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Ceremony of Rites

Akari finished her first year apprenticeship with Dean smoothly. He kept giving her books to read as he tested her after each reading assignment. He would let her shadow him in his refining room as he made elixirs and potions. He taught her different herbs and their uses, letting her garden with Green and learning cooking from Serena.

Selena and Green's daily visit to the house became less frequent when Akari could take care of herself. They went back to visiting the house three times a week.

Akari's life was peaceful. It was fulfilling. It had meaning to it. She was happy. She no longer thought about her past. No longer thought about what if's and questioned why any more. She looked forward to her future with excitement and hope.

Her second year with Dean, she turned 17 years old. Her body had gone through changes and the clothes Dean prepared for her no longer fit around the chest area. She was always a late bloomer in her past lives, this life was the same. Selena came to the house with new clothes and dresses for her. She had also cut her hair short. It was cut long enough to hit her shoulders. When her head turned, her hair would graze her shoulder, caressing it softly. Her light skin became sunkissed.

Although she read most of the time during her apprenticeship, she still woke up early in the morning to run and train her body. She was still an elite fighter. Some days she would run into Green in the forest coming back from fishing.

She learned that he too was a fighter and they would spar three times a week. She learned dagger skills from Green and learned that he use to be a street kid. He was pretty good at it too, being that he use to rule the street kids. His life turned around when he met Selena. And the only way to win her love was to straighten his life around. After two years of wooing her and becoming a member of society, when he asked for her hand in marriage, her father reluctantly agreed, seeing how he changed from a street kid to becoming a gardener for a noble house. When they married, he came to live with his in-laws and have been serving Mage Koya ever since.

Green also taught her how to pickpocket, pick a lock, and make hunting traps. He taught her so many survival skills, that she considered him an Uncle and Selena her Aunt. After Selena taught her how to cook, she taught Akari how to shoot a bow and arrow.

By the end of her two years with Dean, Akari was a different person. Although still quiet and observant. She was more inclined to smile and laugh more. She took the initiative to speak to them first and talk about her family.

When her third year approach, Dean began to prepare her for her Ceremony of Rites. On her 18th birthday, she would undergo a magic ceremony to find out what kind of a mage she will become.

Akari knew Dean was a Dark Mage. He was able to control lightning. That was why he was able to ride on it when he traveled from one place to another. She hoped she would become a Dark Mage as well. Because if she was a light mage, she would need to be registered as a light mage and get a new light mage teacher. She didn't want to be anyone's apprentice, but Dean's.

Ever since Akari turned 16 years old, she had been having impure thoughts about Dean. She couldn't help her hormonal body as it reacted to his voice, his looks, his actions. There were times, she couldn't stop thinking about him that she would have to read a book three times, just to understand what she just read.

Her conversations with him made her heartbeat wildly as the palm of her hand became sweaty. She would blush if he looked at her too long. There were nights when she would dream about him and what he would do to her body. Which would cause the valley between her legs to be wet the next morning. Sometimes, when she dreamed about Dean, her body would react physically and she would feel a sense of euphoria overwhelm her entire body.

Any close interactions with him made her happy. His scent began to intoxicate her. His smile, although few, were memories she would cherish. His cyan eyes, so mysterious, could attract her gaze and thoughts every time he looked at her.

She was happy that she began to like someone other than Rin. However she was sad that it would be another unrequited love. She could not cross the line of teacher and apprentice. So she hid her feelings and could only pretend that everything was fine.

When he came to her to start preparing her for the Ceremony of Rites, he brought her to his refining room and there was a medicinal bath was waiting for her. Once inside of the medicinal bath, she would soak in it while cultivating until the water cooled down. She would only eat a vegetable diet and take walks every day.

Her mind, body and spirit would need to align itself with peace and harmony for it to go through the Ceremony of Rites. When her 18th birthday arrived, she followed Dean through the woods. He brought her to a cave and told her to go inside.

"What should I do, once I'm inside?" Akari asked.

"You'll know what to do when you're there. When you're done, I'll be standing right here." Dean told her. "Be careful. If you don't pass, it'll be your death. So... try your best not to die."