Sunny made his way close enough to the mansion before using Shadow Step, clearing the rest of the distance in an instant. He had already located the room with his shadow sense so he directly materialised in a seat.
Nephis was surprised by his sudden appearance and flinched, ready to attack. She settled back down when she realised who it was.
The rest of the cohort he had grown familiar with was there too, all of them big names in the world now. Nephis, Cassie, Kai, Effie, and Jet were all at the table.
Sunny felt many emotions sitting with them, especially since they were treating him as a stranger. He stayed silent, so Cassie, who seemed to have been talking, continued.
"Nephis and I have been with Valor for close to five years now, they don't seem to trust either of us." She paused. "We still haven't been made privy to any meaningful information that can be used to take down the sovereigns."
She turned "Hopefully, the Lord of Shadows will be of help here as he has formed a close alliance with Valor." Sunny tapped the table twice, indicating that he wanted to speak.
"Morgan of Valor is willing to join the cause." His words caused a stir. Nephis turned to Kai but he shook his head.
Sunny was able to tell the truth because he wasn't wearing the Weaver's Mask, but the memory he had modelled in its image.
Cassie tilted her head before speaking again. "Then that is certainly better for us, but that's not the main issue."
She continued. "It is highly likely that we won't be able to find a weakness of either of the sovereigns, and the war is quickly approaching."
Nephis chipped in. "We have to prepare for the worst case scenario, the plan is to wait for the sovereigns to weaken each other before killing them, but this comes with a caveat."
Nephis looked over the cohort, her eyes lingering on Sunny. "None of us have the power to defeat even a weakened sovereign."
She continued. "Even if I have the justification, even if I have the public's favour. In the face of power, all of it crumbles."
Sunny listened quietly to her speech. Nephis paused, letting her point sink in, before continuing once again.
"In the third nightmare, I was able to come across the information that it is possible to advance in rank without the nightmares." Most of the cohort already had some clue, but for a few this was new information.
"I'm already working on establishing my domain to become a supreme myself, and I will continue to work on it throughout the war. If I fail, we can struggle but not emerge victorious. If any of you come across more information, all of us are to benefit if you share it."
Nephis concluded her speech and a silence fell over the room. Sunny spoke once again. "Do you need to be a sovereign to kill a sovereign?"
Nephis looked at him, puzzled. "There is an absolute gap in power. Do you have any suggestions?"
Sunny shrugged. "Nothing is absolute in this world. We will prepare in the case of your failure, I just hope you will all lend a hand when the time comes."
***
Nephis of all people knew that nothing was absolute. However, when it came to the sovereigns, their power was enough to overpower every saint simultaneously, herself included.
It wasn't absolute, but it was absolute enough for it not to matter. Looking at the Lord of Shadows, a faint trace of anger boiled in her heart.
She was angry at the Shadow Clan for hiding for so long, only emerging at the last moment when they could have prepared something for the inevitable war.
Nephis felt that the Shadow Clan was equally as irresponsible in the grand scheme of things, but tolerated them because they were providing help.
Their forces, however, wouldn't be of any use against the sovereigns. A saint was the pinnacle of what humanity had to offer, but a sovereign was someone that had stepped beyond that.
They were beyond human, closer to gods than they were to humans. No saint could stop one. This was what she truly believed.
Yet somehow, the Lord of Shadows had provided her hope. He had said that he would prepare in the case of her failure, to fight the sovereigns as saints.
There was no basis to his words. Perhaps it was witnessing the creation of the two obsidian rings at the ceremony that had made her believe that if anyone could, it would be him.
She almost laughed at herself. Nephis felt like she was grasping onto the slightest bits of hope, but she couldn't help herself.
Nothing was absolute, he had said so himself. Maybe, just maybe, he would be the one to prove that the difference between a saint and a sovereign wasn't so insurmountable.
She didn't put much weight on his words, planning to focus on attaining supremacy, but it was nice to have some hope to lean back on, no matter how small it was.
Nephis looked around the room, it was filled with people that were determined to realise their cause. She could see the flames of longing within them all.
Even the mysterious Lord of Shadows. Although muted, she could see a blazing inferno, he was a man of conviction, and she had the feeling he was a man that would make impossible things possible.
Nephis smiled. It was rare for her to express emotion, let alone for her to express it so openly and willingly.
She smiled at the people who were with her, and smiled at the future that seemed so distant yet so in reach.
For once in her life, she gave herself to hope. To the hope of a brighter and better future without the reign of the spell, and without the tyranny of the sovereigns.
'How beautiful would that be?' She couldn't quite imagine it, but she knew it would be truly spectacular.