Dire Promise

Sunny and Nephis remained motionless for a while, carried by the indifferent, inevitable current of the Great River. His heart was heavy… too heavy to bear. It was in so much pain that the suffering felt almost physical.

Or maybe it was. 

Eventually, the pain turned dull. But the unbearable weight remained. 

Slowly raising his hand, Sunny tightly gripped one of Neph's arms. She was still hugging him from behind, so he couldn't see her face. She couldn't see his, either… which was perhaps for the best. 

When Sunny spoke, his even voice was low and full of torment:

"Neph…"

He raised his eyes to the distant blue sky. 

"Why can't we protect anyone?"

...There was no answer for a while. Eventually, Nephis let out a quiet sigh. 

"Because that is not the world we were born into."

She lingered for a moment, her body still pressed against his. Then, she added: