Chapter Text
Nephis waited for a moment, then exhaled sharply and pulled herself up. Her body was sluggish, drained of essence after the reckless maneuver.
Leaning heavily on the steering oars, she steadied herself, her silver eyes scanning the dim, fog-shrouded shoreline. She had successfully guided the Chain Breaker to a small beach at the very edge of the island.
The Chain Breaker lay half-buried in white sand, its hull tilted at a precarious angle. The ship had shattered part of a jagged black cliff on impact, coming to rest against it—perhaps the only thing that had stopped it from capsizing entirely. It was a blind landing, but fortune had favored them. For now.
A flicker of unease gripped her. Nephis turned, searching the fog for any sign of her companions.
A motionless silhouette stood at the bow, its slender form clad in onyx armor, sword in hand.
Saint.
That meant Sunny was alive.
Not that she had doubted it. Sunny was the toughest person she knew—if anyone could crawl back from the depths of hell, it was him.
Turning, she caught the faint, warm glow of Cassie’s Guiding Light. Relief washed over her.
Thank gods.
Then she met Sunny’s gaze. He was watching her, eyes sharp, measuring her condition.
Nephis straightened. Her voice was steady as she spoke.
“I’m fine.”
Of course she was. She had to be. No matter how exhausted or battered she felt, she couldn’t afford to be a bystander—not here. Not now. She wouldn't let Sunny face whatever horrors lurked in this land alone.
A small smile ghosted her lips. Her fingers closed around the hilt of her sword.
"I can still put up a fight."
She was a seasoned slayer, and was more than capable of backing up her words even in this weakened state. But the others… if they were injured, she wouldn’t be able to heal them. That was a problem.
A subtle shift in the air made her tense.
Sunny turned to Cassie.
"What is it?"
Nephis didn’t need Cassie to answer. She already knew. A cold, creeping sensation slithered through her veins. Something was wrong with this place. Deeply, terribly wrong.
"I have a very ominous feeling..."
She stepped toward the deck’s edge, peering into the thick mist. An inexplicable shiver ran down her spine.
It was as if she was being watched.
This fog… she didn’t trust it. Behind its serene, weightless veil, something lurked. Something terrifying.
So far, they hadn’t been attacked. But that didn't mean they were safe.
Her grip on her sword tightened. They had no time to waste.
She turned to Cassie.
"Do it."
There was nothing to discuss. Their objective was clear—find Jet and Effie, then escape this forsaken place.
The Guiding Light didn't point to Soul Reaper Jet as it did to Effie, but at least they knew that one of them was alive.
...And she believed the other was too.
...
They stood beneath the Chain Breaker, shrouded in silence, listening to the sounds of Windflower. Saint landed on the sand, her fall louder than theirs.
The place was eerily still. No sounds, no movement—only endless white sand stretching beneath their feet and the jagged black cliffs looming in the distance. The fog coiled thick around them, denser than Nephis would have liked, obstructing her vision.
But she wasn't worried.
Unlike her, Sunny possessed a kind of sixth sense that allowed him to perceive the world through shadows. She never fully understood how it worked. Humans weren't meant to understand things they never experienced before. But she was grateful for it.
At least one of them would be able to—
A quiet, uneasy breath escaped Sunny’s lips.
Nephis stilled.
He shifted slightly, his body tense, as if straining to perceive something beyond the mist… but failing.
Her heart sank.
Does the fog block his shadow sense?
That was a problem.
With both of them effectively crippled, they would have to rely on Cassie to guide them. It wasn’t ideal. This place could be teeming with horrors, corrupted and great nightmare creatures. And yet, their weakest member would have to take the lead.
Nephis didn’t like it.
At least Cassie had Sunny’s Nightmare to assist her.
She stole a glance at him. He met her gaze. They were ready.
Sunny took a step forward—
Then stopped.
Nephis tensed.
Is there a nightmare creature nearby?
Her hand found the hilt of her sword. She waited for a sign—a signal to hide, turn back, or strike.
Nothing came.
Sunny stood motionless for a heartbeat, then clenched his jaw and walked forward, his movements sharp with frustration.
Nephis exhaled slowly and released her grip.
The wraith again.
Even here, in this cursed place, the apparition troubled him. If she could, she would burn it at the stake a thousand times over.
Sunny didn't need to suffer any more than he already did.
...
The three of them advanced cautiously up the beach, their steps muffled by the soft white sand. The stifling mist swirled around them, thick and heavy, pressing down like an unseen weight.
Saint and Fiend trailed behind, guarding them from any unexpected attacks. Cassie rode Nightmare, the gentle glow of her Guiding Light barely piercing the dense fog ahead.
Then they saw them.
Footprints.
Barefoot. Fresh.
Sunny crouched, running his fingers through the disturbed sand.
Who the hell would be walking here barefoot?
And so recently, too.
A cold unease settled over Nephis. It didn't make sense. Nothing in this place did.
The mist that blocked even Sunny’s Shadow Sense. The constant, gnawing dread in the air. The strange behavior of Cassie’s Guiding Light.
Just what harrowing secrets does this place hold?
Sunny rose and, telling them to wait there, stepped forward, vanishing into the fog.
Nephis tensed, her grip tightening around the hilt of her sword. Her body shifted instinctively into a battle stance, ready to strike at a moment’s notice—
Or to sprint forward the instant Sunny showed any sign of being in danger.
Not that she was worried.
He had left his shadow behind. If anything went wrong, he could teleport back in an instant.
And yet, she refused to lower her guard.
The giant turtle’s armor had once nullified his teleportation. She wouldn’t assume there was nothing here capable of doing the same.
That’s the only reason she was watching the fog so intently.
...It had nothing to do with the sickening thought of standing idly by while Sunny got hurt.
The seconds dragged on. Then minutes.
Her unease deepened. A creeping premonition slithered into her mind.
Summoning her runes, she checked on his.
Still the same.
A breath of relief barely touched her lips when—
A figure emerged from the murky veil.
Black eyes. Porcelain skin.
She exhaled.
Sunny had returned. Unscathed.
Nothing terrible had happened to him... for once.
If only there were more moments like this…
...
"The footprints lead to the edge of the island. I didn't find anything else, so... let's trace them in the other direction."
Cassie lifted her Guiding Light, and they followed the trail in silence.
They moved slowly, cautiously—never allowing the deceptive stillness to lull them into a false sense of security. Just because no nightmare creatures had attacked yet didn’t mean they weren’t there. Watching. Waiting.
Eventually, they arrived in front of a vertical wall of black rock. The footprints vanished once again—this time at the base of a narrow stairway carved into the cliffside. The steps stretched upward, disappearing into the misty forest above.
Sunny ordered Fiend to take the lead, and they ascended behind him.
Something about these stairs felt… wrong.
Too precise. Too pristine.
They hadn’t been formed by nature. The Seeker who once dwelled on this island must have created them. That much was obvious.
But that wasn’t the most unsettling part.
The stone steps bore no signs of age. No cracks, no weathering, no erosion. They had remained untouched by time, as if immune to the elements themselves.
Nephis narrowed her eyes.
What is this place?
"What are you thinking about?" Sunny asked.
As they discussed the seemingly bizarre nature of the steps, Sunny froze again.
Not because of the apparition.
This was different.
Sunny’s entire body went rigid, his eyes widening with sudden, terrible realization. A heartbeat later, Jet’s Echo leaped into the air and shot forward, vanishing into the fog.
Nephis’s heart clenched.
She hadn’t seen him this shaken in a long time.
What did his shadow see?
She swallowed her unease and reached out, resting a hand on his shoulder. Her voice was quiet.
“Sunny?”
He flinched, then turned to her, his expression grim. Beneath the tension in his face, she saw something else—something sharper.
Determination.
A hard, unyielding resolve.
A choice had been made. A dangerous one. The kind that couldn't be undone. The kind that could cost him his life...
"Someone is fighting in the forest, about four kilometers from the top of the stairs. It should be Jet. I'm going."
Nephis stared at him for a moment.
So he’ll be alone again.
Far beyond her reach.
Far beyond anyone’s help.
Plunging headfirst into the unknown, risking his life against impossible odds.
And there was nothing she could do to help him... again.
A bitter pain tightened in her chest, but she buried it deep.
She nodded, unsheathing her sword with a quiet rasp.
"We'll be right behind you, then."
Cassie raised her Guiding Light, directing its glow toward Sunny instead of Effie.
Then, without another word, he dove into the shadows.
...
Nephis and Cassie followed in the direction Sunny went. Each step was hurried yet cautious.
Every moment weighed heavy on Nephis’s heart. Every second slipped through her grasp like grains of sand.
A terrible sense of dread coiled in her chest, cold and suffocating. She had faced countless abominations, endured impossible dangers, battled against fate itself—both alone and alongside Sunny.
But always, they had time to prepare.
Or at least, they had known what they were up against.
This time, that privilege had been stolen from them.
She didn’t know what awaited Sunny in the fog.
But she knew it wouldn’t be easy.
Still…
Sunny won’t die.
He never did.
He never would.
He was the most resilient cockroach in the entire world. Two words really. Even if death itself appeared in flesh to devour him, he would pry open its maw and claw his way back, grinning all the while.
After all, he was its legitimate heir.
Suddenly—
A strange shift in the atmosphere made her halt. The mist swayed, as if in response to an ominous presence.
She couldn’t see it.
She couldn’t feel it.
But every instinct in her body screamed.
Something terrible had happened.
Or was about to.
No. It couldn’t be…
A dark premonition seized her. She shoved it aside.
Nephis did not doubt Sunny was alive. Her heart wouldn't allow her to.
A moment later, familiar symbols appeared before her—
And she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
He’s alive.
Of course he is.
Nephis exhaled sharply, but her jaw remained tight.
Because being alive didn’t mean he wasn’t suffering.
She had no evidence. No proof.
But she knew.
Sunny was fighting. Alone.
Facing the monstrosity that had threatened Soul Reaper Jet, bearing its weight entirely on his own.
That was how it had always been.
That was how it would always be.
…Unless she changed it.
Unless she reached him in time.
Unless she was there—to share in his suffering.
She clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and whispered under her breath:
“Just hold on a little longer.”
“I will be there soon. And you won’t suffer alone anymore.”
The runes faded from sight.
She ran.
Faster.
Faster.
She abandoned caution, abandoned strategy, abandoned everything except the desperate need to reach him.
“Neph?”
Cassie’s voice was shocked and worried.
Nephis barely noticed when she overtook the blind girl—despite Nightmare’s relentless pace.
She glanced back once, her silver eyes hard.
“Hurry.”
Then she faced forward and kept running.
Cassie didn’t hesitate.
She simply nodded and ordered Nightmare into a full sprint.
Tearing through the fog, they crossed the remaining distance at reckless speed. Soon, they entered a wide clearing.
The mist here was thinner.
And the air reeked of something sickeningly familiar.
Blood.
Nephis’s eyes widened. Her breath caught in her throat.
And then—her jaw slowly parted, as if to form a word, but nothing came.
Out there, just beyond the thinning mist, two figures lay motionless on the ground.
One slumped.
The other lifeless.
Black hair. Porcelain face...
Her heart lurched. A storm of emotions crashed into her, one after another.
First—
Stupefaction.
No. No, it couldn’t be.
The thought barely had time to form before she summoned her runes, her mind refusing to accept what her eyes were telling her.
She searched for his name.
It wasn’t there.
The runes twisted, shifting, filling the void he had left behind.
Then—
Denial.
She blinked rapidly, forcing herself to focus.
She read the runes again.
And again.
And again—
A hand touched her shoulder.
“N-Nephis, I—”
"Shut up."
Her voice was barely a whisper, but it cut through the air like a blade.
She stepped forward, her feet unsteady, her movements stiff—like a puppet on broken strings.
And then she was kneeling. Pouring every last drop of her dwindling essence into his body.
He wasn’t dead.
He couldn’t be.
Any second now, he would wake up.
Make some snide remark.
Smirk at her like he always did.
Any second now.
Any second…
Nothing.
Her hands trembled.
She pressed her fingers against his wrist, searching—
Desperate.
Pleading.
But there was no pulse.
Her breath turned shallow.
She leaned down, pressing her ear to his chest.
Straining—
Starving—
Waiting for the sound of a beating heart.
Silence.
Then—
Acceptance.
A single tear welled in her eye, spilling over her cheek.
Then another.
And another.
A broken sob escaped her lips as she clung to him, her fingers tightening around his lifeless form.
Cassie knelt beside her, hand still resting on her shoulder.
She wanted to say something—anything.
But no words came. There were no words.
She was barely holding back her own tears.
Then—
Sorrow.
After everything— Every battle. Every hardship. Every impossible fight they had endured together—
She had known. She had always known.
Death had stalked them from the very beginning, lurking in the shadows, waiting for its chance.
And yet—
She had believed she was ready.
That she had come to terms with it.
That she had accepted it.
But when Death finally knocked on their door—uninvited, unwelcome, and cruel—
She realized.
She wasn’t ready.
Not for this.
A quiet sob tore from her throat.
Then another.
And then the tears wouldn’t stop.
Then—
Regret.
A single question echoed in her mind. A question that clawed at her soul.
Why…
Why hadn’t she been there when he needed her the most?
Why had she failed to reach him—when he had always been there for her?
Why had she run away from her emotions?
Why had she let fear silence her, and leave the words unsaid?
The words left unsaid…
The words he would never hear.
Then—
Anger.
The mist trembled. The air shifted. The world itself seemed to shudder, as if recoiling from what was about to come.
Nephis felt it. The thing that had killed Sunny.
It was still here. It was coming.
She had been waiting. Waiting for revenge.
Waiting to fight back. Waiting to spite.
To spite the Spell once again for taking what was most precious to her.
For taking her love.
She rose to her feet, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her sword.
“Cassie, get out of here while I—”
She froze.
Cassie had slumped against her, her weight pressing into Nephis’s side.
She wasn’t moving.
A cold dread slithered down her spine.
“What—”
Before she could finish, her body moved. Instinct alone saved her life. Her sword lashed out, deflecting a strike aimed directly at her heart.
Then—
pain.
Blinding, searing pain.
Something wet splattered against the ground.
Her sword— Her arm— Wasn’t there anymore.
A silent scream died in her throat as she staggered, her free hand pressing desperately against the ragged wound where her limb had been.
Her essence surged. While flame engulfed her wound— weak, fleeting, barely enough to stop the bleeding.
The mist recoiled. It swayed once more.
Then, for a brief moment, it left her in peace.
But she knew.
It wasn’t over.
Not yet.
The next attack would be the last.
And there was nothing she could do.
She wanted to scream. To cry. To claw at the earth. To break.
But what was the point?
Sunny was dead. Cassie was dead.
She had failed them. She had failed her best friend.
And she had failed her lover.
There was so much she wanted to say. So much she had left undone.
But there was no time.
Her body trembled.
She was living the last moment of her life.
Normally, she would have chosen to struggle. To fight to the bitter end, no matter how bad the odds were stacked against her.
But this time, she didn't.
Because there was something far more important. Something she had ignored for too long. Something she had always pushed to the future.
For when the time was right. For when she was ready. For when he was ready.
…Until he couldn’t be anymore.
A bitter sob clawed at her throat.
No.
She had to say it. She had to.
Or she would never find peace— Not even in death.
Nephis collapsed beside him, her body weak, her breath uneven.
With the last of her strength, she dragged herself closer, pressing her forehead to his.
Her lips trembled. Her voice broke. And she said the words left unsaid...
“I... love you.”
Sunny’s face was oddly at peace. Perhaps he had heard her, beyond the grave. Perhaps his soul had found peace.
A small, fragile smile touched her lips. Her eyes glistened with tears.
She was glad.
Glad that this was the last thing she saw—
Before the ember of her life was snuffed out forever.
AN: Do share your thoughts in the comments. Did you like this one shot? Do you want me to make more?