Nephis' Dream

Tired of waiting for her to wake up, Sunny had decided to travel to Nephis' dreams to see if Changing Star was still sane.^[1]

Sunny found himself on a dark shore and rode Nightmare along the cliff's edge. Dreams are unpredictable and dangerous, as they can contain threats that must be treated as real. Sunny knows Nephis is a strong dreamer, so her nightmares will likely be terrible.^[1]

The landscape shifts and Sunny finds himself in a ruined city that combines elements of the Dark City and the Siege Capital. He comes across an overturned PTV with faceless corpses inside. Following a trail of blood, he enters a business tower that resembles the dark river they once crossed.^[1]

In the tower's foyer, behind a reception desk, a young woman with silver hair sitting on the ground. She appears pale and tired, and her eyes lack light. Sunny addressed her as Neph, and she smiles in response.^[1]

In Nephis' dream, Sunny was struck by the rare sight of her beautiful smile, which makes her appear softer and younger than usual. He reflected on how infrequently he has seen her smile and felt regret. Nephis was hiding from bad people and Sunny offers reassurance. Eventually, she realized that it was not real and expressed surprise that she hasn't dreamt in a long time.^[2]

Gradually, the dream shifts, transforming the dark space into a scorching desert. The sand turns pristine white, and the dark tree behind them bears scarlet leaves and countless skulls hanging from its branches. There were two human figures were cruelly nailed to the tree, hanging from it like prisoners. One of them was a man with black hair, dressed in dark clothes. The other was a woman in white, her hair glistening like silver. Sunny cannot see the faces of two human figures, but he knows it's perhaps better that way.^[2]

Overwhelmed by emotions, Sunny struggles to find the right words. Finally, he admitted that he missed her which Nephis reciprocated, and he confronted her about leaving him behind. She explained that her choice was for self-preservation, not wanting to watch him die. Sunny's anger intensified as he demanded to know why she even cares whether he lives or dies. Nephis meets his gaze, her silver hair dancing in the wind, and simply states, "Because I do."^[2]