"How dare you disrespect Lady Nephis?" Caster growled, launching himself at me with astonishing speed.
I simply redirected his momentum and he was sent flying straight into the wall.
"What a lively company you have here," I mused, scanning the room. "I see Cassie found someone to protect her… and Sunny, you little stalker, you're here too? And two others—hmm. Big, strong woman, and a lanky boy. You seem familiar. Have we met before?"
"Chris, you're here." Nephis didn't look particularly impressed, but for just a moment, a small smile flickered across her face before vanishing.
"What stalker?" Sunny exclaimed, looking genuinely offended.
"Oh? Did I make a mistake? No, no, now that I'm this close, I'm quite sure you were the one spying on us back at the academy when I spent my nights with my little Star."
"Wow," Effie smirked, amused. "I always thought Neph liked the flower-boy type, like Sunny. Color me impressed. Who would've thought she had a lover like this?"
"We are not lovers," Nephis replied calmly.
"Huh? Then those nights we spent together meant nothing to you?" I asked, feigning disappointment.
Effie burst out laughing. "Hahaha! I like you. Your humor is way better than these guys here. I'm Effie, by the way—the big, strong woman."
"Nice to meet you," I said with a grin before turning back to the lanky boy. "So, do I know you, familiar-looking guy?"
"I'm Kai. Former idol singer."
"Ah, I remember now. Night & Gale, right?"
Kai nodded.
"Hello, I'm Christopher, but you can call me Chris," I introduced myself properly.
"Anyway, I must say, you've made quite the name for yourself. After hearing people talk about 'Lady Changing Star,' I got curious and asked about it. When I told them I was coming to meet her, they were—well, let's just say they were really reluctant to let me through." I casually pointed behind me.
They turned to look outside—where about thirty Sleepers who regularly hunted in the Dark City lay groaning on the ground.
No one said anything at first. Nephis remained indifferent, but the others wore a range of reactions—surprise, disbelief, and, in Caster's case, sheer frustration.
I walked up to Nephis, pulled out a chair, sat down, and propped my feet up on the table.
"Alright. Now that the introductions are over, can someone explain the situation to me?"
For a moment, everyone just stared at me—completely dumbfounded—especially when they realized that Nephis wasn't stopping me from acting like this.
Eventually, Cassie spoke up, explaining the current state of the Dark City. Gunlaug ruled like a tyrant, and they were planning to leave in search of something that would help them defeat him. She also mentioned that the only way out of this place was through the Gateway in the Crimson Spire.
"Hmm…" I hummed, tapping my fingers on the table. "I did think it was weird that I spent, what, seven or eight months here and found nothing but Nightmare Creatures. So, what exactly is this thing you're looking for? And where is it?"
"It's a Memory of the First Lord," Nephis said steadily. "Cassie can guide us to it, but we need to reach the Hollowed Mountain first."
"Hollowed Mountain?" I blinked. "Huh. Funny thing—I just came from there. Creepy place, I must say."
They all turned to Kai, who gave a slight nod. "He's telling the truth."
I smirked. "Do you know how it looks? Or what it's called? See, I'm quite the adventurous spirit, and while I was exploring a bit, I found two Memories that seem related to what you're looking for."
With that, I summoned the Dawn and Dusk Shards into my hands.
"These two," I said, holding them up, "are the Dawn and Dusk Shards. Ascended Memories."
The air in the room grew tense. Everyone froze.
For a second, they even forgot to breathe—until Cassie finally found her voice.
"But… how? Those two were supposed to be hidden away in a secret location, guarded by something so powerful that even the First Cohort couldn't defeat it!"
"Now that you mention it," I said, stroking my chin thoughtfully, "it was a bit of a hassle getting through that maze. Oh, and when I picked up this crown from a skeleton, some big-ass monster popped out of hiding. What was its name again? Cursed… something."
Cassie's eyes widened.
"Cursed Herald," she whispered.
"Yes, yes, that was it!" I grinned. "You sure know a lot, Cassie." Then, after a brief pause, I added teasingly, "You're not a stalker like Sunny, are you?"