After the news that Valor might take an interest in him, Nephis told him everything the cohort had been doing since they returned. The conversation lasted a few hours, during which she did all the talking while he listened.
Or at least, he tried to listen. The truth was that while he was happy to be back and everything, the fact that his first experience of returning had been such a bad one didn't help much.
A part of his brain had been shouting intensely in the back of his head—telling him to run, to leave, to abandon Nephis. That if he stayed, she might use the Bond on him again.
But on the other hand, his heart wanted to remain sitting in the same position he had been in for hours. He could genuinely sit and listen to Nephis talk for hours and hours and never get tired. He would even make excuses to keep listening to her tell him everything that had happened.
His entire being was at war with itself. One part wanted to accept her—he knew he could trust Nephis. But on the other side, his instincts screamed at him to stay away, that he had already experienced the loss of power.
He already knew what a single word from his Master could do to him. Why would he keep listening to her?
Sunny believed he knew Nephis. He believed she would never order him to do something against his will… but the evidence was already there—she had done it once.
Obviously, she hadn't meant to do it—but didn't that make it worse?
How could he trust someone who, with a slip of her tongue, could strip away all his will? How could he stand beside someone with such power?
But mainly… how could he stand as an equal with someone who had a Slave-Master relationship with him?
He didn't want to be lesser than anyone. He didn't want someone else to have that kind of power over him.
And more importantly, he didn't want that someone to be Nephis.
Sunny looked up from the fire and looked at Nephis.
She was still telling him about the adventures the cohort had in the Chained Isles. Even so, he wasn't listening to a word she said.
All his attention was drawn to the slight smile on her face as she explained how they descended into the Sky Below.
He could lose himself perfectly in that smile.
It was so rare to see Nephis smiling that he couldn't help but admire her.
How it created a slight contrast with the rest of her beautiful face. How there were still traces of the tears she had shed earlier. How her hair was slightly disheveled. And finally, how her eyes—those cold gray eyes full of pure determination—had a slight tilt, clearly showing the joy she felt at that moment.
A genuine smile found its way onto his face without him realizing it.
The moment it did, Nephis fell silent.
"What's wrong?" Sunny asked.
Nephis's smile seemed to widen a few millimeters, and then, tilting her head, she replied, "You're smiling."
Sunny blinked. "Am I?" Then he realized that yes, he definitely was. He didn't even try to wipe the smile away before speaking again. "I didn't notice. Sorry."
"I like it when you smile," she said.
Sunny replied immediately, "Well, I like smiling too."
They both laughed while holding each other's gaze, and then a comfortable silence settled in.
The only noise was the embers crackling and… the beating of their hearts, which suddenly seemed too loud in the silence.
Then, Sunny lowered his gaze and focused on the sparks of the fire.
Remembering Arthur's stupid advice about putting off problems would only lead to more problems, he took a deep breath and gathered his courage.
"We… we should talk about the Bond," he said simply, still looking at the fire. Then he looked up, and the smile had left his face.
Nephis's body tensed, and she also stopped smiling. Seconds later, she closed her eyes slightly and said,
"I guess we should."
"What do you plan to do with it?"
Nephis looked at him for a moment, and then said:
"Nothing. I will never order you to do something for me."
He stood still for a few moments, then let out a long sigh.
"But… how could I believe you?"
"You don't trust me?" she asked immediately, then realized her mistake and quickly apologized. "Sorry."
Sunny frowned. "How could I? Even knowing about it for so long, you ended up abusing my Flaw…" Then he shook his head. "But I guess that's not the worst part, is it? In the end, I'm not even angry that you did it."
When the pain of his Flaw grew even stronger, he finally answered: "Yes. I trust you, Neph, and that makes everything more complicated."
She tilted her head to the side.
"Would you mind telling me why?"
Sunny looked up and let out a sigh. "No, I wouldn't mind, but it's complicated."
"Take your time if you want."
Sunny lowered his gaze and seconds later explained: "It makes it more complicated because part of me wants to trust you, Neph. It really does. Not only that—it desires it." Then he shook his head. "But another part of me only wants to get as far away from you as possible and prevent you from ordering me to do anything else. In the end, you've already done it once." Then he asked, "Do you see the problem, Neph?"
"Yes," she replied, nodding her head. Then she explained: "It's not about what I would do, but about what I could do…"
Sunny agreed. "Exactly. The mere existence of power over someone's head doesn't need to be used to instill fear. The simple existence is enough. Even if you promise me you would never use this power over me, that you would never pull the chain, I can still feel the collar around my neck."
Then he asked: "How would you feel if the situations were reversed? If I had the power to order you not to pursue your revenge, and you couldn't do anything about it?"
Nephis immediately responded without a gram of doubt in her voice: "Then I would kill you."
The answer hung in the air, simple and with real weight behind the words, which they both understood perfectly.
Sunny smiled slightly. "We think alike, then," he replied. "But that doesn't solve the problem, does it?"
She lowered her head and whispered, "I know." Then, with a firmer voice, she continued: "I think I understand."
"No, you don't," he replied coldly. "You never will. Simply because you're on the other side."
Nephis looked at him again.
"I understand that you've resolved never to use it, and in that, I can trust you. Because I know you—I know that goes against what you believe." He paused and decided to continue with complete honesty, not worrying about how his voice would sound to her. "But in the end, that doesn't matter to me at all. One word from you, no matter how well-intentioned, and my body stops responding to me. I simply can't accept that."
"The only thing I've ever had is my freedom, and in the Outskirts, that is the most precious thing one can possess. But now I don't even have that, and I can't accept it. There is no version of me that can." Still holding her gaze, he continued: "It doesn't matter if you promise or swear you would never use it, Neph. The simple fact of having the chain disgusts me already. I hate it, and it's very important to me that you understand this."
Nephis was silent and eventually replied: "Since we're being honest, I'd like to explain myself as well, if you don't mind." Lowering her gaze, she continued: "To be honest, I never saw the Bond that way. I always saw it as something passive. Something that, if I didn't give it power and was careful, wouldn't matter."
Then she looked up, and her gray eyes were full of understanding. "Thank you for explaining yourself to me. Now I understand. I understand the weight this carries for you. I understand why you hate it so much, and I understand that this hatred isn't directed at me."
"But more importantly… I understand that no matter what I say, anything I say will lack value. For that very reason, I only ask that you give me a chance—one chance to show you that I never had, and never will have, bad intentions toward you. One chance to show you how important you are to me. And mainly, one chance to help you break this power I have over you, Sunny."
"I never wanted this," she admitted. "I always wanted you to be happy. And—" she swallowed—"a selfish part of me wanted to be part of that happiness of yours. But now I understand that as long as this power imbalance between us exists, that desire will never be possible. So I only ask that you give me a chance. If your happiness lies elsewhere, I will accept it, no matter how much it hurts. But in the other case… I would like to continue accompanying you until, together, we can break these chains." She finished with her voice trembling but trying to remain firm.
Sunny lowered his gaze and fell silent, internalizing every word Nephis had just said.
As always, he was still conflicted about everything. The simplest solution would be to simply go their separate ways. In the end, there was nothing stopping him from doing so.
He could join Song with Arthur and be on opposite sides from Nephis—she would never have the chance to order him around. He could also stay independent and go to a Citadel as far away as possible, without the need to face creatures or remain chained not only by her but by Fate itself.
But no matter how attractive the idea was… it would only be running from his problems.
Hadn't he gathered the courage to say all this precisely to face them instead of running away?
Hadn't he told Nephis how he felt for that very purpose?
What would be the point of having said all that only to walk away and not resolve anything?
Remembering the time he and Arthur talked about freedom, Sunny felt a bitter irony form in his chest.
The story of the shepherd who found a ring that made him invisible. It made him completely free but turned him into a being who respected no moral laws, turning him into a monster.
Arthur had said that true freedom wasn't having no chains… but choosing them. But Sunny hadn't even been able to choose his. They had been imposed on him against his will.
First came the chains of Fate, and then those of Cassie and Nephis.
How could anyone accept chains they hadn't even been able to choose?
Then there was also the matter of what he would become if he decided to walk away… would he still be Sunny, or would he become a monster too?
Could he love anyone if he walked away from everyone? Could he build a relationship with Rain if he did?
Obviously not…
So, as always, he never had another choice. He could only accept and continue being Fate's puppet.
Continue living inside the box. Continue meeting expectations. Duties.
And now, thinking about it more coldly—he didn't want to be alone.
At the end of their conversation, he had replied to Arthur that if being alone was the price of his freedom, he would take it. He would stay alone, because he had always been alone.
But had he ever really been alone?
He had always had someone—whether physically or as motivation. At first, he had his parents. Even though they died when he was young, their memory was always there with him.
Then there was always the motivation to find Rain again and become a family once more. When he found her, this desire lost its meaning because she didn't need him. But throughout all that time, he had decided to keep living purely because he knew she still existed—somewhere, but still there.
Then came his First Nightmare and the Winter Solstice.
There, he met many people he decided never to imitate. Hero and the rest. Caster. Harus. Gunlaug.
But he also found people he came to consider friends… Effie, Kai, Arthur, and even Cassie—even though she had betrayed him.
Ending, of course, with the person sitting in front of him. Nephis.
Nephis. Changing Star. His Master.
He didn't want to run away from her.
He didn't want to become a monster against her.
Mainly, he didn't want to hurt her.
She was the first to teach him everything. She taught him to survive. She taught him to use a sword. And she also taught him to trust someone.
Even though he later came to trust Arthur completely, it was Nephis who first opened the possibility for him to do so. The one who changed him.
He had never been alone, and he didn't want to be.
So, even though in the depths of his being he hated this decision, he was going to accept it.
Even though this was not an act of faith… but a constant risk.
He had to accept.
This didn't mean he was going to stop in his search for freedom. In his search to break the Bond. In his search to form a relationship with Nephis.
Sunny was going to keep trying, and if at any moment the situation presented itself, he would take it, without hesitation.
Looking up from the fire, he replied with his decision made: "I am willing to stay, and I accept your help. But I also tell you that I don't plan to join Valor or any clan. Nor will I settle for being a simple follower of yours. If you want to show me that you truly stand behind what you said, you will treat me as an equal. And mainly, I will never, ever stop seeking my freedom. It's not against you, Nephis. It's simply who I am."
Nephis—who had been watching him intently—smiled slightly and finally replied, "That is everything I could wish for, Sunny."
He stood up and, after stretching slightly, said, "We've rested enough. We'd better head to the Gateway."
She followed his example, standing up, and added:
"We're a few hours away, so get ready if you want."
Exiting the cave entrance, Sunny once again appreciated his surroundings, and immediately, Serpent detached from its tattoo form, taking the shape of a Flesh Reaver.
Watching Nephis freeze at the sight of the creature, Sunny began to laugh widely as he climbed onto the shadow's back.
"What? The great Changing Star is scared of a simple creature?" he finally said in a playful tone.
She shook her head. "I'm not scared. I… I was just surprised, that's all."
Sunny started laughing harder. "Yeah, sure!"
Nephis let out a small pout as she climbed onto Serpent's back.
Seeing it, he pointed at her and said quickly, "Did… did you just pout? The great Nephis, last daughter of the Immortal Flame Clan, just pouted?"
She finished climbing up and defended herself:
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I just saw you pout!" Sunny insisted.
"I didn't."
Sunny replied between laughs, "You did!"
Nephis didn't respond, and once on top of the back, she decided to get her revenge. Approaching Sunny, she sat down behind him and brought both hands around Sunny's waist.
Sunny felt the contact and went completely pale and stiff. Eventually, he let out a soft:
"Neph? What are you doing?"
"What's wrong, Sunny?" Nephis replied, squeezing his waist even tighter.
Sunny blinked and swallowed several times before answering. "Aren't you a bit too close?"
"Why?" she asked with a small laugh. Then, in the same tone Sunny had used before, she added: "What's the matter… is the great Sunless nervous?"
He really didn't want to answer, but somehow, without realizing it, he fell right into the trap.
"Why are you hugging me around the waist… and yes, I'm nervous."
She pulled back a little and, feigning nonchalance, said, "Well… if I remember correctly, you hugged me the same way a few hours ago… and do you want me to go flying as soon as Serpent takes off?"
"That was for a different reason! And no, I don't want you to go flying," he defended himself quickly. "You know what? Let's drop this!"
Before Nephis could say anything else, Serpent left the ground and they flew off toward the Gateway. Even so, he managed to hear Nephis's angelic laugh in his ear and felt her hold onto his waist more tightly once they started flying.
Fortunately, he was sitting in the front; otherwise, she would have perfectly noticed how his face was completely red.
At the same time, Nephis wasn't much better off either.
'I acted on impulse and ended up grabbing his waist!' she thought, her alabaster face also turning completely red.
During the journey, the only things that could be heard were the sporadic directions Nephis gave and the airflow past their ears. Ignoring how fast their hearts were beating.
They made the entire trip in that same position, and both internally admitted that they were quite comfortable. Sunny even sent a mental order to Serpent not to go any faster. Obviously, out of embarrassment, Nephis didn't notice.
Eventually, they arrived at a prudent distance, and Serpent descended to the ground, returning to its tattoo form.
Turning around, Sunny saw the question written on Nephis's face and said, "I don't want anyone to know about Serpent's existence."
She nodded in acknowledgment, and they both continued on foot to the Sanctuary of Noctis.
A few minutes after arriving, Sunny stopped to admire the view.
It was situated on a small, isolated island. There was a field of grass, and at its center, enormous menhirs stood in a perfect circle, enclosing another smaller one.
This larger circle formed the outer wall of the citadel. Once inside, there was a tranquil park with a crystal-clear pond at its center. A stone path led to a small island in the middle of the pond, where, in the shade of an ancient tree, stood an altar carved from a single block of white marble.
That was the Gateway.
'I made it. I survived,' Sunny thought.
He was so focused on the Gateway that he didn't notice the stares they were both receiving. Kai's act had ended hours ago, so the Citadel was in its normal state.
Nephis hurried and walked beside him as they continued toward the Gateway.
Once they stood before the magnificent structure of the altar, Sunny stopped and looked at Nephis.
With a slight smile, he said, "Thank you."
Nephis didn't get a chance to respond because Sunny immediately touched the altar.
Once again, Sunny found himself in the infinite space between dream and reality. Around him, there was only a boundless black void, illuminated by a myriad of bright stars. Among those stars, countless filaments of silver light interwove to form a beautiful and inconceivably complex pattern.
[The Second Seal is broken.]
[Awakening dormant powers…]
Sunny suddenly felt something awaken inside him.
It came from his Shadow Cores.
They radiated an ethereal, almost palpable warmth. The energy circulated through his entire body, transforming him, strengthening him. It was similar to the strange sensation he experienced each time he received a shadow fragment, but much more powerful.
…A thousand times more powerful.
Soon, the pulsing waves of heat receded, replaced by a wave of comforting cold.
His body felt stronger, faster, and more resilient—similar to the sensation he experienced when wrapped in shadow. The change was quite noticeable, and he knew it would intensify even further if he used one or both shadows to enhance his abilities.
The Spell spoke again, filling him with anticipation.
[Awakening Aspect Ability…]
[…Aspect Ability acquired.]
[Aspect Ability Name: Shadow Step.]
Sunny blinked, then hurriedly summoned the runes.
Aspect Ability: [Shadow Step]
Ability Description: [You can move freely between shadows, traveling from one to another in an instant.]
Looking at the shimmering runes, Sunny soon discovered that there was a stupid grin on his face.
'Teleportation… that's teleportation, right?'
That was, without a doubt, a form of teleportation.
[Wake up, Sunless!]
In one of the underground levels of the Academy's hospital complex, in a small room packed with the enormous dream capsule and various medical equipment, the lights suddenly flickered and then went out. The room was plunged into absolute darkness.
Something collapsed with a deafening crash, and then a human voice, full of pain, hissed:
"Damnation."
An instant later, the lights came back on, revealing the figure of a lean young man, pale-skinned with dark hair, standing next to an overturned medical monitor.
He had a disoriented and confused expression on his face. The capsule's lid was still closed.
Yet it was empty.
Sunny looked around, slowly realizing where he was.
The Academy. He was back at the Academy.
He had returned to the waking world!
With a smile, he looked around, observing the medical equipment and the capsule, all illuminated by the alarm lights. The capsule remained closed.
How the hell had he gotten out of there?
Speaking of which…
Looking down, Sunny realized he was naked. To avoid awkward situations, he summoned the Puppeteer's Shroud.
Fortunately, he did so just in time, because the next instant, the door to his room nearly exploded as it opened.
Looking up, he didn't manage to perceive anything else before being enveloped in a strong embrace.
Sunny stood completely stiff for the first few seconds.
Then he heard an enchanting voice say, "Sunny! Thank god you're alive!"
When he heard that Sunny returned the embrace, realizing it was his friend, Kai.
They stayed hugged for a few more seconds until Kai pulled back a step, still holding him by the shoulders. With a radiant smile, he said:
"We missed you so much, Sunny!"
"I missed your ridiculously handsome face too," Sunny said with one of his smiles.
Kai smiled even more radiantly and stepped back another step. Taking advantage of the distance, Sunny leaned to look toward the door and noticed that no one else was there…
A confused expression appeared on his face, and Kai noticed it.
"Where is everyone?" Sunny asked, then added, "I was with Nephis right before I came back…"
Kai looked up at the ceiling and, with an embarrassed voice, said:
"Well, she returned to the mansion and told us that you had come back, so… it may or may not be that I got excited and flew off without bringing anyone with me…"
Sunny stared at him with a blank expression for a few seconds, then began to laugh openly.
Between laughs, he said, "So you're saying that you heard I came back and completely forgot about everyone else just to come see me?"
Kai, still looking to the side, nodded his head. "Yeah…"
It was Sunny who now stepped forward and ended up hugging Kai.
"Thank you, Kai."
The charming archer returned the hug, but they separated seconds later because one of the Academy's medics burst into the room.
Upon noticing the presence of Sunny and Kai, she froze. Her eyes opened in horror, and she raised a hand to cover her mouth.
They both tilted their heads as they looked at her…
After a few seconds, Kai said, "Excuse me, are you okay?"
The woman stared at him intently for a few moments and then said in a trembling voice:
"Mr. Nightingale…" then she turned to look at Sunny: "Slee… Awakened Sunless? Sir, you are awake?"
'Sir… did she just call me sir?'
Sunny grinned.
"I sure hope so. I've been sleeping for a year and six months, after all."
The doctor finally seemed to relax and looked at him with a relieved, joyous expression in her eyes.
A few moments later, she smiled slightly and said, her voice full of sincere admiration:
"Welcome back to the real world, sir!"
"Thank you," Sunny replied.
The woman looked at Kai and then turned to look at Sunny again.
"Sorry to interrupt your reunion, but Sir Sunless has to attend a series of tests and interviews."
Sunny hesitated to go, since he wanted to meet up with the cohort before all that, but then he looked at Kai, and Kai smiled at him again, saying,
"Attend the interviews. The rest will arrive in about half an hour."
"Okay. Thanks, Kai." Then he turned to look at the doctor. "Lead the way."
She smiled again, and minutes later, he found himself in the room for the tests. They were of all kinds, and there were tests Sunny never in his life would have imagined having to take.
Even so, about twenty minutes later, he was already outside those and continued with the interviews.
The interviewer questioned him about his adventures, and fortunately, they were formulated with the possibility of him not answering if he felt uncomfortable. Even so, he answered about the events in the Forgotten Shore but didn't add anything about the Relictombs or how he found a Gateway.
Obviously, they also asked him about Arthur, since it was public knowledge that they were together in the Dream Realm.
At that moment, he replied that after some time, they ended up separating for reasons beyond their control, and he had no information about his whereabouts.
Obviously, everything he said was true. Or half-true.
Minutes later, he was discharged and notified that he should stay at the Academy for a few hours because he had two pending conversations.
This dampened his mood a little, but it wasn't hard to guess who these people who wanted to talk to him were.
Then he returned to his room, and just as he was about to enter—knowing that the whole cohort was already inside—he felt two new presences through his Shadow Sense.
Turning his gaze down the hallway, he found two figures whose shadows he had trouble recognizing at first.
The first was a young woman of delicate beauty, with yellow eyes and long, disheveled hair the color of pale wheat. Her disheveled hair looked more like soft feathers than real locks of hair. She was dressed in a simple black tunic.
She was Sylvie.
'She had horns before, right?'
Beside her stood another young woman who appeared to be in her twenties but possessed an elegance and grace that denoted unusual maturity. She was exquisitely beautiful, with a slender figure and flawless gray skin. Her carmine lips were the same intensity as the dress she wore.
She was Seishan.
Obviously, this conversation wasn't going to be about him.
Once they stood at a good distance, Sylvie was the first to speak.
"Awakened Sunless, I'm glad to see you safe and sound."
He nodded his head. "Thank you, Sylvie."
Then Seishan spoke:
"As my sister said, I'm glad to see you again." She greeted, and then requested, "If it's not too much trouble, we'd like to steal a few minutes of your time. This is not for the purpose of recruiting you or similar objectives."
"Thank you, Lady Seishan," he replied, then added, "It's the least I can do." He gestured with his hand down the hallway. "Lead the way."