Saint Cor tapped a slow, rhythmic beat against the surface of his wooden desk. The office around him was dim, lit only by the soft glow of the wall‑mounted lamp. Reports, sealed memos, and half‑finished dossiers lay scattered across his workspace, but his attention remained fixed on the thick folder before him. Nearly two hundred Sleepers thought lost had Awakened and returned, and the government was in an uproar.
He squinted at the folder as though sheer will might force it to yield its secrets. That was when the door creaked open.
Jet poked her head through, her dark hair pulled back, her expression somewhere between bored and mildly curious. "You called for me?"
Cor nodded once. "I did. Come in and take a seat."
Jet stepped inside with her usual confidence, dropping into the chair opposite him. Cor slid the folder across the desk with a flick of his fingers.
She caught it easily. "What's this?" she asked, already flipping through the pages. Her eyes narrowed at the sheer volume of paperwork.
"The interview reports from the Forgotten Shore Sleepers," Cor said, folding his hands and leaning back. "There are discrepancies."
Jet crossed one leg over the other, eyebrow arching. "Okay? And this concerns me how?"
"The discrepancies," Cor said, voice sharpening, "are about a young man named Sunless. I believe you're acquainted with him?"
Jet's eyes widened in surprise. "Sunny? Yeah. I oversaw his first Nightmare and escorted him to the Academy." She glanced down at the folder again, then back at Cor. "What kind of discrepancies?"
Cor's lips curled into a thin smirk. "Apart from him masterfully deceiving the interviewer despite the lie detectors?" He waved a hand dismissively. "The other interviews are inconsistent when it comes to him, rumors mostly, some say he is slightly stronger than average, others say he was second only to Changing Star in strength."
He leaned forward and locked eyes with Jet. "But the fact those rumors exist in the first place makes me believe that he is far more powerful than he is letting on. Tell me, are you certain that he is from the outskirts?"
Jet snorted. "I'm sure. I'd recognize a fellow outskirt rat anywhere. It's not something you can fake." She shrugged. "Honestly? The fact he's hiding his strength only proves it."
Cor pressed his lips together, disappointment flickering across his face.
"Not what you wanted to hear?" Jet asked, flipping another page.
The government saint let out a small sigh. "No. There are few Awakened with shadow Aspects, and even fewer who are exceptional. I had hoped Sunless might be our first real lead on the Shadow Clan."
Jet scoffed loudly. "Keep dreaming. Those ghosts have dodged the government and both Domains for years. If it weren't for the trail of bodies they leave behind, I'd think they were a myth."
Cor's gaze drifted to the locked drawer at his side, the one containing the shadow coin. "Perhaps it was wishful thinking."
Jet suddenly let out a bark of laughter. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me. Did he really manage to bag a princess?"
Cor blinked, pulled from his thoughts. "Ah. Yes. That part is confirmed at least. Nearly all interviews make note of it" He said offhandedly.
Jet shook her head, chuckling as she closed the folder and set it on the desk. "Kid's full of surprises."
"Yes," Cor said. "Try to recruit him to the government if possible. It's not like he has many other options."
Jet gave a mock salute and slipped out of the room.
Once he was alone, Cor opened the drawer and retrieved the shadow coin. He held it up, watching the lamplight glint off the engraved serpent devouring its own tail.
"Where are you?" he murmured.
***
The hospital staff had provided each of the newly Awakened with a small room at one of the underground levels of the complex, to have a place to rest and get accustomed to their new abilities while waiting for more permanent accommodations, if they were going to remain at the Academy, of course. The room he had been provided with was sufficiently comfortable. There was an area for training, a desk with a pitcher of water and some snacks, a sofa, and even a bed.
He had been practicing Shadow Step for the past hour, slipping between the corners of the room in short bursts, trying to understand the limits of this new ability. His heart was still racing from the exhilaration of it when the knock came.
Opening the door, he froze, he was greeted by a beautiful young woman with ivory skin, silver hair cascading down her back, and eyes that glimmered like polished steel.
Sunny's breath hitched, she had become even more stunning after awakening.
"…Neph…"
Her lips curved into a small, warm smile as she stepped past him, her gaze sweeping the room with curiosity.
"Hmm," she murmured, "Not bad. Better than the Forgotten Shore overall."
Sunny shrugged, trying to play it cool despite the sudden dryness in his throat. "Overall, yeah. At least we have electricity. The bed isn't as good as your one in the Bright Castle…"
He stopped, his brain caught up with his mouth and a blush crept up his neck.
"Well, that is—"
It was too late, Nephis turned toward him, one eyebrow raised, a sly smile tugging at her lips, an expression he had never seen on her before awakening.
Oh?" she asked lightly. "Do you think about my bed that often?"
She walked toward him with her hands clasped behind her back, each step slow and deliberate. Sunny retreated instinctively, hands up, words tumbling out in a panicked mess.
"I mean— I didn't— That's not— I mean… yes…"
His flaw forced the truth out of him like a confession. He looked away, face burning.
Smiling brightly, Nephis stepped forward, closing the last bit of distance, and slipped into his outstretched arms and wrapped her arms around his torso, pressing her body into his and nestling her face into the crook of his neck, her warm breath brushing his skin.
She inhaled deeply, then let out a quiet, satisfied huff.
"Me too," she admitted, voice muffled, ears glowing red
Sunny went completely still.
For a heartbeat, he didn't dare move.
Then, slowly, carefully, he lowered his arms and wrapped them around her waist, pulling her closer.
They stayed like that for a long moment, simply enjoying the other's warmth.
Eventually, Nephis lifted her head. She pressed her forehead to his, her hands sliding up to rest on his shoulders.
"... I was worried one of us would be left behind…" She whispered
"Because of Cassie's vision?" Sunny asked.
Nephis gave a small nod.
"It was mostly accurate right up until the end."
Sunny smirked. "It's not like the future is written in stone, even if it is, so what? We'll break it, after all, if it is our will-"
"Who dares to stop us." Nephis finished, smiling softly.
She lifted her hands, tracing his jaw with her fingers before tilting his head up. Their faces were red, breaths mingling as they leaned in, closing the final distance—
Their lips—
BANG
The door slammed open.
They jolted apart like startled animals. Turning toward the entrance, they saw Cassie standing there, panting, tears forming in her blue eyes. Her golden hair was disheveled, her expression trembling.
"...Sunny? …Neph?" She whispered.
"Thank the dead gods she's blind." Sunny muttered under his breath so quietly that only Nephis heard.
Her mouth twitched in amusement, but she composed herself quickly.
"We're here, Cass," Nephis said gently.
Cassie rushed toward the sound of her voice and threw herself at them, arms wrapping around both as she began to sob.
"You're alive! You're safe!"
Sunny and Nephis exchanged helpless glances before pulling her into their embrace. The three of them held each other until Cassie's tears finally slowed.
Wiping her eyes, Cassie stepped back. "Sorry, Sunny… I got your shoulder wet." She hesitated, then added softly, her cheeks flushed. "And thank you for carrying me up the Spire. Let's talk later. Um… I'll give you two back your privacy."
She hurried out, closing the door behind her.
Sunny scratched the back of his head, baffled.
"…Why was she in such a hurry?"
Nephis gave him a look. "Sunny… she walked in on us."
He blinked. "We weren't doing anything."
Nephis raised an eyebrow.
"…Yet," Sunny muttered.
They stood there for a moment, letting the tension bleed out of the air.
Nephis stepped closer, her silver hair catching the light as she tilted her head. "Are you alright?"
Sunny blinked. "Me? I'm fine. You're the one who almost—"
He stopped himself, cheeks warming.
Nephis's smile deepened. "Almost what?"
Sunny groaned. "Neph…"
She laughed quietly, the sound filling the room in a way that made Sunny's chest tighten.
Nephis moved toward the sofa and sat down, patting the spot next to her.
Sunny went to the pitcher of water and filled two glasses, he downed one and then refilled it before heading to the sofa and handed Nephis a glass. She took a sip and Sunny sat beside her, leaving just enough space to be polite, until Nephis shifted closer on her own, closing the gap. Their shoulders brushed, and Sunny felt heat crawl up his neck again.
They talked quietly for a while, about what they each experienced in the Spire, about their awakenings and the new abilities they received.
At one point, Nephis leaned back against the sofa, her shoulder resting fully against his. Sunny hesitated only a moment before relaxing beside her.
Her voice softened. "Earlier… before Cassie came in…"
Sunny swallowed. "Yeah?"
She reached out and took his hand again, fingers entwining.
"I… don't know much about romance, but, do you want to—"
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
They were interrupted again as someone loudly knocked on Sunny's door.
Nephis's eye twitched.
"...Maybe we can ignore them." Sunny offered.
The knocking continued. Louder this time.
"Just… answer the door," Nephis sighed.
Sunny got up from the sofa, walked to the door and opened it.
Standing there was a striking, confident woman in her late twenties.
Immediately, it seemed as though the temperature inside the room dropped by a couple of degrees.
She had short, raven-black hair and icy blue eyes. Her flawless skin was smooth, supple and as white as snow. The woman was dressed in a dark blue uniform with silver epaulets and black leather boots. The jacket of the uniform was casually unbuttoned, revealing a tanktop that was currently drawn taut against her full…
'Crap!'
"...What are you staring at, Awakened Sunless?"
Sunny looked up with wide eyes. He could feel Nephis's gaze burning into the back of his skull.
"Master Jet! I was just… uh… appreciating your fashion sense."
She grinned.
"My fashion sense? Why, thank you! If you want, I can introduce you to my tailors. You will have to sign a few thick contracts to receive a comfy suit such as this, though."
Sunny forced out a smile.
"Ah, I see. Those tailors are slightly out of my price range, I'm afraid. But thanks for the offer."
He heard Nephis stand up and walk to stand behind him.
After a short pause, he cautiously asked:
"Uhm, Master Jet? It is very nice to see you again, but… to what do I owe the pleasure? I am sure that you are too busy to visit every random returnee."
She looked at him and Nephis for a couple of seconds, then suddenly yawned and shook her head to chase away sleepiness.
"...Correct. But since there's some procedure you still have to go through and we already know each other, I thought that I'd do the honors."
With that, she looked around the deserted corridor of the hospital complex with a dubious expression, lingered for a couple of seconds, and then asked:
"Do you two wanna eat?"
Sunny and Nephis looked at each other and Sunny shrugged before turning back to Jet.
"Sure, we may as well."