Shadow Slave - One Shots

The next few minutes were absolute chaos.

The moment Nephis lifted her hands again, Sunny retaliated, sending a powerful splash her way. She sidestepped with impossible grace, the water barely grazing her shoulder. Then, without hesitation, she countered with her own strike; controlled, precise, and somehow even more infuriating because of how effortless it looked.

Sunny wiped his face, narrowing his eyes. "Oh, you think you're clever?"

Nephis simply blinked at him. "If you want."

Sunny lunged forward, but Nephis moved first. She slipped back into the deeper part of the pool, just out of his reach, her silver hair fanning out in the water like liquid light.

A mistake.

Because now, she was in the deep end.

Sunny smirked. "You can't run forever, Neph."

Then he dove.

A sharp intake of breath. A shift in movement. And suddenly, he was gone—disappearing beneath the surface with barely a ripple.

Nephis's eyes flickered, tracking the disturbance in the water. She turned slightly—just as something latched onto her ankle.

Sunny.

Before she could react, he pulled.

A brief moment of weightlessness—

Then Nephis was underwater.

The world turned silent, the chaotic sounds of the water park fading away into an eerie calm. Sunlight filtered through the surface in golden streaks, catching on the ripples they created.

Nephis opened her eyes, instantly locking onto him.

Sunny, still holding onto her ankle, tilted his head, smirking underwater.

Nephis narrowed her eyes.

Then she kicked off of him.

Sunny released her immediately, pushing himself backward as Nephis turned in the water. The next second, she darted toward him, so quick, so smooth, that he barely had time to react before she pushed against his shoulder, throwing him off balance.

The two of them floated in the deep end, the weightlessness making their movements fluid and almost unearthly.

For a few seconds, neither of them moved.

Just watching.

Then, a flicker of amusement ghosted across Nephis's features.

A challenge.

Sunny exhaled a few bubbles.

And then, he chased her.

They surged through the water like two opposing forces. Nephis moving with effortless, ethereal grace, and Sunny with sharp, relentless efficiency. Every time he got close, she shifted just out of reach, leading him in an unpredictable pattern through the depths of the pool.

It was ridiculous. It was pointless.

And, to his horror.

It was kind of fun.

Eventually, both of them broke the surface at the same time, gasping for breath.

Kai, who had been lazily floating nearby, raised an eyebrow. "That was the most intense flirting I've ever seen."

Sunny turned sharply. "What?"

Effie, who had also resurfaced, grinned. "Oh, yeah. That was definitely something."

Cassie, sitting calmly at the pool's edge, smiled lightly. "It was interesting to listen to."

Nephis blinked, then looked at Sunny. "Was it?"

Sunny opened his mouth—then immediately closed it. His brain short-circuited for a moment.

Cassie leaned slightly forward. "Oh. A wave is coming."

Sunny barely had time to process that before a massive artificial wave came crashing down on them.

And just like that,

They were all underwater.

The artificial wave finally settled, leaving the cohort catching their breath. Effie said, grinning, "That was sick! We should do another ride."

Kai stretched, floating lazily. "Something different this time."

Cassie, sitting by the poolside with her legs dipped in the water, smiled. "I'll sit this one out. You four go ahead."

Effie blinked. "You sure?"

Cassie nodded. "I'm happy just watching."

Kai clapped his hands together. "Alright, then! Let's find something fun. Something thrilling."

A short walk later, they stood in front of a towering slide—one of those duo-rides that required two people per raft. The kind where you'd be launched into winding tunnels before shooting out into a deep pool at the bottom.

Effie whistled. "Looks intense."

Kai smirked. "I call dibs on Effie."

Sunny immediately frowned. "Since when do we call dibs?"

"Since now," Kai replied smoothly, already pulling Effie toward the line.

That left Sunny standing beside Nephis.

He turned his head toward her. "Guess that means we're partners."

Nephis met his gaze, her silver hair still damp from before. "If you want."

Sunny exhaled. "That again?"

She only tilted her head slightly, waiting.

With a sigh, he muttered, "Fine. Let's go."

They climbed up the long staircase, the sound of rushing water growing louder with every step. When they reached the top, an attendant gestured for them to sit in the inflatable raft. It was smaller than Sunny expected.

Too small.

Nephis settled in first, her posture as composed as ever. Sunny hesitated before lowering himself into the space in front of her. The only way to fit was for Nephis to wrap her arms lightly around his waist, holding onto the raft's handles beside him.

The moment her arms brushed against his sides, he tensed. "Is this thing really designed for two people?"

Nephis didn't react to his discomfort. "Yes."

Sunny swallowed. "Right."

Nephis, however, was not as unaffected as she seemed. The warmth of his back against her front, the feel of his steady breathing. It was unfamiliar. Uncharted. And yet, she didn't let go.

The ride attendant barely gave them a chance to process the situation before shoving the raft forward. The world tilted. Then they were plummeting.

Water roared around them as they spiraled down the enclosed tunnel, sharp turns making them lurch side to side. Nephis' hold on him tightened slightly; not enough to restrain, just enough to steady them both.

Sunny's heart was pounding, but not entirely from the ride.

Nephis found herself hyper-aware of every shift of his body against hers. It was strange—how close they were, how natural it felt. She had never been this near to someone before, not like this.

A sudden drop sent them airborne for half a second before splashing hard against the final curve. Instinctively, Nephis pressed closer against his back, her chin nearly brushing his shoulder.

Then, just as quickly as it started, they shot out of the tunnel and hit the deep pool below with a massive splash.

When they surfaced, Nephis' arms had fallen away, but the phantom sensation lingered. Sunny exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his drenched hair.

Effie and Kai were already waiting at the edge, watching with far too much amusement.

Effie smirked. "You guys looked cozy."

Sunny scowled. "Shut up."

Kai chuckled. "That was a pretty tight ride, huh?"

Nephis blinked, glancing at Sunny. "It wasn't bad."

She spoke lightly, but inside, her thoughts were still tangled. Why had that felt… different?

He shot her an incredulous look, but she had already started wading toward the pool's exit. Something about the way she moved calm, unaffected, made his own reaction feel ridiculous.

And yet, his pulse still hadn't settled.

Effie grinned. "We should do another."

Sunny groaned. This day was going to kill him.