Shadow Slave: Arcadius of the Forgotten

Cassie's dread became visible on her face. In fact, she looked utterly horrified that someone had figured out her Ability as easily as that. On top of that, she seemed to grow even more perturbed by the talk about Arcadius's Attributes. 

Arcadius put a hand gently on her shoulder and said, with as much warmth as he could muster, "I understand, Cassia. If I were in your place, I'd be doubtful of me too. I just want you to know that I don't mean you any harm." 

Cassie, of course, was still tensed up, though she did manage to get a grip on herself. She looked at him and asked, trying her best to sound confident but not doing a very good job of it, "Really? Well, then prove it." 

Arcadius frowned slightly. He asked, genuinely confused, "Prove it? How can I prove it?" 

Cassie replied swiftly, "Well, if you know my Ability, it's only natural that I know yours, isn't it? If you're really harmless, you should have no trouble revealing that to me." 

Arcadius relaxed. He knew that they were reaching an understanding. He sighed and said, "That's it? You wanna know what my Aspect Ability is? That's easy. Though, in all honesty, I don't understand it much either; I haven't had much time to practice. My Aspect Ability is called [Unlit Mist] and it has to do with something called 'True Darkness', though I don't really know what it means. I do hope it's something useful. Although if it turns out not to be so, there won't be much I'll be able to do."

The last couple of sentences were lies, of course. Arcadius knew exactly how deadly and harrowing True Darkness really was, even if he didn't know the details of his own Ability yet. 

Cassie seemed surprised. She clearly hadn't assumed that someone would reveal their Ability so easily. But Arcadius was different. He had already decided that he'd be trying to get in close with various members of Nephis's cohort. Even if he didn't plan on actively working with them, he decided that there was no point in hiding his abilities from them, most of all from Cassie who'd have figured it out on her own anyway. 

"You seem surprised. You thought I'd dodge the question somehow, didn't you?" Arcadius investigated, slightly amused. As Cassie nodded, he whispered into her ear, "Wanna know my Flaw as well?" 

She pulled away, obviously stunned by what he had said. Arcadius chuckled and said, "It's only fitting, right? I mean... I know your Flaw. You should know mine. Okay, here I go. So, my –" 

Cassie covered his mouth one of her hands, cutting him off. This was the first thing during this entire conversation that she had done which had caught him off guard. He looked at her with a silent question in his eyes and tilted his head.

"Someone's coming." Cassie whispered. Then, she slowly lowered her hand, looking kind of embarrassed. 

Arcadius looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of the unknown intruder. Someone was indeed approaching them. It was a green-eyed young man with brown hair and a handsome face. His build seemed to radiate strength and nobility. This was obviously a Legacy. And a Legacy who Arcadius knew all too well. It was Caster of the Han Li Clan. 

Caster came to a stop in front of the bench on which Arcadius and Cassie were sitting. Without even sparing Arcadius a glance, he turned to Cassie and said, "Hello, miss. Is he bothering you?" 

Cassie seemed confused for a moment and then, she slowly she shook her head. She replied, "Um... no, we're just talking." 

Finally, Caster's eyes darted towards Arcadius. He seemed a little bit surprised when he saw Arcadius's face, just a little. He said, "Oh, sorry. My bad. I thought you were that creep from earlier. That pervert's been bothering girls throughout the hall. Anyway, I'm sorry to have interrupted your conversation. Please continue." 

With that, he turned around and walked away. I guess Sunny has already started working his magic, huh? Arcadius mused. I don't blame Caster though. I do look abnormally similar to that guy. I hope that doesn't become a problem. 

Cassie had drawn a deep frown on her face, obviously confused at what had just happened. Sensing his gaze, she faced Arcadius and asked, "What was that about?" 

Arcadius sighed and said, "It's actually a friend of mine. His name is Sunny. He's deliberately picking fights with and insulting everyone he comes across, so that everybody hates him and he can be alone all the time. We kind of look alike, so that gentleman thought that he, that is to say I, was bothering you and thus came to your rescue." 

Cassie relaxed. "Oh... weird. Why does your friend want to be alone?" 

"He's not really a friend; more like an acquaintance. He's sort of paranoid...no, that's putting it mildly. He's extremely paranoid and thinks that if he lets anyone get close to him, they'd be in a perfect position to stab him in the back." Arcadius replied. 

 Cassie's brows furrowed. "How does he expect to survive in the Dream Realm, if he doesn't trust anybody?" she asked. 

Not good, Arcadius thought. I need to steer this conversation in a different direction. If she starts seeing Sunny as someone who's not trustworthy, this can go very wrong very quick. 

"Of course, he won't be able to survive alone. That's why he'll make allies. He'll have to. And slowly but surely, he'll start to learn how to trust in people." Arcadius replied. Then not wasting any time, he said, "Anyway, thanks about the heads up. I almost let that stranger know my Flaw." 

Cassie faced him again, as if scanning him with something more than just eyes. "I don't understand you. Why are you so... frank and friendly with me?" she asked. 

Arcadius smiled. He looked at her small face and said, "Remember how I told you that I know a great many things? This is just one of those things. I know that I can trust you, and I know that you won't betray me. The question is... are you willing to trust me?" 

Cassie smiled wryly but that smile didn't seem to reach her eyes. Then she said, "Why would you trust a total stranger? Someone you just met a few minutes ago?" 

Arcadius shrugged and said, "You see, Cassia, you're not a stranger to me. How? Don't ask, I won't tell you. Just know that I know you. And I get that you don't know me. That makes you doubtful of me. It's only natural. But since we haven't got much time, I'm gonna try my best to get you to know me. So that we can trust each other." 

Cassie seemed to become even more confused now. But Arcadius could tell that he had piqued her curiosity. She looked in his direction and asked, "Haven't got much time? Haven't got much time for what?" 

"Why, to look for companions and allies to brave the dangers of the Dream Realm with, of course... I want you to know that if we do encounter each other in the Dream Realm, I'll protect you." Arcadius replied. 

Too much? he mused inwardly. No. No, I've gotta get her to trust me. I can't do it by being coy and beating around the bush. I've gotta be direct. 

Of course, he wasn't being direct either. In fact, he was lying through his teeth. He had no intention of working with anyone in the Dream Realm, let alone with someone as pivotal and important to the story as Cassie. But she didn't need to know any of that. At least for now.

He had thought that Cassie would cringe at his statement, at least a little. But to his pleasant surprise, she smiled. This was the first genuine smile she had given him all throughout this conversation. Arcadius's heart warmed slightly. I'm not actually falling for her, am I? Yeah, no. No way.

His thoughts were interrupted by Cassie's soft and sweet voice. "That's sweet of you to say, Arcadius." she said. 

Arcadius felt himself go slightly red in the face. Thank God, she can't see me, he thought but then scolded himself for it. You're thankful she's blind? Idiot! 

He gathered his thoughts, pushed them into the back of his mind and said, "Anyway. My Flaw. Yeah, we were talking about my Flaw. So –" 

She held up her hand to silence him and smiled. "It's alright. I'll decide to trust you for now. So, you don't need to reveal your Flaw to me just yet." she said, feeling content. "After all, you already revealed your Ability to me. Asking for more would be nothing short of selfish." 

Arcadius looked at her for a while, then sighed. "Well, if you're feeling content, I guess I don't need to tell you about my Flaw just yet." he said, moving to stand up. "Anyway, it's almost time for the induction ceremony to start. You're gonna stay here?" 

She turned to look at her feet; well, not look, but rather face her feet and answered in a small voice, "Uh... yeah. Yeah, I'll stay here." 

He looked at her. I was thinking of going to inspect Sunny, but... ah, who cares? I get to be in the company of a pretty girl. What more could I ask for? He adjusted his shoelaces and sat back down comfortably. 

"Ah, thank the Gods. I thought you were gonna leave me hanging in here alone." he said, in a relaxed tone. "I was gonna stay here as well. The closest thing I have to a friend in here is so notorious already, that being seen with him will do absolutely nothing good for me." 

Cassie looked up and smiled again. "You're a very nice person, Arcadius. Thank you for keeping me company." she said softly. 

Yes, Arcadius thought, mission success. He felt sort of guilty for almost forcing her to trust him. Well, it's not like he had any other choice. It was either this or pleading his case against Nephis or Sunny in the Dream Realm. And being as paranoid as those two were, that would not have been this easy. Not to mention that having Cassie on his side would have its own benefits.

But still... it didn't feel particularly nice manipulating this innocent girl. Sure, she was a very powerful Saint in the future and a master manipulator but right now, she was just a sweet, innocent and scared girl.

No matter, he told himself. It's not like I'm planning on betraying her or anything. With that thought, he seemed to relax a little.