Bonding

"What!?"

Cassie's voice rose in disbelief. "You... killed an Awakened Tyrant? By spitting?"

Nephis said nothing, but Sunny caught the subtle flicker in her expression—her silver eyes blinking in shock.

He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice.

"Yeah. Just... don't go spreading it around. People will think I'm crazy or something." He chuckled.

"W-well I..." 

Cassie still looked stunned. 

"Y-you really killed it just by spitting?" 

"Yes. But it was no ordinary spit mind you!" 

At his words, something shifted in Cassie's face—a flicker of understanding. It was easy to guess what she was thinking.

'No ordinary spit...'

'So it must have something to do with his aspect.'

'But isn't his aspect some kind of physical augmentation? Since he got such a high score on that punching test...'

'Wait. Did he actually spit on the machine too? Is that why he lost to Nephis? Because she attacked him before he could spit on her?'

Cassie turned away slightly, her face flushing. Embarrassment? Disgust? Probably both.

Sunny barely held back a grin.

Nephis, meanwhile, tilted her head, a hint of amusement crossing her otherwise impassive face. Spell knows what kind of absurd fantasy she has coming up with…

Sunny maintained a neutral expression. He was laughing like a maniac internally though.

He considered letting their misunderstandings fester—it was certainly tempting... but it might cause some unnecessary problems going forward. 

With a sigh, he continued, his tone suddenly grave.

"Even the dead gods were impressed, you see. One of them even crawled out of his grave to congratulate me!"

Cassie finally let out a soft laugh, the last traces of doubt vanishing from her expression. She was now fully convinced that Sunny was joking.

"That certainly is an amusing First Nightmare you had," she said. Then, glancing hesitantly at Nephis, she added, "Don't you think… Nephis?"

She wasn't sure if she should have used her true name instead. 

Nephis didn't react to the slight breach of formality. Instead, she gave a slow nod. "I agree."

Then she turned her gaze to Sunny, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. 

"Although, I do wonder how much of that is true..." 

Sunny blinked. "What do you mean? All of it is true. I am the most honest person in the world. Two worlds, even!"

Sunny's words only intensified Nephis' glare and Cassie's struggle to contain her laughter. The latter had to cover her lips with her hands to prevent an outburst.

Nephis' glare sharpened.

Cassie, meanwhile, struggled to contain her laughter, pressing a hand to her lips.

Sunny sighed theatrically, lowering his head. Then, a smirk tugged at his lips.

I can't wait to see their reaction when they learn my Flaw.

"Sunless, allow me to congratulate you on your recovery."

The familiar voice made Sunny's smirk vanish.

He turned.

Caster stood a few paces away, tray in hand, flanked by his usual entourage.

Sunny's mood soured instantly.

His voice came out flat. "What do you want?"

One of the legacy brats beside Caster stepped forward, sneering. "Watch your tone, brat. Caster is—"

Caster silenced him with a raised hand.

"My apologies. I didn't come here to ask anything of you. I simply wanted to check on a fellow classmate."

Caster's tone was smooth, practiced. His eyes flicked toward the empty spot next to Nephis.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" 

'I see what you are trying to do, bastard.' 

On the surface, Caster appeared courteous, concerned—a noble Sleeper merely looking out for his peers. But Sunny wasn't fooled.

This wasn't about him. His true goal was Nephis. 

All this time she had been aloof, unsocializing. It was hard to get to know her. But now that she showed signs of forming a social circle, he wanted to enter it as early as possible. 

Caster was trying to use his 'connection' to Sunny as an excuse to infiltrate the circle, to get close to Nephis—close enough to gather information, to learn her strengths, her weaknesses.

Close enough to kill her. 

However, luck was on Sunny's side... for once. 

"Yes, I do. Now get lost." 

The table went silent.

Cassie turned toward him in shock. Caster's entourage bristled with barely restrained outrage. Even Nephis, for all her usual impassivity, subtly widened her eyes.

Only Sunny caught the faint flicker of curiosity beneath her composed mask.

But more importantly, no one—especially Caster—looked suspicious of him.

Because, thanks to a convenient misunderstanding, the bastard had convinced himself of something utterly absurd.

He thought Sunny and Nephis were in a relationship of some sort.

After everything that had happened— Sunny didn't even know how it started, but it was evident the proud legacy was misled since before the punching machine event. And now the way nephis sat with him after refusing to socialize with anyone else —it must have made sense to him. 

To him, Sunny's hostility would come off as him being possessive, and would be more or less expected. It would be natural even, considering how popular Caster was. The fool would never suspect Sunny knew all about his true motive. 

"I… I see."

Caster tilted his head slightly, his carefully constructed mask slipping for just a moment.

"I can't say I understand why you dislike me, but it's a shame, really. I'd hoped we could be friends."

His gaze swept across the table, lingering on each of them in turn.

"All of you." 

He turned to Nephis first, as if gauging her reaction. Then his eyes settled on Cassie.

Sunny tensed slightly.

Realizing the blind girl couldn't actually see him, Caster spoke, his voice softened. "Would you allow me to be your friend?" 

Cassie hesitated.

Sunny could almost hear the gears turning in her head.

She didn't understand why Sunny had so brazenly turned away the proud legacy. 

Making enemies so early wasn't wise. Caster was a legacy, a strong, noble, humble one at that. If they ended up in the same region after the Winter Solstice, he wouldn't hesitate to help a blind girl like her—unlike most others.

A bond with him would be the best thing she could do for herself. 

She turned in his direction, pretending to meet his gaze. For a moment, her lips parted, as if uncertain.

Then she smiled politely.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "But I'll have to pass."

Sunny was a little surprised.

He had half-expected Cassie to accept Caster's offer. But in hindsight, it made sense.

Sunny had made it clear with his tone he wanted to nothing to do with Caster. His own hostility had been too blatant. Too absolute. It wasn't just dismissal—it was rejection. The kind that left no room for reconsideration. If Cassie had chosen to befriend Caster, it would have meant losing Sunny forever.

And while Caster would no doubt be a valuable ally, Sunny was the only one who sat with her.

The only one who spoke to her.

The only one who didn't treat her like a walking corpse.

Choosing Caster would have meant betraying Sunny.

And Cassie wouldn't betray him for anyone.

Anyone but Nephis.

Sunny smiled.

The thought glowed like a faint ember, pushing back the cold darkness coiled deep within him.

…If only a little.

Caster frowned, then turned to Nephis.

She lingered on Sunny for a moment longer, studying his face. Then she nodded.

"What she said." 

Her voice was calm. Almost indifferent. 

Caster exhaled through his nose, disappointment flashing in his eyes.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he muttered, before turning away. "If you ever change your mind, I'll be there."

With that, he left. 

The table fell into silence. The three of them were left facing each other. 

Sunny could feel their gazes on him—curious, expectant. Both Cassie and Nephis wanted to ask. Why? Why was he so hostile to Caster? Why did he turn him away?

But neither did.

In the end, it was Sunny who spoke first.

Finally, it was Sunny who broke it. 

"Thanks for going along with it."

He exhaled, turning to Cassie.

"And for not asking me to explain."

Cassie hesitated, then shook her head.

"Well, you seemed... very uncomfortable about it, so..." She lingered for a moment then said simply. "I won't ask unless you want to tell me." 

Sunny smiled, then glanced at Nephis.

She blinked, confused. Then, realizing he was waiting for an answer, she replied—

"…What she said."

Sunny's smiled widened. 

"I appreciate that." 

His eyes lingered on her face, and a mischievous glint flashed through them.

"As thanks, I won't ask what you were doing outside my room every day."

There was a subtle shift in her expression. 

To anyone else, it would have been invisible. But Sunny had spent far too long deciphering Changing Star's expressions. He was a master of that art.

That was why he could enjoy it.

The faint flicker of shock. The tiny glint of embarrassment.

…And the slight, almost imperceptible blush creeping onto her face.

"How did you know?" 

"Well," Sunny chuckled, tilting his head. "Cassie here mentioned that you went to the hospital every day after class."

Cassie stiffened.

Then, as realization dawned, she looked away in mortification.

She hadn't promised to keep it a secret—hadn't even considered it one at the time. But now, sitting between them, she felt as though she had exposed something she shouldn't have, like she had betrayed Changing Star's secret. 

Sunny grinned.

Nephis, meanwhile, said nothing. She just stared at him, her silver eyes dark with something unreadable.

He continued. 

"I highly doubt you'd sustain serious injuries daily to warrant medical treatment," Sunny said, his voice laced with amusement. "Most Sleepers don't. So your only purpose—other than sightseeing—could be to visit someone."

He leaned forward slightly.

"But last I checked… I didn't have any company."

Nephis remained silent.

Sunny continued, watching her closely.

"That only leaves one explanation. You visited daily to meet me. But I would have remembered if you had come."

A faint flicker crossed her face—too subtle for most to notice. But Sunny saw it. And he was amused.

Of course, he hadn't reached this conclusion based on Cassie's offhand remark alone. There were other clues.

The first was that Nephis was never there.

No matter how hard his shadow tried to find her after class, she was nowhere to be seen. He had searched every possible location in the Academy—training halls, classrooms, even the library—but she was always absent.

The only places he hadn't checked were the girls' dormitories… and the hospital itself.

That, in itself, was telling.

Nephis must have felt guilty. Which was understandable, considering the extent of Sunny's injuries after her leg had "slipped by mistake." 

To make matters worse, Instructor Rock must have lectured her afterwards, further fueling her need to apologize. She had to do it as soon as possible, which meant visiting him in the hospital itself.

But Nephis must have had no free time throughout the day.

Unlike the rest of the sleepers, she had crammed her schedule with as many lessons as possible—morning to evening, with no breaks. So, unlike the rest of them, she couldn't meet Sunny during the day. 

Her only option was to visit in the evening when her classes were finally over. 

But it still didn't explain why she hadn't just come in and apologized. Why would she have to wait outside daily?

She wasn't shy. She wasn't embarrassed. She wouldn't hesitate to apologize in front of the entire class if necessary.

So what had stopped her?

Sunny smirked.

'Teacher Julius.'

The old man had spent every spare moment drilling knowledge into Sunny's skull, lingering in his hospital room until evening, ensuring not a second was wasted.

By the time he left, there was barely half an hour before visiting hours ended.

But it was still plenty of time for Nephis to step inside and speak to him.

But she never did.

Which meant there was another reason.

One that Sunny could guess easily.

Because as soon as Teacher Julius left, Sunny would lie back, close his eyes, and begin his real work—absorbing everything the old man had taught him, processing the lessons his shadow had sneaked in to attend, and dissecting the nuances of Caster's battle style with meticulous precision.

In reality, his mind had been running at full capacity, processing everything at an inhuman pace. But to anyone watching, he would have seemed fast asleep—exhausted from a grueling day.

At least, that was the only explanation he could think of for why Nephis had never stepped inside.

She was more than just socially awkward; her grasp of human interaction was… peculiar. She must have believed that disturbing someone's rest—especially after she had been the cause of their injuries—was too selfish. Or maybe some other emotion had stopped her from approaching him.

So, instead of entering, she had simply waited. 

Standing outside his door until the visiting hours were over.

Every evening.

Waiting for a chance that never came.

Until now.

Sunny studied her expression, searching for subtle tells. Nephis stared back, her silver eyes unreadable. He wasn't sure what was going through her mind, but he was nevertheless happy to get a chance to tease her.

Eventually, Her gaze shifted to Cassie.

The blind girl seemed almost apologetic. Her lips parted, as if she wanted to explain, but hesitation held her back. She must have expected Nephis to be angry.

Or at least irritated.

But what she said next took Cassie completely off guard.

"I see." Nephis nodded slightly. "I am relieved."

Cassie blinked. "What—" She caught herself, but the disbelief in her voice was obvious. "You're… relieved that he knows you were standing outside his room all this time?"

Nephis turned to her, genuinely confused.

"I am relieved that that's how he found out," she clarified, as if stating the obvious. "Instead of something like spying on me somehow."

Cassie's jaw nearly hit the table. Sunny, meanwhile, scowled.

"Spying on you?" he scoffed. "What do you take me for? I absolutely did not do such a thing!"

He wanted to say he would never do such a thing, but his flaw prevented him. 

Sunny grimaced. 

He could practically imagine the Nephis he knew to instantly add something like 'Notice how he said 'did not' instead of 'have not.'

Like she had in the library of the lost temple back in their third nightmare. 

The thought made him chuckle.

Memories of their time together surfaced—fragments of laughter, battle, quiet conversations on the back of the giant turtle. The long, harrowing days spent in Windflower. As insane and impossible that nightmare was, they had received a fair share of opportunities to spend time together.

After escaping Windflower, the days spent in the harrowing tunnel inside the whirlpool, then far away in the bounds of strange and oppressive space inside Ariel's tomb. After that, the battle in the frozen city of twilight left a few scars on them,but the days of respite they got while sailing to Verge were... were...

And then—

Pain.

Sudden, searing, unbearable agony tore through his skull. A sickening nausea twisted in his gut. His thoughts splintered, his mind buckled under the weight of something vast and incomprehensible—

And then—

It was gone.

He had already forgotten the agony that had nearly split his head open mere seconds ago as if it never happened. 

A second passed.

As he was thinking...

He could practically imagine the Nephis he knew to instantly add something like 'Notice how he said 'did not' instead of 'have not.'

Like she had in the library of the lost temple back in their third nightmare.

The thought made him chuckle.

Sunny blinked, then picked up his spoon and ate a good mouthful of delicacies. The earlier tension between the three had dissipated. They returned to their food, enjoying their meal in peace. 

...

The rest of the day passed uneventfully.

Everyone was busy, running from class to class, pushing themselves to the brink in a desperate bid to absorb every ounce of knowledge and experience they could. The Winter Solstice was approaching, and each passing day felt heavier than the last.

Sunny was no different.

By the time he finally collapsed onto his bed, exhaustion weighed on him like a lead blanket.

It had been a long day. A good day.

For once, he wouldn't mind if all his remaining days were like this. He would even welcome it. 

With that thought, he let his tired body sink into the mattress and allowed sleep to claim him.

...

The next morning, Sunny was back in the cafeteria, stacking his tray with as much food as humanly possible. Then some more.

His usual spot was waiting for him patiently—so was Cassie.

He walked a little louder as he approached, making sure the blind girl could hear him. Cassie turned her head slightly and smiled as he sat down.

He smiled back. 

"Hi, Sunny. How was your day?"

"Oh, you know, the usual," he said nonchalantly. "Dropkicked a couple of legacies in sword training, learned about nightmare creatures that burrow underground and like to chew on people's legs…"

Cassie paused, frowning.

"Wait. You dropkicked people… in sword training?"

Sunny shrugged, then let out a laugh.

"I didn't want to waste my sword skills on them, so—"

He stopped mid-sentence.

A presence drew their attention. Both of them turned toward a lone figure standing in the distance, her silver hair flowing over her shoulders. 

Nephis stood there, tray in hand, her gaze flickering between an empty table in the far corner and them. She was confused, and indecisive as to where she should sit.

Sunny sighed.

"Hey, Nephis." His voice rang through the cafeteria, drawing more than a few curious glances. "Care to join us?"

Nephis turned toward him, her silver eyes unreadable. But Sunny—who had become far too skilled in deciphering the small shifts in her expression—could see it.

The faintest hint of surprise.

Behind him, Cassie giggled lightly and waved in Nephis's direction.

For a moment, Nephis lingered, her gaze returning to the empty table one last time. Then, finally, she moved.

And just like that, the three of them sat together, enjoying their food and chatting lightly.

Well, mostly.

Sunny and Cassie chatted lightly. Nephis still had a long way to go before she could participate in conversations normally. Sunny tried to include her whenever possible, though her replies were always short and to the point. 

'Whatever, she'll get there eventually.' 

And just like that, the days passed away in peace. 

Before he knew it, only two days remained until the Winter Solstice.

There was much to think about, much to do, but for now, Sunny just wanted to enjoy the time he had left.

So, that's exactly what he did.

AN: What do you think about the story so far? Do share your thoughts in the comments.