Hope's mind raced.
He had no idea what her name was.
And if he guessed wrong, she might just kill him for lying.
Damnation.
What could he say?
What could—
Then—
An idea struck him.
It was risky.
It was shameless.
But it was better than standing there like an idiot.
So—
Hope took a deep breath—
And smiled.
"You are," he started, his voice filled with admiration,
"The most beautiful girl in the world."
He paused.
Then—
He corrected himself.
"No—"
"In two worlds, actually."
He placed a hand on his chest as if making a solemn vow.
"One in this Soulrealm—"
"And the other in the Waking World."
His voice dripped with sincerity, his golden tongue spinning words with practiced ease.
"Your beauty shines more than the sun in this sky," he continued, not holding back,
"Brighter than the shattered moon above—"
"More radiant than the stars themselves."
Then, with a final flourish—
"It is a crime, truly, that the gods did not make me a poet—"
"For I would have spent my entire life composing verses in your honor."
Hope bowed slightly, as if to seal the performance.
The desert wind howled softly.
Nefer just stared at him.
Hope held his breath.
Then—
She rolled her eyes.
"Stop it," she said flatly.
Then—
She hopped down from the corpse of the dead fiend, landing gracefully on the cracked ground below.
"I do remember you, I'm just probing to know if a veil creature is wearing your skin."
Hope raised an eyebrow. Wearing his skin?
Her voice was matter-of-fact, as if his shameless flattery had never happened.
"My name is Nefer."
Then—
She gave him a pointed look.
"Don't forget next time."
Hope quickly nodded, committing the name to memory.
Nefer.
Alright.
That was one problem solved.
Now—
She turned, her gaze shifting toward the girl with the wooden staff.
The one who had blasted the fiend with light mid-battle.
She had been on the ground, weakened—
But now, she was standing again.
A little unsteady.
But standing nonetheless.
Nefer raised her hand and gestured for the girl to come closer.
"Massa, come over here."
Her voice was casual, but firm.
Hope's eyes flickered between the two.
Massa.
That was the other girl's name.
Alright.
Two names secured.
Massa walked toward them, her pace slow, her expression unreadable.
As she approached, Nefer turned to Hope.
"I have someone to introduce to you."
Hope nodded, staying silent.
She gestured at him first.
"Massa, this is Hopeless."
Then, she turned to him.
"And Hopeless, this is Massa."
Massa tilted her head slightly, observing him.
Hope stood still, allowing her to study him.
Her green hair shimmered under the sun, her emerald eyes holding an almost lazy sharpness—
Like she was half-interested, half-unimpressed.
She had a delicate beauty, but there was something calmly intelligent about her presence.
A quiet assurance.
She didn't speak at first.
Just raised an eyebrow.
Her gaze swept over him—
Taking in his disheveled state, his cracked lips, his dirtied cloak, and—
Her brows furrowed slightly.
"What's with the name?" she finally asked, voice laced with curiosity.
Hope exhaled sharply but didn't answer right away.
It was a question he had gotten used to hearing.
But before he could respond—
Something else caught his attention.
Hope had been too focused on his own survival—
Too caught up in introductions—
That he had made a fatal mistake.
He had forgotten Nefer's ability.
And now—
She was clearing her throat.
Loudly.
Hope's stomach sank.
Damnation.
She had caught him.
Hope froze.
Slowly—
He turned his gaze toward her.
Nefer was smirking.
Her eyes gleamed with amusement, but also a hint of mischief.
She had read his thoughts.
She knew.
She knew exactly what he had just been thinking.
Hope cursed internally.
Because if she had read his thoughts—
Then she knew he had been comparing the two of them.
And even worse—
She knew he had been thinking about how attractive they both were.
Nefer's smirk widened.
Hope felt his face heat up.
Not from embarrassment—
But from annoyance.
Damn it.
Now she'd think he was a pervert.