Hearing the scream, Nephis moved. Her sword was already in her hands, glowing with faint white light as she stormed forward.
A heartbeat later, she was already by their side—her sword raised, her face contorted in alarm.
"What's wrong with her—"
The words barely left her mouth before another shrill scream ripped through the night.
The blind girl sat motionless, unyielding, her body as still as if it had been carved from stone. And yet, from her lips, that dreadful sound poured out—raw, piercing, ceaseless.
Dark tears streamed down her face, trailing black streaks down her pale skin before vanishing into nothing.
Nephis's gaze darted around, searching for Sunny.
But the abyssal void of the starless sky made it nearly impossible to see through the darkness.
Sunny's ability allowed him to disappear into shadows with unnatural ease. No one could find him in this place unless he wanted to. Sunny was most likely safe. She knew it, and yet...
The fact that she couldn't immediately verify his well-being made her stomach twist into a knot.
Before she could call out to him, something grabbed her wrist. Her body reacted instantly—her fist shot forward, a reflex honed by countless struggles.
"It's me," Sunny's voice came just in time.
Nephis halted her strike a hair's breadth from his face.
"I'm fine."
She exhaled sharply, then turned her attention back to Cassie.
Together, they observed the blind girl in silence, trying to make sense of the horrifying spectacle before them.
Cassie continued to scream, her tears of darkness falling endlessly, as though she were trapped in unbearable agony.
But her face... Her expression remained unchanged. It was the same empty, vacant mask it had been all day.
Sunny bit his lip.
"I'll hold her down. Make sure there—"
His words cut off abruptly. His breath hitched. His eyes widened in horror.
Nephis frowned.
Before she could ask, Sunny moved. He lunged forward and wrapped his hands around Cassie's throat.
Her heart stilled.
"What..."
Nephis shook her head, trying to process what she was seeing.
Why... Why did it look like Sunny was trying to strangle her?
Is he being controlled? Is she turning into something? What the hell was happening?
A dozen questions raced through her mind. But before she could react, Sunny shouted. His voice was strained, desperate.
"Hurry up, heal her!" His fingers clutched at Cassie's throat, his hands moving as if trying to rip something off. "She's being choked!"
Nephis blinked. Then she saw it. The subtle depressions lining Cassie's neck.
They looked like fingers. But there were seven of them, not five.
And the hand that held her... It was too big. It stretched across her entire throat, its invisible grip seeping into her flesh.
Nephis didn't hesitate. She surged forward, placing a hand on Cassie's cheek.
Then she closed her eyes, and agony crashed into her like a tidal wave. A searing, merciless pain erupted within her, swallowing her whole.
It felt like she was burning alive. Tearing. Ripping. Consuming.
But she didn't falter. She couldn't. Through the torment, she focused—forcing the warmth of her essence toward Cassie's throat.
Cassie's chest barely moved, her breaths were shallow, strained. They felt too weak... too slow.
Nephis knew it. The line between Cassie's life and death was razor-thin. A single moment's hesitation, a single breath too late, and she would die.
No.
Nephis refused. She would not let it happen. She would endure. Pain meant nothing. It was just pain. Just. Stupid. Pain.
Seconds passed. Then minutes.
Nephis didn't know what was happening outside. Her eyes were shut. Her senses, numb.
She saw nothing but darkness. She heard nothing but the sound of her own screams. She felt nothing but pain.
Was Sunny still there? Had he found something? He had to know how much longer she had to endure, right?
He was fixing this, right?
A flicker of doubt slithered into her thoughts.
For a brief moment, the temptation to stop welled up inside her. To open her eyes. To let go.
The pain was relentless, growing heavier by the second. She had never used her Aspect for this long before, and it felt as though her very soul was being flayed apart.
But she didn't give in. Not yet. Not until Sunny told her it was over.
If she faltered now, Cassie would die.
Cassie...
'Just hold on a little longer.'
A shrill, piercing scream split the air.
Was Cassie still screaming? Or was it her? She couldn't tell anymore. Her mind was teetering on the edge of collapse.
Where was Sunny? How much longer was he going to take?
Nephis clenched her teeth. She was approaching her limit. The absolute limit—the point where her Aspect would give out.
She had never reached it before, but somehow, she knew it. Like an instinct. Or maybe something else. She didn't really care.
Her legs buckled. Her body staggered, falling against something rough. But her hand remained where it was, unyielding.
Her focus didn't waver, not even for a second. She could go on. Just a little more. A little—
A final, searing wave of agony crashed over her. It was the breaking point. The last stretch of torment before her mind plunged into darkness.
She couldn't go on. Not anymore. This was it.
A trickle of water rolled down her cheek. A single tear. Not from pain, but from guilt. The guilt of not being strong enough. The guilt of losing something precious once again.
She felt like she was falling. Sinking. Fading.
And then, a different warmth touched her cheek— soft, gentle, soothing.
A voice followed, calm and unwavering.
"It's alright now. Your suffering is over."
She opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a pair of steady, gleaming eyes. Then, a quiet, tired smile. A face—calm, composed... beautiful.
Beautiful?
She didn't know if it was the right word to describe it.
Maybe it was the exhaustion. Maybe it was the moment before sleep finally claimed her.
But right now, in this fleeting second before surrendering to unconsciousness— it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
...
Sunny gently laid Nephis on the cold ground, his gaze lingering on her serene, peaceful face.
For a long moment, he simply watched her sleep—calm and undisturbed, as if the past minutes of agony had never happened.
Then, with a quiet sigh, he turned his attention to Cassie.
The blind girl sat there, unmoving. She looked as if she had seen a ghost. Or rather... as if she had barely survived being strangled by one.
Her lifeless, unfocused eyes seemed distant, staring straight ahead yet seeing nothing.
"Cassie," Sunny called, his voice careful. He moved closer, settling beside her. "How are you feeling?"
She didn't answer. She didn't move.
The two of them sat in silence for what felt like forever, the oppressive quiet stretching between them.
Then, at last, Cassie stirred. Her head turned slightly in his direction, finally acknowledging his presence.
Before Sunny could say anything else, her hands suddenly shot forward—grasping at him, pulling him into a tight, desperate embrace.
Her body trembled violently. Barely audible words slipped past her lips, quivering with unspoken emotion.
"...I'm sorry."
Sunny frowned. "What?"
Cassie clutched him tighter. Her breath hitched.
"I'm sorry."
Her voice was barely above a whisper. Too soft. Too weak.
Sunny narrowed his eyes. "I can't hear you. Speak louder."
"I'M SORRY!"
The words tore out of her throat in a ragged, anguished cry.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Her voice broke, dissolving into choked sobs. Then—she cried. Not the silent, eerie tears of true darkness from before. These were real tears. Transparent. Human.
Tears of pain. Tears of regret. Tears that carried the weight of something terrible.
Sunny sat still, listening to her weep, feeling the way her frail body trembled against him. And then, unexpectedly, something strange stirred within him.
Something he didn't recognize.
It was as if he had wanted to hear this apology for a very long time.
Maybe, deep down, he did.
After all...
Not once—not in his entire past life—had Cassie ever apologized to him.
Not for what she had done. Not for taking his freedom away. Not for anything at all.
But that was her. That was the Cassie he had known before.
The blind girl crying in his arms right now... She had done nothing wrong.
And she never would. Because he wouldn't let her. He wouldn't let history repeat itself. His true name would not be exposed. He was certain of that.
So then—what was she apologizing for?
He sighed, feeling the weight of her shaking form pressed against him.
She wasn't in any condition to talk. Not yet. Whatever this was—whatever she had seen—it could wait.
For now... He simply pulled her closer. Raising a hand, he gently tapped her back, his voice low and steady.
"It's alright now," he murmured. "Your nightmare is over."
The tension in her body eased at his words. The murmurs stopped. The sobs faded. He felt her weight lean against him completely, as if all strength had left her.
Then, in a soft, relieved whisper, she spoke.
"...Thank you." And with that, she surrendered herself to sleep.
...
With the first rays of the sun, the rumbling ocean retreated.
The sky glowed with the soft lilac hue of dawn, painting the horizon in shades of quiet beauty... a fleeting, deceptive kind of beauty.
Because with the new day came new possibilities. The possibility of encountering something far worse than the horrors of yesterday.
A grating, rhythmic sound pulled Nephis from the depths of sleep.
She stirred. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, blinking against the rising sunlight. For a moment, disoriented, she simply lay there—until the events of the previous night came rushing back.
Her gaze shifted.
Cassie lay beside her, her sleeping form eerily still.
A flash of fear seized Nephis.
For a brief, terrible moment, she imagined the blind girl was still trapped in that nightmare—still drowning in the remnants of last night's terror.
Without thinking, she reached out and gently tapped Cassie's shoulder.
No response.
She tensed, but then, Cassie let out a soft, careless murmur. Her body shifted slightly, her expression scrunching up in mild annoyance before settling into peaceful slumber once more.
Nephis exhaled, releasing the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
No black tears. No eerie silence. No lingering horror. Just sleep. A normal, restful sleep.
Then, her attention turned toward the source of the grating noise.
In the distance, Sunny was digging. His usual shroud armour was loosened, covering only the lower half of his body.
He worked methodically, driving one of his sword Memories into the ground like a makeshift shovel. The muscles of his arms tensed and flexed with each motion, his body glistening with sweat beneath the morning sun.
As if sensing her gaze, he paused and glanced her way.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked, his voice almost cheerful.
Nephis didn't answer right away.
Her eyes briefly traced the sheen of sweat trailing down his exposed torso, following the sharp lines of his form. It was almost... almost...
She turned away, barely concealing the tiny blush creeping onto her face.
Then, in a perfectly neutral tone, she said, "Why are you like this?"
Sunny blinked.
"...Like what?"
Realization dawned as he glanced down at himself—then, in a flurry of movement, he yanked his Shroud back up, covering his upper body.
He cleared his throat.
"W-well... digging for hours gets hot."
Nephis blinked. Her gaze drifted back to him, taking in his flustered expression. A small smile tugged at her lips. Then she raised an eyebrow.
"You've been digging... for hours?"
Sunny let out a tired sigh. "Yeah." Dismissing his Memory, he walked over and sat beside her, his sweat-drenched hair clinging to his forehead. His voice came out slightly hoarse as he continued, "I'm making traps. You know... presents for the guests we're expecting soon."
Nephis tilted her head slightly, studying him.
There were a lot of things she wanted to ask. What happened last night? What 'guests' was he talking about?
But something else took priority.
"Digging for hours..." she murmured. "Did you even find any water to drink?"
Sunny grimaced.
"...No."
He lightly touched his throat, as if struggling against the dryness.
Nephis sighed, glancing at Cassie's still-sleeping form.
"Doesn't look like she'll wake anytime soon." She stood, summoning her sword. "I'll go find some for you."
Sunny shook his head. "You don't have to. I'm fine." He cast a glance at the half-dug hole and exhaled. "I'm almost done here anyway. Cassie should wake up in an hour or two at most."
Nephis didn't look convinced. Before she could argue, a soft voice interrupted.
"I'm awake now."
They both turned.
Cassie sat up, her expression still laced with exhaustion, but her posture steady. Without another word, she summoned the Endless Spring and placed it in Sunny's hands.
"...Drink first."
Sunny hesitated.
Then, with a gulp, he grabbed the bottle like a starving beast and started drinking greedily. The moment the cool water hit his throat, he let out an audible sigh of relief.
Once all three of them had quenched their thirst, silence fell between them.
None of them spoke. None of them quite knew where to start.
Finally, Cassie was the one to break the quiet.
"I know you both want to know what happened to me," she said, an apologetic look on her face. "But... please give me some time. I don't want to talk about it yet."
Sunny and Nephis exchanged glances. Then, almost simultaneously, they sighed.
"Alright," he said, shifting his attention to Nephis. "I'll explain our current situation instead."
He turned his gaze toward the distant horizon, where the clear morning sky stretched endlessly.
Then, quietly, he muttered. "There's a storm coming." He paused. "And with it... some uninvited guests."
He rose to his feet, walking toward the unfinished hole. His fingers brushed against the dirt. Then, his lips curled into a dark smile.
"We have to make sure they receive a heart-piercing welcome."
Author's Note: Yall really reached the 7 new review requirement in less than a day 😭 Thx a lot. It really raised my motivation to write, and you can continue to do so by leaving more reviews and comments. The next chapter will be released in either 4 days or when we reach 20 reviews, whichever comes first :)