Nephis was uncomfortable.
And that was strange, considering everything she had been through in her life.
She had faced Awakened and even Fallen creatures as just a Sleeper. Then, swallowing her disgust, she had joined the clan of one of her father's killers.
To top it off, she had challenged the Second Nightmare less than a year after Awakening…
Yet none of that had prepared her for the situation she was currently in.
She tried to maintain the image of the cold Changing Star, but… she was failing miserably!
Beside her, lightly brushing against her leg, was—Nephis swallowed—sitting Sunny!
They were on their way to the Song Ball, and they had ended up seated next to each other!
That wouldn't have been a problem if it weren't for the fact that every time the PTV turned left, Sunny ended up leaning slightly against her. Their knees touching softly.
And it was driving her crazy!
A heat different from her Aspect began to rise through her body at the sensation of sharing warmth with Sunny.
His suit was enough to obstruct skin-to-skin contact, but it gave her enough information for her mind to imagine how soft his skin would be.
How she would like to tou—
'Pure thoughts, Neph!'
She began using a breathing technique she had learned as a child to keep her cheeks from turning redder than they already were.
The technique helped, and soon she managed to recover enough to hear Sunny's conversation with Effie.
Effie was teasing him about the suit he had chosen, although Neph didn't agree with her opinion. However, seeing him speak so casually with her, she wondered something.
'Am I the only one affected by this?'
She frowned mentally at that thought.
Sunny had been talking to Effie since the trip began, and she hadn't even been able to focus on what they were saying before now.
For that reason, Nephis began to analyze Sunny and noticed a couple of things, but the main one was that his ears were slightly red too.
One corner of her lips lifted slightly when she noticed that.
'Good! I'm not the only one suffering!'
The next moment, the PTV turned left again, but this time there was a small bump in the road…
Instead of Sunny lightly leaning against her, he ended up sitting on her lap…
Sunny was sitting on her skirt.
Sunny was sitting on—
Nephis short-circuited.
Her cheeks turned dangerously red.
The flying shadow adjusted himself quickly and murmured a small "Sorry," but she didn't fail to notice the embarrassment in his voice.
Obviously, Effie didn't either.
"Why are you sorry, Doofus? It's not like the princess minds, right, Neph?"
Nephis channeled all her willpower into answering that question properly. It was of utmost importance!
"I don't mind."
'Yes!'
Nephis suppressed the urge to pump her fist in celebration.
'Wait… why is Effie smiling maniacally?'
But she had answered correctly!
Effie batted her eyelashes.
"Oh, so you want Sunny to sit on you again? How Freaky Star of you, princess!"
Freaky Star?
Nephis immediately recognized the obvious play on her True Name. That much, she understood.
...But what exactly was a "Freaky Star"?
If there was a meaning behind it, it completely escaped her.
Judging by Effie's delighted grin and Sunny's sudden refusal to look her way, however, it couldn't possibly mean anything dignified.
Still, Nephis knew that responding would only encourage Effie. The huntress would fire off another joke... and then another after that!
So she simply gave Effie a flat stare, as though nothing worth acknowledging had been said.
That was on the outside… internally, she was wishing the PTV would hit another bump!
A slightly bigger one this time.
Unfortunately for her, the rest of the ride was very smooth, and they soon arrived at where Song was going to hold its Ball.
It looked like a mix between an embassy and an expansive fortress, encompassing a multitude of buildings—most of them only a few stories high.
The central building was slightly elevated and connected to the main courtyard by a set of silver steps that contrasted with the black that made up the building's walls.
The central courtyard had many trees and grass around them, limited by white stone paths.
Nephis noticed that the materials used were similar to those found in Ravenheart, meaning that only a Saint could have transported them from the Dream Realm to this location. It was clearly a statement of power and wealth that only Valor could match.
After a few minutes of waiting for the PTV ahead, the cohort members got out of theirs one by one.
First was Cassie, who had chosen a simple but flattering dress in soft colors. Her bracelets and jewelry matched the silver half-mask she wore as a crown, and the familiar blue cape covered her shoulders.
Kai helped Cassie down, wearing an elegant outfit that combined colors like red, silver, and gold. The entire ensemble made him look extremely electrifying.
Then came Effie, wearing a white tunic with elegant gold details. She wore a golden laurel crown on her head, with similar bracelets and anklets enhancing her glow. She was already holding a glass of champagne even before arriving!
Sunny looked stunning in an elegant black suit that perfectly complemented his onyx eyes and hair of the same color, creating a beautiful contrast with his pale skin. He looked like a porcelain doll brought to life and extremely pleasing to look at.
And finally, she had opted for a more practical attire. Her knight's outfit consisted of black pants, a black doublet with silver embroidery, and an immaculate white cape.
Nephis noticed that all five of them looked quite good for the occasion.
Kai handed the keys to one of the PTV valets, who went to park it. Meanwhile, the cohort members headed inside.
The central courtyard had a minimal number of reporters who, during the time it took them to walk along the white stone path, took a few photos.
The flash of their cameras lit up throughout the courtyard, taking advantage of the night to get perfect shots for propaganda purposes.
These reporters were almost all hired by the Song Clan, and they would use her image to create the perception that both clans were on friendly terms.
If Changing Star attended the Song Clan's Ball, it was a good sign for the masses.
Though few knew that this was the calm before the storm, and that in a short time, the clans would start a war against each other.
Nephis knew that attending this event was actually a danger for her—she was entering the heart of the enemy clan's power. Where there would undoubtedly be hundreds of Awakened, dozens of Masters, and even Saints.
But the clans weren't stupid enough to attack her in a place like this, mainly because there were also government reporters and even members of the House of Night present.
Finally, after a few minutes, they reached the main silver steps and entered the grand hall.
As the doors opened into a vast chamber, a loud voice announced:
"Lady Changing Star of the Immortal Flame Clan! Ascended Song of the Fallen! Ascended Raised by Wolves! Ascended Nightingale! Ascended Sunless!"
For a moment, every conversation in the hall paused. Everyone turned to look at the new arrivals.
Nephis felt all eyes on her, but immediately decided to ignore them. Instead, she focused on seeing who was present.
She could see many Mundanes who were clearly clan elders or held a high position within it, then a slightly smaller number of Awakened.
Nephis also identified a couple dozen Masters, including the two with whom Seishan and Sylvie had done their Second Nightmare—Ceres and Siord.
Finally, at a glance, she spotted four Saints—three of them staring directly at her, while one looked slightly to her side.
One of them was Moonveil. She was wearing a simple but completely elegant white dress with jewelry on her wrists and neck. Beside her was one of her sisters.
Death Singer was wearing a black dress with small gold and silver details in different places. She also had some jewelry, but less than her sister.
Beside them were two tall, muscular men.
One of them Nephis identified as Dire Fang, while the other was the Saint of Sorrows clan. Both wearing black suits.
But she was sure more would arrive soon. Even the Saint Valor had sent for appearances still hadn't arrived.
This was also a high risk, but obviously Valor wasn't going to send just any Saint.
Jest of the Dagonet Clan.
Nephis suppressed the urge to roll her eyes upon learning who they were sending.
Without a doubt, Jest knew that the ghouls were going to betray her father, and that was why he would also have to pay for it in the future.
Still, it was neither the place nor the time to think about those things. So Nephis forced herself to bury her disgust back in the depths of her mind—but always within arm's reach.
Nephis nodded briefly to the hundreds of onlookers and made her way to the tables where drinks and refreshments were being served. At that moment, the arrival of another guest was announced, which dampened the crowd's excitement somewhat.
When they reached the designated table for them, Nephis stood calmly and let the others come to her.
While waiting, Sunny asked, "So, uh… what do we do now?"
Kai simply smiled. "We don't have to do anything, really, before the host arrives and begins the ball with Arthur's presentation. Usually we would use this time to walk around and socialize, but this time, there is no need. Everyone will come to us. So, just enjoy yourself, smile, and answer politely if someone addresses you."
Nephis noticed Sunny shift his shoulders uncomfortably and found it slightly amusing.
Moments later, she saw someone seemingly just passing by, and upon noticing her, they began to speak.
She remained calm and began conversing with the great and powerful people who approached her in a neutral but slightly stifled tone.
Inside, she was filled with masterfully suppressed rage.
All these well-wishers could not wait to share tales of how highly they valued and admired their parents and grandfathers. And yet, they had been perfectly fine doing nothing when the Immortal Flame Clan needed help. None of them had raised a hand to help her when she was young, weak, and being hunted by the assassins of the hidden rulers of Awakened society.
It was only now that she had become Ascended—and an absolutely outstanding one at that—that they remembered past friendships and tried to ingratiate themselves with her.
Their smiles and pretty words were worthless.
Their friendship was worthless.
This was all just a big charade.
And she hated it with all her being.
Fortunately for her, a few minutes later, the atmosphere in the grand hall suddenly changed. The murmur of voices faded, and many of the guests moved, turning toward a particular point.
A new figure appeared on a wide balcony above them.
The woman was tall, with fair skin and sensual red lips. She had long hair that fell like a waterfall of black silk, and she wore an elegant carmine dress that looked majestic and fascinating on her slender figure.
She seemed irresistibly seductive—stunning and tempting.
She was Beastmaster, who would be the one to introduce Arthur and begin the Ball.
The aforementioned cleared her throat and began to speak. Her husky voice echoed through the grand hall.
"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests. Welcome to the Ball of the great Song Clan. It is an honor and a pleasure to receive you under our roof. In this time we haven't seen each other, many things have happened. Some of our brothers and sisters… are no longer with us."
A somber silence fell over the hall, and as the guests grew serious, Beastmaster's smile suddenly widened, dissipating the solemn atmosphere.
"…Despite that, I am glad to see many new faces among you. Humanity has grown stronger once more! New heroes have emerged to continue the legacy of those who fell in battle. With champions like these, our world has nothing to fear! Despite everything, we persevere. But more than that… we rise, and nothing can stop our ascent.
Tonight is a night where we welcome one of those heroes who rose."
Beastmaster paused dramatically, and several excited sounds were heard from the guests.
She looked at them and smiled widely.
"As one of the princesses of the great Song Clan, I would like to welcome this night and to our clan—" The curtains below the balcony slowly opened. "—Paragon of Purity, Ascended Arthur Leywin!"
Arthur emerged, accompanied by Seishan and Sylvie, from below the balcony, and all the guests began to applaud loudly.
Even Nephis started clapping—the entrance was truly epic.
Arthur stopped in front of all the guests with a smile on his face. Slowly, he raised a hand and began greeting all the guests.
Beastmaster finished the presentation.
"Today is a day for joy and celebration! By the right that has been granted to me… I decree that the ball commence!"
As soon as she said that, the space in the center of the hall was cleared, and the musicians began to perform a magnificent, moving composition.
Arthur had the first dance with Seishan. Moving with elegance and grace, they both looked splendid and dazzling.
Soon, other couples joined them.
Nephis, watching Arthur and Seishan dance in the center, glanced sideways at Cassie. She knew her friend was in love with Arthur, and she also knew why she had decided not to pursue him.
For that reason, the next moment, her gray eyes focused on Sunny.
She felt a strange emotion upon seeing him.
Nephis had always been a stranger to this kind of emotion. She had never had the option or the time to develop them or even understand them. That was why she also didn't understand Cassie's inaction regarding Arthur.
She was someone who, if she wanted something, went and took it. And at the same time, she didn't understand why someone wouldn't act that way. Even knowing Cassie's reasons, she still didn't understand them.
But that made her think… wasn't she doing something similar with Sunny?
Maybe she should accept that… accept that she wanted him.
But at the same time, she couldn't.
She had power over him.
She was his Master.
Sunny was her slave.
She had already taken too much from Sunny to do it again.
Nephis wanted nothing more than to go and invite him to dance right now. But now she was beginning to understand something… she simply didn't dare to do it.
And from one moment to the next, someone appeared at their table. Someone she wished she hadn't run into.
Death Singer stood in front of their table with both hands behind her back. A wide smile was on her innocent, beautiful face.
"Good evening," she began politely. "Ascended Sunless, Lady Changing Star of the Immortal Flame Clan, Ascended Raised by Wolves, Ascended Nightingale, and—" She paused and glanced dismissively at Cassie, "—Ascended Song of the Fallen."
The five nodded, and she moved to greet her, but Death Singer glanced at her sidelong and continued speaking—her large, bright eyes always focused on Sunny.
She approached Sunny and elegantly extended her hand, offering it to him.
"If I may… I would like to invite Ascended Sunless to a cordial dance."
Nephis noticed Sunny freeze completely and swallow multiple times. She would have found it very amusing if it weren't for the fact that she was inviting him to dance!
Sunny composed himself and accepted the offer, gently taking Death Singer's hand as she guided him toward the center of the floor.
She understood why Sunny accepted the dance, but that didn't make it any less painful for her!
In Nephis's gray eyes, very intense flames began to ignite, and the temperature around her began to rise dangerously when she saw Sunny take the Saint by the waist and start dancing together.
Obviously Kai noticed and looked at her strangely for a few seconds, then looked at Sunny, and finally back at her.
"Nephis… are you okay?" the charming archer asked, concerned.
She barely registered the question.
"Yes. I'm fine."
She clearly wasn't, and every second she watched her Sunny touch Death Singer's waist and be so close to her, her anger grew and grew.
Another sensation began to flow within her, and this one she did manage to identify.
Nephis was jealous.
Jealous of Death Singer.
Jealous that she couldn't dance with Sunny.
Jealous that she couldn't be more than friends with Sunny.
'Wait.'
Nephis blinked.
What had she just thought? More… more than fri-ends?
She stood up abruptly from her chair, excused herself, and headed to the bathroom.
Nephis was completely consumed by embarrassment!
***
Arthur was dancing in the center of the floor.
His right hand resting lightly on Seishan's waist while his left hand held hers as they moved to the rhythm of the music.
Seishan had obviously received lessons as a princess of a great clan, while he could adapt quickly using different fighting styles similar to dance.
In the end, most fighting styles were created in likeness and imitation of specific dance styles, so mastering this was too easy for him.
Still, the closeness with Seishan was affecting him more than he would have liked to admit. Not because he was against the idea, but because he was already forming an idea of his own feelings toward her.
And in a certain sense, it scared him.
His whole life had been focused on training and becoming strong. So something like love or similar emotions wasn't his strong suit.
So every time his heart beat being this close to her and maintaining contact with her waist, it made him feel in a strange way.
He had never felt this way before, and in fact, he could name the feeling.
Maybe… he was in love with Seishan.
Upon reaching that realization, he thought he would feel embarrassment, or something similar. But no. That didn't happen in the slightest.
Strangely, what he felt was happiness…
Because he also knew that she felt something similar toward him. That the feeling he had struggled to identify in him was present in the person he was in love with.
That it was mutual.
But this also brought many complications… because he doesn't know what to do once you identify it.
However, in the next moment, he saw something that snapped him out of his thoughts.
Arthur smiled in surprise and looked at Seishan.
"Did Hel just invite Sunny to dance?"
Seishan turned slightly, following the rhythm of the music, and saw the two of them dancing near the center.
"My eyes aren't deceiving me, are they?"
"No, they aren't," Arthur replied, equally incredulous.
He was the one who had given Sunny's number to Hel, but he never thought the latter would invite him to dance right now! Didn't she know how many photos and covers they would both appear on now?
'Well, now that I think about it… it was probably part of her plan.'
Arthur also knew that Hel had been sending messages to Sunny ever since she got his number. He knew because Sunny had told him recently.
He had said something like: "Arthur, do you get scam messages too?"
He hadn't understood what he meant at first, but after seeing the messages, everything clicked.
Hel was trying to BUY him!
Literally.
She was so intense that Sunny ended up blocking the number, but in the end, it didn't matter.
Hel changed numbers and tried again. When he blocked her again, it was no surprise that the process repeated and repeated.
Arthur could tell Sunny that she wasn't a scammer and was actually a Saint of the Song Clan, but where was the fun in that?
Hel had Revel's help—who, for someone who read so many romance novels… was really bad at this.
Arthur wasn't an expert either, but Revel's attempts to help Hel were astonishing.
Finally, the main song ended, and Arthur decided that he had danced enough for the night.
He held Seishan's waist more firmly, and they both left the dance floor. As he did, he managed to see a quite red-faced Nephis heading to the bathroom.
Arthur shrugged and headed toward his table, where Sylvie and Jet were already talking with each other.
Sylvie wore an elegant light blue dress adorned with delicate gold details that stood out against the fabric. Several pieces of jewelry decorated her wrists and neck, from fine bracelets to a refined necklace, adding a touch of luxury and sophistication to her appearance.
Master Jet wore an impeccable combination of a white shirt and black tie under a dark fitted vest that accentuated her figure. Her dress pants fell elegantly, while a blazer rested over one of her arms, giving her a refined and authoritative air.
'Oh my…' Regis stammered.
'Close your mouth before you drool, Regis.'
Both looked beautiful in their aesthetics, but neither compared to the woman walking beside him.
Seishan wore a refined carmine velvet dress, fitted to her slender body with an elegant slit in the skirt, revealing one of her long legs. A white fur stole rested on her shoulders, while black heels completed a look as luxurious and distinguished as it was beautiful.
They finally reached the table, and Arthur went straight to greet Jet.
"Jet! I'm glad you could make it!" he said, genuinely happy.
Regis chimed in. 'Yes! I am also very happy to see her…'
'Regis…' Arthur replied mentally. 'What did we talk about?'
He didn't respond and stayed quiet, but Arthur could tell he didn't care what he had said.
Jet took a sip of her champagne, and her icy-blue eyes scanned him with precision. Then she smiled and said,
"It's still a while until Halloween, you know?"
Arthur rolled his eyes but was smiling.
He wore a white ceremonial uniform adorned with delicate gold details. Ornamental chains crossed his chest and shoulders, along with a distinguished high collar. A dark cape fell from one of his shoulders, and gloves along with tall white boots completed an appearance worthy of a high-powered Legacy.
"You know you just insulted nearly twenty stylists with that comment?"
She shrugged in a nonchalant way.
"As if I could care." She scanned him again. "Now, jokes aside, you really look good, Little Art."
"Thanks, but—" He cleared his throat. "Could you stop calling me that?"
Jet understood why he was saying it.
"Oh, I see. Neither of these two beauties knows I've always called you that."
Arthur looked at her with emotionless eyes.
Did she really have to say it out loud?
Jet continued teasing him.
"I don't remember your parents not teaching you to introduce your date once you greet someone."
Arthur let out a sigh.
"Jet, this is Seishan. She's…" He paused awkwardly. "A friend."
The three women looked at him strangely for a few seconds until Seishan stopped and focused on Jet.
"Ascended Jet, it's an honor to finally meet the famous Soul Reaper."
"The honor is mine to be in the presence of such figures." Jet replied quickly.
Seishan smiled politely.
"Please, you've earned a great reputation on your own, and that's also very important." She paused briefly. "You weren't chosen for the mission if you hadn't been exceptionally good at your job."
Jet chuckled.
"Well, thanks for the compliment, but…" She looked around. "I find myself somewhat surprised by the mission."
Sylvie joined in with a joking, low tone.
"The fact that we're both going despite the dangers?"
Jet nodded.
Now it was Seishan's turn to speak.
"Well, I had to make a couple of promises to do it, but…" She looked at Arthur with slight curiosity. "Mainly it's this gentleman's fault on my side."
Sylvie and Jet looked at him, and in their eyes reflected a degree of approval.
"My fault?"
Seishan nudged him with her elbow.
"You just returned, and you've already thrown yourself back into danger without thinking." Arthur was about to respond, but Seishan chuckled lightly. "Still, I can understand it, and it's one of the reasons why I Lo—" She fell silent.
The eyebrows of the other three shot up as if they were about to fly off their foreheads.
'She was going to say it was one of the reasons she loved you!' Regis said excitedly.
'I KNOW, REGIS!'
Arthur gripped his glass tighter, nearly breaking it, and pretended not to notice.
"Well… what can I say?" He began, bringing a hand to the back of his neck. "What's going to happen there is something I simply can't turn a blind eye to."
Jet and Sylvie lingered slightly on what Seishan had almost said, but noticing he didn't dwell on it, they simply looked at him with more approval in their gazes.
Meanwhile, Seishan beside him was very entertained looking at the ceiling, trying to keep her ears from turning pink.
"Well," he went and grabbed a drink from the table, taking a sip. "Why don't we leave this topic for another time and enjoy the night?"
Seishan agreed immediately and went to talk to her sisters, while Sylvie headed to the dance floor with the intention of dragging Kai into dancing.
Jet, for her part, agreed by grabbing another bottle of champagne, and Arthur stayed with her, talking about other topics.
They would have a month and a week to talk and prepare for Antarctica, so they decided to leave that for another time.
Obviously, Jet didn't miss the opportunity to tease him about Seishan's almost-slip, saying he was dating a princess. It didn't matter how many times he told her no—she didn't care.
The rest of the evening was truly fun. Eventually, even Ellie arrived, and he began introducing her to most of the attendees. His sister almost had a heart attack seeing so many famous people together, but luckily she didn't.
Then, they joined the cohort, and started talking about different topics—until Eunbin dragged him to dance. Seishan looked at her with murderous intent, but the Saint didn't care much.
Nephis had already returned from the bathroom, and this time she went to dance with Sunny, joining Sylvie and Kai on the dance floor.
Cassie was also present, half-sitting in the shadows at the table until Effie came and dragged her off to dance and eat.
Finally, the Ball culminated with all the guests departing until only Seishan, Sylvie, Jet, Beastmaster, and himself remained.
With the Saint taking Jet to Ravenheart and counting down the days until the Antarctic campaign began.