M3RG3

Chapter 4

"Be still." My mother muttered, tugging on strands of my hair. "I'm almost done."

It was rather hard to be still when I couldn't wrench away the image of my mother, lifeless and pale, out of my mind.

I stared at the girl in the mirror who seemed to be of high elegance and tidiness compared to me. My usual wild auburn hair was tamed into four thin braids that cascaded down my shoulders. The rest of my hair had been brushed, straightened and curled till it framed my face and curled at the edges neatly. To compliment my elegant and neat look, I wore a dark blue dress that fell to my knees. I had blatantly refused any use of makeup apart from some lip balm so I wouldn't end up looking overly posh and pristine like the people in the Republic.

My hands were fidgeting with the stiff and formal letter that arrived 2 days ago. The neat lettering on the outside was printed: To Arista. The inside was a lengthy letter filled with details about the Ceremony of Preferences. My mother had taken one glance at the letter, pursed her lips before handing it back to me expressionlessly.

"I know you're nervous, excited, scared, and all other things combined, but that's normal." She packed away her utensils. "The conference is a scary event, but an important one. If you stay strong, you will survive."

"Not always." I retorted, shuddering at the image of my mother's lifeless body once more. My mother frowned but decided to ignore my comeback as she continued to put away her utensils.

"You ready to go?" My father towered in front of me as he pulled me into a bear crushing hug.

'Yeah." I would miss my parents too.

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The room was dimly lit as members of my generation stepped in with somber footsteps. None of us were eager to begin the Ceremony as we knew we wouldn't be seeing our parents again for a month until it was time for the Merging Process.

"If you may all please take a seat." I recognized the speaker. William, the legendary creator and head of the Merging department.

"For some of you that don't know me, I am William, the creator of the Merging Process. You have been chosen as a member of the Merge and the Merging Process. Most of you will be in groups of two. As you know, the Merging Process requires one month of training to further harness your strengths. Through this time, you may visit your parents if any of you feel homesick. However, it is not recommended." His tone was welcoming, but his blue eyes were scrutinizing as he analyzed every one of us.

"Now, may we please have Lauren and Isabelle. You are group one." The two girls rose, taking equal strides towards the stage.

"Next, may we please have Rosaline and Victoria." William extended another hand towards the incoming duo.

"Jeremy and Zachariah."

"Andrew and Justin."

"This next group is an exception to our usual rule. May we please have Arista, Lyla and Natasha." My head snapped up in shock at the word 'exception'. Lyla's face was expressionless as the two of us trudged onto stage. Behind us stood Natasha, a girl that was definitely a few years our senior.

"I understand the puzzlement of this peculiar grouping. Natasha's mind is still fresh and strong despite her age, making her an excellent candidate for the Merging Process. All three of them possess the element of strength, which makes them a perfectly combined trio." The crowd below had started chattering nervously at this sudden change of normalcy. William clapped his hands as the chattering quickly dimmed down to whispering. "Alright, settle down."

The rest of the candidates flew by. I couldn't help but sneak glances at Lyla and Natasha. We were the special group, for there were no other groups that were in a group of three.