Cassie was sitting on the same bench she had sat on when she had first arrived at the academy. If anyone would spare her a glance they would notice she's nervous from frequently biting her nails, and playing with her golden hair.
'Gods, I wonder if Kai or Effie knows what I've done. No wait they couldn't right?' as she was deep in thought strong arms grabbed her shoulders and brought her into a hug which pulled her from her thoughts.
Immediately realizing whose hands that were around her she said,
"Hey, Kai, how are you? Also, you're hugging me too tight-."
"Ah, sorry Cassie it's just good to see you again I was worried about you, oh, and also I brought Effie," Cassie's eyes widened, "OH where is she?" Cassie felt guilty about being knocked out during the Crimson Spire, so she wanted to thank the spearwoman...
"I'm right here!" she immediately lowered her neck a little, "Effie? Why do I hear your voice under me when you're taller than me?" Cassie's voice was laced with confusion as she wondered why it was so low, given her height.
She heard a facepalm, although sounding weak, before Effie spoke, "Ah yeah I forgot you were blind so you wouldn't know I'm in a wheelchair-"
"WHA? Why are you in a wheelchair are you hurt?!"
"No no, I have a confession to make, after I became a sleeper my flaw had made it difficult for my parents to keep me constantly fed while I was stuck in the dream realm. So my body had always been brittle and mostly bone now. But all I need is a good dose of a nightmare 2nd."
Cassie listened to Effie explain her condition. She used her awakened ability to try and get a glance at Effie's condition. The juxtaposition between what she looked like in the dream realm against the waking world was huge. She had a tint of gray from her malnutrition, he skin was tightly gripping her bones, and her face looked tired but her eyes looked fierce from her years on the forgotten shore, burning with hope and determination. She was wearing a simple brown tunic and black trousers while Kai wore a fancy black-white shirt with decorations all over it and white pants.
"Well if you're going to challenge the second nightmare then I want to tag along too, what about you Kai?"
Kai, who had been looking through a magazine looked up, "Well actually my agency has already secured me a position in Bastion where I would never need to kill a monster again so I'll need to check in with them if I can." Cassie noticed that there was sadness and regret hinted in his voice, "Kai there's nothing wrong with wanting to be safe, you've done more than enough fighting for a lifetime." Kai gave Cassie a genuine smile, "Thank you, Cassie."
***
Eventually, a loud voice echoed through the pristine auditorium as a man wearing a suit of armor, black-haired and with a rugged voice came out onto the stage. He took a look around noticing that lots of these kids weren't from last year's sleeper batch and many sleepers from that batch weren't here.
"Hello all awakened, I've come out to congratulate you all for surviving the dream realm for however long you've been there. I'm sure you've all done great things and feats to get here and I'm glad to see many familiar and unfamiliar faces. Now if I can have your undivided attention there will be a few things to explain."
Instructor Rock, Cassie realized who was the one who gave the introduction speech, started explaining the basics, and what to do now that they've awakened like setting up your tether, and how sleeping every night will teleport you to the dream realm, and their duty to protect the innocent.
Eventually, though a student spoke out, "Excuse me sir but I'm wondering where is Lady Nephis? And also that other scrawny kid?" Suddenly whispers traveled throughout the seats as everyone was wondering where they were.
"Yeah wait a minute where are they?"
"Did they get left behind on the spire?"
"Did they die?!"
A sudden uproar happened but was quickly stopped by awakened rock. Using his commanding voice he yelled, "Everyone, everyone, please calm down we are still gathering information as to their whereabouts! But we suspect they had indeed been left behind." A bunch of rumors quickly spread throughout their crowd as they wondered what had happened to them, "what about Caster?"
At this awakened rock stiffened before saying, "That... we unfortunately lost Han Li Caster. We suspect that the three had fought the fallen terror and Caster died during the fight as his body died just this morning. I know this is a tough loss for most of you but all three would have wanted you to move on and become stronger and not put their sacrifice to waste. You are all awakened now so you are our future and I know all of you will do great things."
A round of applause rang out as he finished his speech and left the awakened be.
***
Ten minutes later...
Cassie, Kai, and Effie all sat together at a table in the cafeteria, 'I can't believe I'm sitting in the same seat I sat a year ago. I can't believe I'm still alive considering I was ready to die before'. Kai then spoke up
"So now that we're alone I think we should tell each other what we got for our awakened ability. I'll go first, I have the ability to look through things and see very far, I'm also supposed to be able to see through illusions but I don't know how helpful that would be." Effie hearing that he's able to look through things had a smirk on her face.
"So when you say you're able to see through things, does that include clothes, Kai? God, I wonder what you'll do with that ability~"
"WHA! NO I WOULD NEVER USE MY ABILITY FOR SUCH LEWD THINGS! But yes it does also include clothes." Effie burst out laughing from getting the reaction she wanted from Kai. Kai on the other hand had a slight blush on his cheeks with a shocked and embarrassed expression.
"Cassie, what is your ability?" Kai asked trying to change the topic as quickly as he could before Effie could tease him more.
"Well, my ability allows me to see a few seconds in the future. It is very useful and is helping me move around a lot easier, but it's very disorienting and will take some time to get used to as it doesn't completely replace my sight."
"That's a good ability Cass I could see how that'll be useful to avoid dangers too, what about you Effie?" Effie looked a both of them before pumping out her chest, "How about you see for yourself? Both of you hit me on my chest or use a weapon even." Both Kai and Cassie stared at her dumbfounded by her challenge.
"Um, are you sure Effie? That seems dangerous, why don't you just tell us your ability?"
"Boring but fine, my ability allows me to make my skin as tough as steel."
"That's impressive you're an even better tank now for our cohort now." Suddenly Kai's face turned solemn which Effie noticed, "what's wrong Kai?" Kai turned to her before saying, "I miss Sunny and Nephis, Sunny probably wouldn't have hesitated to stab you in the chest and say something funny. Nephis though, I wish I could thank her for everything she's done for us sleepers in the city, and I miss her leadership."
"Yeah, I miss doofus and princess too though I'm sure they'll be fine. After all, they have each other and both of them are far from weak. I'm sure if anyone will be able to escape, it would be them so don't worry Kai you've done everything you could." Effie paused before saying, "though I do wonder what happened to them in the crimson spire that caused them to both be left behind and I find it weird I didn't see both of them after the fallen terror died so maybe something was holding them back from reaching the gateway."
Cassie, who had been quiet for a while, spoke in an almost whispered voice, "I know what happened to them, Effie." Kai looked at Cassie "Huh what do you mean Cassie? Did you get a vision as to what happened?" Cassie only nodded before tears started running down her face, "Yes I did, I saw that they would fight in the spire and that Sunny would win and beat Nephis."
Cassie who had been holding back her emotions let them go and she fully sobbed,
"I-I had to do something, anything, I had to choose who I would save. I HAD TO CHOOSE WHO TO SAVE!" Tears kept dropping down her delicate face as she sobbed and yelled.
"AND I-I CHOSE TO SAVE NEPHIS! I TOLD HER SUNNY'S TRUE NAME AS A LAST RESORT IN CASE SHE LOST. I-I HAD A VISION THAT BY SAYING IT, IT COULD SAVE HER! IT'LL MAKE HER HIS MASTER TO COMMAND HIM TO LET HER GO! B-but IT FAILED! My p-plan to s-save Nephis FAILED! SUNNY was supposed to be stuck in the dream realm! HE was the one who was going to be stranded on the Forgotten Shore! HE was the one who was supposed to DIE for Nephis! Now they're both stuck in the dream realm all because of ME. ME ME ME, IT'S ALL MY FAULT."
Both Kai and Effie were shocked by this new information. Seeing Cassie sob as she confessed to planning to leave Sunny to die in that hell mortified him. Kai thought Sunny was a little crazy but a good friend and he also never lied which Kai appreciated deeply as even Nephis lied at times. But seeing Cassie in her vulnerable state caused his heart to ache as he cared deeply for the blind seer. Reaching out to her, he pulled her into a hug and let her cry on his chest as her tears and snot dried up on his shirt.
Eventually, she pulled away sniffing and her eyes being puffy, red-eyed. Immediately after they were pulled out of their shock a wave of emotions hit both of them from anger to sadness to empathy. Eventually, though Effie broke the silence,
"Cassie... HOW CAN YOU DO THAT! I know how terrible you must feel for choosing between friends but HOW COULD YOU! You could've told them about their fight! PLUS-" Effie stared at her dead in the eye which Cassie could feel, anger in her stare "HOW COULD YOU? SUNNY WAS YOUR FRIEND AND YET YOU WERE WILLING TO LEAVE HIM BEHIND TO DIE?"
"Effie PLEASE calm down!"
"NO KAI I WON'T! Cassie just admitted to playing God by choosing who will be saved and who will be left behind! SHE EVEN GAVE NEPHIS THE ABILITY TO DO IT AND MAKE HIM A SLAVE! SHE MADE SUNNY A SLAVE! A GODDAMN SLAVE TO NEPHIS! AND DECIDED THAT SUNNY SHOULD DIE!"
"Yes, but Cassie was doing her best! I am also pissed at her for trying to leave my best friend to die but still! We probably couldn't have done any better! Just calm down Effie okay?"
Effie stared daggers at him before taking a few deep breaths, "Fine I'll calm down, but still I can't believe you'll do this Cassie."
"I'm sorry I really am sorry, I'm so so sorry"
"Don't say sorry to us say sorry to Sunny and Nephis when they come back...well if they come back-"
That comment hung in the air like an evil wrath. Cassie rubbed her eyes which still had tears in them,
"They will come back, I know they will." Despite her statement, Cassie knew she didn't sound so confident saying that.
***
Cassie was sitting on a soft wooden chair; a real natural one made of wood instead of the synthetic one NQSC produced for furniture. She was in the cafeteria once more as she waited patiently with her legs elegantly still under the table. She wore a bright sea green sundress with a matching blue mask with a half-empty cup of black coffee in front of her - which she had gotten for free as one of the perks of being an SS. She was waiting for a particular person to show up, but they were running quite late as five minutes ago she had asked one of the staff for the time.
"Oh, it's 4:30 Miss Song of the fallen," the staff worker had said softly and politely to her.
She couldn't say she wasn't a little annoyed at the time delay, it had been about four days without sleep - with the help of stimulating pills-, and she desperately wanted to feel the soft comfort of sleeping pods. But she understood the saint who was meeting her was on a tight schedule since they were the only leader of their citadel, so she was fine with waiting a while. Both Effie and Kai had already been escorted by a Saint to their respective citadel: Effie went with Ravenheart while Kai went to Bastion, however, she was choosing a different option.
All three of them had true names which essentially allowed them to choose whatever citadel they wanted like they were royalty, which in the new world, they practically were. So, Cassie spent two days shortening the list of potential candidates for which citadel she would choose and after extended research, she was left with two. The Night Temple or the Sanctuary of Noctis, those were the remaining citadels that fit her tight criteria for what she wanted. The Night Temple was secretive, low in popularity, and close to the Hollow Mountains. The Sanctuary of Noctis was somewhat popular, secretive in the sense that not many people knew the citadel existed as it was distant from other citadels in a remote part of the Dream Realm and was also close to the Hollow Mountains.
The door to the cafeteria opened with a soft bell echoing the arrival of someone coming in. Suddenly the atmosphere shifted across the entire cafeteria, the sun seemed to brighten up and the air seemed to electrify as if excited for whoever had arrived. Said person walked over to Cassie before sitting across from her, a cup of something - most likely coffee as well if she had to guess - before speaking up.
"Good afternoon, Song of the Fallen," Saint Tyris said in a respectful but devoid of any emotion voice.
"Good afternoon indeed, Saint Tyris, I must thank you for your time and for accepting my request to meet with you to talk about joining your citadel. However, I must ask why here of all places?" Cassie was asking this because meeting in a cafeteria was quite unusual for an important meeting, especially for a topic as sensitive as joining a citadel.
She heard the clinking of a metal spoon against the cup across from her after mixing sugar into her coffee. She knew this as she heard paper being ripped and grains falling.
"This place gives me a sense of... nostalgia, I visit the academy whenever I have the time." She said in a melancholy tone, the atmosphere seemingly intensified around them as they sat.
"I must say Song of the Fallen, I am quite surprised that you want to anchor yourself to my citadel, although I'm not against increasing the citadel's forces." Saint Tyris said coldly, "Although I can't say I'm practically interested in knowing, I still must ask, why my citadel out of all the ones you can choose. You could have chosen any citadel you wanted; however, you chose mine out of them all."
"I simply wanted to distance myself from the great clans as much as possible, I know the demand for seers is heavily wanted by all three of the clans however I have no wishes to join either." Any knowledgeable awakened would know that all the citadels were connected to at least one of the great clans, even retainers like Sanctuary of Noctis were controlled by Clan Valor. However, that was only part of the reason she had chosen the citadel, making sure to spin a believable lie so as not to leak her plan to the saint while not ringing any red flags.
Saint Tyris stayed silent however, only the sound of her spoon mixing her sugar into her coffee allowed her to know that she was still there.
After a bit, she stopped, lifted her spoon, and knowing what was coming Cassie lifted her hand above her chest as coffee droplets splashed against her hand.
"You want to know what I think Song of the Fallen?" She asked in an authoritarian voice that left no room for discussion, "It's that I think you're full of lies"
Cassie wiped her hand clean with a handkerchief and putting it away replied, "what do you mean?"
"I mean that you're lying about your intentions as to why you're choosing my citadel, after all you may think that you're able to hide it from everyone, but I can see straight through you. Let me tell you what I know: you have no friends, family, or relatives residing at my citadel. My citadel is located somewhere where no seer should be positioned without their cohort, who if I remember are located at two great citadels, far from mine.
I also have a small prejudice against seers like you, but simply because they think they're a know-it-all before leading their cohort into death thinking so. I've almost lost my husband due to a foolish seer who tried to bring him, along with other awakened, to save their cohort that covered the seer's escape with a warrior. However, when they reached the area, they found the bodies of the dead awakened before being ambushed by the same nightmare creatures that killed the cohort. Lots of awakened died that day and more would have if I had not arrived to help after finishing a business meeting.
Lastly, even if you were generally trying to join my citadel on a clean slate on whatever you may have done with your past cohort, you have no firekeepers accompanying you today to come stay with you. So, forgive me if I am a little suspicious on whatever you're up to and your secretive intentions as I will have none of it at my citadel."
Saint Tyris said in a calm and collected voice as if she were listing off the grocery list, which startled more than if she had yelled.
"It looks like the cats out of the bag then," Cassie finally responded after taking a sip of coffee, "in truth I not only want to distance myself from the great clans, but I'm also after something valuable. What I'm after... is to reach the Ivory Tower that resides in the chain isles." She admitted.
"The Ivory Tower?" Tyris asked, a hint of curiosity finding its way into her gentle voice before laughing.
"Don't tell me you have a foolish idea that you can actually withstand or bypass the Crushing to go up there."
"I know I might sound foolish, but I simply need to stay at your citadel to plan and carry out how I will get there."
Saint Tyris listened to her, and both of them drank their coffee at the same time, however, she knew Tyris was closely monitoring her face for any sign of her lying.
"I believe you now Song of the Fallen... fine, I will allow you to carry out your plans at my citadel. However, cause any trouble in my citadel and I will not hesitate to carry out strict punishment according to the trouble. Do not test my patience." She said the last part coldly as the atmosphere seemed to dip in temperature before returning to normal as she held out her hand.
"Thank you," Cassie said before reaching out her hand to grab hers as they both disappeared, only leaving their cups as evidence of them ever being there.