Shadow Slave: Not a very laid back life.

Asher looked at the people in front of him.

All familiar.

Too familiar.

Caster's expression tightened into a brief frown, but he smoothed it into a courteous smile almost instantly. Cassie, oblivious for now, sat twirling her blond locks. Kai spotted Asher, offered a bright grin, and gave a casual wave; Asher hesitated, then mirrored it.

"WHAT?!"

Effie's shout cracked through the room. She jabbed a finger at Asher, eyes wide.

"This poster boy is the Asher you were talking about? THE ASHER?!"

Nephis glanced at Asher and shrugged. "I guess."

At the sound of Asher's name, Cassie flinched, rising and moving toward Nephis' general direction. Asher braced himself—this could get awkward.

"H‑hi, Cas…"

Cassie turned toward his voice, a small smile forming. It wavered as her blindfold darkened with moisture, then steadied. "Seems you're not an idiot after all, Asher."

He blinked. First surprise, then a bittersweet sting—she'd grown. He knew why that bothered him.

He started to speak, but Nephis sent him a sharp look and Sunny's glare backed her up. He swallowed the words.

"Yeah," he muttered, falling quiet.

Effie stepped in, palm slapping a map Nephis had spread on the table. "Princess, with all due respect, you said he was joining our journey." She hooked a thumb at Asher. "Can a poster boy like him survive? Sure, he lived through a Spire Messenger but Doofus already mentioned how it had dropped him."

Effie sighed as Nephis took her place in the center, opening a map.

Asher acted confused about the "journey" as Nephis looked Effie,

To punctuate the point, she rested a solid forearm across Asher's shoulders.

"Basically I am saying if he would survive this."

Asher struggled to keep his balance and his temper; something about being called poster boy pricked him raw.

He understood what she meant though. Effie was someone who lost all her previous cohort members because they were weak.

She didn't want to go through the same loss again.

Nephis laced her fingers, gray eyes narrowing. "That depends on him."

Her gaze swept the room. "This journey will test every one of us. We might die."

She leaned forward. "But"—another glance at Effie—"when it counts, he does pull through, cowardly act or not."

Finally she glanced at Sunny for a second before fixing at Asher with a measured stare. "Of all the people I've met, he keeps the most secrets."

Effie's expression turned neutral, but the message was clear: their was a lot about Asher Nephis, Sunny or even Cassie didn't know.

She glanced at him.

Asher grimaced looking at her, he couldn't take it anymore.

"You're heavy," he said flatly, staring her dead in the eyes.

Effie's expression shifted instantly — surprise, then amusement — but before she could respond, Asher tried to slip away. Unfortunately, she clamped him in place with an iron grip.

He glared at her. She held the stare for a beat... and then burst into laughter.

"You really have no idea how to talk to women, do you, Prince Dorkulus?"

Asher's nose crinkled. "I'm sorry—Prince what now?"

Before the argument could escalate, Caster rapped his knuckles against the wooden table, drawing everyone's attention to the map Nephis had laid out. Asher groaned inwardly and turned back toward her.

Caster immediately activated a memory, muffling the sound for anyone outside the lodge.

"So, What's this journey about?" Asher asked, looking at Nephis.

Nephis looked at Asher before glancing at the map on the table. She raised her index, placing it on a particular place as Asher tried to turn a bit serious.

"The Hollow mountains. That's where we are going."

Asher gulped. 

This was his first death zone.

He was scared — no point denying it.

Nephis continued outlining the mission while Kai and Sunny leaned in, listening closely beside him.

"One week from now, Ash. Be ready by then. Finish whatever you have left."

Asher simply nodded. He had a couple of things to finish as Zerei anyway.

Nephis turned to Sunny, "If you could hide Effie for the week."

Sunny exhaled, clearly reluctant, but gave a tight nod as Effie beamed at him.

The meeting concluded. Asher stepped back, leaning against a pillar, letting the tension drain from his shoulders. The others started to disperse.

Caster approached.

"Hey, Asher. How've you been? We didn't really get a chance to talk."

Asher coughed awkwardly. "O-oh, yeah. Sup?"

He gave a forced smile… but as his gaze lingered on Caster, a memory surfaced — one that made his grin twist oddly.

The time he'd kicked Caster right in the—

A faint orb sparked to life beside them.

[Audio Playing: Asher's thoughts — 15/12/6073]

"Augmenting my kick would've definitely shattered his balls."

Silence.

Everyone in the room froze.

Caster stood rigid, staring at Asher like he'd just been slapped by time itself.

Asher sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

'…Fuck you, Dahila.'

________________

[A/N: Back Boys]