"You HAVE to get another familiar." Yuki's statement seemed to echo in my ears.

"What do you mean?" I stuttered out.

"Do you remember your Advanced Weapon Training last week?" Yuki replied, seemingly changing the subject.

"Yeah, it was the same as any other; I kept losing against the upper-level students..." I slowly answer.

"Your confusion shows the exact problem, Cain. You don't seem to remember hissing at one of your sparring partners after you defeated him," Yuki explained.

I tried to think back to the lesson Yuki was talking about,

It was the fourth fight of the lesson; I'd already felt the tender mercies of the students with healing spells too many times; I just wanted to win for once! I knew these distracting thoughts were part of why I kept losing.

"The ability to completely focus in the moment is one of the most important lessons I am trying to teach you all; you must be able to see, feel, KNOW everything around you as you fight. Use everything available to you in battle. Your weapon, magic, environment, even your body are all parts of the whole!" was something that Sergeant Peterson kept yelling at us...his yelling being the thing that most of us found distracting; I had to try harder, though.

I sunk deeper into Clint instincts, barely seeing the purple sword approaching my head. I could still feel the light paralysis from the last time I had been struck by it, I had to move faster, be faster.

He kept beating me, this upperclassman who refused to give me his name until I beat him. He so loves his games, always pushing me in different ways to get a response. I had already learnt not to try and respond, he will always find better ways to hurt me, sorry "train" me.

My body was getting more limber while in this form, my torso just about melting away from the sword. I brought up my Karambit to slash at the arm attached, he pulled back in time, a blast of wind accompanied it, pushing me back.

I could feel a feral grin pulling at my lips, this rush of adrenaline, in this moment, must be one of the greatest feelings known to beast cultivators.

"I will get you this time!" I hissed, which should have been the first sign something was wrong.

Spinning my blades in my hands, I dropped flat to the ground, pulling back, preparing to spring. A tingle of mana from my shadow warned me, I had fallen to this too many times. I let some flames drip off my hands, dispelling the shadow beneath me and breaking the spell that was about to strike.

My eyes flickered to my left, I could sense the movement of others, I wouldn't let them get in my way. MY FIGHT!

The muscles in my legs feel like steel springs, full of power and ready to let loose. I push off, nearly flying forwards, under my opponents swing, blades slashing towards his thighs. I feel the blades catch on his armour, signifying a hit. The moment I followed up, spinning around to kick his legs out from under him, he lightly hopped into the air, his air magic supporting him to bounce over my leg.

"Almost had me that time," he crowed.

My anger flared, slipping deeper and deeper into what was probably a battle rage, flames coating my blades as I moved faster than I ever had before. He still easily slipped around my attacks, too fast for even this speed. I needed to try something new, I leapt to the side and started my new plan.

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"VOID BUBBLE!"

My spell popped up around me as I ducked down at the very edge of the bubble, waiting for him to pop it. It took everything I had not to leap through immediately attacking but I forced myself to stop. I watched him approach and could sense him using his Shadow Spike, his favourite attack spell, and in the instant that the bubble popped I threw one of my blades at his shin, forcing the leap into the air he always dodged with and leapt at his now airborne body.

As we hit the ground my karambit sat an inch above his neck as I held him down with my other hand.

The overwhelming instincts flare as I stare at the pulse rapidly increasing in his throat. It was so appealing, I wanted to bite. It was weak. Weak things are prey. It's strength would become my strength, growing stronger as I feed.

A hand landed on my shoulder and pulled, something wanted my food, I had to defend it.

I turned to the hand and hissed, warning it to stay away.

A sharp slap connected to the back of my head, snapping me out of the snake like mental state.

The memory faded away as I once again became aware of the room, I had actually semi-forgotten what had happened until I focused on it.

Yuki was still calmly staring at me with a gentle smile on her face.

"I see you have realised why that is an issue." She answered an unspoken question.

"Our connection, it's overwhelming me." I stated.

"Yes, something that shouldn't happen before you go through Mana Rebirth. Truly it's something that never happens to some people, you and Clin are nearly as connected as two beings can ever be. This connection is powerful, but as you have now realised, it's also incredibly dangerous. His animal instincts and will are slowly supplanting your own, at first you will have moments of aggression or apathy, but eventually...well, you remember the story of the planet Remus I presume?" Yuki explained.

I nodded as I ran through the potentials in my head. Clin, clearly feeling my fear and worry, moved from my neck and booped me on the nose.

I let out a small laugh and pet his head.

"Don't worry buddy, I don't blame you. In a way, you're just stronger than me." I said.

"Under the circumstances I am more than willing to use my power as instructor and let you bond with one of the manabeasts we have here at the academy?" Yuki half asked.

I was shocked she would even suggest it, everything was so sudden.

"I have to admit, I'm freaking out pretty badly at the moment. I doubt it's the best time to bond another familiar. I think I will come back when I'm ready," I answered, already heading for the door.

"You mustn't wait long Cain! It's important for your own safety," Yuki yelled after me.

*

Several hours later, Mason found me on the roof of our dorm. He didn't say anything at first, just sat down and played with a shadow he picked up off the ground, a level of mana manipulation I still envied.

"So…" Mason tried to start talking.

"Umm yeah…" I also tried.

"The twins told us, they said you might want to protect us from the information and that they couldn't trust you not to hide it from us," Mason blurted out.

We're gonna have words about this! I loudly thought at the twins who I knew would be listening in.

I started chuckling, I barely even knew why.

"Honestly they're probably right. But I would have liked them to at least talk to me first.." I started to explain before pausing.

"I know I've been...challenging...to an extent since we've come to the academy. When I first got dropped into this new world, I was numb. I grieved the loss of my friends and family for a short time with Essie, but it felt like something was pushing me past it, it only took a few days before I almost latched onto you as one of the most important people to me, like a brother in truth. Essie and you became the only people I felt I could actually rely on." I felt tears at the corner of my eyes as I spoke.

I heard a small sniffle from Mason as I spoke.

"With that came the need to protect you both, even if it was from me. Then Clin slithered into my life and mind, my other half almost. A feeling of home and contentment appeared, then we made new friends that rapidly made their place in my heart too. I just...just couldn't figure out how, I'd be able to tell you that one of the most important beings in my current world would potentially destroy me, but getting another familiar so soon, while we were still building our bond felt like a betrayal of Clin," I continued.

"It's gonna be ok, I don't know how or what we're going to do but me and the rest of the guys will do what they have to to help you. We both know they care about you just as much as you care about them...plus the twins are probably listening to everything being said right now and telling the rest of them." Mason consoled me.

A single ha burst out of my mouth as he finished his sentence.

I figured it was time to face the music and deal with my friends.

"Fuck, guys just come out." I called out.

A surge of movement at the doorway seconds later announced the arrival of our friends. I barely had the time to stand up before a wall of people hit me, pulling me into a hug.

"We were so worried,"

"I can't believe you weren't going to tell us,"

"Dude, c'mon really?"

"Don't scare me like this please,"

The different voices of Hoshi, Ivy, Haru and Aspen, muffled by the press of bodies, tried to speak at once.

"I'm sorry, all of you, I didn't want to worry you all…" I sheepishly responded.

I noticed the twins hung back from the rest of the group as they crowded around me, I wasn't sure why considering they knew I wasn't truly angry with them. I swear they spent more time in my head than I did, they did know all of us better than any others. Truthfully we had never even tried to block them, especially after I found out they were strong enough to get around the bracelet I was given.

I felt Clin leave my neck at the same time as I saw the rest of the familiar leave their owner, all moving over to the side.

As a group, sitting in a circle we kept talking as the sun sunk over the forest north of the academy. With Aspen and Ivy on either side of me and Mason sitting across from me, I truly recognised that I was cared about in this world.