"I… no. We have things to buy in the castle. I need you to take us there as a proxy."
Kai stared at Sunny for a moment before nodding.
"A deal's a deal. Shall we go to the castle?"
This time, Solaire replied,
[We need to go somewhere first. You go with Sunny.]
He turned to Sunny and added,
[Meet me at the junction after you collect your things.]
With that, he walked toward his house to bring his soul shards. As he made his way back, his gaze lingered on the castle walls. A strange pull stirred inside him—similar to the one that had led him into the basement of the abandoned house.
After gathering his shards into a leather bag he had crafted, Solaire returned to the junction. Sunny and Kai were already waiting for him.
In a cheerful tone, Kai asked,
"Shall we leave? We must make it to the castle by daybreak."
[Lead the way.]
It had been three months since Solaire and Sunny left the Bright Castle. As they approached the entrance, Kai exclaimed,
"Give me a minute, I'll be back."
While they waited, a familiar voice greeted them.
"It's nice to see you back here, Sunny."
Sunny froze. He had dreaded this day for a long time. He turned, meeting the gaze of Changing Star.
"Hey, Neph. Long time."
Nephis smiled faintly.
"That's not very nice of you."
Sunny stared back blankly, saying nothing.
Nephis sighed.
"It's good to see you, Sunny."
Her eyes shifted to Solaire.
"It's nice to see you too, Solaire."
Solaire nodded politely in acknowledgment.
"So… what brings the two of you back to the Bright Castle?"
Sunny glanced at Solaire before replying.
"Oh, just… some shopping."
Nephis studied them for a moment before asking,
"Do you want to go somewhere and talk?"
Sunny's jaw tightened.
"Sorry. We're waiting for someone."
Neph tilted her head, unconvinced.
"You could just say no. There's no need to invent excu—"
An enchanting voice cut her off.
"You guys? Where are you?"
Sunny turned, exhaling in relief.
"What do you mean invent? See, he's right here."
His words trailed off. Nephis's face was pale, her wide eyes glassy with fear.
Both Solaire and Sunny froze.
Every muscle in Solaire's body tensed. A cold shiver ran down his spine.
"Why is Changing Star so afraid? That can't be right… Is Kai an abomination?"
Kai looked at them, his expression charming but confused.
"Uh… a friend of yours?"
Sunny whispered urgently, eyes still fixed on Neph.
"Neph… Neph!"
She flinched, tearing her gaze from Kai. Leaning close, she whispered,
"Sunny… what is Night doing here?"
He frowned.
"He's the friend we were waiting for."
She shook her head firmly.
"No. What is he doing here?" Her voice stressed here.
Sunny hesitated, then replied,
"I saved his life in the ruins. He's doing us a favor."
Neph's eyes burned with desperation.
"Stop joking, Sunny. What is Night doing here, in the Forgotten Shore?"
Sunny scowled.
"You know each other?"
She was silent for a long moment before whispering harshly,
"That's Night, you idiot! Night from Nightingale!"
Sunny rubbed his face in frustration.
"What are you talking about? What's a Nightingale?"
Nephis turned to Kai, paling even further. In a small voice, she explained,
"It's… only the most famous idol group of the last decade. Triple Orpheus winners, one hundred consecutive weeks at the top of the charts, six diamond albums. That… that Nightingale. That Night. The lead vocalist."
Kai smiled dazzlingly.
"He really doesn't know. Isn't it wonderful?"
Sunny blinked at Nephis, then burst out laughing. Neph, starstruck, could only stare. She was a fangirl.
Solaire suppressed his own laugh, watching in silence.
Kai inclined his head politely.
"It's nice to meet another friend of these two. I thought they were complete… uh… solitary types. Your name? Was it Neph?"
Grinning, Sunny interjected,
"Oh right, introductions. My bad. Kai, this is Nephis. Although these days, she goes by another name. You might have heard it… meet Changing Star, of the Immortal Flame clan."
This time, it was Kai who looked surprised.
"It's… a pleasure to meet you, my lady. I've heard much about you. An honor, truly."
Nephis turned away shyly before speaking again.
"Your friend is here, so… can we go talk now? I have something to discuss with you. A matter of grave importance."