"To meet the person you've considered your equal for ages, and to realize she has became superior. How could you possibly not feel nothing else than happiness?
l
Chain opened the door and stepped to huge hall. The place was spacey, and ceiling was very high, with four huge pillars to support the roof from collapsing.
One of the pillars was decorated with several blue jewels, and painted with several shades of blue. Gazing on it, you could almost feel your mind calming, as if you would be at peaceful shore, staring at calm ocean.
Other pillar was painted in black and white, with small gray lines separating them from both sides. All of four stripes spiralled towards the roof around the pillar, as if raising towards heaven itself.
Third pillar was graceful, as if it would have been made of light. Decorated with plates of gold, diamonds, some small crystals, and even hundreds of tiny mirrors, the pillar was shining, reflecting the light of the hall in even darkest corners of the room. It was as if the pillar would actually create light.
Fourth pillar was made of one huge, colorless crystal. There was small red gem inside the pillar, at about 10 feet from the ground. How is it possible to get such a small gem inside huge pillar of wild, unbroken crystal, was mystery even to creator of the place. Perhaps someone had placed that gem inside the crystal using powerful space-bending magic long lost in history, or perhaps the huge amount of crystal had somehow been grown around the gem for milleniums. Whatever the case, masterful work.
In the center of the hall, directly in the middle of all these four pillars, there was small beacon, magically enchanted to hover in the air, about 15 feet from floor, burning peacefully. The beacon also had four pillars in it.
To this majestic hall, Chain had once again returned to meet his friend, Mritha.

Mritha.
Long-time member of the same clan Chain had been part of for some time before him joining. Both of them valued the knowledge of history, and agreed that just like the light of the beacon, information should also be allowed to be seen and known, rather than hidden in darkness. While Chain had shown interest of wider variety of history, trying to learn everything worth learning from pages of history, Mritha hersellf had decided to specialize in history of Lore's warfare, in order to prevent losses and gains of every war ever fought to be lost in history.
Both of them were rather highly ranked in the clan's hierarchy, and they respected each other highly.

Yet one day, Mritha simply rose to higher level than Chain.
One day, objectively speaking normal one, Chain received the news. Mritha had been requested to join the ArchKnights of Lore, one of the most powerful and respected organisations in charge of the everyday life of the world.
It was no surprise that most of common people had this position as their primary goal in their lifes. Being able to directly help the world so dear to everyone inhabiting it, and in exhange, receiving respect and gratitude of people living in that very world. It was no surprise that most of common people had this position as their primary goal in their lifes.
Chain was no different. He also wanted to achieve that position, to be able to help, and to receive the trust and respect of others.
And now, he was about to meet Mritha second time after her so-called "promotion". She was sitting in the back of the hall, in high, majestic, golden chair. There was purple chain tied from her leg to the chair, preventing her from moving freely.
Chain was only few dozen steps away from standing in front of her.

As much as Chain would try to ignore it, his mind was filled with negative emotions. The reason for her being selected instead of many other people from their clan was beyond him. He considered several other people (himself included) at least as qualified for similar job as Mritha. Yet she was chosen for it.
Why? What on Lore did exactly separate Mritha's abilities (or perhaps personality) to handle the job from the others? Chain just couldn't comprehend it.
Envy had raised it's ugly head in Chain's soul, and he was aware of it. Yet he couldn't help to feel how he did.

"Chain! Good to see you again! How have you been these past few days?" Mritha shouted with her usual happy attitude, as Chain got closer to her.
He stopped on respectful distance.

"Mritha." Chain said.
"I refuse to hide my feeling of your promotion."
Mritha looked surprised, and slightly confused.
"I admit that I'm jealous of your new decision as ArchKnight, and don't fully understand what separated you from any other of us when you were chosen for this job..."
"Chain..." Mritha was about to start.
"However," Chain intercepted her.
"However, I refuse to let envy and baseless anger to take hold of me just because you've advanced in your life. I will not accept myself as person who feels anger or greed when my friend achieves something I also desire, in his or her life."
Chain dropped in his left knee, and bowed deeply.
"I accept that I will make mistakes in my life, forgive myself the wrongs I have done, and swear myself to become a better person"
After saying that, Chain rose to his legs, turned around and said: "I have no grudge against you, nor your position. I hope you can someday forgive my selfish way of thinking"
With that, Chain started walking out of the hall, towards the huge doors he had entered through moment ago.
"Chain!" Mritha tried to yell.
But he was already gone.