Shadow Re: Slave

Nephis opened her eyes.

It only took her a moment to orient herself. The room was dim, the rough stone walls familiar. Cold morning light slipped in through the cracks of a boarded-up window. Another day.

Most days were the same now.

In the beginning, the hunts had been brutal. Only she and Caster could truly fight—and even then, they weren't like Sunny.

Not quite.

They had a strength-related Aspect, yes. But strength wasn't enough. Sunny had always made it look effortless—efficient, brutal, clean. She wasn't sure if he was truly stronger… or simply better at using what he had. Smarter. Sharper.

That, more than anything, had kept him ahead of everyone.

Even without him, though, they had managed.

They brought Effie into the cohort, then slowly attracted others—drifters, independents—by offering spoils without demanding a share. That act alone had changed the settlement's fate. People came. Hunters. Builders. Fighters.

Some joined the hunting party. Others reinforced the buildings, repaired ruins, and built defenses. A second wall had been raised at her request—lesser, but still functional. They weren't defenseless anymore.

The outer settlement had become… something else.

Not a fortress. Not a haven.

But a beginning.

It was Caster who suggested assigning men to watch the gate. Not true guards, not like the ones in the castle—but watchful eyes. At least two stationed at all hours, tracking the movement of people, supplies, and information.

It was working.

Because of that, she had known the moment Nightingale returned from the Dark City.

After nearly a week missing.

There was no report on where he'd gone. No clue as to how he'd survived.

Just a note.

A side comment, buried in someone else's record: a mention of a small, shabby boy who arrived with him—unknown, insignificant.

And yet, Nephis had stared at the report in stunned silence.

Nightingale. The Nightingale. Her favorite singer. Her bias, as Effie would've called it.

She had been a fan since his debut.

And now… he was here. In the same nightmare as her. Alive. Real.

Her lips curled into a rare, subtle smile.

But the moment passed quickly.

Her thoughts drifted again—to Caster.

She had opened up to him at first. Perhaps out of desperation. Perhaps because had hoped to see something of Sunny in him. Perhaps just to fill the empty space Sunny had left behind.

A space that had felt eerily familiar.

Like the one her father left.

Like the one her grandmother had left.

She hadn't thought she could feel like that again. She was wrong.

There was something else, too—something deeper that she had felt—but she didn't want to define it. Didn't dare to.

But over time, she had begun to notice things.

Caster's words. His tone. The way he sometimes tried to pull her away—not physically, but emotionally. From Cassie. From Effie. From the others.

It was subtle. But not enough.

She'd seen through it.

That's when she realized the truth: Caster was the assassin.

Not Sunny.

She had doubted the wrong person.

But how could she have known?

She shook her head, pushing away the thoughts as she tightened the straps of her armor.

Cassie. Effie. The three of them had grown close—sisters, almost. And now, when she heard that Gunlaug wanted to punish her for the supposed murder of his guards—a fabricated charge, clearly—it disturbed her.

It was a move. Political. Petty.

But it meant war was coming.

Nephis stepped out of her room, her expression carefully neutral.

And then she froze.

Mid-step.

The hallway was still.

But something was wrong.

Because Nightingale was standing in front of her.

Real. In the flesh.

Nephis stared.

She didn't mean to—but she did. Her eyes locked onto his face, and for a moment, everything else—the hallway, her thoughts, her training—just vanished.

It was him.

Then, as realization struck, she flushed lightly and looked away, composing herself in a breath.

Kai watched her reaction with a small, knowing smile tugging at the corners of his lips. The silver-haired girl was even more striking than he'd expected—poised, cold, beautiful.

He decided to break the silence first.

"Hello. You must be Lady Changing Star of the Immortal Flame Clan, right?"

Nephis only nodded—still too stunned to speak.

Kai continued without missing a beat, his tone light but respectful.

"I came here because… well, a friend of mine told me to. He didn't really explain much, just said I should talk to you, and that I'd understand once I got here."

He glanced around briefly, eyes scanning the outer settlement, then returned to her.

"And now that I'm here, I think I get it. I have to admit—this place has come a long way. When I first arrived two years ago, it was a collection of broken walls and bad luck. Now… it actually feels like people have a future. That's impressive."

He smiled again, gently. "Congratulations, by the way. You've given these people something close to a life. That's more than most manage in the Dream Realm."

Nephis had already regained her composure. Her eyes were cool again, though something faint lingered behind them.

She nodded once. "This is only the beginning," she said, her voice calm. "I intend to kill the Crimson Terror and return every Sleeper on the Forgotten Shore to the waking world."

As if she had just stated the weather.

Kai blinked.

He was not easy to surprise. Not anymore. Not after Sunny.

But that?

That stunned him.

For a moment, he was speechless. Then, after a sharp exhale, he gave a short laugh and shook his head.

"You're… something else," he muttered. "Just saying it like that. Like you're talking about reorganizing your camp. Do you know how many people have tried that and failed for fifteen years?"

She didn't answer. She didn't need to.

Kai scratched the back of his neck. "You'd probably like my friend. He talks the same way—like the impossible is just mildly inconvenient."

Nephis didn't react to that part. She hadn't quite registered it—too focused on the fact that Nightingale, Nightingale, had just complimented her.

Then suddenly, Kai froze.

His eyes widened a little, and he gave a short, sheepish chuckle.

"How rude of me. I haven't even introduced myself—just barged into your home like some overconfident star."

He offered a hand, a little formal, a little playful.

"My name's Kai. And I think, from your reaction earlier, you already know I'm also known as Nightingale."

Nephis gave him a slow nod. "Yes. I know who you are."

Her voice was quiet. Then softened.

"My name is Nephis. But… you can call me Neph."

After that initial meeting, the two didn't part ways quickly.

They talked.

It was simple, surprisingly so. No politics. No strategy. Just two people exchanging fragments of their lives.

For both of them, it was unexpectedly… refreshing.

Kai spoke first—his voice light, easy. He told her about the performances he gave inside the great castle, how Gunlaug had trated him. He didn't hold back much. Not even when it came to her. He described how Gunlaug viewed her growing influence as a threat, how the castle leadership whispered about her.

And then, casually—without ceremony—he told her about his Flaw.

Nephis didn't hide her surprise. She actually blinked.

It was one of the few unguarded expressions she'd made all day.

"You just tell people that?" she asked, genuinely confused.

Kai shrugged with a lopsided smile. "I figured it'd be worse if you found out accidentally and embarrassed yourself. Besides… it doesn't really hurt me. Letting people know I can always tell when they're lying tends to keep things cleaner."

She considered that. And slowly nodded.

She wasn't used to honesty that wasn't wrapped in some form of control or manipulation. Especially after Sunny. Even though he never meant to cause any harm. It was strange. And strangely disarming.

When he finished his stories, she spoke.

She told him how she had arrived here—how they had once been three. How one of them had sacrificed himself so the others could survive. She didn't use names, didn't show emotion, but the memory lingered behind every word like a blade hidden in silk.

Kai listened carefully.

But as soon as she began to describe the boy who stayed behind… he knew.

It was Sunny.

Of course it was.

The tone of her voice. The specific way she avoided saying his name. The lingering weight in her silence.

She misses him.

She doesn't know he's alive.

He didn't understand why Sunny hadn't revealed himself. Why he was hiding from people who clearly cared about him. But he respected it. For now.

So he said nothing.

Didn't mention the name.

Didn't betray the secret.

When Nephis finally stood, saying she had to join the next hunting team, Kai didn't hesitate. He already knew what he'd do.

He would go with her.

Sunny had asked him to watch, to listen, to observe. But right now? That felt secondary. He liked Nephis. He admired her clarity, even if it bordered on obsession.

He could always speak to Sunny later. Ask about his real intentions. Ask why he was watching from the shadows.

But for now?

He joined the hunting party.

And didn't look back.