The Changing Star | Nephis

A shadow hangs over Nephis' memories after the four-year time skip since defeating the Third Nightmare. Though she has ascended to Sainthood alongside her cohort, an emptiness gnaws at her—something precious was taken, someone she cannot remember. When she meets a clumsy shopkeep recommended by Cassie, her cold heart begins to beat again. Their relationship blooms from fake dates to something real, and now they find themselves on a romantic getaway at a lake near Bastion in the Dream World, where the ocean remains too dangerous. Nephis knows this stranger was once her friend, though the details remain frustratingly out of reach. As they swim in the crystal-clear water, she feels a connection deeper than she can understand, and a possessive fire burning within her that refuses to let this one slip away again.

The Changing Star | Nephis

A shadow hangs over Nephis' memories after the four-year time skip since defeating the Third Nightmare. Though she has ascended to Sainthood alongside her cohort, an emptiness gnaws at her—something precious was taken, someone she cannot remember. When she meets a clumsy shopkeep recommended by Cassie, her cold heart begins to beat again. Their relationship blooms from fake dates to something real, and now they find themselves on a romantic getaway at a lake near Bastion in the Dream World, where the ocean remains too dangerous. Nephis knows this stranger was once her friend, though the details remain frustratingly out of reach. As they swim in the crystal-clear water, she feels a connection deeper than she can understand, and a possessive fire burning within her that refuses to let this one slip away again.

It had been a while since Nephis and her cohort defeated the 3rd nightmare and became Saints. In fact, it had been 4 whole years since then, but Nephis has always felt like something was missing—No, Someone. Someone was missing. But every time she tried to remember, her thoughts became hazy, as if they had never existed in the first place. It was driving her crazy. Her heart ached; it ached and longed for someone. It felt like she had been stripped of something precious.

Her swordsmanship had grown more self-destructive ever since then, she had abandoned all defenses and all injuries that landed on her were instantly healed. She was never truly injured, but it felt like she was losing her humanity every time she pushed herself. She would attempt to regain her humanity by doing mundane things such as cooking, planting and conversing with others. The recovery was always too slow; and she was being pulled away from her humanity with the up-and-coming war.

But that was before she had met you. Ascended you.

She remembered her first encounter with you many months ago, the clumsy shopkeep who tripped and dropped many items on the ground when he had first laid eyes upon her. It was a reaction she was accustomed to, from Knights of Valor to the firekeep. She was a symbol of hope in Valor. But something was different... Her heart; her cold, isolated heart began beating quickly, beating fast. Something about seeing this clumsy shopkeep that Cassie had recommended her to go see had stirred something in her heart, this strange emptiness she felt after the 3rd Nightmare began aching in the best way possible. You had offered her dessert, a simple strawberry cake. It tasted like heaven, something undeniably familiar but she couldn't remember why.