—Damn it, Cassie... are you stupid?
Nephis's voice was low.
Too low.
It was the kind of tone that was far more frightening than a shout.
—I always thought I was the worst of the three when it came to understanding things like this. But you... you...
Nephis pressed a hand to her forehead and let out an incredulous laugh.
—You're worse than Sunny and me put together. Damn it.
The tension filled the small room.
It was almost tangible.
The only people there were the two of them.
Cassie remained seated by the table, motionless.
Nephis stood in front of her.
And if looks could kill, the Oracle would have died several times already.
Yet Cassie didn't respond.
She remained silent.
A long silence.
A heavy one.
A painful one.
For a moment, Nephis thought Cassie's Flaw had made her mute instead of blind.
Every second that passed without an answer only made the tension grow.
Finally, Cassie exploded.
—What the hell did you want me to do?
Her voice trembled.
—Go to Sunny and tell him, "I'm sorry for enslaving you"? "I'm sorry for betraying you"? "I'm sorry for condemning you to a life you never wanted"?
Nephis didn't answer.
Cassie rose to her feet abruptly.
—Or would you prefer something more honest?
Her voice began to crack.
—Something like, "I cared about you a lot, Sunny, but I cared about Nephis more, so I chose for you to die instead"?
The silence that followed was unbearable.
Because neither of them could deny that, at its core, it was true.
Cassie had finally exploded.
Ever since they had left the Forgotten Shore, she had always seemed to have everything under control.
Always calm.
Always composed.
Always wearing that gentle, distant smile.
But Nephis knew the truth.
She had watched Cassie drift away from everyone.
She had watched her carry every decision alone.
She had watched her slowly destroy herself.
That was why seeing her break didn't surprise her.
What bothered her was that she was still wrong.
—Yes.
Cassie blinked.
Nephis stared at her.
—Yes, damn it.
Her voice hardened.
—A simple "I'm sorry, Sunny."
—...
—Even if it was pointless.
—...
—Even if it changed nothing.
—...
—Even if it was only to make yourself feel better.
Nephis took a step forward.
—You should have said it.
Cassie clenched her fists.
—You don't understand...
—No, Cassie. You're the one who doesn't understand.
—Tell me something.
Her voice turned cold.
—Did you never apologize because you saw a vision?
Cassie frowned.
—What?
—Did you see a vision where Sunny killed you?
—...
—Did you see a vision where he hated you?
—...
—Did you see a vision where everything went wrong?
Cassie didn't answer.
Nephis let out a bitter laugh.
—Or did you just get so used to knowing everything that you're afraid to act when you don't know the outcome?
That struck harder than any insult.
Cassie looked as though the air had been knocked out of her lungs.
The anger vanished.
And all that remained was pain.
—Is that really what you think of me?
Nephis looked into her blue eyes.
Without the blindfold.
Without the masks.
Only sadness.
Only guilt.
And for a brief moment, she felt compassion.
But it changed nothing.
—Of course not.
The answer came immediately.
—Because I know you.
Cassie closed her eyes.
—That's exactly the problem.
Nephis sighed.
—I know you, Cassie.
Her voice softened.
—But Sunny can't read your mind.
Those words made Cassie flinch.
—To you, it's obvious how much you care about him.
—It's obvious to me too.
—But to him...
Nephis slowly shook her head.
—To him, it looks like something else.
Cassie lowered her gaze.
—I'm not saying you're obligated to apologize.
—I'm not saying you have to.
—I'm not even saying Sunny has to forgive you.
Her voice grew firmer.
—What I'm saying is that you never tried.
The room fell silent.
—Were you afraid?
Cassie didn't answer.
—Afraid he'd reject you?
—...
—Afraid he'd insult you?
—...
—Afraid he'd hate you?
Cassie's hands began to tremble.
—I suppose those are valid reasons.
Nephis sighed.
—If you don't care about him.
Cassie immediately lifted her head.
—Don't say that.
—Then listen.
Nephis cut her off.
There was no anger left in her voice now.
Only exhaustion.
—You were like a sister to him.
Cassie froze.
—Before he met us, Sunny trusted no one.
—No one.
—His life was nothing but hiding, surviving, and waiting for the next disaster.
Nephis lowered her gaze.
—He didn't know the warmth of a family.
—He didn't know the comfort of a home.
—He didn't know what it felt like to trust someone.
—And then we appeared.
Her voice cracked ever so slightly.
—And fate did what fate always does.
Cassie was crying.
Silently.
—Do you think I haven't tried?
Her words came out between sobs.
—I...
She raised a hand to her face.
—I think about it every day.
Another sob.
—Every day.
—I always wonder what I could have done differently.
—Always.
Nephis closed her eyes.
Because that part, she understood.
Far too well.
—And what good does that do?
Cassie looked at her.
—When I came back from my Second Nightmare, I was afraid.
Terrified.
—I thought Sunny would try to kill me.
—I thought he'd hate me.
—I thought he'd never speak to me again.
A bitter smile appeared on her lips.
—And I still went.
—Because I wanted to change something.
—Even if it was only a little.
—Even if he rejected me.
—Even if he insulted me.
—Even if he told me to disappear forever.
Nephis took another step forward.
—I wanted to try.
—Because standing still wasn't going to fix anything.
Cassie lowered her head.
—But he loved you...
The words came out broken.
—It was easier for you.
Nephis watched her for several seconds.
Then she slowly shook her head.
—Stop making excuses.
The blow landed directly.
—The reason you think forgiveness is impossible is because you never tried to earn it.
Cassie opened her mouth.
But no words came out.
—Do you think Sunny wanted to make you suffer?
—Do you think he wanted to destroy you?
Nephis shook her head.
—Before everything with Mordret, he agreed to challenge the Second Nightmare with you.
—Of his own free will.
—Do you know what that means?
Cassie didn't answer.
—It means he never hated you as much as you think he did.
The silence returned.
Then Nephis delivered the final blow.
—Maybe you have a thousand plans.
—Maybe you've spent years trying to make up for it.
—Maybe everything you've done has been for him.
—And maybe that's true.
Her gray eyes hardened.
—But I thought you knew Sunny better than that.
Cassie felt a chill run down her spine.
—What do you mean?
Nephis held her gaze.
—That maybe you never told him "I'm sorry" because, deep down, you didn't think he deserved to hear it.
Cassie looked as though she'd been stabbed.
—Don't you dare!
Her voice broke.
—You know that's not true!
—Do I?
Nephis never looked away.
—Because Sunny doesn't.
Those words shattered whatever defenses Cassie had left.
The room fell completely silent.
—While he worries about you...
Nephis's voice softened.
—While he keeps risking his life for you...
—While he keeps trying to protect you...
Sadness entered her eyes.
—He also thinks he never mattered enough to Cassie to hear a simple apology.
Cassie closed her eyes.
And cried.
Because for the first time, she understood that all the distance she had created to protect him...
Might have only become another wound.
—I don't care what you're planning.
Nephis's voice was now barely above a whisper.
—I don't care about your visions.
—I don't care about your calculations.
—I don't care about the future.
She stepped closer.
—If you truly care about Sunny...
Cassie slowly raised her head.
—Then he deserves it.
Nephis held her gaze.
—Even if he never forgives you.
—Even if he hates you.
—Even if it goes badly.
Her voice became firm.
—At the very least, he deserves to hear it.
Nephis returned to the room she shared with Sunny.
Before entering, she lingered in front of the door for a few seconds, staring at it in silence. The conversation from earlier still lingered in her mind, refusing to fade away.
She was not particularly good at this sort of thing.
In fact, she was probably terrible at it.
Complicated emotions, old wounds, words that needed to be said but no one wanted to hear... all of that had always been difficult for her. Much more difficult than facing monsters, killing abominations, or surviving a Nightmare.
But she felt that she had to do it.
Whether Cassie finally decided to open up more, or instead came to resent her for the accusations and harsh words they had exchanged, would be her own decision.
Whether she chose to speak with Sunny or retreat even deeper into her visions and endless plans for the future was not something Nephis could control either.
She had done what she believed was necessary.
And she did not regret it.
Because after the battle against the Dusk Corrupt and those Nightmare Creatures, she simply could not continue ignoring it.
She had seen Sunny.
She had seen how he still worried about Cassie.
Throughout the battle, he had kept an eye on both of them, of course. That was simply who he was. But Cassie still occupied a place in his thoughts. He was still concerned about her, still wondering whether the abominations they had faced would prove too much even for someone as capable as the young seer.
And then there was that thing.
Sin of Solace.
That hateful, twisted version of Sunny that had never stopped mocking him.
That had laughed at him.
That had used precisely that as a weapon.
His concern.
His inability to abandon the people he cared about.
The creature had found it amusing that Sunny still worried about a friend who barely seemed willing to acknowledge him.
Meanwhile, Cassie had not even had the decency to say a few words.
Not an explanation.
Not an apology.
Not even an attempt.
Remembering that still made something burn inside Nephis's chest.
That was why she had exploded.
That was why she had finally said everything she had been keeping to herself for so long.
She let out a long sigh.
Screaming at your best friend was not something she would recommend.
But sometimes it was necessary.
Sometimes wounds could not remain hidden beneath layers upon layers of silence.
Finally, she opened the door and stepped inside.
Fortunately, she had a boyfriend she could relax with.
And that was exactly what she intended to do.
Her gaze found Sunny almost immediately.
He was lying on the floor with his arms folded behind his head.
He looked exhausted.
For the past few days, he had been completely focused on creating a new Memory, spending countless hours experimenting with intricate weaves of essence and increasingly complex enchantments.
Apparently, he had finally allowed himself a break.
Nephis watched him for a moment.
The soft light of the room cast calm shadows across his face. For the first time in days, he did not seem to be thinking about ten different things at once.
He was simply resting.
She walked over to him and lay down at his side.
Neither of them spoke at first.
They remained there together, staring at the ceiling.
The silence was comfortable.
Strangely comfortable.
After everything that had happened that day, Nephis realized she appreciated it far more than she expected.
Several moments passed before Sunny finally spoke.
And, as usual, the first thing he did was start talking about something he found fascinating.
He sounded excited.
Very excited.
Apparently, he had made significant progress with his new Memory and had also discovered something about the Great River that he could not wait to share.
As she listened to him speak, occasionally gesturing and getting lost in explanations that only he found completely reasonable, a faint smile appeared on Nephis's face.
The tension she had carried throughout the day slowly began to fade
And for the first time since that exhausting conversation, Nephis felt like she could finally rest.