'Caster'

******

At the academy, she grew weary of trudging up the stairs to reach her dorm room, so she opted for the convenience of the elevator. As she stepped inside and selected her floor, she watched the doors begin to slide shut.

"Hold the door!"

As she glanced upward, her eyes met those of a young man with soft, brown hair framing a kind and attractive face.

'that's caster'

She put a put between the sliding door, the door recognised someone's presence and opened again

'If i let it shut, i would be a real asshole, also i don't want enemies right now'

he ran in and smiled as he spoke

"Thanks!"

"No problem, what floor you got"

"Oh.. fifth floor please"

As the elevator descended, they remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts, simply eager to start their day without exchanging words with each other.

The elevator shook for a second before stopping, clearly not working properly as it didn't move at all, she sighed, banging her head on the metal sheets of the wall of the elevator

"Perfect"

After several minutes in silence,he turns the conversation towards her,

"So….what's your name?"

"Red"

"Got it, im Caster"

She couldn't help but smile. Even though she already knew his name, there was something about hearing it directly from him that made it feel more personal, more genuine. Before settling down on the elevator floor, she quickly shot a message to Sunny.

*Sunny the elevators broken, go get someone to fix it please*

*Why?*

*Because… i'm currently sitting inside it*

Caster sat down on the opposite side of the elevator he spoke

"We're probably gonna be here for a long time huh"

"I hope not"

She replied nonchalantly

"If I may ask,why are you so calm about this,we are literally stuck in an elevator"

She wanted to lighten the mood

"Boredom can't kill. And i'm not hungry enough to kill and eat you so don't worry"

He laughed,and said

"So you're a weirdo huh?"

"I am friends with Sunny so that does explain quite a bit"

He chuckled

"Why are you friends with him… he seems a bit…"

"Strange, yeah he's like that but he's nice at heart"

The room fell into a hush that stretched on, and they found themselves suspended in an uncomfortable pause. Each passing second seemed to drag on, each minute feeling like an eternity. The weight of the silence pressed down on her, its awkwardness becoming almost unbearable.

"So...umm how's life?"

"Pretty good honestly,except for the fact that that we are stuck right now I guess,what about you? everything going well?"

She used her sarcasm and spoke as her head fell backwards and touched the metal wall of the elevator

"Fucking dandy"

He sounded like he didn't mind the sarcasm as he continued speaking

"That's great, so you got any plans for after we get out of here?"

"Sleep"

She wasn't fibbing – she genuinely needed some shut-eye. Exhausted from the day's events, especially with Teacher Julius piling on heaps of homework, she knew she needed to recharge. After all, she was on the brink of venturing into the mysterious realm of dreams, a place often referred to as the realm of death.

"Same,after this whole ordeal ends,it's straight to bed for me."

.

.

.

"Should of used the bloody stairs"

"Agreed"

they hear the elevator doors move

"Thank f#ck"

He lets out a sigh

"Finally,this was way longer than I expected."

The doors opened and they both left as fast as possible

He sighed in relief

"I never thought I would be happy to step foot on solid ground again."

"Well thanks for the company but i need to go

"um yeah, thanks for the company too, good luck with the winter solstice. If we meet out there i hope we can work together"

"Yeah same"

*****

Back at the academy, it was Caster, the standout among his peers, who outmatched Nephis, securing the second spot in the power rankings. Beyond his prowess, Caster exuded a warmth that endeared him to all. He wasn't just popular; he commanded respect, even from fellow Legacies who saw him as the pinnacle of success.

Caster wasn't just skilled; he was a force to be reckoned with, coupled with undeniable charm and striking good looks. Yet, despite his accomplishments, he remained remarkably humble, endearing him further to those around him.

However, Rins intuition knew better than to judge solely on surface impressions. She believed in delving deeper, peeling back the layers to uncover what lay beneath. Her sensory technique was best suited for this job; it allowed her to peer into the depths of one's soul, revealing hidden emotions that often eluded casual observation.

As she scrutinised Caster, she sensed a vibrant array of emotions, from joy to nostalgia, painting him in a favourable light.

Deep

In a corner tucked away, lurking beneath the surface, obscured from view, was a darker shade—a potent mix of dread and treachery.

'he's hiding something'

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*Whatever you do, don't put an ounce of trust into him*

*I won't… but what is he doing here?*

*Well…. He probably got transported here too I'll be honest, he probably just got lucky, and ended up close to castle*

The two sleepers were completely unaware of how narrowly they had escaped death. Their faces lacked the previous excitement they once held.

"Oh. It's you."

Caster's gaze rested on them, his lips curving into a tranquil smile. Though his eyes held no hint of aggression, something about his presence seemed to quell any inclination for trouble among Gunlaug's men. After exchanging uncertain glances, one of them finally spoke, his voice hesitant:

"You know these guys, Caster?"

He gave them a nod.

"Yeah. We were in the Academy together. Don't mind his rude behaviour, guys — that's just how he is. Rough around the edges, but really nice once you get to know him well, and shes…um…unique, very sarcastic but she means well too"

Meanwhile, the unruly Duo seemed to relent, their bravado faltering. With a facade of authority crumbling, they shot Caster menacing glances before begrudgingly retreating.

"Teach your friends some manners, Caster. Next time we won't be so lenient."

As they pivoted, they made their way back to their seats, shooting menacing glances at anyone bold enough to meet their gaze. In no time, the bustling chatter reclaimed the grand hall's atmosphere.

Caster tracked their movement with his gaze before shifting his attention to the pair, his smile taking on a hint of solemnity.

"That… wasn't a very smart thing to do, my friends."

The tall young man stared at them for a few seconds and then sighed.

"In any case, it is very nice to see the three of you."

*Why's he sitting here like somebody had invited him.*

Sunny sounded angry so she spoke

*What's got you in a right mood?*

*First he treats us like walking corpses and now we're buddy buddy's*

'Hmm, I guess there was a bit of a connection between them. Wanting to chat with folks from your old Academy days makes sense, especially given the elevator incident.'

Sunny Threw a quick glance at Cassie, he smiled coldly and said:

"What? Are you very shocked to see us alive?"

Caster hesitated.

"It is good that you managed to survive."

It seemed that this was his way of admitting that yes, he was surprised, but in a pleasant way.

It wasn't a secret that the three had been seen as two walking corpses by all the other Sleepers in the Academy. Just like Nephis and Caster occupied the top two positions in the rankings, they were dead last including Rin who was third last. Because of that, the three of them had been shunned and ostracized.

Without a doubt, Sunny not only embraced the chilly reception from his classmates but also orchestrated it himself. And since she was by his side throughout, she couldn't escape the impact of his treatment either.

People seemed to steer clear of them, almost as if they feared catching some invisible shadow of death that trailed behind them. It must have been quite surreal for others to witness their return unscathed, considering they had endured months amidst the horrors of the Forgotten Shore.

Cassie smiled.

"Thank you."

Caster reciprocated her smile and asked, his tone strangely warm:

"You are Cassia, right? And you are… uh… Sunless? And you I know from the elevator…you're red right?"

"Well we meet each other again after the winter solstice, talk about chance"

"We did, and yeah the chances are pretty rare, shame you three Landed here though"

Sunny gave him a curt nod and spke

"Right. Although I'm surprised that you remember our names. Don't think that we've forgotten how you guys used to treat us."

Cassie spoke in a disapproving tone:

"Sunny!"

Caster chuckled.

"No, no. He's right. We behaved like a bunch of jerks. Looking back… there were a lot of things we did wrong. If only we had known better…"

His voice trailed off, and after being silent for some time, the handsome young man suddenly smiled with nostalgia.

"But still, those days in the Academy were not all bad, right? Heh, I still remember the first time I met you, red, from the dark circles under your eyes too oh and Sunless. You made quite an impression! All those tall tales: spitting in the faces of awakened tyrants, slaying sword saints with a shake of a finger…"

He chuckled, remembering the good old days.

Sunny grinned and Rin could already tell this was going to be a long day

"What, that trivial stuff? Ha! Child's games. You should have seen the things I've done in the Labyrinth. Now that's something to brag about."

Caster looked at him with humorous sparks dancing in his eyes.

"Oh? Well… do tell. What else have you done?"

"Don't encourage him please"

Sunny punched her shoulder and shrugged with profuse indifference.

"This and that. Let's see…"

He pretended to think for a few moments, and then said in a bored tone:

"I guess the most incredible thing I've done was killing a Great Devil with just one strike of my sword. Finished him right off, no problem at all. I even got a Memory from that kill. Uh, but before you ask — no, I can't show it to you. Because, uh… ugh… oh, right. I ate it…"