"Go...Lost From Light."
Sunny's eyes widened.
Deep within his soul, something began stirring awake. Something that was in deep slumber from the day he returned from the First Nightmare so long ago. It felt unbreakable, eternal, irresistible. Complete, perfect, and sweet.
And yet, deep horror drowned his heart, overwhelming him.
Before he knew it, his hand shot forward, the ghostly stiletto that was the Moonlight Shard already formed in it.
"Stop."
His hand obeyed the command, completely ignoring his own will and answering to Changing Star's.
"H-how?"
He was looking at the ghostly blade mere centimeters away from the treacherous star's eyes.
"How did I know? …Cassie told me."
Nephis sighed and looked away.
"She was the first one to understand the meaning of her vision. She knew that the two of us would end up fighting each other, and that I was going to lose. Maybe even die. She just didn't know how, when, and why. So, Cassie told me your secret in hopes that it would save my life one day. But I… I hoped that I would never have to use it."
Sunny gritted his teeth. Cursing the day he met the blind bitch and Star of Ruin. He already knew what would happen now that Nephis invoked his True Name, and if he was being honest, he couldn't think of a way to stop it.
Sunny dismissed the Moonlight Shard and lowered his hand staring at his master with pure loath and hatred.
"What are you waiting for? You succeeded, you can force me to stay behind, or do you want to kill me before returning to the Waking World, you know, just in case I somehow found a way back?"
He laughed mirthlessly, suppressing the tears of despair welling up behind his eyes.
"What are y–"
"Don't even try to justify your sin!" Sunny shouted cutting Nephis off. "Do you even know what you've done?! Do you even know what you've taken from me?!"
Nephis tried explaining, but Sunny wasn't finished.
"What would you do if someone robbed you of your free will? Better yet, what would you do if someone robbed you of your retribution?"
Nephis never thought about it, it wasn't a possibly in her book. She was going to order Sunny to leave, but for some reason, she didn't. What Sunny said allowed her her open her eyes. How many Saints were there in the world? What if some of them decided to go rouge and challenge the Forth Nightmare, and kill the Sovereigns? She couldn't let that happen.
But the alternative held the same, if not more, weight on her. She didn't want Sunny to stay behind knowing that he might die.
But Sunny was strong. As strong as her at least.
And Sunny didn't have a goal he was desperate to fulfill like her. She too, can protect his sister.
"I'm sorry, Sunless." She said, even though it ached her heart.
It needed to be done. She had the right to be selfish.
Each step she took filled her heart with pain, but she took them any ways. When she was just before the Gate way she paused and said.
"Survive. Please do."
With that she took the final step and entered the Gateway.
"I loved you, you know." She heard Sunny whisper before the Spell embraced her.
* * *
Nephis hated herself.
Ever since the moment Cassie told her about Sunny's True Name she decided that if she ever invoked it, it'll be to order Sunny to leave her behind and leave. She even ordered him to go and leave her behind.
And yet, she didn't.
On a whim, she did the opposite. She left him behind and left, telling herself that her goal cannot wait, that anyone could steal her retribution even though she knew it was impossible.
She found herself inside the void of the Spell once more. It was illuminated by a myriad of silver stars forming a complicated weave that she couldn't begin to understand.
"I loved you, you know."
Sunny's last words echoed in her mind.
In any other situation, she would've been happy, thrilled even. Yet now, she could only feel shame, sorrow and hate. So much hate. She hated herself even more than she hated the Sovereigns and the Spell, if that was even possible.
Once, a very long time ago. She thought of herself as a sword forged to bring retribution, or a flame lit just to bring ruin and burn reality apart. After meeting Sunny and Cassie, however, she started to understand something, or perhaps regain, what it was like to care for and be cared for.
She had not cared for someone since her grandmother's passing, and no one had cared for he since that terrible day. That was until she met Cassie and Sunny.
She cared for Cassie, and Cassie cared for her. They were friends the first friendship Nephis ever made.
She cared for Sunny...No that was her just being coy.
"I love Sunny."
She realized it too late it seemed. With what she did, is there even a chance that their relationship would advance any further.
But he did say that he loved her, right?
He loved her.
Loved.
That was in the past now.
She knew Sunny better than any one in the world, two worlds even. There is no chance he'd allow himself to so much as look to her with an ounce of care after what she did. After what she took from him. After robbing him of his freedom...After making him her shadow...her slave.
[The Second Seal is broken.]
[Awakening dormant powers...]
Nephis paid the Spell no mind. She felt wetness on her cheek, and did something she never thought she'd do ever again in her life.
She cried.
Before she knew it, she heard the spell speak once more, it's voice full of twisted excitement.
[Awake, Star of Ruin!]
Wh...
Before Nephis could ponder on the strange phrasing of her True Name, the void dissolved around her.
* * *
In one of the underground facilities designed to contain Sleeping Pods, inside a pellicular room, a pale beauty was sleeping peacefully. He had been for the last year and a few month.
But today was a special day.
Pale white light shown through the Pod's glass, and in the next moment, it exploded with brilliant white flames.
Nephis dismissed the the flames, and ran out the room, searching for another. She had to make sure. Maybe, just maybe, she'd find him awake, safe, and sound.
When she finally found Sunny's room, opened the door, and...
She walked towards the Sleeping Pod, looking at the peaceful body sleeping within it, ignorant for what the soul just experienced.
Droplets of water fell on the Pod's glass, each one making way for another to form and fall.
She truly was a vile Nephilim.