Dear journal,

Just like Mom wanted, I'm going to be writing as much as I can. Today was a really interesting day and I'm exhausted.

I woke up at noon today, and after pancakes and omelets, I managed to find the way to the Science Section by myself. There, Riley was waiting for me, practically buried in paperwork. But he welcomed me with a smile and took me to a different room to be measured.

"So, mate, what's your Innocence?" he asked as he measured around my arms.

"Ah, my mom got me these two katanas three years ago," I said, frowning a little. "They're both my Innocence."

Riley smiled, impressed, as he knelt down to measure my thighs. "Katanas, huh? Pretty badass if you ask me. Reminds me of another Exorcist from long ago – one of the most remarkable, too."

I blinked in surprise. Another Exorcist had a katana as a weapon? Riley asked me to sit and remove my shoes so he could take those measurements, too. While he did that, I kept the conversation going: "What Exorcist would that be?"

"His name was Yu Kanda," he explained, "a Japanese Second Exorcist. He was among the strongest of the Exorcists, though he wasn't a General." He glanced up for a second and caught my confusion, then laughed. "You'll learn about Yu Kanda, Second Exorcists, and Generals soon. Sorry. I keep forgetting you don't know anything about D. Gray-man."

I tilted my head curiously, hoping for an answer. "Why is it called D. Gray-man?" I asked.

To this, Riley laughed again. "The world may never know!"

…So, after I was measured for everything, I thought I'd find another Exorcist to talk to. Maybe make some friends so I'm not bored, see if everyone else hates it here like I do, find a hobby. While I was searching around the Science Section, I came across a room that Lisa didn't mention before. It was a huge room with no door. The only things keeping anyone out were fences with flashing red lights that read DO NOT CROSS.

I narrowed my eyes at the tempting signs. Instead, I stood right behind the signs and just peered inside. Right smack-dab in the middle of the room was this…I don't even know what it is. It was big and shaped like a coffin with three pieces like shards of glass sticking out around the top. It was a purple-ish/pink color, glowing, and looked to be flat as paper. On the shard to the left was a red "-3-". There was a small staircase leading up to it. It was only then that I noticed it was floating above the ground.

There was nothing else in the room besides that thing. It gave me the creeps, to be honest. Why didn't Chief Lisa show me this? Is it supposed to be a secret? If it is, then they didn't hide it well enough. Just as I decided to go to her office and ask her about it, a voice shouted out, "Hey!" and scared the shit out of me.

It was a man wearing an Exorcist uniform. At his side, holding on to his hand was little Nina, who was also wearing an Exorcist uniform. She wasn't kidding when she said she was an Exorcist. Her uniform was black with red trimmings and buttons; it was a long-sleeved dress that went to her knees. She wore white pantyhose and leather combat boots that fit her small feet just right. Also on her hands were white gloves, and two red clips in her hair.

The man beside her was tall with light skin, green eyes, and close-cut brown hair. He had bandages around his neck, wrapping down his chest, which was partially revealed by his black V-neck/tank top. His uniform was a black and red long-coat which you could zip up. It was left open casually and the sleeves were rolled above his elbows. He wore white jeans and the longest black boots I'd only seen in anime a few times: they went all the way up to his thighs! I noticed strapped to his thigh was a holster. Sticking out of it was a handle to some weapon I didn't know if I wanted to know. But the most noticeable things about him were the purple, upside-down triangle on his right cheek and his small, silver hoop earrings.

He had to be in his late teens, early twenties. One hand (clothed in fingerless gloves) held Nina's while the other was in his pocket. "You a new Finder here or somethin'?" he asked, nodding to me. "Sign says not to cross if you were thinkin' about it."

I shook my head rapidly, trying to convince myself I wasn't intimidated by his scowl. "I wasn't thinking about crossing; I'm not stupid. And I'm not a Finder, I'm the new Exorcist."

Nina smiled and looked up at the man. "Nate, this is the boy I was telling you about, remember? This is Justin Davis."

Nate's scowl deepened. "Justin Davis, huh?" he spat. "Well, lemme tell you one thing, Davis." I gulped. He wouldn't hurt a teenager, would he? Especially in front of a little kid? "I've got two rules about new Exorcists. Number one: They better be nice to this little girl here. And number two…They gotta be chill."

I blinked, confused. His scowl quickly upturned to a grin and he burst out laughing. "I'm messin' with ya, kid!" he said. "Name's Nate Harrison, nice to meet ya." Nate let go of Nina's hand to shake mine. I obliged and allowed my heart rate to slow. "Welcome to the Black Order."

I smiled gratefully. "Nice to meet you, too, Nate," I said. Once he let go, I turned to the room. "Why does it say not to go in there? What is that thing?" I asked curiously.

Nate grunted and crossed his arms. "That would be the Ark," he said arrogantly. "It was used as a gateway between places back in the year 1898. Only one Exorcist could control it, and that Exorcist was Allen Walker. When it came into their possession, the Black Order used the Ark to travel across the globe in less than a second." Nate's expression was distant, like he was imagining the whole incredible scenario in a far off land. "When Hiroshi Ito discovered the Order, it was still here. But since Allen Walker is long gone, no one can work it."

By this point, everything was starting to sound like bullshit. Travelling from one side of the globe to the next in less than a second? Outrageous. Still, I was pretty interested. "So, where does it lead, if anywhere?"

Nina answered this question: "It leads to the Asia Branch – the Black Order's station in China. But the place has been long evacuated, and it's much, much vaster than the Order. We have no use for it for now, so we've left it alone." She smiled sheepishly. "They tried to explore it a few years ago, but they didn't get very far."

Nate concluded with, "We've decided to leave it alone until it's needed. When the day comes that the Millennium Earl rises again, our Finders will be sent out across the world to find the other secret Branches."

I huffed, "If they're still there."

I spent the rest of the day with Nate and Nina and got to know them a little more over a snack. Nate is twenty-two years old, born and raised in Cygnet, Canada. He's read D. Gray-man and seen the anime through more than once – all 103 episodes! I had no idea it was that good.

Nate says that when he found out he was an Exorcist two years ago, his life was changed for the better. He didn't know what he wanted for his life; planned on working at a thrifty all his life while daydreaming about being a professional soccer player. His Innocence is an axe that can grow in size.

Taking a bite of his chips, he said, "And while some people compare me to the Bookman-Exorcist Lavi, I prefer to think of myself as Daisya Barry."

I hadn't been to the library yet to check out the manga and books I had to catch up on, but I made a mental note to do that soon, maybe tomorrow.

Nate nudged Nina beside him and grinned. "Now if you want to know the rumor going around the Order," he said, "some of us think that little Nina here is Allen Walker reincarnated."

I had found out the plot of D. Gray-man, so I had an idea of who Allen Walker was. They're always mentioning him anyway, so it's hard not to know him. Nina pouted and blushed, glaring at Nate. "Don't listen to them, Justin," she grumbled. "They only say that because I look like him. But there are a lot of differences between us! I don't have a scar on my left eye and my Innocence isn't my arm. So there." She munched her cookie, and then turned away. "Besides, I'd rather be Lenalee."

I couldn't follow with what they were arguing about, but from what I heard about Allen, Nina just might be him reborn. Now that they mentioned her white hair, I thought I'd ask about it. Unfortunately, they both shrugged and shook their heads. She was always like this apparently. When Nina was just four years old, she was found on the Order's doorstep. It was raining and she was crying and scared. She said her mother took her here, but Mrs. Warren was gone without a trace.

Nina says that she was born in Dublin, Ireland, but doesn't have many memories of when she lived with her family. She doesn't even have an Irish accent after spending these years in the Order where most everyone spoke English.

I couldn't help feeling horrible for the poor girl. What kind of bitch would just leave their daughter on the doorstep of the people who were going to drag her into war? Nate says that they don't recruit Exorcists until they're sixteen now, but they didn't have much of a choice with Nina.

As the hours wore on and the more we talked about ourselves and D. Gray-man and this war we've been pulled into, I decided to start my studies. I stood as Nate told me that the manga was in the library – everything D. Gray-man was in a special section that wasn't hard to miss. I thanked him, but before I could hug Nina, she suddenly burst out with, "I never noticed how big your butt was, Justin!"

I winced and automatically blushed. "Gee, thanks, Nina," I said through gritted teeth. "I'm totally not self-conscious about that at all."

This just set her off in a fit of laughter. "But you've got a bubble-butt!" she squealed.

"Alright, Nina," Nate said, "it's not his fault he needs a sign on him that says 'This ass makes wide turns!' "

Nate thought he was so funny, they both exploded with laughter. I mocked them and then strode out. Big butts are a common thing in my family, and I was always self-conscious about it. I don't think Nina will ever let me live it down. Now that I think about it, I didn't see many flaws on the people I've met here. It's like they're anime or something: perfect bodies, white teeth, no blemishes. Especially Ray. Damn, she's perfect.

I hadn't seen her or that old man all day. I wondered where they were. When would my uniform be ready? What would it look like? Most of all, I wondered when the Akuma would attack. They could attack now for all I knew.

Thankfully that didn't happen. I made it to the brightly lit library in one piece. And wouldn't you know it, Ray was there, too. She sat at one of the long tables, writing something on paper. Some other pieces of paper were scattered around the desk. Instinctively, I reached into my pocket for my phone to text Tyler, telling him I was about to make my move, but then I remembered that I had to leave my cellphone at home.

The Black Order didn't allow cellphones. It was a strict rule that we couldn't keep in touch with anyone outside the Order. Something about if our families found out that we had died, we might be could be turned into Akuma. I didn't understand it, but I when I finally read D. Gray-man I would.

But before that, I wanted to get to know Ray a little more. After messing with my hair a bit, I confidently walked up to her and leaned against the table. "Hey there, Ray," I said smoothly. "Haven't seen you since the plane ride. Where've you been?"

Her brown eyes never left her work. "Here. Working," she said.

I tried looking at her papers, but she quickly covered them. "What're you writing?" I asked when suddenly I caught a glimpse of a picture. It was me! "Let me see that," I demanded, snatching it away from her.

"Hey! Give that back!" she exclaimed, reaching for it.

"No," I said sharply. "What are you doing with a picture of me from my yearbook?"

Ray stood and strode after me as I backed away with the picture in my hand. "It's part of your file that I have to write. Now give it to me." I stopped evading her and she snatched it back from me. "Idiot…" she growled, going back to her desk.

I followed her, though. "What do you mean by file? Why are you doing that?"

Ray groaned and continued writing. "I'm a Bookman's apprentice. And as a Bookman, it's my responsibility to fill out your personal file for history. Speaking of files" – she searched around the papers, found one, and handed it to me – "Lisa wants you to fill this one out on your own. This one is for the Black Order."

My eyes scanned the paper that looked like a job application. She handed me a lead pencil and told me to "get to it."

D. Gray-man would apparently have to wait. I took a seat beside her and began filling out the form.

Name: Justin Aubrey Davis. I scowled at my embarrassingly girly middle name.

Age: 16

Birthday: June 20th

Hair color: Black/brown

Yep, that was boring. I stopped and sighed deeply. "So, what's a Bookman anyway?" I asked Ray, leaning on my hand.

Her eyes flickered up a moment. She hesitated before answering. "We record important events of history," she said, "blend in with crowds with different aliases and different identities every time we change our alliances. Our clan has been interested in the Black Order for centuries. Now that it has been revived again, this could be the most important thing in history."

I furrowed my brow in interest. I had never heard of Bookmen before, but I guess that's the whole point. Damn. My best friends could be Bookmen and I might not have known.

"We are unbiased," she went on, "and have no need for emotional attachment. The one time one of our clan has ever been an Exorcist, he betrayed himself and became friends with the Exorcists around him." Ray looked up and gave me a mean glare. "Don't think I'll make the same mistake he did. You're all just ink on paper to me."

I was startled at how much I had already learned about her. How could anyone live others and not get attached? I frowned. Something inside told me not to believe her. She would change, eventually. Girls are always so emotional.

I secretly vowed to change her and make her mine one day. Challenge accepted, Tsundere, I thought, trying not to smirk. So, now that she was quiet, I filled out the rest of the lengthy form in peace. When I was done, she told me to give it to Chief Lisa. My eyes flickered from Ray to the shelf where I saw obvious manga standing side-by-side. Then I looked to the window and saw it was already sunset.

With a sigh, I had to agree, and then left the library to Chief Lisa's office. On the way there, I passed by many Finders and scientists, all who smiled at me as I passed by. There weren't as many people here as there were rooms, but that was understandable.

Before entering her office, I knocked. Chief Lisa allowed me in. Inside, I saw that she was on a laptop, typing away. Her office was large, neat, and smelled like candles. The walls were lined with books; the blue-tiled floor was spotless. On her desk were a few pictures facing toward her, a name plate, and an hourglass with nothing inside. Before the desk were a loveseat and two comfy-looking chairs on either side of it. Behind her was a tall, open window with black curtains. I could see the sun setting over the trees, under the ocean.

When she noticed me coming towards her, she looked up from her laptop and adjusted her glasses. "Welcome, Justin," she said. "What can I do for you?"

I couldn't help but return her smile. Handing the stapled papers to her, I said, "Ray had me fill these out."

"Ah, right, thank you." She took them gently and read over them carefully. "You have very nice penmanship, Justin." I thanked her and looked around the office, thinking about how nice it'd be to sleep here. She told me to feel free to examine anything I wanted. I gladly went over to a wall and read some titles of the books. They were all about history and the world, all in alphabetical order. Lisa read the rest of the file and then pulled out a drawer from her desk and carefully put the papers in a yellow folder. Then, she went back to her work on the laptop.

Curious, I went over to her side, but not close enough to look at the screen. "What'cha doin'?" I asked, bored.

"I'm reading over and making changes to April's chapter," she said.

"Huh?" I squinted and tilted my head in confusion. "Are you the author of D. Gray-man?" I asked.

Lisa blinked and then laughed a bit. "Oh, no, no, I just rewrite what happens in the manga into words," she explained. "The author and illustrator is Katsura Hoshino."

I frowned. "So, where is she?" I asked.

Lisa's eyes shifted to a picture on her desk. I picked it up to examine it as she spoke. In the picture were two women – one was obviously Lisa when she was younger and the other woman was Japanese. She was just as pretty as Lisa, but with short black hair and dark eyes. They were hugging each other, one arm wrapped around each other's' shoulders, smiling broadly.

"Katsura Hoshino was my best friend," Lisa said nostalgically. "I met her when I travelled to Japan as a child. It was together that we met the Exorcist Hiroshi. The three of us travelled back here as adults, when Hiroshi found Innocence. We found the Black Order and rebuilt it to what it is now."

She paused, and I knew something bad was coming. There was a reason Katsura isn't here today.

"Katsura was the first of us to find the Bookman documents of the history of the Holy War hidden away here at the Order," Lisa went on. "She never was as excited as Hiroshi and I were to stay here at the Order."

My eyes widened when I realized what was coming next. "She took the documents for herself and went back to Japan, didn't she."

Chief Lisa closed her eyes angrily. "Katsura Hoshino is a traitor in the eyes of the Order. Those Bookman records were the last truth of the Black Order. I'm sure she doesn't mean to do any harm, but I don't think she knows what she's gotten into. She's revealed the most well-kept secret of the world as a fictitious Japanese comic book to the whole world. They're all we're going by."

"Wait a second," I said, appalled at this new information, "if you know that it's Katsura who has the records, why don't we just go to Japan and bring her back?"

Lisa shook her head. "It's not that simple, Justin," she said. "For one thing, she's moved from the Shigura Prefecture to Tokyo, but no one knows where she lives. Even if we were to find her – which we will one day – there's no telling what she could do to the records before we get to her. Hell, we don't even know if she's gotten rid of them already and is going on by memory." Lisa sighed. "Point is, she's not easy to find, and we can't apprehend her in a rush."

I looked away. Welp, there goes that brilliant plan. She had a point, and I guess I wasn't really one to say otherwise. After a few moments of silence, she went back to reading over the chapter again. I set the picture of Lisa and Katsura back on the desk and looked at the other pictures. Another was a photo of Lisa, Katsura, and – I assumed the man in the picture was Hiroshi. They were standing together in front of a beautiful palace that had to be in Japan. A smaller frame contained a picture of an adorable baby.

Its dark hair and light skin reminded me of Kayla, which made my heart hurt.

"Who's this?" I asked, swallowing hard.

Lisa looked up briefly, and then went back to her laptop. "That was my daughter, Sakura," she said sullenly. "She's gone now."

My eyes widened and I thought I would drop the picture. I would have never guessed that Lisa had lost her child. But I didn't want to press in case it brought up any horrible memories, so I set it down and cleared my throat.

I was just about to ask what the hourglass was when Riley came in. "Chief," he said, "dinner's ready."

Lisa smiled gratefully and stood from her seat. "Excellent," she said. "Come, Justin, have dinner with us." She wrapped her arm around my shoulder and led me out of the office with Riley at our heels. It was like she completely forgot the dark conversations we just had.

Inside the cafeteria, everyone was already eating. There were more Finders and scientists than I thought. At a certain table, all the Exorcists sat together. Tonight, we had breakfast for dinner, and damn was it a grand buffet. I sat beside Nina, across from Nate. Next to Nina sat Ray, and then, secluded from us, was another Exorcist. He was a tall Asian dude with hair and skin just like mine. He ate in silence while everyone else chatted merrily. Even Ray acted like a whole new person.

I kept my eye on him as I served myself a plate of pancakes, bacon, and everything else. Bookman sat beside Nate and gave me a small smile and nod. Lisa sat beside me and spoke with Riley. The food was still the best, and I had my share of seconds. Still, no matter how much I ate, I don't know anyone who can eat as much as Nina. As she packed on more food on her plate, I asked her how much she's eaten already. She said this was her eleventh plate.

My jaw dropped and I stared incredulously. Nate, Ray, Bookman, Lisa, and Riley all laughed at me. Apparently this is normal for them!

Just then, Lisa stood and tapped her glass. "Attention, everyone," she announced. The room went quiet and everyone gave their attention to her. Though the Exorcist dude didn't look at her, he stopped eating at least. "I would just like to welcome our newest member, Justin Davis." She placed her hand on my shoulder and smiled broadly. "He's traveled here from Florida, North America, and has sacrificed much for our cause. We're all very happy to have another Exorcist here with us." Then she raised her glass of orange juice above her head in cheers. "Here's to Justin!"

Everyone raised their glasses and repeated her last words, then drank and clapped. Nina hugged me tightly and I started blushing, especially when I saw that even Ray was clapping. She certainly is a strange girl. I have much to learn about her, it seems.

I haven't found out that Exorcist's name, but I plan to. For now, my belly is full and I'm actually pretty content. Tomorrow for sure I'll start reading D. Gray-man.

Good night, Kayla. Words can't describe how much I wish you were here right now.