[Author's Note: Just so we're clear: That one German chapter on Webnovel? Yeah, that's the last. Fuck that.
I didn't even like it myself, and it's my native language. I might take it down anyway.
I'm not gonna bother translating it with ChatGPT for the upcoming chapters.
Sorry to my very few German readers… you'll survive.
Die Scheiße kann man echt keinem antun.
Anyway… enjoy the chapter.]
Morgan's start in her new temporary home had been… rough.
Granted, not nearly as rough as Mordret's. But that idiot had no one to blame but himself.
He could've just put the shackle on willingly. But in the end, Sunny had to do it himself.
While holding back from killing the bastard on the spot.
Sunny was honestly proud of himself for showing restraint.
Everyone deserved a second chance, after all.
Not that Sunny really believed in second chances.
But this time… he had too much to lose if he simply killed Mordret.
The man had secrets.
Secrets of immense importance.
Secrets about the third one. Even if it was just knowing what he looked like. But his Aspect, his abilities? That knowledge couldn't be wasted.
So Sunny waited.
Waited for the bastard to slip up.
To break the rules.
To make a mistake.
Sunny wasn't known for playing fair… or by any rules at all, but he wasn't about to look like a hypocrite.
So he had to wait. Patiently.
No matter how long it took.
'Probably when the guy's back on his feet without limping,' Sunny thought, casually strolling through his Soul Sea.
His Shadow Sense never let Morgan or Mordret out of sight.
Morgan had settled into her own room by now. She hadn't been thrilled to learn she'd be neighbors with her brother.
Even if Mordret preferred to isolate himself, brooding in the Nameless Temple.
But there weren't any other rooms left.
Well… there were other options.
Sunny just found it funnier this way. And he'd been too lazy to expand the number of bedrooms again.
So Mimic remained as it was.
Morgan wasn't the most social person. She never had been.
But she was trying… with effort.
It hadn't changed much though.
Talking to people without some hidden agenda felt… weird.
Wrong, even.
But she couldn't deny, there was something relaxing about it.
No need to fish for secrets.
No need to manipulate.
No need to threaten.
She could just… talk.
Simple as it sounded, she wasn't very good at it.
Earlier, she'd tried chatting more with Seishan.
Not that the Blood Sister had refused, but Morgan had quickly realized she didn't know how to hold small talk.
Talking about the weather? Out of the question.
So she'd defaulted to talking about herself.
But her life? Not exactly exciting.
Politics. War. Life as a princess… and, of course, her nightmares.
Topics they already had plenty of around here.
Not exactly dinner conversation.
So she'd withdrawn again. Sitting alone. Letting her thoughts wander.
Thinking about the future.
She didn't know what she'd do once she left this place. But she had time.
Planning? That, she was good at.
Even if the future seemed… uncertain.
'If Father wins, I'll probably have to live in hiding. If the Queen of Worms wins… well, I'm screwed either way,' she thought bitterly.
She wasn't eager to find out what the Queen would do with her.
But there seemed to be a third option,
a path the Sisters had told her about.
The Lord of Shadows. Nephis.
Their plan to win the war.
With Cassie. Jet. Kai. Effie.
Morgan struggled to believe it.
A Saint couldn't disobey a Supreme. Everyone knew that.
Sure, a Master could beat a Saint. But a Supreme? That gap was too wide.
So her mind kept circling, trying to unravel how they intended to do the impossible.
It was… frustratingly slow.
So she sat by the upstairs window again. Watching the outside world with quiet interest.
Even if the view wasn't great from here.
Her hoodie pulled over her head again.
She didn't like the color much, but it was comfortable.
And more importantly, it kept her Flaw contained.
'How did he even do that? The smiths of Valor spent years making a solution so I could wear normal clothes.' she wondered.
Her peace shattered when a shadow fell over her.
She turned… and barely held back from lashing out.
Kai.
Of course he'd decided to visit.
Even if it meant risking a not so loving hug. Or a back handed slap across the face.
He couldn't decide which would be worse.
Morgan's eyes narrowed, scanning him.
Even he was wearing all black now.
Not his first choice, she was sure.
But Sunny didn't budge when it came to clothing requests.
Apparently, even the dress code was a rule. One he hadn't bothered mentioning.
"What do you want?" she asked, annoyance clear in her tone.
Kai sighed, stepping around to find a chair.
"I wanted to apologize. For using you… to capture Mordret," he said simply.
Morgan scoffed.
"What's the point? It's done. We're all here now." She gestured vaguely around her.
Kai nodded, choosing his words carefully.
"I just… feel like we should've told you. That you'd be bait."
He stammered like a nervous fool.
And honestly? He was nervous.
Morgan chuckled—not from happiness, but amusement at his naïveté.
"Seriously? Like I would've agreed to that? No, Kai. I would've attacked you all."
She exhaled, staring at him.
"The plan was insane… or genius. Since it worked, I guess it's both."
She looked back out the window.
"I mean, sure, I'd have liked a heads-up. But telling me? Wouldn't have changed a thing. So let's not pretend you had a choice."
Her expression was a strange mix of irritation… and understanding.
'In the end, I can't really complain. Mordret's locked up. And me? I've got a warm bed and good food.'
She muttered under her breath,
'Damn that Master Sunless. It would be easier to hate him if he wasn't such a good cook.'
Kai nodded. He knew she was right.
Still… he felt guilty for another reason.
"I… I just…"
He swallowed. Seeing Morgan like this, hood over her head, curled in that chair,
She looked… cute.
Even if she'd probably kill him for thinking that.
But he couldn't help it.
The way her vermillion eyes gleamed beneath tousled hair.
The way her lips barely peeked out beneath the hood's shadow.
The way she sat, knees drawn to her chest.
Like she was shielding herself from the world.
Kai's voice softened, almost like a lullaby.
"I just kept thinking… what if it hadn't worked? What if Mordret had killed you?"
His breath hitched at the thought.
Morgan side-eyed him, puzzled.
Why was he suddenly acting like a guilty kid?
"You feel guilty… because I could've died? Why?"
She locked eyes with him, genuinely curious.
Kai took a deep breath. Then smiled.
"Because I care about you. I wouldn't want you to die."
The words fell simply. But truthfully.
And with them, a weight lifted from his chest.
Morgan blinked. Looked at him. And found nothing but pure sincerity.
And that stupid, charming smile of course.
'Maybe not so stupid after all.' she thought, lips twitching upward into the faintest smile.
Kai flushed red at the sight… a rare smile from Morgan.
Morgan, for her part, felt a little embarrassed too.
In these few months… she'd grown fond of Kai.
Even if she'd rather die than admit it aloud.
She liked how he treated her. With respect. With honesty.
How he distracted her. Gave her rare moments of peace.
And despite his clumsy, naïve ways…
He was no less a warrior.
No less a force of nature in his own right.
People underestimated him. But they were wrong.
'Not like that Master Sunless. That fool probably couldn't even hold a sword or a bow.'
She pushed thoughts of Sunny aside.
For now… she had more important things to focus on.
"I appreciate it. I wouldn't have liked to die either."
They both chuckled softly.
Morgan was still a little cross with him. But this new life? It was supposed to be different.
And forgiveness…
Forgiveness was something she had to learn.
She might as well start… with the man it was easiest to forgive.
So they talked. And laughed. And dreamed.
Forgetting their problems for a while, letting themselves focus on something… something that could exist in the future.
And honestly? That seemed to suit Morgan just fine.
A while later, footsteps approached. Kai saw who it was instantly. Morgan had to turn, and when she did, her blood boiled again.
It had gotten late.
Mordret wasn't planning to sleep in the Nameless Temple tonight. So he'd returned to his room.
Interrupting the peaceful moment Morgan and Kai had been having.
They both watched him carefully, tense. Kai's hand hovered, ready to summon a sword if needed.
Morgan stayed where she was, keeping her distance.
But in the end…
Mordret did nothing. Not even a glance. He simply disappeared into his room and shut the door.
They both exhaled, a breath neither of them had realized they'd been holding.
"The bastard is healing fast," Morgan muttered, her teeth clenched.
Kai nodded grimly. "Yeah. He's barely limping now. I give him… a day or two, until he's fine again." His voice sharpened like a blade. His gaze, even sharper.
Morgan noticed it.
That clear, piercing disdain in Kai's eyes.
She knew the two had history… just not how deep that history ran.
And honestly? She didn't care.
Anything tied to Mordret, anything except his death, was a guaranteed headache for her.
So she kept the topic brief.
"I feel like I'll never be able to relax while that monster's still under the same roof," she sighed, slumping back into her chair.
It was hard, accepting there was nothing she could do. No way to kill him without breaking the rules.
And she didn't even know what breaking those rules would cost her.
But she was sure… it wouldn't be pleasant.
So all she could do was endure. Endure living under the same roof as Mordret.
'At least I've got good company to distract me.' she thought, glancing sideways at Kai.
An involuntary smile tugged at her lips. Kai caught it. And smiled back.
Their gazes locked, green eyes meeting vermillion… and for a moment, it felt like the world had stilled.
Like a quiet breeze brushing across a field of flowers.
A rare, fleeting calm.
"I like spending time with you, Morgan," Kai said softly. "I'm glad you're here. Safe. Coming to terms with… all this."
Morgan's smile widened slightly.
"Me too. You're quite the charmer, you know that?"
No anger in her voice. No deceit.
Just quiet gratitude.
Grateful that it was him, that it was Kai who'd helped her start learning how to live.
Not for duty.
Not for someone else's dream.
But for herself.
"Wanna grab a coffee?" Kai asked, already rising.
Morgan nodded and stood beside him, her mood worlds better than a few hours ago.
When they stepped into the dining room, they found a group already gathered at the table.
Moonveil. Hel. Seishan. Silent. Rain.
Playing cards.
Laughing. Chatting.
Like sisters.
The rest were probably in their rooms, or wandering the Soul Sea.
Morgan had learned to accept the sisters as… neutral, at least.
Sure, there'd been a time when they'd have killed each other without hesitation.
But that time was over.
So she greeted them with a friendly nod and followed Kai into the kitchen.
Hel watched them go, chuckling softly.
"Looks like those two are getting closer," she teased, shuffling the cards.
Silent and Moonveil sighed in defeat.
"For once, I thought we'd have a shot," Silent grumbled.
"A shot at what?" Moonveil asked, half laughing.
Silent groaned. "At finding someone worth dating! But nope. Looks like we're still alone."
Seishan stayed quiet, watching the exchange with mild amusement.
She'd known Kai a long time. Not exactly close friends… but fellow survivors of the Forgotten Shore.
And yet, she'd never felt that kind of pull toward him.
Even if, admittedly… the guy was unfairly handsome. Even by Saint standards.
"They fought together for months defending Bastion," Seishan mused aloud. "Guess they bonded along the way."
The others turned to her at once.
"I guess you're right," Moonveil said. "But couldn't you be a little more supportive of us? We're suffering here, you know."
Seishan chuckled. "Oh, come on."
Then her tone shifted.
"I've been thinking, though."
Everyone perked up.
"We're sisters. And we're part of the Shadow Clan now." She smirked. "So… wouldn't it make sense to call us the Shadow Sisters?"
The others paused. Then slowly nodded.
"I like that," Hel grinned. "Makes sense. It's the one thing that ties us all together. You can't exactly see the Beast lineage from the outside."
"So that means… I've got seven big sisters now?" Rain asked brightly.
Silent ruffled Rain's hair, grinning as the girl squirmed.
"I like having you as a sister, kid," Silent said warmly. "You're awesome, Rain."
She finally released her, letting Rain smooth her hair back down.
"And if you ever need anything… a girl thing, just come to us. Someone's gotta protect you from that crazy brother of yours."
Rain nodded happily and slapped down her first card.
And with that, the game resumed.
Uno.
Though none of them realized…
A storm was brewing.
And even if it was wounded now…
That storm hadn't stopped listening.
From the shadows of the stairway…
Mordret was still planning his escape.