[ Grey sky above, black mud below, an endless sea of crimson in between. On this dreamlike backdrop, two beautiful girls were walking across the labyrinth. ]
[ One was delicate and fragile, with blond hair and cerulean, aimless eyes. She was dressed in a simple tunic, with leather sandals on her feet and a cloak the color of sea waves draped around her shoulders. ]
[ The other was tall and lithe. She had silky silver hair and clear, grey eyes. Her revealing clothes were crudely made out of black seaweed, leaving her fair skin and athletic build exposed. She was poised, alert, and barefoot. ]
[ 'Wow. What a sight…' ]
"Pfft- Who would have thought that would be his first thing in his mind, huh, Princess?" Effie asked teasingly.
Nephis tried her best to remain composed and do not let her embarrassement appear in her mind.
Although she enjoyed having his attention, she still hoped her first impression had been more, dignified.
Perhaps she was hoping that his first impression had been the same as her first impression of the Lord of Shadows, an imposing and respectable warrior of great power and skill.
However, if she thought about it, that was neither her true first impression, since this is going to be the first time they truly talked, she just didn't remember it, nor was it the time she remembered first meeting the true Sunny.
She remembered his startled face at the cafe when she walked in.
She recalled the memory fondly.
[ He suddenly regretted that he was not an artist. The picture just begged to be made into a painting. ]
[ 'Wait… why am I thinking about that? People! I found people!' ]
"I have to say, Doofus really has a way with words, or rather thoughts." Effie said with a smirk.
"That is not is important. He should be focusing on meeting with them instead of leering at their appearance." Morgan said.
[ His heart skipped a bit. If Nephis and Cassia were here, then the orange light from before, most likely, had something to do with them. Which meant that they knew how to get to the tall hill. ]
[ Which meant that Sunny didn't have to be crushed to death by the high tide! ]
[ 'Uh… so what do I do now?' ]
"What do you mean, you fool? Go talk to them!" Detective Sunless said, annoyed.
[ He wasn't the best at ingratiating himself to other people. In fact, he was the polar opposite—people usually instinctively avoided him. And that was in normal circumstances. This time, however, he had spent a whole of four weeks making sure that everyone in the Academy hated his guts… ]
[ 'Good job, Sunny!' ]
"Ah! Would you look at that? Are these the consequences of his actions?" Noctis jokingly said, but only getting a slight chuckle from Elyas.
[ Still, he was at least useful. In this situation, an additional body was already a great boon when facing hungry monsters. And he wasn't just anyone: his ability to scout ahead alone was worth a lot. Surely they'll understand that… right? ]
"They should. From what we've guessed, Sunless has been with Changing Star's cohort from early on, like Song of the Fallen." Seishan commented.
"Besides, his aspect, just from the aspect's utility as a scout, would be pretty valued in any clan. I'm sure that he received a lot of propositions once he awakened." Naeve added.
[ Helping herself with the wooden staff, blind Cassia slowly approached the middle of the clearing and extended her hand, finding Nephis and touching her on the shoulder. ]
[ "Why did you stop?" ]
[ "It's getting late." ]
[ "So you think we should turn back?" ]
[ "Yes." ]
[ Sunny was a bit amused by their exchange. ]
[ 'What is she, a strong silent type?' ]
Nephis felt her eye twitch.
But she wasn't bothered at all. Not. At. All.
[ 'How do I approach them? Damn, why is this so hard! It's not like I'm trying to ask them out on a date. I mean, one of them… both of them? What am I thinking about?! Just go and say hi!' ]
"Puhahaha, he... he thought of asking you both ou- huh?" Effie started.
However, as she turned around, Nephis had a perfect poker face, with no sign of blushing from either embarrassment or jealousy, and Cassie seemed... kind of lost, as if she were blind again.
Which meant they were unteasable at the moment.
She turned forward again with a grumble, finding comfort in the gentle shoulder caresses of her husband.
[ But then, if he suddenly appeared out of the shadows… not at all like a creep… how high was the probability of them getting spooked and attacking him before noticing that he was not a monster? ]
[ Wait, why would they… argh, to hell with this! ]
[ Deciding on the safest approach, Sunny commanded his shadow to abandon its hiding place and move to a spot where Nephis could clearly see it. He could clearly sense the shadow rolling its eyes as it obeyed the order. ]
[ As soon as the shadow started to move, Nephis suddenly snapped her hand sideways. Immediately, a long sword appeared in it, cutting the air as it assumed a defensive position. Before the shadow could even take two steps out of its hiding spot, it was already pierced by Changing Star's grey eyes. ]
[ "Neph? What is it?" ]
"What great reflexes." Daeron said.
"I don't think I know this one, do you all?" Noctis asked.
Everyone in the Nightmare Room shook their heads, except for Ananke.
"She traveled along with me and my lord on the Great River." She explained.
"Ah, it seems that we missed her, then." Windflower said, referring to herself and her father, not knowing that technically, her father did meet Nephis.
[ "There's a shadow." ]
[ "A shadow? Scavengers?" ]
[ "No. It's a human shadow." ]
[ "A human shadow? What… what is it doing?" ]
[ "...It's waving at us." ]
"Good job, other me." One Sunny said.
[ "What?" ]
[ "I said: it's waving…" ]
[ "Yes, I know! I mean… why is it doing that?" ]
[ "I don't know. Maybe it's a distraction to lure us into a trap." ]
"That is a normal thought process, unfortunately." Jet agreed.
[ At this point, Sunny decided that it was time to talk. He inhaled deeply, then said in a friendly tone: ]
[ "Actually, I just sent it ahead to make sure that you don't stab me with that sword before realizing that I'm human." ]
[ Immediately, Nephis turned her head, pinpointing the exact location where Sunny was hiding in a blotch of shadows. Her sword slightly shifted, aiming at the new threat. ]
[ "If you're human, why are hiding in the shadows like a creep?" ]
[ 'Goddamit! I'm not a creep!' ]
"Well, this has to be the worst first impressions ever. One is half naked, and the other has been seen as a creep. Who would have thought you would end up together." Effie said amusedly.
"Right?! I think I had a better impression!" Hel said indignantly while her sisters tried to shut her up as soon as they noticed Nephis' gaze shifting to their seats.
[ "I mean, you're Changing Star Nephis. To be honest, I'm a little afraid." ]
However, her gaze immediately shifted towards the screen, eyes slightly wide.
Even if it was logical for him to think that way, considering how much of a stranger they were, she did not like the idea of Sunny being afraid of her.
'Although, if I'm right and I truly became his slaver... Why doesn't he look at me that way now?'
[ Nephis did not answer. Because of her hard-to-read face, it was almost impossible to determine whether she believed him or not. However, he included her True Name in his answer for a reason: if he was some monster pretending to be human, he wouldn't have known it. ]
[ "Are you the boy who sat with me in the cafeteria?" ]
[ "Do you know him?" ]
[ "I recognize his voice. His name is Sunless. He was in second-to-last place in the rankings, right above me." ]
"At least you can vouch for him, Lady Cassie." Kai said positevely.
Cassie did not answer, her gaze was locked onto the screen, mostly fixed on her younger self's face, only momentarily shifting to Sunny's.
Nephis noticed this, of course, she was her best friend, after all.
'What is going on, Cass?'
[ The tall girl frowned, as if trying to remember. Then she asked: ]
[ "The pervert?" ]
[ 'Oh, come on!' ]
"Is that fame never going to disappear? It was funny a couple of times, but if this seriously damages his chances of survival..." Jet did not finish.
"I will have to agree, but you have to admit that it is partially his fault, he never bothered to clear the misunderstanding and put a lot of effort into destroying his own reputation for the sake of cover. These are just consequences." Eunbin reasoned.
[ "Hey! I'm not really a pervert, you know! I just… uhm… said a few things. To a few girls. It was all a misunderstanding." ]
[ "Okay. You can come out." ]
[ Sunny limped out of the shadows, summoning his own back. It flowed to his feet and reattached itself, visibly shaking. The bastard was laughing at him... ]
"It's still weird how his shadows and incarnations are so used to make fun of each other." Aiko commented.
As the person in this room that had the most memories with him, with the exception of Rain, she had been a witness to a lot of his own weird conversations.
They normally only agreed on a couple of things without calling each other "Fool!" now and again. Normally it was about how awful honey, the sea or rivers, and birds were.
[ "What happened to you?" ]
[ "Carapace Scavenger." ]
[ "You managed to get away alive?" ]
[ 'You bet I did!' ]
[ "I didn't get away. I killed it." ]
[ To prove his point, he gestured at his rucksack, full of delicious monster meat. Nephis looked him over again, reevaluating her opinion of him. Now, there were hints of approval in her eyes ]
"That is an achievement. More than a half of those students that we saw being humiliated by Nephis would not be able to deal with an Awakened Beast like he did." Jet said.
"Indeed, the fact that he did so without a weapon memory, makes it more impressive." Seishan added.
[ "Eh… it was already wounded." ]
[ "A kill is a kill. You did well." ]
[ "Are you seriously injured?" ]
[ "No, it's just that my ribs and leg are bruised—I'll be fine in a day or two. My armor is pretty resilient." ]
[ "Before stumbling on the Scavenger, I was heading for the tall hill with the massive coral pillar on top. But after the fight, my speed decreased. Now I'm worried about not making it in time. Do you perhaps know the way?" ]
[ "Actually, we spend the last days on that hill. We were just about to go back." ]
[ "Well… can I come with you?" ]
[ 'They're not going to say "no"… right?' ]
"Once again, they shouldn't." Seishan once again said.
"But to think that the Lord of Shadows was so socially anxious." Revel teased.
"To be fair, his life kind of depends on them accepting him." Eunbin added.
[ "Neph?" ]
[ "No…" ]
[ 'What?!' ]
"Wait, what?" Effie asked incredulous.
As everyone's widened, seriously surprised by Nephis' response, including Nephis herself...
[ "...problem." ]
She finally finished her response, leaving them exasperated.
[ 'What's wrong with you, princess?! Can't you speak faster?!' ]
"Yeah! What the hell, princess?! Wait a minute... Hey! I'm the one who calls princess that, Doofus!!"
In the Alter Room, Smile of Heaven watched as her daughter from another world acted. Her mind went back to the day she had met her daughter's school friends, Cassia and Sunless.
This interaction... was exactly the same.
[ The rest of the way to the tall hill did not take a lot of time. With Nephis leading the way, taking all the right turns at all the right places, there was no need to explore the labyrinth and backtrack after encountering a dead end. Additionally, there were no scavengers around. ]
[ Sunny didn't say much, periodically casting an incredulous glance at the strange pair. No matter how he looked at it, Cassia seemed to be dead weight. Perhaps it was cruel to say, but in the merciless reality of the Dream Realm, misguided kindness was a sure way to end up dead. ]
[ One had to be a fool or not fond of living to allow that to happen. So… which one of these descriptions suited Nephis? Somehow, he felt that neither did. ]
No one said a word. Logically speaking, it was correct to say that, however, for some of them to see Cassie as dead weight, was a hard task.
Considering how her guidance had saved them so many times.
Then again, this Sunny wasn't aware of her abilities, nor was he capable of understanding the sense of helping someone out of the goodness of their heart, without being fools, that is.
Cassie did not react to the narrator's description of Sunny's thought process. Everything was fundamentally correct. Only someone like Nephis, a fool or a suicidal person, would ever save her at that point in time.
[ The sunset was not far off when they reached the hill. After climbing it and approaching the massive growth of coral, Nephis dismissed the golden rope and immediately summoned it again. This way, it was untied and appeared in her hands in a neat bundle. ]
[ 'Ah. So it's a Memory.' ]
[ Sunny wondered what qualities the magical rope had. Soon, his curiosity was satisfied: right in front of his surprised eyes, the length of the rope suddenly began to increase. Soon, it was thrice as long as it was before. ]
[ After hesitating for a second, Sunny approached the rope and grabbed it. ]
[ He couldn't help thinking that this would be the perfect opportunity to cut his head off. With him helpless while climbing and Nephis standing on the top of the pillar… yeah. The vivid picture appeared in his mind. ]
[ 'Stop being paranoid!' ]
Nephis felt slightly frustrated to see this type of dynamic between them. She could understand Sunny's thoughts, during her childhood, she had to think that way many, many times.
She had hoped that the both of them had ... clicked when they first met, but perhaps, it was preferable that the trust he had for her, and his love for her had been forged through steel and combat.
Yes, perhaps that was a better way for their relationship to form.
Didn't mean that she liked seeing Sunny suspect her every move.
[ It's not that he was sure of Changing Star's impeccable moral qualities. Instead, he was certain of one thing: if Nephis really wanted to kill him, she wouldn't have needed to wait for an opportunity. She could have just cut him into ribbons whenever. ]
"That is not as reassuring as one would think." Lost Sunny commented.
After all, not everyone acted with the power they had, not everyone acted because they could. He knew that Nephis wouldn't attack him here, did not mean that just because he hadn't been attacked yet did not mean she wouldn't attack later.
[ Simultaneously scared and reassured by this though, Sunny nimbly climbed up and joined Nephis at the top of the coral mound. He then turned around and watched curiously, wondering how Cassia was going to get to them. ]
[ The blind girl dismissed the wooden staff and approached the rope. Then she caught it in a hand, traced it down to the loop at the end, and placed her foot inside. As soon as she was done, Nephis grabbed the rope and started pulling, lifting Cassia little by little until she had reached the top. She only had to grab Nephis's hand and make a step to join them. ]
[ 'Huh. Efficient.' ]
[ "Was it you two nights ago? I've seen an orange light in the distance." ]
[ "Yes, this was the first time we made a fire. But it turned out to be a really bad mistake." ]
[ "Why?" ]
[ "At night, any light will attract monsters. We were attacked by scavengers first. And then… then…" ]
[ She paled and didn't finish. But she didn't have to: the memory of the colossal tentacle was still fresh in Sunny's mind. ]
"Yeah, it's not hard to imagine." Jet said.
[ "Uh. I see." ]
"Rude." Mundane Cassie joked.
Mundane Nephis, seated at her side, fought to suppress a chuckle, her eyes drifting to another part of the room, where several Sunnys were sitting together.
[ "It should be fine now. We still have time before the sun sets." ]
[ After that, she got busy making the fire. Cassia simply sat on a pile of seaweed and waited. Not knowing what to do, Sunny lowered himself to the ground and let his tired, bruised body rest. ]
[ "I have fresh meat in my rucksack. Do you have water?" ]
[ "Yes!" ]
"Wow, you jumped in excitement at that." Effie teased.
Cassie didn't seem amused.
'Just how easy was I to please? Compared to what they did, providing water makes you feel oh so useful, huh? Sunny already said he could turn the water drinkable. How useful are you truly?' She demonished herself.
[ After that, she extended an arm to him. A second later, a beautiful bottle made of patterned blue glass appeared in her hand. ]
[ "That's a Memory I have. It's always full." ]
"Huh, that bottle..."
Some froze in thought.
They had seen it before... with Sunny.
Cassie stared at it. She remembered giving it away, but to whom, she could not tell. Well, she could now. At some point, she had given him the Endless Spring.
'A bottle? Seriously? After everything, you give him a bottle?!'
Naturally she was aware that it wasn't just a bottle. She could tell that it probably saved his life a couple of times or at least made his life easier in other moments.
But she couldn't help but feel that it wasn't enough. But then again, what was?
'And why do you still have it? I know you can make something better and more useful, you don't even need drinkable water... So why?'
[ 'An endless supply of water, huh? Sure beats my super loud bell!' ]
[ "Thank you." ]
[ He brought the bottle to his lips and greedily drank the cool, delicious water. Indeed, no matter how much he drank, the amount of water inside did not seem to decrease. ]
[ "Is it really endless?" ]
[ "Uh… not really. If you turn it upside down and let the water flow, it will stop in half an hour or so. But then it will be full again pretty soon." ]
"A... really useful memory. How did it end up with Sunny anyway?" Effie asked.
"I... probably gave it to him, for some reason." Cassie said.
[ At that time, Nephis was already done making the fire. Without looking up, she took Sunny's rucksack and opened it. Immediately, the soul shard rolled out. The tall girl looked at it, then at Sunny. Then she put the shard back in and pulled out the meat. ]
[ Sunny became tense, preparing a misleading answer. But Nephis did not ask. So, he pretended like nothing had happened and continued his conversation with Cassia. ]
[ "It's still a great Memory. Getting drinkable water is not an easy task!" ]
[ Cassia nodded and smiled, pleased by his words. ]
Cassie wanted to snort about how much being useful pleased her younger self, who was so hungry for approval and the need to not be seen as a burden.
She remained calm, however, and did not let her emotions be discovered.
[ Soon, the rich smell of roasting meat permeated the air. At the same time, the sun was beginning to approach the horizon; a loud rumble came from somewhere beneath, and first traces of the black water began to appear between crimson walls of the labyrinth. ]
[ "Do scavengers come all the way up here?" ]
[ "Yes. But… only at night. In the day, most of them seem to disappear." ]
[ "That's because they all gather near the place I had been spending my time recently. You should have seen it — the tall cliff to the west of here. Well, it's actually a statue." ]
[ "A… a statue? But for you to survive, it should be…" ]
[ "Yes, it's a giant statue of a knight, at least two hundred meters tall. He is missing his head, so I hid on top of the neck. Anyway… the day we were sent here, two sea creatures fought each other near that statue. When the water receded, I saw an enormous carcass lying there, with hundreds of scavengers slowly tearing it apart." ]
"It will not last long though." Seishan said.
"Want to bet how many days it takes to be completely devoured?" Revel proposed.
"I say One day!" Hel said.
"I think it can last Two." Seishan, on the other hand, spoke differently.
"Too short. Did you see the amount of meat there was still left? It's three days!" Revel betted.
[ "That would explain the lack of Nightmare Creature in the day. How long?" ]
[ "How long what?" ]
[ "How long... until they are done devouring the carcass?" ]
[ "Oh. One day more, two at most." ]
"HAH! You owe me a day of shopping!" Hel laughed.
"Fufu, I don't mind."
"Does it have to be day shopping."
[ Nephis turned away, took the meat away from the fire, and then quickly extinguished it. ]
[ 'There's definitely something wrong with that girl!' ]
Nephis felt her eye twitch once again. There must be something wrong with it... for sure.
[ The three of them ate in the dimming light of the twilight. The meat was juicy, tender, and indescribably delicious. It was better than anything Sunny had ever tasted, even back in the Academy's cafeteria. Of course, his excruciating hunger played a part in that. ]
[ From time to time, they would pass the glass bottle to each other. ]
Effie leaned towards her husband and "whispered".
"There is a joke about an indirect threesome somewhere here."
A cough from the seats behind made her look back, and find a set of blue eyes and grey ones glaring at her.
She giggled.
'Worth it~.'
[ When they were finished with their meal, the dark sea was back, and the night was upon them. Everything was consumed by absolute darkness. ]
[ Of course, Sunny could easily see both Nephis and Cassia. Under the cover of the night, Changing Star remained pretty much the same. The blind girl, however, allowed her true emotions to show, thinking that no one would see. She seemed much more lost, lonely and frightened than she did in the day. ]
[ As if trying to resist these feelings, Cassia said in a bright voice: ]
[ "How about we formally introduce ourselves? I'm Cassie." ]
"Wow, this took a while, they didn't even bother properly greeting eachother, no wonder one of them turned into an ugly creature in their nightmare." Noctis said.
[ Nephis glanced in her direction and shrugged. ]
[ "Neph." ]
[ Next, it was Sunny's turn. He exhaled, glad that they didn't ask his name directly. Most likely, he would still have been able to provide his human name — however, it also might have depended on the wording of the question. ]
[ Relieved, he smiled and answered: ]
[ "I'm Sunless. But you can call me Sunny." ]
"Wow, he really is paranoid about his situation, huh? How would asking about your name even lead to answering your True Name? Most of us already think of them so differently." Kai commented.
"It's simple paranoia. He is afraid of not being in control of his own words. If someone words it as 'What is your true name?' well, it could end up badly if his Flaw interprets 'true name' as True Name."
[ Sunny was slowly growing fond of having conversations in the dark. Without the burden of light, people were more relaxed and honest. It reminded him of the frequent blackouts that used to sweep through the city when he was a little kid. His family had no choice but to huddle together and spend a few hours doing nothing but talking to each other. ]
[ Now, these dark hours had become some of his most precious memories. ]
Rain heard the narrator calmly and sighed.
She had always been comforted by the dark. Unlike others, she was never scared of the dark, she actually quite enjoyed when her parents told her stories in a completely dark room when she was young.
And when she became older, she loved to tell stories to her younger siblings in a completely dark room, to teach them not to be scared of the dark.
To think... that such a thing was born from such a thing. Blackouts, and a family huddling together, talking to themselves in the dark.
She felt a sense of envy for a single moment.
'I want to remember that, too.'
[ "Since we're going to be depending on each other, should we share what abilities and Memories we have at our disposal?" ]
[ This was a logical suggestion. If they were going to fight side by side, knowing each other's strengths was more or less vital. Still, he noticed Nephis glancing in his direction with a guarded look on her face. ]
[ Luckily, he was obscured by darkness. ]
[ "I'll start," Sunny said, both to show his sincerity and to reveal information about himself in a controlled manner. ]
"That is a smart decision. He evades being asked questions , and therefore trigger his Flaw, he is in a controllable environment." Morgan praised.
Most of them agreed, after all, it was better to reveal what you want revealed before they pried and found what you didn't.
[ "My attributes give me an affinity to shadows. I also have a slight affiliation to divinity. Lastly, I am prone to finding myself in unlikely situations." ]
[ Cassie listened carefully, and then lowered her head, as though embarrassed. ]
[ "Uh… he is telling the truth. Not that we doubted your honesty!" ]
[ 'Why not? I spent so much time earning the reputation of a pathological liar!' ]
Rain sighed in exasperation.
Only her brother would feel dejected for seeing his efforts to ruin his reputation go to waste.
[ "Really? That's good to know. But… why are you so sure that I am being honest?" ]
[ "Oh! That's my Ability. I can "see" people's Attributes. Sometimes, I also receive, uh, "visions". They can be about the future or the past. I mean, that's what I think… it only happened a couple of times." ]
[ 'So, she is an oracle of sorts. Luckily, her insight is limited to Attributes… otherwise, I'd be in real trouble. Still, I'll have to be careful around her.' ]
Cassie mentally agreed with him, silently begging him to keep the distance and the suspicion. She decided to ignore the pain in her heart that appeared as soon as she even thought of it.
[ He finally realized how the blind girl had known about his birthday. The question was whether she had seen it in a vision of the future or in a vision of the past. If it was the former, was it safe to assume that he would certainly be able to celebrate at least one more birthday? ]
[ Or did knowing the future actually affected and changed it? For example, after learning that he was definitely going to survive, Sunny might have naturally relaxed and lowered his guard. Then, he would die as the result of it. It surely seemed possible, right? That's assuming that the future could be changed. But maybe it wasn't? Then… ]
Some looked at the seers in the room, looking for an answer.
Hel did not answer, not for any particular reason other than her explanation was... inconclusive.
While Cassie, who is normally accepted as the best seer of humanity... was silent, still stuck in her own world, it seemed.
Nephis stared at Cassie for a moment, her eyes narrowing as her worry increased.
She knew well enough how much Cassie had hidden from her, but she never pried into it. She trusted her best friend, even if said best friend hadn't revealed everything since she returned to the Dream Realm.
[ "That's a good Ability. Speaking of Abilities: you have already seen mine. My shadow can move independently and explore. It can't affect the material world, but we share sight and hearing. That way, I can spot danger before encountering it. The shadow is fast and stealthy: it can go anywhere and is almost impossible to notice. Oh, I can also see in the dark." ]
[ He smiled, expecting the girls to understand and appreciate the utility of his Shadow Scout. Their reaction, however, was a bit strange: Nephis slowly turned her head in his direction, while Cassie became a bit pale and raised her hands to cover her chest. ]
Rain paled, somehow considering how pale she already was.
'How can you say that?! Are you not aware of your own reputation that you purposefully built?!'
[ "Uh… what?" ]
[ "Have you ever used your Ability in the Academy?" ]
[ 'What a strange question!' ]
[ "In the Academy? Sure, of course. Why?" ]
Rain almost let out a cry of despair, all while Effie howled in laughter.
'Please, brother. I know that talking is not your strong suit and that you purposefully leave things vague. But please, clear this up... please.'
[ Oh, right… they think that I'm a pervert… ]
[ Crap! ]
[ "But I have never used it to do anything improper! You have to believe me!" ]
[ "I had more important things to do than… than whatever you're thinking about! I spent almost every waking hour learning how to survive!" ]
[ "I haven't seen you in class… even once." ]
[ Sunny chuckled. ]
[ "Of course, you didn't. While you were busy wiping the floor with other Sleepers, I was studying Wilderness Survival." ]
"Ah, to think my class is being used as an alibi to clear my student of peeping allegations." Professor Julius joked.
"You know, technically he did peep, just not to see a girl's body, but a girl dismantling bodies instead." Effie said.
"That is a weird way to describe sparing, Effie." Nephis commented.
[ "Wilderness… what? There is such a course?" ]
[ Cassie seemed equally puzzled. ]
Professor Julius felt like an arrow had just pierced him.
He knew that his course wasn't exactly the most popular subject... but to be completely forgotten? It hurt his pride more than he cared to admit.
[ "Yes, there is. It might seem like an afterthought for most people, but for an outskirts kid like me, who never went to a fancy school or saw a private tutor, learning how to survive in the wilderness is the difference between life and death. Without it, I would have drowned the moment we were sent to the Dream Realm." ]
[ "I see. I didn't know." ]
[ Sunny grimaced and struggled to keep the venom from sipping into his voice. When he finally spoke, his tone was light and amiable. ]
[ "That's okay. It's natural for someone of your status not to know…" ]
[ When he mentioned her status, a strange smile appeared on the Changing Star's face. But in the end, she didn't reply. ]
"Huh. Doofus made her smile on the first day. How envious." Effie joked with a pout.
[ "Anyway, that's my Ability. As for Memories, I have three. One is an armor, one is a sword, and the last one is a really loud bell." ]
[ Now it was their turn to share. After a short pause, Nephis spoke: ]
[ "My attributes give me an affinity to light and fire, as well as a strong affiliation to divinity. I have two Memories: a rope…" ]
[ While she was speaking, Sunny was looking at Cassie, trying to read her expression. From what he saw, Nephis was telling the truth — but also, not the whole truth. And judging by how hard the blind girl was trying to hide her true feelings, the secret hiding among Changing Star's Attributes was not at all trivial. ]
[ 'Interesting.' ]
Nephis knew what was being referred to. The Dreamspawn attribute, she had kept it hidden from Sunny.
She didn't like it. This back and forth of suspicion and mind games.
To her, Sunny was a safe haven for such things. Someone whose shoulder she could use as a place to rest her head as she quieted her mind from those worries.
But to see the both of them hiding things and being actively suspicious of one another was... disturbing.
She wanted to hug Sunny so badly.
[ "...and a sword. The rope is very sturdy and can change its length. The sword is very sharp and can protect its wielder against souls attacks, to a certain extent. My Ability… can be used to heal." ]
[ Sunny didn't miss the wording of the last part. "Can be used to heal"... does this mean that its main purpose was something else? He was pretty sure that Nephis would not reveal all of her cards, just like him. However, healing abilities were extremely rare. Having one that could heal, but was not limited to healing — that would be simply unheard of. ]
"Well, that is an understatement, isn't it, princess? How are you going to justify using the flames to empower yourself?" Effie asked.
"I don't know, I will eventually trust Sunny enough to not hide things like this, of that I'm sure."
[ But then again, she was Changing Star — one of the few people in history to receive a True Name in the First Nightmare. If Sunny were to consider his own Aspect Ability, nothing seemed impossible. ]
[ 'I wonder what's her Aspect rank is.' ]
[ Outwardly, he pretended to be excited. ]
[ "You're a Healer? That's great! Having a Healer among us is incredible luck!" ]
Seeing his face in the dark contrasting with his tone of voice, a certain thought crossed their minds. What if Sunny could've lied?
They weren't exactly sure if that would make it easier or harder to catch his schemes.
[ "Neph is also an amazing fighter! You should have seen her dealing with those scavengers. Well… I also did not actually see it. But it sounded very scary." ]
[ Sunny didn't need anyone to tell him how formidable of a warrior Nephis was. He had seen it with how own two eyes. Sort of. Actually, they were his shadow's eyes. Well… whatever it had instead of eyes. ]
[ "It's my turn? Uh… my attributes are nothing special. I guess I have an affinity to revelations and fate. My Ability is like I told you before. It's not very useful. About my Memories, I have three: the bottle, the wooden staff and this armor. You already know about the bottle. The staff can create wind. The armor is actually of the Awakened rank… uh, Neph gave it to me when we met. It has a very powerful protective charm." ]
[ 'So… she's not only carrying Cassie on her back, she even gave away her only clothes? An Awakened-rank armor, at that? What… what is Nephis thinking about?' ]
"You know, I think he is more confused on what Nephis is thinking of, rather than Cassie being a burden." Effie wondered.
"I suppose it's normal. Nephis' behavior is one he doesn't understand, she is breaking his expectations." Jet explained.
Cassie had to agree, Nephis was the only person who would've have saved her. Other people that would do so were either morally blinded fools or death chasers.
[ "I used to be a pretty decent fencer… before. Now I can't really fight." ]
[ The last two sentences were obviously related to her Flaw. Sunny and Nephis, however, both chose to keep theirs secret. Despite the fact that knowing your companion's Flaw was also important for cooperation and having each other's backs, sharing something like that demanded a very high level of trust. ]
[ Right now, there was no trust between them. And even if there was, Sunny did not plan to ever share his Flaw with anyone. Nephis, too, seemed to have a lot of secrets. ]
"Well, revealing that you can't lie is just inviting a bunch of questions that, depending on the speed they are thrown, will be outside of his control." Eunbin reasoned.
"Depending on the questions, it wouldn't be pleasant." Seishan agreed.
[ "Good. That's good. I think we have enough tools to survive, provided we use them right. I guess it's time to sleep?" ]
[ "Alright. I'll… take watch first." ]
[ "Actually, my shadow doesn't sleep. It can wake us up if something happens." ]
[ "I'll take watch first." ]
[ 'Suit yourself. What are you going to watch, huh? You can't even see anything! Whatever. Just don't blame me when something giant swallows us in the middle of the night…' ]
[ 'Wait... that was not a death flag, right? Right, of course not. No way...' ]
"I hardly think that just because you said something means that something will happen." Sunless said.
"That's where you are wrong, my experience tells me that it happens pretty often." Lost Sunny rebuted.
[ Sleep was avoiding Sunny. For a while, he sat silently in the darkness, listening to the calming rumbling of the waves. In this rare moment of respite, memories of the past few days came flooding into his mind. However, he was too tired to seriously think about anything. He was warm, full, and relatively safe. For now, that was more than enough. ]
[ Soon, the rhythm of Cassia's breathing changed, indicating that she fell asleep. Nephis was guarding the camp, motionless and, as always, a bit distant. With her silver hair and fair skin, she looked like an alabaster statue. ]
Cassie's eyes widened, and she felt her mind focusing.
She felt something deep within her twist in familiarity.
Something... Something about this scene was familiar, and had left a deep impression in her that even after what happened with Fateless, she could still feel it.
At that point she understood, Cassie, the on-screen Cassie, was not asleep.
[ "Hey. Can I ask you a question?" ]
[ "Sure." ]
[ 'Would it be too personal?' ]
[ "I thought you Legacies come into the Spell with a whole inherited arsenal of Memories. I mean, that's supposed to be your main advantage. How come you only had three?" ]
[ "Actually, I only had two. The rope came from Cassie." ]
[ "Oh. I see." ]
[ "We lost most of our Memories when my father passed away. The ones that remained were sold one by one over the years, to keep the family afloat. This sword and armor came from my First Nightmare." ]
The Song Sisters looked away, while Morgan kept herself seated straight, unmoving. As for whether she was unbothered or unsure if she could move, who knew?
Nephis did not pay much attention to them. The ones responsible, two of them at least, had already paid the price.
[ So that's how it was. Sunny realized that the fall of the Immortal Flame clan might have been more thorough than he had thought. Still, something about it didn't make sense. ]
[ "Surely, with your clan's reputation and standing, there were other ways to make money." ]
[ "There were other reasons." ]
"I wonder what..." Broken Sword said.
Beside him, Smile of Heaven gently smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sure we are going to get an answer... eventually. Probably."
[ "Can I ask you a question in return?" ]
[ "Yeah, go ahead." ]
[ "How did you know that I'm a Legacy?" ]
[ 'What? That's it?' ]
[ "Simple. I heard Caster mention it. He was scolding other Sleepers to make them treat you with respect." ]
[ She gave him a nod and turned away. What thoughts were hidden behind her calm grey eyes, Sunny did not know. ]
This interaction might've seemed meaningless to most, but Seishan was able to catch something in between lines.
"Were you seeing if he was an assassin sent by the clans?" She asked.
Nephis did not answer, instead, she was thinking of what her young self would've thought, she did not let her emotions influence her analysis.
"It was most likely my suspicion. He was more capable than everyone in the academy had thought, considering that he killed a Scavenger, and was suspicious to say the least with an Aspect perfect for espionage. If he wasn't the assassin, he was most likely some kind of supporter or informant of the one sent to kill me in the Dream Realm, or at the very least a suspect." She answered.
[ Some time had passed before he gathered enough courage to ask the question that he really wanted to ask. Before doing it, though, he made sure that Cassie was sound asleep and lowered his voice. ]
[ "Can I ask another question?" ]
[ "Why are you burdening yourself with her?" ]
The question silenced the rooms.
All of them understood Sunny's vision of Cassie. She was a burden, a risk to his survival, he was willing to support her because doing otherwise could cost the support of Nephis. But Cassie herself was a liability.
Still, none of them expected for him to voice his opinion.
Cassie felt the sense of familiarity growing stronger, this time with what seemed to be a sharp pain.
[ "Why? Wouldn't you?" ]
[ "No." ]
'Ah. It hurts.'
Was her only thought. The echoes of a memory, although long forgotten, reaching her mind with the emotions related to it and stabbing her heart and brain with them.
It was painful. Unbearably so.
Cassie was not sure why.
She couldn't tell because Sunny, who most likely was the first face she saw since awakening, had treated her the same as everyone else.
Or maybe, because of this phrase, that answer had twisted her vision of him in a way that would change everything.
Perhaps this was the point, wasn't it?
The point where young Cassie had come to see Sunny in a different light, creating a distance, a distance between them that would only widen with time.
No matter how much they would grow to care for each other, no matter the amount of trust and affection. That distance would always remain.
The distance was born on that day.
And what felt like the gravest wound she had suffered in a long while.
[ To be honest, he wanted to believe to the last moment that the answer would be "yes". But one of the things he had lost after the Nightmare was the ability to lie to himself. Truth was merciless. ]
[ It's not that Sunny did not pity the blind girl or didn't want to help her. It's just that he knew with certainty that it was simply not something he could do. He was barely able to save himself, let alone carry a helpless person across the Dream Realm. If he tried, they would just die together. ]
[ Still, he couldn't help but be a little disappointed in himself. ]
Don't be.
Is what she wanted to say. His logic was flawless. He could barely take care of himself, one couldn't expect him to carry the burden that she was.
She lowered her head.
Just like he was unable to help his sister and walked away from her life.
He saw Cassie and understood he couldn't help.
'But now that he can, hasn't he been taking care of you?'
Yes. Although she was no longer that useless girl, he was there, helping, caring, and trusting. He didn't hate her, surprisingly, she couldn't understand why.
Nor did she want to.
Because she felt that understanding why, would bridge the distance that had been forged between them since the moment on screen.
And she... was too afraid of doing so.
Whether because she was afraid of truly connecting with him or because she didn't want him so close to a monster like she had become.
She was not sure.
[ "Because I want to." ]
[ 'Because… she wants to?' ]
"What a princess response. I don't blame Doofus for being confused." Effie said.
"I will have to agree on that." Others agreed with her.
Nephis raised an eyebrow, but then shook her head.
What was she expecting? Not all people were like her, chasing things for the sole reason of wanting them, always justifying them with a greater purpose, as if they had to convince themselves before anyone else.
[ That was not the response Sunny expected to hear. He was pretty sure that she would either lecture him about virtue and compassion or disclose some obscure way to make Cassie's seemingly weak Ability incredibly useful. ]
[ However, she did neither. Nephis expected him to believe that she was putting her life in danger, to the point of sacrificing an awakened armor-type Memory, because that was something she simply wanted to do. ]
[ 'Ridiculous!' ]
"Ridiculous!" Detective Sunless exclaimed.
"Well, that is an answer from Neph, alright." Lost Sunny said.
"How would you even know? Your Nephis is a kid! Don't tell me she already started spouting things like that too!"
[ At first, he dismissed her response as a non-answer. But the more he thought about it, the more disturbed he felt. ]
[ Because, maybe, it was actually the truth. ]
[ Due to the circumstances of his life, Sunny had never really done things because he wanted to. Most of the time, he was doing them because he needed to. It was never a question of "want"... it was always a question of "must". For him, this was a basic rule of life. ]
[ But was it really? Or was it just a matter of perspective? Nephis had certain advantages in her upbringing, but they weren't as ample as he had imagined. She had no wealth and no arsenal of relics to empower her. However, she did have a mentality that was different from Sunny's. ]
Hearing this Mordret wondered about his own life.
He had things that he wanted and others that he needed. The things that he wanted were normally absent, taken from him, or simply unobtainable, so he could only reach for the things that he needed, simply because he had no other choice but to reach for them.
It was curious, the difference between wanting and needing it. It changed the way one was willing to reach out for it, and how much they were willing to do to achieve it.
[ It wasn't impossible for her to have the audacity to disregard need in favor of something as frivolous as desire, and do things that a normal person like Sunny would never do. ]
[ Like helping a blind girl simply because that was what Nephis wanted to do. ]
[ Perhaps, that mentality was the greatest advantage of all. ]
[ Perhaps, that was the real barrier that separated Legacies from the rest of them. ]
"I have to say, Nephis. I also can't truly understand you." Jet confessed.
"There is no need, Jet. It's simply a difference of upbringing."
[ That was a lot to think about. However, before Sunny could gather his thoughts, Nephis suddenly spoke again. ]
[ "My turn." ]
[ 'Uh… does she mean it's her turn to ask a question?' ]
[ "Do you know the legend of Odysseus?" ]
Mundane Mordret was surprised.
"They have that as well?"
Beside him, Morgan rolled her eyes.
"They live in a similar world, just with a cataclysmic spell that gives superpowers. As far as we know, the world before that was still relatively the same, pretty sure that they had the same legends and myths."
"I guess, it makes sense. But what about the movie?"
"Since it came out in our generation... Maybe it never did in their world. What a shame." She said.
"Don't start, sister. I know you larped about watching the movie, you just know about it because of the musical." He accused.
Morgan began to imagine whatever powers she had in that world, wondering if they were able to kill her brother.
[ 'A what… who? What sort of a weird question is that?!' ]
[ "No." ]
"You really don't know?" Sunless asked.
Both Sunny, Lost Sunny, and Detective Sunless shook their heads, yes we are ignoring the Mad Prince, also shaking his head.
"Wow. Really?"
"Yeah, I only learned about it because of Neph." Lost Sunny answered.
"Once again... How the fuck?!"
[ "Odysseus was a hero in an ancient war. In the legends, some humans back then had powers akin to the Awakened. Achilles with an Aspect of indestructible body, Diomedes that was so ferocious even the God of War was wary of him, Ajax who was as strong as a giant. Odysseus was not the strongest, and not the bravest. However, he was the most cunning." ]
[ 'What? Where did this come from? Why is she suddenly so eloquent?' ]
[ "In the end, Odysseus's cunning ended the war, and he prepared to sail home. However, the gods cursed him to endlessly wander the seas, never to return. Over the years, he survived one horror after another and lost all of his companions. Then, shipwrecked, he found himself on an island where the beautiful fairy, Calypso, lived." ]
[ Changing Star's ethereal, strangely wistful voice resounded in the darkness, creating an enthralling atmosphere. Sunny couldn't help but listen with the utmost attention. ]
[ "Calypso fell in love with Odysseus and invited him to her palace. For many years, they lived together in harmony. The island was like a paradise, filled with all kinds of wonders, delicacies and delights. As long as loving Calypso was by his side, Odysseus was even immortal. But… the longer he stayed, the more time he spent sitting on the shore, looking at the sea with bleak eyes." ]
[ "In the end, Odysseus built a makeshift boat and abandoned the island, leaving all its delights, the beautiful fairy, and even his immortality behind. So, my question is… why did he leave?" ]
"That is an interesting question, Lady Nephis." Professor Julius said while stroking his beard. "Many try to come up with different answers. What is yours?"
"It is simple... He was far away from home and wanted to come back." She answered.
[ 'What?' ]
[ What kind of a mind game was that? He even considered that Nephis was mocking him, but it didn't seem to be the case. It looked like she was sincerely interested in the answer. ]
[ 'Weirdo!' ]
She sighed, at least her eyes didn't twitch.
Her younger self looked at her and whispered.
"Your eyes are twitching again, is everything alright?"
Not twitching at all.
[ "Maybe it was because he was far away from home?" ]
[ A fleeting smile appeared on Nephis's face. ]
[ "Far away… from home. Hm. Alright." ]
A few silly smiles crossed the faces of the audience, with the exception of Hel, who pouted, and Cassie, who was still out of it and slightly downcast.
"Match made in Heaven~" Effie joked, only to realize something. "Does heaven even exist?"
The shadows, outside of everyone's view, shrugged.
[ It seemed like their conversation was over. ]
[ Grumbling internally, Sunny lay down and tried to fall asleep. However, the image of bleak-eyed Odysseus kept appearing in his mind. After a while, he whispered: ]
[ "Well? Did he make it back home?" ]
[ "Yes. He returned to his wife and son, and they lived happily ever after." ]
[ Satisfied, Sunny smiled and turned on his side. ]
[ "Odysseus was the first human to break the will of gods." ]
Noctis chuckled.
"What an interesting Myth."
"You speak as if you recognize it." Solvane asked.
"Ah. It was my dear friend Sunless who told me about it. He said that unlike Odysseus, he had no home to return to."
They stayed silent, processing the words.
[ In the morning, Sunny and Nephis were the first to get up. While the sun was rising and the sea was retreating, they made a fire and began preparing a simple breakfast. ]
[ With Cassia still asleep, they did not talk to each other much. It was like the last night's conversation did not happen. However, after some time, they somehow ended up discussing the plan for the next few days. Nephis had some ideas. ]
[ "With what you told us about scavengers crowding to the west, the logical step would be to start moving east as soon as we can. Of course, north and south are also acceptable, but that won't put as much space between us and the enemy." ]
[ "We have explored to the east a little, but not enough to confidently make it to the next high point in a day. That's why the best course of action would be to spend today scouting a path to that group of cliffs over there and move the camp tomorrow." ]
[ "Do you have any idea where we are? Would there be a human Citadel to the east?" ]
"To the east... There's only the Nightmare Desert." Kai recalled.
"Yeah, it doesn't sound like a better choice than going west." Effie said.
[ "I've never heard of a region that fits the characteristics of this place. In any case, we have to move to find out more. We'll either find a Citadel, encounter an unconquered Gateway… or die. East is as good of a direction as any. Plus, it's the safest, because there's a horde of monsters to the west." ]
[ At that point, Cassie suddenly sat up straight. Her eyes were wide open, and her face was a little pale. She looked nervous and excited. ]
"A vision, huh? I don't think I ever saw you having one live." Effie asked
"Yes. If I remember, it revealed to me about the Dark City." Cassie answered with a tired voice.
[ "Cassie? What's the matter?" ]
[ "A… a vision! I had a vision!" ]
[ 'Like… a prophetic dream?' Sunny thought, trying to come to terms with this new reality of someone being able to see the future. Or the past. ]
[ Meanwhile, Changing Star stretched her hand, as though prepared to summon her sword. ]
[ "Are we in danger?" ]
[ Cassie energetically shook her head. ]
[ "No, it's not that! People… I saw a castle full of people!" ]
"That's the Dark City alright." Effie said.
Morgan brought a hand to her chin.
"Thinking about it. Knowing that there was no documentation of this region of the Dream Realm, and yet seeing a citadel full of people, it was either a trap or an unconquered citadel." She said.
"We reasoned that it was the latter. If it was unconquered, we just had to conquer it. Fate had other plans, however."
[ She smiled at pointed with her finger. ]
[ "I don't know how far it is, but I'm sure that it's in that direction!" ]
[ Sunny and Nephis looked at each other, not knowing whether to be glad or petrified. ]
[ Cassie's small, delicate finger was confidently pointing west. ]
[Viewing Starless Skies, Darker Tides has been completed.]
* ******** * ******** * ********
A/N: Another chapter, damn these are long. Next chapter is the after math like always and the chapter after that we keep going.
Check Out my other Fanfics:
Cursed Shadow (JJK/JJK Modulo x Shadow Slave)
Trailblazing Shadow (HSR x Shadow Slave)