Nephis laughed softly, a small smile curving her lips. It had been both embarrassing and fun at the same time. Before leaving the room, she had caught a glimpse of Sunny's flushed face—a sight that brought her an unexpected sense of joy.
She headed to the kitchen to prepare a quick breakfast for the two of them, hoping to avoid whatever growing annoyance Sunny might be feeling.
She made two simple sandwiches, though she had put more effort into them than usual. Somehow, cooking for the person you liked seemed to elevate your culinary skills. The result? Two delicious sandwiches that even she was proud of.
When they sat down together to eat, there wasn't much conversation. But Nephis didn't mind; she was too busy enjoying the look on Sunny's face as he bit into the sandwich. His expression of pleasant surprise made her heart skip a beat. At least he liked it. Thank goodness.
But the calm moments couldn't last forever. In a few days, the announcement that she and Sunny were joining Valor would be made. That idiot Sunny, she thought, recalling how he had defused her anger during the meeting with Morgan with his sarcastic comment.
What bothered her most, however, was what would come next. She would likely be named the "adopted princess" of the Valor clan.
Damn it, she thought bitterly. Morgan as my adoptive sister? The idea was absurd and infuriating all at once.
I need to clear my mind, she decided, shaking off the thought. Though she secretly hoped Sunny wouldn't end up being too much of a public figure within Valor.
It was time to train.
Sunny and Nephis headed to the basement, their usual training space, where they each picked up their preferred practice weapons. Sunny, of course, chose his favorite odachi, while Nephis opted for a long sword.
From the start, it was clear that this sparring session was going to be different. Sunny immediately used Shadow Step to close the distance, his movements enhanced by essence.
Looks like he's finally taking me seriously, Nephis thought, her mind sharpening as she analyzed his approach.
Sunny's first strike was quick and direct, but Nephis dodged it with surgical precision. She retaliated with a swift slash aimed at his chest, only for Sunny to disappear and reappear behind her.
His descending strike was aimed directly at her head, but Nephis managed to block it in time. What followed was an intense and intricate exchange of blows, each testing the other's limits.
Sunny's Shadow Dance allowed him to read her style and adapt effortlessly, while Nephis's quick-thinking strategy led the fight toward situations where she had the upper hand.
The metallic clang of their swords echoed through the basement. They moved like two perfectly synchronized forces, their attacks and defenses flowing seamlessly.
Sunny's constant disappearing and reappearing made him almost impossible to pin down. But Nephis maintained her focus, using every opportunity to counterattack. Her strikes were quick and deliberate, forcing Sunny to keep moving.
Suddenly, Sunny appeared in front of her with a lateral slash aimed at her side. Nephis twisted her body just in time, dodging by a hair's breadth, and countered with a downward strike. Sunny blocked it effortlessly but was pushed back a few steps by the impact.
"Is that all you've got?" Nephis asked, her tone calm but with a teasing edge.
Sunny grinned. "Oh, I'm just getting started."
With a swift motion, he closed the distance again, launching a flurry of precise attacks, each aimed at exploiting a potential weakness in her guard. Nephis met each strike head-on, her movements precise and calculated. It was as if she had memorized every attack Sunny had used in their previous sparring matches.
Finally, she saw an opening. Pivoting on her heel, she angled her sword toward his chest, forcing him to retreat. But instead of backing off, Sunny disappeared into the shadows, reappearing at her side with a slash aimed at her shoulder.
Nephis instinctively blocked the attack with the hilt of her sword, but the force of the blow unbalanced her. Sunny seized the opportunity, sweeping her legs out from under her and sending her crashing to the ground.
However, Nephis wasn't about to let him win. Before Sunny could follow through, she used her momentum to roll and pin him beneath her, straddling him to keep him down.
Both of them were breathing heavily now, their chests rising and falling in unison. Their training weapons lay forgotten on the ground nearby.
"How did we end up like this?" Nephis thought, staring down at Sunny as she tried to catch her breath.
Both swords lay forgotten on the ground. They had reached a stalemate since Nephis had fallen, but the idea of being the one on the ground was intolerable to her.
Out of the two of us, I'm the tall one, she thought with a mix of pride and amusement. Sunny, with his shorter stature, barely reached her shoulder when they were standing. That height difference had always brought a small smile to her face. Now, having him beneath her was... interesting, to say the least.
She enjoyed being in the dominant position, not because of the power or control, but because from there, she could observe him closely. She could take in every detail: Sunny's slightly nervous expression as he tried to catch his breath, his chest rising and falling with intensity, the beads of sweat rolling slowly down the sides of his face, dampening the dark strands of hair that clung to his skin. His black shirt, now clinging to his body, seemed to outline every muscle, taut from the effort of their sparring.
Nephis wasn't sure if it was just the satisfaction of the moment or something deeper, but she found herself enjoying this position far more than she should. Yet, her mind began to betray her, conjuring up alternate scenarios—images of other moments where she might also be on top of Sunny, and he... well, beneath her.
Damn it, Nephis! You're not a teenager, she scolded herself, trying to push the thoughts away. But even as she fought them, she made no move to get up. She remained seated on Sunny's chest, with no intention of budging.
And, apparently, Sunny didn't seem to mind either. Several minutes passed like this, both of them catching their breath. Minutes that, if she was honest, Nephis enjoyed far more than she should have.
Finally, Sunny broke the silence, his voice playful but still slightly winded.
"Enjoying the view?"
Despite his labored breathing, he still found the energy to tease her.
Nephis raised an eyebrow calmly, and a small, warm smile appeared on her lips. That smile was so unique that even she couldn't replicate it on purpose. For years, she had tried to imitate the natural smiles of Cassie or Kai, but all of them felt fake. With Sunny, though, that smile came effortlessly, as if it was something meant only for him.
She knew how much Sunny loved that smile. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, his gaze would always drift to her lips, as if he couldn't help himself.
Determined to seize the moment, Nephis leaned forward slightly, firmly grabbing both of Sunny's hands and pinning them against the ground, completely immobilizing him. Their faces were now mere inches apart, and with a calm but deliberate tone, she said:
"And what if I am?"
Before Sunny could respond, Nephis closed the distance between them and kissed him.
His lips were soft, was the only thought that crossed her mind in that instant.
The rest of the world disappeared, and for a few seconds, there was nothing but the two of them.
After a minute, Nephis pulled back, taking a deep breath to steady herself. Even though she was an Ascended with superhuman endurance, she could still feel the fatigue from their training. And now, the kiss certainly hadn't helped calm the swirling thoughts she'd had earlier. Yet, for some reason, she found that she didn't care anymore.
The entire cohort already knew they were together. Trying to hide it, given Sunny's inability to lie, would be a lost cause—and frankly, she didn't want to hide it. Why should I? There's nothing to be ashamed of, she thought, though a small part of her still felt a flicker of shyness about the whole situation.
What didn't sit well with her, however, was the thought of someone else getting too close to Sunny. While all Awakened and Ascended were undeniably attractive, Sunny was in a category of his own. To her, he was an exception among exceptions.
Not only did he have a face sculpted like a porcelain doll, but his lean build and shorter stature made him stand out among the ranks of towering, muscular warriors that filled the ranks of the Ascended. That uniqueness only made him more attractive—at least to Nephis.
Her imagination began to wander, conjuring troubling scenarios. What if some other beautiful girl tried to flirt with him? With Sunny's inability to lie, how would he even deflect such advances? Just the thought of it made her blood boil.
Damn it, Nephis, you're jealous over something that hasn't even happened yet. But even so, she knew she needed to do something about it.
Lost in her thoughts, devising increasingly ridiculous plans to ensure that no one else got too close to Sunny, she suddenly felt a pair of soft hands on her cheeks.
Sunny, still pinned beneath her, gently brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.
How did I forget he was still here? she thought, her face heating up immediately.
Before she could say anything, Sunny interrupted her thoughts. Still holding her gently by the cheek, he leaned in and kissed her again, this time with more confidence. His lips met hers in a warm, lingering kiss that lasted longer than the first.
When they finally pulled apart, both were breathing heavily, trying to catch their breath. Sunny looked at her with a mix of shyness and seriousness before speaking:
"Nephis, let's go. We have a meeting with Valor, remember?"
She nodded slowly, still caught in the moment. And, as always, before she could say anything else, Sunny disappeared into a swirl of shadows.
Nephis sighed as she watched him go, knowing exactly why he had done it. He got nervous, she thought with a small smile. She knew him too well not to notice. But it also meant something else.
Sunny could have escaped her grasp at any moment, but he chose not to. He had stayed beneath her the entire time.
That thought brought another warm smile to her face. Two smiles in one day. This is getting out of hand.
A few minutes later, both were ready, preparing themselves for what would likely be one of the final negotiations with Morgan and the Valor clan.