Ruined stones littered the dusty wasteland. A faint breeze stirred the dirt, lifting tiny grains of rubble into the heavy air.
To an outsider, it might have looked like the aftermath of a brutal warzone, yet it was merely the remains of a narrow street, ancient by thousands of years, if not more. Right there, in the middle of that broken road, the silhouettes of two figures trudged along.
"Hang in there, my friend, we're almost to safety!" Sunny said to Kai, his voice brimming with encouragement.
He was currently hauling his friend along, supporting him by the waist with one of Kai's arms draped over his shoulders for leverage. The poor guy was technically fine, but judging by his miserable appearance, one would assume he was on death's door.
"Wa... ter..." Kai pleaded, the dryness in his mouth burning fiercely in his throat. His usually stunning, dashing, beautiful and charismatic face looked utterly drained and parched.
It felt as though they had been walking for a long time—perhaps for days, if not months. In reality, they had only covered about two kilometers, taking the shortest, least frequented route away from the outskirts near Effie's place, the fateful spot where Sunny had just rescued him.
As they advanced, a strange, unbidden image flashed into Sunny's mind. A scene he had absolutely no context for: A quiet little house lost in the middle of nowhere, complete with a windmill. Inside, an older woman is washing dishes. Suddenly, she looks up, seeing a government vehicle approaching her home. The mother opens the door, watches the car stop right in front of her, and then collapses to her knees as two stern-looking officers step out.
'Where the hell have I seen that before?!' Sunny wondered, shaking his head vigorously to banish the bizarre vision.
Soon enough, they reached a local tavern in the outer settlement.
"Let's stop here," Sunny said, gesturing toward the entrance.
The two walked in, and once they secured a table, Sunny summoned the [Endless Spring] and handed it over.
Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.
Kai didn't hesitate for a single second. Grabbing the flask, he brought the rim to his lips and frantically chugged the crystal-clear liquid. The water instantly revitalized him, soothing the burning agony of his parched throat.
"Ahhh!"
After a couple of minutes, Kai finally lowered the flask, wiping the stray drops of water from his chin with the back of his hand.
"Thank you," he gasped out once he caught his breath.
"Don't mention it," Sunny replied, taking a seat beside the archer, in no rush to reclaim his Memory.
The two sat in silence for a moment, letting the general chatter of the tavern's other patrons fill the air.
"My lower back is still killing me," Kai groaned, reaching a hand behind himself to gently rub the sore spot near his tailbone.
Sunny turned to him, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "I bet it does! What the hell were you thinking?"
"Sunny, my friend, I know it wasn't the best idea to try and feed the beast, but in a relationship, you have to be willing to give, not just receive," the archer declared, his cheeks still slightly hollowed from exhaustion.
"You gave way too much! You could have thought twice before going in, or at least knocked first and asked for permission!"
"Why would I ask for permission in a situation like that? It was practically down my throat. It was all slimy and sticky."
"It's just an expression! Like... I don't know. Killing two birds with one stone!"
"Okay. I think we're talking about two entirely different things," Kai said, abruptly ending their absurd conversation.
Recently, Nightingale had asked Effie to train him. Given that their relationship brought the young man many... intense moments, during one of those times, driven by the brave desire to one day protect her instead of always being the one protected, he had stepped up and asked for combat lessons. After all, Kai had been the first to eagerly join the cohort Sunny was organizing with Gunlag to retrieve the [Dawn Shard].
When Sunny had gone to rescue him, the archer had been fighting off a horde of Nightmare Creatures led by a Tyrant, raining arrows down on them from a high vantage point. The creatures had scaled the heights at terrifying speeds, spitting acid and noxious gases from a distance that had made Kai's eyes water fiercely, dehydrating him incredibly fast. Due to this visual disadvantage, one of the monsters had managed to land a nasty hit on his back, striking him right on the tailbone. The bruise was still throbbing.
"I think I'm going to grab a real drink to numb the pain," Kai said, standing up and handing the [Endless Spring] back to him. "Do you want anything?"
Sunny dismissed the Memory into a swirl of white sparks and waved a hand. "No, thanks, I'm good. Are you sure you can walk in that condition, though? You looked like death warmed over just a minute ago."
"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me." The archer nodded, giving him a genuine smile of gratitude before heading to the bar.
Sunny remained at the table alone, watching the tavern fill up with people from the outer settlements winding down after a long day. The air inside was pleasantly cool, despite the drafts sneaking through the old walls. The chatter of the Sleepers was lively and cheerful.
For a moment, taking it all in, he felt truly good. Carefree. Tranquil. He hadn't felt this way in a very long time.
"Ah..." Sunny inhaled deeply and let out a long sigh, the tension finally bleeding from his shoulders. 'It's been a while since I felt like this. Probably not since I was running the Brilliant Emporium back in my old timeline. The plan is going perfectly. Aiko said she'd handle the shop for the rest of the day, and now I know Kai is safe. Why don't I just take a break for once? Just for once.'
Maybe he could just sit here for a while. Relax, enjoy the atmosphere, and just be at peace. An oasis of calm he hadn't experienced in years.
'...'
Then, she arrived. As timely as a calamity and as pleasant as a raging tempest.
Silver-white hair falling to her shoulders. Eyes as cold and grey as steel. Pale skin and a lean, athletic build, clad entirely in a black tunic beneath armor as bright as the stars in the night sky.
Nephis.
Changing Star.
The Star of Ruin.
The architect of his downfall. And, once upon a time... his master.
"Hi, Sunny."
Sunny opened his eyes. Very quickly.
Turning to look at her standing right there in front of him, amidst all these people, with that infuriatingly serene smile on her face, made the blood—and the shadows—boil violently in his veins. It was a searing, primordial rage that had been begging to erupt for lifetimes.
As soon as he saw her, Lost from Light sharpened his gaze and smiled right back. There was only one phrase he had been dying to say to her for a very, very long time. A familiar formula he had probably repeated thousands of times in his head.
"Fuck you!"
And by the Gods! How he loved finally being able to say that to her face again!
***
Previously, in another timeline...
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