Sunny was pondering his life choices while sitting in the back row of a crowded theater. The lights were already off, which obviously meant nothing to him. People seemed to be really excited to see a movie though... whatever the reason was. Everyone but him… and Nephis. He glanced sideways. She sat motionless beside him, her face calm, eyes fixed on the dim screen. It was strangely hard to be near her — harder still to avoid her. After all, when the rumors had started spreading that she was Mongrel in disguise, he'd felt compelled to set things straight. To tell the truth. To admit he was Mongrel. Things had spiraled from there. Cassie got involved, the Night Temple's schemes came next, and somehow, damned fate had tangled him with Nephis all over again.In the end, he knew they'd have to face the Second Nightmare together one day — just… not yet. She had her own mess to deal with now, tangled up in the Valor Clan's politics and bloodlines after become their adoptive daughter. In the darkness, somber music started to play, reverberating through the entire space and making the audience shiver. Effie suddenly jabbed her elbow into his ribs. "Do you know who is the composer for this thing? It's Griffin! I don't know how they managed to get him, but he scored the entire movie. Such an honor! Can you believe it?" Sunny had no idea who this Griffin guy was, but judging by Effie's reaction, he was someone famous. Massaging his ribs with a grimace, Sunny offered a stifled answer: He replied flatly, turning front once more. On the screen, the interior of a spacious and beautifully lit room appeared. A small girl with silver hair was playing on a carpet, while a handsome man with dark circles under his eyes was shown studying a map. Was that supposed to be Nephis? If so, her hair should have been black. It only turned silver after her First Nightmare. The girl, meanwhile, approached the table and reached to touch the strange sword that lay on it. The blade of the sword was short and misshapen, as though shattered a long time ago. Before the girl could cut herself, though, the man lifted the sword and brought it out of her reach. "This is not a toy, Nephis!" Sunny palmed his face and grimaced. "But, daddy… why is your sword broken?" "So what if it is broken? It is still sharp." Then, he put his hand on the girl's shoulder and looked at her with a very serious expression: "One day you will wield a sword too, darling. When you do, remember one thing: we, Awakened, only raise arms to protect humanity. As long as we don't give up, no matter how dire the situation is, there will be hope. Just sword, humanity is more resilient than it seems!' Sunny tilted his head. 'Wait, this doesn't even make sense…' The scene, however, was already over. The screen turned black for a few moments, and the movie transitioned into the future. Nephis — now a languid jade beauty with a slim waist, generous figure, long eyelashes, and mesmerizing grey eyes — was entering the Academy. What followed next though was something that made Sunny want to cry. 'What the Spell is this?!' The actor hired to play him… was a literal child! It was a teenage boy of about thirteen years of age, with a mischievous grin and a face that, for lack of better words, simply begged to be punched. Worse than that, he was shown as extremely uneducated, clumsy, and naive. Nephis, sitting beside him, slowly turned. Her expression was somewhere between pity and confusion — as though she was trying to decide whether to comfort him or laugh. He didn't need her pity! For origınal chapters go to 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✶𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮✶𝓷𝓮𝓽 He turned to Effie instead — and instantly regretted it. She was doubled over in silent laughter, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "Oh, man… whoever cast this movie deserves flowers," she wheezed. Even his shadows were laughing. Both of them! But the audiences attention was turned to something else. Something that ironically overshadowed him. Nephis' actor was a stellar jade beauty — even by Awakened standards. The actress for Asher, though… Sunny glanced at Kai, then back at the screen. He was just below Kai in terms of looks. And that was saying something. To Sunny's utter disbelief, every Former Dreamer from the Forgotten Shore let out a collective sigh when Asher's actor appeared. Well, he couldn't blame them. After all, Asher had long since surpassed Kai in looks after his fight with Gunlaug. There was simply no actor alive who could match the real Asher — a man whose looks could rival an Ascended's. As the somber score swelled, the screen showed Asher and Nephis standing in the falling snow, their gazes locked — the Song of Light and Darkness playing softly beneath their silence. The entire theater seemed to hold its breath. That was how they introduced the deuteragonist. Then the screen went black. Applause thundered through the theater. In the academy, the movie showed four people on a table, Cassie, Sunny, Nephis and Asher. Since Asher was pretty noisy in the group, he was pretty notorious at the academy. Asher was portrayed as the eccentric, slightly introverted troublemaker of the group — a portrayal that was, annoyingly, accurate. Then came the montage: Nephis and Asher sparring together, their swords flashing under sunlight, pushing each other harder, faster — their bond growing with every clash. And finally… that scene. A scene, neither Sunny nor Nephis, had expected. A quiet night. A moonlit garden. The two of them leaning on the railing, exhausted from training. "As expected," Nephis' actress said softly, "you learn quickly." Asher's actor gave that infuriatingly charming grin. "Please. Being taught by the mighty Changing Star? How could I not?" She laughed — delicate, musical. Then paused, squinting. "Wait… there's a bead of sweat here." The theater collectively leaned forward. She reached out to wipe his cheek. Her hand lingered. The background music dropped to a hush. Nephis' gaze softened. "I must say," Asher's actor whispered, "you look… quite beautiful tonight." There was no witty comeback. No deflection. Just a heartbeat — and then, their lips met. The camera panned to the night sky. And Sunny, sitting in stunned silence, felt his soul leave his body.