Shadow Slave: Kindness

Sunny tapped his communicator and saw his assigned desk: B3.

He glanced at Cassie.

"My desk is B3. What's yours?"

"B3 as well… I was told separately this morning," Cassie replied quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sunny hesitated, then asked, "If you don't mind me asking—what courses are you taking?"

He was genuinely curious. Were there any classes designed for someone without sight? Or maybe special courses customized for her?

Cassie fell silent for a long moment before sighing, her voice bitter and edged with frost.

"What do you think? Are there any courses I can even take?"

The coldness in her tone hit like a sharp slap to the heart. It could have broken someone else—but Sunny was either too dense or too stubborn to fully understand the pain layered beneath it.

"Hmm… I don't know. You could try Wilderness Survival. That's the one I'm taking. A very pretty Ascended I know said it'd help students like us the most. Since we're not trained like the Legacies from birth and all…"

He offered a half-grin, already imagining himself sneaking up on some pompous Legacy from the shadows.

Cassie, who had been about to say something else, suddenly turned her head slightly toward him. Sunny didn't notice anything off—but he missed the sharpness in her body language.

She folded her arms and said coolly, "I won't be taking any courses. I'm being instructed in 'navigation without sight.' All the instructors gave up... except for one. A little too energetic fellow."

"I see," Sunny nodded, still a little confused.

Was it just me, or was her voice even icier this time…?

He brushed off the thought and quickly asked, "Where do you need to go? How are you getting there? I don't see any staff around."

Cassie's face didn't change much, but her tone made something inside him go still.

"Because I refused."

"Why?" he asked, puzzled.

"I don't need their help. I already… have enough."

Without waiting for a response, she stood and began walking toward the exit—unsupported, unafraid, and with a poise that only made her seem more unreachable.

Sunny blinked, startled.

"Wait—how?"

He scrambled up and caught up beside her.

Cassie paused and extended her wrist. Around it was a delicate bracelet—shimmering gold, threaded with soft bluish beads that pulsed faintly with ethereal light.

"It's a Memory," she explained. "Spatial Awareness Bracelet. It lets me sense my surroundings… like a grainy, black-and-white image. But the data's often blurry. Distorted. Slow. Too slow for battle—and sometimes even for proper navigation. I got it a week ago, right after I came to the Academy."

"Wow… that's incredible," Sunny said, leaning closer. The bracelet was beautiful. Subtle, but powerful.

Cassie gave a faint smile, a rare softening of her usually guarded face.

"I know. It's useless to others. But to me… I guess it's precious."

Sunny smiled.

"The bracelet's great. But I meant—you. You're really cool."

Freeze.

Cassie tucked a lock of her pale hair behind her ear, a small flicker of warmth appearing in her eyes.

"Thanks, Sunny."

But just as quickly, her brows drew together. She tilted her head slightly, and asked with subtle disapproval:

"By the way… this 'very pretty' Ascended you just talked about—who is she? And how do you know an Ascended, anyway?"

Sunny blinked.

'Did she just put extra emphasis on "very pretty"…? Nah. I must be imagining things.'

"Oh… um, she was on watch duty during my First Nightmare," he mumbled. "And well… she's really strong, so there's that…"

Cassie tilted her head again.

"I see. Sounds like you admire her a lot."

Sunny chuckled nervously.

"I guess you could say that. She kind of saved me. Twice. So yeah, she's impressive… terrifying, too. But kind."

Cassie didn't reply right away, but her steps softened just slightly.

They arrived in front of a classroom.

Cassie came to a halt and said quietly, "Well, Sunny… this is my destination. Thank you for accompanying me here. And also…"

Sunny tilted his head. "Hmm?"

Cassie looked like she was about to say something else. Her lips parted slightly, then closed again.

"…It's nothing. I'll see you later. Bye."

"Bye…"

Saying so, Cassie turned away, opened the classroom door, and disappeared inside.

Sunny stood still for a second, wondering what she had stopped herself from saying. But he didn't dwell on it too long.

With a shrug, he made his way to his assigned selection desk. B3.

Choosing his course hadn't taken long. He'd picked Wilderness Survival as his only course, just like Jet had advised. No hesitation, no second thoughts.

With that out of the way, Sunny had been on his way to the cafeteria for some much-needed late breakfast.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans.

Just as he turned a corner, he found himself flanked—blocked on both sides by two all-too-familiar grinning faces.

Jack and Jill.

"Heya, Sunny!" Jack greeted, slinging an arm around his shoulders as if they were old war buddies.

Jill leaned in from the other side. "How's it going?"

Sunny blinked. "Hello, Jack. Hello, Jill. I just finished selecting my course. What about you two?"

The twins glanced at each other, shared a look, and then said in perfect sync:

"Combat and Nightmare Creature Theory."

"Oh." Sunny raised an eyebrow. "I only took Wilderness Survival."

"Hmm… nice choice," Jack muttered approvingly.

"There was a course like that?" Jill asked, blinking.

"Apparently," Sunny said with a shrug.

Then, as if something clicked in Jack's mind, he tugged Sunny aside with a sudden, mischievous glint in his amber eyes, pulling him aside a safe distance from Jill. His grin looked like it might split his face in half.

"Well, Sunny," he whispered conspiratorially, "I won't say it's a bad choice or anything—but it seems like quiet girls are your type, huh?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

Sunny felt the heat rush to his cheeks almost instantly.

"Oh come on, don't play dumb." Jack wagged his eyebrows. "I saw you. Sitting and chatting it up with the blind girl, huh? She doesn't talk to anyone—but she talked to you. That must be the Sunny charm, eh? At this rate, I might have to keep my sister away from you. Who knows, you might just steal—"

"Shut up, idiot!" Sunny cut him off before he could finish.

"It's nothing like that. I was just—um, just—"

"Just?" Jack leaned in, clearly enjoying this far too much. "Go on, continue. Really, Sunny, you need to work on your excuse-making skills. I'm the best at this, and even I can tell that was awful."

Sunny groaned, pulling away from Jack's arm.

"I was just talking with her...she seemed sad so..."

"oh, so the flowers and chocolate don't mean anything? eh sunny,.. you really should learn how to lie..."

Why me…?

Jill, still standing nearby, was smirking silently.

Yep. Sunny had officially lost control of the situation.

Jill, who had been watching silently from the side, smirking like a fox, finally stepped in.

Before Jack could open his mouth again, Jill kicked him lightly from behind, sending him stumbling forward with a yelp.

"Hey!"

She smoothly took his place, slipping her arm around Sunny's shoulder with ease and locking onto him tightly.

"Shut up, you dumbass," she said sweetly to her brother, then turned her amber eyes back to Sunny, her grin widening.

"I heard everything, you know. And 'steal from me?' Hah! Please. If Sunny really has such charm, I wanna experience it too... what do you say, Sunny?"

As she spoke, she leaned in just a little too close, her face now only inches away, amusement dancing in her gaze. Her grip around Sunny's shoulder tightened ever so slightly.

"A-Ah, n-no, I'm f-fine as it is…" Sunny stammered, his face already starting to glow bright red.

Why is it always like this with these two?!

He tried to gently wiggle free from Jill's grasp, but the smirking twin wasn't letting go that easily.

Jack, now standing behind them and rubbing his ribs, grumbled, "Tch. Flirting right in front of me? Disgusting."

Jill didn't even look back. "Oh shut it. You're just jealous because Sunny's more popular with girls than you are."

"I'm literally your twin!"

"And yet," she said with mock sympathy, "some of us age better."

Eventually, after much teasing and laughter, Sunny managed to slip free from the clutches of the twins.

"Alright, alright—I really have to get to class now," he muttered, brushing his tunic straight and trying to hide his still-reddened ears.

Jack gave him a playful salute. "Sure thing, lover boy. Try not to swoon over any more blind girls on the way."

Jill gave a mock pout. "Aww, you're leaving already? So cold, Sunny."

"Yeah, yeah," Sunny grumbled, waving over his shoulder as he turned the corner and disappeared down the hallway.

But the moment his footsteps echoed out of sight… everything changed.

The easy grins and playful banter on Jack and Jill's faces disappeared like smoke in the wind. In their place were calm, unreadable expressions—calculating, cold.

Jill's smile faded completely. Her amber eyes narrowed. "Clear."

Jack nodded once, eyes sharp. "No interesting past nor any ability, a mundane sleeper, from the outskirts, has 90% rate, no...95%+ rate of death in the dream realm."

They stood there in silence for a second longer before quietly walking off in the opposite direction, their movements smooth and practiced.

—

Around the corner, Sunny's expression also shifted.

The flustered embarrassment from before drained off his face like water. What replaced it was sharp and cold—a thoughtful, guarded look.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"…Interesting," he muttered under his breath. "Just as I thought."

He said nothing more, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he continued walking. His footsteps were calm, his mind already analyzing the small details: how their timing was too exact, how Jill's proximity seemed intentional, how Jack's grin had a split-second falter right before the teasing began.

Actors. Both of them. Well-practiced ones.

He didn't know what game they were playing. Not yet.

But now he was playing too.