Chapter Twelve.

"I know a lot about many things, Nephis," Jack said, his tone calm but inquisitive. "You'll need to be a bit more specific."

Nephis paused, her expression thoughtful before replying, "My current situation."

Jack nodded. Such an inquiry was precisely what he expected upon being contacted by her. It was a sensitive topic for Nephis, so he chose his words carefully, skirting around the core issue.

"I know you're the granddaughter of the Immortal Flame—the first human to conquer the Second Nightmare and become a Master. Your parents, Smile of Heaven and Broken Sword, were the first to conquer the Third Nightmare and ascend to Sainthood. In Sleeper terms, you're practically royalty."

He hesitated for a moment, his fingers tapping lightly on the headboard of her bed as if weighing his next words.

"I also know the Immortal Flame Clan has been struggling for some time now…" His voice trailed off before he added, with an edge of concern, "And recently, I've started to suspect that someone among the Sleepers here at the Academy has set their sights on you—for reasons I can't yet discern."

The phrase seemed to ignite a fire in Changing Star's eyes, transforming her demeanor in an instant. In the blink of an eye, she summoned the Dream Blade, and with the longsword in her grasp, she unleashed a deadly side slash aimed directly at Jack's neck.

Jack reacted instinctively, leaning back just enough for the blade to whistle harmlessly past him. In one fluid motion, he caught her sword arm in a crushing grip, stopping her strike cold.

"Is this how you usually greet your visitors?" he asked, eyebrows raised in genuine astonishment. His surprise was far from feigned—her reaction to his words was nothing like he had anticipated. Suspicion, perhaps, but outright hostility? That was unexpected.

"Give me a reason not to kill you," Nephis demanded, her normally serene expression now shadowed by a faint crease of her brows—a subtle but ominous sign of her wrath.

She frantically tugged at her sword hand, to no avail. It felt like it was cast in iron.

Jack sighed, his tone exasperated but calm. "Alright, let me give you a few reasons. First, you're physically incapable of killing me right now. Second, I just told you I'm trying to help you. Third… well, I guess I only have two reasons. But they're solid ones, so maybe take a moment to reconsider."

Nephis didn't look remotely amused.

"Who sent you?" She demanded, her voice cold and unwavering.

Jack raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion. "Sent me? You're the one who called me here!"

Her glare intensified. "Then how do you know I'm being targeted?"

'Time to lie my ass off.'

The reincarnator rubbed his eyes with his free hand, already weary of this debacle. "I'm going to let you go. Please don't make me regret it."

Keeping his movements deliberate, he released her hand. Nephis immediately pulled it back, her grip on the sword firm but no longer poised for an attack. It was a tense silence, but her posture had shifted to one of guarded contemplation rather than open hostility.

"I began to suspect something was off from my very first day at the Academy," Jack began, his voice measured. "Caster was constantly interacting with other Sleepers, asking oddly specific questions about their backgrounds and previous encounters at the Academy—like he was searching for someone."

"In the following days, he spent an unusual amount of time lingering in the Hall or near the Academy entrance with his companions. That behavior stopped abruptly when you and Sunny enrolled. Obviously, one could attribute such a thing to the beginning of the training courses, which coincided with your arrival. But something still felt off."

Jack leaned forward slightly. "You might not have noticed, but Caster was watching you—constantly—from the moment you stepped into the Hall. So, I decided to dig a little deeper."

Jack sighed, looking seriously into the girl's eyes. "Now, I going to tell you something that cannot leave this room. I need your word on it."

Nephis scoffed. "So I won't be able to verify your lies?"

Jack shook his head. "Because it's not my secret to tell. It's someone else's."

That gave her pause. Her expression shifted slightly as she mulled over his words. "What do you mean by that? And why would you even share such a secret with me? I'm not your friend."

He merely raised an eyebrow. "The reason I'm even considering telling you is that you seem like someone who can be trusted. Plus, part of this information directly impacts your safety, and I believe you deserve to know. So, do I have your word?"

Nephis frowned, her mind churning as she carefully considered the implications. But other than the possibility of him having a promise-related Aspect - which she found to be unlikely- such a pledge would never be binding, should she think it was unreasonable after hearing the information.

Promises between strangers weren't worth much.

After a moment of silence, she gave a slow, deliberate nod. "I promise."

Jack inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment. "Thank you." He hesitated for a beat before continuing. "You've seen my companion, haven't you? The blind girl who's often with me—her name is Cassie. She wasn't blind before her first Nightmare. She lost her vision as a Flaw but gained something far more remarkable in return: precognition."

Nephis's eyes widened slightly at this revelation, but she said nothing, waiting for him to elaborate.

"Already suspecting Caster was up to something, I asked for her help to uncover his true intentions," Jack explained. "Her ability to see the future isn't linear, nor is it something she can control directly. But yesterday, she finally saw something in her dreams, and what we discovered was not good... That's why I came to the combat class today—to talk to you about what we found."

Jack scratched behind his ear, showing slight reluctance to continue his story. Nephis stared at him for a few moments, before averting her gaze and sighing.

"He was sent to kill me, wasn't he?" she said, her tone resigned.

Jack's eyes widened dramatically in what could have been genuine shock—or an incredible feat of acting. "You knew?!"

Nephis didn't respond immediately. Her steady silence filled the room as she analyzed his reaction. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she unsummoned her sword.

She moved to the edge of her bed, sitting down with a thoughtful expression. Her mind raced as she considered her options. 'He's already taken a significant risk by bringing up an assassination attempt involving a Legacy. Even if he can't be fully trusted, anything I might share is likely already known by agents of the Great Clans. And if he is working for them, letting him believe I trust him could prove advantageous.'

Decision made, she turned her eyes back to Jack. "How much do you know about the relationship between the Immortal Flame Clan and the other Great Clans?"

Her voice was calm but carried an undertone of curiosity, testing his knowledge and intentions.

Jack shrugged. "Not much, to be honest. I'd imagine they'd stick together, being part of the same elite group. But I've learned appearances can be deceiving."

Nephis let out a bitter chuckle, shaking her head. "That couldn't be farther from the truth. They hate each other. You couldn't even get them to agree on the color of the sky." She paused, her gaze darkening. "But there is one thing they have in common."

Jack tilted his head slightly, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "And what's that?"

Nephis sighed, her voice carrying a mix of weariness and disdain. "Both want the Immortal Flame Clan dead and buried."

Jack blinked, shocked at her words—not because the information was news to him, but because it surprised him that she would reveal something so sensitive to someone she barely knew.

'I guess having nothing to lose makes a person bold.'

"How can that be?!" he asked, his tone full of disbelief. "Weren't the clans long-time allies?"

Nephis scoffed lightly, her expression unreadable. "I don't know their reasons. But it's a fact. Ever since I was a child, there have been multiple attempts on my life. So, there's your answer—that's why I suspected Caster's intentions the moment he approached me."

"That's... a lot to take in," Jack fibbed, his voice tinged with just enough uncertainty to sell it.

Nephis nodded, her eyes steady. "I know. I'm sharing this because I appreciate your thoughtfulness in coming here to warn me, despite the risks to yourself. But understand—this knowledge might be more of a curse than a boon for you."

Jack nodded solemnly, letting her words sink in. Then she fixed him with a piercing gaze and asked the question he had been anticipating.

"There's one more thing I need to ask you. Why did you do it? Why go out of your way to tell me this? You explained to me how you got to this conclusion, but I still don't see how my situation is of any concern on your part."

It wasn't just about trust; it was about shaping the foundation of whatever relationship they might have moving forward. Jack knew he couldn't afford to spin more lies here. Instead, he chose to do something he rarely did: tell the truth.

He smiled faintly and held up his hand, counting on his fingers. "First, you're a powerful Sleeper with an extraordinary lineage, even if it's in decline. Second, your parents—despite being gone—helped keep the flame of humanity's hope alive. Third, you seem like a genuinely good person." He paused, his fingers still outstretched. "And fourth, I told you this because I wanted to help you survive—because I thought if I did, I might gain a strong, steadfast ally."

Jack let his hand fall, his smile faint but sincere. "Was I wrong to do so?"

Nephis fell silent, her gaze distant as she mulled over his words. Something in his words seemed to have struck a chord with her. In the end, she nodded.

"Okay. I'll be your ally." She replied in an oversimplistic manner, almost like a child accepting to make a new friend. "What do you propose?"

Jack exhaled softly, a wave of relief washing over him. Navigating a conversation with Nephis felt like trying to tame a wild tiger—exhilarating, but with the ever-present risk of getting clawed. For now, it seemed the tiger was calm.

"Nothing too complicated," he replied. "A mutual assistance agreement. We help each other in dangerous situations and watch each other's backs when necessary."

Nephis nodded, her demeanor calm, as if her earlier outburst had been nothing more than a fleeting storm. "Fair enough," she said.

After settling on the finer details of dealing with Caster in the coming weeks, Jack said his goodbyes and promptly left her chamber. In his departure, he was careful to remain unseen, to not spark any rumors about them being close.

From the beginning, Jack never wanted to directly associate himself with Nephis during their month in the Academy. Such a thing would put him under the wrong type of attention, with espionage becoming the least of his worries.

'Someone is protecting Nephis from behind the scenes. That is the reason she has never been murdered. No normal human can survive an assassination attempt from a Master - say nothing of a Saint. And the Great Clans have plenty of those, even disposable ones. I, on the other hand, have none of that protection. If they decide they want to get rid of a possible ally for her…'

He would be getting his first taste of [Deathless] in very little time.

So his goal was always to establish first contact and a positive relationship with Nephis and let Fate run its course bringing Changing Star and Lost from Light together at the Forgotten Shore.

'In the original timeline, Nephis joined Sunny because of her need to protect Cassie - someone she had taken under her wing on a whim. I can't tell if it will occur again, with me interfering heavily in Cassie's situation. So, the best option would be to create a direct link between myself and Nephis, to guarantee the formation of our party.'

From there, they could assemble their cohort, while he used his leadership position with Sunny and Cassie to slowly nudge the group's objectives.

'Although I have no control over whether I'll be taken to the Forgotten Shore on the Winter Solstice, I don't think the Spell will forfeit the opportunity to unite us four. The Spell was created by Weaver to directly oppose Fate. Anyone hated by Fate must be considered a cherished friend.' His [Fateless] attribute was as much a boon as it was a curse.

After he got to his room, Jack smiled, feeling tired, but gratified as he lay on his bed. 'Step 02: Making Friends for Dummies, completed.' Cassie would be proud of him.

From then on, Jack felt more comfortable in fully focusing on strengthening his relationship with Sunny and Cassie, and also training, both in the control of his Aspect and in more esoteric abilities.

And like that, day after day passed, slowly turning into weeks.

And before Jack even knew it, the Winter Solstice was already here.