Cain had been right when he had told the girls that he had a way to make them stronger. Never did they imagine that it was giving them a fragment of an apparent unique skill!

The power that they gained with just one fragment was mindblowing, they couldn't even begin to fathom how strong they could be if they were able to make their skills whole.

Perhaps without realizing it, all four girls became more aware of Cain in that moment. He had given them hope and power in a world that would crush them if they didn't have either.

Cain could see the gratitude, respect and even devotion in the eyes of the 3 girls in front of him. He could also feel the smug pride of Jayden who was probably padding her own ego with a mindset of 'I'm awesome because my eye for men is awesome'.

Cain had a wry smile as Gaius' voice echoed inside of his head after silently observing what he had done until now.

This must be the difference between us,' he laughed with a bit of sorrow in his tone. 'When I first set out with my companions many years ago they never looked at me the way your girls look at you now.'

Cain didn't know how to react to the unexpected praise from his mentor. He honestly expected Gaius to tease him or mock him for all of his companions being beautiful women. Perhaps even going as far as calling him a 'harem bastard' or something like that.

But this? This was beyond anything he could have ever expected.

Cain felt the echo of Gaius's words still hanging in his mind, like the faint reverberation of a bell after it had been struck. He had not expected that from his old mentor. Gaius rarely spoke in such a tone, one that carried both nostalgia and a hint of regret.

Before Cain could dwell on it any further, Jayden's voice cut into the air with all the subtlety of a thunderclap.

"So what's next?" she asked, her golden eyes practically glowing as her tail swished back and forth behind her. "I mean… you gave us power, right? Like, actual power! Fragments of a unique skill! That is insane, Cain. Do you have any idea what we could do with this? No, seriously, do you? Because I want to do it. Right now. Whatever you have in mind. I am ready!"

She bounced on the balls of her feet as if she was about to sprint straight into whatever challenge he presented.

Cain blinked.

The feelings that Gaius had unconsciously been sending into his mind slipped away like morning mist under sunlight, leaving only Jayden's wide-eyed enthusiasm staring at him like a puppy expecting a treat.

He ran a hand down his face. Of course. Leave it to Jayden to blow apart any semblance of a reflective moment.

When he looked back at her, Jayden was practically vibrating with excitement. Even her ears twitched as if they were ready to launch her entire body forward the moment he said something remotely interesting.

"Do you really want to know what my plan is?" Cain asked at last, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Yes," Jayden said instantly, nodding so hard that her hair whipped around her face. Her tail wagged so fast now it looked like it might fly off.

Even Maris, normally composed and aloof, tilted her head slightly in curiosity. The idea of training seemed to appeal to her as well, though she kept her expression mostly neutral except for the faint spark in her eyes.

Mira crossed her arms but said nothing, her attention fixed on Cain. Kiyomi, meanwhile, looked amused as if she already had some idea of where this was heading.

Cain let the silence stretch for a moment longer before his smile widened into a grin. For a heartbeat, it looked like he might actually say something grand and dramatic.

Then his expression went flat.

"The plan," he said in the most deadpan voice imaginable, "is to go to bed. It is the middle of the night, and we all have classes in the morning."

Jayden froze.

Maris stared at him.

Mira raised an eyebrow.

Kiyomi smirked faintly but said nothing.

"You… what?" Jayden said at last, ears flicking downward like flowers caught in the rain. Her tail stopped wagging so abruptly it was almost comical. "That's it? Go to bed? After all this? You can't just drop fragments of a unique skill on us and then say… bedtime. That's illegal. That should be illegal."

Beside her, even Maris looked faintly disappointed though she did not voice it.

Cain turned on his heel without answering, already waving a hand over his shoulder in dismissal. "Good night, everyone. I am leaving first."

Before anyone could reply, his Blink skill activated. Cain vanished in a flicker of shadow and reappeared somewhere far more comfortable, leaving the group staring at the empty space where he had just stood.

Jayden's ears drooped even further. Her entire posture radiated betrayal.

"Oh, no. No, no, no," she muttered, fists clenching as she stared in the direction he had gone. "He is not getting away with that. If he thinks he can just walk off after—no. I am going to find him. And then I am going to…"

She trailed off as her cheeks flushed faintly.

Nobody had to guess what she was planning.

Jayden's tail flicked again as she turned to stalk after him, determination blazing in her eyes. She was halfway across the courtyard before Kiyomi's voice drifted lazily after her.

"Mira. Maris. Grab her."

The two girls blinked.

"Uh… what?" Mira asked.

"Just do it," Kiyomi said with a little grin.

Maris shrugged and moved first, catching Jayden by the arm before the wolf girl could dart away. Mira grabbed the other side.

"Hey! What—let go!" Jayden yelped, trying to twist free. Her ears flattened against her head. "I have important business to attend to!"

Kiyomi sauntered over, her tails swaying lazily behind her. "Yes, I am sure you do. But we have something else to take care of first."

Jayden glared at her suspiciously. "What could possibly be more important than—"

"We should have a talk," Kiyomi interrupted smoothly. "A girls' talk."

Jayden stopped struggling long enough to blink at her. "Like… what? A girls' talk? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like," Kiyomi replied, her smile turning faintly mischievous.

Jayden's ears perked halfway back up in confusion. "Wait. Do you mean… like a sleepover?"

Kiyomi giggled softly, the sound light and teasing. "Yes. Like a sleepover."

Jayden stared at her as if the concept had just short-circuited her entire brain. A sleepover? With… them?

She had never done anything like that before. Not once.

She tried to act uninterested, to shrug as if the idea was barely worth acknowledging, but her tail betrayed her completely by giving a single excited flick.

"I mean… I guess," she said with forced reluctance, trying to sound bored. "If that is what you all want to do. Whatever."

Mira raised an eyebrow, clearly not fooled.

Maris said nothing, though there was the faintest hint of amusement in her eyes as she let go of Jayden's arm.

Kiyomi's smile only grew. "Good. Then it is settled."

Jayden crossed her arms and tried to look annoyed. She was almost willing to forgive the fox girl for trying to steal Cain earlier… almost.

Secretly, though, she could not deny the little spark of excitement in her chest.

Her first sleepover.

She was not about to admit it out loud, but she was looking forward to it more than she had expected.

When Cain blinked back into existence inside his dorm room, the faint shimmer of the skill faded from his body as he stepped forward. The room was dark and silent, the only sound the faint hum of the air system overhead.

He did not even bother turning on the lights.

Boots off. Jacket on the chair. Swords leaned against the wall.

By the time his head hit the pillow, exhaustion washed over him like a wave. He had been running on pure focus for hours, juggling fights, plans, power transfers, and now Gaius's unexpected words lingering in the back of his mind.

However, despite thinking that he needed to ask Gaius what he meant back then, sleep took him almost instantly.

Cain never even realized that the night was still young for some. When asked about this later, he would vehemently deny knowing anything about it. It would have been too embarrassing if he had even the slightest inkling of an idea what was happening.

Tonight would later be marked as the first official gathering of Cain's 'Heavenly Demon Queens'.

What to others was but a simple Girls sleepover, was in actuality the foundation of support that Cain would grow.

While each of them may now be associated with A Sin, he was the one who gathered them, who had helped them.

He was their Prince.

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