Some time later, all five members of the cohort finally found themselves alone. The Fire Keepers were still around, but decided to give their leaders some much-needed privacy. As the result, only Nephis, Sunny, Cassie, Effie, and Kai remained in a spacious hospital room.
Changing Star was standing by the window, looking at the peaceful landscape of the Academy ground with a strange, still expression. She seemed in much better mood, there was hint of relief and joy in her otherwise expressionless face.
The others gave her some space. Despite the fact that Nephis was standing right in front of them, it was not too easy to come to terms with the fact that she was actually, truly back. They were still struggling to get used to this new reality, but a warm wave of relief and happiness was slowly rising in their hearts.
Sunny was no different. It was just that his joy was somewhat overshadowed by a contradicting feeling of unease and apprehension.
Nephis had learned a lot from their conversation.
It was surreal.
They were all Masters now. More mature, more powerful… different. It felt like everything had changed while she was gone, and in a way, it had.
She listened in stunned silence as Cassie, Effie, and the others filled her in—bits and pieces at first, then a flood of revelations.
Finally, she blinked in disbelief and leaned back slightly.
"Wait… so, let me get this straight. You killed Saint Cormac, destroyed the Night Temple, fixed a flying ship, and now you have your own citadel?"
There was a beat of silence. Cassie coughed into her fist, glancing sideways with a sheepish expression.
"W-Well… not exactly."
Nephis narrowed her eyes.
Cassie chuckled awkwardly, raising both hands. "I mean, yes, some of that happened. But also… no?"
She rubbed her neck. "We didn't kill Saint Cormac. That was… someone else. A very complicated someone else."
Nephis arched an eyebrow.
"And the flying ship? I did fix it—kind of. But I had help. A lot of help. And technically, the ship was already his before that."
"…His?"
Cassie ignored the question and kept going.
"As for the Ivory Tower… yeah, uh, that's also not ours."
Nephis stared at her blankly.
Cassie gave a helpless smile. "Look, it's a long story."
Nephis leaned forward slowly, eyes narrowing.
"I have time."
Seeing Cassie so awkward only confused Nephis more. She frowned, tilting her head.
"So… who is this man? Is he a Saint? That would explain why he could kill another Saint—and have a citadel too."
Cassie fell silent, biting her lip. She wanted to tell Nephis how powerful, amazing, and—admittedly—a bit of an idiot Klaus was, but wasn't sure if Klaus would appreciate his secrets being spilled.
"I don't… I mean…"
Sunny sighed, leaning back with a dark look aimed at Cassie.
"You're just protecting him again, aren't you?"
Cassie gave a sheepish smile, making Sunny shake his head in bitter disbelief.
"In fact," Sunny continued, "that guy was just Awakened like us. He had those powerful echoes that fought Cormac until Sky Tide showed up. Then he used Sky Tide to make Cormac hesitate… but he also provoked him."
Nephis's frown deepened.
"Provoked him how?"
Sunny chuckled darkly.
"When Cormac was about to kill him for his insolence, he showed him… a photo."
"A photo?"
Sunny nodded, voice low and a little grim.
"Yeah. A photo of Cormac's son. The whole thing was planned from the start. Before fighting Cormac, he kidnapped his son. Then he used that boy to lower Cormac's guard, like he wanted to make a deal… when really, he created an opening for his echo to rip Cormac's heart out and kill him."
Nephis blinked, struggling to process the tangled web of stories.
Then, quieter, she asked,
"What about the Night Temple? The flying ship? The citadel? Or…"
Sunny shrugged, a dark smile playing at his lips.
"He destroyed the Night Temple too. Left notes scattered across the Chain Isles. Cassie found some of them—enough to rebuild the ship pretty quickly. I found a few as well."
He paused, eyes narrowing.
"But he deceived us, too. Those notes? They exploited my curiosity. I ended up releasing a fiend that killed hundreds. His escape from the temple is why we're stuck in this mess with the Valor Clan."
He leaned back, shaking his head.
"As for the Ivory Tower… well, he took ownership. Now it's his personal fortress."
Nephis was now thoroughly confused. More than that… she felt threatened by this mysterious man. Everything she had heard so far painted him as terrifying, unpredictable—and powerful. But the strangest part of it all was why Cassie seemed so insistent on protecting him.
She turned her gaze toward the blind seer, raising a single eyebrow. Her gray eyes were calm, yet piercing.
"What's his name, Cas? And… why are you protecting him?"
Cassie shifted in her seat, clearly uncomfortable.
Sunny remained silent, a small, petty smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he observed Cassie. He didn't speak, but the look said enough: Let's see you dodge that one.
But before Cassie could fumble her way through another excuse, it was Effie who cut in—mouth full of meat.
"Bah! Enough of this mysterious crap. His name's Klaus."
She chewed, swallowed, and casually added, "Anyway, I'll finish the story. So after that, we challenged the Second Nightmare, and this guy—Klaus—managed to kill another Saint. Oh, and yeah, he destroyed an entire island and killed thousands of warriors. Probably even broke some chains or whatever."
Nephis blinked.
Then slowly raised her other hand and grabbed her head.
"I… I think I need a moment. Wait—can you start from the beginning?"
And so, they did.
After they finished their explanation, Nephis just sat there.
She stared down at her food with a blank expression, not really seeing it—just absorbing everything she'd heard.
So… this Klaus did all of that. And that wasn't even the full story, since they clearly didn't know half of what he was doing behind the scenes.
But what truly shocked her wasn't the destruction, manipulation, or sheer scale of what he had accomplished.
It was the fact that this disturbing individual was, in fact...
"My therapist," she said flatly.
The room fell silent.
Everyone blinked.
"...What?" Effie asked, mouth half-full again.
Nephis looked up, her expression unreadable. "That Klaus… the same one who did all of this... he's the one assigned to help me through rehabilitation."
Sunny shot up from his seat like he'd been electrocuted. His voice was sharp, practically a growl.
"What did he do?! Did he say anything weird? Did he touch you? Harm you? Mess with your head!?"
Cassie groaned, dragging a hand across her face and glaring at him. "Oh, come on! Nik wouldn't do anything like that..."
Then she paused, her expression faltering.
Well…
Okay, maybe that was a stretch.
Yes, yes, Nik was technically a gentleman—at least for the first two dates. But once he got comfortable? Lazy, trolling clown. Still affectionate, sure, but in that infuriatingly smug way that made her question her life choices.
Who am I kidding? she thought, burying her face in her hands. He was only pretending to be normal to lure me in!
While Cassie mentally spiraled, Nephis finally responded, voice cool and composed.
"No. He didn't do anything inappropriate. In fact, he was… surprisingly helpful. A little unnerving, yes. His scar makes him little disturbing, but his Echo did most of the work."
She tilted her head, thoughtful.
"And honestly… I feel fine. Most of the psychological strain is gone. I feel like myself again. Maybe even better."
After a while, Neph weakly waved her hand.
"I… I think I need a break. Can you guys give me a few minutes?"
By then, it was already late into the night. It was dark outside the window, with only pale moonlight and powerful beams of defense turrets illuminating the black sky.
Sunny grew silent, then shrugged.
"Sure. You need some rest, anyway. We can continue in the morning. The government should be ready to release you by then, too. Have you thought about where you want to go? Staying here in the Academy is an option too, of course."
He thought for a few moments, and then added awkwardly:
"Uh… I feel stupid asking this, but do you have a place to stay? Do you have money? Are there people we need to contact? What is your clan's situation, exactly?"
Nephis absentmindedly touched her neck, then answered in a neutral tone:
"There is… a manor. That is pretty much the only property the clan has left. Everything else was liquidated and sold a long time ago. I sealed it before leaving for the First Nightmare, so it should have remained empty for the last three years. It's hard to say what state it's in."
She lingered for a moment, and then added:
"I should have a bit of money left. And there are no people. Most of our retainers fled over the years, and the rest left after my grandmother passed away. That… that was not too long before my Nightmare, too. I'll have to think about what to do now."
Before anyone could say anything, another voice cut in.
"I don't think you need to worry about that."
Nephis looked up, startled. It was her therapist?
But the comfort she once felt around him had faded. After everything she had learned—about the things he had done—Nephis couldn't help but feel uneasy in his presence now.
"Oh… Mr. Zakharov. It's good to see you again…" she said, her voice uncertain. "But… what do you mean by that?"
Klaus grinned, nodding at her with a dramatic flourish.
"Indeed, my beautiful lady. And as for what I mean… well, I'm willing to offer you a contract. One I'm sure will satisfy us both."
The cohort fell silent—but it wasn't Nephis who spoke first. Surprisingly, it was Cassie who found her voice.
"Nik, what do you mean?"
Klaus simply shrugged, settling beside her and placing a light kiss on her cheek.
"Well, she's your best friend, isn't she? So I figured I'd help her with her little problem."
Cassie smiled in appreciation, but Nephis was stunned.
Watching her like this was… disorienting.
Cas, when did you—!? I never thought you were that bold…
She looked down, feeling even more lost than before. So that's why she was defending Klaus… because they're together?
But everything she'd heard—everything they said about him—he was supposed to be a terrible person. Or… he had been.
Her eyes lifted again, narrowing slightly.
Or maybe… he's just ambitious enough to force his will upon the world.
That thought sent a chill down her spine.
that's dangerous...
Cassie, though clearly happy, still asked the most important question.
"So… what kind of contract is this?"
Klaus shrugged, leaning back with an air of arrogance.
"Nothing sinister, I promise. I'll take care of her well-being, cover her finances, and even restore her manor to its former glory…" He paused, flashing a grin. "Well, technically… it's a celebrity endorsement."
Nephis blinked, clearly caught off guard.
"Uhmm… what?"
Klaus grinned, leaning forward, a glint of greed flashing in his eyes.
"I own several companies," he said smoothly. "And having someone as popular and beloved as the Changing Star?" He chuckled. "That's a goldmine. Celebrity endorsement is all about associating a product or brand with someone admired, trusted, or followed by the masses. You, my dear, check all those boxes."
He paused, a greedy smile dancing on his lips.
Well… she'll actually get all the benefits, so it's fine… right?
It's not like I'm exploiting my own sister…
And sure, I'll gain a lot—but she'll finally solve her problems too.
Klaus leaned back, letting the thought settle in his mind, as if justifying it made it true.
"Anyway, let me break it down for you," Klaus said, his tone shifting into something smoother—polished, professional.
"A brand first identifies its target demographic—who they're trying to reach. That could be beauty-conscious teens, athletes, Awakened elites… anyone, really. The key is resonance." He smiled, eyes gleaming with intent. "And you, Nephis—you resonate with everyone."
He leaned forward, voice lowering slightly.
"Your image commands admiration, trust, and loyalty. That kind of influence? It's rare. With you as the face of my brand, I won't just be selling products. I'll be selling ideals. Aspirations. Dreams."
He straightened up with a confident nod.
"In return, you get stability, resources, and your legacy restored. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement. Efficient. Strategic. Elegant."
Nephis frowned. She… she didn't know much about marketing. All of this talk about brands and audiences left her a little lost.
Was she really that valuable?
"But… I don't think I'm—"
Klaus cut her off with a loud, incredulous snort.
"Please, my lady," he said, spreading his arms theatrically. "You're beautiful, beloved, and practically a living legend. You're the perfect person to promote anything."
He leaned in slightly, voice taking on a persuasive rhythm.
"Because it's you, people will connect emotionally with the product. They'll trust it. Crave it. You have no idea how much money people throw away on absolute garbage—just because some pretty face told them to."
He chuckled, eyes gleaming.
"But with you? It won't be garbage. It'll be gold."
Nephis tilted her head, a troubled look crossing her face.
This… wasn't exactly what she thought she'd be doing once she returned to the waking world.
"So… you'd lie? Manipulate billions of people?"
Klaus flashed a mischievous grin, completely unfazed.
"Wouldn't be the first time I've deceived billions," he said lightly. "And it's not really lying, just... guiding perception."
He leaned back, his tone taking on a rehearsed, corporate polish.
"People admire Lady Changing Star. They trust her. So when they see her name or face tied to something, they feel good about it. That emotional connection? It boosts sales like nothing else."
He smirked, voice dropping just slightly.
"It's psychology, not crime."
Klaus went on, painting a dazzling picture of the benefits she'd receive.
He spoke of how this would elevate her in the public eye—how it would amplify her fame, deepen people's trust in her, make her shine brighter than ever.
Of course, he didn't mention the downsides—scandals, overexposure, brand mismatch, or the fleeting nature of hype. No need to burden her with short-term pitfalls. Not when the fantasy sounded so sweet.
He shook his head slightly, clearing away the greedy fog from his thoughts.
"Do we have a deal?" he asked, flashing a charming, persuasive smile.
Kekekeke… I'm going to make a fortune.