Shadow Slave: Arcadius of the Forgotten

Memory: [Arcane Keystone] 

Memory Rank: Divine. 

Memory Type: -unknown- 

Memory Description: [-not available-] 

This strange Memory had been in his Soul Sea even during the First Nightmare. Cade had no idea as to how it ended up there, but he could hazard a guess.

It's most likely a similar kind of Memory as that Key of the Estuary that the Mad Prince crafted in Sunny's Third Nightmare, Cade thought; granted that the Estuary Key was only a Supreme Memory...

Also, it would be an understatement to put it like that. Cade was not in any Nightmare; certainly not in the one where time behaved as strangely as it did in the Tomb of Ariel. He was also fairly certain that he would not become a weaver in this world, let alone one who could craft a Divine Memory. 

So, he had no idea as to how such a Memory could end up in his Soul Sea. Who put it there? Cade had asked himself this question multiple times but to no avail. Finally, he had just decided to ignore it. 

However, he had another reason for comparing it to the Key of the Estuary.

He guessed that like the Estuary Key, the Keystone also had a passive enchantment; one that took effect even without being summoned to the material world.

Not that I can, anyway, Cade thought in irritation. He had obviously tried to summon the Keystone during his First Nightmare but he had been unable to do so. He had thought that maybe after becoming a proper Sleeper, he would be able to do it. But to his dismay, even after he had conquered his First Nightmare, he hadn't been able to materialize the Divine Memory.

He had even tried getting a glimpse of it in his Soul Sea but that too had been in vain. It was like the Memory wasn't there at all. The only proof of the Memory's existence he had was that it was included in his runes.

Come to think of it, these do look a bit duller than the other strings, he thought, squinting to look at the runes floating in front of him. He was right. He had never noticed it before but the runes depicting the Keystone were indeed somewhat dimmer than the runes describing his other Memories, his Aspect, his Flaw and all that.

Cade backed up from the runes and stretched lightly. Actually, he had some idea about what the Divine Memory actually did.

I'm sure it's some kind of an anchor that binds me to this world, he thought. And if I lose it, I'll either die or I'll go back to the real world...

He looked back at the runes. He took one last glance at the dim string representing the Arcane Keystone and dismissed the runes. Either way, I'm not getting rid of it, he thought, starting towards the bathroom. This place is growing on me. 

After finishing reviewing his arsenal, he took a quick shower. He didn't really need another shower because he had taken one earlier today, in the police station, but he decided to do it anyway. After that, he put on the Academy clothes and headed to the cafeteria. 

***

The supper was... bland. He wasn't that hungry and the buffet wasn't that appealing. He barely ate anything. Besides, there was something else on his mind.

Where's Cassie? he thought, a frown creasing his features. She told me she'd meet me here. 

Cade's thoughts swirled as his gaze swept across the cafeteria. The winter solstice was getting closer and closer; it was like a silent countdown was pressing against his resolve. He knew that time was running out, and every decision he made now had to be precise and deliberate.

Cassie.

She was the key to his future with the cohort. He wanted their relationship to progress smoothly, uninterrupted by misunderstandings or mistrust. She would have plenty of time on the Forgotten Shore to grow closer to Nephis and Sunny. That much was a given. Cade didn't want to be left behind in the dynamic that was sure to form between the three of them.

No, when he finally decided to join the cohort for real, he needed Cassie to be his confidant— someone who would vouch for him without hesitation. Nephis might be a force of nature, but her trust in Cassie was absolute. If Cassie spoke up for someone, even Nephis wouldn't question her judgment.

Sunny, though... Cade thought, the corner of his lips curling upward slightly. Sunny's a different story.

He didn't need anyone's help with the paranoid Lost from Light; not even Cassie's. Cade would handle that himself. If there was one person in this entire world, two worlds even, who understood Sunny's cautious and distrusting nature, it was Cade.

I know him better than he knows himself.

And that was precisely why Cade was confident that he could earn Sunny's trust on his own, without any outside help. But for now, his primary goal was getting close to Cassie.

However, it didn't look like Cassie was in the cafeteria. When he didn't find Cassie, his mood turned sour. Too sour than he would have cared to admit, in fact.

He sighed, shaking his head and got up. He left the cafeteria and headed for the offices where the administrative workers were supposed to interview the Sleepers. Now, how much should I tell them? he mused as he entered the small office. 

The friendly worker started asking questions, immediately after hearing his name, wasting no time at all. Cade had decided to display his skill set, not in its entirety but enough to put him in close competition with Nephis.

He even told the officer his True Name, Shroudkeeper. At that, the officer got a device from under the desk and asked Cade to put his hand over it. It was obviously a lie detector. After the detector showed that Cade was telling the truth, the officer seemed awestruck. 

Shaking his head, he asked Cade if his Ability was suited for combat, to which Cade replied, "I'm not comfortable sharing the details but what I can tell you is that it is. Frighteningly so, I might add."

His hand had still been on the lie detector when he said that and when his statement was proven to be true, the officer gulped. Even if Cade didn't exactly know what [Unlit Mist] could do, he was pretty sure that having an affinity with True Darkness would be very advantageous in a battle. 

The interviewer continued his questions and Cade answered truthfully, while keeping the details to himself. The lie detector was helping a lot. By the time he was finished, the officer looked at Cade with reverence and despite being an entire Rank above him, he gave Cade an almost imperceptible bow as he left the office. 

Cade was happy with how the interview had gone. After all, he wasn't Sunny and he couldn't exactly prove his worth on the actual battlefield lest he murder his own allies. So, he decided to brag about it verbally. Actions did speak louder than words, but in his case, actions could lead to a massacre. 

The next day, Cade washed up before moving to get breakfast in the cafeteria. The cafeteria was slightly crowded, though there weren't that many people around. He looked over the tables and found the person he was looking for. Cassie. He filled his plate with some sweets, got a bit of coffee and moved to sit on Cassie's table. 

"Hey, Cassia." he said, announcing that he was taking a place at her table. 

Cassie looked up and smiled, clearly pleased with her present company. "Hey, Cade. How are you? Sorry, I couldn't catch you yesterday. I got to the supper early and so, I was the first one who got interviewed," she said with a bit of worry in her voice. 

"No worries; chill out. It's no big deal. I wasn't hungry yesterday, anyway. I did come here looking for you but when I didn't find you, I left. It's alright though. I'm sure you didn't mean to stand me up like that." he said casually. 

She blushed red and looked at him with wide eyes. "St... st.. stand you up? You mean like, like... on a date?" she whispered the last part with a squeaky voice. 

Cade chuckled lightly and said, "Oh, you're hopeless, Cassie. Relax, I'm only messing with you... Uh, I can call you Cassie, right?" 

"Of course you can," she said quickly. "And... and don't tease me like that." 

Cade smiled and said, "Whatever you want, princess." 

She gave him a hearty chuckle. At that moment, another person joined them. It was Sunny. Apparently, there was no other place that was empty, so he had been forced to sit here with Cade and Cassie.

"What's good, Sunny? Why do you look so gloomy?" Cade asked with a small fist bump to Sunny's side. Cassie looked up at the same time. 

Sunny looked at him with no particular expression on his face. Though his overall posture and the look in his eyes seemed to scream "leave me alone, weirdo". 

"Gloomy? Compared to you, everyone looks gloomy. How do you smile all the time, anyway?" he asked, moving to concentrate on his food. 

"Why, smiling and laughing is quite important, you see. The Nightmare Spell has already taken almost everything from us. Why let it rob us of our cheerfulness as well, when it's the one thing we can deny it?" Cade replied, feeling thoughtful. 

"Crazy bastard..." Sunny muttered under his breath, as he dug into his food. 

Cade smiled at him and then looked at Cassie. He drew a breath and said, "Anyway, Cassie, you remember Sunny... my, uh, acquaintance. Although... he is better known as the infamous pervert. So, Cassie, Sunny. Sunny, Cassie." 

Sunny almost choked on his food and looked up at him in disbelief, apparently stunned by his own introduction. Cassie gave a hearty chuckle and turned her face towards Sunny. 

"What?" Cade asked, holding back laughter. 

"You... you little. I'll..." Sunny stammered glancing toward Cassie as he kept his eyes on Cade. 

"Don't blame me. You're the one who deliberately cultivated that reputation. Now it's time to reap what you sowed." Cade declared holding his hands up. 

"You..." Sunny moved forward to grab Cade but at that moment, a sudden commotion drew their attention. 

They both looked up and saw that a lot of Sleepers were gathered around the large screen hanging on the wall of the cafeteria, their faces filled with excitement and awe. It was the ranking of the Sleepers from strongest to weakest. 

Cade stretched his arms. Time to see who they decided to put on number one. He scanned the list from the top and saw: 

[1] "Name: Arcadius" "True Name: Shroudkeeper" 

[2] "Name: Nephis" "True Name: Changing Star"