Cain had had enough for one night. First day back and he had almost died again.
Thinking to himself it would be best to avoid Jayden for the time being, he decided to go back to his dorm. If Anna was still there when he returned, he would simply just kick her out.
It was his room after all.
As he began walking back to his dorm room, he began to absentmindedly eat the piece of Jaydens blade that he had broken during the chaos.
The metal had a sweet tangy taste akin to fresh cherries but also contained a bit of spice. From what he remembered Jayden was proficient in fire magic, the 'spice' he detected must have been from that.
His suspicions were soon answered as he heard the voice in his ear once again.
[Gluttony has been activated]
[Skills have been Acquired]
[Body Reinforcement Magic](D)
[Fire Magic] (F)
Cain paused mid-chew as the familiar notifications echoed in his mind. The metal shard dissolved on his tongue like a spiced candy, vanishing just as the messages faded.
He stopped walking.
There was a faint warmth spreading through his chest, subtle and slow. Not like a fire, more like the lingering heat of a summer afternoon. Still, it wasn't enough to alarm him. If anything, it felt contained. Waiting.
He didn't feel any stronger. Not yet. The skills had settled somewhere inside him, quiet and still. Dormant.
That was fine.
He had no plans to use them tonight anyway.
Cain resumed his walk, his boots crunching over gravel
The shard of metal dissolved like sugar on his tongue, leaving behind a lingering heat. It wasn't painful. More like the sensation after sipping something laced with cinnamon. The magic it carried didn't rush into him or surge through his veins. It settled.
Still. Quiet. Dormant.
Cain ran his tongue along his teeth, then swallowed the last of the fragment. The taste had vanished completely now. Only a faint warmth remained in his throat.
He didn't feel stronger. Not yet.
That was fine. He didn't need the magic right now.
He continued walking through the quiet path back to the dorms. The academy grounds were peaceful under the glow of the street lamps, the sky above a soft gray. Students weren't supposed to be out this late, but no one stopped him. The guards recognized him now. Or maybe they just didn't want to get involved.
Cain reached his building and made his way up the stairs, every step echoing softly. His muscles ached, not from the fight, but from the strain of holding himself back. He pushed open the door to his room.
Anna was gone.
Cain let out a quiet breath and shut the door behind him.
The room was dim and still, the only light coming from the cracked blinds above his desk. Everything looked undisturbed at first glance. But as he stepped farther in, he spotted the evidence.
Two empty bottles on the floor near the foot of his bed. One still had the cap rolled halfway under his desk. Another was lying on its side on his pillow, the last drops dried and sticky against the fabric.
His jaw tightened.
Of course she kept drinking.
Cain crossed the room and scooped up the bottles, tossing them carelessly into the trash. The clink of glass against glass made his temple throb. There were no other signs she had stayed long. No note. No apology. Just the mess and the stench of cheap liquor lingering in the air.
He sat down on the edge of the bed and let his head hang for a moment.
She had probably waited until he was gone before cracking open another bottle. Maybe even finished both before sneaking out. That would explain the one on the pillow. She must have passed out again, even if just for a few minutes.
He rubbed at his eyes.
She knew better. They both did. If anyone had seen her leaving his room, especially reeking of alcohol, there would be consequences for both of them. Rumors. Disciplinary reports. Questions he didn't want to answer.
She knew all that and stayed anyway.
Cain ran his tongue along his teeth, the last traces of metal long gone. The warmth of the stolen magic had settled into silence. Still dormant. Still waiting. It didn't comfort him.
He lay back on the bed without pulling the blanket over himself, staring at the ceiling like it might offer him something useful. It didn't.
His hands curled into loose fists at his sides.
First day back and it was already a mess.
Cain exhaled slowly and closed his eyes.
"I'll buy some clothes tomorrow," he muttered, more to himself than anything else. "Something that actually fits."
Everything he had now was either too tight across the shoulders or too short in the sleeves. His frame had changed significantly since he left for the dungeon and returned. Nothing in his closet had kept up with him.
He didn't bother setting an alarm. He didn't need one. His body would wake him when it was ready.
Sleep came fast.
And when it did, it dragged him into a silence that felt too deep, too empty.
Cain opened his eyes and found himself standing upright in a black void. There was no floor beneath his feet, no sky overhead. Just darkness. Cold and vast and endless.
He turned.
Nothing.
He called out, voice low and steady. "Hello?"
The word fell flat, swallowed whole by the void.
No echo. No answer.
Cain narrowed his eyes and stayed quiet. Something didn't feel right. Not in the dangerous way, but in a way that pressed against his senses. Like standing in the middle of a forest and knowing he wasn't alone.
He closed his eyes and listened.
Far in the distance, barely audible, came the sound of breathing. Not his. Low. Wet. Guttural. A beast's breath. Slow and drawn out, like something massive trying not to be heard.
His stomach twisted.
Then it was gone.
No warning. No shift. Just silence again, stretching out into forever.
Cain blinked, and light burned through his eyelids.
He woke with a sharp breath, the ceiling of his room in place above him. A faint ray of sunlight slipped through the blinds, painting a thin gold line across the wall.
Birds chirped outside. The building creaked as it settled into the warmth of a new day.
Cain sat up, rubbing the back of his neck.
"A cryptic dream is always a great way to start a day"
He hissed to himself, his voice dripping with sarcasm.