A/N: A bit late due to procrastination, but also, the chapter ended up a bit long so I split it in two. I also ended up rewriting the chapter a few times (I'm bad at dialogue) and the fairy tale earlier in this volume to match better with stuff in this chapter. I will be posting the second half of the chapter soon so look forward to that. And again, thanks for reading.

Have you heard of the Verdant Woods?

Or have you heard of it's longer and more mystical name, the Eternal Woods at the Center of the World?

Either way, it's a large forest of lush verdant trees that never seem to lose its color which expands across the eastern shore of Vytal that also happens to be at the center of the official map of Remnant.

Perhaps the work of divinity is at play here, or maybe its central coastal location makes a very temperate environment for trees to remain green almost eternally. Who knows?

Today was no different. Except for one thing.

The serene forest was disturbed by the beating of chopper blades as several helicarriers touched down on a large dirt clearing, a makeshift airport, amidst the sea of green. From these carriers, waves of students poured out like ants out of an anthill and replaced the droning of turbines with a different, more jubilant noise.

Among the students, Team JAYD was one of the last groups to exit the ship. Amy came out first, filled with excitement, while Diamon followed close behind sternly like a pet owner with his mischievous pet. Finally, behind those two, Jade came out slowly and listlessly, alone without a fourth team member beside her.

Now that the turbines have all quieted, she could feel the natural chilly air nip at her cheeks along with the vibrant green color it carried with it. The green hue danced with nymph-like joviality, but it also had a subdued somberness, much like the forest itself: green and teaming with life, but its branches just a bit more barren than usual.

Normally, she would've paused and enjoyed this scenery, but all she did was continue her slow descent down the ship ramp with a crestfallen stare.

"Are you alright?" Diamon's question suddenly snapped her back to reality.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine."

He remained unconvinced.

"You hardly get any sleep since...then." He awkwardly dodged the topic, but she knew what he meant. "I was hoping a couple days and this trip would help, but clearly that won't be enough. You need to let it go. It isn't healthy to hang on to linger so long on what he said."

"Yeah, screw that guy! It's his fault for making you cry. He's the one that needs to cool his jets and apologize."

Amy suddenly came back after hearing their conversation to deliver that one remark.

Jade smiled. Their encouraging words did lighten her mood, if only a little.

"Thanks guys, I appreciate it. I really do." She took a deep breath and expelled it with a shake of her head to refresh herself. "I'm sorry for making you worry about me. Tell you what. I will do my best to enjoy myself today, okay?"

Diamon gave one more prying look to confirm her statement before fully accepting it. "Very well. That's a promise. I don't want to see you sulking in the shadows when I'm not looking, got it?"

"Got it."

Satisfied, Diamon continued walking. "Good, now let us hurry up. We don't want to miss the general meeting."

As Diamon picked up the pace towards the large gathering of students in the large open field, Jade's smile faded away and stared up at the murky gray sky in a slight daze.

"Fault, huh?"

She let those words linger for just a moment before catching up with her team.

They all gathered at the edge of the woods where a tall, lanky teacher with round spectacles paced energetically on top of a long flat rock that seemed oddly perfect to be a stand. There were about a hundred people gathered here, the first year students making up the large mass standing before the rock platform while the faculty stood behind and off to the side of the rock. However, there were some students who were slightly separated from the crowd. These were the fourth year students, probably here to help the school staff.

"I must say, it is a bit disconcerting knowing that the school needs to rely on the older students for security. Somehow it makes me feel less safe, if you know what I mean." Diamon leaned over and whispered to Jade through the ruckus of the crowd.

"Well, maybe they just want to err on the side of caution? With all the Grimm activity on the news, I think they have a good reason for the extra security."

"Hmmph, if that's the case, why not just cancel the event altogether. I'm sure it would be a much better use of resources to plan an event closer to the city. It would be much safer and - ouch!"

Diamon grunted after Amy kicked him in the knees. She had a very dissatisfied look on her.

"Some of us were looking forward to this trip, you know. You're going to have to go through me if you try to cancel our ONE camping trip for like who knows when."

"Y-yes, I'm aware of that, but I was merely pointing out the risks and the unnecessary expenditure of resources that could otherwise be avoided."

Amy groaned. "So what? It's not like we are paying for the extra stuff. Besides, what's a Grimm or two to us? Even in the unlikely situation that we do encounter some Grimm, do you really think a hundred Huntsmen can't deal with them? Or are you suggesting us freshmen aren't capable of protecting ourselves?"

"No, that is not what I'm saying. You are clearly capable of handling yourself. The point I was making-"

"Then, what's the big deal? Stop worrying about the logistics and start relaxing. I'm starting to think you need a vacation more than Jade."

Diamon grimaced and clenched his fist at Amy's flippant disregard for his argument. That and the fact that they were arguing over two different issues. Understanding that arguing against her was going to be an uphill battle, he composed himself and re-initiated the debate with Amy, this time aligning the topic.

While the two went at it as usual, Jade turned her attention elsewhere, mainly to the older students that volunteered to help out. She understood where Diamon was coming from. Their presence does feel a little odd, but she wouldn't say it made her uneasy like he suggests.

There weren't many of them, only eight, but she did make out a familiar face from the group. It was the guy with the slicked back raven hair she met a couple weeks ago, Qrow. He was nonchalantly chatting with a group of fellow students, which she presumed to be his teammate, almost like he was here for the vacation too.

A brief idea popped in her head to go talk to him and thank him for the conversation they had back then, but that was quickly stifled as the teacher on top of the rock cleared his throat over loudspeakers to get the student's attention. It worked perfectly and a hush fell over the crowd.

"Ehem, hello, testing, testing, one, two, three. Is this working?"

It was clearly working, but no one bothered to tell him that.

"Ok, I'm sure all of you know where you are and why you are here, BUT I will repeat again for those who have short attention spans."

He cleared his throat through the speakers which caused it to squeak loudly. There was a wave of motion in the crowd as everyone winced at the sound.

"Welcome to the Verdant Woods. We are about 2 miles away from the lodge you will be staying at and the only way to get there is this trail right behind me."

He points behind him at a large parting in the thick woods and dirt path leading into it.

"We will be staying there for two nights so there will be plenty of time for activities, or whatever you kids want to do with your time. However, that being said, there is a lot to do today so don't expect any free time anytime soon."

A wave of disgruntled voices shot through the crowd, but the teacher ignored them and continued.

"Let's see, it's about 10:30 currently. Everyone should arrive at the lodge in an hour. That gives everyone some time to settle in their rooms before lunch which is at twelve. After that, you all have your own appropriate tasks to complete around camp as noted by a memo sent to your team leader a few days ago."

Jade recalled getting something like that on her Scroll. Her team's assignment was setting up the furnishings for the barbeque later tonight.

"I believe that is everything. Are there any questions?"

A hand rose from the crowd.

"Yes."

"What happens if we run into Grimm?"

A murmur ran through the crowd. It was a valid concern. Being this deep in the wilderness meant there were bound to be plenty of dark beasts roaming in the shadows. However, it appeared the teacher was prepared for a question like that.

"A fine question indeed. And the answer to that is simple. The faculty has scouted the area ahead of time to confirm and clear any signs of Grimm within a perimeter around the camp, then set up devices that emit low frequency waves that serve to deter Grimm from approaching. I can assure everyone that you will not see any Grimm during our stay and even if you do, it will most likely be a stray that can easily be dispatched by anyone here. Is that a good answer for you?"

Silence.

"Good, now let's not tarry any longer."

He quickly jumped off the rock and began walking down the trail, surprising not only the students but the teachers as well. The suddenness of it all caused the students to go into a frenzy as they tried to hastily grab their gear and follow in his footsteps. It was loud and disorderly, but that was what all the faculty was there for. After a few callouts and a bit of tussling, everyone managed to squeeze into the hiking trail.

Granted, it wasn't a narrow trail, it could easily fit three people side by side, but when there is a large group like this, it can feel a bit claustrophobic.

Luckily, Jade's team avoided the initial traffic by keeping to the back so when they were well into the forest, there was plenty of space for them to roam around, a fact Amy took advantage of by prancing around and inspecting anything remotely interesting in the forest.

And there was definitely a lot to take in. Along the path, there were a wide variety of flowers and colorful plants that drew both your eyes and your nose as they sway tauntingly in the wind, begging for travelers to stop and appreciate them. In the air, the sound of singing birds and bubbly brooks filled the air with a lively atmosphere despite the gloom of the cloudy skies. And on several occasions, wildlife from deers to bears would peak through the thick forest, curious as to what creatures were passing through their domain. These animal sightings were hard to miss as they were generally prefaced by the "oohs" and "aahs" by the students up front.

However, as nice as the scenery was, Jade only appreciated everything half-heartedly as there were other pressing issues on her mind.

"Hey, have you seen Yu? Or Ace? They were supposed to be here, but I haven't seen them anywhere."

Diamon gave a slight surprised look towards her for bringing him up, but her words did prompt to stroke his chin in thought. "Now that you mention it, you are right. I do not recall seeing him either. He wasn't at the morning meet up at Beacon nor was he at the gathering here."

"Them? He came on one of the other carriers and left for the lodge before we touched down." Amy came in with the surprising revelation.

Jade and Diamon both look towards the girl incredulously, wondering how she got that information.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I saw them get out of the ship with the senior students through the carrier windows while we were waiting our turn to land."

Both of them opened their mouths to make the "oh" sound. The answer was far too simple.

"Pssh, it's both of you guy's fault for not paying attention to your surroundings. You know what they say, 'knowledge is the greatest strength in a battle.' Oh, what would you guys do without me?" Amy sighed and shrugged with the smuggest look she ever had.

Diamon smiled. There were many ways he could've poked holes in her argument, but seeing her springing around happily made him hold back. It's been a while since he's seen her act so care-free and happy in this manner.

But back on to the topic. "There's your answer. But, pray tell, why do you want to know?"

"Oh, nothing. Just curious." Jade's voice trailed off at the end of her sentence.

Diamon sighed and raised his hand to pat her on the head. However, this action startled her and she let out a small squeak.

"I'm sorry, was that out of line?"

"Oh no, it was just surprising, that's all." Jade murmured as she placed her hand on top of her head where he patted.

"Ah, Amy told me it always lifts her mood when I pat her on the head, so I thought it might be the same for you."

Jade smiled. "Well, I don't know about lifting my mood, but it was a nice feeling."

He seemed content with that. "Good. But seriously, you will have an opportunity to speak with your brother later. I may not know everything about your relationship, but I've had my fair share of fights with Amy that seemed like it would sever our friendship for good. You had no idea how loud and obnoxious we were, or how many valuable things got caught in the crossfire. Oh, god it hurts to recall."

For a moment, Diamon had a look of utter despair remembering the past, but he quickly returned to normal.

"Yet, all it took was a bit of time for us to cool off before we realize how stupid we were acting. I'm sure it will be the same for your brother. But if he still insists on being difficult…well…"

He made a motion of punching the palm of his hand with a brimming smile.

"Maybe a good socking will change his mind."

"Hehe, I don't think you need to go that far," Jade chuckled. Perhaps it was the pat on the head or maybe his story, but suddenly, she doesn't feel too bad anymore.

"Thanks, Diamon. I'm feeling a little better now."

"Good!" Diamon seemed satisfied.

"You know," Jade continued speaking. "I feel like you've changed since the tournament. How should I put it, you are a lot more friendlier and approachable, not like you weren't before, but it just feels different. Amy, too, but in a more bubbly way. What happened?"

Diamon thought about it for a moment. "You might be right. I certainly don't feel any different, but I speculate that going against Jaq has...broadened my perspective a bit. And I'm sure the same goes for Amy."

So it all comes back to Jaq, Jade thought. In a way she also experienced something from fighting against her, but after recalling what went down to the best of her knowledge, she wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Speaking of the devil…" Diamon whispered as his pace slowed.

Jade followed his gaze and found the familiar red-haired girl a short distance ahead of them, slightly off the trail to avoid the crowd and her gaze fixated at them.

Diamon place a hand on Jade's shoulder a leaned in closer. "Seems to me that Miss Hart would like a word with you. Curious as I am, I don't want to intrude on you, so good luck."

With that, he quickened his pace to catch up with Amy, who noticed what was happening and gave a worried glance back to her. However, a reassuring pat on the head from Diamon seemed to calm her and they continued walking on, leaving her alone with Jaq.

As Jade got close to her, she offered a curt greeting, to which Jade returned, before walking besides her. They strolled along in silence for a minute, but that minute seemed to stretch out for eternity. Then, after taking a deep breath, Jaq began to speak.

"So, I guess I have to address the elephant in the room."

Jade knew this was why she came, but even still, hearing it made her tense up.

"I understand if you are angry at Ace and blame him for what happened. I was mad as well. But you must understand that things weren't supposed to end up this way."

Jaq lowered her head and whispered in a quieter voice. "Nothing was supposed to end this way."

However, she quickly perked up and leaned closer to Jade with renewed vigor. "If you want to be angry at someone, be angry at me! I could've prevented all this from happening but I didn't. I-"

Jade raised her hand to stop Jaq mid-talking, leaving her mouth agape for a moment. She waited a moment, using the silence to form her thoughts before replying back to her.

"If I have to say, I was mad at Ace at one point. I wanted to blame him for everything that happened. I thought everything that happened was because of him. However, the more I thought about it, I realized that there were a lot of factors that led to this. I am also at fault for seeing the signs and choosing to ignore them for too long. Or it could be the Grimm fault for causing all this to happen. The point is what happened was a culmination of many factors and it is all too easy to blame the most recent link for everything. Besides that, I feel it's unproductive to place blame on someone, hoping that will somehow make things better. I rather spend my time figuring out how to make things better."

Jaq was surprised at first, but then smiled, the tension in her shoulder disappearing after hearing her. "That's very mature of you, Jade. I wish there were more people out there like you. I guess that's why you stood out to me that much."

Jade shrugged. "Those are just my thoughts on the matter."

"Well, why don't we shake on it?" Jaq said as she reached her hand out for a handshake. "To clear up the air, so to speak."

Jade stared hesitantly at her hand. There was no reason not to accept it, but there was a feeling itching at the back of her mind, making her pale hand feel somewhat daunting. Ignoring the feeling, she slowly reached out with her own hand, but the moment her finger made contact with Jaq's, she was assaulted with a nauseating feeling. It was a familiar feeling, a feeling she felt during the tournament but seemed to have forgotten. She suddenly pulled her hand back, as if hit by an electric shock, frightened and pouring cold sweat.

"I'm sorry, I just-" Jade tried to apologize, but one look at Jaq's uncomfortable expression showed that she had some awareness of the situation.

"I guess I can't pretend it didn't happen anymore. You remembered, huh?"

"Not exactly," Jade shook her head while stroking her temples, hoping the motion will sharpen her memory. "More like a feeling. During our match, when we touched I recalled a dark place and flashes of images, no, memories, your memories. And then a searing pain before finally blacking out. What the heck was all that?"

Jaq exhaled, and looked around her, gauging who might be close enough to hear them. There were a lot of students in front of them, but they were a good distance away with Diamon and Amy being the closest, but they were not paying any attention to them. Behind were a few stragglers and a couple teachers, but they were all occupied with conversation with each other. Sure that no one was close enough to eavesdrop, she leaned close to Jade and whispered to her.

"I know I told you that I won't lie about who I am, but there are some things that are better off unspoken, not for any selfish reason but to protect those close to me."

Jade leaned back in shock. Jaq was being extremely serious, and the gravity of it all took her by surprise.

She continued. "However, since you already had a glimpse, and since I've already placed my trust in you, I wouldn't mind sharing it with you if you so choose to 'jump down this rabbit hole' as the saying goes."

Jade took a moment to form a response, but Jaq quickly stopped her with a raised finger.

"I don't need an answer now. This is not the place to discuss such things. If you want answers, tonight, during dinner, find a quiet spot near the lodge. The location doesn't matter, I will find you when the time comes."

Without any further explanation, Jaq suddenly quickened her pace, leaving a bewildered Jade alone. Even Amy and Diamon, who noticed Jaq's sudden departure, turned around in confusion, hoping to get some answers, but none could be found.

Thankfully, they were familiar with Jaq's eccentric behavior, if only a little bit, so they didn't press for detail and soon the event passed from their mind, leaving the team hiking the rest of the trail in peace.

They arrived at the campgrounds within the hour, just as the teacher said. It was around noon and the sun finally broke through the thick layer of murky clouds, basking the large wooden lodge they will be staying in with the most scenic god rays. It wasn't a particularly fancy lodge, a simple two story pine structure dotted with windows, but the lighting, forest backdrop, and woodland song gave this place an almost fantastical aura.

However, they didn't have time to appreciate the scenery as immediately when everyone arrived, the teacher spent no time in passing out room keys to the students and sending them off to drop their baggage in their respective rooms.

The entrance led into a spacious main hall with rooms expanding on either side of the hall and the entire second floor. Team JAYD's room was on the second floor. The room, like the lodge, was simple yet comfy. There were two wooden bunks and a long drawer between them with two lamps on either side. A small window was carved into the wood giving a nice view of the thick forest and two other wooden structures at the edge of the camp. From the information Jade received about this place, the small one with the bamboo walls is the hot spring and the long building is a storage facility for everything needed for the camp.

They didn't stay in the room for long, though, as every member received a ping on their scroll telling them the schedule for the day, which is lunch in 10 minutes, followed by their camp service half an hour after.

Lunch, as it happens, were packed sandwiches, which were served by the teachers at the open field outside the lodge. It was light and appetizing, a good choice for all the manual labor they were about to do.

Soon after lunch, every team started splitting up for their separate task and the camp soon grew loud with the bustle of work.

Team JAYD were in charge of the furnishing, grabbing an assortment of log benches and tables from the warehouse they saw earlier and spreading them around the open field for people to rest.

It wasn't too strenuous work, but definitely time consuming, especially with everything and everyone moving around them, which Jade appreciated in a way to get her mind off other things.

Time passed. The sunlight that once graced the camp was now slowly fading away to get ready for an early sunset and the once barren campsite looked like a bustling, little town.

Jade wiped the sweat from her brow as she set down the last set of seats. Her arms and legs were feeling the stress of the work, but she felt satisfied and appreciated the rings of chairs and tables lined neatly around the massive fire pit at the center of the field with a bit of pride. She then turned her gaze towards the sky to find the sun had already reached the tree lines, which cast long sweeping shadows across the camp, making it look a lot later than what it actually is.

I can't believe it's only half past four, Jade thought as she reached towards a bench she just set down with a towel to wipe her sweat. They've only been toiling for around 3 hours, but it looked like they've been going at it for five.

She set aside the towel and took a swig from her canteen before scanning for the rest of her teammates. It looked like Diamon was also setting up the last few things and Amy was already lazing around on a bench. She let out a sigh of relief. Seeing that they were also done, that means they have about one and a half hours of free time before needing to prepare for dinner.

However, before she could tell her team they were free to move around, something caught her eyes that made her suck in her breath.

From the forest, three people emerged. An older student was leading the way and behind him were Ace and Yu carrying an armful of firewood. This was the first time she saw him since the incident and just couldn't help but tense up.

As if feeling something was up, Yu also turned his head and caught sight of her. He paused for a moment, an expression of surprise, but it quickly hardened into what could be described as exasperation before storming away around the bend of the lodge. It was a brief encounter, but the effect was prominent.

A wave of doubt washed over her. Should she rush over to him now or wait for a more opportune time? She muddled over these thoughts for a second when she felt a light pat on her back.

Jade abruptly spun around and came face to face with Yin, who was startled by her snappy movement.

"Woah, easy there, it's just me." Yin raised his hand as a sign of pacifism. "Is this a good time for you? You looked a bit out of it there."

"Oh no, I'm fine." Jade shook her, then went for another swig from her canteen, ridding herself of her excess thoughts. "Just finished our set up and took a little break. It was a bit more strenuous than I thought, which is why I look like this."

It wasn't necessarily a lie, but Yin wasn't the type of person to check. Instead, he let out a breath of relief.

"Oh, good. I thought you might be done. My team finished our task just a bit ago, so I was wandering around when I noticed you. I realize I haven't thanked you for all your help, so here I am. Thank you for all your help, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have gotten so far in the tournament."

"Oh! No need to thank me. I didn't really teach you anything. All I ever did was spar with you. I think you have a lot of potential that you haven't realized yet and it only took a couple of sparring sessions for you to pick up new techniques. It was genuinely impressive."

"Aww, you flattered me too much." Yin rubbed the back of her head with a slight blush.

"It's true! If we had fought in the final round, I honestly wonder if I stood a chance."

Yin's expression got a little gloomy. "Yeah, I'm sorry. If I was just a bit stronger…"

"Don't apologize, that fight was amazing. To win against those two is a great achievement, one even I might find difficult to do."

"Aha, thanks."

The air suddenly got a little awkward as Yin seemed to fidget uncomfortably.

"Um, actually, there was another reason why I came to speak with you."

Jade tilted her head curiously.

"I heard what happened. With Ace and Yu. Well, who hasn't with something that big happening at a large event. But I wanted to see if you were ok."

"Aww, that's sweet of you."

Yin's worried upward gaze gave Jade the urge to pat him on the head. Perhaps it was the same feeling that led Diamon to do the same earlier, but she refrained from doing so. Instead, she placed her hand gently on his shoulders.

"I'm fine. Well, 'fine' is a bit of an overstatement. Things have been strained with my brother after all that, but my teammates have been keeping me going, so there's that."

"Must be nice, having great teammates like that."

There was a hint of jealousy in his voice that made Jade wince. She completely forgot that he had terrible teammates and mentioning her own team dynamic must've stung at least a little bit.

"I'm sorry for bringing that up. How are you doing by the way? With your team?"

"Oh, it's been better I guess." Yin shrugged. "They still kinda look down on me, but they haven't harassed me at all and are at least willing to include me in certain activities."

"That's good…" Jade didn't know what else to say to that. It's good that Oni and Nyles kept their promise, but she still felt uncomfortable hearing Yin having to deal with their ego.

"But enough about me, what happened between you and your brother?" He had a look of genuine worry.

Jade waved her hand to mitigate the seriousness of the issue. "We just had an argument, that's all."

"I don't think any normal argument would cause that kind of tension earlier."

"You saw that!?"

"Well, it was hard not to miss while I was deciding how to best approach you."

Jade scratched her cheeks, unsure how to proceed. It was too late to make another excuse, but she felt bad to drag him into what was essentially a family affair. But after a moment's consideration, she decided to at the very least let him know what's going on, more for her sake to get rid of her pent up anxieties.

"Hmm, how do I explain it? Things between us have been tense for a while. I thought things were improving during our time here, but I guess only one of us thought that way."

Yin wore a pensive expression, as if something doesn't seem to mesh. "Strange, I never got the sense that he hated you from the few times he talked during our sparring sessions. In fact, sometimes it made me envious of your relationship."

Jade's ears perked up. "Really? What did he say?"

"Things like you being smart, talented at everything, and...how he looks up to you."

"And yet it was those very reasons that got us here." Her mood fell again. She clutched her hair in frustration. "Ugh, why didn't I notice earlier?"

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, no. I don't want to involve you in our family squabble."

"But I want to. You've done so much for me! Even though it didn't seem like much to you, it meant everything to me and I want to pay you back in any way possible."

Jade chuckled. "Thanks. I think your enthusiasm is good enough."

Yin grumbled, mulling over what sort of advice he can offer. "Have you guys tried talking with each other?"

Jade sighed. "That seemed like the obvious answer. And I wanted to. But every time I try, something holds me back, some fear. It sounds so stupid now that I think about it. Now it's too late and I don't think things will ever be the same between us."

"It's never too late!" Yin suddenly grabbed her, causing her to jump a little at the suddenness. "I know what it's like not to have a family. It's sad and lonely, and it sucks. When I heard you lost your parents, I was envious that at least you had your brother. If you were to lose that, then...then…"

His eyes grew moist, reflecting a deep sadness within them.

"Woah, Yin. Calm down. It's not that bad." It was strange. He came here to cheer her on, but somehow the roles got reversed.

"I'm sorry." He said while wiping away the tears. "I never told anyone, since I find it shameful, but I'm also an orphan. However, unlike you guys, I didn't have any siblings and my home was completely decimated. Being one of the few survivors, I wandered the wilderness for some time before I was found and then sent to an orphanage near the City of Vale."

"Oh, Yin…"

"But even there, I never really connected with anyone so I thought maybe if I could be one of the good guys that help others, I can find a place I can belong. But, you know how that turned out."

"I didn't know…" Jade truly was lost for words. All this time she was so lost in her own sorrows, she failed to consider that there were many people out there who suffered similar hardships or worse. After hearing what he's been through, she couldn't help but look at him in a different light.

"That's why your outstretched hand meant so much to me! That's why I want to help! From a distance, you and your brother's relationship looked really close and it seemed really nice that you two have this oasis among all the pain and sorrow. I may not know what kind of issue you guys are going through, but I feel that there is a special bond between you two that can't be broken so easily by something like this. There's gotta be a misunderstanding or a mistake!"

A misunderstanding or a mistake, Jade thought to herself. Perhaps there was something of merit in those words. All this time, she assumed that Yu's angst came from the Grimm attack on the village, but after their argument, it seemed the issue stemmed deeper. Probably back to the time when they first fought. And if she wanted to mend their relationship, maybe she needed to figure out what to say.

Why did we fight? She wondered. She always assumed it was because they didn't agree with each other's life goals, but was it really? She was never that bothered by her brother choosing to be a Huntsman, and she got the feeling that Yu didn't get on her nerves about her dancing until after their relationship deteriorated. She pondered this for a moment, but then a memory, more like a dream, suddenly popped in her thoughts. It was a dream of a simpler time, but perhaps it held the key to the chains that restrict her and her brother.

She grasped Yin's shoulder, who had a confused look this whole time while she was thinking.

"You know what, I think I know what to do now. Thanks Yin, you really helped me out there."

Yin still wasn't sure what he did to help, but he looked glad to be of some use.

However, their little bubble of happiness didn't last long as two individuals came into their line of sight that soured Jade's mood.

"Oi, Yin. There you are. Don't go running off like that." Oni called out to him. He then noticed Jade and a disgusted look formed. "Oh, look who it is."

"What do you want with him?" She spoke cautiously while putting a hand up to cover Yin.

"Uptight as usual." He scoffed with a shrug. "Hey, I'm not trying to start shit here, we're about to go on patrol in like half an hour and I don't want to spend that time looking for half the team."

"Ugh, we didn't even want to do the patrol, but we were 'recommended' to do it for 'team practice' because of the drama with him." Nero groaned as he pointed at Yin from behind Oni.

Jade looked at Yin for confirmation and he nodded. Not completely satisfied, but not worried that something bad will happen, she finally lowered her arm.

"Fine, but if you do anything, know that I will be after you."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Oni waved his hand dismissively.

Yin sheepishly left Jade's side and walked to his team. As he joined them, Oni groaned as if this was somehow exhausting.

"Great. One down, one to go. You know where the other guy is, Yin? He's probably been around you more than us, you know, during the time that he's actually around that is."

Yin shook his head and he let out another groan.

"Fine, we'll split up. Just meet up at the trail 5 minutes before patrol. As much as I don't want to go, it's better than getting into trouble for it."

With that the three of them went their separate ways. There was still a wedge between those two and Yin, but at least now they sort of look like a functioning team.

When they all left, Jade took out her scroll to check something. She recalled the teachers wanted volunteers to help patrol the camp with them, but she completely forgot to sign up for one. The patrols were on one hour shifts and checking out the schedule, Team ONYX was indeed listed on the patrol schedule for the slot right before dinner. There were no student patrols during dinner so she scrolled further to see if there were any slots open afterward.

Of the two slots there, both were taken. By a single team. And the name of the team caught her eyes.

Team JAQK.

Jade scoffed, a bit amused. "Of course she would do something like that."

She didn't even know they could take multiple patrol slots, but it was too late to worry about that now. Instead, she had a more pressing issue to attend to.

As she put her Scroll away, a single thought went through her mind.

Where is Yu right now?

Yu let out a sigh of relief as he sank into the steaming hot spring. The hot water did wonders to his sore muscles which were strained from all the labor intensive work he did today.

"Ugh, what a slave driver."

He was referring to the senior student who was in charge of his and Ace's tasks. While other students were doing some simple tasks, they were doing some heavy duty work like chopping wood, carrying them to storage, and even cleaning this very bath he was using.

Normally, all these tasks would have taken much longer to do, but the senior was a monster of a worker, doing most of the tasks at almost twice their pace. In turn, his fervor infected them to work just as hard, but the bigger reason for toiling so hard was Ace trying to make a competition out of everything. Naturally, not wanting to be outdone by that conceited silver-haired boy, he kept up with him.

Which resulted in his state now.

He splashed some water on his face to clear his thoughts. If there was one thing that he hasn't done in a while is to collect his thoughts. It was more like he didn't want to think and just ran on autopilot the last few days. Ever since 'that day,' anytime he was alone with his thoughts, it just gave him a headache, so he relieved himself by hitting the gym.

I guess all the intense labor today was a good thing, he thought as he leaned deeper into the bath.

Unfortunately for him, his time alone was short-lived as the screen door suddenly opened and another individual walked in.

Yu knew who it was, but he still made the concerted effort to glance his way and make an ugly grimace.

"Ace." His voice was just exuding with disdain.

"Oh? Not what you expected? Were you hoping for an entourage of naked ladies to prance giddily in?"

Ace chuckled at his own joke, but Yu turned away in disgust, not even bothering to give him the satisfaction of a response.

While he looked away, there was the sound of splashing water as Ace entered the bath as well, sending large ripples scattering across the surface.

"Phew, that senior. He sure knows how to drive a person to the bones, amirite?"

After the tournament, despite everything, Ace seemed to act like everything didn't happen, but Yu couldn't even fathom having a normal conversation with him again. His arm, while mostly healed, still tingles when he's next to him.

Sure, he understood he was at fault for lashing out after being defeated, a fact that he still couldn't wrap why he would do that, but for him to act so normal after messing his arm up like, it's just not normal. There was the mandatory apology they had to give each other, but they both knew that was meaningless.

So, even if Ace acts like everything is all good, Yu won't.

"But this is nice. Having the bath open just to us before everyone else can use it?"

However, Ace was quite persistent.

And it really annoyed him.

"Look, I don't-"

Yu tried to confront him about it, but his voice immediately failed him when he looked at him. He didn't get a good view of him when he first entered the bath, but now that he's close, he noticed a striking difference in his appearance.

He wasn't wearing his eyepatch. Sure, it wasn't the first time he saw him without it, but the only other time he saw him like this was when they were fighting and he wasn't in a particular calm state of mind back then. And of course, his eyes were drawn to the large scar above his eyes. Now that he had a good look, it was an old scar, the patch of regrown skin was somewhat faded and stretched with time.

Ace caught him staring and made a wry smile. "What? Are you taking pity on me now? Even though you saw ita few days ago and still decided to smash my face in?"

"No, just curious." Yu turned his head away. "Why do you have a scar, when just a bit of salves and our own Aura can remove wounds worse than that?"

He raised the arm that Ace slashed as an example, showing unmarked skin with no sign of damage. The wound he received was deep, so in his mind, a scar on the forehead shouldn't be too difficult to remove. However, he suddenly realized how weird it was to talk casually about how Ace basically assaulted him, so he quickly lowered his arm into the water and shut up.

But, Ace was amused by his curiosity and scooted closer to him.

"You want to know how I got this scar?"

"Not really."

"Good, because it's not a story I want to tell."

A vein bulged in Yu's head at Ace's bait. Can he, for once, just give a straightforward answer and not dangle every word like bait?

However, this time, it didn't look like he was finished there.

"Buuuuut, to answer your question, I could've simply healed the scar, but I chose to keep it. As a reminder."

"A reminder?"

Ace leaned back and stared into the darkening gray sky while wearing a contemplative expression. It was the first time Yu seen him like this.

"Yes, a reminder of the actions of a naïve girl and a dumb boy." His words were vacant and distant, as if he wasn't even talking to Yu.

Yu raised an eyebrow. He has no idea what he was talking about. He was going to let him be, but Ace suddenly turned his head back to him with a serious expression.

"It's also what keeps me going."

Yu scrunched his face. "What are you talking about?"

"Remember when I told you that I thought we were similar?"

Yu's eyes narrowed. He did not want to be reminded about that day. But he said nothing and continued listening.

"I, too, felt the harsh sting of this unforgiving world. I, too, was embroiled in seething rage, looking to seek revenge on those that wronged me." As he spoke, he leaned closer to Yu and continued in a softer tone. "I, too, know the feeling of helplessness."

Yu shifted uncomfortably away. Something about the way he said it hit too close to home, as if somehow his words were piercing right through him.

Seeing his expression, Ace chuckled then leaned back again.

"Then, this happened." He rubbed the old scar. "It was the wake up. A painful one for sure, but one I desperately needed. Don't get me wrong though, the pain, the rage, it's all still there. The only difference is I just had a change of perspectives and found a way to channel them into a singular purpose. One that has meaning."

"And what might that be?"

Ace had a distant look. "I have a dream. A dream of a future where we can live peaceful lives, free from all the evil and injustice that hides in our shadows."

"And you laugh at me for having lofty, abstract goals." Yu muster up what sarcasm he can.

Ace wasn't bothered by his biting words. As usual, any taunts only serve to fuel him instead. However, this time he didn't take the opportunity to make any snarky comments. He was actually serious this time.

"Yes, because unlike you, I made them tangible through action. What have you done for yours? What is your purpose?"

"I told you-"

"Don't give that bullshit about the Grimm. You know as well as I that that isn't your real goal. That's just an excuse to vent your anger."

"Oh yeah, if you're so smart then tell me what my purpose is?"

Ace paused for a moment, letting Yu calm down a little, all the while holding his sober expression.

"Tell me. Why did you want to become a Huntsman before your parents died?"

"I-" Yu started with confidence, but his words evaporated immediately when he put a little thought into it.

Why did he want to become a Huntsman in the first place? Ever since the Grimm attack, all he ever thought about was revenge and believed his purpose of becoming a Huntsman was to kill the Grimm. But that can't be the true reason he wanted to become a Huntsman.

He suddenly felt lightheaded. Has he stayed in the bath for too long?

Without answering Ace's question, he clumsily got out of the bath and lumbered towards the locker room.

Ace didn't seem bothered by his abrupt departure. Instead, he just looked blankly at the spot where he left. But he did have a few parting words.

"If you ever wish to stand toe-to-toe with me, you better figure out what it is you truly want from becoming a Huntsman."

Yu reached the sliding screen door. As he slid it open, he heard the water rustle and turned around one last time to see Ace finally facing him.

"Sometimes, the answer is closer to you than you think."

With that, Ace finally splayed himself in the bath, fully immersed in the experience, while Yu entered the locker to change back to normal clothes.

Ace's words have shaken him. It triggered some deep memories that felt important but remained vague and foggy. He didn't like that feeling. Rather than confront it, he decided to retire for the night even though it was still very early. Perhaps a little sleep will help.

As he exited the bathhouse, he found two containers of what appeared to be milk on a tray table next to the entrance. He assumed they were gifts left by the senior for their hard work so he grabbed the closest one and downed it without a second thought.

"Blegh." Yu made a face. It wasn't milk, but a sweet, tarty drink. It doesn't taste bad, but there was a weird aftertaste to it that did not feel great.

Tossing the bottle away, he quickly heads back to his room on the first floor of the lodge. His lightheadedness did not go away even after leaving the bath and it soon throbbed in pain.

What is wrong with me today? Yu thought as he reached the room that he and Ace were supposed to share.

The pain grew worse and he felt like he was hearing voices. He struggled to open the door, but when he did, he was confronted with an open window with cold air whistling in. The sound it made felt like the voices he heard, so he approached it slowly, in a daze.

He peered through the window. There was nothing out there save the trees and darkness, but somehow he felt a presence out there.

He squinted, focusing on the shadows within the trees.

Then.

A glint in the night. A fiery orb ignited in the darkness. Then another. And another. Soon, he could make out a sea of red, glowing like stars in the sky.

But these were not some sort of lights. No, they were eyes. The eyes of foul beasts.

Something within him snapped. The headache disappeared, the voices in his ears stopped. All thoughts just drained from his head, replaced by a singular word.

Grimm.

Without a second thought, he grabbed his weapon and jumped through the window, disappearing into the darkness of night.