Rain never found sitting in class enjoyable. Despite being smarter than her classmates, she realized she wasn't the only one feeling bored at the Academy. With her head resting on her hand, she fought off sleep, sighing occasionally as her peers' questions slowed down the lesson.
"This is ridiculous; we've gone over this three times already."
The guy next to her sighed as well. She turned her head slightly, hoping for a reaction. Boredom was easier to bear with someone else. The guy, who seemed familiar, had been in the class as long as she could remember, suggesting he had been there longer than she had.
He had pale skin and pitch-black hair, with soft features and a slim, muscular build. His height and striking yellow eyes stood out, giving him a primal look, as if he were searching for something—or someone—looking for prey, especially given his current frustration.
He turned to Rain and offered a slight smile.
"You think this is bad? We've been stuck on the same topic for two weeks because some people here have an IQ close to freezing."
Rain chuckled and replied, "Celsius or Fahrenheit?"
"Who even uses Fahrenheit?"
She shrugged. "I'd say people who didn't learn the metric system in school, except for 9 mm."
Her joke was a bit harsh, but it was true. Fortunately, the guy wasn't completely unaware of history, so he found it funny and struggled to contain his laughter.
"That's cruel, but I like it. I'm Gean, nice to meet you."
"Ranni, nice to meet you too. How long have you been here?"
"About three months, I think. Time blurs together after a while. The only thing keeping me awake in class is listening to the ridiculous conversations around here."
Rain raised an eyebrow, amused. "Can you hear people's thoughts too, or do you just have good hearing?"
To her surprise, he understood her joke. "No, I don't have a crazy flaw like Alya. I just have good hearing. Actually, most of my senses are heightened."
"You know Alya? I'm friends with her. What about you?"
"We've crossed paths a few times, but not often. I figured out what her flaw is with a good guess. She couldn't hide the fact that I got it right."
Rain laughed. "That's hilarious. My brother has enhanced senses too. Is that what your aspect is about?"
Gean sighed and shook his head. "It's not really a secret here. It's part of my flaw. Depending on my state of mind, I transform into a werewolf."
She expected him to be met with shock, but instead, she found it cool. "Can you do that on command, or is there a trigger?"
Gean raised an eyebrow, slightly offended. "Was that a dog joke?"
Rain choked on her breath, realizing the irony in his words. Her eyes widened as she felt a bit guilty. "I'm… sorry, that wasn't intentional."
He laughed heartily and waved her off. "No big deal. It happens. But yes, I can control it to some extent. I'm training my mind to stay calm, but when my primal instincts kick in, I can't control the transformation. It really sucks to be made fun of and beaten up for being a 'rabid dog.' Just yesterday, someone saved me from three guys who were trying to beat me up. They still got a few hits in, and I ended up at the medical center."
Suddenly, Rain remembered something. Although she had been a bit sleepy when her brother explained his absence, she retained the information. "Wait… yesterday evening? Did my brother Kirk help you?"
Gean's eyes widened as he nodded. "Holy crap, how did I not notice? You look just like him. Oh no…"
He suddenly recalled her scent and realized where he recognized her from. 'Please don't tell me he's boning his sister. Ugh, that's another dog joke. Should I ask? Probably not.'
He forced a smile, though it came off awkwardly. "You know class is almost over. Want to grab something to eat after?"
"Sounds good. I'll just text my brother."
Letting Rick know where she would be and with whom was part of their agreement. She appreciated his protective nature; it felt caring rather than overbearing. Getting a quick response from him was one of her favorite things. With a grin, she read his message and turned to Gean.
"Kirk's coming with us, along with Alya. Hope that's okay."
Gean shrugged and nodded. "I have no issues with that. I want to thank him for helping me."
An hour later, they were seated in a corner of the cafeteria. Choosing a time when most people were in class had become a routine for Alya, and Rick and Rain had started to follow suit.
"I honestly thought you were stuck in that form all the time. Good to see the real you, buddy. But those eyes are definitely beast-like," Rick joked. They had been talking for a while and had warmed up to each other, so he wasn't surprised to see Gean laughing.
"You're one to talk. When you scared off those three guys, I felt the pressure steal my breath. They even shit themselves. I know you have something inside you too."
Rick chuckled and shook his head. "Bacon and eggs, buddy. That's all I've got in me right now."
Gean let out an amused huff and returned to his food, knowing he was right about Rick's hidden strength. He didn't want to think about how his body trembled under that pressure, so he decided to drop the subject for now. 'This guy is full of surprises. I just wish he wasn't dating his sister.'
Alya suddenly choked on her food. She knew Rick and Rain weren't actually siblings. Gean blushed, realizing he had forgotten about Alya's flaw. They all pretended nothing had happened, but Rain and Rick exchanged confused glances.
"I assume Gean just thought of something wild, which tipped off Alya, right?" Rain asked, raising an eyebrow. Gean cleared his throat, still embarrassed and unsettled by the moment. He sighed, showing his frustration.
"You know… I have good senses, right?"
Everyone looked at each other, unsure how to respond to his question, which clearly didn't need an answer. Rick put down his utensils and leaned forward, folding his hands as if preparing for a serious conversation.
"I'm aware, but what does that have to do with anything here?" he asked, confused.
"Well, I don't know how to say this, but… this is harder than I thought. I appreciate you for helping me, a lot, actually. I think you're a great guy, and I can tell your sister and Alya are nice people too. So I wanted to…"
Rick interrupted, placing a hand on Gean's shoulder. He gave him an encouraging smile. "Thanks for the praise, but could you just tell me what the issue is? I'm more of a direct guy, you know?"
Gean looked him in the eye, took a deep breath, leaned closer, and whispered, "I'm really sorry if I'm wrong, but I suspect that the girl you had over yesterday for… you know, is your sister."
Gean braced himself for various reactions, even preparing for a potential beating. Instead, Rick struggled to contain his laughter.
"So, am I wrong? By the dead gods, I'm relieved that it was just a mistake on my part. Sorry again for even considering that you would do something like that."
After a few moments, Rick composed himself and decided to handle the situation with confidence. 'Watch this, Alya. I've got this from Sunny's textbook.'
He put an arm around Gean's shoulder and pointed at Rain. "No, you're right. The girl I had over yesterday is indeed that one right there."
Rain was momentarily speechless as Rick openly revealed their situation. It was clear to him that she was struggling to maintain her composure, which made him chuckle. As Rick laughed, Rain quickly shifted from embarrassment to confusion.
"How could you just say that? I thought we were keeping this a secret?"
Gean felt increasingly uncomfortable, unsure of what to say, but managed to mumble a response.
"I don't really care what you two do privately. But honestly, I think incest is not something to joke about."
"Relax, he's a friend. I'm fine with telling him if you are," Rick said with an assuring smile.
With a sigh, Rain nodded in agreement. Rick then turned to Gean, a smug look on his face.
"She's not my sister, dude."
Gean relaxed and leaned back in his chair, exhaling.
"That's a relief. But why do you act like siblings?"
"That's a question for another time. For now, just know I'm her boyfriend, and we're not related by blood."
Gean wasn't entirely satisfied with that answer, as it left him with even more questions.
"Alright, I'm curious about what's going on with you two, but there's no rush. I first need to get through the Winter Solstice."
"Maybe you'll end up in the same area as us? Do you have a group you're close with, or are you still searching?" Rain asked, hoping Gean was still looking for a group. It might have been a bit selfish, but it was clear from their conversations that Gean was a skilled fighter and a decent person.
"Actually, I'm still on my own. I don't have anyone here who's tried to befriend me, so I'm grateful for you guys. Would it be okay if I joined your group?"
They all smiled and nodded. For the first time in months, Gean felt like he could be accepted by others. If Rick could read his thoughts like Alya could, he might have started crying.
A few days later, Gean had become more comfortable with his new friends. Rain and Rick even revealed their true appearances and the fact that Rick was actually a master there to watch over Rain and ensure her safety.
He was relieved to learn the truth about their relationship. He even agreed to take Rick's famous lie detection test. Fortunately for Rick, Gean had no interest in celebrities and just wanted help with his training for his flaw.
Rick had mentioned that his flaw was similar to Gean's, but he refused to show it, leaving Gean to wait just like Alya. It was still difficult for Rick to reveal his flaw, but after meeting so many people in the past few weeks who accepted him for who he was rather than how he looked, he was warming up to the idea of being more open about it.
More importantly, Jacob managed to catch Rain alone. She expected him to have bad intentions, but to her surprise, he just wanted to challenge her to a bow shooting competition.
In the end, Rain left the shooting range in a much better mood than when she arrived, having won decisively. Jacob now owed her a favor. She wanted to use it right away to tell him never to approach her or anyone close to her again, but she felt he had no interest in doing so anyway.
Jacob's pride was too wounded after losing to a "lowlife," especially a girl, which left him extremely frustrated. She knew he wouldn't dare approach her anytime soon.
Another week passed without any issues, and now there were just two weeks left until the Winter Solstice.
Meanwhile, Rick faced a different challenge: Soulreaper Jet. As she had suggested, they decided to spar every other day since she was the only one who could truly challenge him, and she felt the same way about him.
Due to his flaw and his five cores, Rick was equal in strength to Jet, but her years of battle experience far exceeded his. He had been through a lot, but she had faced even greater challenges.
"You look a bit tired, Kirk. What's going on?" Jet called out with a laugh. While she might lose in raw strength, she still had the upper hand in weapon sparring.
Rick was catching his breath, his scythe showing signs of wear after two hours of sparring. He wasn't the only one exhausted; Jet was also struggling to stay upright.
'This guy… If it weren't for my superior battle experience, I'd be in much worse shape. He's a monster, an attractive and nice monster, but still a monster.'
Noticing her gaze, he raised an eyebrow and looked around, confused.
"Is something behind me, or are you staring at me for a reason?"
She chuckled and shook her head.
"No, it's just… you're a master but so incredibly strong. I know it's because of your flaw and your five soul cores, but it's still hard to wrap my head around, even knowing the reason."
That wasn't the whole truth behind her staring.
'Ugh, I feel like a pervert. But why is he wearing gray sweatpants? Either he knows what he's doing, or he's completely oblivious to the effect it has on women.'
Jet hadn't had a chance to visit Morgan or anyone else in a while, and Rick's casual outfit didn't help her state of mind.
"Did you wear those pants to distract me so you'd have an advantage, or what's the deal?" Jet joked. Unsurprisingly, Rick had no idea what she meant.
"Uh… I just like them. They're comfy. My girlfriend said she likes them too, so I wear them a lot."
They were still using their fake names, as the risk of being overheard was too high.
Jet sighed deeply. Sexual frustration was not something she expected to deal with, but here she was, itching for something she couldn't have.
"Yeah, I bet she does. What's she up to?"
Rick shrugged and took a sip from his water bottle before answering.
"She's with Alya and Gean. We've become great friends over the last few weeks. Gean might be a bit younger than us, but he's mature for an 18-year-old. I wasn't that clear-headed at his age."
Jet laughed heartily. The age gap between the youngest and oldest in their group was only four years, unlike the Changing Star Cohort, where Jet was the oldest and Cassie the youngest, with a ten-year difference.
"It doesn't matter, right? Age is just a number."
Jet immediately panicked after realizing her mistake.
"Of course, age is important when it comes to sex. You can't have sex with a minor; that would be disgusting."
Rick grinned the whole time. They had become good friends over the past few months, so he knew how to get her riled up.
"Jet, could it be that you're feeling a bit horny?"
The question hit her hard. Her body froze, and her carefree expression faltered. Rick had achieved his goal. She struggled to form a sentence, clearly embarrassed.
"You… you… you really are a monster. How could you… just say that?"
Rick burst into laughter, falling to the floor, holding his stomach as he struggled to breathe. Jet crossed her arms, waiting for him to finish teasing her.
"No, I take it back; you're not a monster, you're an asshole."
She pretended to be angry, but it was enough for Rick to calm down and apologize. They decided they had trained enough for the day and sat down on a bench.
"For the love of the dead gods, why do you have to be in a relationship?"
Rick choked on his water.
"What? Is this about what happened in your office a while back?"
Jet leaned back against the wall and sighed deeply.
"Yeah, it is. I haven't had a chance to see anyone in weeks, and just when I thought I found a decent guy around here who isn't a teenager, it turns out to be you."
Rick gave her a strange look and asked curiously.
"Aren't you a little embarrassed to bring that up again? I don't think I could just say to someone that I want to sleep with them."
Jet scoffed.
"Oh please. You've seen me naked, and I had my hand on your… well, you know. Plus, you've trapped me with those tails on two separate occasions. I don't think I could ever feel ashamed talking to you again."
Rick thought about it for a moment and took a deep breath to ease the awkwardness.
"You know, I always thought those experiences would make you feel more embarrassed around me, but I guess you're different from most people."
"Damn right I am. I don't know if it's because I'm dead or if I've just been around Effie too much."
"True. She really changes people. Even Ranni started talking more openly about what she wants after a while. I guess it's because of Effie too."
"And what is it exactly that she wants, huh? I bet it's the same thing I've been desperately searching for these past weeks."
Rick cleared his throat.
"Right, but that's not the only thing, of course."
He had thought about it a lot but wasn't sure if it was a good idea. Still, he figured asking wouldn't hurt.
"Why don't you ask someone else? Gean, for example, is one of the few around here who is of age, and he's a nice guy too."
"I get it, but I'm just not really into him. He's much slimmer than you, for instance. He's tall, which is a plus, but I can't shake the feeling that he'd be fragile."
"Well, if you can overlook the hair, his other form is much more muscular."
"Other form? Is he like you?"
Rick shook his head and laughed.
"Not quite. He doesn't lose control when he transforms, and it doesn't only happen at night. It occurs whenever his primal instincts kick in. I'm helping him learn to manage it better. My trigger is different, but controlling my transformation is similar."
"So, you're saying he turns into a hairy monster?"
Rick scoffed and chuckled as he replied.
"Not just any hairy monster. He becomes a werewolf, and he's not bad-looking in that form either. He actually looks quite handsome, even with all the hair. Most importantly, he's pretty tough. One time, three guys tried to beat him up, and if it weren't for his werewolf body, he would have been seriously hurt."
"Okay, now I feel a bit awkward. This conversation has turned into you trying to set me up with a guy. How did we get here?"
Rick shrugged, amused.
"Your horniness and my frustration with constantly telling you off. I'm sure Gean wouldn't mind either. Who wouldn't want to sleep with a saint?"
Jet playfully hit him on the shoulder and retorted, "YOU, YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE."
Rick rubbed the spot she hit and shrugged with a cheeky grin.
"I have a pretty good reason for that. You can't be seriously mad at me for not cheating on my girlfriend."
"Of course, I'm not angry. Just sexually frustrated."
Rick stood up and stretched a bit.
"Then ask Gean, for goodness' sake. It annoys me to see you so desperate."
She sighed and stood up.
"I'll give it a shot. If it doesn't work out, I might need to take a day off and visit Morgan. The principal won't be happy about that, but if I can't scratch this itch soon, I'll lose my mind."
Rick facepalmed and muttered under his breath.
"And I thought teenage boys were the only ones who were horny. But you really take it to another level, Jet."
A few hours later, Rick found himself lying in bed with Rain's back against his chest. To their annoyance, Alya was with them.
"Have either of you seen Gean around?" Alya asked. Rick knew where he was, but it wasn't his place to say, so he kept quiet.
"I haven't seen him in a while. He lives near you, right?" Rain asked, struggling to stay awake.
"Oh yeah, we've been visiting each other's rooms a lot lately. He's just a few doors down to the left."
"Shouldn't we check on him to see if he's okay?" Rain's suggestion made sense, so refusing would seem suspicious.
"Alright, I'll go check on him quickly. You two stay here. I don't think it needs three people to check on someone."
Alya and Rain both agreed, and soon Rick stood in front of Gean's door. He knocked, but of course, no one answered. He left with a chuckle and returned to where Alya and Rain were waiting.
"He's not in his room. I guess he's training somewhere."
'Physical exercise is important after all,' he thought, looking at Alya with a grin. She pouted and crossed her arms.
"Not everyone enjoys sweating as much as you do, Rick. Some of us just don't like exercising."
"I know, it was just a joke."
Alya hates training more than anything, but she does it anyway because she has a goal, and being in shape is essential to achieve it.
"You both really enjoy getting on each other's nerves, don't you?"
Rick and Alya shrugged.
"You like to push my buttons too," Rick said with a chuckle.
"Of course I do. Your reactions are always worth it," Rain said with a wink. Alya rolled her eyes and sighed before standing up.
"I guess I'll head out now. Thanks for having me over, but I can practically feel the tension between you two, and I'm not interested in a threesome."
Rain laughed and hugged her.
"Thanks, bestie. See you tomorrow."
After Alya left, it was just Rain and Rick. The moon was still far off, so they had plenty of time.
Meanwhile, in the Dream Realm, a beautiful full moon cast an icy light over the castle and its surroundings.
A man with raven-black hair stood by the lake in front of the castle. He took a deep breath and jumped into the water. A few minutes later, he emerged, but everything around him had changed dramatically.
He looked around and shadow-stepped into the old ruins of the real Bastion. One of the towers had always been empty, as it was on the verge of collapsing. When he appeared in the tower ruin, he saw a woman. Nephis stood among the rubble, illuminated by moonlight and shadows, radiant as ever, as if light followed her wherever she went.
Nephis noticed Sunny staring and couldn't help but chuckle. The sound of her laughter made him want to abandon everything and return to the café with her. But unfortunately, he was on a mission, and time was of the essence.
"Do you like what you see?"
"No, I LOVE what I see. Now let's go before I convince myself that solving this puzzle can wait any longer."
Sunny took Nephis' hand and pulled them both into the shadows. Moments later, they found themselves deep underground in a stone chamber. He summoned the Essence Pearl and took a deep breath.
"Stay close so you can breathe."
"I was planning to do that anyway," Nephis replied with a chuckle. Together, they navigated the mirror maze. They had discussed today's mission extensively. Normally, Cassie would be with him, but he had told her she couldn't risk going into the maze again. She had to think about her baby now; she was no longer just responsible for herself.
Sunny had decided to go alone, but Nephis wouldn't allow it. So she came along. Not that Sunny thought it was a good idea, but after her famous words, "Because I want to," he knew better than to try to change her mind.
Fifteen minutes into the maze, they finally reached the Chamber of Imagination, where Cassie and Sunny had fled last time.
"This is it? I don't sense any danger, though," Nephis said, a bit confused. From what Cassie and Sunny had told her, she expected a much more ominous feeling standing in front of the chamber, but instead, she felt nothing.
"It will start once we're inside. I've only been here once before, but I suspect the room replicates every fear you have while you're in it. Last time, Cassie and I felt the presence of that dark sea monster from the Forgotten Shore. The one that could speak, you know?"
Sunny didn't know why he was whispering, but it felt better. Maybe he was wrong, and there was a creature down here causing all those illusions, and he didn't want to provoke it before stepping inside.
They exchanged smiles and nodded before entering. They had devised a plan to keep their thoughts away from fearful things, and so far, it was working perfectly.
'Having her here makes this so much easier. How could I fear anything as long as she's by my side?'
They walked deeper into the chamber. The entrance they came from was long gone, shrouded in darkness instead of shadows.
Facing elemental darkness had always been a fear of Sunny's, so he struggled to suppress it. Luckily, elemental darkness isn't dangerous without someone commanding it, so it wasn't an issue, especially since Nephis decided to use her aspect and summon a small flame from her palm to drive away the darkness and create a lit space around them.
After traversing the chamber for more than ten minutes, anyone else might wonder when it would end or fear that it was endless, thus bringing their fears to life, but Sunny and Nephis were prepared.
Not saying a word and staying close to each other was the key to their success, and for the most part, it worked—until it didn't. Just as they spotted a door at the end of the chamber, laughter echoed from behind the veil of darkness. Sunny instantly recognized the crazy laughter, and it made his whole body tremble. They both stopped, and Nephis moved closer to Sunny, preparing for a fight by summoning her armor and sword. With a calm voice, she asked, "What is it, Sunny? I haven't thought of anything I fear."
Sunny was still in shock, his heart racing. His voice trembled as he replied, "It's… him."