**Chapter 9: Cas's Past**

Cas Wilder slouched in his chair, his eyes fixed on the worn wooden floor as the dim lighting of the detention room seemed to amplify the tension that had been building among the group. Elara, still reeling from her experience in the hidden passageway, couldn't shake the feeling that she had stumbled into something much larger than herself. As she glanced around the room, her eyes met Alec's, and for a moment, they just stared at each other. The air was thick with unspoken emotions, and Cas felt like he was suffocating under the weight of his own secrets. He had always kept his past hidden, even from his friends, but something about Elara's curious gaze made him want to open up. Maybe it was the way she listened, her eyes locked onto his like she could see right through him. Or maybe it was the way she smiled, like she genuinely cared about what he had to say. "Hey, Cas?" Elara said, breaking the silence. "Can I ask you something?" Cas raised an eyebrow, his eyes flicking to hers. "Shoot," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. "What's going on with you and Alec?" Elara asked, her voice low. "You two seem...complicated." Cas snorted, looking away. "That's one way to put it." Juno leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Come on, Cas, spill the beans. What's the story with you and Alec?" Cas hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. But something about Elara's kind eyes made him want to trust her. "Alec and I...we're brothers," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Or at least, we're supposed to be. Our parents...they adopted me when I was a kid. Alec was already...different, even back then." Elara's eyes widened. "Different?" Cas nodded. "He was always distant, like he was hiding something. And then, when we were teenagers, he...changed. He became this cold, hard person, and I didn't know what to do." Juno's eyes were wide with interest. "What do you mean, he changed?" Cas shrugged. "I don't know. He just...shifted, I guess. Became more...vampire-like." The room fell silent, and Cas could feel the weight of Alec's secret pressing down on him. He knew that Alec was hiding something, something big, and it was only a matter of time before it all came crashing down. Elara's eyes met his, and for a moment, Cas thought he saw something there, something like understanding. "I think I'm starting to get it," she said, her voice soft. "You're worried about Alec, aren't you?" Cas nodded, feeling a lump form in his throat. "Yeah. I am. He's...he's not the same person he used to be. And I don't know how to reach him." As Cas spoke, the tension in the room seemed to dissipate, replaced by a sense of understanding and empathy. Elara's eyes never left his, and for a moment, Cas felt like he was home. But as the minutes ticked by, Cas couldn't shake the feeling that he had just opened Pandora's box. He had revealed a piece of himself, and now he wasn't sure if he could ever take it back. The detention room fell silent once more, the only sound the quiet hum of the fluorescent lights overhead. Cas knew that he had to be careful, that he had to protect himself and those he cared about. But as he glanced at Elara, he couldn't help but feel a sense of hope. Maybe, just maybe, he had found someone who could help him navigate the treacherous landscape of his past.