As the sun dipped beneath the jagged skyline of the Bright Castle, the shadows stretched long across the floor, melting into the warm golden glow of mistlamps flickering to life. Night had fallen, quiet and slow, like ink spreading through water.
In one of the castle's lounge alcoves, Sunless and Kai sat comfortably nestled in a pair of deep, sunken couches—two shadows in the dim light, halfway through their second bottle of wine. The air still smelled faintly of ink and alcohol from their earlier work, where they'd spent hours painstakingly etching shimmering tattoos onto the skin of castle guards.
Kai had taken to the task with surprising joy, his elegant hands moving with fluid grace, the faint hum of the needle becoming a kind of rhythm between them. His smile had been especially radiant when someone complimented the spiral motif he'd inked on a grizzled captain's forearm. There was something both nostalgic and freeing about returning to art—though this time, not in front of thousands of screaming fans.
Afterward, the two had lingered here in the quiet, letting the wine unwind their muscles and loosen their tongues. Talk meandered between bursts of laughter and slow, drifting silences—topics shifting from their tragically incompatible music tastes to half-forgotten memories of childhood. It wasn't deep conversation, but it didn't need to be. It was the kind that passed time with warmth and ease, while they waited for what came next.
Sunless hadn't forgotten the reason they were here. He still had a meeting scheduled with Nephis. And soon, she arrived.
Not alone.
The door opened with a whisper, and Nephis stepped through—elegant and aloof as ever, her silver hair catching the soft mistlight. But beside her stood a girl who made the room tilt slightly for Sunless.
Cassie.
She looked almost fragile in the doorway, her delicate features bathed in the warm glow, her pale hands clasped in front of her. Her long, pale lashes veiled eyes that could not see, but she held herself with quiet grace, as if the world whispered its secrets to her in ways no one else could hear.
Oh and Effie was also here.
Sunless rose a bit too quickly, the chair creaking behind him. He set down his glass and plastered on a crooked smile, the kind that never quite reached his eyes. His heart had caught in his throat, but he hid it well enough.
"Well, well," he said, stepping forward. "Look what the cat dragged in."
He embraced them both, first Nephis—cool and composed as always—and then Cassie, more gently, his arms tightening for just a second too long. Her scent—something faint and soft, like wildflowers after rain—stirred something in him.
"I missed you two so much," he said under his breath, almost like a confession.
Then he cleared his throat and slipped back into his usual casual sarcasm. "Nice to see you both again. No need to say how much you missed me. I'll just assume it was unbearable."
He motioned toward the archer lounging nearby. "Anyway, this is Kai. Kai, say hi. This is Cassie—you already know Nephis."
Kai rose smoothly to his feet and offered a dazzling smile. He always did look unfairly perfect, Sunless thought dryly.
"Uh… hello. Lady Nephis, Cassie... it's very nice to meet you."
Cassie tilted her head curiously at the voice. A smile tugged at her lips, confused and amused.
"Huh. You won't believe this, but I thought I just heard Night from Nightingale say my name. Crazy, right?"
Kai blinked, caught between pride and bashfulness. "Oh, uh. I am Night from Nightingale, actually."
The color drained from Cassie's face. Her breath hitched. Hands trembling, she instinctively clutched the wineglass she'd been handed—and let go of it a moment later.
Effie, ever the hunter, moved with lightning speed. She caught the glass inches before it shattered, and muttered with a sigh, "Every time… this happens every time…"
Cassie's lips parted in shock, but no sound came out.
Sunless gently placed a hand on her shoulder, grounding her. "Breathe. You're okay."
Kai stood awkwardly, as if unsure whether to apologize or disappear.
"So…" Sunless said, shifting the attention. "What exactly did you guys want to talk about?"
Nephis and Effie exchanged a look. Without a word, Nephis crossed the room and shut the door softly behind her. Then, she summoned a Memory—a small, bone-carved flute—and placed it gently on the table. The moment it settled, something subtle shifted in the room. The sound of the wind outside disappeared, as if the air had turned inward and sealed them off from the world.
Sunless narrowed his eyes. "What's that?"
Nephis's voice was cool and precise. "A cone of silence. No one outside this room can hear us now."
That alone told him everything he needed to know. If Nephis was warding their conversation like this, then it wasn't just serious—it was about Gunlaug, the Bright Lord himself.
He sighed, resting an elbow on the table. "So… the Bright Lord finally giving you a hard time? Want me to ask him real nice to go easy on you?"
Effie chuckled under her breath. "Oh, did he ever…"
Nephis shot her a sharp look, and Effie shrugged, lips twitching with amusement.
"The Bright Lord is about to move," Nephis said simply. "We've endured his probing so far—tests, nothing more. But he's no longer testing. He's ready to act in earnest. That's why I need your help."
Sunless arched a brow. "How can a humble cockroach like me help the Changing Star of the Immortal Flame clan?"
Effie snorted. "No offense, princess, but I sort of agree. What can this little imp do that we can't?"
She hesitated. Her voice softened—only slightly. "I mean, he's a good scout, but… without his echoes, he's kind of—well…"
She didn't finish the thought. She didn't have to. Everyone remembered the Seamstress.
Sunless gave her a wounded look. "Hey!"
But Nephis spoke over him, her voice calm and measured. "Don't be fooled. Sunny acts like a coward, but he's the last person I'd want to fight. He's far more dangerous than people give him credit for."
Everyone turned to stare at him.
Sunless sighed. "Welp. There goes the act. Surprise, everyone—I'm not just bark."
He threw a sarcastic glance at Effie. "And to think, everyone knew except you. Must be hard, being the slow one in the group."
Nephis continued, ignoring his theatrics. "He survived four months alone in the ruins. And before that, the Labyrinth. Sunny is a formidable fighter."
'Is she… complimenting me?'
"…He's just also a devious asshole," Nephis added. "That's what makes him dangerous."
'Ah. There it is.'
Sunless turned to Effie with a shrug. "Still don't believe her? Ask Night."
Kai, mid-sip of wine, blinked. "Uh… yes, I can confirm. He's definitely a bit of an asshole."
Sunless scowled. "Not that part! Tell them how I saved you!"
Kai batted his eyelashes innocently. "Oh, right. Yes, Sunny saved me in the ruins. He's very… resourceful."
Turning back to Effie, Sunless grinned. "See? Night's known me one day and already he gets it. You and I went through an entire expedition and you still haven't figured it out."
He could practically see the steam rising off Effie.
With a smug little flourish, he turned back to Nephis. "Alright then. What exactly do you need from me?"
Nephis hesitated—just for a moment.
"I want you to take Effie to your hideout in the ruins. Keep her safe. For about a week."
Sunless blinked.
'Ohhh. So that's what this is about'
"*"
**Officially, Changing Star's people—Effie among them—were under his protection.** That made them, at least nominally, untouchable. Gunlaug's forces couldn't move against them openly. Not unless they had a damn good reason.
Sunny already knew what that reason would be.
It wasn't hard to guess. The pieces were aligning, the gears of some larger mechanism creaking into motion. There was going to be a pland fall. Not just of a person, but of an image—of power, of control, of the Bright Lord himself.
Gunlaug was going to pretend to fall, and it had to *look* like justice. Not vengeance.
And who better to stand over the ashes of his authority than Nephis of the Immortal Flame?
Of course, it couldn't be blatant. If Nephis simply seized power, the whole thing would collapse into another civil war, or worse, a retaliatory purge. No. It had to *feel* right. *Look* right. To the people of the slums, it had to feel earned.
It had to *hurt* first. The people needed to believe that Gunlaug had crossed a line so clearly, so unforgivably, that toppling him wasn't just a rebellion—it was righteousness.
All to setup his stay in the penitence legion.
For his redemption in the eyes of the people of the waking world.
And tonight? Tonight was the first thread in that tapestry. The beginning of injustice. Subtle. Bloodless. Measured. Just a taste.
They would escalate, and when the knife finally found the Bright Lord's back, the people would already be cheering.
"*Ya hear that, shorty?*" Effie drawled suddenly, cutting through the current of tension like a stone skipping over deep water. Her voice was a singsong tease, full of impish delight. She tossed a glance over her shoulder and swung her hips in an exaggerated little sway, clearly enjoying herself far too much. "Looks like you finally get to cash in that lap time I owe you ."
Sunny didn't even blink.
"No thanks," he replied dryly, taking a slow sip from his cup. "I'm giving that time to Kai."
Predictably, Effie's grin only widened, her teasing immediately redirected like a spotlight onto the poor archer lounging nearby. "Oh *really*? Well then…" she purred, advancing toward Kai with mock menace.
Kai, to his credit, simply blinked and smiled. "Should I be honored or afraid?"
"Yes," Sunny muttered, before turning to the one person in the room who didn't treat conversation like it was a contact sport. "Anyway. I *could* hide Effie in the ruins for a week. No problem."
Nephis tilted her head slightly, her silver-white hair catching the dim light. Her voice, when it came, was still as calm and colorless as ever… but there was a faint curl of amusement lurking beneath it.
"Could," she said. "But not *will*?"
Sunny narrowed his eyes at her. "You've been around Alice too long."
Nephis didn't deny it. Instead, she simply waited, her expression unreadable as always.
"I will," Sunny said eventually, and held up a single finger. "*If* you join my team for the tournament."
Nephis blinked. "There's a tournament?"
That actually made Sunny chuckle. He leaned back in his seat, stretching a little as the fire crackled low in the hearth beside them. "You're out of the loop, Changing Star. Yeah. It's not official yet, but it's happening. A bit of pre-siege bravado. Most of the generals are planning to open it by slaying hand-picked Nightmare Creatures—crippled ones, obviously. Just enough danger to look impressive, not enough to actually die."
Nephis frowned, clearly calculating something behind her calm eyes. "And the purpose?"
"It's a spectacle," Sunny replied. "To motivate the rank and file. Remind them that their leaders are mighty and terrifying and worth following. You know—bread and circuses, only with more blood."
A beat.
"Also, I get to show off."
Effie made a choking sound from where she was now draped over the back of Kai's chair. "That's the *real* reason, isn't it? You just want an excuse to make everyone watch you do your edgy little pirouette of death."
Sunny grinned. "Guilty."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Is there dancing?"
"There's *always* dancing," Effie said solemnly. "It's just that his version ends with body parts."
Sunny ignored both of them and extended his hand toward Nephis. "So. What do you say? Join my team. It'll be fun."
Nephis stared at the offered hand for a moment, expression unreadable. Then, slowly—almost imperceptibly—her lips curved into the faintest, rarest of smiles. A flicker of warmth in winter.
She took his hand. "Very well."
Effie made a noise like a party horn. "Wow, you got the princess to commit to fun! That's gotta be a first."
Sunny ignored her again. Barely.
He didn't say it, but her agreement meant more than just a tournament win. It was trust, however cautious. Cooperation. She wouldn't have agreed if she thought the plan was flawed. If she didn't think he was capable.
And perhaps most importantly… it meant they were still allies.
Even now, as the world began to tilt toward chaos again.
He felt her grip, firm and steady in his palm, and wondered briefly how long this temporary peace would last. How long *any* of them would last.
Cassie sat quietly by the fire, still pale but composed now, her fingers absently tracing the rim of her cup. Kai, ever the diplomat, was chatting softly with her, voice like honey. And Effie—Effie was pretending to steal food from someone's plate and pretending *not* to eye the door like she was expecting trouble any second.
The quiet before the storm.
Sunny's smile faded.
And the moment the false mask of civility fell? The moment that first real injustice landed with enough weight?
There would be no going back.
The story would have to play out.