As the training party traveled from Sundry Falls towards the Capital, many of the young initiates felt the elation young graduates felt on Earth. There were, unfortunately, those who didn’t do as well as Fia, Mikael, Noah, and Akira in their hunts and were dreading the day they would have to leave the safety of their trainers’ expertise. But Fia and her three friends were too drunk on success to notice such things. They were the kings of the pond that was their training camp. 

In addition to completing initiation, Fia was also excited about their new find. The satchel they found in the burrows contained a small wooden cylinder with drawings of two figures on it and a stack of papers with notes in a language none of them recognized. While playing with the cylinder, Fia accidentally opened it and found a map inside with markings in the same language. The maps was so old and basic that it took a while before they figured out it was of the Garden. She and Mikael were sure they’d found a treasure map. Since the notes were written in two distinct handwritings—both used for descriptions and annotations on different pages, they were nicknamed soulmate diaries and the map was dubbed soul map. 

There were five Xs on the map: one in the Capital, two in Skadi, one in Dry Lands, and one in the Five Sisters. Fia asked Raija, one of the oldest arrivals at the training, if she recognized the language or the markings. She did not.

“It’s probably from before the old wars,” Raija said. “Centuries, or even millennia before the Purge even.” She turned the map case around in her hand, paused on the drawing of the two figures and grinned. “You should add two more people here and you’ll have the full gang.”

Fia didn’t think so. She caught Raija stifling a meaningful smile and realized she’d been smiling herself. Of course, the tri-centenarian saw through her. Fia felt her cheeks flush from embarrassment.

Raija laughed. “Ah, Fia. You’re a joint arrival. We all think you’re special, there’s no shame in wondering yourself.” She squeezed Fia’s hand. “But be careful. Just—don’t let others sway you. You need to follow your own path.”

Fia nodded like she understood, even though she had no clue what Raija meant. She wasn’t proud of it but her mind was already halfway to Pekka, wondering if he knew the language.

He didn’t. Nor did Dara. Fia wondered aloud who she could ask next. 

“Why are you sharing this with everyone?” said Pekka.

“I’m only sharing it with friends,” Fia replied. 

“You have only three friends here; if that.” 

Fia blinked. She understood him even less than Raija but somehow found it harder to pretend.

Dara smiled. “Just don’t be so quick to trust. You don’t need to look to others; you already have the best minds by your side.” 

His reassurance eased her mind. But after that, Fia, Mikael, Akira, and Noah didn’t discuss the map in front of others. 

On their last night together, the training party camped at a meadow some three hundred miles ahead of the Rumbling pass. A few hour’s journey to the east of the meadow was the Capital where Fia and her three friends were headed, since they didn’t need a big hunt anymore. About a day’s journey to the northeast was the destination in the Five Sisters where the others would continue with their hunting training.

Tents went up quickly as dusk fell and many retired early. Fia lay down on her sleeping bag in the open field by the camp. The night was too warm to waste inside a tent.

She watched the stars appear across the darkening sky. “I can look at this forever.”

“It doesn’t seem so alien anymore,” Akira said. She sat on her sleeping bag beside Fia, hugging her legs. 

“No. It doesn’t. It’s actually quite comforting.” 

Akira nodded, looking at the glimmer of the Capital’s lights in the distance. “I didn’t think the Capital would be visible this far.”

“It’s not that far,” Fia said.

Akira tilted her head. “What were you and Mikael talking about earlier? I thought you two spoke the same language.”

“Yes, well… no. He speaks six including mine and he likes to show off.”

Akira chuckled. “It’s nice you have someone from home.”

Fia’s smile faltered. Her thoughts drifted to her family—her parents, her sisters. She usually didn’t let her mind wander to what might’ve happened after she was taken here but that didn’t keep her from reminiscing about her old life or wondering what it would be like if they were here.  “Who did you have back home?” she asked.

“A lot of people,” said Akira. “Five siblings. My Mikael was my cousin. We lived next door. When we started working, we hated that we only saw each other once a week. And now—here I am.”

The grass rustled and they both turned around. 

“Can I join you?” Rekik asked.

Fia beamed. “Of course!”

Rekik unrolled her sleeping bag beside them. “What’re you talking about?”

“Home,” Fia said. “Family. Who did you have back home?”

“Nobody. My grandmother, I guess.”

“No one else?”

“I had a husband, but he passed away.” 

“I’m sorry.” Fia wondered how old Rekik was. She looked like she was in her twenties. 

“It’s okay. I didn’t like him much.” She smiled cheekily. 

Fia and Akira laughed. 

“So how come the futuristic Rekik is among primitives like us, today?” Fia teased.

“Oh, Fia, I never said you were primitive,” Rekik said.

“How do you feel about people from a more advanced past?” said Akira.

Both Rekik and Fia turned to her. “What do you mean?” Rekik asked.

“Things advance with time, not vice versa,” said Fia. 

Akira shrugged. “Humans didn’t always progress with time. What era are you two from?”

“What do you mean, humans didn’t always progress?” Fia sat up. “What era are you from?”

“Not the same as ours,” said Rekik. “Jay says those eyes—” she gestured at Akira’s broad forehead and wide-set eyes “—mean you’re from the real future.”

“Or the past,” Akira said, pointedly. “Humans built, destroyed, rebuilt. Learnt, forgot, relearnt—on repeat. I only hope the cycle stopped at some point.”

“Wow,” Fia said. “Tell me more. What was it like in your time?”

“I didn’t talk about current affairs when they were current, I’m not starting now. Some things are better left forgotten.”

“You mean you wouldn’t want to go back?” Rekik asked.

Akira sighed. “There are people I miss. But there are good things here, too. Since I can’t go back, I don’t have to choose.”

Fia nodded slowly. She figured she shouldn’t be surprised that not everyone missed home like she did. She sighed. “So where’s Jay?” 

“With the others,” said Rekik.

“You and Jay—” said Akira. “Are you…?”

Rekik nodded.

“Good for you!” said Akira. “Jay’s hot—and strong.”

“Yes. But I wanted to spend our last night with you guys. Dates will still be there tomorrow. You won’t.”

Fia and Akira went quiet.

“Rekik, you’re the best,” Fia said, tackling her in a hug.

“You are!” Akira cried, collapsing on top of them.

Rekik wheezed between laughs. “I’ll turn into a pancake!”

“You’ll make the sweetest pancake!” Fia said, squeezing tighter.

The girls sat up to the sound of footsteps and chatter. A group of trainers had gone to the Capital earlier and were returning now.

“Excited for freedom tomorrow?” said Raija.

“Yes!” Fia cried. “Finally!”

“So eager to be rid of us,” Dara said, passing by.

“No, I’m not!”

Raija grinned. “Awww, Dara’s getting sentimental.”

Pekka reached to grab him in a headlock, but Dara dodged.

“Can you blame him?” Hatim shrugged at Fia. “Who doesn’t like being a god?”

“Don’t hate me for being a good trainer, Hatim,” Dara said. “Try harder and you might earn some reverence too.”

“If it were that easy—” Hatim suddenly went quiet and his sneer died. Fia didn’t quite catch the look Dara gave him.

“You’re just sour you lost at bridge,” said Pekka.

Dara chuckled. Hatim let out a small—relieved—laugh.

“Don’t get cozy yet,” Gayle called out, standing by a trapdoor in the ground. “Put up your tents before you relax.”

“Girls,” Raija said to Fia and Akira. “Please get Noah a new robe when you get to the Capital.”

Laughter rippled through the group. Noah’s off-white robe, despite repeated washing, still bore the ugly stains from their hunt.

“Don’t worry, that’s first on our list,” Fia said.

Fia vaguely heard Rekik and Akira return to their discussion as she watched her trainers carry tents to the camp, fooling around as they often did when they weren’t wearing their trainer hats. She caught Dara’s gaze when the others weren’t looking. He raised his chin, and she shook her head immediately. With a quick, kind smile, he turned back to his friends.

Little did she know she wouldn’t see him again after that night for several years.