As the light passed through the windows, its warmth seemed to awaken a sleeping princess. Her eyelids fluttered before her eyes opened fully, the comfortable fabric of her sheets gently embraced her.
When her eyes opened, she stared at the ceiling, trying to remember what had happened yesterday. It seemed important, so she dug deeper, and eventually, she remembered.
There was clear confusion on her face, and there were strange emotions in her eyes. Thinking about what Sunny told her yesterday if that was even his name.
She was trying to understand the current situation better, but it looked hopeless. Sunny was a man she loved, and she enjoyed spending time with him more than anything else. But Lord of Shadows was someone who she could trust to have her back in a battle.
She could hardly picture the two being the same person. She wanted to know who was really behind the mask of the lord of shadows, but now, it felt too unreal. Even if that was the truth.
The reason she didn't want to believe it was because she wanted Master Sunless, Saint Sunless, to be the one to help her when she felt hopeless.
There were so many questions, but only one person could answer them. But was she ready to talk to that person? Nephis doubted that Saint Sunless had any reason to harm her, he had many opportunities to try, but he hadn't acted even once.
There was also the time he slipped on the wrapper, and Effie was on the boat. By now, Nephis sat on the bed, rethinking many of the moments they had and how she felt knowing the truth. It was, surprising to know.
All her feelings were in disarray while she was struggling to find a way to fix them. Even if she knew the only way to actually fix them, that was harder to admit than she thought. Despite knowing that she knew the truth, that didn't mean it was any easier to accept.
Just then, a sound resounded in her mind, it was a familiar one she knew all too well. It was Cassie, probably going to inform her about something important she needed her help with.
Though a part of her hoped it would be something else.
[Hey, neph, do you need anything now that you are awake?]
Her face dropped a little at the disappointing news. Her hopes were crushed. She replied quickly, trying not to act disappointed.
[Hey Cass, I'm fine, thank you.]
For a few seconds, it seemed like Nephis was alone with her thoughts again. But that's when the sound of knocking came from behind the door of her bedroom.
She replied in a neutral tone, quickly trying to disregard her strange feelings. While simultaneously getting up and making her bed.
"Come in."
A part of her hoped that Sunny would emerge from behind those doors. But another part hoped she would have more time to think about what to do. Then, her face paled at the sudden realization.
It didn't matter who was coming in, she needed to stop them. Her voice rang out in the tower, this time it was full of strange violence and urgency.
"STOP!"
Hearing that, the person behind the doors quickly stopped dead in their tracks and closed the door. Nephis, on the other hand, practically ran towards her dresser. It appears that trying to understand her feelings made her negligent of her appearance.
After all, she had collapsed in Sunny's arms, but that didn't mean she would still look good after waking up. There was also a problem with her clothes, it appears that someone decided to change her while she was asleep.
All she hoped was that it wasn't Sunny. Even if the chances weren't in her favor. Considering, no one except Cassie was awake. She had an image to uphold, after all, she couldn't be seen wearing just random clothes.
Even if she knew it was just a delusion, the fire keepers had seen her even at her lowest, aside from her strongest. They saw her covered in blood and grime. But they still supported her.
The whole reason for the change of clothes and appearance was her newfound and wholehearted hope that Sunny was behind those doors. She only seemed to realize that at the sight of her appearance.
Moments later, with a more fitting attire, her hair brushed, and confidence regained, she opened the door.
To her shock and delight, it was in fact Sunny, probably checking up on her.
And he wasn't coming empty-handed, he had brought her breakfast, a plate of pancakes and waffles. In his other hand, he held a cup of hot coffee. In his third hand, there was another plate, this one holding a slice of cake and a fork.
The sight of three hands confused Nephis, he told her yesterday he could manifest his shadows as additional bodies. But that didn't mean he couldn't just take extra parts.
She accepted the plate with pancakes, waffles, and coffee. She sensed she stayed silent for a moment too long, so she finally invited Sunny inside.
"Come in. Make yourself at home."
He came in, his face carried a sense of nervousness, unsure of his intentions. Regardless, he unsummoned his shadow hand after grabbing the plate with his real one.
He followed Nephis to the table, setting the plate next to the other one. If he was being honest, he was more nervous after he saw how calm Nephis looked.
Sure, she screamed at him, but she probably had her reasons. He sat across from her, watching as she calmly ate the food he made. It made him at ease, seeing her enjoy something he put effort into. Enough to make him forget what he was nervous about, and it also made him smile.
In Neph's case, while she did her best to keep focused, it was harder and harder with each passing second. The food tasted heavenly, it was something she could hardly believe was made by a regular person.
There was hardly anything regular about the man in front of her, considering he was a saint, and a powerful one at that. The coffee was also superb, having just the right temperature, the aroma was subpar, but it was obviously made with care.
And if this was so good, then she could hardly wait to try out the piece of cake.
'Ah, how did I manage to find a man this perfect.'
Not only was he a wonderful cook, but he was also a powerful saint and an enchanter, apparently capable of making soul bound memories.
It was still difficult to picture the two entirely different people as only one. She would need a more in-depth explanation, but that could wait.
When it was finally time for the first slice of the cake to enter her mouth, she realized she hadn't said anything since inviting Sunny inside. So, she put the fork down and thanked him for the food.
"Thank you for bringing this, it's delicious."
Those words caused the smile on his face to grow even deeper, it was full of happiness and even pride in his creation.
"It's nothing. I hope you are feeling better after yesterday."
Nephis replied between bites of the cake, her voice bearing a hint of nervousness. "I am, thank you for asking."
Sunny could discern from the look on her face that something was wrong. It must have been, but, just a moment later, his theory turned out to be false. That was because her face flushed with a red so deep it could rival the sunset.
In turn, a soft blush crept into his cheeks, blooming like a secret he couldn't hide. It became harder to look at her after realizing something. If not for her bad control of her emotions, perhaps he would have been oblivious to her intentions.
He took a deep breath, steadying his heart rate to calm himself down. Still, he could be wrong, he isn't experienced in love any more than Nephis herself.
Maybe he was just looking at this all wrong, there was no way that it was true. There was no way that someone as proud and mighty as Changing Star would want something like that. Then again, he wouldn't know, he hadn't had the chance to be by her side for the last 4 years.
Potentially she would. No. He just couldn't believe it, it was impossible.
The speed at which she ate the slice of cake slowed down, while she still enjoyed it, it was difficult to think about the taste. The mention of the events that unfolded yesterday made her feel strange.
She had already made up her mind, and once that happened, there was no going back. Not for Changing Star. Taking one last bite of the cake, she put down the fork and got herself ready for what was about to happen.
After getting up, she slowly walked over to the other side of the table and stopped near Sunny. He looked at her with curiosity, wondering what she wanted him to do.
However, it seemed she didn't need to say anything, as in the next second she picked him up in something that looked like the bridal carry. With one arm supporting his back and the other under his knees, she carried him with mostly a straight face.
There was determination in her eyes, the hot flames seemingly reaching record-breaking temperatures. Maybe Sunny was right all along.
With a few steps, they were near Neph's bed, placing him at one side of it. Though Sunny was more embarrassed than he ever was, he still had to proceed with caution. There was no way to know what Nephis had in mind, so he had to be ready for anything.
What he didn't expect was that Nephis would just straight up lay on top of him. Her head was on his chest, arms around his waist. She looked tired, like she needed a break, and he was just the right person to spend it with.
In turn, he hugged her too, and a smile made it's way onto his face, slowly closing his eyes, he wished for peace.
Even through the strange fabric of Anake's mantle, he could still feel the warmth of Neph's body. It made him feel at ease, together with her slow heartbeat and calm breathing, it was perfect.
For Nephis, the fabric of mantle worn by priestesses of the Nightmare Spell was rather comfortable. And it allowed to monitor Sunny's breathing and heartbeat, soothing her.
The way she snuggled into his chest, wrapped around him, made her nostalgic of her father. With that in mind, it only fueled her hatred for the sovereigns more.
But now was not the time for revenge. This was her only opportunity for such peace. She was not going to let her hatred, no matter how deep, ruin it.
"I love you." Her voice came out as calm, truthful, and calm, barely above a whisper. She truly meant it, why wouldn't she? Her heart told her that, every single moment she spent with him.
It took her some time to come to terms with it, but she finally accepted those feelings. And when she did, it felt like a mountain fell from her heart. It made it easier to look at him, she even imagined a future with him, not just fighting side by side, but also just being there for him.
It was strange, no matter how she looked at it, these feelings felt way too advanced for the amount of time she knew him. Furthermore, it made even less sense when she looked back to the first time she met him, even then, these feelings were present.
But, she didn't mind. If she could trust anything, it was her heart, and if it told her she was in love with Sunny, she would believe it, and embrace it.
His reply came soon after, it carried more weight than it normally would. "I love you too. And I will never stop."