Needless to say, the Valor siblings were not thrilled with their current situation.
To be fair, Sunny had expected a much stronger reaction. Mordret, especially, had managed to keep his hands to himself… surprisingly so.
Sure, he had kicked Sunny... but after being tripped down the stairs, maybe that was a little justified.
In the end, the "welcoming ceremony" had gone quite well.
No limbs lost.
No rules broken.
No one, crucially, realized who Sunny really was.
By most people's standards, that was a success. He even considered praising them for their behavior, but decided not to tempt fate. Their nerves were already stretched thin enough.
Now came the harder part: introducing them to the rest of the residents.
How that would go… Sunny had no idea.
Neither Mordret nor Morgan were exactly popular in the wider world. And between the two, Mordret easily won the title of Most Hated.
Sunny could only hope he would keep his current streak of "no incidents" alive.
It had been weeks since his last "disciplinary session." Silent had learned her lesson well enough, and her sisters never missed a chance to tease her about it.
As siblings do.
After explaining a few more ground rules, Sunny led them toward the exit. Saint kept Mordret under close watch, shadowing his every step.
Sunny wasn't foolish enough to trust the Prince of Nothing, not even for a second. A loose Mordret was a catastrophe waiting to happen.
Morgan, at least, seemed to have made her peace. As much peace as possible, anyway.
If she was honest with herself, there wasn't much to complain about.
Sure, she wasn't free. Sure, she wasn't carving her own path as she'd dreamed of after forsaking Valor and her father.
But… it could have been much worse.
Morgan was no stranger to imprisonment. She'd held her share of prisoners, pried her share of secrets from reluctant tongues.
Comparatively, this felt almost like… a vacation.
Still, she wasn't stupid. It could all be a facade.
She half-expected to find the Song Sisters shattered and broken, proof that the Lord of Shadows was just as much a monster as her brother.
Maybe even worse.
Being placed on the same stage as him… was a bitter thing.
As they moved through the minimalistic yet imposing halls of the Nameless Temple, Morgan's mind raced.
'How does this Master Sunless fit into it all? Are he and the Lord of Shadows secretly family? Friends? Allies?'
She threw a few glares at their supposed "warden" but got nothing useful in return. Just that same insufferable, easygoing smile.
Finally, they reached the exit and descended the stone stairs.
Morgan couldn't help herself, her steps slowed as she stared.
Earlier, she'd caught only a glimpse before being yanked into this Soul Sea. Now she could truly see it.
The endless expanse of shadows. The black sky.
The seven dark suns overhead, radiating their eerie pressure.
Her eyes widened despite herself. Her body tensed instinctively.
"The view I had earlier was... interrupted," she muttered under her breath. "But it's… quite unique."
Her gaze lingered on the black suns.
'Divine Aspect.' She concluded grimly. 'And a Titan's Soul Sea, no doubt.'
Mordret, for all his loathing, was no less intrigued.
'Those shadows... they're trophies,' he realized. 'All the creatures he's slain. What an efficient killer.'
Spite festered inside him, but he couldn't deny the Lord of Shadows' terrifying accomplishments.
"So, what's next?" Morgan asked dryly. "Is he going to grace us with his presence, or is he too busy fighting a war?"
Sunny turned to her, wearing a look of mild amusement. "Eager to meet him? That's unexpected."
Morgan sighed, clearly bored. "Not eager. Just... impatient."
Sunny chuckled darkly, gesturing broadly at the endless expanse around them.
"He won't visit often. But believe me, he knows what happens here."
He locked eyes with Mordret, voice dropping subtly.
"And if you step out of line, he will remind you where you stand."
Mordret didn't even glance at him. Just kept walking… or limping.
"I'll do what I have to do," he said flatly.
Sunny watched him with mild suspicion. He knew those words meant trouble eventually.
In fact… he was almost looking forward to it.
"I know you will," Sunny replied lightly.
They continued toward the café.
"How did your café even end up here?" Morgan asked suddenly.
Sunny had prepared for this question. Morgan might never have visited before, but she must have glimpsed the building from afar.
He turned toward her with a charming smile, one that made even Morgan falter for a moment.
"It's one of his shadows." he explained smoothly. "I just use it as a Café."
Morgan narrowed her eyes, skeptical.
"So you two must be quite close. Family, maybe?"
Sunny nodded without hesitation. "We've known each other all our lives."
Morgan scoffed. "I should've known. Convenient. A hidden brother tucked away in Bastion... Quite the deception. I wonder how Nephis would react if she found out you have been messing with her."
Sunny gasped dramatically, hand over his heart.
To be fair, he was actually a little offended.
Their relationship had started with lies. But now? Now, it was real!
"I'll have you know, the love Nephis and I share is genuine," he said, full of wounded pride. "Sure, she was surprised when she found out about my connections, but we're still together… Happily."
Morgan barely acknowledged him. But the faintest smirk tugged at her lips.
"I see. Otherwise, I would've happily exposed you and enjoyed the aftermath. Not even the Lord of Shadows could've saved you from her wrath."
She mused mischievously as they neared the café entrance.
Sunny gave her an even look as he opened the door.
"I'm not worried. She already knows. She would just pity you for such a sloppy attempt to ruin our relationship."
He smirked.
"And I find it interesting that you, the Cold Princess of Valor, are so invested in other people's love lives. Tired of being a lonely blade, are we?"
Morgan froze… caught off guard.
Behind her, Mordret let out a broken, spiteful laugh.
Morgan stepped dangerously close to Sunny, face inches from his.
Before anything drastic could happen, Saint tapped the rim of her shield with her sword, a subtle reminder.
Morgan bristled.
"You are officially discharged from being a Knight of Valor," she hissed. "Welcome back to being a peasant."
With a last seething glare, she swept into the café.
Sunny chuckled to himself.
'Good girl.'
But he wisely kept that thought to himself.
Inside, the café was simple. Not lavish or grand. But somehow… cozy.
Morgan wandered through the space, almost confused.
"This place... it's relaxing," she admitted grudgingly. "I expected chains. Torture devices."
Sunny scoffed from behind the counter.
"How many times do I have to tell you? No one's getting tortured. Not you. Not your brother. Provided you behave."
Without waiting for a reply, he vanished into the kitchen, though he kept them firmly within his Shadow Sense.
Mordret, meanwhile, collapsed into a chair.
His body was still a wreck. Even a Saint's healing couldn't erase the brutal beating the Lord of Shadows provided as it seems.
And worse, his pride was shattered too.
Every movement sent a hiss of pain through him.
'Getting beaten like this... And people call me a monster.' he thought bitterly.
For now, he could only lick his wounds, and bide his time.
Morgan, on the other hand, was in far better shape.
Sure, she was still furious over how easily Sunny had flustered her, but she refused to let the taunts of a "weakling" get to her.
'He seemed so different in the Throne Room.' she thought, scowling. 'How does Nephis put up with him?'
Then again... Sunny was devastatingly handsome. And, judging by Nephis' changed demeanor, he must be good for more than just appearances.
She sighed to herself, boredom gnawing at her already.
Going from a battlefield to a cozy "prison" was no easy shift.
'Escaping seems impossible anyway. And I don't care about Father or the war anymore. So why fight it?'
Her eyes drifted to Mordret, hunched and grimacing.
Watching him suffer was oddly therapeutic.
"Maybe I won't have to lift a finger after all," she mused.
Sooner or later, Mordret would snap. She was certain of it.
Already his injuries were healing. His eye had unswollen, and his limp was easing.
In a few days, he'd be back at full strength.
Unless something…or someone, stopped him first.
Feeling restless, Morgan drifted toward the hallway. She'd been told the Song Sisters and three government Saints were here too.
She would confirm it herself.
'Caretaker.'she scoffed inwardly. 'I'm not some old hag who needs babysitting.'
Still... Sunny remained a mystery.
How had he and the Lord of Shadows come from nowhere?
The Shadow Clan?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Ultimately, Morgan decided, it didn't matter.
But she couldn't shake the feeling that something about all this was deeply wrong.
Ascending the stairs, Morgan had a bad feeling gnawing at her.
She could feel the pressure of multiple Saints above. Some of them even… familiar.
Old enemies even.
She had no means to defend herself if anything happened. But she remembered the rules.
Even if she wasn't in the Lord of Shadows' best graces, she trusted that he, at least, kept his word.
Violence is forbidden, his so called little brother had said.
'Let's hope he wasn't lying.' Morgan sighed quietly.
'Not like worrying will change anything. Might as well keep my head down and let the time pass.'
Quickly, she made her way to the top floor.
The interior hadn't changed much. Plain. Quiet. But there were more doors than she expected, too many for the size of the building.
'Dimensional storage?' she guessed, eyeing the long hallways.
'A special Echo? What kind of place is this?'
The pressure of the Saints blurred together in her senses, too many gathered close for her to pinpoint anyone.
So she chose a simple tactic: she sat in a corner and waited for someone.
'Maybe a familiar face will find me first,' she thought, though she would never admit that she secretly hoped it would be Kai.
If he was truly here.
After a few minutes, she heard a door creak open.
She tensed instinctively, then relaxed.
'Thank the dead gods. Not one of the sisters.'
Instead, Jet strolled into view, hands in her pockets, a teasing smirk curling her lips.
Jet's gaze locked onto Morgan immediately.
Leisurely, she sauntered over and dropped into the seat opposite her, crossing her legs with theatrical grace.
"Look who we have here," Jet purred. "You look a little lost, Morgan. But I gotta say, the shackle really brings the whole outfit together."
The sarcasm was impossible to miss.
Morgan met her gaze evenly, gripping the armrest of the chair a little too tightly.
If not for her gloves, she might have already shredded the wood.
"You look as lifeless as usual," Morgan replied coolly. "You sure you'll survive long enough to enjoy it?"
If Jet wanted a verbal sparring match, Morgan wasn't going to back down.
Jet chuckled without missing a beat.
"No worries. The Lord of Shadows keeps me well-fed. Fresh corrupted beasts, delivered daily. He's got them on tap, you know."
Morgan leaned back, pulling her hood up. Hiding behind the fabric felt oddly comforting right now.
"It's ridiculous," she muttered. "What doesn't that man have?"
"True," Jet said easily. "Also…you probably know already, but the Song Sisters are here too. I'm sure you're dying to meet them."
Morgan narrowed her eyes beneath the shadow of her hood.
"If you keep testing my patience, Jet, I might lose this hoodie and give you a big hug."
Only Morgan could make something so lovely sound like a threat.
Jet was unimpressed.
"You can try," she said with a grin. "But remember the rules. Pretty sure you're not eager to find out what happens if you break them."
With that, she stood and started sauntering toward the stairs.
"Come on, Princess. Dinner should be ready any second. I heard our caretaker is an amazing cook."
Morgan scowled but rose anyway.
Admittedly, she was getting hungry.
And she wasn't about to let herself starve.
Minutes later, she found herself at the table, seated apart from the others, but not so far that she was completely isolated.
Which suited her just fine.
Still, it was… unsettling.
Sitting among people she would have gladly killed mere hours ago.
The worst part?
None of them wore shackles.
That, Morgan thought bitterly, was unexpected.
'At least the food is good.'She sighed inwardly, occasionally letting her gaze wander across the gathered Saints and Song Sisters.
And a awakend girl… for some reason.
"Where's Mordret?" Seishan asked, glancing toward Sunny.
"He wanted some time to himself," Sunny replied lightly. "Grabbed a plate and vanished. Saint's still with him, though."
Morgan exhaled sharply.
"Good. I hope he finds a corner to curl up and die."
Seishan gave her a quiet, disappointed look.
"How cold," she said softly. "He's your brother."
Morgan raised an eyebrow, unamused.
"You serious? He's tried to kill me more than once. He's not my brother. He's just a maniac who should've been put down a long time ago. I'm surprised the Lord of Shadows kept him alive."
Around the table, people exchanged knowing glances.
Sunny kept his face smooth, eating quietly.
No need to involve himself.
Even asking the wrong question could be dangerous.
"Seems like you two need family therapy," Revel joked, smirking over her plate.
Sunny allowed himself a small, private smile.
"Yeah, right," Morgan muttered. "As if that monster is capable of anything other than spite."
Still, she didn't let the barbs ruffle her.
She just ate.
The food was annoyingly delicious.
'Good looking and a good cook. Nephis really is lucky.' she thought.
'If he wasn't so fragile, I might've considered stealing him myself.'
That of course was under the assumption Sunny would lose his attitude towards her.
But her Flaw made all forms of physical intimacy impossible anyway.
That too had been gnawing at her for quite some time now… years even. But she had gotten used to it… at least that's what she convinced herself off.
As they ate and chatted, a familiar figure descended the stairs.
Effie, rubbing sleep from her eyes, drawn by the smell of dinner.
She slumped into a chair beside Jet without ceremony, grabbing a plate and loading it with meat… in typical Effie fashion.
"Glad you made it, Effie. Stomach finally woke you up?" Kai teased.
Effie shrugged, chewing already.
"Kinda. Wouldn't miss a meal cooked by that eye candy over there," she said, voice light pointing at Sunny.
But something was off. The usual sparkle in her eye was missing.
Jet caught it immediately.
"You alright?" she asked quietly.
Effie glanced at Sunny, then rubbed her temples.
"It's nothing serious," she mumbled. "Just had a nightmare while sleeping."
Kai frowned. "A nightmare?"
Effie nodded wearily.
"Yeah. Dreamed Master Sunless was the Lord of Shadows."
The room fell silent.
Even Sunny stiffened.
Effie chuckled, oblivious to the tension.
"But it was just a nightmare. There's no way he could be that deranged and eerie guy."
Sunny closed his eyes briefly. Morgan was sitting right across from them after all.
'Please don't.'
But of course, Effie turned her doubtful gaze toward him with a chuckle.
"Right, Master Sunless? That's just ridiculous?"
And just like that…
He was in trouble.