Damn it, why does it always have to be so difficult with her? Sunny thought as the cold seeped into his small body. She was the only one who could make him this angry.
The worst part? If he acted with calculated logic, something he had always done throughout his life, she was right. If Valor had to choose between her or him, they would choose her without hesitation.
But why was she willing to do such madness? To enter enemy territory and destroy it. The oldest trick in the book. If she wanted to kill Anvil, that was undoubtedly the best option. After all, he understood that.
Still, he sighed. The cold air mixed with the atmosphere, forming a faint layer of visible smoke around him as he exhaled.
And why does it bother me so much? Damn it, sometimes I hate her so much, but if she thinks I'm going to leave her alone in Valor, she's wrong. What kind of crazy person would leave the one they like in a situation like this?
Although he hated the idea of joining a large clan, limiting his options... well, more accurately, he loathed it, because it meant putting more chains on his already fragile and small body. Yet, he didn't care.
What did it matter to put another chain on top of the shadow bond, for the same person?
The pressure Neph placed on him was much stronger than the stupid chains created by a spell or an all-powerful clan older than the clan itself. After all the pressure Neph exerted on his heart, it felt ten times stronger than the two combined.
Love, huh? What kind of trick was that? He had always thought that stories exaggerated that stupidity, but it wasn't like that. People let themselves be trampled for just a little spoonful of it. The problem was that he didn't just want a portion.
He once had a nightmare where he tried to see Neph's runes, but they no longer existed. They had vanished in an instant, as if they were nothing more than something annoying. That was when he realized how lost he was. The world in his nightmare kept going as usual—no supernatural monsters, no titans, nothing.
Neph wasn't there, and the world continued its natural course, as it always did—except for him. His heart shattered into a thousand pieces. A pain like he had never felt before took over his body. He wanted to scream, but no words came out.
If Nightmare had seen that nightmare, he would have laughed, he thought. Then he decided he never wanted to feel that pain again. He wanted to be selfish. He was going to have Neph for himself, if she wanted him.
Stupidly in love, what would his old self have said seeing him in this situation? One phrase stuck in his mind. He still remembered it as if it had been said yesterday, though in reality, it was over three years ago.
Was there anything more pathetic than a slave who starts trusting their master?
But no, the old Sunny wasn't as smart as he was now. Of course, there was something more pathetic.
A slave who falls in love with their master, huh? He smiled. The worst part was that he no longer cared. He was going to try to win Neph over, no matter how long it took. Why? Because that's what he wanted.
And he smiled.
———
Nephis stared out at the dark window. Even though Ascended like her weren't supposed to feel cold like ordinary people, tonight was different. The chill seemed to wrap around her entire body, sinking deep into her core. Something about this particular night, about the unsettling silence, made her feel small and vulnerable.
Why was that idiot so angry? she thought, her mind spinning in a whirlwind of doubts and emotions.
Despite her usual composure, she knew her lack of social experience continued to show at the worst times. She had tried to learn from Cassie how to be kind, how to express herself and connect with people genuinely. Of course, Cassie made it look so easy—her sweetness and expressiveness came naturally. But Nephis always felt like an impostor when she tried to emulate her.
From Sunny, though, she had learned something entirely different: how to lie, manipulate, and survive. He had been, without intending to, her unofficial teacher in the darker arts of human behavior. Yet, ironically, those lessons were limited by the very Spell that bound him.
The Spell itself was a mystery. It was fair, yet cruel, and it always seemed to enjoy playing with people. It never placed something where it didn't belong, as though it were a puppeteer pulling the strings of fate.
So why was Sunny the treacherous Lost from Light? In her eyes, he did the exact opposite of what betrayal implied. He was loyal, even when that loyalty came at a painful cost.
But that was a question for another time. What she couldn't shake was his reaction. Why had he gotten so angry? She had been willing to join Valor for him. Well, she probably would have done it anyway, but she had resolved to change her plans for Sunny.
To save him... she thought, guilt pressing heavily on her chest. Save him from the chains that would bind him to Valor. Even now, years later, she still felt the weight of her guilt from that day on the Forgotten Shore.
If I had known what it meant to say his True Name, would I have done it anyway?
Cassie had only known that using that name would harm Sunny, and yet she had still used it. What an idiot she had been... What kind of friend does that?
Nephis closed her eyes, her breath trembling as her thoughts spiraled into deeper sadness. And even more because Sunny wasn't just a friend to her.
Who chains the person they love against their will? She bit her lip, her mind tormenting her with the answer.
Only a fool like me.
The memories came flooding back, vivid and sharp. That day was as clear as if it had happened yesterday.
It had been the moment when the name Lost from Light left her lips. Nephis vividly remembered how everything changed. Sunny's calculating gaze darkened, becoming cold and dangerous. His eyes, once filled with pragmatism, now burned with murderous fury, as if all humanity had been stripped from him.
In less than a second, Sunny was in front of her. His sword gleamed with deadly precision as it aimed directly at her eye.
Time seemed to freeze.
Nephis couldn't react—it had all happened too fast. The blade was so close she could feel the icy sharpness of its edge against her skin.
One more second, and she would likely have been dead.
There was something terrifying in his gaze—not just its killer intent, but what it hid underneath: a deep and raw hatred, and beyond that, something even more devastating... pain.
The kind of pain that only comes from the betrayal of someone you trusted, someone you considered an ally—a friend.
Nephis had gone from being someone he relied on to becoming, in his eyes, the treacherous Changing Star.
So, I'm the treacherous Changing Star, huh? she thought, an overwhelming sadness filling her. Her chest tightened with a guilt that seemed endless.
"I'm sorry..." she murmured softly, her words barely audible in the cold, quiet room.
If you're going to apologize, you should do it when the other person is present, you know. Sometimes, whether you believe it or not, a few simple words can change everything."
The voice resonated softly in the air, calm yet tinged with a quiet authority.
And there, standing before Nephis, was Sunny, emerging slowly from the shadows that had concealed him. Each of his movements seemed deliberate, almost ritualistic. His onyx-black eyes glimmered under the moonlight, and his gaze, fixed on her, carried a weight that was impossible to ignore.
For the first time in a long while, Nephis felt nervous. It was a rare, unfamiliar emotion for someone like her, someone who always maintained control. She didn't know what to say or how to act. For a brief moment, she wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole. Or better yet, that she could trade places with Sunny and disappear into the shadows.
But Sunny spoke first, his voice breaking the uncomfortable silence with unwavering calm.
"So, what are you apologizing for? You know I can't read minds... I think."
His words blended with the breeze, and his bright smile radiated a sense of tranquility she hadn't felt in years. That damn smile, so out of place yet so perfectly fitting.
Nephis felt her defenses begin to crumble. But not yet. She couldn't allow herself to fall apart... not yet.
"I... I..." she stammered, her eyes avoiding his as her voice wavered. "I'm sorry..."
The sadness and anguish she had carried for so long fell onto her shoulders like an avalanche, and her voice cracked.
"I swear on my life, I'll never use the Shadow Bond again," she said, her words breaking into soft sobs. Tears began streaming down her face, glistening under the moonlight.
Her expression, usually unshakable, was now completely exposed. Her nose crinkled slightly as she tried to hold back her emotions, but the weight of everything she felt was too much. Her breathing was uneven, and her hands trembled slightly.
She never imagined letting anyone see her cry. She had forgotten the last time it happened—probably when she was a child, long before the world had shaped her into the person she was now.
But how could she not?
In front of her stood Sunny, the man who had followed her madness on the Forgotten Shore. She hated what she had done to him, but if it weren't for Sunny's runes, she would have given up long ago in that desert. Not to mention her Second Nightmare.
Sunny had been her anchor, the one she followed as an equal. He was never afraid to tell her when she was wrong. And yet, she had done something unforgivable to him.
Before she could say anything else, Sunny moved. In an instant, with monstrous speed, he was in front of her, wrapping her in an embrace. His small frame enveloped her with surprising strength and gentleness. His head barely reached over her shoulder, and his silky black hair swayed lightly in the breeze.
The air around them seemed to warm, a stark contrast to the cold night. The moon, a silent witness, bathed the scene in a soft glow, making the tears on Nephis's face shimmer like tiny crystals. This embrace wasn't just physical—it was a silent promise, an act that spoke more than words ever could.
The hug was warm. Comforting. Nephis hadn't felt anything like it in over twelve years.
With a voice as calm as a whisper, Sunny said, "I know."
Nothing else needed to be said. Those two simple words carried everything: forgiveness, understanding, and a deep empathy for what didn't need to be spoken aloud.
Nephis, trembling, hugged him back with even more strength. Her hands clung to him as though he were the only thing anchoring her to the world. She didn't want to let him go—not now. Not ever.
They stayed like that for several minutes, time seeming to stop as they shared an intimacy that transcended words.
She could hear the soft rhythm of Sunny's breathing, feel the warmth of his body as it seeped into her skin, melting the cold that had settled in her earlier that night.
Finally, Sunny broke the silence.
"You should get some sleep. It's late, Nephis."
When she looked up, they were already in her room. The soft moonlight illuminated the small but cozy bed Sunny had prepared.
Nephis didn't respond. Instead, she hugged him even tighter, as if afraid he might vanish if she let go. Eventually, she nodded, but then she made a request that caught him completely off guard.
"Could you ley me sleep in your bed?... please."
Sunny blinked, momentarily stunned by the unusual request. It was strange, even for Nephis. But the tone in her voice and the vulnerability in her eyes made it clear she meant it.
Nephis didn't care whether the idea was crazy or not. That night, under the light of the moon, she had made a decision.
She always said that phrase, "because I want to," but this time, it wasn't something fleeting. This time, she knew exactly what she wanted, and she wasn't willing to let it go.
She wanted Sunny.
And so, on that cold night, they lay down together on the bed, exhausted, as the moon bore silent witness to their unspoken bond.