Sunny sat at the far corner of the nameless temple,his porcelain face twisted with anger and guilt.He had lashed out at the wrong person.
Cassie did not deserve that,it wasn't her fault.
He was angry ...furious, actually, but not just at her.
He was angry at Saint Cassie, the one who had knowingly sent Nephis into danger. Angry at Anvil. Angry at Valor. Angry at himself for remaining powerless.
But he had taken it out on the wrong person.
Sunny closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the cold stone. His breathing was uneven, shoulders trembling with restrained emotion.
His relationship with the future Nephis was… strange, to say the least.He felt no romantic attachment toward her, but he cared about her deeply.He respected her, trusted her, and in a quiet, unspoken way, felt a sense of kinship. Like two people who had crawled through the same darkness and recognized each other's scars.
So hearing she was hurt ...truly hurt broke something inside him.Especially because it was Nephis.
Nephis, who never bent, never faltered, never broke even when the world forced her to. For someone like her to be injured badly enough to spark war…
It sent an avalanche of emotions crashing through him , and Sunny was not, by any stretch, an emotionally mature person.
He sighed weakly, running a hand through his hair.
He knew what he did was wrong, Cassie, the young Cassie..must be hurting too.He had ignored that, ignored her feelings, and lashed out simply because she was there.After all the talk of stars and suns, here he was, back at square one.
He exhaled slowly.
He hadn't forgiven Saint Cassie,not even close.
He didn't know why she did what she did, or what twisted reasoning lay behind sending Nephis straight into the jaws of danger. Every move Saint Cassie had made so far pointed toward accelerating the war… and she had put Nephis in harm's way to do it.
But who was he kidding?
Cassie would never betray Nephis.
She was the same person who had betrayed him, just to protect Nephis in the past, a bitter smile tugged at his lips.
Of course Cassie would trust Nephis to get out of that situation alive. Nephis always did. That woman could find light at the bottom of the abyss.
He forced himself to breathe.
He couldn't control any of this.All he could do was trust that Nephis would survive…and grow strong enough to stand beside her when the time came.
But before any of that,…he had to apologize to Cassie, so he pushed himself to his feet and walked towards the main hall of the temple, Effie, Jet, both Rain and Kai were still there when Sunny arrived.
Cassie sat on the floor, trembling, her cane clutched weakly in one hand. Nephis was beside her, holding her gently, shielding her almost instinctively , as if Cassie were made of glass.
Effie's eyes snapped to Sunny first,she wasn't shouting, but the anger in her gaze was sharp enough to cut."You really crossed a line," she said bitterly. "She didn't deserve that."
Jet's disappointment was quieter, heavier.
She looked at him like he was someone she didn't recognize."Sunny," she said softly, "whatever you're dealing with, she isn't the one you should be fighting."
Even Kai looked at him with a tight jaw and a severity he rarely showed.
"I don't know what happened between the two of you in the past," he said.
"But this… this was too far. It wasn't her fault."
Sunny lowered his head.
"I know."
The simple admission caught all of them off guard. Effie's expression faltered. Jet's shoulders eased slightly. Kai let out a quiet breath.
Sunny didn't look at any of them,he walked past slowly, each step measured, as if approaching an injured animal,Cassie flinched when she heard him approach.
Sunny stopped a few steps away.
His voice came out low, rough around the edges.
"…Cassie."
She didn't respond. Her fingers tightened around Nephis's sleeve,he continued, struggling through the words.
"I'm sorry."
Cassie froze.
Sunny swallowed, forcing himself to push on.
"I shouldn't have yelled at you. I shouldn't have" he glanced at the floor "lost control like that. I was angry. At everything. At myself. And I took it out on you. That wasn't fair."
Cassie slowly lifted her head. Her blindfold hid her eyes, but her lips trembled slightly.
Sunny clenched his fists, but kept his voice steady.
"You didn't deserve that."
Everyone stayed silent,Cassie finally spoke, voice barely more than a whisper"…You were scared."
Sunny closed his eyes."Yeah," he said. "I was."
A soft breath escaped her as she said, "it's okay",
Sunny shook his head, " It's not okay, I shouldn't have done that"
Then she gave the smallest nod."…You should be."
Everyone froze, Cassie meanwhile continued, "if you are sorry give me a hug", she hesitated for a moment then added, " Just like the old times", Effie's eyes widened. Jet raised a brow, impressed. Kai smiled.
Sunny didn't move at first. Part of him still fought with guilt, pride, and resentment. But he had said he would change… so this had to be the first step.
He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her.
Cassie hugged him back immediately, her hands clutching the fabric of his clothes, as if she had been waiting for far too long, Sunny felt her trembling. Her tears soaked through the fabric of his shirt.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered, her voice cracked.
"I'm sorry for what I did to you…",She said it again, and again, as if trying to scrape away something that had been carved into her soul for years.
He flinched at the sudden apology, countless emotions passing through his onyx eyes yet he wrapped his arms around her tighter, steadying her shaking form."…It's alright," he murmured. "Not then. But now… it's alright."
Cassie sobbed harder at that.
Nephis shifted slightly, her hand resting on Cassie's back. The cohort let out a sigh of relief.
The nameless temple grew quiet again, Sunny took a steady breath, his voice finally breaking the silence:
"…I'm going..,to practice my Aspect Legacy."
Everyone looked up at once.
Nephis was the first to react. Her brows pulled together, the faintest trace of worry slipping through her normally calm expression.
"This is a death zone, Sunny."
He nodded, as if he already expected her concern.
"I know. That's why I'm taking the Serpent and the Fiend with me."
The Serpent raised its massive head proudly, as if pleased to be included. The Fiend who was still standing in a corner like an ominous statue,tilted its armored head in silent acknowledgment.
Sunny continued, "Inside the fragment, they'll hold absolute advantage,and so will i. I'll be fine."
Effie snorted, arms crossed. "Your definition of 'fine' is questionable."
Sunny shot her a flat look. "So is your diet. Yet here we are."
Effie choked. "What does my diet have to do with anything?"
Jet sighed, rubbing her temples. "Children…"
Kai gave a faint smile, though his eyes still held traces of worry. "Just don't get yourself killed."
Sunny shrugged. "Trying not to make it a habit."
Older Rain grinned. "If you die, I'll kill you myself, little brother."
"Very encouraging," Sunny muttered.
Young Rain peeked from behind her sister, voice small. "Um… please don't die?"
Sunny softened. "I won't."
Cassie wiped her tears quietly, her voice raw but steady. "Be careful… please."
"…Yeah," he replied, softer than before. "I will."
He adjusted his cloak and took a few steps toward the exit of the temple. The shadows around him stirred, gathering like silent guardians. The Serpent slithered behind him, its scales scraping against the ancient stones. The Fiend followed, each step making the ground hum.
Nephis stood up as he passed her."If anything feels off,anything at all...come back immediately."
Sunny stopped, glancing at her over Sunny took a
"I trust you to handle things here," he said. "So trust me to handle what I can."
Nephis held his gaze for a long moment before finally nodding.
"We'll be waiting."
Sunny gave a short nod and turned away.