Whenever Sunny slept, some part of him always remained awake. There were seven of him, after all â so, it was rare for all of his incarnations to be asleep at the same time. After finding the nameless grave on the hill where Aletheiaâs Tower had once stood, however, he chose to surrender himself to sleep completely. Even though nothing had happened since they entered the Tomb of Ariel, he needed a break.
The nothingness of it all was exhausting. Eventually, though, Sunny woke up.
He remained still for a while, looking at Nephâs profile. She was sitting by the fire, looking at the dancing flames â just like he had been doing during his watch.
Her usually stoic expression seemed reserved and pensive in the warm light of the fire.
âIt is strange, you know.â
Even though she did not turn to look, she must have noticed that he was awake. Sunny did not move, either.
Nephis lingered for a short while, then shrugged.
âSitting by the fire in the Tomb of Ariel, utterly ruined, acting like nothing is the matter.â
Finally turning, she smiled faintly.
Her smile was a little bit bitter, and a little bit dark.
âI had spent so much time building my kingdom â all my life, really â and now, in the span of a few short months, all of it is gone. My Citadels, my armies, my comrades, my people⊠all I have left now are the things I can carry with me. I must be the first homeless Sovereign in history.â
Sunny remained silent for a moment, then smiled as well.
âWell, to be fair, you can carry quite a lot with you. An entire flying ship, for example â and that is just the tip of the iceberg.â
She turned back to the flame, and to the darkness beyond it.
âYou went somewhere while I slept, didnât you?â
Sunny lingered for a few seconds, then sighed.
âI did. How did you know? I tried not to wake you.â
She shook her head lightly.
âIt was because you were different when I woke up. So, I figured that something must have happened.â
Nephis reached forward and cupped her hands, thrusting them into the fire. She scooped some of it, as one would scoop water, and then washed her face in the brilliant white flame. A moment later, she let out a satisfied sigh and turned to Sunny again, looking refreshed.
âDo you still have coffee?â
Sunny sat up, summoned an enchanted thermos he had once created, and poured the fragrant drink into two cups.
As they enjoyed their morning coffee in utter darkness, he considered his words for a long while.
Eventually, though, he still said:
âYou never ask me any questions.â
It was true. When the two of them were together, Sunny rarely had to say something because of his Flaw. As a result, there were few situations when he said something to Nephis, only for her to forget it seconds later.
It was very convenient of Sunny and made his life much easier, but at the same time, he often felt conflicted about the whole situation.
At times, he felt insecure, thinking that Nephis simply did not care enough to ask. Other times, he felt that it was not fair to her, since no matter what she did, she would never receive an answer â would never be able to truly know the man with whom she shared her life.
But Sunny never brought it up, because doing so would not solve anything. And she would not be able to remember having talked about it, either.
âThat is strange, as well.â
Looking into the fire, she sighed.
âYou and Cassie are closer to me than anyone else. And both of you keep a million secrets⊠So, it is a bit ironic that I know very little about the people I trust the most.â
She lingered for a few moments and then added:
âBut that was our deal, wasnât it? You said that you had secrets you would never reveal to me. And I promised that I would never value you more than my goal.â
âLooking back, we were acting quite mature when having that conversation. But also quite stupid.â
âAt the beginning, I thought that it would be simple, to allow someone into my life without inviting them into my heart. I never had any experience with the affairs of the heart, after all, so it was easy to be arrogant. But as time went on and we grew closer, nothing was simple. Everything was complicated.â
She looked at Sunny and smiled.
âI never ask you any questions, but I used to ask myself all the time. Where does he come from? Who were his parents? What was his childhood like? Who was his first love? Why does he love me? Things like that. There were so many questions, and not a single answer. As if you were keeping yourself under lock and key⊠as if you didnât care about me enough to share yourself with me.â
âI am not a fool, though. Even if we never spoke about it, it did not take me long to figure out that you were keeping quiet because you were unable to speak, not because you did not want to. I also noticed that, at times, my memory failed me. It happens when I think about you, or in the middle of a conversation⊠one moment, we are talking about something, but the next moment, we are talking about something else, and I donât quite remember how we got there. As if I got distracted.â
She looked at the dancing flames, then at the darkness beyond them.
âAnd I also know that all of it has something to do with this. With the Tomb of Ariel. This is where it all started.â
Nephis turned to Sunny and shrugged.
âBut it doesnât matter, really. I used to drive myself mad with these questions, but at some point, I realized that it did not matter. I do not need to know who your parents were, what your childhood was like, or where you come from. Because I know you⊠I might not know about you, but I know who you are. You are my person. I trust you.â
She looked away and sighed.
âI used to want to have everything under my control⊠I even deluded myself into thinking that it was, at times. Because the world was too frightening otherwise. But a part of growing up is realizing that you cannot control everything. Once you let go⊠life gets easier. And you can hold onto the important things, instead of helplessly grasping at all of them.â
Nephis lingered for a moment and then looked at Sunny with a smile.
âNow that I think about it⊠I feel like Iâve been cheated in that deal of ours.â
âAre you saying that I made my way into your heart, uninvited? Is that a confession, Lady Changing Star?â
They were on Aletheiaâs Island, of all places. What was it about this terrifying pit of nightmares that made people prone to admitting their feelings? It was certainly not a romantic spot⊠it was the opposite of a romantic spot, really.
âI am just saying that I know you well enough not to ask questions, Lord Shadow. I know who you are⊠and who you are is enough. Itâs plenty.â
Sunny lingered for a while, then looked away to hide his smile.
âItâs nice to hear.â
Nephis finished her coffee and stood up.
âMaybe itâs why I do not feel crushed despite having lost the Human Domain to the Dreamspawn. I feel that I will get it all back⊠because I am not alone.â
Looking into the darkness, she remained silent for a few moments, and then said quietly:
âNo one survives in the Dream Realm alone. So, I was lucky to find you.â
Sunny studied her profile for a while. Eventually, he nodded.
ââŠYou certainly were. Men of my caliber donât grow on trees, you know? Thereâs only a handful in the whole wide world â seven, to be precise. And all of them are me.â
âDonât I know it wellâŠâ