The Three Of Us

Nephis approached the remnants of the fire with silent, cautious steps. 

The air smelled of charred wood and damp earth, the weak embers still smoldering in the pit.

Scattered footprints marred the black sand, some shallow, others deeper, hasty, frantic.

She quickly understood the history of the battle.

'A struggle had taken place here.' 

Her icy gaze swept the area, searching for bodies. 

Nothing. 

That was unexpected. 

The Scavengers had definitely come this way. She had heard them, counted at least three distinct cries. Yet there were no signs of a kill, no blood, no torn remains, not even discarded bones. 

Which meant… whoever had started the fire had survived. 

Her grip tightened around the crude weapon she had fashioned, a jagged length of coral she had pried from the shore. She held it low, ready but not raised. 

Survivors were unpredictable. 

Nephis moved toward the fire pit, kneeling beside it. The ashes were still warm, meaning they hadn't gotten far. Her fingers brushed the brittle wood, the edges darkened by the flames. 

They had made a mistake lighting this. A fire was a risk. A risk she wouldn't have taken. 

Then again… not everyone was like her. 

Her lips pressed into a thin line. 

Were they foolish, or merely desperate? 

A faint disturbance in the sand caught her eye. Near the fire, partially hidden beneath loose debris, a small pile of stripped monster flesh lay abandoned

other. 

Nephis followed the tracks with careful, silent steps. The mist rolling in from the crimson sea made the world feel smaller, wrapping the ruins in an eerie shroud. 

Whoever these survivors were, they had moved quickly, likely realizing their mistake too late and fleeing before the Scavengers reached them. 

Smart. 

She ghosted through the ruins, her grip firm on the jagged coral blade. The kelp wrapped around her body clung uncomfortably to her skin, damp and rough, but she ignored the discomfort. 

Survival came first. 

As she crept forward, a faint noise reached her ears—hushed voices. 

Nephis froze, pressing herself against the crumbling remains of a stone wall. 

They were close. 

Slowly, she peered around the corner. 

Two figures crouched in the shadows of a collapsed structure. One was a boy, dark-haired and wiry, his sharp eyes darting between the surroundings and the girl beside him. His posture was tense, wary. 

The girl was smaller, blonde, and blindfolded. She was curled in on herself slightly, her hands gripping the furred remains of a makeshift cloak. Her lips moved as she spoke, but Nephis couldn't make out the words. 

A boy and a blind girl. 

They didn't look like a threat. 

But threats didn't always come in obvious forms. 

Nephis stepped forward. 

The sound of her footfall against the stone made the boy snap his head up instantly. His dark eyes locked onto her, sharp and piercing, his entire body coiled like a spring. His shadow twisted unnaturally behind him, reacting before he even moved. 

Nephis stared back, unwavering. 

"…You lit the fire." Her voice was calm, even. A statement, not a question. 

The boy scowled. "And who the hell are you?" 

Nephis tilted her head slightly. 

A cautious survivor, then. 

She shifted her grip on the coral blade, but did not raise it. 

"Changing Star," she said simply. 

The boy's eyes flickered with something unreadable. 

The blind girl, however, inhaled sharply. 

"...Changing Star?"

*******

Sunny stared at her, processing what she had just said.

"…What?"

Nephis remained utterly composed. "Food. Do you have any?"

For a moment, he just stood there, dumbfounded. Of all the things she could have said, that was the last thing he expected.

Then, from beside him, Cassie let out a small, barely contained snicker.

Sunny's eye twitched.

"Seriously?" He gestured at himself, then at Cassie, then back at Nephis. "We're standing in the middle of nowhere, covered in blood and monster guts, and the first thing you ask is if we have food?"

Nephis blinked. "Yes."

Cassie outright giggled.

Sunny groaned, running a hand down his face. Great. Just great.

Now not only was he stuck with a blind girl who thought he was a pervert, but he also had to deal with an ice-cold Legacy who apparently had no concept of social interaction.

At least he wasn't alone in that.

He exhaled sharply. "Fine. We have food. But-"

"Then I'll join you."

Sunny froze.

Cassie stopped giggling.

The fire crackled between them, the only sound in the eerie silence.

Finally, Cassie muttered, "…Huh?"

Nephis crossed her arms. "You have food. I don't. That means it makes sense for us to cooperate."

Sunny narrowed his eyes. "And what do we get out of it?"

Nephis tilted her head slightly, as if considering the question. "You get me."

Cassie choked.

Sunny just stared. "Excuse me?"

She didn't blink. "You get my help. My strength. My knowledge."

Cassie coughed violently, covering her mouth. "You really need to word things better," she wheezed.

Nephis looked at her blankly. "Why?"

Sunny let out a slow, suffering breath. "Because if you don't, people might get the wrong idea."

Cassie, still struggling not to laugh, leaned toward him and whispered, "You sure you didn't use your shadow to peep on her too?"

His eye twitched. "I will leave you to starve."

Cassie just smirked.

Nephis, meanwhile, simply stared at them, utterly unconcerned with the chaotic energy they were exuding.

Finally, Sunny rubbed his temple. "Fine. Whatever. Sit down before something else tries to kill us."

Without hesitation, Nephis stepped forward, settling herself near the fire.

Sunny sighed. First a blind girl, now a half-naked princess.

This nightmare just kept getting worse.

*******

The fire crackled, casting flickering shadows against the jagged walls of their makeshift shelter. The three of them sat in an uneasy silence, the warmth of the flames doing little to push back the cold that clung to the Forgotten Shore.

Sunny rubbed at his face, exhaustion weighing down on him despite the adrenaline still lingering in his veins. The fight with the Carapace Scavengers had been… manageable. Barely. He had come out of it with some fresh shadow fragments, Nephis had proven she was more than just an arrogant weirdo, and Cassie had survived, though he wasn't sure how much of that was thanks to luck.

The important thing was that they were alive.

For now.

He glanced at Nephis. She was still watching the fire, her expression as unreadable as ever. With the kelp she had wrapped around herself, she barely looked human, more like some feral creature that had wandered out of the sea, pale skin gleaming in the firelight. And yet, there wasn't a single sign of discomfort on her face. No shame, no hesitation. Just that same quiet, unwavering confidence.

Sunny scowled. How could someone look like they belonged here?

Cassie, meanwhile, had curled up slightly, her body clearly exhausted from the day's events. He could see the way her fingers twitched, how she was trying to keep herself from nodding off despite the exhaustion pressing down on her.

Right. Sleep.

"Alright," Sunny muttered, stretching his arms. "We should rest. We don't know how long we'll be stuck in this nightmare, so we need to be at full strength."

Cassie, half-asleep already, hummed in agreement. Nephis, on the other hand, didn't even acknowledge him.

Instead, she simply stated, "I'll take first watch."

Sunny blinked. "What?"

Nephis finally looked up, her silver eyes meeting his. "I'll stand guard."

He let out a short laugh. "No, you won't."

She tilted her head slightly, as if confused. "Yes, I will."

Sunny groaned. "Look, I don't need sleep. My shadow can keep watch. That's what it's for."

Before he could even finish, Nephis's gaze hardened, sharp and absolute.

"I will take watch."

The finality in her tone made it clear: there was no room for argument.

Sunny stared at her, feeling an irrational urge to argue anyway. What was with this girl? Did she just not trust him? Did she think she was the only competent person here?

(…Okay, that last one was probably fair, but still.)

Beside him, Cassie smothered a laugh behind her hands.

Sunny exhaled sharply. "Right. Of course, you will."

Nephis simply nodded, as if the matter had been decided the moment she spoke.

Cassie whispered, "You really do attract weird women, huh?"

Sunny shot her a glare, but it lacked real heat.

Instead, he just flopped back onto the cold ground, glaring at the sky.

Why were the only two people he was stuck with like this?