"-crud!" I exclaim as I fall backward into someone else on the path. It's Benjamin Foster; his face is illuminated by the bright glow of his soulstone, and I notice mine is shining just as bright. Weird, I think to myself as he helps me up. I dust off my clothes and meet his eyes.

"Sorry," I tell him sincerely. "I didn't mean to trip over that tree root," I tell him, laughing awkwardly, praying that my embarrassment is mostly hidden by the dim light available as the sun has fully set, but our necklaces continue to glow brighter still. Is this normal? "It's fine, don't worry about it... Anya, right? I'm Benjamin, but you can call me Ben.

I recognized you at the ceremony and I think we have classes together." He says, smiling. "Yeah, Anya. My friends just call me Anya." I say with a slight laugh, disappointed with my pitiful joke. What is up today? He gives me a polite chuckle in response. I've never been shy a day in my life. Even as a toddler, I would speak my mind. But when did I get so bad at telling jokes? I wondered and decided to ponder the answer later.

Ben and I talk a bit more as we walk back to the village with our classmates. Sixteen... It seems almost chimerical that the ceremony was just today. We reach the fork in the road and part ways. "I'll see you around," I say, pulling my hair to the side. "Yeah," He said as he tousled his onyx-black hair. It suits him. "We should hang out sometime.

My mom is taking me to visit my aunt on the far side of the village at first light tomorrow but I'd love to see you after school." Ben finishes and waits eagerly for a response. "That sounds perfect," I tell him earnestly. The night sky is no longer empty and black. The stars are shining like a thousand shards of crystal were sprinkled among the heavens; our necklaces are still glowing bright, and I realize we're the last two on the trail.

"It's pretty late," I remind him. "I should be home. My mom will get worried if I'm not back at this hour."

"Oh, I forgot how late it was." He said with a sheepish look. "Wait," I called out in the direction of a blue glow far in the distance. The glow became brighter as he turned to face the direction of my voice. "Yes?" He called back in my direction in a questioning tone. "Where should we go after school?"

"How about we visit Mrs. Maude?" He suggested
"That sounds perfect. You never know what you'll find at the antique shop and I'm sure Mrs. Maude would love some company." I smiled in the dark. Mrs. Maude would surely appreciate a visit. "Bye, Ben!" "Bye, Anya. See you after school!"