Shadow Slave Fanfic: Peaceful Dreams...well...kinda. [New]

"How did you sleep last night?" Rain asked.

"I had to rearrange some furniture to make it comfortable, but it was okay. At least the floor is heated, so that's a plus," Rick replied while chewing on his synthetic bacon. He could sleep anywhere, but he preferred wooden planks that gave a little when he lay down. The hard concrete floor wasn't ideal, but it was manageable.

They were in the cafeteria early in the morning. Rain had a tough night adjusting to the environment and missing Rick by her side. She sighed and said in a downcast tone, "Can't you come over next time? I feel so lonely without you."

Rick chuckled and set down his orange juice. "I could, but if there's a routine checkup and no one answers for me, that could be a problem."

Rain sighed in disappointment and returned to her food. Just then, someone tapped her on the shoulder. It was Alya, her neighbor.

"Can I sit with you guys?" Alya asked.

Rain smiled and nodded. "Sure."

Rick nodded as well, and Alya took a seat. She smiled at Rick and extended her hand, which he shook.

"I'm Alya, Ranni's neighbor."

"Kirk, I'm her brother."

"Yeah, I know. You've stirred up quite a bit of gossip among the girls."

Rick rolled his eyes and sighed. 'I wish we didn't have to hide our relationship. It's annoying being approached by all those girls. They're way too young anyway.'

"Yeah, I've noticed. Some even tried to get my number or asked for other things," he said, annoyance evident in his voice. Alya nodded, curious.

"So, do you have a girlfriend?"

Rick shook his head. "No, I don't, and I'm not looking for a relationship right now."

It felt strange to say that with Rain sitting right next to him. Rain chuckled and turned to Rick. "You almost gave Sarah your number yesterday, didn't you?"

Rick scoffed, amused. "Yes, but I ended up declining."

He thought to himself, 'I just wanted to mess with you for waking me up by dripping ice-cold water on me.'

Alya smirked and swallowed a mouthful of cereal. "You dodged a bullet there. Those girls only mean trouble."

Rick smiled. "I guess you're right. I'll just keep a low profile while I'm here. I don't plan on taking many classes anyway."

Alya frowned, surprised. "You're not? Don't you think you should use every resource available to prepare for the Winter Solstice?"

Rick shook his head with a smirk. "Trust me, I'll manage."

As a master, he wouldn't even go through the Winter Solstice. He still needed a plan for when the day came, especially since he had to find Rain as soon as she was pulled into the Dream Realm. Cassie would be a big help.

Rain chuckled and nudged Rick with her elbow while looking at Alya. "He's stronger than any sleeper here."

'In truth, he was stronger than anyone else there. Only one person could potentially beat him. Where was she, anyway?' Rain scanned the cafeteria, hoping to spot Soulreaper but couldn't find her. Instructors had their own cafeteria, after all, so she wouldn't be among the sleepers.

'She's supposed to be an instructor at the academy this year. I hope we see her later at the ceremony, if Jet isn't too lazy to wake up early', Rain mused.

She was right to be concerned; the ceremony was scheduled for 9 AM, which wasn't Jet's favorite time. If she could, Jet would sleep until 1 PM every day, but being a government employee meant waking up before everyone else. Rick noticed Rain staring into the cafeteria and chuckled.

"Who are you looking for?"

Rain sighed, a bit disappointed. "You know, that friend of ours. She was supposed to be here too."

Alya raised an eyebrow, curious. "What's her name and what does she look like? Maybe I've seen her around."

Rain was taken aback by Alya's question and quickly tried to come up with a suitable answer that wouldn't get them into trouble. "Oh... you know... her name is..."

Rick interrupted by nudging Rain's shoulder. He turned to Alya and said evenly, "She's a bit taller than me, with a slimmer build. She has black hair and gray, mirror-like eyes. Her name is Rapunzel."

Rain let out an inner sigh and nodded along with Rick's description of Mordy. 'Using Mordy as an excuse is brilliant. I hope she doesn't know anyone like that. But what are the chances, right?'

Alya chuckled and shook her head. "No, I haven't seen anyone like that. I haven't even heard of someone named Rapunzel."

Both Rick and Rain pretended to be disappointed, but inside they were relieved that Alya didn't know anyone who fit the description. 'Thank the dead gods there's no one around who matches Mordy's description or even has that nickname. Explaining that the friend we're looking for is Saint Soulreaper Jet would have been complicated.'

Alya continued to eat her breakfast with a smirk, and luckily neither Rain nor Rick asked what was amusing her.

Alya took a deep breath and thought to herself, 'If they knew my flaw is that I hear everyone's thoughts around me, they would go crazy. I'll tell Rain later; I hope she takes it well.'

Rick had taken more bacon than he needed, so he offered some to Rain. "Here, you need some protein. It's good for you."

Rain looked at the pile of bacon and started digging in. With a smirk, she thought, 'If we were in my room, I would get my protein straight from him.'

Suddenly, Alya choked on her cereal, managing to cover her mouth as she spat some out. Rain looked up, concerned. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Alya needed a moment to catch her breath. After sipping some orange juice, she let out a relieved sigh. "I'm fine; I just got some cereal in the wrong pipe. But I'm good now."

She sighed inwardly, thinking, 'Heterosexual women are crazy.'

Rain smiled and nodded, as did Rick. They finished their breakfast and parted ways. Alya wasn't going to participate in the ceremony since she had done it multiple times before and could recite it in her sleep. But for Rick and Rain, it was their first time, and they were excited.

Unlike previous years, it wasn't Master Rock leading the ceremony; Jet had the honor this time. Although she wasn't thrilled about it, she tried not to show it. Standing on stage in her government-issued suit, her cold ice-blue eyes scanned the room, making most of the sleepers shudder in fear. Despite her heroic acts in Antarctica and her work as a government agent, she had a fearsome reputation. Her voice echoed clearly through the room.

"Hello, fellow carriers of the spell. My name is Soulreaper Jet. I'm a government saint here to serve as a combat instructor. In the coming weeks leading to the Winter Solstice, I will teach you how to survive in life-and-death situations."

The room buzzed with chatter. Most attendees were new sleepers who had arrived in the last week, but some were returning sleepers eager to see Jet again. Most of them were male, but a few females were also interested in the captivating Soulreaper. Jet took a deep breath and continued.

"We aim to give each of you the best chance of survival possible. Humanity needs you now more than ever. So please check in with your tutors and instructors to select the best combination of classes to prepare for the Winter Solstice. The Dream Realm is merciless and won't hold back just because you're sleepers. I wish you all the best of luck."

As Jet finished, the room erupted in cheers. All the sleepers clapped and cheered for Jet, which made her smile.

'Waking up early was worth it after all. Some of these kids looked ready to give up before my speech, and now they're cheering like they can't be beaten.'

Jet knew many of those she inspired with her speeches might not make it back, but that never stopped her from trying her best. Rick and Rain were cheering too. Rain stood on her tiptoes and whispered in Rick's ear, "Pretty good speech. Do you plan on taking any classes with her?"

"I don't know. Wouldn't it be weird to take classes with Jet? She would probably have a hard time treating us like everyone else."

"You're right, but I doubt she even knows we're here. She's been gone for a while. Let's just try it, and if she recognizes us, we can stop taking her class, alright?"

Rick nodded, and they left the ceremony. They decided to go to Rain's room to grab the form and bring it to the receptionist. When they reached her room, Alya was waiting outside. She smiled and waved at them.

"Hi, guys! How was the ceremony?"

Rain waved back and said, "It was great. Saint Soulreaper Jet really did a fantastic job."

Rick smiled and agreed. "Yeah, I guess the rumors about her are just that. She seems like a nice person."

Alya nodded and turned to Rain. "Are you ready for training?"

"Yeah, I am. Right after we drop off that form my brother has been bugging me about since we got here."

Rain opened her door and stepped inside to grab the document. When she came back outside, she waved it in the air and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Here I go, brother. Finally giving you the peace of mind you were looking for."

Rick laughed and replied, "Good… Like I mentioned, that receptionist doesn't seem like someone who takes her job lightly. Am I right, Alya?"

Alya chuckled and glanced at the paper in Rain's hand, but then her expression turned serious.

"Wow, what happened to your handwriting? Did you fill this out while being choked? The receptionist is not going to like this; it's barely legible."

Rain paused, recalling the events from the previous day before Alya knocked on her door. She examined the form again and chuckled nervously.

Wow, she's right. Rick really struggled to fill this out while I was sucking his dick. I guess I was doing okay until she walked in.'

Rain cleared her throat awkwardly and looked away.

"Uh, I got a bit tired, so my handwriting got messy."

Rick took a deep breath and gestured down the hallway.

"Let's just take it over and see what she thinks. I have mine with me."

Alya and Rain nodded, and they headed to the receptionist. She wasn't thrilled about Rick's messy handwriting, but she accepted it anyway. The trio then made their way to one of the training centers.

"I think I'll just lift weights by myself. I don't want to interrupt you two. I'll catch up later."

They both turned to him, and Alya said, "I don't mind if you join us."

"Yeah, we could train together, brother," Rain added.

Rick hesitated for a moment but then smiled.

"Alright, what do you both want to do?"

Alya looked at Rain and suggested, "How about sparring?"

Rain considered it for a second before nodding. "Good idea; it's the best way to learn each other's combat styles."

The dojo they chose was right next to the gym, and luckily, no one else was there, so they had it all to themselves. They changed into the first layers of their armor, although Rick opted to wear shorts since his bodysuit was a bit tight, and he didn't want to make Alya uncomfortable. When they regrouped in the dojo, Alya regarded Rick with an intense gaze.

'Wow, he really is built like a beast. Good for her, I guess.'

"Why the shorts, Kirk?" Alya asked.

Rick shrugged, maintaining an even tone. "I'm a bit cold, you know."

Rain tried to suppress a laugh but couldn't help a small chuckle.

'I guess he's trying to hide what he has going on down there, not realizing Alya isn't into guys.'

Alya chuckled too, thinking, 'I really need to tell them I can hear their thoughts. This is getting embarrassing.'

Rick took a deep breath and asked, curious, "What's your aspect, Alya?"

"I can manipulate minds by creating illusions," she replied.

Rick pondered her statement, knowing that mental attack aspects were quite rare.

'That's a pretty intimidating ability. I wonder how strong it is. It probably depends on its rank—maybe it's supreme, sacred, or even divine like mine and Rain's?'

Alya picked up on his thoughts due to her flaw, and her heart raced at the realization.

'A divine aspect? They both have one? I thought those were just myths.'

While Rain smiled encouragingly at Alya, Rick noticed her heart rate change again. He had a theory he wanted to test, hoping he was wrong.

'I'm looking forward to spending time with Rain later; she still owes me for those pictures she sent. But for anything more, we need to make sure Alya isn't around. Maybe I'll just shove her in a trash bin.'

Alya felt her heart race again, catching Rick's smug look, as if he was saying, "Got you," which only made her more anxious.

'Did he figure out I can hear their thoughts? How does he know? I hope this is just a test.'

She laughed awkwardly and asked, "What about you two? What are your aspects?"

Rain raised her hands, conjuring lightning that danced between her elbows and fingertips like a Jacob's Ladder. "I can conjure lightning. I could throw it, but I probably shouldn't do that here."

Alya looked on in awe before turning to Rick. "What about you?"

Rick shrugged, smiling. "Physical enhancement and heightened senses. So, nothing special."

"Basic but cool. So, you're both more combat-focused," Alya noted.

Rain nodded. "I suppose you're right. Now, let's see what you've got, Alya."

An hour later, Alya was breathing heavily and looked worse for wear. Rain had a few bruises, but Alya was in much worse shape. It wasn't surprising, given Rain's experience. Alya had a broken rib and a fractured finger on her right hand. Sparring with Rain was so enjoyable that Alya had trouble holding back, but when Rain decided to step it up, Alya quickly regretted it. What was supposed to be a friendly spar ended in under a minute when Rain got serious. Lying on the floor, still panting, Alya said, "Wow… you definitely broke one of my ribs, and I think my middle finger is broken too. You're a monster, you know that?"

Rain chuckled, nodding. "I haven't heard that before. Sorry about that, by the way."

Alya laughed heartily. "You have nothing to apologize for. I got carried away."

Rain extended a hand to help Alya up, then put her arm around her shoulder for support. Turning to Rick, she said, "I'll take her to the medical office."

Rick sat on a bench, watching them, and nodded as they left. Once the door closed, he activated the beast body within him, changing his skin color to grey. Now cut off from the outside world, his presence vanished.

"No way she can hear my thoughts now. I'm not entirely sure, but her heart rate changes whenever I think about something interesting. I need to determine if she's a threat. This Caster guy was sent to kill Nephis, after all. If there's even a slight chance Rain is in danger, I must protect her. If Alya turns out to be a threat, I'll have to eliminate her."

Suddenly, he sensed someone approaching and immediately recognized the presence. The door opened, and he feigned surprise. He dismissed the beast body's skin, returning to his usual slightly tanned color.

"Oh, hi! I didn't know someone was here."

It was Jet; the dojo was about to be used for a combat instruction class in an hour. Rick smiled and said, "Hello, Saint Soulreaper Jet. My sister, her friend, and I just finished training. They headed to the medical office since her friend got injured. I'm about to leave too."

Jet looked at him, curious, and frowned. "You don't look like you just trained, though."

Rick scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously. "Oh, I just watched them spar. There's really no point in me sparring with them; I'd have to hold back too much."

Jet raised an eyebrow, genuinely asking, "You think a woman couldn't give you a fight or what?"

He panicked slightly. "No, that's not what I meant. To be honest, most people here wouldn't challenge me."

He should have anticipated her response, but he didn't. Jet gave him a smug look. "Why don't we spar for a bit then? I'll make sure to hold back, of course."

"Oh wow, that's… such an honor. Thank you very much. I'll warm up then."

She nodded, watching him as he began his warm-up.

"By the way, what's your name and how old are you?"

Rick was in the middle of jogging around the dojo. "My name is Kirk, and I'm 20 years old."

"A bit old to get infected by the spell, but I guess you just ran out of luck. What about your sister?"

"Her name is Ranni, and she's 19."

"Oh yeah, I remember her. She has white hair and green eyes, right?"

"Yeah, that's her. How do you know her?"

Jet chuckled. "Master Rock was very impressed by her. She told him about her first nightmare and her aspect. She seems to have been through a lot. What about you, Kirk?"

Rick stopped running and stood a few meters away, stretching his limbs. "I don't like to talk about my first nightmare, but my aspect is about physical enhancement, and my senses are sharper than most."

'Does she know who I am, or why is she looking at me like that?' Jet nodded, saying, "I can understand that. Mine was pretty intense too. Are you ready?"

Rick nodded and got into a battle stance. She approached him casually, clearly not taking him seriously, as far as she knew, he was just a sleeper.

'Let's see how fast he is first. He'll definitely try to swing at me the moment I'm within reach.'

Rick observed her as she approached, realizing she wasn't taking him seriously at all.

'Why would she? To her, I'm just a sleeper. But this kind of carelessness was her downfall in that cave.'

"Are you just going to stand there? Come on, show me what you've got."

At her challenge, Rick threw a straight punch aimed at her jaw. She readied to block it with her right arm, but unexpectedly, Rick stepped closer and grabbed her arm instead.

'Wow, he's quick. He's going to throw me.'

He leaned in and attempted to toss her over his shoulder. However, Jet wasn't going to let that happen easily. She clung to him, and they both tumbled to the ground, struggling for dominance.

'Who is this guy? He's incredibly strong. Am I really going to lose to a sleeper? I need to step it up.

She amplified her strength to gain the advantage, but Rick had the Beast Power as backup and summoned its strength too. His goal was clear: to get her into a submission hold. But would the Beast's strength be enough?

'Let's see who wins this match. After all, she is a Saint, but she isn't using her full strength yet.'

What felt like an eternity, but was only a few seconds, passed before he regained hold of her right arm. He locked her upper body with his legs and pulled her arm over his thigh. He could feel Jet gradually increasing her strength, trying to overpower him.

'Shit, he's actually beating me. I need to give it my all, or he'll break my arm.'

She pushed her strength to the max, straining her muscles. Rick was breathing heavily, struggling to maintain his grip. Suddenly, he felt Jet tapping on his leg. He released her and gasped for air.

'Wow… she really tapped.'

Jet, slightly exhausted, stood up and offered him a hand.

"You're pretty good, Kirk. I underestimated you. How can a sleeper be this strong?"

Rick took her hand and pulled himself up, resting his hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

"You know I have my secrets. Like I said, Physical Enhancement."

She looked at him in disbelief, taking a moment before responding.

"You've got to be kidding me. Your aspect must be of a high rank then. I haven't met many people this strong. Most of my friends wouldn't stand a chance against me in a sparring match."

Rick shrugged and smiled.

"Well, you didn't take me seriously and let your guard down. That made it easier for me to find an opening. Plus, you were holding back the entire time."

Jet rolled her eyes and laughed awkwardly.

"Yeah, you're right."

'Actually, I had to give it my all. What kind of monster is he?'

Rick straightened up and placed his hands on his hips.

"Thanks for the match, by the way. It was a lot of fun. But I have to go check on my sister and her friend."

Jet watched him head towards the door and called out.

"Hey, wait! Do you mind coming over to my office later? I want to talk to you."

Rick paused and turned around, surprised. He scratched the back of his head and replied hesitantly.

"I… guess I could do that. When should I come over?"

Jet glanced at the clock and smiled.

"What about 7 PM?"

Rick nodded, still a bit confused.

"Ehh… sure. 7 sounds good. See you."

He opened the door and left. Jet sighed with a smirk.

"Looks like I have company later. I better shower before he comes over."

Rick made his way to the medical office to check on Rain and Alya. He arrived quickly, having studied the academy's map extensively. Upon entering the waiting room, he spotted Rain sitting outside, playing with her communicator.

"Hi, sis. How's Alya doing?"

"She'll be fine. It's nothing a person with a healing aspect couldn't fix."

Rick sat down and leaned in to whisper.

"You know, I'd really like to continue where we left off yesterday before Alya interrupted us. Do you think we can make room for that?"

Rain licked her lips and nodded. She looked around, and since no one was around, she took the risk and gave Rick a much-needed kiss. He didn't expect it, but when it happened, it was hard to let her go. They only parted when they heard someone opening the door.

Alya emerged with her right hand formed into a fist, smiling widely. Rain let out a quiet sigh, thinking to herself.

'I'm feeling so much heat. I need him to fuck me today, or I might go crazy from all this withdrawal.'

Alya sighed, smiling.

"Good as new. The healers here are amazing."

Rick smiled back.

"They sure are. It would be a disaster if a sleeper had to deal with an injury for the rest of his time here. He wouldn't be able to train."

He looked around, as if searching for something.

'Now, where can I find a trash bin big enough to stuff Alya inside?'

Alya, having overheard his thoughts, felt uneasy. She coughed awkwardly and said,

"I think it's best if I head to my room now. I'm pretty exhausted and should take it easy for the rest of the day. The doctor said so too."

Rain smiled warmly and nodded.

"That sounds like a good idea. I have your number, so I'll text you later, alright?"

Alya nodded before leaving.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Have fun, you two."

She hurried to her room, unsure if Rick's thoughts were serious or just him testing a theory. Rick waited a minute, thinking about a song he liked. Once he was sure Alya was gone, he turned to Rain and said seriously,

"I have good news and bad news."

Rain raised an eyebrow, surprised by his sudden shift in tone.

"Good news first, please."

"I beat Jet in a sparring match."

Rain's jaw dropped, and she stumbled over her words.

"You… you did what? How?"

Rick chuckled and explained how he met Jet in the dojo and how their fight went. Rain facepalmed and laughed heartily when he finished.

"What happened to staying under the radar, hmm?"

Rick scoffed, chuckling.

"Oh, you know, I might get a little carried away. But it's fine; she wants to see me later. I hope she isn't mad and wants to rip my head off."

"Haha, I hope so too."

Rick placed a hand on her thigh, smiling.

"I'll run away if I see sheets of plastic everywhere, I promise."

Rain would have laughed at his joke, but she was trying to contain herself.

'If he keeps touching me like that, I might drag him into the nearest empty room.'

Rick took a deep breath and said, now much more serious,

"Now, the bad news. Ah… it's just a feeling, but I think Alya can read minds."

Rain froze, her eyes widening. After a moment, he continued.

"But that's not what concerns me. The fact that she's conveniently your neighbor is. We don't know if she's hiding her true identity too. I'll make sure she isn't a threat."

Rain snapped out of her astonishment, taking a deep breath.

"Well… alright. But I don't think she has any bad intentions towards us."

Rick nodded, smiling.

"That's why I'm going to make sure she doesn't. So we can talk to her without feeling on edge."

"How are you going to do that?"

Rick smiled and summoned one of his core chains. It was golden and radiated a shine.

"I'm going to use Sunny's flaw. It's imbued in this core chain. I knew I'd need it one day, so I asked if I could get it."

Rain contemplated the situation, knowing what his answer would be and fearing to ask. Alya was her only friend of a similar age, after all. Her voice was low and hesitant as she asked,

"What… what are you going to do… with her?"

"Depends. If she's just a girl with a unique ability, I'll apologize for doubting her honesty."

He took a deep breath, his voice darkening.

"But if she was sent here to kill you, then I'll eliminate the threat. I don't need to explain what that means."

Rain gulped and nodded hesitantly. Rick glanced around before giving her a kiss. He stood up and left her in the waiting room, heading straight for Alya's room. Soon, he stood in front of her door. He summoned the Beast Body's skin again to ensure his visit would be a surprise.

He knocked and waited for her to answer. Hearing her footsteps, he put on a smile. Just because he was there to determine if Alya was a threat didn't mean he had to treat her as guilty.

The door opened, and Alya flinched upon seeing Rick with his grey skin.

"What happened to you, Kirk? Why is your skin so grey?"

"Don't worry about it; I assure you I'm fine. I'm here to ask you something. Can I come inside?"

She hesitated, but a moment later, she smiled subtly and nodded.

"Yeah, come in. I wanted to tell you something important anyway."

Rick chuckled and stepped inside. Alya had a small table with four chairs around it, so he sat down and waited for her to do the same. She did, asking with an amused tone,

"What is it, Kirk? I'm sure your sister is getting bored without you and me, so I guess it must be something important."

Rick laughed heartily, smirking.

"Cut the crap, Alya. I know you can hear thoughts. Your heart frequency gave you away. Whenever I thought about something interesting, it spiraled out of control, so we both know my name isn't Kirk, and Rain isn't really my sister."

Alya was taken aback. She had suspected he might have figured it out, but the way he confronted her was still surprising. Her smile faded, and she spoke with shame, staring at the table.

"When did you find out?"

"I had my suspicions for a while, but I was certain after the dojo incident. You took the bait just as I intended."

"So, you're not going to throw me in a trash bin?"

Rick laughed and shook his head.

"No, but I have some questions for you. First, why didn't you tell us you could hear our thoughts? It would have been nice to know we shouldn't share our secrets with the false security of our minds."

She turned her gaze from the table to the wall, sighed, and spoke apologetically.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help it. It's my flaw. I hear the thoughts of everyone around me. Thankfully, the range isn't too large, but it's still a huge issue when I'm in a crowd. I didn't tell you because people usually reject me when they find out, so I made it a point to keep it to myself. I hope you can forgive me, Rick."

Rick nodded slowly and replied calmly, "I understand. It's not your fault. I can relate; I've had a similar experience with my flaw, though it's different."

"What do you mean?"

"That's not your concern right now. First, I need to ensure you're not a threat."

Alya's heartbeat quickened, and she looked panicked.

"Are you going to torture me?"

Rick scoffed, smiling.

"No, I have much better ways to get the truth from you."

"But why? Why do you think I'm a threat? I haven't done anything to upset you except not disclose my flaw."

Rick sighed and looked at her steadily. His voice was calm and clear as he spoke.

"This world we live in—two worlds, actually—is cruel, not just because of nightmare creatures but because of humans too. Especially humans. Trust me; I've endured a lot to learn this lesson. I'm a master, after all, but you already know that."

Alya nodded, letting out a shaky breath.

"Okay, so how is this going to work?"

"Just wait a moment."

Suddenly, she found herself chained. The golden chain, imbued with Sunny's flaw, held her tightly in her chair. Rick looked deeply into her eyes and said evenly,

"Just a warning: you can't lie now, and you must answer every question I ask you truthfully."

'What kind of crazy ability is this? Having a divine aspect is like a cheat code.'

Rick took a deep breath and started with something simple.

"What's your name?"

Alya felt pressure building inside her. When it became uncomfortable, she answered.

"Alya, my name is Alya."

"How old are you?"

"I'm 20 years old."

Rick nodded and took another deep breath.

"Now let's get to the important stuff. Have you ever lied to me or Rain?"

"No, I haven't. I had no reason to."

"Good. Have you been sent here by anyone to fulfill a mission?"

Alya shook her head and answered calmly.

"No, no one sent me here. I'm here because I want to be."

Rick nodded and asked,

"Was it a coincidence that Rain got the room next to yours?"

Alya shrugged and replied evenly.

"I believe so. I didn't arrange for that to happen. As far as I know, no one else did either."

"Did you have any bad intentions when you approached Rain?"

'What kind of question is that? What happened to him that he would ask such a thing?'

She shook her head and answered.

"No, I just wanted to see who she was. I was trying to get to know her better."

"Why?"

"What do you mean, 'why'? I was trying to be her friend."

"Why?"

"I…I don't understand the question."

Rick took a deep breath, paused for a moment, and then said,

"Has someone told you to befriend Rain?"

"No, I did it because it was my own wish. She was nice to me, and her thoughts were pure—well, at least not with any bad intentions, just a bit dirty."

Rick raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"Yeah, I know. I bet she gets carried away often since we have to act like siblings all the time. Last question: do you plan on hurting Rain or me?"

Alya was taken aback by the question.

"Of course not! Why would I do that?"

Rick chuckled and shook his head.

"I don't know. But like I said, it's a cruel world we live in. Many people want to hurt others for the wildest reasons. Anyway, I apologize for doubting your honesty, but I had my reasons."

"It's alright… do you mind unchaining me now?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry, I forgot."

He released the chain, and Alya stretched her limbs.

'That was the weirdest conversation I've ever had. Not even breaking up with my girlfriend was that uncomfortable.'

She gave him an amused smile and sat back down.

"Can I ask you something, Rick?"

"Sure."

"Good, because I think you owe me some answers after putting me through this whole bandage play."

Rick scoffed, recalling his evening with Rain after she returned from her hunt. Fortunately, he still had the beast body skin, so Alya couldn't hear his thoughts.

"Why are you here? You're a master. There's no point."

"What do you think?"

"Because you want to protect Rain?"

"That, and we really don't want to go without sex for almost a month."

"But why the sibling act? You could have just sneaked in every now and then."

"Yeah, I know, but I felt better being by her side. Her real brother wanted me to come with her, actually."

"Oh, she mentioned someone named Sunny; that must be her brother."

"Yeah, he is. He's a master living in Bastion. He owns a café and memory boutique."

"Sounds nice. So you know Changing Star and her cohort because of him?"

"Yep, he's her boyfriend."

Alya became very excited. She couldn't believe it at first, but now she was sure. Her voice was full of joy as she asked,

"So it's really true? You know them all? Even Night?"

Rick shrugged and replied evenly.

"Who, Kai? Yeah, I know him. Nice guy; we talked a lot about… ehhhh, stuff."

Alya raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"What stuff? What did the legendary Saint Nightingale talk with you about?"

Rick coughed awkwardly and shook his head.

"Let's just say it's private. I'm glad you can't hear my thoughts right now."

"What makes you think I can't?"

"Because your heart only reacted when I mentioned Kai. Also, Cassie can't sense me at all when I use this skin, and her aspect is sacred. Plus, there's a low chance you have a divine aspect."

Alya chuckled and leaned back in her chair.

"You're right; I don't. But mine is also sacred. I was pretty surprised when you said that you and Rain have divine aspects."

"I know. Your heart gave it away. I wasn't lying when I said I have incredible senses, which is also a result of my flaw, by the way."

"Do you mind telling me what your flaw is?"

"I do, but if you end up in the same place as Rain during the winter solstice, you'll probably learn it anyway."

"Interesting, I'm excited to see what you mean by that."

Rick nodded with a smile and glanced at the clock, noticing it was 6:30 PM.

"Crap, I actually have to go. Jet is waiting for me in her office."

He dismissed the beast skin again and stood up.

"You're meeting with Soulreaper Jet? Does she know who you are?"

Rick shook his head as he opened the door.

"No, she doesn't. At least, I don't think she knows. She asked me to come over after I won a sparring match against her."

Alya laughed so hard she had to hold her stomach.

"You can't be serious… you beat Soulreaper Jet in a fight?"

Rick chuckled and replied nonchalantly.

"It was a sparring match! But yeah, I did. She was holding back, of course, but she tapped out after I got her in a submission hold."

Alya calmed down and took a deep breath.

"What kind of monster are you?"

Rick just laughed as he walked out of her room. He knew Alya could still hear him, so he thought,

'You'll have to ask Rain that question. See you tomorrow, Alya. I'll make sure to make it up to you for putting you through this. Again, I'm sorry.'

Rick couldn't see her anymore, but she was grinning widely.

"He's a good guy; Rain is lucky to have him by her side. I hope she isn't too mad at me for keeping my flaw a secret."

Rick made his way to Jet's office. Meanwhile, he sent Rain a text.

"I checked on Alya, and she's clean. There's nothing to worry about."

Rain was currently in the gym training alone, so she didn't see the text immediately. Rick put his communicator away and continued walking. The academy was huge, so it took him a while to reach Jet's office, but he arrived just in time. He knocked on her door and waited for Jet to open it. While he waited, he received a message from Rain.

"Thanks, I'll go see her after I'm done in the gym. See you later, my sex monster."

Needless to say, she didn't just send him a text but also some pictures.

'Crap, this is bad. Not here… not now… Just think about an elderly man, Rick.'

He could still feel blood rushing to his lower body; his trick of picturing an elderly man naked wasn't working as quickly as he'd hoped. He heard footsteps approaching from the other side of the door. When it opened, his heart skipped a beat. It was Jet, of course, but she was wearing a tight bathrobe. Jet smiled and opened the door wider for him to step inside.

"Hi, Kirk, come on in. I've been patiently waiting for you."

Rick felt a bit unsure at first and was quite nervous. Jet's gaze as she assessed him didn't ease his anxiety, especially when she noticed the bulge in his pants and smiled oddly. She bit her lower lip, and Rick yelped as she pulled him inside and locked the door.