Since her arrival, Cassia had felt isolated, as if teetering on the edge of a silent abyss, while the others moved toward something she could scarcely imagine. She took a deep breath, letting the strong aroma of bitter coffee with cream flood her senses.
The coffee shop buzzed with murmurs and lively whispers, every sound echoing through the crowd of Sleepers gathered around the screen. Cassia knew instantly when the chatter began to focus on the figure beside her—the young man no one seemed to notice.
Her fingers wrapped around the coffee cup, seeking its warmth like an anchor.
There was something about Ariandel—his calm presence, the note of warmth in his pleasant voice—that made her feel less invisible, less forgotten by the world.
After a brief hesitation, Cassia gathered the courage to speak. She began softly:
"Ariandel."
Her hand slid gently over the cup, while the coffee's warmth barely chased away the inner chill that never seemed to fade.
"You... you're standing so close to them. And no one seems to notice. How come no one sees you?"
For a moment, he remained silent. The Peregrine seemed to absorb the question with a brief pause and then chuckled softly, a gentle, almost musical sound.
"Ah, that's intentional," he replied, his voice laced with a light note of playfulness. "I'm blending in, part of the scenery. Eyes just glance over—as if there's nothing here worth seeing."
He paused for a moment, as though pondering the best way to explain.
"I call it Psychological Invisibility."
To see someone so evident choose to hide from others' eyes, as if it didn't matter to be seen, felt... strange to her. And frightening too—a disquieting Ability.
"I see..." she murmured, with a hint of awe.
At first, Cassia had assumed the Peregrine was another outcast, like Sunless, or someone just as avoided as herself. But no... he was there, apart from the other Sleepers, by choice.
Unconsciously, she clutched the cup a little tighter.
"That's amazing..."
Ariandel laughed again, but this time with a slightly different tone, more bashful.
"Maybe it is... Ah, I don't know. Personally, I find it a bit unpleasant... It's not exactly comforting to have someone sitting beside you who no one else can see, after all."
He brought the cup to his lips, as if the simple act of drinking coffee kept him tethered to reality.
"Or maybe it just makes someone far too used to isolation and shyness. Either way, I'll try not to do anything too terrible."
There was a short pause, and Ariandel continued on another topic, his tone calmer, more introspective:
"You know, Cassia... I like to cherish the good moments, and the bad ones too... letting go of what I find no value in, and learning just as much from unpleasant things as from joyful ones. It also helps to have the right person to keep you company through it all."
Cassia hesitated, feeling the warmth of his presence like a soft flame within her isolation.
"You... you talk like we've been friends for a long time," she remarked, almost shyly.
He paused again, and she felt that brief silence, like the weight between one breath and the next.
"Maybe it's just the way I am," Ariandel replied, lightly dodging the thought.
Cassia, however, sensed something more in him. Even without seeing his face, she suspected Ariandel spoke with a sincerity that perhaps even he didn't fully understand.
She smiled slightly and sipped from her cup, feeling—for the first time in a long while—that maybe she wasn't alone.
***
"..." — Sunless 'Mongrel' Lost From Light
***
Ariandel entered the Wilderness Survival classroom beside Sunless.
The room was wide, well-decorated, but still had the air of something newly discovered. Professor Julius stood behind a desk, with graying, messy hair and a broad smile.
"Come in, young ones!" Julius exclaimed as he saw them, rising with enthusiasm.
"What's your name?" he asked Sunless, who was settling into a chair.
"Sunless."
"Ah, a dark name. That's good, very good. After all, we deal with dark things!"
Julius winked at him before turning to Ariandel, who maintained a kind, courteous smile.
"And you, my handsome young man? What's your name?"
"I'm called Ariandel."
"Ah, Ariandel... What a beautiful name! Sounds like it's from another world," Julius said, genuinely intrigued. "Welcome! Take a seat, make yourself at home."
He sat down again and the chair creaked under his weight.
"Thank you," Ariandel replied as he took his seat.
...
The conversation flowed uncontrollably from the gossipy professor's tongue.
...
When Jet's name was mentioned, Ariandel leaned slightly forward, showing interest.
Julius spoke of the Soul Reaper with a mix of fascination and disdain.
"Jet, the Soul Reaper? That savage killer? Who would've thought a barbarian like her would understand the value of knowledge?"
... And the remark brought the room to silence for a few moments.
... Professor Julius glanced between his students, expecting a reaction.
... Ariandel opted for modesty, holding back the laugh that threatened to show in his smile.
Following his shadowy friend truly was entertainment.
"You know Master Jet?" asked Sunless, yielding to curiosity.
"Who doesn't know the Soul Reaper?" Julius replied with renewed energy.
"She might not be the most powerful, but she's certainly one of the most feared..."
The conversation flowed in tune with what was happening in Ariandel's mind—he was in no hurry to intervene, savoring the unfolding story in real time.
The room had quieted down now, and Julius continued talking about the usual routine, while Ariandel felt increasingly at home with all that was being revealed.
"Wonderful! You're clever! In four weeks, I'll make you and Ariandel immortal!" Julius exclaimed, unaware that his voice had risen again.
The world the Peregrine had once only known through words now unfolded before him—beyond what had been written.
...
Ariandel's lessons with Professor Julius began fluidly and without much tension, though he had to admit: without the benefit of the mental enhancement that came with his awakening, the learning experience wouldn't have been pleasant at all. It didn't take long for a flood of new, contextless information to be poured upon him—someone who had been in this world for less than three days.
From time to time, Julius was left speechless at the lack of knowledge and relevant experience in both Ariandel and Sunless, naturally. However, he maintained a positive attitude and endless enthusiasm for teaching. Whenever his students stumbled, he would patiently slow the pace and let them catch up.
The curriculum Julius had planned was far from ordinary. There was an incalculable amount of theoretical knowledge to absorb, hands-on lessons both in virtual reality and the real world, and several strange subjects to study.
Most of them quickly became tedious for Ariandel, after all—he had no physiological needs and could use his own imagination as a survival tool. Still, his excitement reignited during the classes focused on learning the fundamentals of several dead languages from the Dream Realm.
He thought, enthusiastically:
'Study of other languages! Tongues from other worlds, from historical realms! That's simply fantastic!'
'Language is the condensed wisdom of a people! It's the record of their culture! It is art!'
His thoughts were a little overzealous...
On the first day, they studied until the sun was about to set. Only then did Julius decide to let his students go. With his mind warmed and a slight pang of regret for not having spent more time with Cassia that day, Ariandel reminded his teacher that it was important to sharpen the axe to keep chopping wood with ease and efficiency.
...
After returning to his room, he shed his imagined garments and retreated to a warm, fragrant bath in his private bathroom.
Then, as if he couldn't wait any longer, Ariandel turned inward—to his own soul.
"Let's go."
He had something to test before joining his friends for dinner.
Ariandel observed his peculiar soul core for a few seconds.
Then he smiled.
"Let's see what you're really capable of..."