A chasm lay between Caster and Melena. Caster had tried to cross it before; he had tried to reach out to her, but he had failed. Now he sat alone at a desk away, feeling like he was a part of things but never truly a part of things.


    “Hey,” Melena whispered, tossing a glance toward him, “Are you okay?” His breath caught at the sight of her autumn hair. Brown strands dangled above her smooth face like branches about to fall. But Caster couldn’t fall again. He didn’t have enough left in him to get back up.


    “I’m okay,” Caster nodded as he ignored the harrowing pain in his chest. “I’m okay.” Maybe the lie could last a little longer.


    Melena stared into Caster’s eyes and seemed to see deeper into him than a friend should, but she nodded and turned back to her group. It was better that way. It was better that she was away. She gave the same kindness to everyone. She was the same friend to everyone. Caster closed his eyes. He would think of her normally like she thought of him. The chasm should never be crossed.


    “Maybe, just maybe, one of these days, beasts will come crashing through the walls and take me out of this class,” Nick sighed to Caster. “When am I ever going to need to know where the Kingvetter’s organs are?”


    “Nickolas, do you have something to say to the class?” Professor Shang snapped from the front of the classroom as she paused her lesson. Lines of stress appeared on her forehead as she squinted. She was from a nearly forgotten and dangerous age when beasts and humanity fought daily, before the founding of the Sacred Coalition. Unfortunately for Nick, danger found him too. In a moment, he captured the eyes of the entire class of thirty.


    Caster stifled a laugh.


    Nick started out of his chair, which screeched horribly as he moved, and stood straight. “No! Sorry, professor!” He nervously shouted, his face flushing pink with embarrassment. The class broke into laughter.


    “Sit back down, Nickolas,” Professor Shang commanded, returning her wrinkled finger to the chalkboard. “And calm yourselves, children. This beast sent many strong people to an early grave when I was your age. It may not seem like it to you, but this is knowledge that can save your life. I will not have it diminished by your antics.” She glared at Nick. “I expect that you will stay after school today to learn more.”


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    A painful grimace struck Nick’s face. “Yes, ma’am,” he murmured.


    “Have fun with that,” Caster whispered, a corner of his mouth raising.


    “Shut up,” Nick grunted.


    An electronic note screeched out of the classroom’s speakers and the students clamored, ready to head home, but the note lasted longer than usual, descending into a pattern that Caster had never heard before. It waved higher and lower like a DJ was messing with the pitch, but then it abruptly paused. The new silence hung in the air. The students broke into lively chatter, wondering if the speaker system was broken, but the note returned louder than ever and blared over them. Professor Shang paled. She shied away from the wooden door next to her. Her eyes were wide, and her pupils made it seem as though she wasn’t present, like she was recalling a traumatic memory from her past.


    “Caster!” Nick called. “You know what’s going on? Caster!”


    Caster held his eyes on the door, muttering under his breath.


    Nick leaned closer. “What’d you say?”


    “We need to go.”


    The door flattened in an instant, along with the entire brick wall. They collapsed right on top of Professor Shang. Her brown eyes were frightened until the end. Dust filled the classroom—Caster couldn’t see more than two feet in front of him—but through the grey cloud, the blood-red eyes of a beast burned into his skull. Screams enveloped the room as the hound-like beast pounced, jaw whipping back and forth.


    Caster grasped Nick by the shoulders. “Leave!” He yelled before turning.


    Desks flew across the room. Caster couldn’t look at the bodies on the floor. Melona scrambled—she was alive—but the beast wheeled its terror onto her. Blood drenched the beast’s snout. It began to snap, revealing rows of black blood-stained teeth, sharper than knives. Caster’s fist met its snout instead. The surprise did more damage than the hit. The beast yelped and backed as it met its first opponent.


    “Melena, get up!” Caster shouted hurriedly. “Take my hands!” Her face was stricken, eyebrows raised in shock. She shouldn’t have had to suffer like this. He pulled her up, ignoring the fixing pain in the hand that had punched the beast. The beast lunged with a new ferocity; it wouldn’t allow the time to recover. The attack was too close and too fast. Caster threw Melena away from him.


    “Caster!” She screamed. The beast’s teeth neared. Even though death approached, Caster felt calmer than ever. He let out a deep breath in relief. He had been tired, he realized. He had been tired for a long time. Caster glanced at Melena. She was fair, her green eyes shimmering like life itself. The chasm still wouldn’t be crossed. He bit his lip and shut his eyes for the very last time. Nick charged into the beast from the side with his shoulder.


    “Wake up, Caster!” Nick shouted. “We all need to leave! Man, that hurt.”


    Caster’s eyes widened at the sight of his longtime friend—a brother. “Got it, Nick,” Caster said at last, a corner of his mouth raising. “Let’s go.”


    The beast dove into pursuit as the three of them turned their tail and ran. The danger electrified Caster, pumping new blood and realizations. There may be a chasm, but he always had people to help him bridge.


    Caster howled.