The Ivory Tower loomed majestically above Bastion, its silhouette a constant in the sky. Nestled on the island beneath it, the Chainbreaker bobbed gently on the lake, tended to by two diligent Firekeepers. Routine maintenance was essential—repairs, checks, and of course, the never-ending battle against grime.
"I swear, if Effie doesn't stop leaving her gum on the deck, I'll lose it," Gorn grumbled, his voice tinged with irritation as he conjured two extra arms to scrape the sticky remnants of Effie's habit from the wood.
"Quit your whining and be thankful I'm here to help," Sid shot back, sweeping the floor with a practiced ease. "You made your bed with her conditions, now lie in it."
Gorn let out a dramatic groan, muttering under his breath, "I didn't think the little beast would be so strong."
Sid paused her sweeping, casting a bemused glance at him. "You challenged Ling to an arm-wrestling match and lost. That's on you for underestimating him."
With an exasperated look, Gorn shot back, "You said he wasn't that strong! Sure, he's a saint, but he's just a kid!"
Sid burst into laughter, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Yeah, a kid who wiped the floor with you."
Gorn's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he gritted his teeth. "Yeah, yeah, screw you."
Just then, a small voice piped up from behind them. "Screw you?"
They turned, wide-eyed, to see little Ling standing there, a cheeky grin plastered across his face.
"No, no, no! You can't say that!" Gorn exclaimed, frantically waving his four arms in front of him.
Sid, still chuckling, looked down at Ling with a smirk. "You're in deep shit now. Effie is going to flip if she finds out Ling picked that up from you. She's been trying so hard to set a good example."
Ling giggled, repeating, "Deep shit! Deep shit! Auntie Sid is funny!"
Sid's laughter died abruptly as she realized the gravity of the situation. "No, bad Ling! Only adults can say those words!"
Gorn couldn't help but chuckle, patting Sid on the shoulder. "Looks like we're both in hot water now."
Sid shot him a glare that could melt steel before scanning the area for Ling's father. "There he is. Maybe he can take the heat for us."
"Yeah, if we're lucky, he'll take the fall," Gorn replied, a glimmer of hope in his voice.
Scooping up little Ling, Sid leaped from the Chainbreaker's deck, landing gracefully on the shore. She set Ling down and took his tiny hand. "Let's go see what your dad is up to, shall we?"
"Yeeees! Ling wants to tell Daddy all the new words he learned!"
'We're in so much trouble… great,' Sid thought as they rushed toward Ling's father. She plastered on a smile as they approached him. "Oh, I'm so sorry! Ling overheard a conversation between me and Gorn and picked up some… colorful language. Could you explain it to Effie so she doesn't kill us?"
Ling's dad glanced between Sid and his son, who was beaming up at him. "What did you learn, Ling? Speak to Papa."
"Screw you and deep shit!" Ling exclaimed proudly.
His father's expression shifted from surprise to amusement as he turned to Sid, a smile creeping onto his face. "I can't promise anything, but Effie's out visiting a friend right now. Let's hope she doesn't find out you two are responsible. If she does, I'll take the blame."
Sid's eyes lit up, and she clasped her hands together. "Thank you sooooo much! You're a hero!"
"No problem. Effie won't be too mad, anyway. She was going to have to deal with it eventually."
"Thanks again! I'll head back to Gorn now."
"Sure thing. You two look good together, by the way. I'm happy for you."
Sid's cheeks flushed as she waved her hands in protest. "What are you talking about? We're just friends!"
Ling's dad chuckled, a knowing smirk on his face. "Whatever you say."
Meanwhile, down at Sunny's Café, a lively game of Uno was underway, accompanied by the sweet aroma of cake and coffee.
"Damn it, I don't have a green card!" Effie exclaimed, frustration bubbling over as she drew another card.
"Guess it's my turn then," Nephis said, laying down a Plus 4 card, leaving her with just one card left.
"Oh, you thought you had me, didn't you?" Sunny chimed in with a chuckle, slapping down another Plus 4 card.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Jet groaned, letting out an annoyed sigh as she drew eight cards.
"Sorry, but that's how the game goes," Sunny said with a cheeky grin.
"Can we please do something else next time?" Cassie interjected, her tone pleading.
Nephis looked at her in surprise. "Why? This is fun!"
Cassie tilted her head, gesturing to her blindfold. "Take a guess, Neph."
Nephis burst into laughter. "Oh, I'm sorry! I forgot for a second."
With a sigh, Cassie returned to her Braille book.
"I promise I'll make some Braille cards before we meet again," Sunny said gently.
Cassie's face brightened, and she turned to Sunny, her smile radiant. "Really? Thank you, Sunny! That would be wonderful."
Sunny chuckled and turned to Jet. "By the way, how did the meeting with Wake of Ruin go?"
Jet had left earlier to brief Wake of Ruin about the events in Godgrave, or at least their version of it. "It went fine. The old man was surprised that you beat us all, but I think it convinced him to drop the idea of making you a government agent."
Sunny breathed a sigh of relief. "So everything turned out okay, then?"
Effie nodded, placing down a card. "This game is the worst. Still no green card for me. I guess it's game over for Neph if she has one with the right color or number."
"Funny you say that, because I do," Nephis declared, slapping down her last card and shouting, "Unooooo!"
Sunny gathered the cards, preparing to shuffle them again. "Congrats! It only took you twelve rounds to win a game."
Nephis pouted, playfully punching him in the shoulder. "That's only because you're cheating with your shadows!"
Suddenly, Sunny froze, staring blankly at the table, the deck of cards still in his hand.
"What's wrong? Are you mad because Neph called you out?" Jet teased.
To everyone's surprise, Sunny remained silent.
"Ahem, everything alright, Sunny?" Nephis asked, her concern growing.
But Sunny didn't respond; his mind was elsewhere. His body tensed, fists clenched, and the café's atmosphere shifted, growing colder and darker. The pressure in his hands built until the cards exploded, scattering everywhere.
Everyone flinched, and Effie exclaimed, "Jeez! No need to destroy the cards!"
After a tense moment, Sunny stood up, shouting, "OUT! NOW!"
Anger radiated from him, his eyes blazing with fury. No one dared question him as they scrambled out of the café.
Sunny followed, dropping to one knee and slamming his fist into the ground, shattering the pavement in a four-meter radius. Breathing heavily, he stood, trying to regain his composure.
"I'm sorry, but something happened. I need the Mimic somewhere else."
Then, as if on cue, the entire café dissolved into shadows, leaving only a gaping hole where the basement had been. Sunny sighed deeply, finally calming down. "I can't believe I let that happen. I hope she's alright."
Nephis approached cautiously, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, what happened? I've never seen you this angry before."
"I'm sorry. It's just… my sister was attacked, and I had to get her out of there fast."
"You have a sister?" Effie asked, eyes wide with surprise.
"You never mentioned her," Jet added, confusion lacing her voice.
Kai nodded silently, mirroring their sentiments.
"Yeah, I guess I forgot to mention her," Sunny admitted.
Just then, the Mimic reappeared where it had been before. Everyone froze as the door swung open, revealing Sunny drenched in blood, cradling an unconscious girl with black hair and pale skin—she looked as though she had emerged from a sea of crimson.
Sunny shadow-stepped beside his clone, taking the girl from his arms and dismissing the Avatar. "Let's get back inside. I think it's safe to say you have a lot of questions."
The group, still reeling from the shock of the sudden turn of events, followed him inside without uttering a word.
Sunny summoned two Avatars—one to clean the café, which was now stained with blood, and the other to fetch a mattress and blanket from the basement. When the second Avatar returned, Sunny gently laid the girl, Rain, down on the mattress and covered her with a blanket.
Nephis knelt beside Rain, instinctively beginning to heal her, but Sunny placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head. "It's fine. She's not hurt. At least, not physically."
Confusion clouded Nephis' eyes. "Then where did all this blood come from?"
Sunny waved his hand toward the table they had occupied earlier, and one by one, they settled down. He let out a heavy sigh, his voice darkening as he spoke.
"The blood you see isn't hers; it belongs to a band of Masters I just eliminated in Ravenheart."
A chilling silence enveloped the group, only to be broken by Kai after a few tense moments.
"You took out a group of Masters? What drove you to that? What happened to your sister?"
"Yeah, and it looks like you went all out, considering you both are drenched in blood," Effie added, her concern palpable.
Sunny exhaled deeply, folding his hands in front of him, the weight of his words pressing down on him.
"Yes, I took down five Masters in Ravenheart. They were trying to Rape my sister."
Shock rippled through the group as Sunny began to recount the harrowing tale.
"My sister lives in Ravenheart with her family, though she has her own place. To her, I'm just her teacher—nothing more. I've crafted this persona of an ancient, slightly mad deity to keep her from prying too deeply into my life. But today, after she returned from a hunt, I waited for her in an alley while she visited a natural hot spring. Normally, everything is fine, but when she took longer than usual, I grew uneasy. I followed my instincts and heard a muffled scream. I shadow-stepped toward the sound, and what I saw was horrific: she was on the ground, one man looming over her while two others restrained her, and the last two were tearing her clothes off."
His voice trembled as Nephis took his hands, offering comfort.
"Keep going, it's okay."
Sunny took a breath, steadying himself.
"I acted without hesitation. I shadow-stepped right behind one of them and drove my hand through his back, piercing his heart. The others tried to scream, but before they could, I summoned shadow hands that tore them apart in an instant. I scooped up Rain, who had fainted from the trauma, and shadow-stepped far away, summoning Mimic. You know the rest."
Silence fell once more until Cassie broke it.
"Thank goodness you were there. I can't even imagine what might have happened otherwise."
Sunny clenched his fists, his teeth grinding together.
"I know, but the mere fact that she was attacked makes my stomach churn."
"It's okay, Sunny. You stopped the worst from occurring," Nephis reassured him softly.
"I just hope she'll be alright when she wakes up. It must have been terrifying for her. She just awakened a few days ago and was so eager for her first hunt as an Awakened. To have it end like this is a nightmare."
Jet looked at him with understanding.
"You're right, it's deeply traumatizing. You know how things are in the outskirts; such horrors are common. But I never thought it would happen in a Grand Citadel like Ravenheart."
Sunny's eyes widened in surprise.
"I'm sorry to hear that it happened to you."
"It's fine; it didn't happen to me. I was saved by a mysterious stranger—a man whose face I never saw. He ripped the guy off me and plunged a knife into his chest. He didn't say a word, just nodded and vanished."
"I'm sorry you had to endure that, Jet."
"Well, it is what it is. Just like your sister, I was saved, and I know what she needs now: a peaceful place to recover. So take care of her."
Sunny shrugged, his voice steady.
"Of course I will; she's my little sister."
After that, Kai, Effie, Jet, and Cassie departed, leaving Sunny and Nephis behind. Sunny tidied up the café and carried Rain to the bathroom, allowing Nephis to tend to her while he prepared a guest room for her stay. They couldn't return to Ravenheart just yet; the Citadel was likely on lockdown due to the five dead Masters Sunny had left behind.
"I should have hidden their bodies, but it's too late now. All we can do is keep her here for a few weeks until things cool down in Ravenheart."
Nephis entered, cradling the still-unconscious Rain, now clean and dressed in fresh clothes.
"I healed her minor bruises and scratches. Other than that, she seems fine. You prevented the worst."
Sunny approached Nephis, taking Rain from her arms. He gently laid her down, tucking her in, and scribbled a note to her, placing it on the bedside table.
[You're safe and in my house. Come down when you feel ready. Your teacher :)]
Then they left her to rest and headed downstairs.
Twenty minutes later, Rain stirred, cold sweat trickling down her face as the rhythmic ticking of a clock filled the room.
'Where am I? The last thing I remember is that one of the attackers had a hand piercing through his chest. That must have been my teacher.'
She lingered, her gaze wandering around the unfamiliar room.
'There's a note.'
She picked it up and read it, tears welling in her eyes as she pressed it to her chest, whispering with a quiver in her voice, "Thank you."
After a few moments, she pulled back the curtains, and her jaw dropped.
'How on earth am I in Bastion?'
She found a hoodie and pants left by her teacher, dressed quickly, and opened her door, heading down the stairs.
She had never been in her teacher's home before; she always assumed he was homeless. He had told her otherwise, but who would believe the tales of a madman?
'It's actually nice here. I didn't think he lived so close to Bastion.'
As she descended the stairs, she heard voices—one unmistakably belonging to her teacher. The other voice sounded familiar, yet she couldn't place it.
'Who's that? I think I recognize it, but from where?'
Emerging from the stairs, she found herself in a hallway lined with doors and another staircase leading to the basement.
'He even has a basement? Wow, and I'm living in one. How embarrassing.'
She continued down the hallway, stopping as the voices grew clearer, and what she overheard piqued her interest.
"I told her, but she didn't believe me."
"I'm surprised she even remembers that."
'Told me what? Remember what?'
"Well, I never mentioned it before I lost my fate, so there was nothing for her to forget."
'Lost his fate? What is he talking about?'
"So you were her teacher before? But you never told her? Why not?"
"Jeez, Neph, could you mind my flaws? You know I have to answer all these questions. Yes, I was her teacher, and no, I never told her. The reason is simple: I was terrified of how she would react."
'He was my teacher before what? What was he afraid of telling me? Eavesdropping is so frustrating!'
"I get that you were scared back then; you just reunited with her. But I think it's time to tell her now."
"I did."
"Haha, yeah, but from what you told me, she probably thinks everything you say is a lie."
'Wait, it's not? How?'
"Of course. That was the plan. I can't have her asking too many questions; otherwise, she might get too involved."
"She's living in Ravenheart as an Awakened, Sunny. Her involvement is practically guaranteed."
'This is getting more complicated. I need to ask them, but not yet.'
"I know. I wish I could take her somewhere safe, far from all this bloodshed and violence, but I know it would do more harm than good. She's an adult; I can't dictate her choices. She needs to make her own mistakes to grow into her own person."
"I'm proud of you, Sunny. I didn't expect such a mature understanding of adulthood from you, given your upbringing."
'Wait a minute... is that... is that Changing Star? What is she doing here? Why is she with my teacher?'
"Hmmm, I guess I'll have to show you just how much I understand adulthood."
"Oh, Sunny, wait! What if she wakes up?"
"Then I'll have to explain one more thing. I told her about us before, but she didn't believe me, of course."
"Mhhhh, so that's how it is? You keep our relationship a secret from others by making it sound like a lie?"
"Of course not, but it's a riot pretending to be an all-powerful deity in her presence!"
'This can't be real. He actually didn't lie? Was it all just an act? This guy is something else.'
As she shifted her stance, the wooden floor creaked beneath her, freezing her in place. Just then, Nephis's voice floated in from the dining area, tinged with impatience.
"I knew this would happen. You can come in now, Rain."
A flicker of panic coursed through Rain; there was no escape route. With a deep breath, she stepped out of the hallway and into the dining area.
"Hey, I just woke up. Sorry for eavesdropping."
Sunny exhaled softly, a warm smile gracing his lips.
"It's all good. I know you have questions, but first, how are you holding up?"
Rain hesitated, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"I'm fine, thanks for saving me, by the way. I don't know what I would have done without you."
"That's a lie."
Rain's eyes widened in surprise at her teacher's bluntness. She tried to maintain her façade.
"Wha... what? I'm not lying. I could never have defended myself against five masters."
"You know I'm not referring to those five bags of scum. Have you forgotten who taught you the art of deception, how to slip away from perilous situations? Now, answer my question again, because I won't pretend you're okay just because you say so."
Tears welled up in Rain's eyes, and she crumpled to the floor—at least, that's how it would have gone if Sunny hadn't shadow-stepped beside her to catch her before she fell.
She wept uncontrollably, all the pent-up emotions from her ordeal bursting forth like a dam breaking.
Sunny held her close, unsure if that was what she needed, but as he began to pull away, Rain clung to him, unwilling to let go. Between sobs, she managed to speak.
"You're right... I'm not fine... Thank you, teacher... for saving me... I felt so powerless... they were so strong... I couldn't even scream."
"Shhh, it's alright. You're safe now. They will never harm you again, I promise."
After a few minutes, Rain's sobs began to subside, and she loosened her grip on Sunny. He looked at her with a gentle smile.
"I know; I saw you take one of them down. The others are also gone, I assume?"
Sunny nodded, and Rain sighed, wiping her tears away.
"Thank you."
"Of course, I'll always be here for you. I'm your older brother, after all."
Rain froze, momentarily speechless, as if Sunny had spoken in a language she didn't understand.
"What? So you really meant it when you said you're my brother? How is that even possible?"
"Let's sit down first, and I'll explain everything."
Nephis gently guided Rain to a chair, and they settled in while Sunny headed to the kitchen for tea and cake.
"I can't believe he didn't lie."
Nephis chuckled, taking one of Rain's hands in hers.
"Well, you'll be in for a surprise when you learn what his flaw is."
Rain's eyes widened in disbelief as Nephis held her hand.
"I'm sorry, but am I even allowed to be in the presence of the legendary Changing Star?"
Nephis laughed, patting her shoulder.
"Of course! And please, drop the title. Just call me Neph. Apparently, we've met before, but I suppose you forgot me for the same reason I forgot you."
Rain was taken aback by those words.
"Wha... what do you mean we've met before? I think I'd remember meeting the Changing Star of the Immor... I mean, if I had."
"Ah, I know it's all quite bewildering. Let's wait for Sunny; he'll clear things up."
"Who's Sunny? You mean my teacher? He never told me his name."
Nephis was momentarily speechless, then shook her head with a sigh.
"Why am I even surprised? This guy is truly unbelievable."
Rain couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. Watching the legendary Changing Star behave like a regular person, rather than the ethereal deity the media portrayed, was downright hilarious.
"You're so different from what everyone says about you."
Nephis looked at her, curiosity sparking in her eyes.
"What did you think I was like?"
Rain pondered for a moment before responding.
"My dad works for the government, so I know there are always multiple sides to a person. I always figured that what the media shows us is just a sliver of the real Changing Star."
"Good answer. Well, you are Sunny's sister, so I didn't expect anything less from you."
Rain fell silent at Nephis's words, a mixture of disbelief and curiosity swirling within her.
"Is... it true? Is he really my brother?"