"I'll remember."
With that, she stood up and sighed.
"Our time is up. If I linger any longer, some people in Bastion might grow suspicious of the purpose of my visit."
Sunny nodded lightly and rose from his chair.
He had brought Cassie here from NQSC. So, he had to bring her back, as well.
Soon, the two of them appeared in a deserted alley in the depths of the outskirts. Cassie could use her own tether to return to Bastion immediately, but hesitated for a while.
Eventually, she said with uncertainty:
"I'm... I won't say anything about what is happening between Nephis and you in Bastion."
Sunny suppressed an embarrassed cough, feeling grateful for her decision to refrain from discussing that matter. The situation... was strange and complicated enough, already,
Cassie took a deep breath.
"I want you to know something, though."
He raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
She lowered her head.
"About how it feels, on the other side. You see... 1 can't quite imagine how you feel, being forgotten by everyone. But I do know how it feels to have forgotten. It is a strange thing. When we first met, I didn't know who you were - by all accounts, you were a stranger. And yet, there was this strange sense of familiarity. As if we've known each other all our lives."
Cassie took a deep breath.
"There were... other feelings, as well. Subtle and faint, but undeniable. I won't describe them. But I am sure that Nephis is being swayed by these unconscious thoughts, as well. Even if she can't retain the memories of you, the emotions those memories stir remain. So... she wasn't just captivated by Master Sunless because he is charming, handsome, and pleasant to be around."
Cassie faced Sunny once again.
"You might think that her feelings are not quite real, because her knowledge of you is not quite true... and maybe you are right. But I still want you to respect them."
She remained silent for a moment, then nodded.
"...That is all I wanted to say, You can decide what to do yourself"
Before Sunny could say anything, she was gone. He stared at the empty space where Cassie had stood expressionlessly.
After a while, he sighed.
'Did I just... get the "if you hurt her, I'll kill you" talk?'
The tone wasn't quite the same, but somehow, it did feel like that.
Chuckling, Sunny turned around and pulled on his tether.
'If I hurt Nephis, she'll kill me herself. Well... at least she'll try. I am a bit hard to kill these days