Sunless summoned Saint to open the heavy hatch of the well that was made out of metal. He could try to open it himself, but he didn't want to risk embarrassing himself in front of one of his subordinates, regardless if she cared or not.
The Stone Knight came out of his shadow, two ruby eyes glowing in the dark. She turned to her master.
"Can you get this, please?"
After staring with indifference at Sunless, the armor-clad Shadow picked up the hatch and used all her strength to lift it, throwing to the side right after. Creating a loud noise as it hits the ground.
A charming voice came out of the well.
"Ahhh hello? What was that? Are you guys back?"
Sunless responded with an even, yet sarcastic voice.
"Hey Kai, that was the sound of me, your great friend Sunny, saving you, and no those guys are not back."
Almost immediately, the singer appeared in front of Sunny's face, causing him to jump back, almost falling, but maintaining his balance. Kai got out of the well so fast it seemed like he was flying…
No, he was flying.
Sunless stared as the charming singer was floating in the air, a smile plastered on his face.
"Sunny! My friend! It's been too long! How have you been?! I heard the outer settlement was thriving!"
The damn smile never left his face, he really didn't look like someone who was a hostage 5 seconds ago. After recovering and processing his surprise, he answered in a friendly tone.
"I'm fine, great actually, what about you?"
"Oh, you know… I was fine, until a group of uneducated people threatened me for my memories. And when I refused to give them, they imprisoned me inside a well where I can't escape even with my aspect… Which is flying, by the way."
Sunless looked at the significant space of air between Kai's feet and the ground.
"Yeah… I can see that. By the way, you are an archer?"
He pointed at the bow in Kai's hands.
"Right! Didn't tell you, makes sense right?…"
As the two continued their friendly conversation, Mei and Saint stared, the feeling of being ignored piercing them.
Not that they particularly cared.
After a few seconds of catching up, Kai finally noticed the two other figures with them. Giving an apologetic smile, he turned to them.
"Sorry. I was so excited upon seeing Sunny I didn't notice you two!"
Sunny presented them.
"These are Mei and Saint."
He did a little bow for them.
"I'm Kai, pleasure to meet you."
Mei nodded while Saint continued with her indifferent expression in her ruby eyes. Kai felt a little frightened by the imposing figure and the red, burning eyes.
Sunny noticed this and explained to the archer.
"She's my echo, don't worry, she doesn't bite…"
Kai let out a sigh of relief.
"... She cuts things open like they were nothing, and it doesn't even bother her."
Kai snapped his head towards Sunny with his eyes open wide, then trailed his gaze around him, finding two bodies behind Mei and Saint, a pool of blood all around them, their heads nowhere to be found.
He took a step back. Pointing at the graphic scene.
"S-Sunny?"
Sunless looked at where Kai's finger led, seeing the two corpses splattered on the ground, then turned to the charming singer with the flattest voice imagenable.
"Oh yeah, they are the guys that kidnapped you, me and Mei killed them, you don't have to worry about it anymore."
Mei nodded with a dead-panned face.
Kai's brain fried trying to process how nothing he said was a lie.
—
After Kai calmed down, Sunny dismissed Saint and the three Sleepers headed to the outer settlement, it had been a while since Nephis called for him and Sunny hates to keep her waiting.
Upon reaching it, Mei went to the Shadow Watchers headquarters (If you can call it that) to then go to the Bright Castle, bidding farewell to the other two. She couldn't be seen in the outer settlement.
Sunny and Kai then went to the main building, passing through many Sleepers that welcomed them in respect. The outer settlement became something great ever since Nephis, Sunny and Cassie started to lead them, from their strength to organization, even if they couldn't beat the Bright Castle, they could compete with it, especially with the Shadow Watchers and the handmaidens.
Kai observed the living conditions in the settlement with surprise, sure, they were nothing compared to the Castle, but it was like night and day if compared with what it was 4 months ago.
Sunny smiled as he witnessed Kai's expression.
"They only needed someone to guide them, to unify. Without someone to bring order, chaos settles, yet you can't have absolute order, otherwise you become Gunlaug. It's a fine line between control and freedom that you have to cross."
Kai looked at him with curiosity.
"And are you guys crossing it?"
Sunny stared at the singer, amusement in his hollow eyes.
"Maybe, they are following Nephis, aren't they?"
They reached the main compound where Changing Star lives and plans everything, nobody questioned when Sunny entered with Kai, merely giving the archer confused eyes before looking back at Sunless, like they were surprised to see Sunny with someone else.
When both reached a certain door, Sunny stopped and turned to Kai, pointing at a separate door not far from the one they were close to.
"Can you wait there? It shouldn't take long."
Kai answered with a friendly smile.
"Of course! I'm technically intruding here."
"Thanks, she's only honest with me when we are alone."
Before Kai could absorb what he had said, Sunny entered the door and closed right behind him, leaving the archer with a curious statement.
The room was set up as a meeting room, organized and polished as such, with a big table in the center with multiple chairs. No windows caused the place to be illuminated by a lone light memory on the table.
Nephis was sitting in the main seat, with her commanding presence and firm grey eyes scanning who had entered without knocking, as soon as it was revealed it was Sunny, her posture softened somewhat.
'Still can't believe she trusts me…'
Who would have known that the girl who saw him as one of his worst enemies 6 months ago was now relieved to see him in the flesh.
Her cold and strict voice called to him.
"Sunny… Took you long enough. Where were you?"
'What is this? Am I talking to my sisters?!'
He rolled his eyes internally and moved to sit on the chair next to hers.
"I was rescuing Kai, he's a friend of mine."
She raised an eyebrow, but decided to ignore it and got straight to the point, her demeanor changed, getting even more serious.
"Cassie had another vision…"
Sunny straightened his posture, and sharpened his eyes.
"She always has visions… What makes this one special?"
Nephis hesitated for a moment, but answered him.
"It was you… Bleeding out while fighting against a giant Knight…"
The atmosphere in the room got heavier, both knew what it meant… But one of them already knew that.
Sunny sighed in relief, his posture relaxing, then said evenly and non-chalantly.
"Oh, that? I already knew that. Thank the God's"
Nephis stared at him in disbelief, Sunny could swear her eye twitched. As much as he wanted to tease her a little, he explained it to her.
"One of my sisters is a seer, her aspect allows her to see tragedies, she had the same vision, well, maybe not the same, but a similar one. So I already knew that, in fact, I'm planning for it."
Nephis mouth gapped, her eyes burned, white flames danced in them in anger. She got up, her grip on the table strong enough to crack it. Surprisingly, her voice was even, full of contained emotion.
"What do you mean 'Thank the God's' Sunny? You have any idea what that means?"
"...That I'm prepared for the future?"
Very poor choice of words.
Nephis stared right through Sunny's soul, her gaze filled with the potency of a star.
Sunless felt a chill run down his spine, he'd never seen Nephis like this, normally she is the first one to not worry about Fate… When did they switch places like that?
"And does your plan consider that you may die?"
He gulped, her voice was even, her face the indifference she always bears, but her eyes showed the anger and… Care? Why would she care?
"Yes, but Neph… Why do you care?"
A hint of confusion invaded her beautiful face.
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Because… Because I'm Ki Song's son…"
Nephis hesitated, realizing what he said. Did she forget that? That he was the son of one of her father's killers? The son of the woman who helped destroy her life?
She stayed silent for a couple of moments, a conflict raging inside her.
'Why do I care?'
For over a decade, Nephis had one objective: Kill the Sovereigns. Yet now, in a mere 6 months, her revenge has been questioned and challenged by one person, the son of the Raven Queen, Sunless Song.
And now… She is caring over the fate of someone who was supposed to be one of her greatest enemies. She is willing to engage with the thought that Ki Song may have changed…
She is putting her trust in Sunny…
She is…
A flash of a blush passed through her face.
She sat back down, lost in confused, conflicted thoughts.
Until she looked back at Sunless…
His hollow eyes didn't look so empty… He looked… Nervous. For her answer.
She finally found the words.
"Why… Wouldn't I care?"
"'Why'? Neph, you have every reason to–"
"No I don't!"
Sunny shifted back.
"You never once lied to me, not once did you ever try to sabotage me, or gain some information or explore a vulnerability of mine. Sunny, you barely cared for my aspect, or my battle art!
All you did was support and help me.
And then… I learned what Ki Song did… For you, she changed Fate for you. Even let you think she was wrong for what she did… That she regrets what she did regardless of the reason. And I don't even know why they did what they did yet!---"
She looked down, not looking at him anymore.
"I… Don't know anymore…"
Silence filled the dark room. Torturous seconds that seemed like hours passed.
Nephis kept looking down, she couldn't look at him, for the first time, she let herself be vulnerable to someone else.
She felt an armored hand touch her wrist. Looking up, Sunny was there, standing up, a mournful expression on him.
He got on one knee, grabbing her hand gently. His eyes met hers, a pit of neverending shadows met a well of flames. His voice was low and even.
"When I met you, I wanted to change your mind, make you see my mothers side. Mom said that she stopped going after your clan after she adopted me, that I made her see just how many regrets she really had… Broken Sword was one of them.
Mom could never ask for forgiveness, she always thought she wasn't worthy of it…
So I wanted to show you that she regretted everything… Looks like I was able to do it…"
He paused, looking down.
"Thank you for sharing this with me. I also care for what happens to you Neph."
"Sunny…"
He sighed, looking back at her, deciding to reveal one more thing that he didn't tell her.
"The spy I said I had on the Bright Castle… It's my sister, Seishan. She's the ward on our side, she's been here for 7 years."
Nephis mouth opened, then closed. Sunny continued.
"I was scared, scared that you would see her as an enemy… Because it wasn't me…"
Silence once again settled in the room, a shameful expression plastered on Sunny.
Nephis grabbed his hand that was holding her with her other hand. His eyes widened, looking back at her.
She showed understanding.
"It's fine just… Don't hide things from me anymore… And I'll forgive you…"
"I… Alright."
A comfortable silence settled, small smiles creeped their way into their faces, they could stay there for hours… But Nephis just had to break it.
"... After I punish you."
....
A dumb-founded expression found its way onto him.
"Excuse me?"
Nephis put a thoughtful face and looked at the ceiling.
"I don't know what it will be yet… Maybe I should…"
"Wait, what—"
A message from Seishan came into him.
He looked at his runes and began reading it, the content of the message was concerning.
"Agh… Great."
"What is it?"
"Remember how Gunlaug was looking for a reason to challenge you? He just found one."