Caster placed a cone at the centre of the table.
"This is a memory that prevents sound from leaking out of this room."
From the start, Solaire had a feeling this would be about the Bright Lord. That ruthless man would never allow someone who crossed him to live.
Fixing his gaze on Caster, he asked,
[Would it be wrong to assume this meeting has something to do with the Bright Lord?]
Changing Star looked at Sunny.
"You wouldn't be wrong. The Bright Lord is indeed ready to make a move. While we have been able to fend off his previous attacks, they were just a rehearsal. Now, he is ready to act in earnest. This is where we need your help."
She kept her eyes on Sunny, waiting for a response. Effie, however, cleared her throat.
"Um… don't take it to heart, princess, but what exactly can this imp do? Solaire is decently strong, but I don't think it's enough to change the tides."
Nephis smiled at her.
"Don't be fooled by his act, Effie. Sunny might look and behave like a coward, but he is the farthest from it. He is the last person in Dark City I would want to make an enemy of."
All eyes turned to Sunny, who wore a frozen smile.
"Oh well, cat's out of the bag! I'm not actually a weakling, who could have guessed."
He smirked at Effie.
"Well, everyone except you, I guess. It seems that everything you eat goes…"
Nephis cut him off.
"There is a reason why he was able to survive for three months in the ruins. As for Solaire…"
Her gaze lingered on him.
"He has shown decent prowess in combat, and he is Sunny's friend."
Sunny shot Effie a proud look."See? Everyone here managed to see how fearsome my abilities are—and some of them haven't even known me as long as you did. How come you're so dense?"
He had earned at least this much, considering she had called him an imp.
[So… how do we come into this picture, Lady Nephis?]
"I need you to keep her safe in the ruins for a week."
Beside him, Sunny broke into a cold sweat.
[For just a week? What did Effie do?]
Caster's fists tightened.
"It could have been anyone. But Effie got into a commotion with some of Gunlaug's guards. Coincidentally, they went missing."
The truth was obvious. Sunny and he had killed those guards. Before Solaire could speak, Kai exclaimed excitedly:
"Oh! I know what happened."
He went on to recount how he had been trapped inside a gate, assuming the guards had been slain by the Black Knight in the cathedral.
Caster thanked him for the information. Sunny threw a sideways glance at Effie, who remained unbothered.
"So, what exactly is going to change in a week?"
A heavy silence fell across the room.
Nephis was the one to break it.
"In a week, we will be leaving the city."
Sunny sighed.
"Oh… ok, that's goo… wait, what!! Leave the city?"
Effie giggled.
"After all that talk about you being strong… not a very strong look, imp."
Before Sunny could retort, Caster interjected.
"We do not have much time. First, let's look at the map."
He spread one out on the table. It was drawn on monster hide, less detailed than the one on the wall.
This map, however, depicted the entirety of the Forgotten Shore. Somehow, over the past three months, Nephis had gathered an astonishing amount of data. There was far more marked on the hide than Solaire would ever have expected.
Multiple crosses were etched across it. Their meaning eluded him, but Sunny's eyes went wide.
"Wait, wait… let me get this straight. You want to leave the Dark City, go to the other end of the Forgotten Shore, and come back? Is that it?"
Nephis nodded with a faint smile.
"Yeah, pretty much it."
Sunny groaned.
"Why would you ever want to come back if you cross the Labyrinth and escape it?"
Nephis hesitated before pointing at the crosses, the question marks, and finally the crown.
"The first Bright Lord set on an expedition toward the ends of the Forgotten Shore, and that is where their traces vanish. Beyond them lies an unassailable mountain range. Going there is certain death."
[What exactly are you after then, Lady Nephis?] Solaire asked.
Her answer carried a note of finality.
"There is an item left by the first Bright Lord. If we bring that back, then we have a good chance of winning against Gunlaug."
Sunny scoffed.
"And how exactly are you going to make it through the mountains? Also, if the first lord never came back, how do you know such an item exists?"
Nephis shrugged.
"The only way we know this is through some written records, and mostly through Cassie's visions."
She turned to Sunny.
"This is where we will need your help. Your ability to navigate will be of great use to us."
While the others spoke, Solaire found his mind elsewhere. The strange pull he felt had only grown stronger as the days passed. He had no intention of travelling with them.
The room fell silent. Nephis's cohort looked expectantly at the trio. Kai broke the quiet first.
"I don't know how much I'll be of use, but I'll try my best to be of help."
Solaire had already made up his mind.
[I am sorry, but I will not be able to join you.]
He offered no explanation, and none pressed him for one. Sunny, though surprised, held his tongue. After a moment, he drew in a slow breath.
"Is it possible for me and Neph to have a talk? Alone."
Caster's expression soured, but the others eventually cleared the room.
Left with his thoughts, Solaire steadied himself.
"Time to find the source of the voice."