Max took a sip of his coffee, put his feet up on his desk, and scrolled on his phone. A few days had passed since the raid on the church, but it felt like it was just yesterday. He didn't remember much from that night, but Ren and Devon filled him in on the details. Apparently, he'd actually beaten Elias in hand-to-hand combat, taken a full-force blast from his fire, and… jumped through a window. He was a bit skeptical on that last part. All he remembered was the sight of the flaming church collapsing, heavy wood and stone crashing down, and him falling to the ground, vision fading away. The doctor had said something about a concussion, but Max felt fine. Better than fine, actually. Max felt lighter, like a massive weight had been taken off his shoulders. Elias was gone, presumed dead by the Association officials. The church was in ruins, and they found multiple charred bodies amongst the debris, but they were all unidentifiable. There's no way anyone could have survived that… Max thought, but something still tugged at the back of his mind, nagging at him.
That night, Ren knocked on his dorm room door. "Hey Max, Devon wants you to meet him in the courtyard." He rolled out of bed, throwing on an old hoodie, and instinctively reached for his staff. His hand grasped at empty space, and he looked down at the floor. Oh yeah… That happened. He'd grown rather attached to his staff, and its absence made him sick to the stomach. He'd had it since he first joined the Association, and it had been a reliable tool for him up until that night. It had failed him when he needed it most, and he felt like he'd lost a part of himself along with it. He opened the door, and Ren stood there, waiting. Her hair was tied back in a high ponytail, and she was wearing a black Association jacket. "Come on," she said, and started down the hall. Max followed her down the dark hallway, and his mind wandered as they walked through the Association building. It was late, too late for one of Devon's lessons. The sun had already gone down, and the moon had risen on the horizon, filling the halls with a cool white light. As they approached the doors to the atrium, Max noticed Devon and the Director standing outside in front of a broken pillar.
"Ah, Max Calder. It's been a little while, hasn't it?" Director Edris said, her hands in the pockets of her fur coat. That looks expensive, Max thought, and he shook her hand. "It has," Max responded and put his hands in his pockets as well. It was a particularly cold night. Max didn't want to be out here any more than he had to. "What's up?" he said, his breath steaming in the freezing air. "I'm actually here to address all three of you, in regards to the recent mission involving the arsonist, Elias Vane." Ren walked up behind Max and stood beside him. Max looked down, guilty. He'd managed to avoid any punishment for breaching protocol so far, but he definitely crossed a line or two the other day. It was foolish of him to believe he could get away with it without so much as a scolding from the higher-ups. "Max Calder, raise your head." He looked up, and there was a warm smile on the Director's face, with a spark of recognition behind her eyes. "You did what you felt was necessary for your fellow agents and the mission, and because of that, it was a success." She withdrew a small black box from her pocket and presented it to him. "You did what it took to succeed, despite the consequences you knew you'd face." Max took the box carefully and slowly opened it. Inside, there was a golden pin, with the Association symbol carved into the center. "It's agents like you who put everything on the line to protect what you believe in, that carry this organization on their backs." Max's eyes widened, and he picked up the pin. The moonlight reflected off its smooth golden ridges, and the cold metal seemed to glow. "Does this mean I'm not in trouble?" Max said quietly, admiring the intricacies of the pin. "No. Quite the opposite, in fact. You're being promoted. I'm making you an official permanent agent of the Association." Ren's feet shifted, and her posture changed slightly. Devon stood straighter as well and nodded in recognition. "Wait, really? You're sure?" Max said, his voice barely a whisper. "Yes, I am. You've earned this." Edris shivered and pulled her coat tighter. "And you two, Devon Astor and Ren Halcrow, did an exemplary job in taking down the Demon of Flame." They both bowed their heads. "You will both be receiving a sizable cash bonus on top of your usual pay at the end of the week. Don't spend it all in one place." "Thank you, Director," Devon said, and Ren nodded in agreement. "With that matter dealt with, I'll be taking my leave. It's freezing out here." Edris said, and swiftly walked back inside. Max started to follow suit, but Devon called out to him. "Max, one more thing."
Max turned around and saw Devon pick up a long case from beside the pillar. It was made from a deep mahogany wood, with intricate patterns carved into the side, and had decorative iron corner caps. Ren's eyes locked onto the case, and her breath hitched. "Devon, are you sure?" Devon nodded once and took a deep breath. "After what happened to your last staff, it's become clear to me that you need something a bit more advanced." Max stared at the case, silent. "With practice, you could potentially use another standard training staff, but your Flux would have to be greatly limited." He continued and held out the case. "There are certain artifacts capable of channeling a higher concentration of Flux without breaking, such as Ren's sword over there." He paused, lost in thought. "This is one of them." Max took the case and slowly undid the heavy iron latches keeping it sealed. Inside lay a series of iron cylinders. "What… Is this?" Max whispered, and a deep hum rang out as he ran his hand over them. "This… Is Vinculum Dominus." Devon said, and he looked up at the starry sky. It was a clear night, with no clouds blocking out the sparkling void above them. Ren stepped closer to Max, and the pieces seemed to recognize her presence, glowing faintly. "It belonged to my sister," Devon said, and he lowered his voice. "Take good care of it, Max." Max's eyes shot up, wide with surprise. "You have a sister?" Devon didn't respond, instead shaking his head and looking away. Ren interrupted Max before he could ask any more questions. "You should try it out," she said, gesturing at the segments. "How do I make it… Y'know, work?" Max said, and ran his fingers over the cool metal again. Devon spoke again, and it seemed as if he'd regained his composure. "Remember, Flux responds to intent. This specific tool is notoriously hard to use, but I'm sure you'll get the hang of it, given your knack for figuring things out." Max nodded, took a deep breath, and channeled his Flux through the first segment.
The dark courtyard flooded with a red glow, and every groove of the metal segments began to fill with crimson light. Max visualized the internal mechanisms of the pieces, and his Flux was guided through each one. They slowly lifted into the air, surrounding him, and began to come together. The pieces snapped together with a bright flash, and the lines where the segments had come together glowed a deep red before fading. The staff, now formed, fell from the air and into Max's hands. It's heavy, he thought, and gave it a spin. The segments glowed brighter as they moved through the air, and the weight was released instantly. He could feel the inside of each piece as he filled it with energy, as if it were part of his body, and then a new idea popped into his mind. What if… He thought, and pulled both ends of the staff apart. They flashed again, and the staff split into two halves, one in each of his hands. Max laughed, and swung the batons through the air, illuminating the courtyard with flashes of red. Ren smiled, leaning against the pillar. "Dual wielding, huh?" Devon put his hands in his pockets and started to walk back inside. "I'm glad you like it. Consider it a graduation gift." He stepped forward and laughed to himself quietly. "Y'know, Avery did the same thing when she used the staff for the first time." He called over his shoulder. Max looked down at his new staff, and couldn't help but think one thing. It's so… Beautiful.