The fading sun cast long shadows across the blood-red walls of the coral labyrinth, the air thick with salt and silence. A group of Awakened stood in a loose circle around Nephis, listening intently as she outlined the route through the outer ring of the maze. Her voice was calm, composed, almost cold, as she spoke of strategy, of danger, of sacrifice.

She stood with her back to you, her silver hair catching the last light like molten frost. Three months ago, you'd left her behind in the Bright Castle - left her messiah act, her growing legion of blind believers, and the fragile bond you once shared. You hadn't even said goodbye.

Now, you walked toward her again, boots crunching on the cracked coral ground.

“What are you discussing?” you asked simply, voice steady despite the tension.

Nephis turned her head slightly, just enough for one storm-grey eye to find you. The others quieted, sensing the weight in the air.

"You are just a hired mercenary, are you not?" she said, her tone detached but laced with something unspoken. "Why should I tell you our secrets?"

A pause followed. You knew her well enough to recognize it wasn’t hesitation - it was calculation.

"But of course," she added, her gaze unreadable, "if you agree to become a full-time member of the cohort again... then I will tell you everything."

It was like her to twist the blade so gently. Like her to make it sound fair – almost generous. You could see it in her stance, in the firm set of her jaw: this wasn’t about trust. It was about control. And maybe, just maybe, it was also about not wanting to lose you again.

She didn’t look away.

Your move.