The Association became Max's life. There was a basic education program, made specifically for kids like Max, who'd been torn from their normal lives by the Association. Unfortunately for Max, there was no skipping these classes. He wasn't even permitted to leave the building without his new mentor, Devon, accompanying him. They were typical, boring lessons, with instructors that'd rather be elsewhere, but Max had decent enough grades when he actually applied himself. The real struggle was in combat training. He was usually training with Ren, who brutally beat him down every time he thought he was getting better. She made him lose his cocky attitude with training very quickly, humiliating him over and over. Eventually though, Max got better. Not nearly on Ren's level; she had been an official association member since she was twelve. But good enough to hold his ground against her vicious strikes.
Devon started teaching Max about how to utilize his Flux more efficiently. These were Max's favorite classes, as they didn't involve getting beaten up by Ren or sitting through boring history lessons. At the end of every day, Max would meet Devon in either the common room or the training courtyard, where Devon would teach him about the art known as Fluxcraft. The first thing he learned about was reinforcement, the same thing he was doing accidentally during his training session with Ren. "Tense your muscles right before getting hit, and imagine water flowing through your body." Devon had said, demonstrating his own reinforcement technique. It was a smooth, barely noticeable sheen over his whole body, making him nearly indestructible to most non-Flux threats. Max caught on quickly, and soon enough he was reinforcing himself with ease. He found that it was more effective to focus the Flux where he expected to get hit, using less Flux, as well as providing better protection in that area. It never went well around Ren though, as she'd switch targets as soon as she saw the reinforcement, instead attacking a different, undefended area.
Max then learned how to use Flux to increase his physical attacking power and speed. When a massive wave of Flux rushes through certain muscles, they are temporarily fed a near infinite source of energy, and go into overdrive. This could result with near superhuman speed, or incredible strength, enough to crack stone with your bare hands. While basic, this was also considered a necessary skill to face off against anyone, or anything, that could control Flux.
Then, Max learned about demon contracts. These contracts could grant the signees incredible power, amplifying and focusing their flux abilities, usually into completely unique powers. These "Demons" weren't exactly like the common demons that feed on Flux like wild animals, tearing apart anyone with even the slightest signature of Flux in their system. No, these were intelligent, even civil entities. They embodied concepts, emotions, and sins, all with their own domains. Devon himself was actually signed into a contract with the demon of Imprisonment, giving him access to chains made up of pure Flux. They could be used to capture enemies, or be used offensively, with Devon having full control of their motion. These contracts came with a price though, and it was a pretty big one at that. While some demons may have different goals, most, including the Imprisonment Demon, wanted ownership of the souls of the Flux users.
Upon hearing this, Max felt sick. "That's messed up. You guys just sell your souls for more power?" Ren's voice cut in, quiet and unusually sharp. "It's necessary." Max looked at her, surprised by the heat beneath her calm. Ren didn't meet his gaze, already regaining her composure. Devon watched them both, then said something that hit Max hard. "You don't always have a choice. Demon contracts are rare, and the Association will push for you to accept them. And the Association tends to push hard." Max didn't like that answer, but he knew it was probably the truth. He'd started to notice the higher-ups; suited officials whose smiles never reached their eyes, who treated civilian deaths as collateral damage. It was these people who were behind Max's entire life being flipped upside-down. These were the ones responsible for Max's official "death", and the reason he could never see his family again.
Max was conflicted on how he felt about the nature of the Association though. On missions, Devon and Ren saved people. They pulled civilians out of collapsing buildings, contained minor infestations before they became massacres, and ended rogue Flux incidents that could've wiped out entire neighborhoods. But on the other hand, the Association kidnapped civilians with the smallest sign of Flux sensitivity, wiping them cleanly off the face of the earth. These people were either recruited, like Max, or "contained", whatever that meant. Max decided not to look too far into that.
As the year rolled forward, Max had begun to hear about a new organized crime group active in the Zero Sector, dubbed the "Ninth Ring". Rumors circulated about corporate vaults being completely emptied with zero civilian casualties. Association shipments of cursed objects were rerouted, and possibly the weirdest thing… Dangerous demons, demons that would have massacred hundreds, maybe thousands of people, were going missing. Max tried to ignore it all, as he had enough to worry about, what with exam time coming up. This was until Max got a knock on his dorm room door. "Who is it?" He called. He heard a reply, muffled on the other side of the door. "It's Ren. There's something we need to discuss." "Alright, come in," Max said, opening the door cautiously. Ren never talked to him outside of training, and she certainly hadn't visited his dorm room before.
"This place is a mess." She said, taking in her surroundings. Max had movie posters on the walls, covering almost every surface, and his floor was littered with papers he was using to study. Ren sat down on his unmade bed, crossing her legs, and said calmly, "The higher-ups have decided that you're to accompany Devon and I on missions, starting Monday." "Wait, really? Do you think I'm ready?" Max said enthusiastically, eager to use the skills he'd been honing for months. "No. Not at all." Ren said firmly. She then lowered her voice, choosing her words carefully. "Due to a recent influx of incidents related to the Ninth Ring, we're spread thin. I didn't want to throw you into this yet, but orders are orders." Max's eyes widened. "The Ninth Ring's real? I honestly thought it was made up" "They're very real, and you'll likely have to get very well acquainted with them too." She said, "Who do you think Devon and I have been fighting this whole time?" Max exhaled sharply, with a mixture of excitement and fear. "Alright, I'll be ready." Ren stood up, saying, in a much softer tone, "I hope so" before turning around and calling "Clean your room." over her shoulder.