Nephis looked in the window and remained silent for a while. Her face was distant and still. After a while, she lightly shook her head.
"No… not yet."
Cassie seemed to be surprised by that answer.
"No? But… why?"
Changing Star sighed.
"The… Fire Keepers. That is what people call the Awakened who follow you, right? They all look up to me, do they not?"
The blind girl silently nodded.
"Of course! We… they have been waiting for your return ever since escaping the Forgotten Shore. Even though the Dreamer Army was an alliance of convenience, the bonds that were forged between its members are real. Their bond to you is real, too."
Sunny sipped his coffee with a strange expression. Neph, meanwhile, lingered for a moment, and then said:
"But they want more than just to welcome me back. They expect me to lead them, like I did on the Forgotten Shore. Am I correct?"
Cassie nodded once again.
Neph looked away.
"How can I lead them when I don't know where I am going? I… I need more time to figure things out before I face them."
The blind girl remained silent for a while, then sighed.
"I… I understand. I think."
meanwhile, did
going to do, so she could not offer the remnants of the Dreamer Army guidance. She
slow her down. More than that, she had spent two whole years alone in the Dream Realm… if he knew
available to Neph after she came back. That had
she
not sure that he wanted to know… yet. In any case, he was going
else
at Nephis and Cassie and then said,
you two forgetting something? This is still my home! We only agreed that Nephis would stay here for a week. Shouldn't you at least ask me before deciding to leave her here for a
was not going to let Changing Star pull off an Effie that
him with an unreadable expression. After a few moments of silence,
do you mind if I stay for a couple more
then glanced away
no problem. Glad to have you, and all that.
***
state of the Fire Keepers and the renovations they were making to the Immortal Flame manor, and then left. Running a prominent Awakened organization was not an
were left alone
a few moments, and then
one, more or less, before buying this house. But if I did, I imagine I would have missed
then
lot while I was growing up. Sometimes because our financial situation changed, sometimes due to security issues. That manor is just the
remained silent for a
it were the people who surrounded me that created the feeling of home. But they
sighed, remembering the conversation he once
to be honest. And
Changing Star nodded.
Flame… is just me, now. At its height, it was one of the most influential Legacy clans. You could have called it a great clan, even, although that distinction was not established yet back then. Apart from the immediate family, the clan
silent, and then
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!