Sunny made his way out of the Sleeper Compound with a dazed expression.
He had just finished delivering his report to Teacher Julius.
His mentor had been ecstatic, practically vibrating with excitement as he flipped through the pages, muttering to himself, asking questions faster than Sunny could answer them. They'd talked for hours, drifting from the Forgotten Shore to the nature of Gods and Daemons.
Sunny had learned a few things, mostly that Julius's knowledge of those nebulous beings was as fragmented as everyone else's. The old man had theories, but no concrete answers. No one did.
But that wasn't what had him dazed.
No, Sunny was dazed because, according to Teacher Julius, his exploration report on the Forgotten Shore would earn him more than enough contribution points to afford a house in a nice neighborhood.
For someone like Sunny, born in the outskirts, raised in pollution and cramped apartments, owning a house in a place with clean air was an impossible dream.
But now…
He could get a house…
And he has Nephis…
Nephis… and a house… and him…
His face started to heat up.
'...I should send Neph a message… check if she still needs my help...'
He opened the messaging app on his communicator …and paused.
He didn't have her number.
The only saved contact he had was Jet, who had saved her own name with three skull emojis on either side.
Sunny stared at the screen.
'...Something is wrong with that woman.'
He shook his head.
The distraction had cooled his thoughts a little.
'...Are you crazy? Neph has a manor! Why would she settle for a house?'
He put his hands in his pockets and sighed. He didn't know where she was, and he didn't have any way to contact her, she said she'd be looking for information on potential citadels.
But… how?
'What was it called… a library? The Academy has to have one of those, right?'
Sunny had never been to a library, but he was familiar with the concept. There were similar types of public terminals in the outskirts, too, although using them cost credits. He had never had any to spare, so his visits were few and far between. And he went there for entertainment, not to study.
'A library it is…'
He headed toward the medical center, intending to ask for directions.
But as soon as he stepped inside, a familiar Awakened waved him down.
Sunny narrowed his eyes. She was one of the ones who had acted as a guard earlier.
'I think her name was Sid?'
"There you are, Sunny!" she called, jogging toward him. "We're waiting for you in the conference hall."
"Conference hall?" Sunny echoed.
Then he vaguely remembered someone mentioning a memorial while he was writing his report.
"Right… sorry about that. I lost track of time. Let's go."
Sid nodded and gestured for him to follow.
Entering the conference hall he lingered for a moment in front of a monitor attached to the wall.
There, two hundred and seven names were shown, listing everyone who had made it back.
And on the very top of it, there were three very special ones:
"Changing Star"
"Raised by Wolves"
"Nightingale"
"Song of the Fallen"
Nephis, Effie, Kai, and Cassie…
Sunny stared at the four True Names for some time, then slowly lowered his gaze. Right beneath was his own name.
With a grim expression on his face, Sunny opened the doors and entered the hall.
The former Sleepers of the Forgotten Shore were all there, at least those who had awoken at the Academy or could make it there for the memorial. He looked around the crowd, searching for familiar faces.
It was strange to see all these people back in the real world.
Many people welcomed his arrival with warm greetings. Sunny smiled awkwardly and did his best to reciprocate their goodwill. After a few such encounters, he finally noticed Kai at the back of the crowd.
Sunny stumbled and stared at his friend for a couple of seconds.
'I'll be damned…'
How could that guy become even more gorgeous?
The Awakening made Kai's slender figure even more graceful, his perfect face even more handsome, and his electric green eyes even more mesmerizing. His luscious dark auburn hair was now neatly cut and styled, his clothes were simple and exquisitely fashionable, and the several pieces of jewelry he wore somehow managed to enhance every one of those features by bringing it just the right amount of attention.
'Such… such injustice!'
With a resentful sigh, Sunny made his way through the crowd and approached his friend. Kai noticed him from afar, and then, the conference hall suddenly seemed to become much brighter due to his brilliant smile.
"Sunny! You are finally here!"
Sunny wanted to answer, but then froze for a second, noticing a stranger next to the charming young man. A sickly, terribly gaunt young woman was sitting in a wheelchair, staring at them with a tired expression.
…It was only when the young woman smiled mischievously did he finally recognize her.
"What's the matter, doofus? You've been struck dumb by my beauty?"
With a giggle, Effie spun her wheelchair, as though giving him the chance to take a good look.
'Effie… that's... that's Effie?'
Sunny stared at her for a couple of moments, trying to connect the image of the mighty huntress he knew — tall, strong, beautiful, and full of vigor — to this weak, gaunt young woman. He only spoke when the pain of the Flaw pierced his mind:
"Not really. What… what the hell happened to you?"
Effie smiled and shrugged.
"Nothing. That's how I've always been, in the real world."
Something moved in Sunny's memory. He remembered how the two of them sat on the support beam of the ruined cathedral, talking in whispers.
'...for some of us, the real world was more of a hell than the Dream Realm.'
That was what Effie had said, back then.
Noticing the strange expression on his face, she grinned.
"Ah, don't worry about it. At least now that I'm Awakened, I can move my hands. Look at this…"
She grabbed the handles of the wheels, then balanced her chair at an angle and spun it around again.
"See? Ain't that the coolest thing you've ever seen?"
Sunny hesitated for a bit, then said quietly:
"...Yes. One of the coolest, by far."
Effie gave him a smile, then glanced at Kai:
"See, Night? Your celebrity aura got nothing on my burning charisma."
The young man looked at her, but didn't say anything. Instead, he suddenly took a step forward and gave Sunny a big hug.
"Sunny! Thank gods you're alive!"
Sunny squirmed a little, but then surrendered to being embraced. With a resigned expression, he endured for as long as he could and then said through gritted teeth:
"Why shouldn't I be alive, fool? I wasn't the one whose unconscious, lanky body had to be dragged all the way to the Gateway!"
Kai squeezed him even tighter, then finally released his hold on him. Taking a step back, the charming young man hesitated for a couple of seconds and sighed.
"Still. With your luck, I am surprised that the whole Spire didn't just fall on your head."
Sunny froze, then forced out a smile.
"Yeah. That… would have been terrible, wouldn't it…"
"That's exactly what happened." A familiar voice said right behind Sunny.
Kai paled slightly at the words as Sunny jolted and turned to see Nephis looking at him smugly with Cassie beside her.
'Damn noise! I can't believe she managed to sneak up on me.'
Effie cackled from her wheelchair.
"Princess got you good Doofus!"
Nephis moved to stand close to Sunny as she turned to Effie, eyes widening slightly.
"Doofus…? Effie? Is that you?"
Effie beamed at her.
"Yep, I see you're also shocked by my beauty."
Cassie piped up from next to Nephis.
"Oh? Is Effie pretty?"
Effie's smile faltered.
"...Yes, she's beautiful."
Nephis said softly.
Effie's ears turned pink.
"Aww, you're gonna make me blush Princess, save that sort of stuff for Doofus."
She paused, then smirked wickedly.
"Speaking of you and Doofus… You're standing awfully close to him…"
Nephis's only reaction was the tips of her ears turning red.
"What's wrong with me standing next to my boyfriend."
Nephis's voice cracked as she said the last word.
Sunny stared at the ceiling, desperately willing the blush on his face to disappear.
Kai smiled brightly at them.
"Oh! I'm so happy for you two!"
The corners of Nephis lips curled upwards at the congratulations while Sunny rubbed the back of his head bashfully.
"Oh‑ho! Really now?" Effie crowed, rolling her wheelchair toward them with predatory enthusiasm. "Well don't be shy, tell big sis Effie all the juicy details!"
Effie grinned like a shark as she closed in, and for several minutes she unleashed relentless teasing.
Eventually, salvation arrived in the form of several instructors entering the hall and calling for attention.
"That's my cue," Nephis said, slipping away toward the stage as if escaping a berserk nightmare creature.
Cassie immediately stepped closer to Sunny, closing the gap in their little circle.
The instructors speeches congratulated the survivors of the Dreamer Army on overcoming the immeasurable hardships and returning to the real world alive. They also spoke about those who had fallen, and offered words of solace, saying that their sacrifice would not be forgotten by mankind.
After all, mankind only continued to exist because of young men and women like them.
To Sunny, those words rang hollow and empty, but they affected many people in the crowd. He saw a few people crying, the others trying to keep a brave face. Everyone had lost a friend, a companion, or a loved one during the tumultuous last days on the Forgotten Shore.
Instructor Rock took the stage and spoke in length about the meaning of being an Awakened, their duty to safeguard humanity, and what they should do and expect in the next few days.
Cassie clutched Sunny's arm suddenly, tensing as though bracing for something, Sunny glanced at her, but she didn't explain.
Finally, Nephis stepped up to the podium.
The crowd surged forward instinctively, drawn to her like moths to a flame. Kai had to grab Effie's wheelchair to keep her from being swept away
Once the wave of people passed, Effie turned to Sunny with a wicked grin
"So, Sunny, how does Cassie's tits feel?"
"Effie!" Cassie hissed with a blush as she let go of Sunny's arm.
Sunny closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.
I swear, one day I'm gonna kill this woman…
The pain of his Flaw stabbed him mercilessly.
He exhaled shakily.
"…soft…" he admitted, defeated.
Kai raised a brow.
"It's the truth."
"Sunny!" Cassie hissed again and lightly smacked Sunny's arm.
"Sorry," Sunny said, accepting his punishment with the dignity of a man who had none left.
Effie cackled so hard she nearly tipped her chair. Kai sighed, though a small smile tugged at his lips.
"That's also the truth," he added helpfully.
Sunny groaned and looked toward the stage just as Nephis stepped up to the podium, her white hair catching the light, her presence commanding the room with effortlessly.
She rested her hands lightly on the edges of the lectern, took a breath, and spoke in a clear, steady voice.
"Thank you for gathering here today."
Her gaze swept over the crowd, the survivors of the Forgotten Shore, the instructors. Her expression composed.
"We stand here because we survived something that should have killed us. All of us. The Forgotten Shore was not a place Sleepers were meant to be overcome. It was a deathzone. A place built to break us."
A ripple of emotion passed through the hall.
"But we endured."
She paused, letting the words settle.
"We endured hunger. Fear. Monsters. Betrayal. Loss. We endured the weight of knowing that every step forward might be our last. And yet… we kept walking."
Her voice remained calm, but there was a quiet fire beneath it.
"We survived because we refused to surrender. Because we protected each other. Because even when everything seemed hopeless, someone always stood up again."
She lowered her gaze for a moment.
"Not all of us returned."
The room grew still.
"We honor those who fell. Their courage. Their sacrifice. Their names will not be forgotten, not by us, and not by the world they died to protect."
She lifted her head again, resolve sharpening her features.
"But we also honor the living. Each of you fought with everything you had. Each of you proved that humanity's strength does not come from power or rank… but from the will to rise after every blow."
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched her lips.
"You are Awakened now. Not because the Spell chose you… but because you earned it through blood, sweat, and tears."
She straightened.
"In the days ahead, we will face new challenges. New battles. New responsibilities. But remember this, we have already overcome the impossible."
Her eyes scanned the crowd, meeting faces one by one.
"And together we will rise up and face them."
She stepped back from the podium.
Then the room erupted into applause.
Sunny felt something warm twist in his chest.
That was Nephis.
That was Changing Star.
Even knowing exactly what she was doing, Sunny still got caught up in the atmosphere. Just like on the Forgotten Shore, she was swaying those who had not yet chosen a path. Drawing them toward her. Inspiring them to follow her, fight for her… and, if it came to it, die for her.
He looked around the hall, everyone was clapping, but he could see some whose hearts were not in it.
There were two groups, Seishan's Handmaidens, and most of the remaining Guards.
Everyone else had been firmly pulled into Nephis's faction by her speech.
…That was his girlfriend.
…Gods help him.
Eventually Nephis stepped off the stage. She exchanged a few quiet words with the instructors, then turned to a small group of Awakened waiting nearby, the same ones who had acted as guards earlier. After a brief conversation, they dispersed into the crowd.
Nephis returned to their group.
"That went well," Cassie said brightly as Nephis took her place beside Sunny.
"I think so too," Nephis replied, her voice calm but carrying a faint undercurrent of satisfaction.
"It was a very inspiring speech," Kai added, nodding with genuine admiration.
Nephis looked to Sunny expectantly.
His mouth twitched upward. Who was he to deny his girlfriend a little praise?
"You were amazing up there."
He doubted anyone else would notice, but Nephis was absolutely preening. Just a little. Her lips curved into a small, pleased smile.
"Thank you."
"Mm, mm, definitely a good speech, Princess," Effie chimed in. "But doofus was just telling us how soft Cassie's ti-mmph!"
Effie's lethal words were cut off as Kai slapped a hand over her mouth with lightning fast reflexes
Nephis raised a brow and turned to Sunny.
"What is she talking about?" she asked, genuinely confused.
A mortified Cassie was the one to answer.
"I-I just held onto Sunny's arm when the crowd moved."
Nephis tilted her head, unbothered.
"Okay?"
Effie managed to wrench Kai's hand away for half a second.
"SunnygotagoodfeelofCassiesboobs-"
Kai gagged her again before she could finish.
Cassie buried her face in her hands.
"I'm going to kill her," she whispered.
Me too, Cass. Me too, Sunny thought grimly.
"Ah…" Nephis began slowly. "And?"
Sunny blinked.
"You're not mad?"
Nephis shook her head.
"If it were anyone else, perhaps. But it's Cass, and it sounds like it was unintentional." Her eyes narrowed on Sunny. "It was unintentional, right?"
Sunny hastily nodded.
"Yes, absolutely unintentional."
Nephis nodded back, satisfied.
"Good, then that's that."
Sunny and Cassie both let out matching sighs of relief.
"Tch, you're no fun," Effie grumbled once Kai cautiously released her. "Ah well, I'm dying from hunger. There has to be food here somewhere, right?"
***
A/N: Heya! Sorry for the late update. Let me know what you though of the chapter and how well I captured the cohort members.
Hopefully after the next chapter we can get out of the this little hospital and awakened academy arc.
Also, big thank you to BloodyCrown11 for the shoutout in MoW <3, I really appreciate it.