Chapter 4: Meaning of friends

It had been two hours since Kaito entered his dorm. Luckily, everyone had their own private chamber for rest. It contained only the essentials: a bed, a mattress, a dresser for his clothes, and a holder for his mask.

Suddenly, an announcement echoed through the speakers in the dorms. "All contestants, I humbly ask you to make your way to the cafeteria for dinner. You have 30 minutes to get there, or you'll spend the night without food."

### Part 1: That Time I Met Zen

Kaito walked into a bustling lunchroom, filled with the hum of conversations and the clatter of trays. The aroma of freshly prepared meals filled the air, blending with the low chatter of contestants who were already forging friendships. Most of the booths were packed, with people sitting together, exchanging stories, and enjoying each other's company.

There was only one empty booth left, occupied by a lone figure wearing a mask. The person looked younger than Kaito, so he decided to sit with him. As soon as Kaito sat down, an unusual sense of calm washed over him.

"Hey! My name's Zen. What about you?" the boy introduced himself excitedly.

Kaito hesitated for a moment, still cautious. Letting your guard down could be the biggest mistake in this competition. However, he needed to learn more about the others. "Void," he answered simply.

Zen beamed. "Nice to meet you, Void! You must be from the last batch that arrived."

Kaito, still feeling a bit suspicious, asked, "Mind if I ask you a personal question?"

"Go for it! I'm an open book," Zen replied, leaning forward.

"Why are you sitting here alone? I just got here, but what about you?" Kaito inquired, curious.

Zen shrugged with a slight smirk. "I guess people don't like my honesty."

Before Kaito could ask more, someone interrupted. "I see you're new here, and I couldn't help but notice you sitting with this rude guy. Why don't you join us at a better table?"

Before Kaito could respond, the stranger grabbed his arm and pulled him away from Zen.

### Part 2: That Illusion

"Who are you?" Kaito asked, yanking his arm free.

The guy smiled. "Oh, my bad. I'm Nexus. And you?"

"Void," Kaito replied, clearly unimpressed. "What do you want?"

Nexus waved him off casually. "Just thought you might want to sit with me and my group. You'll fit in better."

Without waiting for an answer, Nexus pulled Kaito toward a table where a few other contestants sat. "Everyone, this is Void. Let me introduce you."

He pointed to a bulked-up girl who looked like she could break a table in half with her bare hands. "This is Nemesis. She's all about strength and power." 

Next, he gestured to a girl sitting quietly with a mysterious air about her. "This is Veil. You never know what she's hiding."

A skinny guy with dark circles under his eyes leaned forward. "And that's Asylum. His mind is as dark as it gets," Nexus added.

Lastly, Nexus pointed to a tired-looking guy slumped over the table. "This is Devourer. Trust me, you'll soon find out why he's called that."

Kaito scanned the group, intrigued but wary. "Nice to meet you all," he said with a nod.

### Part 3: The Rising Stars

Nexus leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "Void, I think it's time you met the rising stars of this recruitment process."

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Who are they?"

"These are the strongest newcomers here," Nexus began. "First, we've got Cipher, a genius codebreaker. She can unravel the most complex of enigmas with ease."

Kaito nodded as Nexus continued, his gaze shifting to another contestant. "Then there's Onyx Viper, a master of stealth. She moves like a shadow, striking without warning."

Nexus's voice dropped even lower as he pointed to another figure. "That's Shadow Lotus, a fierce combatant. His strength and precision make him a deadly force on the battlefield."

Finally, Nexus gestured to a brooding figure in the corner. "And there's Abyssal Tempest. He controls elemental forces, summoning storms with ease. His power goes far beyond the ordinary."

Kaito was about to ask another question when Nexus paused.

"So, what about the creatures we have to fight?" Kaito asked. "I'm mostly curious about the Treants."

Nexus shrugged. "We can help you a little, but none of us are in the Lotus group. We've already completed our assignments, so we're just waiting for the next test."

"You'll learn everything in the Monster Lecture," Nemesis added. "But good luck."

### A Few Days Later

"Hey Void, ready for training?" Nexus called out, poking his head into Kaito's dorm.

"Yeah, yeah, just a minute," Kaito replied groggily.

"Geez, dude, why do you always oversleep?" Nemesis laughed as she leaned against the doorframe.

Kaito smirked. "It's not my fault," he muttered, pulling on his shoes.

They all laughed together, a sense of camaraderie forming between them. As they walked to the training grounds, Kaito couldn't help but think, **How long has it been since I felt this kind of peace?** His mind drifted to memories of the past, particularly to the day he killed Sato. **I've been restless ever since.**

But for now, that peace, however temporary, was enough.