Shadow Slave

It took some time for the members of the cohort to digest Neph's story. Sunny, especially, felt like she did not tell them even a fraction of what had happened to her.

But then again, was it even possible to describe two years of neverending struggle for survival with just a few words? Not even considering the things that Changing Star might have wished to keep to herself — and he was sure that there were plenty — she would have had trouble describing even the things that she wanted to share.

It was going to take time.

As for the actual secrets… while he was dismayed and uneasy, Sunny himself was known to keep a lot of things close to his chest. More than that, they all had to be cautious about what they said. The room provided to Nephis by the Academy might have been safe, but that did not mean that it was not monitored.

That was the reason why both Effie and Kai remained mostly silent despite the fact that they clearly had a lot of questions. Unlike Sunny, they did not possess a good understanding of Changing Star's Aspect and current Class. All they knew was that she possessed a Divine Aspect, just like Sunny and Mordret did.

Eventually, Cassie broke the silence:

"It is fine. Now that you are back, everything is going to be fine."

She paused, and then added somberly:

"However… our current situation is very delicate."

Nephis looked at her and frowned, the white sparks in her eyes becoming a little brighter.

"Were there any… complications after you returned from the Forgotten Shore?"

She was alluding to Caster, the great clans, and the Sovereigns that wished her dead, of course.

Sunny finally spoke:

"Not immediately. But we ran into some trouble not long before venturing into the Second Nightmare."

Changing Star's frown deepened.

"Can you tell me what exactly happened?"

He shrugged.

"I can. But we'll get you up to speed later, in a more private setting. For now, let's just say that there was supposed to be a negotiation with the representatives of the great clan Valor today. Which fell through… for obvious reasons."

Sunny paused for a moment, and then added:

"Other than that, the important things to know are… let me think, actually. Uh… I am a renowned academic and an instructor at the Academy now. Cassie leads the Fire Keepers. Oh, Fire Keepers are the Forgotten Shore survivors whom you saw outside. They are basically your groupies. Right, you are famous now! Very, very famous. There is even a movie about you, with a very well-received romantic subplot. What else… we have a flying ship and an exclusive Citadel in the Dream Realm, Effie moved in with me, Night&Gale disbanded…"

Neph's face slowly turned paler and paler. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and raised a hand.

"What? Wait… what? Kai, is this true? Night&Gale disbanded?"

Sunny glanced at her darkly.

"Really? That is your first question?"

Kai, meanwhile, looked down in embarrassment.

"That… yes, I am sorry to say this, but Gale and I decided to go our separate ways. It is for the best. My status as a Master would have just dragged him down, especially because my Aspect evolved after I killed that dragon…"

Nephis blinked.

"A… a dragon?"

Sunny grinned.

"Oh yes, Kai killed a Transcendent dragon. Effie and I killed a couple of Saints, too. I even killed the same one twice. First time before I was beheaded, the second time after…"

Changing Star slowly raised her second hand and grabbed her head.

"I—I think I need a moment. Wait, can you start from the beginning?"

A strange expression suddenly appeared on her face.

"And did you say something about a movie? With a… romantic subplot? What?!"

***

Sunny had a bit of fun filling Nephis in on what had been going on with the four of them, and the waking world, during her absence. There was a lot of ground to cover, but he chose only the juiciest moments.

Like falling into a bottomless abyss for a month straight on top of a dead demon, being burned by divine flames, and discovering an ancient tower left behind by a mysterious deity.

Or finding out that Effie was confined to a wheelchair in the waking world, only to see her leave it behind after conquering the Second Nightmare.

Or slaying a Corrupted Monster to get their hands on a shipwrecked flying vessel and repair it.

Or watching two Saints obliterate an entire island as they thought to the death.

The list went on and on…

After a while, Neph weakly waved her hand.

"I… I think I need a break. Can you guys give me a few minutes?"

By then, it was already late into the night. It was dark outside the window, with only pale moonlight and powerful beams of defense turrets illuminating the black sky.

Sunny grew silent, then shrugged.

"Sure. You need some rest, anyway. We can continue in the morning. The government should be ready to release you by then, too. Have you thought about where you want to go? Staying here in the Academy is an option too, of course."

He thought for a few moments, and then added awkwardly:

"Uh… I feel stupid asking this, but do you have a place to stay? Do you have money? Are there people we need to contact? What is your clan's situation, exactly?"

Nephis absentmindedly touched her neck, then answered in a neutral tone:

"There is… a manor. That is pretty much the only property the clan has left. Everything else was liquidated and sold a long time ago. I sealed it before leaving for the First Nightmare, so it should have remained empty for the last three years. It's hard to say what state it's in."

She lingered for a moment, and then added:

"I should have a bit of money left. And there are no people. Most of our retainers fled over the years, and the rest left after my grandmother passed away. That… that was not too long before my Nightmare, too. I'll have to think about what to do now."

Sunny looked at her, and then frowned a little.

"What about safety? Aren't you concerned about, you know… your previous issues?"

Nephis remained silent for a long time, then shook her head.

"I don't think anyone will try to kill me anytime soon."

He glanced at her with dark curiosity.

"Really? Why? Some people weren't shy about it before."

Changing Star looked at him, and then said evenly:

"...Because now, I am not easily killed."