The Wilderness Survival classroom was spacious, tastefully decorated... and completely empty. Sunny even thought he had the wrong room, but then he saw a grim-looking instructor sitting behind a wide wooden desk. Upon noticing him, the instructor perked up.
"Come in, young man!"
Sunny entered the classroom, holding Cassie's hand, causing the old instructor to raise an eyebrow—it was supposed to be a one-student class this year.
He was a lively old man with messy gray hair, a distracted gaze, and bushy eyebrows that seemed to move on their own.
"I'm Julius Awakened. You can call me Master Julius. Have a seat, you two! What are your names?"
Sunny sat obediently. Cassie let go of his hand and took a seat beside him.
"Sunless."
"Cassia."
Julius raised his eyebrows."Ah! What a sinister name. But that's good, very good. After all, we deal with many sinister things here!"
Sunny glanced around the room.
"Uh... I'm sorry, Master. Did I arrive too early?"
"Almost late, actually, boy. Try to get here a little earlier next time." Julius's tone turned slightly more serious, almost like a reprimand.
"Will more students be arriving?"
The instructor snorted with impressive disdain."No one else is coming. Those brutes only care about swinging fists and swords. Very few are smart enough to understand the true value of knowledge..."
Oh. So it was that unpopular. Sunny sighed inwardly, hoping he wouldn't regret choosing this over combat training.
"Tell me, youngsters—why choose Wilderness Survival, of all things?"
There was no point in hiding the truth. Not that Sunny could, anyway...
"The Awakened who watched over me during my First Nightmare, Master Jet, advised me to prioritize it above all else."
"A very wise suggestion! That Master knows what matters... wait. Did you say Jet?"
His eyes widened.
Soul Reaper Jet? That savage killer?! Hmm. Who would've thought a barbarian like her would understand the value of complex knowledge?
Soul Reaper? Sunny's curiosity was piqued.
"Master, do you know Master Jet?"
Julius glanced cautiously over his shoulder before replying:
"Who doesn't know the Soul Reaper? She might not be the strongest Awakened, but she's certainly one of the most feared. That's because her Aspect Abilities bypass the flesh and strike directly at the soul cores. Which means no armor, damage resistance, or physical protection can stop them."
He leaned forward, then added in a lower voice, with a mischievous glint:
"Well, it's not really proper of me to speak poorly of others behind their backs... Now you, young lady—why are you here?"
Cassie, who had remained silent aside from stating her name, turned her head toward where she believed Professor Julius was standing.
"Well, actually..." she hesitated.
"I'm here because Sunny brought me. That's all."
Julius blinked and stared at her in brief silence. He stifled a small chuckle, thinking, Didn't expect that answer. What a pair of lovebirds.
"Well, whatever the reason, it's fine. Now tell me, did you register for this class at the last minute? I don't recall seeing you on the list. I was only expecting one student this year."
"I'm not officially registered. I'm sorry if I'm causing any trouble..." she lowered her head, but after a breath, continued,"Could I attend the class anyway, please?"
"Of course you can. We'll sort that out later. I'm glad to have more students who aren't just brutes looking to bash things with swords."
"Back to the curriculum—what other subjects are you two taking?"
Sunny sighed, and Cassie looked away.
"None. For the next four weeks, I'll be focusing entirely on Wilderness Survival."
"Me too. Just this class."
Julius stared at them for a full minute, astonished. Then, slowly, a gleam of excitement lit his eyes. Finally, he smiled.
"Wonderful! This is wonderful! Two brilliant young minds! Don't worry. In four whole weeks, I'll make you immortal..."
"Excuse me, Professor Julius, there's something I need to tell you. It's about my Defect..."
Sunny already knew where this was going.
Julius looked at her expectantly.
"I'm blind. My Defect left me blind." she said with sadness, not yet fully over her resentment toward her situation. She had postponed this revelation as long as she could.
Julius stood silently once again. He understood the weight of what this meant. A dead weight. He had seen other students pass through with Defects that were practically death sentences—but maybe none as damning as literal blindness.
"I see... don't you have someone to assist you?" Julius's voice carried a noticeable care and sadness.
"I don't. I refused."
"I understand..."
The old man seemed thoughtful. Cassie's depressive aura only grew stronger as the silence stretched.
Sunny was about to say something—anything—to break the heavy mood, but Julius beat him to it.
"Tell me, Cassia, do you know how to read Braille?"
Cassie raised her head and gave a short reply.
"No..."
"Then I'll teach you! It's my responsibility as a teacher to prepare you for the Nightmare Spell, but also as a lover of languages, it's my duty to help. We'll dedicate part of the class to studying Braille!"
Cassie was stunned. No one besides Sunny had ever truly wanted to help her. Intense, conflicting emotions stirred within her.
She felt so much—but unable to express it clearly, she just said,"Thank you so much."For the second time that day, Cassie genuinely smiled.
Meanwhile, Sunny asked with weary resignation, already knowing the answer he didn't want to hear:"...Me too?"
Sunny's classes with Professor Julius started pleasantly and without much tension. But barely an hour in, he felt like his head was going to explode. There was so much new information, and it all felt strange and counterintuitive to someone who had never left the walled, protected confines of the city.
From time to time, Julius would gape in disbelief at Sunny's lack of basic survival knowledge. Still, the old man had a great attitude and an unshakable enthusiasm for teaching. Whenever Sunny got something wrong, he patiently slowed down and helped him catch up.
Cassie, on the other hand, followed Professor Julius with ease. Such were the differences between someone from the outskirts and someone who'd received even basic education. Their knowledge of the world was radically different. To Sunny's shame, Cassie also helped him patiently understand things. He felt like a complete ignorant fool—which, honestly, he was.
It wasn't too hard to handle being treated like a slow learner by a teacher. But being helped like that by someone his age… that was a different story.
That first day, they studied until the sun was nearly setting. When Sunny thought he was finally about to be released from his prison, the professor brought up the subject he dreaded most—not because it was difficult, but because he considered it absolutely unnecessary: Braille.
After another hour and a bit more studying the language for the blind, they were finally released. Mentally exhausted and regretting not having eaten lunch or dinner, Sunny made a note to kindly remind his teacher the next day about the importance of food for maintaining concentration.
Sighing, he looked at the moon peeking through the hallway window. It was already noticeably late—if he didn't hurry, the cafeteria would close, and he wouldn't eat today. Just like in the past.
Of course, Cassie was still by his side, holding his hand, as usual. At first, he felt uncomfortable walking around the campus holding her hand, but eventually he gave up resisting. Maybe… maybe it wasn't so bad.
*Why am I thinking that?* A voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Sunny, are you okay?"
He replied quickly, hiding his embarrassment. "Yes!"
Cassie blinked at her strange companion, but instead of feeling awkward, she just smiled.
"Would you mind taking me to the cafeteria? I'm really hungry..."
She felt embarrassed for acting like a helpless child—once again, a burden on Sunny.
Normally, he wouldn't care much. He was the kind of person who'd pretend to sleep on public transport just to avoid giving up his seat to pregnant women or old people. And due to his Defect, such a response would even be justified. He'd be rude, blunt, lacking in tact.
Which is why his own reply surprised him.
"I don't mind."
It was a simple answer—maybe one anyone with a bit of heart would give. But Sunny wasn't like that. He wasn't lying either. He literally *couldn't* lie.
Something was wrong... or maybe right?
He couldn't tell what it was. But something unusual was happening inside him, and he let it go, unable to recognize it.
They arrived at the cafeteria. As expected, it was about to close. There wasn't much left for dinner—just some slices of bread, cold cuts, and a yellowish spread. The scraps of what might've once been a delicious meal.
But for Sunny, even crumbs were a banquet.
Grabbing what was left, both Sleepers sat together at the same table where they'd met earlier that day.
Something had changed compared to breakfast.
Even if just a little… Cassie didn't seem quite so somber anymore. That gave him a bit of comfort.
Sunny experimented with the different toppings like they were explosions of flavor. His untrained palate, unaccustomed to real food, was delighted.
They both quietly enjoyed their meal together.
"Tehll meh, guat ahrge tghis led syeces with white yots?"
Cassie gave him an annoyed look—but was clearly holding back a smile.
"Don't talk with your mouth full. It's rude."
"Salami is a cured meat product made with chopped pork and fat, mixed with spices."
Sunny swallowed the dry paste forming in his mouth.
"I see. And what's that yellow liquid you spread on your bread?"
"It's honey. Bee honey."
"Honey? Do they kill the bees to make it?"
Cassie turned toward his voice, thinking about how to explain it.
"To simplify it—it's basically a liquid produced by special insects after they ingest and regurgitate flower nectar."
She took another bite of her honeyed bread.
Sunny looked at her as if she'd just bitten into a newborn baby's leg.
The world was doomed. Civilization should probably start over.
Who in their right mind thought this was a good idea?
*Insect vomit?*
This was on the same level as drinking blood or cannibalism, in his opinion.
What's next? A raccoon eats coffee beans, poops them out, and people make coffee from the droppings?
His face twisted in horror. He struggled to keep the mental image of Cassie as a shy, sad girl—*not* a newborn-devouring monster.
Later, after finishing dinner, the time came to part ways. Without meaning to, he had spent the entire day with the newly-met blind girl… who was, once again, holding his hand.
He was escorting her to her room. After eating, they hadn't spoken much along the way. Now, they stood outside her door.
She let go of his hand, turned the knob, and opened the door.
She stood there for a moment, thoughtful.
Sunny spoke.
"I guess… see you tomorrow?"
Cassie turned around, facing him—even if she couldn't see.
She stepped forward and hugged him.
He jumped slightly. He wasn't used to that kind of physical contact.
*When was the last time someone hugged me? Was it my mother?*
He couldn't remember.
"Thank you."
That was all she said, before letting go a few moments later.
He stood frozen, like a stone statue.
The blond girl smiled at him.
"Good night. See you tomorrow, Sunny."
She said that, then entered her room.
After gathering himself, Sunny began walking back to his own quarters. He wasn't thinking about anything. His mind was blank. He moved like a robot, entered his room, and collapsed onto his bed.
He tried to sleep. But as usual, his brain decided to play tricks on him.
Like a slideshow, it began replaying moments from the day.
He had held her hand—*several* times.
He had walked her to her room.
He had comforted her.
Not only that...
He had told her things no one else knew.
He had opened up like a book.
*"What the hell is wrong with me?!"*
He buried his face in his hands, embarrassed. His face was red—maybe redder than ever.
He squirmed like a worm in salt.
The only truth was that what was done… was done.
And now, after all that, he'd have to see her tomorrow. And the day after. And the day after that.
It was a complete disaster.
*Could I just drop out and go somewhere else?*
Of course not. He was here to learn how to survive.
Trying to distract himself with *anything else*, he remembered something and looked at his shadow.
"Let's see what you can do."