The shadows within the cafeteria suddenly became more vivid, more feral. The temperature seemed to plummet, clawing toward zero on the Celsius scale. A biting chill swept through the crowd of Sleepers surrounding the table where Sunless, Cassie, and Yuki sat together, hitting them like a blast of frozen, jagged air.
The faces of those nearby turned pale as a smile that promised nothing but ruin froze on Sunny's face. Deep within his pitch-black eyes, shadows coiled like serpents, eager to strike and inject their venom. Eager for death.
Opposite him, Yuki seemed to radiate the same lethal hostility. Her icy gaze narrowed as she saw the sweet, golden-haired girl beside Sunny shed a single tear at the words that had been spat at her.
'You just hurt my little kitten. Tsk, tsk... I hope you've made peace with your demons, because you're about to meet them again in my Soul Sea,' Sunny thought. His gaze locked with Yuki's, both of them pinning the culprit—standing just behind Caster and the blonde womanizer—with a fierce, murderous intent.
'By the time I'm done with you, they'll have to scrape what's left of you on the floor with a spoon,' he added mentally, already savoring the taste of vengeance.
Cassie's fingers tightened further against her skirt, her knuckles white, matching the painful constriction in her chest.
The Sleeper who had caused the wound opened his mouth to say something else, but Caster cut him off instantly. He shoved his right hand back, physically pushing the fool away and shielding him. His green eyes flashed with a silent, lethal warning: Shut up if you want to see tomorrow's sunrise.
Caster turned back to Yuki and then to Sunless. Their shared fury still demanded compensation for their wounded friend. Meanwhile, the temperature showed no sign of rising. The shadows grew so dense and unnerving that several Sleepers behind the Legacy began to instinctively retreat, their survival instincts screaming.
Caster tensed his muscles, unsure if he was actually willing to defend the idiot who had just poked the sleeping dragons before him.
Then... Sunny made the unthinkable. An act of unheard-of pettiness.
Reaching out, he wrapped his arm around Cassie, his fingers tightening gently on her right shoulder as he pulled her firmly toward him.
The eyes of everyone watching widened in shock. Several jaws dropped, while a few girls stifled gasps behind their hands, letting out small squeals of embarrassment and excitement as if they were witnessing a scene from a romance novel come to life. A couple of guys even gave him a subtle thumbs-up, impressed by his sheer audacity.
Cassie found herself with her left cheek and ear pressed against Sunny's chest, her hands resting against him like a pillow while his arm held her delicate frame close. Her face turned a deep, tomato red as she felt his heartbeat radiating from his chest. His scent was faint, almost non-existent, and yet it was good. At the same time, Sunny could feel Cassie's softness and the silkiness of her golden hair falling over his arm and down his side.
Looking down, he saw the blind Seer's eyes go wide, practically steaming with embarrassment, but he also saw that her sadness and pain had been slowly swept away in his embrace.
"Do you really think you can offer me better company than this?" Sunny asked, flashing a mocking, razor-sharp smile at the Sleeper Caster was trying to shield. His eyes still shimmered with a lingering, lethal desire to see the man impaled.
"Tsk, tsk," Sunny shook his head slowly, closing his eyes in a show of theatrical mockery. Reopening them, he fixed the fool with a devastating look and added: "I hope you're better at it than your mother."
A wave of laughter rippled through the crowd. Even Yuki seemed to let out a ghost of a snicker, and the temperature in the room finally began to rise as Sunny's biting wit cut through the tension.
The Sleeper, for his part, looked ready to explode with rage. But before he could even open his mouth to retort, Caster spun around and clamped a hand over his mouth. "Listen! I can only save you once, so shut up, you absolute moron!" Caster hissed into his ear—not as a threat, but as a warning.
Enlisting the help of the pale-blonde playboy, Caster grabbed the idiot by one arm while the other took the second. Together, they dragged him away, preventing him from falling for the provocation.
"I apologize for my friend's boorish behavior, Sunless, my dear friend," Caster said, throwing an apologetic glance over his shoulder. "Please forgive the disturbance. We shall take our leave. Enjoy the rest of your lunch."
With that, the crowd vanished, returning to their tables, leaving the trio alone once more.
'This scene took a turn I didn't see coming. My original plan was simple: deflect Caster's questions with a blend of mockery and truths, then politely decline his invitation by stating I preferred Cassie's company. Which is true, considering I've already decided to strengthen my bond with her during this period. Instead, everything went off the rails. It's proof that I can't afford to be superficial; I need to be better prepared. The fate of this world is still unpredictable and shrouded in mystery.'
Sunny mused, pinching his chin between his thumb and forefinger as he watched the crowd disperse and return to their seats.
<
Sunny's lips curled into a wicked smile. 'Of course, my wise Cricket. Of course.'
Then, a small, muffled voice from below snapped him out of his inner monologue. "Um... S-Sunny? Could you... please let me go?" Cassie stammered, her voice thick with embarrassment.
Sunny realized he was still holding her. The warmth of her delicate body was so pleasant that he hadn't even minded the contact. In fact, the way she squinted her eyes, her face flushed deep crimson, made him want to pull her even closer and stroke her hair.
Sunny blinked. "Oh! Right. Sorry."
As he released his grip, Cassie smoothed out her clothes and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her left ear. The blind Seer turned her blue eyes toward her companions.
"Thank you," she said, bowing her head slightly and clasping her hands over her skirt. "I truly thank you for defending me. But... you don't need to worry about me. And I'm sorry, especially to you, Sunny. I wouldn't want rumors to start spreading about you because of me." Her voice carried a hint of guilt and lingering shame.
"Don't worry," Yuki replied, her tone as cold and impassive as ever, yet carrying a weight of finality.
Sunny waved a hand dismissively. "What she said. Yuki and I acted on our own initiative. Besides, what kind of rumors are you worried about?" He crossed his arms, a mischievous smirk dancing on his lips. "That you and I are in a relationship? So? As I care! Honestly, I wouldn't mind being engaged to the second prettiest girl in the Academy."
Cassie smiled happily, blushing once more at the compliment, before the catch hit her. "Wait! Why second now?"
Sunny arched a playful eyebrow. "You see, there's this beautiful girl who resides in my shadow... but don't worry, I still have two hands."
<
He stole a quick glance at his own shadow, where Myriad Shade was currently hiding, invisible to the world.
Cassie pouted, genuinely irritated and a bit jealous this time. She didn't hold back; she lunged forward, grabbed his shoulders, and sank her teeth into his neck.
***
Sunny and Cassie walked through the Academy corridors, their hands clasped firmly together.
He led the way toward their next lecture while her caretaker followed at a respectful distance. After parting ways with Yuki—who had promised to join them later—Sunny had offered to escort Cassie to class as a silent way of making amends for his earlier teasing.
Looking at her from the corner of his eye, it was clear the blind Seer was far from upset. The wide, radiant smile on her face and the soft pink hue dusting her cheeks told him she was more than happy with the gesture.
'I hadn't really thought it until now, but in this Arc, Cassie is still so naive,' Sunny mused. 'Between the approaching Winter Solstice and the burden of her Flaw, she's emotionally vulnerable. It's only later that she'll learn to suppress her emotions, turning into a master manipulator at the cost of slowly hollowing herself out.'
Sunny ran a thumb over the back of Cassie's hand, a small, affectionate squeeze. He forced himself to push those dark thoughts aside, trying to bury the spark of preemptive grief.
Finally, they reached the designated classroom. It was the only course they had both signed up for:
Wilderness Survival.
From the outside, the room looked sparsely furnished, but inside, the space was exquisitely decorated and vast. Only one man sat within, perched behind the lecturer's desk.
He was a vibrant old man with messy grey hair and a pair of elegant golden spectacles.
"Come in, youngsters," he called out the moment he spotted them lingering at the door.
"I'm Awakened Julius. You can call me Teacher Julius. Sit down, sit down! What are your names?"
Sunny and Cassie sat down obediently side by side. Her caretaker offered a graceful bow before remaining outside. Seeing them enter hand-in-hand, Julius chuckled, arching a silver eyebrow.
"It's Sunless."
"Cassia."
Julius nodded. "Say, youngsters… why did you choose Wilderness Survival, of all things?"
Sunny rested his hands on the table. "It was recommended to me by the Awakened who supervised my trial. Master Jet."
Julius hummed in acknowledgment. Sunny waited for a reaction, but none came. 'No comment on my ominous name or the infamous, blood-drenched Soul Reaper? Strange.'
The professor then turned to Cassie. "And you, young lady?"
"Sunny recommended it to me," she declared plainly.
Julius covered his mouth with a hand. Sunny couldn't be certain, but he could have sworn he heard the old man mutter: "Ah... youth!"
Clearing his throat, Sunny raised a hand. "Ehm... excuse me, Teacher, but I think there's been a misunderstanding. Cassie and I are just friends."
Julius snorted, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Oh, of course, of course! Just friends." He chuckled into his mustache, then pointed his right index finger toward his own neck.
Sunny blinked, then tentatively touched the spot Julius was indicating. When he looked at his fingers, he realized that in addition to the faint indent of teeth, Cassie had left a very visible mark of lipstick on his skin.
Sunny buried his face in his hands on the table. He let out a long, muffled groan of pure agony, realizing he had been walking through the crowded halls with that mark on his neck without even noticing.
'What a headache,' he sighed, lifting his head and rubbing his face with his warm palms.