pockets, he tilted his head up towards the ceiling and sighed. “We’re all the way down at H,” with his head still looking towards the ceiling, his eyes turned towards Ash, “barely anything happens here anyway.”

  Ash figured now was the best opportunity he had to bring it up, so he went for it as he walked a couple of steps closer with little more than a foot between him and Gray. “Forin said you got moved here, what did he mean by that?”

  A small smile spread across Gray’s lips as he pushed himself off of the browning wallpaper he was leaning against with just his shoulders. “He meant exactly what he said. I started in a G rank city, not too far from here,” a hand slipped out of his pocket as he scratched at his sweater covered neck, “fucked up enough times, and then got moved down here to good old Broolhaven.”

  “You won’t hurt my feelings if you call this place a shithole,” Ash told him as he smiled back a little, “I’ve only been here for a few years and it’s only because it’s cheap.”

  “Oh it’s definitely a shithole,” Gray turned back around, already starting to walk again, but a little more slowly, “but I heard there’s a great bar around here on the weekends, and the bartender really knows his stuff.”

  “Does he?” Ash caught up, walking beside Gray as they went down the hall. “I’ve never seen him mix anything.”

  “Well when they’re open for business on the weekend, give him my name.” Gray turned his head to look at him with his confident smile back on his face. “Your first drink will be on the house.”