He paused, and then added with a shrug
«It's not that strange. We all wear different masks when dealing with different people. A person will behave one way when they are with their family, act differently when they are with their colleagues, and put on a new mask when they meet their friends. I am much the same, it's just that I have many bodies, so I can wear all the masks at the same time.»
Cassie looked at him thoughtfully.
«Isn't it easy to lose sight of your true self that way?»
Sunny smiled.
«You might not know, but I am the world's topmost expert on not losing my true self. Shadows are formless and shapeless by nature, so I have to be careful not to forget the shape of my soul.»
She lingered for a while, then let out a wistful sigh.
«I'll have to ask you for advice one day, then. I also struggle with maintaining my sense of self. Living through other people's senses, and experiencing their innermost memories… can be disorienting, sometimes.»
Cassie smiled, then asked in a gentle voice:
«But, speaking of the Lord of Shadows… can I ask you something?»
Sunny glanced at her briefly.
«You can.»
She nodded, hesitated for a moment, and said:
«Before, you asked me to keep the true identity of Master Sunless to myself, saying that Nephis would not trust either if the connection between him and the Lord of Shadows was revealed. But now, you are not a stranger to her anymore. She has accepted Lord Shadow into her inner circle and entrusted him with her life. Likewise, Neph is… uh… sympathetic toward Master Sunless. Why maintain the charade?»
Sunny did not answer immediately, contemplating her question.
Why did he want to keep that secret?
He hesitated for a while, then sighed.
«Because it's fun.»
It was a callous answer, but a truthful one. Well, of course it was otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to give it. There was no strategic reason to keep Nephis in the dark anymore.
And yet… Sunny was enjoying himself too much to let it go, already.
Nephis did somewhat trust the Lord of Shadows now. But she was also wary of him, because anyone who possessed such power would make people wary.
The humble shopkeeper, however, wasn't powerful at all. So, she could allow herself to be at ease around him. And to Sunny, such moments were… precious.
They were much closer to the relationship they had before becoming Saints than the courteous distance between her and the Lord of Shadows.
He didn't want to lose these moments, yet.
Cassie let out a small laugh.
«Fun? Well… I have to admit, it is indeed a lot of fun. However…»
She lingered for a moment, and asked quietly:
«Don't you think that it is unfair to her, to keep such a secret?» f𝐫e𝚎we𝚋n𝐨𝘃el.𝗰𝗼𝐦
Sunny kept quiet, the smile slowly disappearing from his face.
Eventually, he let out a sigh and lowered his head.
«You are right. It is indeed unfair. But don't worry… I'll tell her soon.»
He looked ahead and added with a hint of regret in his voice:
«I'll tell her before the war starts. Until then… well, Master Sunless should probably make an effort to enjoy his last days of peace as much as possible.»
The two of them continued to explore the labyrinth, sometimes keeping silent, sometimes chatting about this and that.
Sadly, Sunny failed to solve the maze this time, as well.
Not long before the dawn came, he found himself back in the underground chamber, face-to-face with Cassie.
It was time to show her another memory.