Setting out, again?

Asher frowned, his confusion evident. "What do you mean, Cas? Why would I hate you?"

Cassie shook her head, her expression conflicted. "No, I mean... do you hate me? I'm not as naive as you think, Asher."

Her words stung more than he expected.

"I've heard you talk to Sunny and Nephis," she continued, her voice trembling. "You speak so warmly to them. But with me... you're different. Colder. Distant. Like you don't want to get close."

Tears pooled in her sightless eyes, and her grip on the spoon in her hand tightened. "Is it because you see me as a walking corpse too?"

Asher froze. The words hit him like a blow to the chest.

Before him sat a blind girl, barely sixteen, trembling with guilt and sadness. She wasn't just upset—she was breaking. And he had been too blind himself to notice.

Without realizing it, Asher leaned forward and pulled her into a hug. He felt her shoulders tense at first, then sag against him as sobs began to shake her body.

He knew things about her that even she didn't. And he knew, now more than ever, what lay ahead for her. Cassie was approaching a decision that no one—no one—should ever have to make.

Sunny or Nephis?

Asher, the reader, had once despised her for it. How could she choose? How could anyone make such a choice and live with themselves?

But here, with Cassie sobbing into his chest, her small, fragile frame wracked with grief, he finally understood. She'd had no choice. The world had backed her into a corner, cruel and unrelenting, and she had been forced to sacrifice a piece of her soul just to survive.

And he? He had given her a cold shoulder. The one person she could currently lean on.

He wanted to punch himself for it.

Pulling back slightly, Asher cupped Cassie's shoulder gently, his voice soft but firm. "I'm sorry," he said, his words carrying the weight of his guilt. "I'm sorry for the way I've treated you. I can't explain why I acted that way… but I swear to you, it wasn't because I hate you."

He took her hand, his grip warm and steady as she trembled. "I won't ever turn away from you again. If you need someone—anyone—I'll be there. Please, lean on me if you want to."

For a long moment, Cassie didn't respond. But then, she wiped her tears on her sleeve and gave him a smile. It wasn't radiant—it was small, soft, and fragile—but it was real.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Before Asher could respond, Nephis' voice rang out behind them, sharp and clear.

"Hey, guys! Guess what."

Cassie turned in the direction of the voice, her smile widening. "You finally found an armor-type Memory?"

Simultaneously, Nephis said, "I found something decent to wear."

She stepped out from behind the coral tree, clad in the Starlight Legion armor. The polished plates gleamed faintly in the dim light, casting her in an otherworldly glow.

Asher's breath caught for a moment. Nephis looked... incredible. Though he couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment—so much for his one chance to see her "as she was."

"You look good," he managed to say, his tone sincere but awkward.

Nephis glanced at him, her gaze lingering as if expecting him to say more. Asher chuckled nervously, the weight of the moment earlier still clinging to him.

"Thanks," she said finally, a faint smile touching her lips before she turned to Cassie.

For a fleeting moment, Asher thought Nephis might pout—like some cliché heroine from a novel. But, of course, this was real life, and she was far too composed for that.

As the two girls began talking about the armor, their voices blending into the background, Asher felt a faint tap on his arm. He turned to see Sunny standing beside him, his expression unreadable.

The two boys exchanged a look—silent, knowing, and oddly amused. Then, as if by some unspoken agreement, they both chuckled.

_______________________________

Asher sat cross-legged on the cliff, his face scrunched in concentration. The coral beneath him felt alive as he stretched his senses, trying to map the contours of objects by tweaking the gravity around them. It was... sort of working. Except now his brain felt like an overheated engine with too much data streaming in at once.

"Asher," a voice called from behind.

Startled, he lost focus. The coral splinters hovering in the air around him crashed down in a messy heap.

He turned to see Nephis standing there, her expression calm but her eyes carrying something heavier. "You saved our lives yesterday… and today."

Asher blinked, tilting his head. "Yeah, I guess."

Nephis gazed at the horizon, her pale hair catching the light as if she were lost in thought.

Then she turned to him, her voice soft and uncharacteristically tender.

"Thank you."

For a moment, Asher froze.

And then tears welled up in his eyes.

Not because he was moved—no, absolutely not.

His damn flaw just wouldn't let him hold back the laughter bubbling inside him.

Nephis frowned, clearly thrown off by his reaction. "What's so funny?"

Asher clutched his sides, his laughter spilling out uncontrollably. "You… copied Sunny, didn't you?!"

Nephis' stoic mask cracked for the briefest moment as a faint crimson blush crept across her face. She quickly averted her gaze, her voice barely above a whisper. "Y-You heard that?"

Asher only laughed harder, his voice echoing across the cliffside. This wasn't even the first time she'd done this! She did he same with Caster too!

Nephis' eyes turned cold, but it was clear she was more embarrassed than angry. If it had been anyone else, Asher was sure they'd have been reduced to tears by now. But this was Nephis. She stood tall, her icy stare boring into him as he struggled to catch his breath.

Finally, Asher wiped a tear from his eye, still grinning as he walked over to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, ignoring the frost radiating from her glare. "Nephis, it's fine. Really. Trying to copy others isn't a bad thing."

To prove his point, Asher summoned an azure blade, executing a series of flashy strikes that mimicked Sunny's style. "See? Even I do it. One of my attributes literally lets me copy others, and I use it all the time. It's honestly super convenient."

Nephis raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.

"But," Asher continued, pausing for dramatic effect, "what you're doing isn't just copying. You're trying to understand—and that's way harder. It's actually pretty cool."

Nephis crossed her arms, her interest piqued. "Go on."

Asher gestured to his sword. "Okay, think about fighting styles. Let's say I combine your precise, calculated strikes with let's say... Caster's chaotic speed-based technique. It might seem cool at first, but…"

"It would create an unnatural battle style," Nephis interjected, her tone thoughtful.

Asher nodded, he had to connect his analogy with battle for Nephis to understand and he felt as if it was working. "Exactly! And it's the same with personalities. If someone keeps copying others without understanding the deeper context, they end up seeming fake—like a weird social Frankenstein. People notice that, and it makes them uncomfortable."

Nephis frowned, her gaze sharpening. "So, what should I do?"

Asher smiled, his deep-blue eyes glinting. "Simple. Keep copying—but only to learn. Understand how emotions and interactions work, then let go of the traits once you've got the hang of them. Eventually, your own unique personality will shine through."

Nephis mulled over his words, her brow furrowing. Asher added, his grin widening, "Or, you know, just ignore me. I'm kind of a yapper. Either way, you've already got a pretty cute personality if you ask me."

Nephis blinked, caught off guard. For a moment, she said nothing. Then, a faint smile curved her lips, so fleeting that Asher almost missed it.

As he began to walk away, he glanced back over his shoulder, calling out, "And hey, about your thanks—don't sweat it. We're friends."

Nephis froze, her eyes widening.

Friends.

When Sunny had thanked her, she had replied with a: "We're allies."

But now, with Asher, the word felt different.

She bit her lip, glancing at her shoulder—the same one he had touched. His warmth still lingered there. "What a naive boy," she murmured under her breath, though there was no malice in her voice.

Her fingers brushed her shoulder as a small, genuine smile crept onto her face.

"I don't dislike it, though."

_____________________________________

"Ymmmm!" Asher moaned, biting into yet another chunk of roasted crab meat as the campfire crackled beside him. The night was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves and his exaggerated sounds of bliss. "Eating after getting chased by hellspawn is chef's kiss perfect."

Cassie nibbled on her food, nodding in agreement. Sunny sat cross-legged, wolfing down his portion like it might disappear if he blinked. Nephis, as usual, ate in composed silence, though her faintly raised eyebrow hinted at mild disapproval.

Suddenly, Asher froze mid-bite, his eyes wide. "Guys! I just realized something!"

Sunny immediately choked, sputtering crab meat into the fire as Cassie leaned in with concern. Nephis whipped out her dream blade, scanning the shadows for danger.

"What is it?!" Cassie asked, worried.

Asher, completely ignoring Sunny's wheezing and Nephis's ready-for-battle stance, sheepishly admitted, "I don't have a nickname yet."

The silence was so deafening you could hear the fire crackle.

Sunny, still coughing, managed to gasp, "What the hell, Asher?!"

Nephis blinked, dismissing her sword without a word. Cassie tilted her head, genuinely pondering his point. "That's true. You don't."

"See?!" Asher waved his half-eaten crab leg like it was a scepter. "Cassia gets 'Cassie.' Sunless gets 'Sunny.' Nephis gets 'Neph.' But me? Nothing! Nothing!" He slumped dramatically "I'm out here suffering in nickname poverty!"

Sunny threw his arms in the air. "Oh, sorry, should we have been worrying about your lack of a nickname while I was literally choking to death?!"

"Stop being dramatic," Asher replied, rolling his eyes.

Cassie and Nephis exchanged glances before falling into deep thought. Then Nephis raised a hand, her tone cold and decisive. "How about… Ashe?"

Asher squinted at her, unimpressed. "You think I'm a girl?"

Nephis gave him a flat stare. "You act like one."

Without missing a beat, Asher smirked. "Then I guess I should start calling you a guy."

Nephis froze mid-chew, her spoon hovering in the air like she'd just been sucker-punched.

Sunny, now terrified of choking again, set his plate down and mumbled, "Yeah, I'm done eating for tonight."

Cassie perked up, offering her suggestion. "How about just… Ash? Simple. Clean. No risk of identity crises."

Asher nodded, finally satisfied. "Alright, Ash it is. You guys can call me Ash now."

Everyone gave varying levels of agreement—Sunny muttered something about still being alive, Nephis stayed silent to avoid further insults, and Cassie gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

The night seemed to settle again. The fire burned low, embers glowing softly.

"We'll move at dawn," Nephis said, breaking the quiet. "The Fallen we fought today might return."

No one objected.

"Tomorrow morning… to the west!" Asher declared dramatically, standing and pointing his crab leg toward the horizon like a conquering hero.

Nephis didn't even look up. "Asher, that's east."

Asher blinked, lowering the crab leg. "…Oh."

Cassie stifled a laugh, her shoulders shaking as Sunny facepalmed. Nephis, as usual, said nothing, but the subtle twitch in her eye said plenty.

"Tomorrow morning… to the correct west!" Asher corrected himself with a grin, standing up proudly like he hadn't just ruined the moment.

"God help us," Sunny muttered.

Asher pointed the crab leg at Sunny, "But the gods are dead!"