Shadow Slave: Back in time

Author here! As I had already said, I am changing the time Sunny and Nephis came from again. It now is Ch. 2150. There won't be many spoilers, just some jokes to shock Kai in the future.

Nephis woke up in the warm embrace of Sunny's arms, who was still holding her in his slumber. The mattress was soft under her body, comforting her after days of sleeping on stone and corals. Not that they had slept much, she thought with a lingering smile. Sunny, whose head was resting on her chest, had a peaceful expression on his pale face. She passed her hand through his black hair slowly, calmly waking him up, after she had looked out of the window from a minuscule chink of the curtains: the sun had not risen yet, but would soon.

Sunny yawned and stretched next to her, opening his eyes. When he looked at her, a smile spread across his face. He leaned in, touching her lips with his. He moved away after a second.

"Good morning, Neph."

"Good morning, Sunny."

They hugged until the sun rose, enjoying the moment. No Sovereign to kill. No wars to win. No fear of Anvil deeming Changing Star an investment not worth of the risk. They only thought about the fact that they were together, in each other's embrace, with no threat to make their minds sharp and stoic. The moment was perfect, and Nephis wished that it could be frozen in time and last forever. However, reality came crushing down along the rays of the sun. They had things to do, alliances to make and hope to spark.

With a sigh, she freed herself from Sunny's arms and stood up. The wood was cold under her feet, and it spread a small shiver through her body. On the bed, Sunny was watching her movements and admiring her figure with his hands under his head, as if watching a breathtaking landscape.

You're beautiful.

 Her cheeks pinked a bit as she picked her clothes from the floor to put something on. She dressed and opened the door.

See you in fifty minutes.

Nephis exited Sunny's room and was in front of the one that, technically, was hers in only a couple of steps. She opened the door as slowly as she could, in order not to wake up Cassie. She slid in the room as silently as Sunny, and closed the door without any noise. She walked and sat on her bed, then breathed a sigh of relief. Mission accomplished. Just then, a voice resounded in the room.

"So, you and Sunny, huh?"

Started, Nephis turned to Cassie. She was looking at her with a big smile on her face, lying on her side. Her eyes were filled with amusement.

"We were… planning…"

Cassie giggled.

"Oh, of course. I see, that was talking." She laughed a bit again. "I'm blind, Neph, not deaf."

Nephis only offered a "We had already met in the academy.", before taking refuge in the bathroom. To ready herself, of course.

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Nephis and Cassie were waiting for Sunny in the corridor. They had washed themselves, and were ready for breakfast, even a little early, actually. Cassie looked stunning in her simple dress and sandals.

Throwing her a mischievous grin, the oracle asked:

"So…"

Nephis interrupted her. She wanted to avoid Sunny being asked anything. What happens in the Labyrinth stays in the Labyrinth, she proclaimed mentally.

"Yes. We are a couple. We met in front of the gates of the Academy, and became allies. Then… well, I like him. And he likes me. We didn't tell you because it was strange that I, a Legacy of the Immortal Flame, was with an outskirt rat. I don't give a fuck about it, but Sunny preferred so. "

Cassie hummed.

"You are the personification of eloquence, Neph. Don't worry, I'll keep it to myself. Well, at least you chose the other room." She teased.

At that moment, Sunny exited his room with a smile.

"'morning, Cassie. Let's go eat breakfast."

Nephis glared at him, but his smile only widened. She knew him, and that he had been ready to go at any moment and enjoying Cassie's teasing, listening through his shadows. The bastard.

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As soon as they entered the hall, hundreds of eyes stared at the new arrivals. It was unusual that new people arrived at that point of the year: two months had passed since the solstice. They were dismissed as slums dwellers who had happened to find some shards to pay the tribute. However, more than a few gazes lingered on Nephis and Cassie. Sunny scowled again.

They took their portions from a woman who was rationing the food, the walked to a table on the outermost edges of the grandiose hall. Sunny couldn't help comparing the meal the castle served to his own. The castles offered vegetables, and maintaining a balanced diet was important, of course! However, Sunny was of the opinion that, yes, the castle's food maybe offered a slightly vaster range of choice, but his meals were still superior in every other category, and by a large margin, too.

Being the open-minded gentlemen he was, Sunny turned to his companion, who were still gracefully eating, and ignored the approaching guards.

"What do you think of this food?"

Nephis looked at him with the hint of a smile, and Cassie beamed at him.

"It's very good! I missed having some vegetables!" Then, perhaps having caught the undertone of his question, she added "But don't worry, Sunny, your cooking is way above this!"

Sunny smiled, satisfied.

A few second later, two Sleepers stopped in front of their table. They were clad in armour and their weapons were hanging from their belts in a show of power. Ugly grins and lust in their eyes, they were mentally undressing Cassie, who looked down on her bowl, sensing the malicious gazes. Nephis kept eating without a care in the world about what was happening. Sunny looked at them with hatred, then spoke calmly and gently.

"What the fuck are you looking at, you bastards?"