Chapter 36

Tension bubbled in the air as Nephis eyes flared with fury. The exact cause for it she didn't know, however Cassie's eyes blazed with resolve and fury that quickly put hers to shame. The meek little girl she had once known was no longer as Cassie quickly closed the distance between the two, grabbing Nephis by the collar.

"I've tried to be accommodating, tried to understand and help you two out at every turn. But this is absurd, you're rushing into something you know nothing about, and it will be your ruin!"

Nephis eyes glanced downward at Cassie's hand before her eyes flashed dangerously, bloodlust began seeping out of her body as she focused her gaze on Cassie. "I'll only ask once, let me go." However, Cassie didn't back down, shoving Nephis backwards before closing in on her.

"Tell me, how do you intend to battle against fate!? Tell me! Give me a solution that's better than mine! I don't want conjecture, I don't want exclamations of resolve, I want realism! How will you do it!?"

Each piercing question caused Nephis to falter, however she hadn't made it this far only to crumble at slight scepticism. This time, it was her turn to lash out at Cassie. Grabbing her by the collar and reducing the distances between their faces to mere inches.

"I don't know, I don't know yet how I'll battle fate. But that isn't the issue, I'm willing to look for a solution, I'm willing to fight for alternatives that don't involve sacrificing anyone!"

Upon hearing this, Cassie's eyes bubbled with rage, her hand lashing out and gripping Nephis collar in turn. The two of them stared at each other with rage bubbling in their souls, threatening to escape through the form of violence at any moment. And then, Cassie spoke.

"Don't you think I've tried!? Do you really think in that idealistic world of yours that sacrificing Sunny is my first option!? Don't try shift the blame on me so much, if you had been stronger than him all that time ago, he wouldn't be your slave right now!"

Upon hearing those words, a crooked grin tore its way through Nephis face. An expression she had never learnt, one she had only observed through watching Sunny create it so effortlessly when something that caught his interest arrived. Nephis was truly irate.

"Strength!? Don't talk to me about strength, you've been useless since I met you! All you've done is be a glorified navigator and since then you've not done a thing! If you were stronger, Sunny and I wouldn't be the only people left behind with that bastard Caster!"

Shoving a finger into Cassie's chest, Nephis continued. "But YOU passed out, YOU weren't strong enough to aid us as people died left and right, YOU didn't have the courage to tell Sunny your vision's meaning. So don't talk to me about strength."

Cassie scoffed at the comment, shoving Nephis finger away from her chest before levelling a glare at her. Cassie didn't need to see where Nephis was to properly direct her anger, in fact, it flowed from her body like an ocean of vile and bottled-up emotions.

"It's because you're like this, always so pigheaded and idealistic that lead us to those situations in the first place. You're always so focused on your own ideals you never take a second to look at the world around you! I'm not here to argue with you, so I'll say this and I'm only going to say it once."

Leaning in, she brought her lips to Nephis ear, so she absorbed every word she uttered, missing not even the slightest detail. "There will come a time when you witness Sunny in combat, the brutality and malicious force that governs his fighting will have you questioning if he's even human! And you'll see what I'm seeing, either you let Sunny rip you and everyone you've ever loved into pieces like he does in combat, or you help me break his fate. Even against his will."

Before Nephis could respond, Cassie turned around, storming off while throwing her hoodie over her head. Nephis calls went unanswered, she wanted to grab Cassie, force her to keep talking yet her feet remained grounded where she was.

Nephis stood still for a few moments, her mind glossing over the times she had seen Sunny properly fight. It was a harrowing sight, each time both he and the environment were bathed in blood. Whether it be his own or that of his opponents.

To say the sight was harrowing would be an understatement. The Sunny Nephis saw in battle and the one she had come to love seemed like entirely different people, yet they were so similar. Down to the slightest mannerism's.

Sighing to herself, Nephis was left in mental turmoil. Making her way back to Sunny's house, she stopped at the door with a contemplative expression on her face. Despite her resolve, things never really went as she planned. If she was forced to make such a choice, would she be able to choose Sunny?

'I'm so stupid, he deserves better than me' she groaned to herself. Her hand moved to knock his door, however she couldn't will herself to do it. As it turned out, Sunny slid open the door with a welcoming smile before allowing her to enter.

Tentatively taking steps into his home, Sunny sat down and patted the space next to him. Nephis body remained frozen however, there were too many thoughts rushing through her head to pay him full attention. A slight frown painted itself across Sunny's face as he walked up to her and gently tapped her on the forehead.

"What are you thinking about, it's always better if you share." Before gaining a reply, he pulled Nephis onto his couch to sit next to him. Despite the warm smile he held on his face, Nephis seemed strangely distant. But Sunny was persistent.

"If you don't tell me you're not leaving here." To further show his persistence, he laid his head directly on Nephis thighs staring up at her. Looking up at Nephis was definitely a breathtaking sight, especially from this angle. It seemed like the close contact finally got Nephis to break.

"Cassie told me...that I'd see you differently when seeing you fight in the future. That you would be the harbinger of doom for everything and everyone I loved." Her voice was slow and tentative, tilting her head downwards to study how Sunny would respond.

Raising a hand to his chin, Sunny crossed one leg over another before giving his reply. "Well, I guess I can try tone it down as I fight. It's just become so...natural that it's second nature to me. I'm not sure what she means by me becoming a harbinger of doom and all, but if it's all fixed by simply breaking the shadow bond then what's the issue?"

His attempts at alleviating Nephis doubt were only mildly effective, Sunny could tell he was chipping away at her doubts but never completely removing them. Sighing internally, he too knew that fighting was part of who he was. It had been ingrained into his very being from the moment he was first taught the simple axiom that ruled his life.

The essence of combat is murder.

Seeing Nephis contemplative expression, Sunny quickly became annoyed at her doubts. If he was truly such a ticking time bomb which was waiting to happen, what was the reason Nephis continued to stick around with him? A frustrated frown appeared on his face as he outstretched a hand, tilting her head downwards to face him.

"Look, do you want me to kill myself?"