Nephis was having fun.
Though saying that would be strange, since she was currently losing. And losing badly.
In front of her stood a rival who was forcing her to push herself to her absolute limit, and even then, it wasn't enough. The difference in strength was too great.
Although her technique was superior and more polished, the vast gap in power made technique simply not matter. At the end of the day, she was sparring against a Master while being only an Awakened.
Even so, calling her rival's technique bad would be a complete insult. Nephis, as an enthusiast of combat techniques, could recognize at a glance when someone possessed a sublime technique. And her rival had it. Not only that—her technique bordered on perfection.
Obviously, this was completely expected of the Princess of War.
Morgan.
Both of them were sparring in the Valor Clan compound in the Waking World.
Morgan attacked again. Her sword descended in a diagonal, forcing Nephis to block from an awkward position. The impact traveled through her arms, forcing her to take half a step back to absorb the force.
Nephis responded immediately, twisting her wrist to free her sword and counterattacking with a thrust aimed at the neck. Morgan tilted her head slightly, letting the edge graze past, and replied with a horizontal slash that forced Nephis to duck to avoid it.
She chained three consecutive attacks, varying angles and height to force Morgan to reposition. The difference in technique was evident in the details: every step Nephis took sought positioning, every strike had a clear intention of building cumulative pressure.
Morgan blocked the first two attacks with no visible difficulty. The third forced her to use more force than necessary, a sign that she was measuring how much she could push without breaking the sparring rhythm.
Nephis seized that moment of hesitation.
She spun on her axis, sliding her sword along Morgan's guard to close the distance. Her shoulder collided with the Princess of War's torso as she tried to unbalance her and create a brief opening.
The decision was correct. However, the result was not.
Morgan didn't move.
The impact barely altered her stance. Her center of gravity remained firm, as if the collision didn't have enough weight to displace her.
The response came immediately: a dry push with her forearm that forced Nephis to step back completely.
Nephis didn't break the distance. She re-engaged.
Her sword traced an ascending arc that would have opened a common rival's abdomen. Morgan intercepted the strike at the last instant, deflecting it to the side with a minimal wrist movement.
The counterattack came immediately after.
A short cut aimed at the shoulder, which Nephis barely managed to block by crossing her sword diagonally. The impact made the metal vibrate, forcing her to tense her entire body to maintain her guard.
The difference in strength was clear.
Even so, Nephis clenched her teeth and tried to maintain the pace.
Every high feint had intention. Every low attack created an opportunity. Every angle change provoked a response.
However, everything was useless.
For several exchanges, the pressure remained even. Morgan responded with economy of movement, never accelerating more than necessary, while Nephis compensated for the power difference with timing and precision.
The breaking point came in a close exchange.
Nephis managed to deflect Morgan's sword just enough to open a direct line to the torso. Her thrust was clean, executed at the exact moment when Morgan's guard seemed compromised.
But the difference in rank decided the outcome.
Morgan forced the sword to clash with pure strength, breaking Nephis's favorable angle. The collision misaligned her posture just enough.
A short wrist turn, followed by a minimal forward shift, placed Morgan's sword in a dominant position. The tip stopped against the base of Nephis's neck.
End of sparring with a clear winner.
Nephis lowered her weapon first, her breathing controlled but heavier than usual. She had managed to apply pressure but had not succeeded in overcoming the difference between Awakened and Master.
It was expected, considering she hadn't used any of her five augmentations or her Immortal Flame Clan fighting style.
Stepping away from the ring, she turned and began walking toward one of the dojo's benches. Once there, a clan employee approached and handed her a water bottle. Smiling at the woman, Nephis took the bottle and drank almost all of it in one go.
As she did, her new adoptive sister approached her and sat down beside her.
After a few seconds, Morgan said, "That was probably one of our best spars, sister."
Morgan glanced at her out of the corner of her eye as she finished, and once she did, Neph replied,
"I don't think so."
Morgan let out a small laugh and stood up from the bench. "You probably don't." Then she began to walk away and added over her shoulder, "When you become a Master, it'll be more fun. See you later, sis."
Nephis watched her and waved goodbye as well. "Bye."
Then she lowered her gaze to the empty bottle and thought, 'As if they'd let me Ascend…'
Letting out a breath, she looked up and began to think about everything that had gone wrong in the last month.
It all started after the premiere of the damned movie—which, in fact, she had taken advantage of by filling it with bad reviews on multiple accounts created by the Firekeepers.
A smile appeared on her sweaty face as she thought about how the movie had gone from a 4/5 rating to a mere 2.9/5.
'They deserve it for pairing me with Arthur instead of Sunny.'
Already thinking about him, she decided to open his runes.
Slave: [Lost from Light]
Class: Devil.
Shadow Cores: [4/7]
Shadow Fragments: [692/4000]
She frowned slightly. 'He's been growing extremely fast.'
At first, she had been scared because Sunny had gone an entire week without receiving any Memories or increasing his fragments. Then, on the seventh day, a new Attribute appeared in his runes.
[Bone Weave]
The forbidden lineage of Weaver. The Daemon of Fate…
Nephis still didn't know how Sunny had managed to obtain a forbidden lineage from a Daemon, but what had piqued her curiosity the most at that moment was the Attribute's description.
"You have inherited a part of Weaver's forbidden lineage. Your bones have been altered and imbued with steadfast temperance. When children of the -unknown- rebelled against the gods, Weaver was the only one to refuse the call of war. Despised and hunted by both sides, they disappeared. No one knew where Weaver went and what they did… until it was too late."
She still didn't know what that "-unknown-" was or what role Sunny played in the Daemon of Fate's plans, but she didn't like it at all.
The Daemons were mysterious creatures described with power almost equal to that of the gods, but of a different nature. They were elusive and solitary by nature. Each of them is mysterious, distant, and terrifying. And from the little existing information about him, Weaver was supposedly the worst of them all.
'Though the description says he was the only one to refuse the call to fight against the gods…'
Either way, she wasn't enthusiastic enough about history to be that interested in such things. Something she was indeed very interested in was a new Memory Sunny had obtained.
Funny enough, she had been looking at Sunny's runes by pure chance at the very moment he obtained a sword that also had a curious description.
Name: [Severed Wind]
Memory Rank: Ascended.
Memory Description: [The storms changed first. They stopped wandering aimlessly and began to look downward. Their movement became deliberate, almost conscious. The sky gained intention, and the intention turned aggressive. People abandoned their homes before the will of the storms became absolute.
Then an eight-armed figure appeared. It did not promise salvation, only the possibility of changing their fate. Rejecting it did not seem like an option, so they followed it into the depths of a pyramid where time did not flow naturally.
What they left behind was devoured by the skies that had learned to want.]
Immediately, she thought that the Memory's description corresponded to the story of the new zone Sunny was in. Although when the description began to mention an eight-armed figure and then the word "Fate," she thought of Weaver again.
Nephis didn't like at all that Sunny was so involved with Fate. First the [Fated] Attribute, then the fact that he had his lineage, and now a Memory's description referencing him…
'I don't like it.'
And the problem wasn't just with Sunny. Cassie was also deeply connected to Fate.
Thinking about Cassie, she remembered that her friend had told her she had something important to tell her during the day. Nephis had agreed that after the sparring with Morgan, she would do it, but she had stayed sitting in the dojo instead of keeping her word.
Getting up from the bench, she went to the showers, and a few minutes later, she was already on her way to the Immortal Flame Clan mansion.
While waiting for Sid and Shakti to drive her to the mansion in their PTV, she resumed thinking about the events that had happened after that damned movie.
Not even a few hours had passed after the movie ended before all social media couldn't stop talking about her and her "relationship" with Arthur.
The reason for this was clearly the abrupt way she had left the cinema once the movie ended.
Nephis clearly remembered the headline: "The last daughter of the fallen Immortal Flame Clan, Princess Nephis, leaves the cinema emotional after the moving ending of the movie 'A Song of the King and His Flame.'"
Involuntarily, her communicator had caught fire when she read the news for the first time. And the same thing happened when she read it a second time.
This movie had caused the attempts to recruit her and her Firekeepers to grow exponentially.
Not even a week had passed from the premiere to the arrival of the first offer from the Valor Clan. A few hours later, an offer arrived from the House of Night, and finally, the Government also sent theirs.
Strangely, Song did not send any offer after their first.
She didn't know what the reason could be, though she assumed it also had something to do with Arthur.
Already thinking about him, she had to admit that Arthur continued to surprise her, even months after last seeing him.
Cassie had told her that Arthur owed Seishan a favor in some way, and obviously, the princess had asked him to join her clan.
At first glance, this didn't seem like a big deal. One might even say that owing a favor to a Legacy from a clan like Song would be stupid. But if you looked at the fine print, it made a lot of sense.
What was the best way to join a clan?
Being hired by a random member?
Offering yourself in some way?
Or having one of the clan's princesses directly ask you to join them…
Obviously, the last option gave you many more benefits when doing so. In the end, owing a favor to someone important was better than an insignificant person owing you one…
And she had been very stupid not to see it before. She had been so full of hatred and rage against the Ghouls that she hadn't seen the opportunity to latch onto them like a tick and absorb resources. To grow thanks to them.
As soon as she returned, she had been so conditioned by her self-hatred that she hadn't seen the opportunity. Then she had focused so much on trying to saturate her cores and challenge the Second Nightmare that she hadn't seized the moment either.
Nephis let out a sigh and shook her head.
It didn't matter anymore.
What's done is done. Now she only had to protect herself from Valor and challenge the Second Nightmare as quickly as possible. Getting stronger would solve her problems.
Though she would also like to admit that the fact that Song Clan hadn't sent her another offer bothered her more than she would like to admit.
Not because of the offer itself and what it was. But because of the very fact that they hadn't bothered to come after her.
Obviously, Song already had Arthur, but why hadn't they gone after her?
Was she not enough for them to make her an offer?
This somehow made her opinion of Ki Song change slightly.
Nephis had always seen her as an ambitious woman… why would she settle for only one of them when she could have gotten both?
In fact… she would have preferred to join Song rather than Valor.
Not for any special reason—she still hated both—simply because Sylvie was already there and Arthur would join them when he returned.
It would make a lot of sense to join Song rather than Valor. But they hadn't sent any offer, so she had to settle for the latter.
Because of this, she had no choice but to accept Valor's proposal.
Obviously, she also tried to get the best terms that would benefit them as much as possible.
In the end, Nephis and Cassie ended up joining Valor, accompanied by all the Firekeepers and no one else.
Even so, she kept her mansion, that place was hers. It did not belong to the clan. Thanks to this, Effie and Kai could continue living there if they wished.
She also managed to maintain her stay at the Sanctuary of Noctis.
This was great news because the seed they planned to challenge was located in the Chained Isles.
In fact, at first, they had planned to challenge the Nightmare within four months, but due to all these changes and at Cassie's insistence, they decided to do it in half the time.
Although at first, she didn't quite understand the reason Cassie had given her…
Her friend had simply said, "If we don't hurry, something very bad will happen to one of us."
When she insisted on asking who that would happen to and what would happen, Cassie simply said dryly, "I can't say."
Nephis was starting to get tired of her friend's attitude and planned to confront her about it, but upon seeing how her body trembled as she said those words, she decided not to.
Mainly because she didn't want to hurt her friend by implying that she might not trust her—though obviously, she did. Cassie was her best friend and one of the two people she trusted the most with her life.
The other, obviously, was her Sun…
The PTV stopped in front of the mansion gates, and immediately, Sid got out to open the door for her.
"Lady Nephis, we have arrived," said the blonde girl as she held the door.
Nephis nodded and added as she stepped out, "Thank you, Sid. Thank you, Shakti."
The Firekeepers made a small bow and re-entered the PTV, while Nephis began walking toward the mansion doors.
Something that had hurt her a lot, because she felt she was betraying her clan, was the fact that while the mansion belonged to her and not to Valor, the latter were not going to leave an area unguarded where she could plan things against them.
So they insisted on sending personnel to the mansion with the excuse of "providing all the needs that the second princess of the clan may require."
Obviously, it was to spy on her.
So even though the mansion was hers, it no longer felt like it.
Fortunately, Valor had no information about the house she owned in NQSC next to Rain's house.
This was obviously because she had bought it under another identity with the help of Master Jet. Though the name she had come up with at the moment still embarrassed her.
'What the hell was I thinking?'
That was the problem. Nephis hadn't been thinking of anything.
The moment she saw Rain, she couldn't help but think how similar she was to Sunny. So when Rain asked her name, she didn't know what to answer, and the first thing that came out was,
"Nectis."
She brought her hand to her face at the thought, but immediately lowered it as some of the employees Valor had sent came down the hallway.
Her posture straightened, and her steps became firmer. Then, at a prudent distance, she made a slight nod to acknowledge them and continued walking toward Cassie's room.
Minutes passed walking in silence until she arrived at the room. Knocking once, a few seconds later, she heard a voice from the other side telling her to enter.
Entering the room and closing the door behind her, she finally saw Cassie sitting at her desk.
Her friend had become even more beautiful since she Awakened—as if that were possible—her delicate features, pale blonde hair, and stunning blue eyes created an exquisitely beautiful young woman. Although she dressed simply, she emanated an aura that made it almost impossible to look away. It was as if she were a celestial and immaculate creature that had somehow found its way into the mundane, dirty, imperfect world.
Nephis made her way with calm steps to the chair in front of the desk on the other side, and immediately, Cassie summoned a Memory to cancel the sound.
Once the Memory finished manifesting, Nephis was the first to speak. "I took too long during the sparring, but I'm here now, Cass."
Cassie nodded her head. "I know, Neph." After a pause, she added, "I called you because I need you to do me a favor."
"What favor?"
She took out a piece of paper from under a book and, after folding it several times, handed it to Neph.
"I need you to go to that island in less than four hours."
Nephis took the paper and moved to read its contents, but immediately, Cassie warned her, "Don't read the contents now. Wait until you're in the Dream Realm."
"Why?"
Cassie began to shake her head. "I can't tell you."
Nephis raised an eyebrow.
"Is there some creature I need to kill on that island?"
Cassie shook her head again. "No, Neph," she replied. "I just need you to go in less than four hours, and alone. Make sure no one follows you."
That already sounded extremely strange to her. Obviously, Nephis wasn't going to let herself be followed, but what could be so important that Cassie was acting this way?
Either way, she knew that no matter how much she asked, she wouldn't get an answer.
Letting out a sigh, she asked,
"What can I expect to find there?"
Cassie was silent for a long while, then replied in a softer tone, with her lips threatening to form a smile, "The solution to many problems."
'What.'
Nephis fell silent as she watched Cassie. Eventually, when the silence became too long, she shrugged slightly and accepted. "Fine, though you owe me an explanation later."
Cassie smiled and nodded.
"If that's all, then I'm on my way," she said as she stood up from the chair and headed toward the door. Just as she was about to open it, Cassie spoke again with a question.
"Neph… Rain… she doesn't know she's Sunny's sister, right?"
She stopped and turned to look at her with her gray eyes, then said, "Not that I know of."
"Good," said the blind seer quickly, then, knowing Nephis was going to ask her another question, added, "I was just curious."
Nephis closed her mouth because Cassie had answered what she was going to ask before she asked it. "Fine, see you in a while, Cass."
"Bye, see you later, Neph."
She closed the door and now walked toward the pod room.
As she walked through the hallways of her mansion, she found herself thinking about the conversation with Cassie. Mainly about how strange her friend had been during it.
First, her posture upon entering the room was very tense for what she asked afterward. Then the number of times she noticed her delicate shoulders trying to tremble slightly. Finishing with the question about Rain.
'She was nervous about asking the question…'
After a few minutes of walking, she finally arrived at the pod room and headed to hers.
The position of her pod was curious…
In the room were all the pods of the Firekeepers and the cohort—the latter farther from the door. However, these were at a parallel angle to the door wall along the entire room.
While her pod was the farthest and was at a perpendicular angle to the door wall. Basically, the first thing you saw upon entering the room was an enormous hallway of pods all guiding you toward hers.
It was something she didn't like in the slightest, but the Firekeepers had decided to do this, and she didn't want to go against what the majority wanted. So she ended up giving in.
The first thought she had upon seeing the position of her pod was how Sunny would react.
He would laugh and then say something like: "Of course! The great Changing Star in the center, clearly showing how she is superior to the rest."
She would probably try to deny it, but the attempt would be completely useless.
Laughing at herself, she lay down inside her pod, and it began to close its hatches.
Moments later, the fresh air of the Chained Isles filled her lungs.
Nephis closed her eyes as she felt the air currents glide over her body, making her gray hair move slightly, following the current.
'I love this feeling.'
The moment itself brought back very fond memories of when she would sit in the mansion courtyard with her grandmother, reading novels or having her tell her stories about what the world was like before the Spell's fall upon humanity.
They were nice moments—just her and her grandmother, looking at the stars while talking about all kinds of topics, whether related to novels or just daily life.
It was a memory Nephis would always keep in the center of her heart: her grandmother's voice as she told her everything, the expressions she made, and mainly the genuine smiles she herself experienced every time they sat outdoors.
It was as if in that simple moment, there were no assassins after her life, no pressure to grow up and become strong. It was just her—a ten-year-old girl—enjoying her life.
Something she really liked about the Chained Isles was precisely this. Being in such an open space with fresh air currents coming from every side—she truly felt happy. She felt as if she were a child again, without worries.
An expression of happiness tried to form on her face, but she immediately crushed the feeling.
Mainly because she began to feel eyes on her from many directions.
Opening her eyes, she managed to see that there was nothing unusual—simple Awakened and the occasional Master walking through the Sanctuary. But she wasn't foolish. Those Awakened had only started appearing there when she accepted Valor's offer. Before, they hadn't been stationed at this Citadel.
Ignoring the rage and hatred that formed inside her, she headed to her room.
Once there, she took the note Cassie had given her from the [Covetous Coffer] and read which island she had to go to.
'That's a couple of hours away… With my augmentations, I would get there relatively quickly.'
Fortunately, Kai was in the next room, and she had left the [Covetous Coffer] summoned. Seeing that she had plenty of time and that it was just dawn, she decided to lie down on her bed for a short nap.
Still, out of habit, she decided to open Sunny's runes before sleeping.
Slave: [Lost from Light]
Class: Devil.
Shadow Cores: [4/7]
Shadow Fragments: [722/3000]
With a smile, she remembered that less than an hour ago, Sunny had 692 fragments.
'He's in the middle of a fight…'
It was a shame he hadn't gotten any Memory to know what creature he was facing—either way, her power of imagination was superior, and she ended up succumbing to sleep, imagining what creatures her Sunny might be fighting.