diff --git a/src/core/cache.rs b/src/core/cache.rs
index e69de29..c4bfa0d 100644
--- a/src/core/cache.rs
+++ b/src/core/cache.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+
+use crate::core::entry::Entry;
+use crate::core::mainmemory::MainMemory;
+use crate::core::metrics::Metrics;
+use crate::core::policy::{CacheKey, Policy};
+use crate::core::time::Clock;
+
+pub struct Cache<P: Policy, const MM_SIZE: usize> {
+    pub capacity: usize,
+    pub store: HashMap<CacheKey, Entry<CacheKey>>,
+    pub policy: P,
+    pub metrics: Metrics,
+    pub clock: Clock,
+    pub main_memory: MainMemory<MM_SIZE>,
+}
+
+impl<P: Policy, const MM_SIZE: usize> Cache<P, MM_SIZE> {
+    pub fn new(capacity: usize, policy: P, main_memory: MainMemory<MM_SIZE>) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            capacity,
+            store: HashMap::new(),
+            policy,
+            metrics: Metrics::new(),
+            clock: Clock::new(),
+            main_memory,
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn access(&mut self, key: CacheKey) {
+        self.clock.tick_up();
+        let tick = self.clock.get_tick();
+
+        if let Some(entry) = self.store.get_mut(&key) {
+            // Hit
+            entry.on_access(tick);
+            self.policy.on_hit(key);
+            self.metrics.record_hit();
+        } else {
+            // Miss
+            self.metrics.record_miss();
+
+            // If at capacity, ask policy who to evict
+
+            /* on_miss and victim are interchangeable ig? and then remove is the thing that tells the policy that we 
+            did actually get rid of something
+            */
+            if self.store.len() >= self.capacity {
+                if let Some(evict_key) = self.policy.on_miss(key) {
+                    self.store.remove(&evict_key);
+                    self.policy.remove(evict_key);
+                    self.metrics.record_eviction();
+                }
+            } else {
+                self.policy.on_miss(key);
+            }
+
+            // Fetch from main memory
+            let _ = self.main_memory.fetch(key);
+
+            // Insert new entry
+            let entry = Entry::new(key, 1, tick);
+            self.store.insert(key, entry);
+            self.policy.insert(key);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/core/mainmemory.rs b/src/core/mainmemory.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7f1c4dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/mainmemory.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+
+use crate::core::entry::Entry;
+use crate::core::metrics::Metrics;
+use crate::core::policy::{CacheKey, Policy};
+use crate::core::time::Clock;
+
+pub struct MainMemory<const SIZE: usize> {
+    pub mem: HashMap<CacheKey, Entry<CacheKey>>,
+}
+
+impl<const SIZE: usize> MainMemory<SIZE> {
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            mem: HashMap::new()
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn fetch(&self, key: &CacheKey) -> Option<&mut Entry<CacheKey>>{
+        self.mem.get(key)
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/cache_test.rs b/tests/cache_test.rs
index e69de29..7c09ee0 100644
--- a/tests/cache_test.rs
+++ b/tests/cache_test.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,224 @@
+use lbce::core::cache::Cache;
+use lbce::core::mainmemory::MainMemory;
+use lbce::policies::fifo::Fifo;
+use lbce::policies::lru::Lru;
+
+fn fifo_cache(capacity: usize) -> Cache<Fifo, 1024> {
+    Cache::new(capacity, Fifo::new(), MainMemory::new())
+}
+
+fn lru_cache(capacity: usize) -> Cache<Lru, 1024> {
+    Cache::new(capacity, Lru::new(), MainMemory::new())
+}
+
+// --- Clock / time ---
+
+#[test]
+fn clock_advances_each_access() {
+    let mut cache = fifo_cache(4);
+    assert_eq!(cache.clock.get_tick(), 0);
+    cache.access(1);
+    assert_eq!(cache.clock.get_tick(), 1);
+    cache.access(2);
+    assert_eq!(cache.clock.get_tick(), 2);
+    cache.access(1); // hit
+    assert_eq!(cache.clock.get_tick(), 3);
+}
+
+// --- Entry ---
+
+#[test]
+fn entry_insertion_tick_is_set_on_miss() {
+    let mut cache = fifo_cache(4);
+    cache.access(10); // tick becomes 1, entry inserted at tick 1
+    let entry = cache.store.get(&10).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(entry.insertion_tick, 1);
+    assert_eq!(entry.last_access_tick, 1);
+    assert_eq!(entry.access_count, 1);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn entry_updates_on_hit() {
+    let mut cache = fifo_cache(4);
+    cache.access(10); // tick=1, inserted
+    cache.access(10); // tick=2, hit
+    cache.access(10); // tick=3, hit
+    let entry = cache.store.get(&10).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(entry.insertion_tick, 1);
+    assert_eq!(entry.last_access_tick, 3);
+    assert_eq!(entry.access_count, 3);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn entry_frequency_decreases_over_time() {
+    let mut cache = fifo_cache(4);
+    cache.access(5); // tick=1, access_count=1, freq = 1/(1-1+1) = 1.0
+    cache.access(5); // tick=2, access_count=2, freq = 2/(2-1+1) = 1.0
+    cache.access(6); // tick=3, miss — key 5 not accessed this tick
+    // key 5: access_count=2, insertion_tick=1, freq at tick=3 => 2/(3-1+1) = 2/3
+    let entry = cache.store.get(&5).unwrap();
+    let freq = entry.frequency(cache.clock.get_tick());
+    assert!((freq - 2.0 / 3.0).abs() < 1e-9);
+}
+
+// --- Metrics ---
+
+#[test]
+fn metrics_all_misses() {
+    let mut cache = fifo_cache(4);
+    cache.access(1);
+    cache.access(2);
+    cache.access(3);
+    assert_eq!(cache.metrics.hit_count, 0);
+    assert_eq!(cache.metrics.request_count, 3);
+    assert_eq!(cache.metrics.hit_rate(), 0.0);
+    assert_eq!(cache.metrics.miss_rate(), 1.0);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn metrics_mixed_hits_and_misses() {
+    let mut cache = fifo_cache(4);
+    cache.access(1); // miss
+    cache.access(2); // miss
+    cache.access(1); // hit
+    cache.access(2); // hit
+    assert_eq!(cache.metrics.request_count, 4);
+    assert_eq!(cache.metrics.hit_count, 2);
+    assert_eq!(cache.metrics.hit_rate(), 0.5);
+    assert_eq!(cache.metrics.miss_rate(), 0.5);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn metrics_eviction_count() {
+    let mut cache = fifo_cache(2);
+    cache.access(1);
+    cache.access(2);
+    cache.access(3); // eviction
+    cache.access(4); // eviction
+    assert_eq!(cache.metrics.eviction_count, 2);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn metrics_empty_cache_hit_rate_is_zero() {
+    let cache = fifo_cache(4);
+    assert_eq!(cache.metrics.hit_rate(), 0.0);
+}
+
+// --- FIFO policy ---
+
+#[test]
+fn fifo_hit_on_second_access() {
+    let mut cache = fifo_cache(4);
+    cache.access(1); // miss
+    cache.access(1); // hit
+    assert_eq!(cache.metrics.hit_count, 1);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn fifo_no_eviction_below_capacity() {
+    let mut cache = fifo_cache(3);
+    cache.access(1);
+    cache.access(2);
+    cache.access(3);
+    assert_eq!(cache.metrics.eviction_count, 0);
+    assert_eq!(cache.store.len(), 3);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn fifo_evicts_oldest_inserted() {
+    let mut cache = fifo_cache(2);
+    cache.access(1); // oldest
+    cache.access(2);
+    cache.access(3); // at capacity: evict 1
+    assert!(!cache.store.contains_key(&1), "FIFO must evict key 1 (oldest)");
+    assert!(cache.store.contains_key(&2));
+    assert!(cache.store.contains_key(&3));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn fifo_hit_does_not_protect_key_from_eviction() {
+    // FIFO never reorders; hitting key 1 doesn't save it
+    let mut cache = fifo_cache(2);
+    cache.access(1); // inserted first
+    cache.access(2);
+    cache.access(1); // hit — FIFO doesn't move 1
+    cache.access(3); // still evicts 1 (oldest inserted)
+    assert!(!cache.store.contains_key(&1), "FIFO evicts by insertion order, ignoring hits");
+    assert!(cache.store.contains_key(&2));
+    assert!(cache.store.contains_key(&3));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn fifo_eviction_sequence_is_insertion_order() {
+    let mut cache = fifo_cache(2);
+    cache.access(1);
+    cache.access(2);
+    cache.access(3); // evict 1
+    cache.access(4); // evict 2
+    assert!(!cache.store.contains_key(&1));
+    assert!(!cache.store.contains_key(&2));
+    assert!(cache.store.contains_key(&3));
+    assert!(cache.store.contains_key(&4));
+    assert_eq!(cache.metrics.eviction_count, 2);
+}
+
+// --- LRU policy ---
+
+#[test]
+fn lru_hit_on_second_access() {
+    let mut cache = lru_cache(4);
+    cache.access(1); // miss
+    cache.access(1); // hit
+    assert_eq!(cache.metrics.hit_count, 1);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn lru_no_eviction_below_capacity() {
+    let mut cache = lru_cache(3);
+    cache.access(1);
+    cache.access(2);
+    cache.access(3);
+    assert_eq!(cache.metrics.eviction_count, 0);
+    assert_eq!(cache.store.len(), 3);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn lru_without_hits_evicts_oldest() {
+    // No hits means insertion order == recency order, same as FIFO
+    let mut cache = lru_cache(2);
+    cache.access(1);
+    cache.access(2);
+    cache.access(3); // evict 1 (least recently used)
+    assert!(!cache.store.contains_key(&1));
+    assert!(cache.store.contains_key(&2));
+    assert!(cache.store.contains_key(&3));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn lru_hit_protects_key_from_eviction() {
+    let mut cache = lru_cache(2);
+    cache.access(1); // insert 1 (LRU)
+    cache.access(2); // insert 2 (MRU)
+    cache.access(1); // hit — 1 becomes MRU, 2 becomes LRU
+    cache.access(3); // evict 2 (now LRU)
+    assert!(cache.store.contains_key(&1), "LRU must keep key 1 (recently hit)");
+    assert!(!cache.store.contains_key(&2), "LRU must evict key 2 (least recently used)");
+    assert!(cache.store.contains_key(&3));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn lru_eviction_sequence_tracks_recency() {
+    let mut cache = lru_cache(3);
+    cache.access(1);
+    cache.access(2);
+    cache.access(3);
+    // order: [1(LRU), 2, 3(MRU)]
+    cache.access(2); // hit — order: [1(LRU), 3, 2(MRU)]
+    cache.access(4); // evict 1
+    assert!(!cache.store.contains_key(&1));
+    cache.access(5); // evict 3
+    assert!(!cache.store.contains_key(&3));
+    assert!(cache.store.contains_key(&2));
+    assert!(cache.store.contains_key(&4));
+    assert!(cache.store.contains_key(&5));
+}