Mordret raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised by the sudden turn of events.
"Look who we have here… well, if it isn't Lady Cassie." His voice came out hoarse, as if the words had to be dragged out by force. "What makes you think that?"
Sunny's eyes widened, his face overtaken by confusion. How could Cassie be so calm? She had definitely woken up from the noise of the fight… so why didn't she seem even a little distressed?
"Cassie…? Since when have you been awake? No— forget that. We've got more important things to deal with—"
"Answer me." Her voice cut through the air, firm. "Who are you?"
She didn't turn her face away for even a moment, her blue eyes — empty, clear — fixed on Mordret's presence. Even without seeing… it was as if she feared that, if she broke that focus, he would simply cease to exist.
Nothing was more terrifying than the unknown.
'Hm…? She's… uneasy?' A sliver of doubt crept into Mordret's mind. 'What happened?'
Had he made some mistake? He couldn't recall anything that might have exposed him. Not even his change seemed, until now, to have been noticed.
"That's a difficult question to answer, Miss Cassie." He tilted his head slightly. "Do you want to know about the man whose body I'm using… or about what's left of me? There are many possible answers."
Cassie pressed her lips together, now flushed after recent rest, but her expression held no relief — only tension.
'Could I be wrong? No… my dreams never lie… after all, no one dreams in the Dream Realm.'
Certain, she held her ground.
"Who are you? What did you do to the real Mordret? What happened to him?"
Sunny glanced at her, surprised. He had never seen her like this — so sharp, so… restless.
"Enough." Mordret sighed, losing patience. "I'm not obligated to answer pointless questions. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I am Mordret."
A crooked smile formed on his lips.
"But if you prefer… I can be a nightmare creature that devoured his soul."
The air suddenly turned cold. His eyes took on a sharp gleam, shutting down any attempt to continue that line of questioning.
"In the end, it doesn't matter." His voice hardened. "Even if you manage to capture me… you two will die. Valor leaves no traces. Never does."
The silence that followed was dense, almost tangible.
...
Until Mordret relented.
"Let's drop it." He forced a smile. "There's no reason for us to argue. We're on the same side… aren't we?"
But the tension had already settled in.
"Damn it… screw this."
Sunny simply turned his back and walked toward the fire, completely ignoring the discussion. He grabbed a bowl and started ladling himself some soup, as if none of it mattered.
There was still plenty of soup.
'He made all this…' he thought, casting a disbelieving glance.
'Unbelievable… he really acts just like in the story.' Mordret almost laughed.
When he turned his head, he found Cassie looking in his direction — or trying to. He just shrugged and walked to the fire.
'I need to pay more attention… she noticed something I didn't.'
Sitting across from Sunless, he relaxed slightly.
"Is it good?" he asked, a hint of pride in his voice. "I made a lot because I knew you'd eat plenty."
"Yeah…" Sunny muttered, bringing the spoon to his mouth.
Cassie remained still for a moment, until a corpse approached silently, carrying a small stool. She hesitated for a second, then accepted, let herself be guided to the fire.
Sitting beside Sunny, she kept her body tense. She only relaxed when she felt a light touch on her shoulder.
"Would you like some?" Mordret asked, extending a steaming bowl.
"…"
"Eat slowly. You've gone weeks without food."
Sunny nodded in agreement.
"I've seen people die because of that."
Cassie accepted the bowl carefully. First, she smelled it. Then she tasted it.
And then… she froze.
The soup tasted… normal.
Painfully normal.
No strange taste, no suspicious traces — nothing.
No poison. No trick.
That made her more uncomfortable than any trap.
She finished too quickly. After weeks of hunger, a single portion barely made a difference.
When they were done, silence once again took over the space.
Mordret remained seated, a faint smile on his face, eyes closed, as if deliberately hiding what he was thinking.
Eyes were, after all, the windows to the soul.
Sunny seemed more relaxed, recovering his strength. As he ate, he stroked Serpent, drawing small sounds from the creature. His shadows rippled along the ground, almost festive.
Cassie, on the other hand, remained still, head lowered, the blindfold covering her eyes.
Her mind was in turmoil — but none of it showed.
Noticing the mood, Mordret cleared his throat.
"Alright… I'm glad you accepted the alliance." He gave a light smile. "But we need to discuss the plan."
Sunny raised an eyebrow.
"Plan? Plan for what?"
Mordret let out a short laugh.
"Isn't it obvious?"
He stood up slowly, while the dead around them aligned themselves, as if responding to an invisible command.
"A plan to kill the masters."
His eyes gleamed.
"And I already have a great idea…"
The tension began to rise again.
Because this time…
the real massacre was about to begin.