7

Thalia

“Once again, congratulations to the newly-graduated apprentices. You came from a group of 30, and now, your numbers have been cut by more than half. After much struggle, you made it to the end. You can finally exercise your privilege as guards.”

We formally clapped our hands, signaling the end of the ceremony. After three months of suffering, we had finally come to the end.

A lot of our fellow apprentices were eliminated along the way, but fortunately, I was able to make it to the final 12.

I looked around the place with a small smile on my face. The graduation was upheld in our training grounds, and as much as I would hate to admit it, I feel like I’m going to miss this place—rather, the memories that I’ve made along the way.

My smile quickly fell, however, when I realized that I was surrounded by multiple families celebrating their children’s graduations. Proud smiles and excited chatters filled the hall—all of them celebrating another milestone in their lives.

My eyes straye