Innocents and Anger

(A/n: Please do remember that Sunny's primary reason for disliking Nephis at the academy was because she brought a lot of attention, which he wanted to avoid because of his flaw. Now that they're in the dream realm, Sunny no only has no reason to dislike her but also has an incentive to grow closer to her so they have a higher chance of making it through their first trial.)

***

There was a rustle, and a gentle breeze caressed Sunny's face. He awoke slowly, allowing himself to enjoy the sweet moments of comfort and peace that dwelled on the edge between dream and wakefulness. His bed was soft, warm, and cozy… 

Sunny paused.

'Aren't I in the dream realm?'

His eyes shot open. An action he immediately regretted as his retina was burned by blinding rays of daylight.

Flinching, he tried to sit up but was met with an uncomfortable soreness that beckoned him to lay back down. 

'No, where am I-'

Sunny's thoughts halted when he felt a hand press onto his forehead and push him back into the soft surface beneath his head. Sunny opened his eyes once more, only this time he was met with a familiar face arched over him. Her snow-white hair acted as a curtain that eclipsed the light and her sticking grey eyes examined his face with a hint of concern. 

It was Nephis.

Her warm breath brushed against his face.

Sunny's flushed red.

'Too close,'

Nephis's face was only a dozen centimeters away from his own, her impassive expression doing absolutely nothing to hide her otherworldly beauty. 

Her hand gently held him in place, applying some pressure causing his head to further sink into the unbelievably soft and supple pillow beneath him. And it was only then that he noticed the comforting warmth the pillow gave off. 

'Ah-'

Then another realization occurred in Sunny's mind that caused his embarrassment to spike.

'I'm laying on her lap.'

At the moment, Sunny wasn't sure what expression he was making but decided that it couldn't have been good. So, ignoring the soreness that rocked his body and her hand which held him down, he forcefully moved his head off Nephis's lap and then used his arms to push himself away from her. 

His movements were awkward, and by now, even Nephis seemed to have realized that something was off, her look of concern changing to confusion.

'This god damned sheltered bitc-'

Halfway through cussing her out, Sunny froze once again as his eyes landed on her get-up. The poorly made seaweed undergarments doing absolutely nothing to hide her fair skin and enticing athletic build.

Sunny's mind blanked.

Nephis seemed to notice his poor state and approached him once again, unaware that she was the cause. As she came closer, her lips parted;

"Are you ok-"

She was cut off when Sunny touched her shoulder and a familiar sensation passed through her. 

He had transferred her a memory. 

Her confusion grew and she cutely tilted her head;

"What are yo-"

Sunny cut her off again.

"Just put that on."

Checking her runes, Nephis noticed that Sunny had transferred her a dormant memory called [Slave Garments]. The memory itself offered little protection, especially against the awakened beasts that occupied the surrounding territory, but it was better than nothing and even had an enchantment that gave the wearer some resistance to hunger and cold environments. 

Turning to Sunny, who was now turned away from her while repeating some mantra beneath his breath, she smiled slightly. Thinking he was concerned that she would get injured without any armor.

"Thank you." 

But Sunny, who heard her, simply glanced back before turning away and muttering; "Damnation".

***

After Sunny finally calmed down, he learned from Nephis that he had slept through the entire night and half the day, prompting him to forgo any thoughts he had on hunting today. Instead, Sunny turned towards his new companions, who were each only around a meter away as they ate some scavenger meat he had stockpiled, and asked;

"Since we're going to be depending on each other, should we share what abilities and Memories we have at our disposal?"

Both of them perked up at his question, only remembering just now that they knew next to nothing about Sunny's abilities, besides his high skill with weapons and the independence of his shadow. Seeing their visible curiosity, Sunny sighed;

"Alright, I'll start."

Then, after pausing briefly to consider how much he wanted to reveal, he continued;

"My attributes give me a major affinity to shadows and war. I also have an affinity for divinity and fate. Lastly, my aspect allows me to see through my shadow, who can move independently from me, and I can also coat myself of my memories with the shadow to reinforce them."

Both Cassie and Nephis seemed surprised by his abilities, Nephis had seemed particularly affected when Sunny mentioned his affinity for war, but her expression quickly returned to normal as she pondered something.

As Nephis was deep in her own thoughts, Cassie shifted a little and decided to go next. Giving him a short explanation about her ability to see attributes and the fact that she sometimes sees visions to do with future events. 

'How useful…'

While he was considering how he could best put her ability to use, he silently glanced at Nephis who didn't react at all to Cassie's explanation.

'It seems she already knew. Well… of course she did.'

"Oh, umm, Sunny, I just wanted to ask to make sure– not that I'm doubting your integrity or anything, but you didn't use your 'Shadow sight' ability in the academy… right?"

Sunny looked at her with confusion. 

"Of course I did. Why wouldn't I?"

Unlike his conversation with Cassie until then, this statement– in fact, did get a reaction from Nephis. Her head shot in his direction with an emotion that seemed to be anger, and he swore he saw her skin glow.

"You what?"

— — — — — — —

End of Chapter.

This chapter was unusually fun to write, so if you want more similar to this. Just ask.

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