Some time later, that cohort found a table in the hospital cafeteria. Everyone but Effie had already finished their food and were watching Effie finish her fourth serving with dark fascination.
Finally, the huntress was done with the food and leaned back tiredly in her wheelchair, full of satisfaction.
"Ah! That's life. Sunny, go bring me something to drink."
He stared at her with a dark expression and asked:
"...I already brought you the last three trays. Why don't you ask Kai?"
Effie grinned.
"Aren't you the youngest? Respect your elders, brat! Also, the rest of us are bigshots now. Way out of your league. Why would I ask a valiant True Name Awakened to serve me food when there's a nameless gremlin like you loitering around?"
Sunny gritted his teeth, then started to stand up.
Nephis put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him. She leveled a glare at Effie.
"Effie, apologize for what you just said."
Effie blinked, startled by the sudden hostility. She looked around the table and found nothing but disappointed, reproachful stares.
"Huh? What? But it's true!"
"And?" Cassie interjected. "Even without receiving a true name, Sunny contributed more to our survival than you."
Effie's pale face flushed pink. She glanced at Kai, hoping for backup, but he only gave her an expectant, raised‑eyebrow look.
Cornered, she looked down, grumbled something unintelligible, then forced herself to meet Sunny's eyes.
"...Sorry, Sunny."
Sunny narrowed his eyes, letting her stew for a moment before sighing and sinking back into his seat.
"Fine. Apology accepted."
The table fell into an awkward silence, and Kai, ever the social butterfly, cleared his throat.
"Actually, I am really surprised that you didn't receive a True Name as well Sunny. No one deserves it more than you, in my opinion. Really."
Sunny shifted uncomfortably.
"Yeah, well… you're not wrong! I do deserve a True Name, don't I? What a travesty."
Nephis and Cassie gave him small amused looks.
Effie, now fully recovered from her scolding, perked up with a mischievous glint
"Hey, Night. What do you think Sunny's True Name would be?"
Kai blinked a couple of times, though for a bit, then said with a smile:
"I'm not sure. Something like… Famous Last Words?"
He chuckled lightly, and then added:
"Or "No Really, That Happened"! What about you, Cassie? What do you think?"
Cassie tapped her lip thoughtfully, then smirked.
"Maybe… "Are you Crazy!?""
Effie snorted, then turned to Sunny with a grin full of malice
"...Looks Good in a Dress."
He stared at her with murder in his eyes.
"Hey!"
Nephis slowly looked Sunny up and down with assessing eyes.
"Hmm… I can see it."
Sunny whipped toward her, panic in his eyes.
"Hey!"
He repeated, voice cracking with desperation, the rest of the cohort burst into laughter.
Sunny, cheeks burning, turned to Kai with a frown.
"Speaking of True Names. Effie I can understand, but… Nightingale? You were really named just like your band? What's up with that?"
Then, he looked at the charming archer with suspicion and said in a grave tone:
"Kai, tell me honestly… the Spell… is also one of your fangirls, right?"
His friend choked on his drink, then wiped his face awkwardly and gave Sunny a reproachful look. Finally, he looked down and sighed.
"Uh… if it is, then not in a good way."
Sunny smiled and leaned back on his chair, then looked at his friends with curiosity.
"...What's your second Ability, anyway?"
His words hung in the air for a few moments. Suddenly, Kai coughed with embarrassment and looked away. After a couple of seconds, he said in a strange tone:
"I, uh… can see really far now, when I want to. Even when there's no light. I am also supposed to be able to see through illusions and all forms of obfuscation, whatever that means. And… uh… I can also see through objects.
Sunny and Effie stared at him and asked almost simultaneously:
"Like, through walls?"
"Like, through clothes?"
Kai hid behind his glass, lingered for a bit, and then answered in a small voice:
"...Yes. But I would never!"
"Why would you not want to see through walls?" Nephis asked, genuinely confused.
Effie burst into loud, wheezing laughter. Sunny tried to imagine why Kai would refuse to look through walls.
Cassie gave Sunny and Nephis an exasperated look.
"I see, I see. What a great Ability!"
Effie said shaking her head and turned to Sunny.
"Hey, doofus. I bet you often wanted to stab me with something sharp. Wanna try?"
Sunny didn't hesitate.
He stabbed her hand with a knife.
A sharp metallic clang rang out, echoing across the cafeteria.
Effie smirked triumphantly as the blade failed to pierce her skin.
"Basically, my second ability makes my whole body invulnerable. Well… comparatively, of course. Skin of steel, that sort of deal. A very sweet comprehensive defense boost, if I do say so myself!"
Sunny pulled the knife back and smirked right back at her.
"Invulnerable, huh?"
Effie looked down, and winced at the visible dent in her hand
"Ah… Ow… Princess, heal me?"
She held her hand out pitifully toward Nephis.
Nephis, who had been leaning on the table with her chin propped in her hand, raised a single unimpressed brow.
"No."
"Aww." Effie pouted dramatically before turning to Cassie, Nephis, and Sunny.
"Wh-"
She started.
"I can see a few seconds into the future."
Cassie interrupted, preempting her question while smirking and pretending to inspect her nails.
Nephis huffed in amusement at Cassie's antics.
"I can manipulate any kind of flame."
Nephis added.
Sunny shifted slightly.
"And I got a very neat type of conditional short-distance teleportation."
Kai perked up.
"Oh, those all sound very useful"
He said cheerily.
Feeling the topic winding down, Cassie spoke up
"So," she asked, tilting her head, "what plans do you two have? What Citadels are you going to?"
Her sudden question changed the mood of the conversation. For a while, a strange silence settled among them.
After a while, Effie sighed.
"I don't know, really." She tapped her fingers on her wheelchair armrest. "I've received invitations from both clan Valor and clan Song, but… you know me. I don't do well with authority."
She snorted, then slumped back in her chair.
"Plus, none of them lifted a finger to help me when I actually needed it. Only now that I'm a hot commodity are they suddenly kind and friendly. Rubs me the wrong way, to be honest."
She looked at her wheelchair, then slumped in it tiredly.
"Anyway… I might take them up on the offer, or I might not. It depends on what the fastest way to get ready for the Second Nightmare would be."
She turned to Cassie, eyes narrowing with hope.
"You, uh, wouldn't happen to know of the best way to reach it right?"
Cassie pursed her lips.
"Maybe… I have more control over my visions now, but Fate is a bit of a mess. It might take some time to find a potential path." She offered a small smile. "I'll let you know if I find something.
Effie nodded gratefully.
"Right. Thanks."
Kai remained silent for a few moments. Then he sighed.
"As for me… my agency has secured me a very good position in Bastion. So I'll be going there soon. I won't have to fight another Nightmare Creature for a long, long time. I guess. Maybe even never."
For someone who was speaking about being safe and comfortable for the rest of his life, he didn't sound too happy. There was a note of reluctance in his voice. Even… shame.
Sunny frowned.
"You drop that tone immediately, Kai. There's nothing wrong with living like a person should, not having to worry about being eaten every goddamn day. Don't even think about feeling bad about it. Got it?"
The charming young man smiled sadly and nodded.
"I do. Please forgive my ungratefulness." He hesitated, then looked at the trio across from him. "But what about you three? I'm assuming you'll stick together?"
Nephis nodded without hesitation.
"For the most part. We'll be going to the north-eastern region of the dream realm, likely the Chained Isles or The Dens… Maybe both if we have enough numbers."
Effie raised a brow.
"Heh, Ambitious aren't you princess? Need some help with that?"
"That would be muc-"
"No. You need to stay in Bastion for now."
Cassie cut Nephis off with a firm tone.
Effie blinked.
"Really? Hmm, well if you say so."
She turned and grinned at Kai.
"Hear that Night? We're gonna be living the life in Bastion while those three slum it in the wilds."
Kai squinted at Cassie before turning to Effie and smiling.
"Yeah, I'm glad I won't be there alone."
A short while later, Sid approached the cohorts table.
"Lady Nephis, we've secured a meeting room."
Nephis nodded to the blond awakened.
"Thank you, Sid." She turned to Effie and Kai. "Sorry but it looks like our time is up."
"That's alright, we know how busy you must be," Kai said as he stood and moved behind Effie's wheelchair
"Bye, guys!" Effie waved enthusiastically. "Remember the talk we had back in the castle! And wear protection!"
She shouted the last part with a wicked grin as the trio followed Sid.
Sunny stumbled, face going crimson. He whipped his head around.
"You-!"
He started, but a pink‑faced Nephis grabbed his hand.
"Sunny, she's trying to get a reaction out of you. Come on, let's go."
Effie's cackling echoed down the hallway as they walked away.
***
As they went deeper into the hospital complex more and more awakened of Nephis's faction were posted in hallways acting as guards.
Still holding Neph's hand while following Sid, Sunny leaned forward slightly, peering past Nephis to look at Cassie.
"So what did your vision tell you?"
Cassie tilted her head.
"Hmm, what vision?"
Nephis glanced at her, puzzled.
"...The vision that made you say Effie should go to Bastion…"
Cassie scratched her cheek, suddenly bashful.
"Ah, that… well, there was no vision…"
"What?"
"What?"
Nephis and Sunny said it at the same time, both stopping mid‑stride.
Cassie hastily elaborated, hands fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve.
"Don't get me wrong, I consider Effie a dear friend. It's just…" She grimaced. "She can sometimes be a bit much, you know?"
Nephis frowned slightly while behind her Sunny nodded with the solemn understanding
Cassie continued, voice dropping into a grumble.
"And it's not like we're not going to hang out in the waking world. I just don't want to deal with her constant teasing in the Dream Realm too." She huffed. "Especially after that stunt she pulled in the conference hall…"
Nephis sighed in mild disappointment.
"I can't say I approve, Cass," she said. "But what's done is done."
Cassie wilted a little, but nodded.
By then, they had reached a door at the end of the hallway. Sid stepped ahead and pulled it open.
"Lady Nephis," she said with a respectful incline of her head, "the meeting room is ready."
Nephis gave her a small nod and stepped inside followed by Cassie and Sunny.
Inside the room was a nearly fully occupied oval table, Nephis walked to the head and took her seat with Sunny and Cassie taking the seats to the left and right of her respectively.
Sunny let his gaze sweep the room.
To his left and beside him was Gemma, the young man was lounging back on his chair and smirked when he noticed his gaze. Sunny returned the smirk with a glare. Past Gemma were two of the more experienced hunters and beyond them sat Kido and her apprentice.
Sunny pursed his lips and directed his eyes to the other side of the table. To the right of Cassie was a familiar awakened side-eyeing Gemma, Park, Sunny remembered. Further down were four more awakened who had followed Nephis into the Bright Castle.
'...I guess Scar didn't make it.'
He thought, recalling the scarred Sleeper who had attended the strategy meeting back in the lodge.
Sunny took another look at the awakened he didn't immediately recognize.
He couldn't recall their names.
'Damn, I should probably start paying attention when people introduce themselves… Eh, who am I kidding, if they're important I'll remember them.'
While he was justifying his lack of manners, Nephis started speaking.
"Let us begin, Park, what are our numbers."
Park straightened.
"Excluding those in this room, one hundred and forty-two stand with you Lady Nephis."
The brown-haired man replied.
Sunny hummed internally.
'That makes one hundred and fifty-five in total then.'
One hundred and fifty-five awakened was a strong force, one hundred and fifty-five awakened who had survived and triumphed over the forgotten shore? That was something else entirely. They could probably take on a lesser clan or two.
But…
He glanced at Nephis.
If the Sovereigns still wanted her dead, all it would take to kill all one hundred and fifty-five of them would be to send a single Saint.
He looked to Cassie, she seemed to sense his gaze and gave him a small slime.
'Cass has the right idea, if we want to survive we need a Sovereign on our side, we need the support of the Shadow Clan.'
Nephis continued.
"Good, that gives us options, we have two regions that suit our goals, the Chained Isles, and The Dens. The Chained Isles has two citadels, the Night Temple, run by Saint Cormac of Clan Valor, and the Sanctuary of Noctis, controlled by the White Feather Clan and led by Saint Tyris. The Dens border's the Chained Isles and its sole citadel is run by Clan Canemden, they only have a handful of Masters and no Saint."
She looked around the table.
"Thoughts?"
Gemma spoke first.
"We'll need to split up."
Park immediately bristled.
"Why would we do that? We are stronger together."
Sunny raised a brow at the youth's tone. Gemma looked at Park like he was a particularly dense rock.
Before Gemma could speak up, Sunny rose a hand to stop him, and he directed Park a look.
"We need to split up because there's too many of us, we're not talking about Bastion or Ravenheart here, these aren't well established citadels, they will have low populations and if the all of…"
Sunny waved his hand vaguely around the table.
"...our group."
He turned to Nephis.
"We really need to come up with a proper name."
Several of those around the table nodded their heads at his words.
He looked back to Park, who was starting to look a bit bitter.
"If all of us went to one citadel it would cause tension we really do not need right now. They might think we're planning on pushing their clan out or taking over their home with force... Do you get it?"
Park's jaw tightened, but after a moment he gave a small nod.
"Good."
Sunny leaned back, resting one foot on his knee, and looked around the table.
"I suggest we split into three groups, Gemma will volunteer to lead the group going to The Dens."
Gemma jolted upright.
"Wait, don't I get a say-"
"No." Sunny cut in without looking at him.
'You wanna make me your leader? Fine, enjoy a shitty citadel that probably doesn't even have plumbing!''
He glanced at Nephis.
She was looking at him with an almost imperceptible smile, but her eyes looked dark and… hungry?
'Didn't we just eat?'
He swallowed.
'D-don't tell me… She's been influenced by Effie!? Thank the Spell Cass sent that glutton away! How dare she lead Neph astray!'
"I agree with Sunny."
Cassie spoke up.
"Uh, it was my ide-"
"I will lead the group going to the Night Temple."
She continued, neatly cutting Gemma off.
Nephis turned to the seer.
"Cass, that's…"
Cassie smiled sweetly.
"It's for the best, though… could I get first pick? I might need the help." She asked while scratching her cheek.
Sunny smirked.
"Sure, just go easy with the hunters." He jerked his thumb at Gemma. "This guy will need all the help he can get out in the boonies."
Gemma grumbled while Cassie grinned.
"Don't worry," she said. "I know who I'll be picking already."
Gemma nudged Sunny with his elbow.
"What about you Sunny? Where will you go?"
Nephis answered before Sunny could open his mouth.
"Sunny will be going to the Sanctuary of Noctis with me."
She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Which, honestly, it was.
"Ah, right."
Gemma said, then gave Sunny an exaggerated wink and thumbs up.
Sunny rolled his eyes as Nephis addressed the room.
"The next order of business is deciding on our factions name…"
Out of the corner of his eye, Sunny saw faint white sparks flicker from Nephis's pocket, the telltale sign of a memory being dismissed.
'That must be Jet dismissing the marble… Come to think of it, wasn't it of the third tier? I wonder what the third enchantment was...'
***
"We all have our tasks, let's not waste any time."
Cor's eyes lingered on the misty silhouettes dissolving back into the marble, one by one the translucent figures of the three Awakened collapsed inward, pulled into the orb.
He sat back, elbows resting on his desk, fingers steepled.
Across from him, the sole other occupant lounged in a chair like she owned the place.
"Well," Soul Reaper Jet drawled, "aren't they cute?"
Cor exhaled slowly through his nose.
"...I certainly wasn't expecting a recording of a love confession when you said you had something important to show me."
Jet only grinned wider, waving a hand dismissively.
"Oh come on, that was adorable. And it wasn't just a love confession, it proved that Sunny isn't part of the Shadow Clan."
Cor pinched the bridge of his nose.
"You already told me that much, I'm more concerned with what Awakened Cassia said."
"You mean the Fate stuff?" Jet shrugged, boots propped up on the edge of his desk. "I don't really get it, but it sounds like the Shadow Clan did a good thing."
Cor turned his gaze on her, a slow, heavy look that made Jet's smirk falter.
"The fact that they were able to do it in the first place is what worries me."
Jet scoffed.
"So? We already know the Shadow Clan's scary as fuck, what's new?"
Cor didn't answer immediately.
His gaze drifted to his desk drawer, he felt a cold sweat run down his back.
'I doubt even a sovereign is capable of what they did.'
The implication terrified him.
Without looking away from the drawer, he spoke.
"...We will give Changing Star all the support we can without drawing the ire of the Great Clans."
Jet raised a brow.
"That's a bold stance."
Cor's jaw tightened.
"But a necessary one."
His determination flared. If what he suspected was true. If humanity wasn't as helpless as he thought. Then even if it meant defying the Sovereigns, he will give his full support to the Shadows.
***
A/N: Hey all, sorry for missing a week, writers block hit me like a truck and I had to really force myself to sit down and write, hopefully it didn't affect the chapter too much.
Big thanks to those of you who wrote reviews and left comments, they really helped me claw back my motivation.
Let me know if you have some ideas for an alternative name for the Fire Keepers, I might change it for this story.