The heavy silence that hung over Cassian's private study was a stark contrast to the roaring commotion still echoing in the stadium outside. Beyond the thick stone walls, the arena was completely alive with noise. Cheers rolled through the air as officials hurried around the grounds, announcing preparations for the third Trial. The short resting period had officially ended, and every single academy was gathering its students once more.
But as for Cassian, he finally had some quiet time to himself to assemble his artifacts along with the complete dimensional coordinates.
Spread them neatly across the mahogany desk were the objects he had gathered so far, the weathered tome, and several sheets of parchment covered in symbols. His long fingers lightly traced the strange markings written across the pages.
'I have already found two artifacts,' Cassian calculated silently, his crimson eyes scanning the desk.
'The Core Artifact of the Cosmos and the Scepter of the Sun King, along with the complete coordinates stolen from the Northern Citadel. What's left now is only two more artifacts and then we are completely done. The tome is quite helpful with the instructions and specific spells... which makes me wonder–...'
His gaze slowly shifted toward the remaining empty spaces on the parchment. His brows pulled together as he flipped through the worn pages of the book.
'Has someone already attempted to travel across dimensions before me? It's quite interesting how much information and clarity the tomes provide to skip worlds. It doesn't read like a legend; it reads like exact instructions left behind by someone who successfully skipped out of this place.'
Cassian leaned back heavily in his leather chair, his eyes drifting toward the ceiling crack.
'But then again... what if I am putting too much faith in this? Since this is just a world in a fictional book, what if none of these rituals work and everything is far from reality? What if this world is just another illusion created by the author, and I'm chasing something that doesn't even exist?'
The heavy thought sat in his chest for a few long seconds. He simply stared into space, the residual fatigue from his past lives weighing down on his brain.
*SMACK!*
Cassian suddenly slapped both of his cheeks with his hands. The sharp sting snapped him right back to reality, breaking the loop of self-doubt.
"Don't jinx yourself, Cassian," he muttered to himself with a tired sigh, rubbing his burning face. "You can't stay stuck here in this fictional world. I may have successfully evaded the death trope, the main flag, but I still can't be the completely idle prince as originally planned. My current life is just as tiring as my past lives. I am constantly drowning in politics, tournaments, and royal duties."
A small, cynical smile appeared on his lips as he rested his chin on one hand.
'But... at least now I can skip tedious sword trainings because I am no longer on edge about being hunted down by Lucien Arden. Now, he is standing firmly on my side.'
A gentle knock echoed through the quiet study.
"Your Highness."
Sora's voice cut through the silence as the door slowly opened. Cassian looked up to see him approaching the desk once again. But this time around, he was on full glamour, and his Crimson Vanguard uniform was well-fitted to his female features. Every detail made him appear like a graceful noblewoman, the dark uniform tailoring perfectly to his current form.
Sora stopped before the desk and bowed politely. "Your Highness."
Cassian offered a small smile, looking him over. "Sora. Are you heading somewhere important?"
"Yes, my Lord," Sora nodded, shifting the books in his arms. "The resting period is over. Now is the time for us to organize the Vanguard team for tomorrow's trial, isn't it?"
Cassian blinked blankly. "'Us'?"
Sora tilted his head, looking slightly amused. "Yes. I am your vice commander, remember?"
Cassian stared at him for several seconds in absolute silence.
"...Oh," Cassian drawled.
He slowly lowered his forehead flatly onto the mahogany desk, not remembering a single thing about Sora being his second-in-command.
A long, awkward silence filled the room. Sora couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
"So you don't know that I am your vice commander, your highness?"
Cassian's muffled voice came straight from the wood of the desk. "I was hoping you wouldn't notice."
"I noticed," Sora smiled warmly.
"You forgot, didn't you?"
"...Maybe," Cassian confessed, finally lifting his head back up looking thoroughly embarrassed. "I have had far too many things to think about lately."
"I can see that," Sora's smile softened before his expression turned slightly curious. "By the way, Your Highness... was there something wrong that happened between you and Sir Arden earlier?"
Cassian blinked. "What makes you ask?"
"He looked... a little upset," Sora searched for the right words, keeping his tone light. "I thought perhaps the two of you had an argument."
Cassian let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head dismissively. "He was only throwing a tantrum just as usual. It happens far more often than you would think. Don't read too much into his behavior, and I am sorry if he upset you."
"N-not at all, Your Highness," Sora quickly shook his head, looking down at the desk. "At least he has never treated me badly, except for calling me impure and a creature."
They both chuckle, and without thinking, Cassian reached across the papers, his large hand gently wrapping around Sora's small fingers.
"Good," Cassian murmured softly. "I wouldn't want anyone upsetting my mate."
Sora froze entirely. His eyes slowly dropped toward their clasped hands, a sudden, bright blush spreading across his porcelain cheeks.
"Y-Your Highness..." Sora gasped a little, taken aback as he glanced nervously toward the study doors. "Someone could walk in on us at any given moment."
"Don't worry, I won't take it too far right now," Cassian replied smoothly, giving Sora's hand a gentle, comforting squeeze. "I'm just holding my mate, that's all. You really don't need to be so nervous."
Sora's face grew even warmer, his voice a tiny whisper. "You really do say these things so casually..."
"Because I mean every one of it," Cassian said plainly.
Their eyes met for a quiet, lingering moment through the soul bond before Cassian finally stood up from his chair. He reluctantly let go of Sora's hand and stretched his tired shoulders.
"But you were right," Cassian sighed, picking up his dark uniform coat from the rack. "We should go prepare with the others for the third trial. We have made the squad wait long enough."
Sora nodded, his composure fully returning as he smiled. "Then shall we go, Your Highness?"
Cassian walked around the desk, stopping right beside his vice commander as they headed for the threshold. "Let's go. It is time to remind everyone exactly why the Crimson Vanguard is still leading this entire tournament."
"Yes, Your Highness," Sora replied.
Side by side, the two of them left the quiet study and stepped back out into the loud halls of the academy, ready to face the next trial.
*****