Shadow Slave

It took some time for the members of the cohort to digest Neph's story. Sunny, especially, felt like she did not tell them even a fraction of what had happened to her.

But then again, was it even possible to describe two years of neverending struggle for survival with just a few words? Not even considering the things that Changing Star might have wished to keep to herself — and he was sure that there were plenty — she would have had trouble describing even the things that she wanted to share.

It was going to take time.

As for the actual secrets… while he was dismayed and uneasy, Sunny himself was known to keep a lot of things close to his chest. More than that, they all had to be cautious about what they said. The room provided to Nephis by the Academy might have been safe, but that did not mean that it was not monitored.

That was the reason why both Effie and Kai remained mostly silent despite the fact that they clearly had a lot of questions. Unlike Sunny, they did not possess a good understanding of Changing Star's Aspect and current Class. All they knew was that she possessed a Divine Aspect, just like Sunny and Mordret did.

Eventually, Cassie broke the silence:

"It is fine. Now that you are back, everything is going to be fine."

She paused, and then added somberly:

"However… our current situation is very delicate."

Nephis looked at her and frowned, the white sparks in her eyes becoming a little brighter.

"Were there any… complications after you returned from the Forgotten Shore?"

She was alluding to Caster, the great clans, and the Sovereigns that wished her dead, of course.

Sunny finally spoke:

"Not immediately. But we ran into some trouble not long before venturing into the Second Nightmare."

Changing Star's frown deepened.

me what exactly

He shrugged.

say that there was supposed to be a negotiation with the representatives of the great clan Valor today. Which fell through… for

a moment,

important things to know are… let me think, actually. Uh… I am a renowned academic and an instructor at the Academy now. Cassie leads the Fire Keepers. Oh, Fire Keepers are the Forgotten Shore survivors whom you saw outside. They are basically your groupies. Right, you are famous now! Very, very famous. There is even a movie about you, with a very well-received romantic subplot. What else… we have a flying ship and an exclusive Citadel in the Dream Realm,

paler and paler. Finally, she

what? Kai, is

at her

That is your

meanwhile, looked down

decided to go our separate ways. It is for the best. My status as a Master would have just dragged him down, especially because my Aspect

Nephis blinked.

"A… a dragon?"

Sunny grinned.

a couple of Saints, too. I even killed the same one twice. First time before I

slowly raised her second

need a moment. Wait, can you

suddenly appeared on

did you say something about a

***

filling Nephis in on what had been going on with the four of them, and the waking world, during her absence. There was a lot of ground to cover, but he chose only the

falling into a bottomless abyss for a month straight on top of a dead demon, being burned by

Effie was confined to a wheelchair in the waking world, only to see her

their hands on a shipwrecked flying vessel and repair

obliterate an entire island as they thought to

list went on and

a while, Neph

I need a break. Can you guys give me a few

It was dark outside the window, with only pale moonlight