While waiting for the Induction ceremony to begin, the newcomers gathered in the hall occupied their time chatting and trying to get to know one another. Some were driven by genuine curiosity, others by the need to forge alliances for the challenging month ahead—or for the uncertain future beyond.
And there, amidst a Star who stood alone, lost in her headphones to drown out the fire of her own thoughts, and a girl wandering elsewhere while fighting the frost of her own body, a Foreign Shadow and a blind Seer had just found each other. They sat in comfort. Their voices traveled across the abyss that Fate had placed between them. With every word, their hearts drew closer.
"So, Sunny," Cassie asked again, having relaxed significantly after all that laughter. "Why are you here? And I mean seriously, this time." She pouted slightly, silently pleading for a real answer.
Cassie kept her hands clasped over her skirt, her fingers tight, her rosy cheeks still stained with a lingering blush. The blonde girl still harbored a flicker of wariness, but the wide smile brightening her doll-like face told a much different story.
"Well, you know," Sunny replied, sitting with both arms and legs crossed. "I was just wandering around when I saw you sitting here, all alone and sad. So I thought I'd tease you a bit to bring back your smile. Worst-case scenario, we could have been depressed together, don't you think?"
His heart was in conflict as he met her deep blue gaze. On one hand, he was genuinely glad she was talking to him—unlike Nephis—but on the other, he feared making a wrong move.
Cassie's smile widened, elated by his answer. Then she looked down, her expression darkened, the weight of her flaw returning to burden her. "Thank you, Sunny. I mean it. But... I don't think you'll find much pleasure in staying with a dead weight like me. After all, my days are numbered." She stared back at the tips of her shoes. "You'd be better off ignoring me, like everyone else does."
Sunny let out a silent, hidden sigh.
'To think that in the future, this depressed girl will become one of the most powerful Saints—if not the strongest after the Divine Aspect holders. What a headache!' He thought, exasperated by the gap between the present and what was yet to come.
"Naaah! I'd rather stay here with you. Besides... who decided that?!" He suddenly exclaimed, the words sharp as a finger-snap.
"Eh?" Cassie snapped back toward him.
"Who decided you're dead weight? Just because you're blind? Listen to me, Cassie," Sunny raised his right palm. "The Nightmare Spell is known for being cruel, but it isn't unfair. If it takes something away," he raised his left palm to the same height, like a set of scales, "it stands to reason that it gave you something of equal value in return."
Sunny brought his palms together under his nose with a soft clap.
"That's why I believe your Aspect is actually quite powerful. Sure, right now these might just sound like empty words, platitudes meant to cheer you up. But who can say? You've yet to explore the limits of your power, and I certainly can't do it for you. If you give up without even trying, you'll never know for sure."
Cassie's eyes widened in realization. 'It's true!' She hadn't considered it until now. She had been so devastated by the loss of her sight that she hadn't allowed herself to think of anything else.
A part of her wanted to scold herself for being so naive. And yet, in her moment of need, just when she had decided to let herself fade into the darkness, this boy—this shadow—had given her back the light.
Cassie pressed her right hand to her chest. 'Thank you, Sunny!' Her eyes shimmered. Without even realizing it, she started smiling again.
"Besides," Sunny added, pulling her back from the whirlpool of her thoughts. "If the others avoid the prettiest girl in the Academy over something so trivial, then they're nothing but idiots," he said, and seeing his smirk, without a hint of shame.
Cassie flushed again, practically steaming. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she looked away and let out another tiny squeak, shrinking into herself.
That was a Fatality.
'My work here is done!' Sunny thought. Judging by his expression, he was thoroughly enjoying her reactions.
Whether it was due to his Flaw or personal taste, Sunny had to admit: Cassie was truly the most beautiful girl here. Her pure, ethereal beauty almost rivaled the seductive beauty of Master Jet. There was only one woman who came to his mind capable of overshadowing them both in that regard: Thene.
<
'I know! Otherwise, I would have said something else to make her happy. Maybe this way I can put the first notch toward a better future for her. As well as mine.'
The hands of the clock were ticking, the two shared more conversation, passing the time in lighthearted happiness. Then, silence fell over the hall as the general chatter died down.
Finally, a new figure stepped into the hall, bringing an immediate hush over the crowd. He didn't enter through the main gates like the Sleepers, but through the official institutional entrance on the opposite side.
He was a giant man with wide shoulders and gray-rimmed glasses, sporting a beard so thick he looked like a gorgeous brown bear. Even his shadow resembled that of a bear.
'Awakened Rock,' Sunny recognized him instantly. He wasn't a major character—his role ended with the Academy arc in the original story—but his stern character and external appearance made him memorable.
As Awakened Rock marched forward with a heavy, disciplined pace, the Aspirants instinctively drew back, forming a wide circle around him. Silence reigned, broken only by the frantic thrumming of hundreds of young hearts—a chaotic mix of anxiety, fear, and the electric hum of expectation.
The bear-like man came to a halt. Every eye was fixed on him. Leaning against the wall, Nephis finally removed her headphones. Yuki stopped her restless pacing to observe. And in a quiet corner, a shadow acted as the eyes for a girl lost in darkness.
"I am Awakened Rock. Sleepers, welcome to the Academy," he announced, his gaze sweeping from left to right across the mute crowd. "In less than a month, you will be summoned to the Dream Realm. Some of you might think you are well-prepared. You're wrong. The Spell is merciless and cunning. The moment an Awakened begins to think too highly of themselves, they die. I've seen countless Sleepers like you lose their lives. I've seen experienced Masters lose theirs. Even Saints are not guaranteed to survive."
Rock proceeded to explain the basic Academy's rules, the freedom to choose courses, their rights and responsibilities, and so on. He gave a brief, grim explanation of the difference between a Nightmare and the Dream Realm, warning them of the possible adversities that they might encounter. For example, a charming kind of Nightmare Creature that could mimic human voices and appearances.
"...Regardless, you have nothing to fear. The Sovereigns will protect you. They will send Saints to scout and retrieve you if you land near a Citadel. Even if you don't, stay calm. Despite what I said earlier, the Nightmare Spell rarely plays dirty; it won't drop you into an unknown Death Zone completely at random."
'Oh, well... good to know. Thank you, asshole!' Sunny commented internally, biting his tongue to keep from shouting the last word aloud.
"That is all. I wish you a productive stay for the next thirty days," professor Rock concluded, turning on his heel and leaving the hall.
The Sleepers began to filter out one by one to be sorted into their quarters. Their faces were a gallery of human emotion: some were paralyzed by anxiety, others masked their terror behind masks of pride, and some were already tearful. They all shared a common fragility—a youth destined to wither too soon in another dimension.
Sunny turned to Cassie. "I suppose I'll see you later, Cassie. What courses are you planning to take?"
"None," Cassie replied, shaking her head despondently. "I don't think there's anything I can do. I used to be a formidable fencer, but now..." She trailed off, the implication clear.
Sunny looked up, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "In that case, why don't you join me? I already have combat experience, but I'm missing the basics. I'm only going to attend the Wilderness Survival course. I've been told Professor Julius is top-tier."
<
"Besides," Sunny continued, ignoring the uninvited trivia from his Flaw, "I'd really like to spend more time with you. If you're okay with that?"
Cassie offered him another one of her heart-warming smiles, one who almost made his shadow heart explode with tenderness. "Okay," she said with a firm nod.
And Sunny... he couldn't help himself. With those large sapphire eyes and golden hair flowing past her shoulders, she reminded him of a tiny, precious kitten. In this world, cats were nearly extinct; he hadn't seen one since his previous life. The image of Cassie as a soft ball of fur made his heart melt.
"S-Sunny?" Cassie stammered.
"Yes?"
"W-w-what are you doing?" she asked, her face turning as red as an active volcano.
Without a word, Sunny had reached out and started petting her head, exactly as one would a cat.
The shadow-boy smiled, tilting his head playfully. "I'm petting you because you're cute. Why? Don't you like it?"
Cassie pouted, though she couldn't deny the sensation wasn't bad. She wasn't sure whether to kick him in the shins or just melt on the spot.
"Well... I guess that's all for now. See you later, Cassie." Sunny stopped petting the golden kitten and waved.
"Bye-bye!" He said as he walked away.
Left alone once more, Cassie raised both hands to the spot where Sunny had touched her. Her face was still burning, her pride a bit wounded.
'It's warm,' she thought, her heart beating as if spring had already arrived.
***
Sunny had finally reached his quarters; the door to his room bore the number sixty-seven.
After locking the door with two firm turns of the key, he didn't bother turning on the light. His onyx eyes had no need for it.
Scanning the room, he saw a simple square layout. A double bed sat centered against the far wall. To the left stood a desk and a wardrobe, flanked by a window that overlooked the Academy's vast gardens. Outside, a crescent moon shone brightly in the star-studded sky. To the immediate right was the bathroom door.
Before Sunny could take a single step further, a figure emerged from his shadow: a breathtaking woman dressed in black, with hair like a starless night sky and eyes of pure obsidian. Thene stepped out, stretching her arms high above her head. Then, without a word, she headed straight for the bed and flopped onto it face-first, kicking the perfectly tucked black blankets into a mess and wrinkling the freshly pressed white pillows.
Sunny watched Myriad Shade doing all this in utter disbelief.
<
"Ehm... I didn't. She did that all on her own," Sunny replied, shaking his head in perplexity.
Then, a sudden doubt crept into his mind. 'Wait a minute! Are you telling me I have to be on guard against a possible midnight assault now, too?' The thought made him shiver.
Then, he sighed.
Sunny still had an hour before the scheduled interviews. This time, he had no intention of waiting until the last minute to prepare for what was coming.
Leaving Thene to wreak havoc on the neatly folded linens, he walked over to the desk and grabbed a pen and some paper. Myriad Shade, seeing herself ignored on the bed, pouted, clearly offended.
Sunny pulled back the chair and sat down. It was time to put his ideas onto paper, to organize his head and prepare for the future.