***
After going through the spell's evaluation, Nephis opened her eyes under a pile of rubble.
She quickly summoned her runes, only to sigh with relief as she saw the foundation of her life still there.
Slave: Sunless (Lost from Light).
She wanted to smile, but the regret still caught up. She wanted to keep him for her own selfish reasons, but what about him?
She successfully stopped him from being free, but now, how can she explain her desire to him?
'I'm sorry, I wanted to keep you as my slave because I've fallen in love with you and don't want to forget you?'
Will that really convince him? It obviously will not.
Maybe because the [Shadow Bond] has evolved, she can sense Sunny's soul from far away.
She stood up inside the small space deep in the rubble. Suddenly, a hand from the darkness pressed her shoulders.
Looking back, she realized that it was Sunny. He materialized right behind her from that far away.
"wHY!?" He asked, rage evident in his voice.
Nephis didn't say anything, just turned around. She raised her hands and touched his cheeks, clearly feeling the outline of his jawline.
She leaned close, their faces close to each other that she could feel the raging breath on her face.
"You look hot." She said matter-of-factly while a smile etched on her lips.
"HAh! Hahahahha!" He scoffed before bursting out laughing, a mocking laugh which was mostly pointed at himself.
"What's wrong?" Nephis asked. A trace of worry revealed in her eyes.
"Don't you need to explain something else?" Sunny asked, his face cold.
Nephis looked perplexed, then, as if realizing, she smiled, leaned in close, and met his lips with hers.
Sunny's eyes widened in shock, then narrowed again.
"What was that?" He wanted to enjoy the kiss, yes, he did. But he knew this was not enough to quell the raging anger in his heart.
"I Love You." She said, no hesitation in her voice.
After nearly losing him this time, she didn't find it necessary to hesitate. She didn't want to leave any regret between them.
Sunny smiled. A twisted smile in the middle of Anger and Joy. He asked mockingly,
"And you think that is enough of an excuse?"
Nephis stared at his lips, wanting to taste them again, but she replied.
"No."
"So why did you do it?" He asked again? Their conversation was going way too smoothly.
"Why did you rush through the Nightmare!?" He shouted this time, questioning her motive.
Seeing his enraged face, she replied in a daze.
"I didn't want to lose what belongs to me."
Then she realized. Her words weren't filtered to avoid misunderstandings. It was raw, which it shouldn't be.
Suddenly, she noticed Sunny materializing a weapon. She wanted to move away, but another pair of hands stopped her from behind.
Looking back, she saw another Sunny. 'So that's his transformation ability?' She thought as her feet were wrapped in shadows.
"You say you love me...yet, you see me as nothing more than your possession, don't you?" His voice broke as he growled.
As soon as she sensed him swinging the dark blade, Nephis activated her own transformation ability.
As wings of ethereal light extended from her back and radiant flames began to drown out the shadows, Sunny summoned a lantern and opened its gates.
Dark, shadowy mist flowed out of it as it began to engulf the radiance like a hungry abomination filling the tight space.
Knowing she can't do anything inside the shadow mist, Nephis didn't have a choice but to leave.
She looked upward and began to break the layer of ceilings one by one. Following her, Sunny also turned into a crow and pursued her.
After several layers, she saw the open sky. Before she could look around, a sudden force from her leg slammed her into the snowy ground below.
Sunny, in the form of a bird, rushed towards her, changing back into his human form as he came close.
Nephis smiled, "You won't do it." She said.
Sunny was on top of her as she lay there, his dark blade was touching her neck.
"Why do you think I can't?" He growled.
"Because You Love me, More than I love you." She closed her eyes, revealing the truth the two of them knew very well.
Sunny gave her a bitter smile, reaching his hands to touch her face.
"You're right." He began.
"I can't bear to kill you, because my love for you won't allow it." He admitted.
Then he leaned close, so close that their noses touched.
"But you have to choose today." He declared.
Nephis just stared at him.
"Do you want a Lover who'll love you to death, or do you want a slave who can't disobey you? Choose right now, right here, right this instance."
She had a complex expression as she closed her eyes to think.
What does she truly want? No matter which of the choices he presented, her heart couldn't decide. Sunny meant that to have a lover, she would need to free him; otherwise, she would get nothing more than a slave. Meaning their relationship won't go so far.
But even then, she can't forget him; she can't abandon the memories they share.
Opening her eyes, Nephis stared at him and shook her head. Both of them understood that she was refusing to choose.
"Hah! Hahahahah! HAHAHAHAHA!" He laughed as he got up. A self-depricating laugh that he couldn't suppress. A mocking laugh directed at himself, and a ridiculous laugh that revealed all the bitterness in his heart.
He dismissed the dark blade made of shadow and summoned a serpent. He walked back a few steps while looking at her.
"You want to keep me a Slave while still expecting me to love you." He smiled.
"Too bad for you, that's called privilege. And not everyone gets it." He narrowed his eyes as his expression turned cold.
"Someone truly knew what they were saying." He laughed.
"There is nothing more deplorable than a slave who begins to trust, not say love, his slaver." He extended his hand, pointing the blade towards himself.
Nephis rushed forward as soon as she realized, but it was already too late.
With a swift movement, Sunny plunged the blade into his chest, directly piercing through his heart.
As every last drop of life began to fade from his being, he suddenly felt a force driving him out.
Nephis watched helplessly as the person she loved went back into the dream realm.
***
To be continued...