Anathan had heard a noise outside his camp and immediately assumed it was a Scavenger—coming for vengeance after he'd already killed a number of its kind.
But to his surprise… it was her.
'Nephis.'
The Changing Star. Ranked first in their batch, even above the other legacy, Caster. They'd both arrived at the same time before the Academy gates, still in police-issued jumpsuits. Anathan clearly remembered how Caster had treated her in the cafeteria. The girl standing before him now, sword drawn, wasn't just another student—she was a legacy. Someone of high standing.
'But why is she… wearing nothing?'
It wasn't exactly nothing, but close. Only crudely stitched seaweed covered her, barely preserving modesty. The sight was jarring—not just because of how exposed she was, but because it didn't fit her image at all.
Legacies were usually showered with Armor- and Weapon-type Memories by their prestigious clans, blessed with powerful mentors early on, and trained to a razor's edge.
'That's going to be burned into my memory forever.'
Anathan cleared his throat.
"Uh… maybe you should put your sword down first?"
But she didn't. If anything, her stance sharpened. Her guard rose, and her expression grew even more serious.
"State your name and clan," she said, voice cold and commanding.
Anathan raised both hands slowly, showing he had no weapon, no threat.
"Anathan. Of no clan."
"I'm from the same batch of Sleepers as you," he added calmly.
Nephis's icy stare didn't budge. It was the same look she'd worn during the induction ceremony. Like everyone around her was beneath notice—ants—and she was the only one that mattered.
'She's still not convinced…'
'Fair. Someone who's survived a full week in this hellhole probably shouldn't be underestimated.'
'It's also possible she saw my rank. I'm listed in the lower brackets… but that's because I hid my potential. Could she be suspicious of that?'
'And... why isn't she saying anything?'
He took a steadying breath.
"Listen, Miss Changing Star. I might seem weak, but I'm not. I've survived thanks to the Wilderness Survival Course. I have food, water, and the skills to make clothes. I'm offering to share all that—this little luxury of comfort."
He gestured toward the camp.
"So could you lower that beautiful sword of yours? Because while I'm capable, I'm not suicidal enough to pick a fight with someone who hasn't blinked in thirty seconds. I'd rather we helped each other."
He gave a nod, satisfied. At least now, his moral compass was out in the open. If she refused his hospitality, well, he'd kick her out of his hard-earned corner of survival paradise.
'Wait. A man and a woman alone in the middle of nowhere… Is that what she's worried about?'
'Seriously? If that's where her head's at, then I guess her caution makes sense... not that I was thinking about… that. I mean…'
Before the spiral of thoughts could drag him further, Nephis finally lowered her sword and stepped back.
It was only then that Anathan noticed the golden rope in her right hand.
She turned slightly and called over her shoulder, still watching him with a cautious eye.
"Cassie. Ready. I'm pulling you up."
"Okay!" came a faint reply from below.
'Cassie? The blind girl?'
He recognized her voice instantly.
Cassie—the one most written off as dead weight. People often overlooked her.
But Anathan shared meals with her in the cafeteria. Talked to her. She'd even greeted him on his birthday during breakfast on the winter solstice. When he asked how she knew, she said her Aspect was that of a Seer. He hadn't pushed further—but now he wondered. Could she have seen… everything?
'Wait. Was I in her visions? During my private time? Oh gods… embarrassing.'
The rope went taut.
And then another figure appeared over the ledge.
Delicate and doll-like, her usual soft blonde hair tousled by the wind. Blind, but composed.
'I see… She's probably the reason they found me.'
Anathan's mind moved quickly, connecting dots, playing out scenarios.
It wasn't just possible.
It made perfect sense.
Seeing his blind friend alive and well, Anathan took the initiative to speak.
"Cassie. By the gods, what a coincidence… Or maybe not? It's starting to feel like this meeting wasn't a coincidence at all, but fate," he said with a faint smile. "Either way, I'm happy to see you alive."
He noticed her ears twitch slightly at the sound of his voice.
"Ana… it was you all along," she said warmly.
"You know him?" Nephis asked beside her, her tone lower, more reserved.
Cassie nodded. "We used to share tables in the cafeteria. We talked often. And... he's a friend."
At that, he saw the smallest shift in Nephis's posture—the kind of movement that said: I won't stab you. Yet.
'Finally. A calm, reasonable person.'
Anathan was genuinely relieved—both for himself and for Cassie.
The weakest and the strongest had somehow found each other and survived. He couldn't help but think that if Cassie hadn't met Nephis, the outcome might have been far worse.
He was curious about their story, how they got here, how they'd made it, but that could wait.
"Come on," Anathan said, drawing the seaweed flap aside. "I've got some spare meat to share. I imagine both of you are hungry. Best to eat before night falls."
Fortunately, the makeshift tent was large enough to fit three teenagers comfortably. The firelight flickered steadily, casting warm shadows as it continued cooking more crab meat.
Anathan had been alone for days now, not that it had bothered him much, but it was still a welcome change to see familiar faces instead of monsters.