"Seems like old times, huh."
A faint smile bloomed on her face. "Old times indeed."
Sunny's expression remained passive, yet Nephis caught a flicker of conflicting emotion in his onyx eyes. He spoke softly, almost as if to himself, "So the rift swallowed you too."
There was a hint of sorrow in his voice as he asked, "Were you… still on Forgotten Shore?"
Nephis shook her head. "I went east of Forgotten Shore. There was an endless desert. I hoped… I might find a Seed of Nightmare."
Sunny nodded slowly. "It's… good that you're here." But something in his tone faltered, betraying the uncertainty behind the words.
Nephis's heart ached. "Is it, though?" she whispered.
Sunny's expression darkened, and for a moment his onyx eyes seemed to search for answers he didn't fully have. "Will you use it… the bond, I mean?" His voice was flat, almost hesitant, yet cold when he added, "If you do… one of us might have to die."
Nephis met his gaze, hint of guilt twisting her features. "I won't, Sunny. You know I won't… I don't need something like that." Her voice softened as she added, "And… I'm sorry for taking something so valuable from you."
Sunny let out a long sigh, rubbing his forehead. "Yeah… alright. Let's leave the apologies for later and analyze the situation we're in." He paused, tilting his head as though weighing the strangeness around them. "Since I can see your soul, I know you're not an illusion. The chances are… the rift folded space and somehow pulled us into Bastion. Incredulous as it sounds, anything can happen in the Dream Realm."
Sunny's gaze swept across the café. "Quite an elegant place," he remarked, voice low. "The owner has good taste."
Nephis nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "You think so too?"
Sunny continued walking, eyes scanning every detail, but suddenly he froze. His body tensed, a shiver running down his spine. Nephis immediately mirrored his alertness.
"Sunny… what is it?" she asked unease evident in her voice.
His voice trembled as he answered, "…T-this… we're inside a creature.… it looks like at least Corrupted rank."
Nephis shuddered at the revelation.' Damn… it is a nightmare creature, after all', she thought. Yet something didn't add up,the creature did not her when she went outside.
While she contemplated, Sunny's voice cut through the heavy silence. "No… it's not a nightmare creature. It's a Transcendent Devil."
A strange kinship stirred within him toward the café, and he paused, brow furrowed. Why did he feel this? He drew a deep breath and peered into the being's soul.What he saw left him profoundly surprised. It was… a shadow, Sunny furrowed his brow. Shadow creatures are supposed to be rare… yet here one is, in Bastion.
While he was lost in thought, Nephis spoke. "A Transcendent Devil…? Is it an Echo?"
Sunny shook his head. "No. It's a Shadow. Like my Shadow Saint."
Nephis tilted her head. "So… there are other Shadow users like you?"
"It's possible," Sunny replied cautiously. He added after a pause, "It doesn't seem to have any malice toward us… I think."
Their discussion was cut short by a series of thuds echoing through the café. Nephis immediately raised her sword, tense and alert. But Sunny lifted a hand, and she reluctantly lowered hers.
Another voice rang out, rough and loud, filling the room. "What the… where the hell am I?"
The boisterous voice was all to familiar,it belonged to Effie. The tall huntress was sitting on the floor rubbing her head while muttering a cascade of curses, clearly frustrated and disoriented.
"Effie! Is that you?" Nephis called out. Effie jumped to her feet, alert, her eyes scanning the café. "What? I thought I heard the Princess's voice… Did I hit my head too hard?"
Sunny sighed and said, "Effie, come here."
Effie blinked, even more surprised. "Doofus too?" She reluctantly summoned her Spear and walked toward the voices, her movements tense and cautious.When Effie reached them, she gasped again, eyes darting between Nephis and Sunny. "Wait… wait! How did you escape from the Forgotten Shore? A Saint… did a Saint help you?"
Nephis's grip tightened on the Dream Blade. "I got here the same way you did."
Effie's jaw dropped. "You were… pulled through the Nightmare Gate thingy too?!,I thought it was a nightmare creature! Playing tricks "
As if drawn by their conversation, a figure approached with hurried steps. Sunny's expression darkened, a flash of barely concealed hatred crossing his onyx eyes.
The figure barreled through the café, toppling chairs in her path, until she reached Nephis and pulled her into a tight, desperate embrace. It was Cassie. Tears streamed down her face as she whispered, choking through sobs, "You're alive… I've missed you."
Nephis froze for a heartbeat before her expression softened, she gently patted her dear friend's back, murmuring words of comfort, . "Cassie… it's alright. I'm here."
Sunny looked away, jaw clenched, malice swirling in his shadowed gaze. Before he could say anything, two more figures appeared from the café's far side.
The first was a tall woman with short raven-black hair and piercing icy-blue eyes, wearing a black tank top and combat pants. She looked around, confusion etched on her elegant face. Beside her stood a handsome young man with tousled auburn hair and bright green eyes, a towel barely hanging from his waist.
"Master Jet? … Kai… you're here too?" Effie breathed, the surprise evident in her voice.
Sunny's initial shock faded quickly, replaced by recognition. Through the faint presence of shadows, he sensed them all,they were familiar.
Effie grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she crossed her arms.
"Well, well," she drawled, eyeing Kai up and down. "Did the Rift decide to bless us with a free show? Guess even nightmares have a sense of humor."
Kai groaned louder, tugging the towel tighter around his waist. "Effie, for the love of...can you not?"
She snorted. "Hey, I'm just saying… next time the universe teleports you, try to bring pants."
Sunny pinched the bridge of his nose. "Some things never change…"
Effie smirked proudly. "Damn right. Someone's gotta keep the mood light before we all lose our minds."
Jet ignored their bickering and stepped closer to Sunny, eyes sharp and calculating. "Where are we?"
Sunny met her gaze, his voice calm but grim. "It seems… we were all pulled in by a black rift. I don't know how, but it brought us here,inside Bastion." He hesitated for a moment before adding dryly,"Oh, and we're currently inside a transcendent devil."
Kai froze, the color draining from his face,Sunny's lips twitched, the hint of a smirk breaking through his composure. Everyone stood in stunned silence, their minds trying to grasp what Sunny had just said.
"A… Transcendent Devil?" Effie muttered. "Inside Bastion? You've got to be joking…"
Nephis frowned, her gaze flicking between Sunny and the dark-haired woman beside him. Jet's calm, analytical expression hadn't wavered once, even after hearing the impossible.
"Sunny," Nephis asked quietly, "who is she?"
Sunny turned slightly, his onyx eyes resting on Jet. "This is Jet," he said after a pause. "Master Jet, actually. She is with the government, helped me after the first nightmare " Jet gave a curt nod, her gaze calm but sharp as it swept over Nephis. "You must be Lady Changing Star, then."
Nephis returned the nod, her tone steady. "I am." She glanced around the café, her expression hardening. "That's enough chatter for now. Let's focus on finding a way out of here."
Effie muttered under her breath, "Always straight to business, huh, Princess?", Nephis ignored the remark and turned to Cassie, who had finally calmed down but remained unusually quiet. "Cass… do you know what's happening?", Cassie shook her head, " This was not supposed to happen. " He murmured quietly, "my plans.. "
Nephis frowned, unease stirring in her chest. She glanced around the café once more, "It's not restricting us from going out," she said.
Then let's get out of here," Effie said impatiently. "Why are we still hanging around in this creepy place?"
Nephis was about to retort but stopped when she noticed Sunny suddenly jump to his feet. His face had gone pale, eyes wide with terror. It was as if he was staring at an unholy titan.
Cassie's expression faltered, a chill running down her spine as she instinctively tensed. The others followed suit, their weapons half-raised, confusion spreading among them. None of them understood what could shake Sunny like this.
He stood frozen, his hands trembling slightly, a cold sweat running down his temple. His breathing was uneven each exhale shallow and ragged.
Something was approaching.
Sunny could feel it,its presence pressing against his very soul. And worse, the shadows it carried were vast… and familiar, eerily familiar.His lips moved, the words barely escaping him, a whisper of disbelief.
"T-this can't be…"
*****
I severely underestimated how hard it is to write dialogue between a group of people , so forgive any inconsistencies in this chapter. Not much actually happened plot-wise, but I do like how it ended. Now I finally understand why G3 enjoys edging readers with cliffhangers so much. 😭