Sylvie was walking back to the castle after a complicated hour at the hunters' building. Over the past few weeks, problems had begun to pile up at an alarming rate, and all of them seemed to revolve around the same thing: hunts were no longer what they used to be.
More specifically, the quality of Nightmare Creatures had changed.
In the area surrounding Bright Castle, the density of Awakened-rank creatures had dropped drastically. In their place, Fallen-rank creatures were beginning to appear almost exclusively. A large part of the blame lay with them: the cohorts went out hunting far too frequently, and the "weaker" prey had been almost completely wiped out. To make matters worse, there was another equally troubling factor: higher-rank creatures hunted on their own as well, accelerating the disappearance of Awakened creatures even further.
The solution was obvious, at least in theory. Either they began hunting Fallen creatures, or they ventured deeper into the Dark City in search of Awakened ones. Both options carried enormous risks.
Hunting Fallen meant facing enemies that far exceeded the capabilities of the average Sleeper. Even with saturated cores, powerful Memories, and extensive joint training, they were still, at the end of the day, just Sleepers. On the other hand, going deeper into the Dark City exposed cohorts to unknown dangers, unexplored zones, and multiple encounters that could erase an entire group without leaving a trace.
The result was inevitable.
Every day, fewer hunters returned.
Deaths among the cohorts had become far too common, and if the situation continued like this for a couple more weeks, Sylvie estimated that close to a hundred Sleepers would end up dying. That would not only jeopardize the survival of the castle, but would also have disastrous consequences when the time came to attack the Crimson Spire. Fewer Sleepers meant fewer chances for anyone to survive.
And, to make things worse, someone had to find a solution.
That someone was her.
In theory, Gemma should have been helping her deal with the problem. In practice, more than an hour had passed since he had run off in the direction of a scream, and he still hadn't returned.
The responsibility had fallen entirely on her shoulders.
When Sylvie reached the castle, she ran into Gemma. He looked exhausted and there were marks on his armor. Seeing that, she worried for a moment, but after exchanging a few words, she felt more like hitting him over the head than worrying about him.
"Obviously he was sparring with the others! How didn't I think of that earlier?"
She also crossed paths with Caster. He looked her up and down, analyzing her, and after a brief conversation told her that she had to prepare a mission to kill the Lord of the Dead in two days.
As she got closer to where the cohort was sparring, Sylvie saw Arthur fighting against Effie, while Seishan faced Kai.
As she walked toward where Sunny and Nephis were watching the fight from the outside, an idea occurred to her.
It wasn't anything complex, nor particularly elegant. She simply muted her presence using mana, just enough to go unnoticed if no one was paying real attention.
And, clearly, they weren't.
Sunny watched the fight without blinking. The clash of Arthur's sword against Effie's spear echoed through the air, each impact sending small vibrations through the ground. Arthur moved with precision, closing distances, forcing her to retreat, controlling the rhythm of the fight without pushing it.
Further away, Kai and Seishan moved in a fast exchange. Kai had set his bow aside and was using a sword, facing her on equal footing… or at least, trying to.
"What do you think about the style Arthur is using?" Sunny asked without taking his eyes off the fight.
Nephis narrowed her eyes slightly, following every subtle adjustment in Arthur's posture, every calculated step, every restrained movement.
"It's the correct style," she replied after a few seconds. "To counter someone who fights with a spear, like Effie, it's ideal. It reduces reach and controls the tempo."
Sunny tilted his head.
"But with that style he won't be able to defeat her."
Nephis nodded, the corner of her lips curving faintly.
"No."
Sunny frowned.
"Then… why does he do it?" he asked. "Doesn't he want to win?"
"It's a bad habit of his."
The voice came from behind them.
Sunny and Nephis turned at the same time.
In a fraction of a second, two swords were summoned. The air tightened, and for a brief instant, killing intent was present… controlled, but real.
Sylvie looked at them with one eyebrow raised, completely calm.
The swords were dismissed almost immediately.
"…"
Before Sylvie could say anything else, Sunny spoke, still frowning.
"How did you do that?"
"Do… what?" she replied, tilting her head slightly.
Nephis watched her closely.
"How did you get here without us detecting you?"
Sylvie shrugged.
"You just weren't paying attention."
The comment carried more weight than it seemed.
For a few seconds, no one said anything. They turned their attention back to the fight. Arthur was still fighting the same way: efficient and precise, but also controlled.
After a moment, Sylvie spoke again.
"If Arthur realizes he's stronger than his opponent, he has a bad habit of trying to match their level."
Sunny blinked.
"Why?"
Nephis answered without looking at him, her eyes fixed on the fight.
"Because he can't find anyone who's at his level."
Sylvie smiled faintly.
"Exactly."
The three of them watched in silence.
Effie advanced with a powerful thrust. Arthur deflected it, spun, counterattacked… and held back once more. Kai took a step back in front of Seishan, adjusting his grip on the sword.
Effie didn't waste time. She took advantage of Arthur's slight retreat to press again, spinning the spear in a wide arc that forced him to retreat or take the blow head-on. It was an attack designed to crush defenses, simple and brutal—exactly the kind of move that had worked against countless opponents.
But this time, it didn't.
Instead of retreating, Arthur stepped sideways, just enough to move his body out of the line of attack. The spear brushed against his armor, and before Effie could pull it back, the distance between them closed. His sword cut was short and precise, aimed not at her body, but at the shaft of the weapon.
The impact wasn't meant to break it. Just to deflect it.
Effie clicked her tongue and changed the angle with brute force, forcing him to step away. She smiled, enjoying the exchange.
Unlike her, Arthur didn't attack directly. Each of his movements seemed incomplete, as if he were testing reactions, measuring timing. Every attempt by Effie to impose her rhythm was dismantled by a minimal adjustment: one extra step, a twist of the wrist, a subtle change in distance.
Effie frowned.
The spear was her advantage, but she never managed to use it fully. Nor could she get close enough to overwhelm him with raw strength. Arthur kept her in an uncomfortable middle ground, forcing her to constantly recalculate.
By the third exchange, the approach changed.
Arthur let her advance.
The spear came straight in, clean, aimed at his torso. He didn't dodge it completely. At the last instant, the tip was deflected with the flat of his sword, and the space between them vanished as Arthur spun on his own axis. The movement was so fluid that Effie took a fraction of a second to realize she had lost her balance.
That instant was enough.
The pommel struck her forearm, right where her grip weakened. The spear fell to the ground with a dull sound.
When Effie tried to react, it was already too late. The edge of Dawn's Ballad rested at the level of her heart.
Effie stood still.
Then she burst into laughter.
"All right, all right," she said, raising her hands. "You win, pretty boy."
Arthur lowered the sword and stepped back, giving her space to turn. To anyone else, his expression might have looked satisfied, but Sylvie knew that it wasn't.
Not far from there, the fight between Seishan and Kai had taken a very different course.
Kai attacked with precision and speed, moving well, changing angles, using the sword with more-than-decent skill for someone whose strength lay with the bow. But Seishan never lost her calm and seemed to be playing with him.
She blocked effortlessly, deflecting attacks with minimal movements. Every time he tried to press the attack, she responded with a short counter that forced him back.
She didn't dominate him through strength.
She dominated him through reading.
When the moment came, she slid to the side, caught Kai's sword with her own, and with a quick twist of her wrist, disarmed him. Before he could react, Seishan was already in front of him, the edge of her sword resting lightly against his throat.
Kai raised both hands.
"I yield," he said without argument.
Seishan withdrew her sword and stepped back, relaxed.
For a few seconds, silence settled over the plaza. Then Effie picked up her spear from the ground and rested it on her shoulder.
"Well," Effie commented, "that was annoying, not gonna lie."
Arthur dismissed Dawn's Ballad.
"It was closer than you think."
Effie shot him an incredulous look, then glanced at Kai.
"You don't even believe that yourself."
Kai sighed.
"Fighting with a sword isn't my thing… though we could have an archery competition later."
Sunny chimed in from a few meters away.
"So you can always win? No thanks."
They both laughed.
At that moment, a handmaiden—Felise—called the group's attention. She was a beautiful woman, with ebony hair flowing behind her back, skin pale as snow, and cold, emotionless eyes.
"Lord Arthur and Lady Seishan."
She paused for a few seconds.
"Your presence is required at the castle immediately."
They looked at her, then at each other, and smiling, with a simple nod, they began walking together toward the castle. As they did, Felise continued.
"Lady Sylvie, you are needed at the hunters' building."
She gave a small bow.
Seeing this, Nephis asked, "What about our duel?"
"We'll have to continue it another time," Seishan replied, and Arthur immediately added, "Duty calls, it seems."
Moments later, only Nephis, Sunny, Effie, and Kai remained in the plaza.
With a wide smile, Effie said, "You won't fool me… there's something going on between those two," and nodded to herself.
Kai glanced sideways.
"You mean Lord Arthur and Lady Seishan?"
"Don't call them that."
She smacked him lightly on the back of the head.
"And yes, I'm not talking about these other two. They're denser than a rock."
She elbowed Kai.
Nephis and Sunny raised an eyebrow at Effie's comment but ignored her. In the end, Kai recovered from the slap and the elbow.
"I don't like being used as an outlet, but yeah, I agree there's something between Arthur and Seishan."
Looking at Kai, Effie gestured with her eyes toward Sunny and Nephis and added, "What do you say we leave these two dense idiots alone and go grab something to eat, handsome?"
Understanding immediately what Effie meant, Kai nodded.
"Sounds like a good idea."
And the two of them headed toward the castle without another word, aside from Kai throwing a wink at Sunny and Effie doing the same to Nephis.
The two left behind clearly had no idea what was going on.
After a few seconds of silence, Nephis broke it.
"Actually, Sunny, there's something important I wanted to talk to you about, if you don't mind."
"Yeah, of course, Neph," he replied without thinking much about it.
The walk toward the dormitories was quiet for a while. Daylight filtered in through the castle's large windows, casting soft shadows over the stone, while the distant murmur of other Sleepers faded as they moved deeper into the halls.
Suddenly, Sunny spoke.
"By the way… I also have something to tell you."
Nephis glanced at him from the corner of her eye and raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Oh? What is it?"
Sunny was silent for a few seconds. Then he smiled—that smile that rarely matched what he was really thinking.
"Do you remember a guy named Harper?"
She frowned and shook her head.
"Should I? Who is he?"
Sunny shrugged, his expression completely neutral.
"Just a guy I killed. He was one of Gunlaug's spies."
Nephis watched him for a moment, then asked with indifferent confusion,
"And?"
A shadow crossed Sunny's face, though his smile didn't change at all.
"…Nothing. I was just wondering if you knew him."
They didn't say anything else until they reached Nephis's room. Once inside, she sat on the bed, leaning her back against the wall. Sunny took the chair at the desk and dropped into it, crossing his arms.
Looking at him, Nephis spoke.
"It's good that we can talk in private. Actually, I wanted to ask you a favor."
Sunny blinked.
"What is it?"
She hesitated for a few seconds before answering.
"When we attack the Fallen Devil, the Lord of the Dead… and during the siege of the Crimson Spire… I want you to make sure that Caster isn't near me."
Sunny stared at her. His expression turned cold, dark.
"Why? What's going on between you and Caster?"
Nephis met his gaze calmly, her gray eyes deep and unmoving.
"It's very simple. Caster was sent here to kill me."
Sunny's eyes widened slightly, incredulous.
"Why would Caster want to kill you?"
She thought for a moment, then shrugged.
"People have been trying to kill me for as long as I can remember. Did you forget already?"
Sunny slowly shook his head.
"No… no, I didn't forget. But what does that have to do with Caster?"
Nephis smiled faintly.
"They weren't going to stop just because I grew up, survived my First Nightmare, and was sent to the Dream Realm. If anything, this was the perfect opportunity. Sleepers enter this cursed world alone, far from society's protection and any allies they might have in the real world. Do you understand?"
Sunny nodded, his expression hardening.
"When I entered the Academy, I knew that someone among our peers must have received orders to make sure I never returned from the Dream Realm," she continued. "I just didn't know who."
Suddenly, she looked straight at him, the corner of her lips barely curving.
"…In fact, for a long time, I thought it was you."
Sunny blinked and stared at her as if she had just insulted him.
"What? Me? What exactly made you think I'm some secret assassin from a Legacy clan? Do I look like a Legacy to you?"
Nephis studied him.
"Honestly, not like any I know. But there were too many things about you that didn't make sense."
"Enlighten me."
She raised a hand and began counting on her fingers.
"You claimed to be an orphan from the outskirts, yet you survived the First Nightmare and arrival at the Forgotten Shore. You didn't consume soul shards, yet you kept getting stronger. You said you'd never held a sword, yet you absorbed my teachings at an absurd speed. And lastly, nearly every word you said was a lie—especially when you talked about your past, your origin, your strength, and your Aspect."
She closed her hand into a fist.
"Do I need to continue?"
Sunny cleared his throat.
"Uh… no. Well, when you put it like that…"
She smiled softly and lowered her hand.
"But over time, I realized I was wrong. If you'd really been sent to kill me, you could have let me die in the Ashen Barrow. But you didn't. You risked a lot for Cassie and for me."
Her expression turned serious.
"So when we reached Bright Castle and Caster appeared immediately, inserting himself into my closest circle, I knew almost instantly that it was him."
Sunny tilted his head slightly.
"And Arthur?"
Nephis looked at him thoughtfully.
"He crossed my mind too," she admitted. "He doesn't quite fit… but I didn't completely rule him out."
Sunny shook his head slowly.
"I talked to Cassie about him. She told me they've known each other for many years. According to her, Arthur has no ties to the major clans that sent assassins after you."
He shrugged.
"I wouldn't vouch for anyone completely, but honestly, I don't think it's him. Besides, if that were the case, he would've had the chance to do it on the very first day we arrived. Instead, he welcomed us with a banquet."
Nephis was silent for a few seconds, absorbing his words.
"I'll have to talk to him," she said finally. "And when did you talk to Cassie?"
Sunny sighed.
"Last night. She was in his room while he was sitting on the hallway steps, so I took the chance to sneak in. She was asleep, so I had to wake her."
After receiving a nod from Nephis, he continued.
"Going back to what we were saying—there were hundreds of Sleepers in our generation. Only seven were sent to the Forgotten Shore. And five made it to the Castle. Isn't that too much of a coincidence?"
Nephis slowly shook her head.
"Who said it was a coincidence? The Spell loves playing with fate. If someone among those hundreds had the task of killing me, the chances of us meeting here were practically inevitable. That's how the Spell works."
She went on to explain calmly how Caster had tried to get close, isolate her, and watch her from the shadows.
When she finished, Sunny fell silent, thoughtful.
"If Caster wants to kill you… why is he still alive?"
Nephis hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Because we need him for what's coming. Traitor or not, he's useful."
Sunny ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
"All right, Neph. I'll keep a close eye on Caster. And you… talk to Arthur. Come to your own conclusions."
Nephis looked at him and then smiled.
It wasn't a cold or distant smile. It was genuine. Soft. One Sunny had never seen on her face before.
"Thank you, Sunny," she said quietly. "I knew I could count on you."
'Did Neph just smile? And genuinely?!'
Clearing his throat and looking away, he said,
"Don't mention it."
Absorbed in the moment, neither of them noticed how their cheeks tinted a soft shade of pink.
***
Elsewhere in the castle, a couple of hours later, another important conversation took place.
In a spacious, elegantly decorated room, a breathtakingly beautiful woman sat with her back straight, legs crossed naturally. Her long black hair fell freely down her back, framing a face of fine features and gray skin that contrasted almost hypnotically with the red dress she wore. Her lips, the same carmine shade, reinforced that dangerous yet fascinating image.
Across from her, leaning against the back of a chair, stood a tall, slender man. He wore a simple white shirt and black pants, devoid of ornaments or symbols of status. His pale blond hair was tied back, though a few rebellious strands fell along his forehead. His golden eyes remained fixed on Seishan with calm attention.
Arthur broke the silence.
"Well, I think it's about time you tell me what favor you wanted to ask when we left earlier."
Seishan smiled calmly.
"There's still time for that."
He let out a soft laugh.
"Come on, Shan. We both know you're going to ask me to join your clan."
She widened her eyes theatrically and brought a hand to her mouth.
"My, oh my… am I really that predictable?"
"Nice try." Arthur laughed, shaking his head.
Then he tilted his head slightly, thoughtful.
"All right. I'll join your clan. But… won't my lineage cause problems? After all, it's the same one Valor has."
Seishan studied him before answering.
"Don't worry. My mother will understand the advantage of having you the moment she sees you."
Arthur nodded slowly.
"All right. And what about Sylvie?"
"I assumed that if you joined, she would too. Isn't she like your daughter?" Seishan raised an eyebrow.
Arthur hesitated for a second.
"Well… calling her my daughter sounds weird," he admitted. "But yeah, you have a point."
"Don't worry," she said softly. "You do what you need to do. I'll take care of her as if she were my sister."
Arthur frowned slightly.
"Why do you say that?"
She sighed, amused.
"Oh, Art… it's not very hard to tell you're about to do something stupid. I'd be a bad friend if I didn't notice."
Arthur paused on that word.
'Friend.'
He smiled.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Seishan tilted her head, amused.
"Oh? Now you're the one pretending innocence? I see, I see…"
Silence settled between them for a few seconds before they both ended up laughing almost at the same time.
Arthur couldn't help letting his gaze drift to Seishan's smile. At the same time, her eyes focused on his—golden and attentive. The air seemed to still for a moment.
Finally, Arthur stood up from the chair.
"Well… it's getting pretty late. I should be heading back. We wouldn't want a repeat of what happened the first time, right?"
Seishan shrugged.
"And why should I care?"
Arthur looked at her, furrowing both brows.
"I thought it bothered you… or caused problems, when your handmaidens saw me leaving your room at night the first time we talked."
"Bothered? Not at all. Caused problems? Well… there were a few rumors. But like I said, they didn't bother me." Seishan shook her head.
Arthur smiled in relief.
"Good. I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable."
Without thinking too much, he took a step toward her.
Seishan stood up as well.
They faced each other. Arthur was a bit taller. For a moment, neither spoke. Then Arthur raised his hands and gently held Seishan's face.
Her eyes widened.
In a single motion, Arthur leaned down and kissed her forehead.
It was brief. Soft.
Then he let go and stepped back.
Seishan's face was completely red.
"A-and that…" she murmured. "Why?"
Arthur, suddenly realizing what he'd done, turned just as red. He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Uh… I don't know. It just felt like the right moment?"
He turned halfway around and headed for the door.
Before leaving, he paused for a second.
"See you tomorrow. Good night, Shan."
He closed the door behind him and hurried down the hallway, trying to ignore the rapid beating of his own heart.
Sadly, he didn't notice the three pairs of eyes that saw him leave in a hurry. Seconds later, those three handmaidens made their way toward the direction of the door.
Inside the room, Seishan remained still for a few more seconds, lifting a hand to her forehead… right where he had kissed her.
And she smiled softly, which was caught by the three handmaidens who had just entered her room in silence.
One of them—Felise—said, "Oh my, it seems we arrived at just the right moment."
Seishan's eyes widened completely and her face turned red again. Noticing this, the other two followed up.
Another—Mia—added, "No need to be embarrassed. With a boyfriend like that, I'd be thrilled!"
Before she could reply that Arthur was not her boyfriend, the last handmaiden spoke.
"You're wearing way too much clothing, dear Shan," Kiara added.
With that last comment, Seishan's patience was overwhelmed by embarrassment, and it was the last thing said in that room before shouts and the sounds of things breaking began to echo.
Arthur, completely unaware of this, made his way to his room. But before he could enter and rest, he found a figure leaning against his door, arms crossed, staring at him with gray eyes.
Stopping short, Changing Star said, "I need to talk to you about something important." She lowered her gaze to the floor, then raised it with determination. "Please."
Arthur simply nodded, and Nephis moved away from the door. Seconds later, the two of them stood facing each other a few meters apart.