A thick silence hung over the throne room. No one dared move, their gazes fixed on Nephis as she calmly stepped forward, bending down to retrieve Ander's severed head. She lifted it by the hair, her grip steady, her expression unreadable.
Not a single drop of blood stained her immaculate stance.
Gemma's jaw was clenched so tightly that the veins in his neck bulged. His hands twitched at his sides, as if resisting the urge to lash out. But he couldn't. The duel had been fair. It had been carried out under the King's law.
That didn't mean he had to like it.
Nephis turned to the room one last time, her silver eyes scanning the gathered warriors, sending an unspoken message. Then, without another word, she walked past the stunned onlookers, her steps slow and deliberate.
Sunny and Cassia quickly fell in beside her, casting wary glances at the lifeless body still kneeling in the center of the hall.
Gemma let out a sharp exhale through his nose, his fists balling up.
"This isn't over," he muttered under his breath.
One of the other Pathfinders hesitated before asking, "What do we do?"
Gemma turned away sharply, his face dark with anger. "I'm going to report this to the King."
With that, he stormed off, leaving the rest of the warriors to murmur amongst themselves.
---
Outside the castle, Ray stood in the cool evening air, leaning casually against the stone wall as he waited. His expression remained unreadable, though his thoughts swirled with conflicted emotions.
He knew that move. He had seen it before. And if there was any lingering doubt in his mind about Nephis' identity before, now it was definitely gone.
A few minutes later, the castle doors opened, and Nephis emerged with Sunny and Cassia at her side. She still held Ander's head, carrying it like an afterthought, unfazed by the weight of what she had just done.
Ray pushed off the wall, falling in step beside them as they walked. None of them spoke for a while. The only sound was the distant chatter of the city and the muffled footsteps of their small squad.
After a few moments, Sunny finally let out a small chuckle, though it held no humor, as if he was trying to hide his own discomfort right now. "Well… that escalated quickly."
Nephis remained silent, her focus straight ahead.
Ray finally broke his own silence, his voice level. "Effie's place, right?"
Nephis nodded. "Yes."
Ray glanced at the severed head in her hand. "You planning to keep that?"
Nephis barely reacted. "No. Just making sure it serves its purpose first."
Ray could already guess what that purpose was.
"Regardless, when you're finished just give it to me," after saying those Words, Nephis gave him a quick glance with an indifferent look and nodded.
For the rest of the way, another wave of silence descended upon the group, everyone engrossed in their own thoughts.
Mere minutes later the group stood in front of Effie's home.
Knowing her good enough, and how she was normally, Ray just opened the door entered it himself, after telling the others to wait for a moment.
Ray stepped inside, letting the door close behind him with a quiet thud. The familiar scent of roasted meat and something faintly alcoholic hung in the air. Effie's place was one of the few homes that actually felt lived-in, the walls adorned with odd trinkets and weapons, a half-eaten meal abandoned on the table like she had just walked away mid-bite.
She was sitting in the corner, sharpening a self-made dagger, her eyes flicking up at him with mild surprise.
"Well, look who is already back again," she drawled, dragging the blade against the whetstone. "Did they finish it already? Did they cause some problems, or why are you here?"
Ray exhaled, shaking his head. "Something like that. You mind stepping outside for a second?"
She chuckled lightly, shaking her head in mock disappointment. "What, not even a drink first? You really have changed."
Despite her words, she set the blade down and stood, stretching lazily before following him to the door. The moment she stepped outside and saw the group waiting for her, her eyes narrowed slightly. Then she noticed the thing Nephis was holding.
There was a beat of silence.
"…Huh."
Effie took a slow step forward, arms crossing as she got a better look at the severed head. There was no real shock on her face, just mild interest and something that might have been amusement.
"So that's how we're doing things now? Just tossing proof of murder at people?"
Nephis didn't flinch. "It's a demonstration."
Effie let out a sharp laugh, shaking her head. "Right. Sure. That's one way to go about it, I guess."
Ray knew this was a strange approach, even by Nephis' standards. Still, it worked. Effie was considering it, her gaze shifting between the head and the girl holding it. After a long pause, she sighed and waved a hand.
"Fine. You got my attention. I'll be your guide. Just keep the heads to a minimum, alright?"
Nephis nodded once, seemingly satisfied.
Ray, who had been waiting for the right moment, held out a hand toward her. "You're done with that, right?"
Nephis regarded him for a second, then silently handed the head over. The moment it was in his grip, the rest of the group turned to stare at him.
Cassia furrowed her brows. "And… what exactly are you planning to do with that?"
Ray just gave her a glance and went towards his own place just next door.
Sunny crossed his arms, watching him go. "You know, normally I'd say it's not my business, but this is one of those times where I feel like maybe I should be concerned."
Cassia nodded. "Yeah. Maybe."
Effie snorted. "Oh, please. Like I have any idea what he does with half the weird crap he picks up."
Sunny turned to her. "You lived here with him long enough. You've gotta have some idea."
Effie just grinned. "I stopped asking questions a long time ago, kid. Keeps life interesting."
Sunny shook his head as Ray disappeared into his own hut, muttering under his breath. "Yeah. That's reassuring."
Just then, another set of steps could be heard, and when it came closer and closer the group turned towards the sounds.
"It is wonderful to see all of you again, even in this precarious place."
"It's you…"