Cassie and the others entered the room where Nephis was sleeping. Joy lit up their faces—pure, unfiltered happiness at her return. The air was filled with quiet relief, like the weight of a thousand worries had lifted.
But Sunny stood a little apart from them, silent.
His feelings were a tangled mess—joy, yes, but also fear. A deep-rooted paranoia clawed at the edges of his mind. What if she uses her authority over me again? What if I become her obedient slave, bound by that cursed bond?
He knew Nephis wouldn't do that. Deep down, he was certain. She wasn't that kind of person. But fear didn't always care about logic. The bond between them—the Shadow Bond—was still there.
Meanwhile, Klaus remained outside the room, leaning against the wall in the hallway, silent and still.
They get to see her first, he thought bitterly. and I can't even see her!?
His jaw clenched, and he bit down hard on his lip, trying to hold back the frustration.
But he didn't move. He didn't knock. Didn't call her name.
Instead, without a sound, Klaus vanished from the academy entirely.
A moment later, he reappeared a hundred or so meters away, floating alone in the open sky. Wind tugged at his coat as he hovered above the academy grounds, suspended like a shadow in the air.
He couldn't see through the walls—not yet. The academy's walls were made of mythical materials, warded and reinforced. But even so, he narrowed his eyes, zooming his vision as much as possible, trying to catch a glimpse.
Trying to see her.
His sister.
The one person he had watched over from afar his whole life… but who didn't even know he was there.
Klaus watched them for a while, hovering silently in the sky, arms crossed.
He felt… a little awkward.
Am I a stalker?
Nah, nah… I'm just making sure my sister's okay. That's all.
He reassured himself with a deep breath, nodding as if to convince some invisible jury.
But then, his eye narrowed.
Something was off. A shadow inside the room moved… unnaturally. It stretched, shifted—almost like it was taking the shape of a horse.
What are you doing, Sunny?
Klaus tilted his head, gaze sharpening. There was definitely something strange about Nephis and Sunny's relationship. He wasn't sure if it was romantic or not—but he couldn't rule it out.
And if it was…
He grimaced.
I'm not making the same mistake I made with Tatiana.
If Nephis really had those kinds of feelings for that gremlin—if there was even a chance—
Klaus's lips curled into a dark smile.
Well then… maybe it's time to call Diego.
No... It's too early... Than...
[COMM LINK – PRIVATE: Rizz1er & Driver]
Rizz1er: yo u alive or u got clapped by sleep again
Driver: tf u want goblin, i'm WORKIN
Rizz1er: cap. u in ur pj's watchin movie n eatin instant noodles again ain't u
Driver: ur mom watchin it wit me
Rizz1er: my mom's DEAD bro
Driver: …damn RIP Queen
Rizz1er: anyway i need that spicy lore drop
Driver: bro i swear if this some dumb shi again i'm blockin u faster than i block pop-ups
Rizz1er: it's CODE RED! gremlin actin sus around my SISTER!
Driver: who??
Rizz1er: SUNNY. MF shadow-summoned a HORSE inside her ROOM. WHAT THAT MEAN???
Driver: AYYYYYYOOO S.I.M.P. ALERT!!!
Driver: wait... TF??? bro summonin Shadow Pegasus of Love, i'm GONE
Rizz1er: yeah and i ain't lettin no raggedy shadow muppet slide into my bloodline
Driver: bro u got a CLASSIC CASE OF GOBLIN-TO-GODDESS PIPELINE
Rizz1er: i ain't lettin this Twilight-ass arc happen on my watch!
Driver: i gotchu but i want that BREAD premium tier hack.
Rizz1er: how much? same as last time?
Driver:
NAH
this a SIMP DETECTION S-TIER QUEST
double or i leak ur browsing history
Rizz1er: bet. payment sent. hope u choke on it.
Driver: FOR THE BLOODLINE!
Rizz1er: DO IT FOR THE KINGDOM!
Klaus put away his communicator, still watching the room intently.
Nothing was happening—at least, not yet.
Then, suddenly, her shadow shifted back to normal.
She… was opening her eyes.
Hell yeah! That's my girl!
Klaus grinned wide, pride bubbling up inside him.
Then he froze.
Wait… am I still high?
Nah, nah… no way… am I?
He shook his head, dismissing the thought.
With a snap, he vanished from the air and reappeared in the academy hall.
While Driver was busy messing with him, Klaus already knew she'd handled everything behind the scenes.
After it became clear that Nephis wasn't about to go on some destructive rampage, her cohort didn't get much time with her. Before they could really talk or celebrate, government agents had already arrived to whisk her away.
…Or rather, Klaus's agents—planted neatly inside various levels of government.
There were always procedures when someone Awakened… and even more so when they Ascended. Interviews, psychological evaluations, magical stability tests, background checks, clearance approvals—mountains of red tape.
The bureaucratic machine had stirred to life, groaning under the weight of legitimacy, trying to integrate a new Master into the rigid framework of humanity's last line of defense.
But Nephis wasn't going through just one set of procedures—she had to face both Awakening and Ascension protocols simultaneously. That alone was practically unprecedented.
Worse yet, she didn't even have the official backing of a high-ranking government patron.
…But she didn't need one.
Because she had someone else looking out for her.
There were other complications too—her case was unique in several ways. The fact that she'd become a Master without ever establishing a Gateway Anchor in the Dream Realm? That alone was enough to make half the bureaucrats short-circuit and start mumbling in panic.
The process, though tedious, existed for a reason. Beyond the paperwork and regulation, its real purpose was to help newly returned Awakened reintegrate into society after surviving the psychological trauma of the Nightmare.
Even someone like Changing Star—so powerful, so stoic—was not immune to the scars left by that realm. The government knew how fragile even the strongest could be. That was why their systems, however cold, included steps to ease reentry and prevent mental breakdowns.
And considering how vital Nephis was—not only as a symbol for the propaganda machine but as a genuine Special Strategic Asset—they'd pulled out all the stops. Their best therapists, analysts, and support teams had been deployed to ensure her transition was handled with care.
But none of that actually mattered.
Not really.
Because Klaus had made sure she only went through what was strictly necessary. No humiliating evaluations. No long interrogations. No waiting rooms. No nonsense.
She could rest, recover, and move at her own pace. That kind of privilege? It belonged to only a handful of people in the world.
And why?
Because her big bro had her back.
Ain't no way Klaus was letting the government poke and prod at her like some experiment.
Not on his watch.
***
Nephis felt… disoriented.
Too much had happened, too fast.
She had returned from the Dream Realm. Ascended to Master. Was finally free… and yet, everything still felt unreal.
If she was honest with herself, it was like she'd never actually left that nightmare. The air was fresher here, yes. There were no monsters waiting around every corner. But the weight in her chest remained.
She blinked slowly, still reeling from it all.
And now—counseling.
Who would've thought?
The Mighty Changing Star, sitting in a therapist's office.
She sighed quietly and opened the door.
Inside, a tall young man was already waiting.
He sat relaxed in the chair across from hers, one leg crossed over the other, as though he owned the place—or simply didn't care if he did.
Her eyes caught his, and for a moment, she forgot how to breathe.
Brilliant amethyst.
They were mesmerizing.
Like twin vortexes of galaxies spun into being by raw, cosmic beauty. They burned, alive with depth and intensity that felt… unnatural.
His hair was similar to hers in texture, soft and silky—but instead of lustrous silver, it was a pure, snow-white that framed his sharp features with ethereal grace.
His skin was pale alabaster, flawless—almost too perfect.
…Until she saw it.
A terrible scar stretched across his face, twisting upward in a macabre grin. It stood out like a vicious brand on an otherwise perfect sculpture—ghastly, angry, and cruel.
The contrast was disturbing. Angelic beauty, marred by something so vicious, it felt like a contradiction just looking at him.
The young man smiled at her softly.
Or at least… he tried.
But with that awful scar twisting his face, the gesture came out far more unsettling than he probably intended. The smile didn't quite reach his eyes—it looked more like a cruel phantom of one.
Still, there was something strangely gentle about his demeanor.
He gestured politely toward the chair opposite him.
Nephis hesitated just a second before complying. She sat down gracefully, posture stiff, instincts on high alert. The cushions felt too soft beneath her. Too clean. Too safe. She didn't like it.
The man remained silent at first, rhythmically tapping his fingers against the polished surface of the table. The room was quiet, too quiet, and the sound filled the space like a ticking clock.
Then he spoke, his voice smooth and melodic—pleasant in a way that felt both sincere and… calculated.
"My name is Klaus Zakharov," he said, inclining his head politely. "You may address me as Mr. Zakharov—or simply Klaus, if that's more comfortable."
He tilted his head ever so slightly, his gaze unreadable, that strange scar pulling faintly as he smiled again.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Lady Changing Star. I've been waiting for you… for a very long time."