Nephis slowly opened her eyes. The dim light of a lamp illuminated the small room, forcing her to blink as she regained her composure. Every muscle in her body ached, a stark reminder of the toll her Aspect took when used for extended periods. Often, the physical pain was accompanied by a strange disconnect, as if whatever little sanity she had left was slipping away.
She let out a soft sigh, reaching out with her hand as she tried to adjust to the comfort of the bed and the warmth of the blankets that covered her. She had forgotten what it felt like to rest in something so soft.
And to wear clothes again—how many armors had she burned through by now? Probably too many to count. Only one remained among the fragments of her memories, one she had never worn because it wasn't practical in the blazing desert. Of course, that had nothing to do with the fact that Sunny had given it to her.
The memory hit her suddenly, taking her back to that moment on the Forgotten Shore, when she'd been practically naked, and he'd offered her the armor with his usual indifference.
"Damn it..." she muttered, covering her face with her hand.
She tried to get up from the bed, but her legs gave out almost instantly. Before she could crash to the floor, strong hands caught her.
"Nephis, you should rest," said a calm yet firm voice. "If you want, I can call a nurse... or them."
Her heart skipped a beat. Not just because she hadn't expected anyone to be in the room, but because damn it, that shadow-stepping ability of his was annoyingly effective.
Before she could respond, her throat reminded her of something more pressing. She couldn't remember the last time she had drunk water, and the sharp pain made that painfully obvious. But beyond that, something else unsettled her: their proximity. They were too close. Sunny could clearly see her in the dim light, while she was trapped in this awkward position.
Trying to maintain her usual stoic demeanor, she shook her head. Still, a faint blush crept onto her ears. She pointed to her throat, silently asking for water.
Sunny understood immediately. With a fluid motion, he summoned the familiar relic of his canteen. For a fleeting moment, Nephis considered stealing it. Infinite water? That sounded too good to pass up.
After drinking deeply, she sighed in relief and finally spoke:
"Don't call anyone."
She had no energy or desire to deal with doctors—or with the cohort and their inevitable questions about her second nightmare. Not yet. All she wanted was to rest a bit longer.
Sunny nodded in approval, but an uncomfortable silence followed.
"Did you have a nightmare?" he asked, though he already knew the answer. He just wanted to break the tension.
"I was about to," she replied in her usual neutral tone, "but your shadow stopped it."
Though her words were even, there was a hint of gratitude in them. Sunny's lips curved into a small smile.
"I'm glad," he murmured.
After a moment, he asked again:
"You don't want to talk about your second nightmare, do you?"
Nephis shook her head. She wasn't ready. Sunny just smiled, as though he had expected that answer.
"If you're that tired, go back to sleep. I won't say anything about you waking up... as long as you don't rat me out."
Nephis arched an eyebrow, surprised at how perceptive he had become. When had he gotten so good at reading her? Then again, it wasn't exactly difficult. She didn't need a mirror to know that her eyes were barely open and that she'd been trying to suppress yawns since waking up.
"Don't worry about the nightmares," Sunny added, glancing at the shadowy figure beside him. "I'll send Nightmare again."
For some reason, those words made her smile slightly. She nodded in silent thanks, quietly appreciating his thoughtfulness.
But then another thought struck her: Wait... does that mean he's staying here? Is he going to watch me sleep all night? That's so embarrassing...
She tried to speak, but exhaustion overtook her before she could say anything. As her eyes closed, she caught a glimpse of the shadowy black horse standing beside Sunny.
"Damn it..." she muttered before slipping into a deep sleep.
Nephis felt some of the tension leave her body. She truly needed this rest. To have no nightmares at all was better than she had expected.
We both have divine Aspects, so why can't I create echoes made of light or something equally impressive? she wondered with a faint grumble. Seriously, how did he even get that?
When Nephis woke from her sweet dream, she found herself staring at the white wall of her room. Around her were at least four nurses and several familiar faces.
Her entire cohort was there—well, even though Sunny wasn't technically part of it, she still considered him so in her mind. He had helped her more than anyone else.
What surprised her most, however, was seeing Sunny and Cassie in the same room. She had been silently terrified for the blind woman's life. Nephis knew better than anyone how strong Cassie was, but having a personal grudge against Sunny rarely ended well.
She also felt a sense of relief seeing her first friends alive and well. For years, she had no way of knowing their fate. The only person she was sure was alive was Sunny, thanks to his runes.
Now here they all were:
Kai, the eccentric archer whose songs she admired so much that, if not for her pride, she might have asked for an autograph.
Cassie, the blind girl she had saved at the very beginning—and damn it, why is she so beautiful? That's unfair.
Effie, the gluttonous huntress, whose jokes she didn't particularly miss but whose presence she appreciated nonetheless (for now).
And finally, standing slightly apart from everyone, surrounded by shadows—Sunny.
Why is he looking at me? Did I do something weird while sleeping? Please, tell me I didn't talk in my sleep...
Nephis sighed softly and gave them all a small nod.
Almost immediately, they bombarded her with questions.
"How are you?"
"What happened?"
"Seriously, you became a Master? I wanted to tease you about that forever!"
Nephis answered their questions with her usual stoic demeanor.
—"I'm fine. I survived my Second Nightmare."
Her responses were vague, but before anything else could happen, a government envoy entered the room.
Great... this is going to take a while, she thought.
With a calm voice, the envoy asked if she could follow him for questioning. Nephis nodded, standing from the bed. Thankfully, she didn't stumble this time. At least I avoided that embarrassment. Though... being caught by Sunny was oddly comforting last time.
The conversation with the envoy was brief but mentally draining. Nephis provided basic information, enough to satisfy their curiosity but nothing more. One critical thing she requested, however, was a psychologist.
My mind is a wreck... she thought as she left the room. If I couldn't sense Sunny's runes right now, I wouldn't be much more stable than a wild animal.
Returning to her cohort, she was immediately met with a warm embrace from Cassie.
—"I'm so glad you're back, Neph."
Cassie's voice was sincere, carrying the weight of genuine relief.
—"We've gotten into some trouble," she continued in a low voice. "Thank goodness you're here. I know it's too soon, but this is important. Rest for now. We'll talk tomorrow. This place isn't safe."
Why can't things ever just be calm? Nephis thought, exasperated.
Before she could respond, Kai spoke with his usual elegance.
—"By the way, Nephis, where do you want to live?"
—"Huh?" Nephis blinked at the unexpected question.
—"Well, if you're not around, I can't access anything in your clan's castle. So, right now, it's basically in ruins. Sorry about that," Kai said with an exaggeratedly apologetic tone.
—"So, princess, where would you like to stay? Cassie lives with her parents, and I don't think that's ideal. I'm always busy with meetings at my place, so that leaves Sunny and me," Effie said, grinning mischievously.
—"Sunny."
The word left Nephis's lips before she even realized it. It came out too quickly, so much so that even she was startled.
Effie laughed, and Kai raised an intrigued eyebrow. Sunny, as usual, remained silent, his dark eyes fixed on her, unreadable.
Heat crept up Nephis's cheeks, but she maintained her firm expression.
Why did I say that so fast? Damn it...