With morning light shining through the windows, everyone was buzzing as they shambled towards the cafeteria. Their voices a mixture of normal social cues—albeit a few excited squeals. Yet one person shuffling near a wall looked quite haggard compared to the rest.
Their appearance earned a few questionable looks and sneers as others brushed by them.
Cassie couldn't care less as she pushed her weight onto her cane as she moved forward.
"Gods why couldn't they just shut up?...."
She groaned in agony as her sleep deprived muscles worked. Her appearance unruly, blindfold crooked as strands of her bed-head hair poked out all over her head. It wasn't her fault, unfortunately she had quite literally not gotten a wink of sleep. Sleepers could go for a day or two without needing rest….but Cassie's predicament was quite unusual.
To her misery, all night the girls around her dorm kept whispering and giggling through the walls, even worse with her other senses enhanced at the loss at her sight.
Thus she had been helplessly subjected to all their voices as she tossed in her bed.
"I heard if you find him, he'll fulfill any of your desires!"
"His looks can only be described as Divine."
"If one doesn't make their wish quick enough….they'll find themselves being lost in his eyes!"
"His existence was birthed from carnal desires unfulfilled…."
A miserable groan escaped Cassie's lips as she rubbed her forehead, her teeth grinding as two girls brushed against her shoulder, their voices trailing behind them to Cassie's despair.
"Really? Don't lie to me Grace…."
"I swear I'm not! Gods he really was so much hotter than NightinGale!"
Next to the wall, Cassie froze, an exhausted whisper escaping her lips, "No because why couldn't I have gone deaf instead…."
'Where did all of this Nameless Ghost of Desire crap even come from?'
Despite her aching muscles and slouched stature, she pushed herself up as her mind refocused to trace the pathway to the Cafeteria. Even if she was physically being pushed, she still had to get there—it was the only chance to talk to her reclusive friend after all.
Through some miracle, she found herself breaking through the doors.
Hobbling over to the food counter she grabbed a plate. Struggling to smell out the options, she moved along the row, grabbing whatever spatula brushed her fingers as she loaded her plate—before turning and moving towards the tables.
Conversations lowered in volume as some students paused, eyes squinting in confusion as the Seer shambled with a plate….full of yoghurt, kiwi's, ham and runny eggs—all mixed together in a vile looking concoction.
Cassie couldn't care less as she found a free table, letting out an exaggerated sigh.
[That's quite the interesting selection of food you have there]
Staring aimlessly at where she thought her plate was, Cassie tilted her head up, her voice groaning in her mind.
[What did you get then?]
The voice paused, before chuckling.
[Well I'm not too picky of an eater, but the last thing I had was a nicely roasted fatty slab of meat from a Great Tyrant—or was it a Great Terror? Hard to tell the difference. Then I washed it down with some coffee and a few of my Divine pancakes…..But I respect your adventurous choices! When I just got here I had so much fun experimenting with how many things I could pile onto a single piece of toast!]
Cassie's headache continued to throb, the nonsensical claims from her mysterious friend pushing her further off the edge. Behind her blindfold her sunken eyes twitched as she let out a defeated breath.
'I should have considered how his lies might worsen my situation…'
Tiredly waving her hand she grabbed her spoon, carefully scooping up a sloppy amalgamation of yoghurt and ham. Her taste buds screamed but stomached it, desperate for any form of energy to rejuvenate her cells. Sunny watched with a mixture of amusement and pity from her shadow as the muscles on her cheeks slightly spasmed—clearly struggling to swallow.
[So, how did you sleep? Because I didn't get any.]
A heart chuckle echoed in her mind.
[Actually I also didn't get any sleep.]
Cassie's hand paused mid motion as she frowned behind her blindfold, [Why would you do that to yourself? Sleep is your body's number one necessity! Were you also a victim of the rumor whispers?]
[Mmm…not quite. Say, what is this rumor you mention?]
A squelch sounded as her fork dropped into the concoction, her mouth dropping open in disbelief as her voice rang in his mind.
[You're kidding right? How have you not heard about it?]
In her shadow Sunny smiled in amusement.
[Then tell me about it.]
Cassie remained frozen on her seat, slowly bringing her hand up to rub her temples as a mumble escaped under her breath, "Where do I even start…."
[Well…sometime yesterday or technically earlier today, some girls came back from the outskirts cemetery a few minutes away. Their Aspects must involve spreading rumors or something, because soon everyone was conversing about what they saw. Apparently….they met….or there is, this person—ghost, I don't know, who resides there. They claim it's the most beautiful being in existence and will fulfill any desire you beseech upon them. Bunch of crap right?]
Sunny quietly listened in her shadow tilting his head slightly.
'Desire? Not something about business opportunities?'
Truthfully he was well aware of the hot topic of conversation in the academy, it was his objective after all—though it didn't quite cater in the direction he'd been intending.
He'd intentionally let the Sleeper girls see and spread the knowledge of his identity through rumors in a practical way to test the compatibility with the Forgotten God of this world. His two shadows had been constantly monitoring for any new gates in the vicinity, but had found no evidence of any. His other two shadows in the ocean and the Burned Forest were already preoccupied with gathering as many shades as possible.
'Maybe I should have let BloodWave catch up to say hi? Perhaps that would have been a better method to test the correlation.'
Of course that wasn't possible.
Without a doubt he would have immediately reported the information and hastened the Sovereign's awareness of his existence, which he was doing a good job of concealing at the moment.
Hence he couldn't properly tell if knowledge of his existence did in fact hasten the speed of corruption, the risk was too unpredictable. And yet even if there somehow wasn't a risk…
How was he supposed to feel?
This was a world where none knew him, a time before events spiralled for the worse and the brief good few. Nobody knew or cared about him, and not a single person loved him. The most they would be capable of feeling was fear and admiration if he revealed his existence. People could love him for saving their lives or they could hate and cower at his presence…..but they would never truly like him for who he was.
And that was the most conflicting feeling ever, a vulnerability to emotions that reminded him of only the most painful of times.
'Strange how even in a whole new world I can't be known…'
It didn't mean that some people, some select few couldn't know, just like in his actual world. Just…that they would not know him.
Not know Sunless.
The bitter feelings drifted in his consciousness as he paused, the shadows in the room slightly stirring.
'No really, how did it come to the interpretation that I was some sort of devil of desire, what goes on in the mind of young girls?'. Pushing the thoughts away he looked up at her figure seated above in the real world.'
[Sounds like a charming fellow, maybe he is real.]
A huff sounded in response as Cassie continued to shovel down the gruel, her motions slowing as her stomach audibly grumbled in agitation.
[I have a question.]
[What?]
She paused, tilting her head up as she slowly panned across the other side of the table before frowning.
[Your Runes…why can't I read them?]
She sat in silence for a few moments, before the voice slowly replied.
[I thought I told you already, unwanted development? It really does make it impossible for people to know my existence, I expect no less results with Seer's who try to peer into me.]
Nothing had changed with his status of being connected to fate, thus Cassie couldn't use her Dormant ability and truth leaned in his favor—although convoluted. Even if it didn't and he was forced by his flaw, he wasn't really at risk. Cassie had become quite complacent with believing his responses as joking lies, which Sunny greatly enjoyed with amusement.
He could calmly lay in her shadow as the Seer processed what she willed of the response, this time earning a subtle nod as her lips dipped.
[It's nothing really worth looking at really, just some cool sounding attributes and a few god level memories.]
All he got was a short, "Uh-huh"
[In fact I think your Aspect has a lot of scary potential!] he happily chimed. To his confusion, no giggle or stifled laugh sounded in response as Cassie continued to eat, her voice quietly responding.
[That is if it properly worked.]
Sunny stiffened, the cafeteria growing slightly colder.
Cassie had been quite secretive with her attunement with Fate, only capable of brief glimpses and interpretation of the future on the Forgotten Shore. Of course that had changed secretly after they had returned…But never once in the past had she expressed her Aspect as not working.
[What do you mean it doesn't work, is something wrong with fate?]
She once again lowered her spoon, shoulders stiffening as her voice hesitantly responded.
[Well it's not like it doesn't work, it just feels all….blurry? I took your advice in trying to explore my Aspect more and become accustomed with fate, but every time I try it's like I'm moving through a swamp. Everything feels slow and blurry…..like a shadow, or a dream? I haven't been able to really get anything out of it as of late.]
Sunny quietly absorbed the information, his Supreme mind racing.
[But fate is still functioning?]
Cassie nodded.
[Yes.]
'Huh'
Well this was unexpected.
So even though Sunny didn't have his True Name….fate was actually flowing as intended in this world? Then….
Did that mean that this version of him was destined to die?
'No…No! There's too many coincidences with my involvement in our survival'
Cassie had described it as being foggy and unclear, which Sunny surmised was strongly connected to his presence. Everyone who existed in this reality was still connected to fate…but he wasn't and neither did he even have a place on its tapestry. So naturally he guessed it was having a hard time trying to understand and process his existence although it caused no harm to the great weave.
If he was interpreting it correctly….then this meant that he was supposed to become involved and interfere in this world? Or was this reality in fact destined to helplessly succumb to the corruption?
…..
Was he just supposed to sit back and watch?
His form stirred in Cassie's shadow, trying to wrap his mind around it all. Was he an error that had a purpose for this reality or would his involvement in fact divert the predestined course of events? Silently cursing, he reached out with his mind to her.
[Nobody fully understands their Aspect as soon as they get it, perhaps fate is being moody and it will become more clear with some time….for example the winter solstice.]
In response, Cassie's body stiffened, her lips twitching as her eyes gloomed behind her blindfold, [....One month….we really only have one month left.]
[That's plenty of time no?]
Another scoff escaped between her lips as she chewed, [I really envy your constant positivity. For someone who skips classes and doesn't seem to exist, you're quite sure of how things go.]
Sunny could only laugh.
[Indifferent to how things will go? Slacking off? If anything I am the most diligent working person in this academy! I'm always pressed with preparations and exploring new things, the concept of slacking off is too foreign to me!]
Cassie smiled, [Like what?]
[Well for one I have been indulging in blood-letting recently, it's actually quite therapeutic, you should try it!]
His silent laughter continued in her mind as Cassie chastised his reckless demeanor, but eventually she also joined in as they conversed in each other's company, both time and people around them becoming a blur.
*****
"One month huh?"
It certainly hadn't felt like it.
Sitting in the shadow chair, Sunny basked in the morning rays creeping in the distance above Bastion, Mimic resting behind him in the form of a cottage. He sat quietly on the bay, feeling the grains of sand on his feet as he finished the last touches on the memory in his lap. It had been a month and yet he was back in a situation upon his arrival into this reality.
A satisfied grin curled on his lips as he lifted a fearsome demonic mask up, summoning the original Weaver's mask in his other hand as he compared the two.
Satisfied, he dismissed them both.
His set was finally complete.
Along with Weaver's mask and [Definitely not me], Sunny had created five more identical copies after tireless work.. [Who's that?], [See no evil], [Totally not me], [Mask on] and his final one….[Shadow Mask]. All of them were at the quality of a top level Supreme memory apart from the original. He was quite proud of his craftsmanship.
'And now to tie the loose ends before it starts'
He leaned back as a shadow arm raised a warm cup of coffee up, gingerly grasping it in his palm as the bitter delight graced his mouth.
It was very pleasant to not have to constantly reinforce his presence with his Will compared to on earth, even getting some brief shut eye.
A few meters away, a small Dream Gate opened as a jet of water shot out, the full pressure of the bottom of the sea behind it as a tree was cracked in half on impact before it could close.
Watching the delicate timber fall, Sunny let out a growl.
"I liked that tree you bastard!"
From where the Dream Gate had been, a shadow slinked over, rising next to Sunny. A more drenched version of himself looking down with disdain, armour and hair soaked as the other well-rested and dry one stared back at it. Sunny had only manifested once on his aquatic journey but was immediately overwhelmed, choosing to stay as shadow. They didn't have to breathe after all.
It clicked its tongue in agitation, "How about you spend over a month slaughtering Nightmare Creatures at the bottom of those lightless depths you petty wretch!"
He could only smile in his chair.
"No thank you, I quite enjoy my time with Cassie. Look on the bright side! At-least you didn't have to frustratingly spend over three weeks to kill an Ember Queen"
The drenched version of himself only glared with resent before looking off in another direction.
"He's heading over now?"
Sunny nodded, taking a deep swig of coffee as his other self continued.
"What about the one in GodGrave, do you think it will be enough?"
Pulling the emptied mug into the shadow of his mantle, Sunny strained his consciousness further, his lips curling, "Can only hope."
"And the mountain?"
Sunny leaned back, taking a breath of the fresh morning air, "Climbing right now."
His drenched self nodded, before twirling around, walking towards the cabin with soggy footsteps as the seated one looked over their shoulder with a frown, "Shouldn't you get moving?"
The other Sunny waved over their shoulder as they climbed up the steps, their voice trailing as they entered the cabin.
"I want a warm shower first"
Sunny watched the door close before shrugging, dismissing the shadow chair as he brushed his lap.
'I've earned it'
Admiring the view one last time, he brushed his footsteps off the sand before traveling a few kilometers away through the shadows, a small Dream Gate opening and closing a second later out óf sight. Next to the beach, the cottage stirred as spider-like appendages reached out from the sides, propping it up as it scuttled in the direction of the Hollow mountains with impossible speed.
***********
Somewhere else in the DreamRealm a figure lay seated on the gigantic rib of a dead God, a lantern before them. Above him rested an umbrella made of shadows, slightly cooling him from the sweltering heat—though it would do little if the canopy of clouds broke.
The terrifying red jungle of moss pulsed with life below, distant roars ringing out—yet Sunny lay unbothered. Tilting his head up to look at the lantern, he smiled as shadow seeped out, another Sunny coated in the Jade mantel slumped onto the bone, groaning.
It glanced up at the other.
"So, how was it? Was she happy to see us again—or to meet us?"
The wounded Sunny snarled, pushing himself up as the Endless Spring manifested in his palm, taking a few gulps before dousing himself in the cooling water.
"What does it look like genius?"
Smiling, the standing one could only shrug as the wounded finally turned into a shadow and began to recover. Dismissing the lantern, Sunny fell into the shadows, traveling kilometers in the blink of an eye until he neared a quiet hill with some non-threatening looking vegetation. He manifested, checking the surroundings with his shadow sense.
'Alright'
Now in the clear, he commanded the surrounding shadows as they moved, spiraling up…to manifest into a wide pool with some depth. While doing so, he pulled out four large shadow vases from his Soul Sea, placing them near the edge as the liquid contents sloshed inside. Cracking open the top he grimaced, tipping them sideways as liters of blood gushed into the empty pool.
His own profane blood.
It had taken quite a lot of time to gather the sheer volume of blood over the month, considering that most of his bodies had been occupied with their own tasks. But out of all of them….this one was a vital decider.
Biting his lips he silently cursed.
"Here goes…."
His shadow stretched before him as two burning eyes ignited inside. In less than a heartbeat, a figure blurred out, lunging towards him with outstretched shortswords—but Sunny was already on it. Countless shadow chains shot up from the ground, shackling and binding the shadow's movements, leaving them motionless mid attack.
Slayer's gaze burned with fury as the chains groaned under the immense pressure of her Will.
"Yeah, yeah I missed you too."
With an upcoming solo war he had to fight, Sunny needed the best possible shades and shadows in his arsenal…..and what better option was there than the most vicious dead Sacred in all worlds? Of course it had been a gamble if he would receive her as a shadow when he killed her—thus he had done some experimenting.
Unfortunately Condemnation still refused to answer his call, so there was no point in risking his life for another.
She was roughly in the same place as when he had first met her, still holding some sort of longing for that particular part of the Shadow Realm, or possibly because it was connected to GodGrave which was important to her. Their reunion had been nothing short of lovely, as he was immediately assaulted with a whirlwind of lethal strikes and blows. Compared to when he first fought her he was now a Supreme, but he hadn't come unscathed out of the scuffle…..as he hadn't really been fighting. While trying not to die, he had been enforcing his Will passively, commanding and trying to condition her shadow into "wanting" to become a shadow when he killed her instead of a shade.
He was not quite sure if the method had worked or been a complete waste, but results were definite as when he had subdued her with his shadow control and killed her…..he had received another shadow, of Slayer.
Secretly he had been hoping that in doing so, he would have completed his Slayer as Eurys had advised with finding something lost of hers, but to no avail.
So now….he had two murderous shadows, except one of them was much more feral than the other.
Raising a finger Sunny pointed at the tub of his blood, "Welcome dear employee! See how I'm such a generous boss? I've even prepared a welcoming gift for you!"
Slayer continued to glare at him, but glanced at the tub. She became fixed on it, clearly sensing its restorative properties that his own Slayer chased after. Her thrashing slightly ceased as she pointed at the tub.
Sunny's lips curled.
"Yes, all of that can be yours, and there's more to come. Just maybe don't try to kill me every second and do a task or two I ask of you once in a while, is that not so bad?"
Some words must have gotten through, as she remained still before briefly nodding.
Sunny took a deep breath, dismissing the chains, taking a step back. He watched as she straightened herself, rubbing her wrists and shooting daggers at him. Holding his gaze for a few seconds she whipped around, marching over to the pool. Without a second thought she submersed herself completely as the blood rose near the edges of the pool.
A few seconds passed….and then something happened.
Like a cork in a bathtub being pulled, a vortex began to form in the middle as the blood spiralled towards the center. Slowly, the volume began to drain as Slayer soaked it up. Sunny watched the scene, unsure whether to be horrified by the sight of his blood in such a state or to be honored by someone valuing it so much.
'You better drink it all, it took me over a month to get all that!'
In less than five minutes, the last puddle creeped on the basin until finally it was all absorbed. Slayer stood in the center, suddenly launching out—landing right before Sunny. She stood inches away glaring at him for a few seconds….before sheathing her swords.
Sunny let out a genuine breath of relief as he clutched his chest.
"Gods it actually worked."
It seemed….like he had just bought a year worth of development in a few minutes.
Before it had taken a year of sparring and feeding her to be able to somewhat enlist her in tasks and to not be strangled every second. But Sunny didn't have a year to wait for that, hence he had made a gamble of earning some of her respect with an offering of copious blood.
And to his joy, it seemed to have worked.
Slayer still radiated a lethal killing intent but not much so directed at him. Instead of screaming "I will mince your body beyond recognition" it instead had more of a "If you mess with me i'll kill you" type feeling. Sunny could deal with that.
Looking her up and down he beamed, "Welcome to the shadow clan!"
Behind her veil Sunny could feel her grimace, delighted at her already showing signs of emotion and sentience. He then paused, frowning.
"Well actually…welcome back?"
His shadow stretched once again, as…..another Slayer rose up.
At the sight, both of their gazes faltered as they looked into each other, or their own glowing eyes. From the side, Sunny could feel their Will's pulsing as if to test the authenticity of the other. Both of them seemed to be satisfied as the air became still.
Then…..
They both slowly turned to look at him.
A shiver ran up his spine as the murderous shadows stared at him, looking back at each other before turning to Sunny and taking a menacing step forward.
"H-Hey, I just gave you all that blood!"
His words didn't get through as their arms slowly moved up….stretching out their palms. Sunny blinked, fully expecting to lose one of his avatars in the next second. But to his confusion, their fingers bent back and forth….as if beckoning him?
Sunny's eyes widened.
"I just gave you a year's worth of blood. What do you mean you want more!?"
He swallowed his words as they both unsheathed their short swords. Sunny watched nervously as they drew separate runes in the dirt.
"Fight.Pay"
'No way…'
In that brief moment when they'd been testing their Will…..had they formed an alliance!?
Sunny was shocked.
But fascinated.
But mostly shocked!
Out of all his shadows Slayer was the most sentient, but not the social type. Yet it seemed she had allowed that trait to subside in recognition of….another her. In such a short moment when testing each other's Will—had they understood the pressure of upcoming combat and taken advantage to barter with him?.
And Sunny thought Aiko was a slimy businesswoman.
Grumbling, he manifested a stiletto, pulling it against his Jade skin. Almost alive, his blood flowed from the wound. Both Slayers kneeled forward, cupping their hands as Sunny filled them up one by one. Once the quota was met they both pulled the liquid to their faces—allowing it to sink into their bodies as a brief spark of emotions flickered on their eyes before the usual silent malice returned.
Rubbing his now healed cut, Sunny watched as they stood up, looking at each other and then back at him, before sheathing their weapons.
"Next time you're only earning it the proper way!"
To his words, both Slayers turned—one of them threateningly cracking their knuckles as the other drew their thumb across their neck. It now seemed….that two of his bodies had to take a routinely beating to earn their respect, something Sunny did not look forward to.
Dismissing them back into his Soul Sea, Sunny groaned, rubbing his temples in agitation.
'Now I have two murderous gluttons living in my Soul'
"I really hope I can get another reliable Saint"
He looked off, before dispersing into the shadows and surging towards the Hollow Mountains, catching up with his other in the Mimic as they both crossed the border into the Forgotten Shore.
*********
In a barren snowy land of the Dream Realm, the wind howled through the jagged peaks of a lone mountain. Snow covered every inch of land, rottered twigs grasping through the snow—not a living creature in sight. Despite the hostile land….a pair of footprints trailed through the snow, up the path of the mountain.
Further up, a shadow silently walked up a forlorn path.
Their feet pushed against a familiar ledge, their fingers trailed against an ancient indent on the stones, their gaze drifted into a distant chasm. If Sunny wanted he could blink to the top in but a thought, or infuse his Supreme muscles with essence to clear the distance in one mighty leap.
But he didn't.
Instead he walked the long abandoned path up the winding mountain, his eyes dark and distant as painful memories of the past flashed before his eyes.
Before he knew it, he was standing before the dark entrance of a long forgotten Nameless Temple.
The place where it all began.
Silently the surrounding shadows watched as their lord walked through the entrance, a breeze clearing the snow, as if welcoming him… Sunny distantly looked around.
All of it was exactly identical to his own.
He stood before a lone dirtied sacrificial altar. The carvings and patterns were riddles with grime and dust….almost as if resembling blood from an ancient past. Sunny moved past it all, entering the chamber containing the Divine crystal that hovered in the air.
'Please work'
Extending his presence, Sunny grabbed the tether as he connected it to himself, bracing his muscles in the next moments. He anxiously remained still, waiting for something to react or go wrong. But after a few seconds…..it was connected.
Letting out a sigh of relief Sunny dove into his Soul Sea.
But to his surprise….
There was still only one Nameless Temple. Upon further inspection ... there had been a change. It felt grander, darker…..more complete. The usual dark marble now felt icy to the touch as all light from his seven eclipsed Shadow Cores seemed to be absorbed by it. So instead of regaining a familiar Citadel—he had somehow fortified his already existing one.
The effect was still the same however.
Sunny didn't need multiple Citadels with the nature of his Domain. It's just that he couldn't bear it falling into the hands of someone else. The Forgotten temple just as himself had too much personal significance and meaning, nobody deserved to govern it other than himself. And he needed its teleporting function for the future. He could still feel his tether connected to the Nameless Temple in his reality—though he couldn't pull on it, like a fishing line snagged on something unseen.
He became distracted as one of his new shades approached.
Towering above him, a large wolf looked at him. The same wolf he had encountered on his first journey into the Shadow Realm, and one that unfortunately crossed his path when in search of this reality's Slayer. An unfortunate coincidence for it as Sunny gladly brought it into his shade army.
A Cursed Beast was a valuable fighter.
Its appearance had only become more ominous upon joining his Soul Sea. It towered at over 20 meters as an untold amount of inky tentacles resided in the place of fur, shifting and twisting as if the wolf had no real body underneath, only thousands of merged tentacles. The only tangible parts being its face with two burning flames, its black clawed paws and a spiky tail…..
That was currently wagging vigorously as it panted, tongue hanging out.
"Well aren't you a good boy?"
Lowering its body the wolf tilted its head as Sunny scratched its chin, an oversized leg thumping in response as its wagging became faster.
"Wolf is too generic….how about Fenryr?"
In response it rolled onto its back, stomach exposed.
'Wolves are meant to be free huh? Sorry Noctis, I think this one is quite happy with me.'
For a Cursed Beast….it was quite adorable, if one looked past its appearance. Of course its behavior had only changed after becoming a shade, perhaps it was grateful for being given a home where it didn't have to hunt other shadows to survive. But without a doubt it would have happily ripped and chewed his head off if still alive.
It continued to wag its tail as Fiend peaked out from the entrance of the Temple.
His body stretched out as he walked over. He had also gone under quite a growth spurt now, working overtime to clean up as much evidence as possible from his oceanic cleansing—now standing at a towering 40 meters. More spikes protruded across his body, his onyx metallic skin now shiny and even more reinforced.
Looking at Sunny and the Fenryr it seemed to wait for permission, as Sunny subtly nodded.
Fiend bent down, carefully stroking the wolf with his claw, an inhumane gurgle echoing from his maw.
"F-Frie–nd"
At his side, Nightmare walked up. The wolf and the steed looked at each other, leaning forward as they sniffed one another—before the wolf crouched on all fours and excitedly barked. From the sides the two Slayers sat on the steps of the Nameless Temple.
Sunny quietly watched the scene before him.
'Is this what it's like to have a family?'
He stared with estranged eyes as a figure passed above him.
The Vile Thieving Bird landed on the crown of the entrance, crouching on the top of the Nameless Temple, ruffling its feathers—perching in peace. It seemed to have claimed it as its nesting ground, residing there for the most part in his Soul.
There were a few more notable additions as well.
Along with the Great Tyrant Ember Queen, he had also acquired a new Great Terror, Abyssal Eledone. A titanic cephalopod that spanned over 60 meters. It resembled something of a giant pacific octopus, except much more deadly. Completely jet black, its many appendages spanned over dozens of meters, each one covered in barbed suckers that could effortlessly crush a building. Strangely….it was very docile and secluded in nature. Sunny had found its existence through the shadows hiding near a hidden aquatic cave by some underwater magma shoots.
No wonder it hadn't been detected, instead living a quite life away from humans.
Sunny almost felt guilty for intruding on its home.
But any Great Nightmare creature was a calamity on earth.
It commanded a litany of terrible abominations, doing its bidding of collecting food—but that made it no less dangerous. He had learned the hard way that the creature had unmatched regenerative capabilities.
It reminded him of the hydra from Greek mythology.
Take one tentacle and two more even deadlier one's would grow back in an instant. His army only resulted in it growing more and more dangerous as it failed to do damage. The only way to properly kill it was in one ultimate lethal blow….if one didn't have a backdoor. Which Sunny fortunately did.
In fact he didn't have to deal with its regeneration at all, only needing to directly attack and kill its shadow which couldn't regenerate.
It was quite immobile outside of water, but that didn't stop just one of its tentacles from being capable of destroying cities. More importantly….he had finally acquired a commander for his growing plethora of aquatic shades. The Ember Queen controlled the hordes of millipedes and centipedes from the Burned Forest and Saint as the general commanded the rest of the shades both human and beast.
Sunny turned to his side as the loyal knight walked up beside him, quietly watching as Fiend, Nightmare and Fenryr playfully circled each other.
Tilting his head up, he patted her shoulder.
"Don't worry, hopefully you'll be getting a little sister soon."
Saint only stared back at him, before walking back to the temple, glancing at the two Slayer's before passing through the doors. Behind her, Fiend looked down at the two, a confused gargle escaping his mouth.
"T-wo…tw-o…au-nty-y?"
Sunny watched with amusement as both Slayers menacingly rose, causing Fiend to retreat and hide behind Fenryr as it looked between the lot in confusion.
His Soul Sea now covered in a terrible ever-growing army. A large addition of aquatic horrors and armoured crustaceans along with two new commanders, a Cursed Beast, a Cursed Terror and another dead Sacred.
Beaming with delight he walked up the steps of the Nameless Temple marveling at his hard work.
"And now the execution."
Pulling his consciousness back into his body, Sunny activated the runes of the Nameless Temple as natural surrounding essence began to flow into it, charging its teleportation. Satisfied, he dove into the shadows, surging in the direction of the Forgotten Shore.
********
In the waking world a small Dream Gate cracked through reality next to a lone tree in a cemetery, a shadow slinking out. In the blink of an eye it traveled to a sparsely populated Market as Sunny manifested out of site. Grabbing two shopping carts he pleasantly hummed, walking through the entrance as the shadows inside moved to cover all cameras.
The few people inside aimlessly held products in their hand, staring with startled eyes at the dazzlingly eerie man who had just entered.
Sunny moved with unrushed grace, his hands swiftly tossing numerous items into the quickly filling carts.
"Eggs, flour, butter, bread, spices, milk….I wonder how the harvest is here?"
Effortlessly pushing the loaded carts he entered the vegetable aisle—disregarding the trailing gazes to his appearance, his eyes drifting across the presentation of legumes.
One by one he lifted different tomatoes, potatoes and cabbages scowling in disappointment as he begrudgingly added them to the carts.
"Hate to say it but Effie's locket produce is really unmatched."
Sunny had grown reliant and fond of the Beast Farms products. He curiously wondered if there was a qualitative factor in the soil minerals and salinity in the environment of a memory that affected the way they developed, resulting in their unmatched flavor. Honestly he considered creating a section in the Mimic to attempt his own gardening project.
It had been a vital factor to his Cafe's success after all!.
Sorting through the acceptable selection of vegetables, a sneaky shadow arm rose from the shadow of an empty cart an aisle down, subtly shoving it towards Sunny as he added it to his battalion, marching in the direction of the butchery.
A burly man with a killer mustache and sizable forearms looked him up and down quietly from behind the counter before nodding.
"What can I get for you?"
Sunny smiled, pointing without hesitation at an unholy amount of meat.
"Four lamb legs, fourteen cuts of beef, twenty packs of ground pork, eleven rings of sausages, eighteen rotisserie chickens and ten of your best suggestions…..all to go"
The butcher blinked, scratching his head as he once again looked the mysteriously beautiful man up and down.
"Is this for an event of sorts? This amount seems like something only a giant would eat, and no offense….but it didn't doesn't fit your image."
Sunny blinked.
'What do you mean doesn't fit my image, I'm a terribly dangerous Sovereign and a Divine one at that!'
Lightly chuckling he nodded in confirmation, "Yes it is for an event of sorts….a reunion party! And funny you ask, but a rather gluttonous giant will be attending."
The man smiled in amusement as he strained his muscles, lifting the heavy cuts of meat across the counter. To his surprise….the delicate looking man effortlessly picked them up and added them to his cart, like it weighed nothing.
"Huh, you're packing quite some muscle."
Sunny nodded as he picked up the last two slabs of beef bigger than his head which felt like dust in his palms.
"I'm quite strong, you know, these hands can crush mountains, believe it or not."
Sunny beamed as he pushed the three loaded carts ahead of him in the direction of the counter.
'Reunion party…'
He was in fact greatly looking forward to finally seeing and interacting with all of his would be comrades, although he couldn't think of a logical way to get Jet to join them without literally kidnapping her.
Not like she could refuse if he wanted.
It felt strange, his quiet time with Cassie at the academy while his other avatars worked….had made him feel conflicted. He greatly enjoyed it, their banterful conversations and laughter in each other's company—but still he felt weirdly distant and bitter. She only knew what he told her after all, not the real him like his actual Cassie did.
Well….
At least before he was forgotten.
He deeply cared for her and all of them, but the same would not be felt from them towards him in this world. It was the same reason why he was only keeping an eye on Rain, still considering whether to have her involved. Painfully he had made the decision to not become too personal and infatuated with his cohort, instead opting for the role of an all-knowing teacher, support and guide for their own journey. And once they reached Supremacy, he would have to leave them in charge as he returned to the tomb to fulfill his fate.
A part of him secretly yearned to stay and live out the development in this world.
But he knew otherwise, deeply conflicted and still attached to the one's he truly loved and could maybe love him again.
So although he wasn't getting a vacation like he hoped…..he at least had some time to reflect and consider his emotions before he made the choice.
Looking at a clock above the register he clicked his tongue as his pace increased.
"Why am I getting sentimental now, I have a plan to execute!"
Passing the items hurriedly through the belt, the cashier scanned them all with puzzled eyes as she shot poorly hidden glances at Sunny.
"Uhh that will be 9560 credits sir"
At the price Sunny froze….
He was filthy rich in memories and Soul Shards, just not credits!
Pausing, he pushed his hand into the hem of this sleeve as if accessing a hidden dimension. The cashier watched with shaky eyes as the man pulled out the biggest Soul Shard she had ever seen in her life, plopping it on the counter like it meant nothing.
Sunny rubbed his head, sheepishly grinning.
"Sorry….i'm a bit short on credits now. But this Transcendent Shard is roughly a few hundred thousand credits…I think."
He smiled with delight as the cashier nodded, a blush creeping on her cheeks as he absentmindedly gathered his haul. She cursed silently, having not had the courage to ask for his number. But to her delight she watched as he walked back to the counter….with a bouquet of roses!?
She rubbed her eyes, unsure if she was seeing things right. But her heart dropped as his soothing voice sounded.
"Sorry I forgot to add these, is it fine? I think the Soul Shard also covers it."
Begrudgingly, the cashier bit her lip as she gloomily nodded, watching as he disappeared through the doors.
Outside, Sunny spread his shadow sense before allowing the shadows to pull the items into his Soul. Checking the list, he nodded as he blinked across the city into Cassie's shadow who was now approaching a familiar underground chamber with sleeping pods.
[Well I guess this is it.]
Her shoulders tensed as she turned her head left and right, lips quivering as she nervously responded.
[H-How can you be so calm!? We're both being sent to the Forgotten Shore, a death zone which nobody has returned from!]
The integrity of her transmitted voice faltered as a quiet sob escaped her mouth, causing Sunny to stir in her shadows.
[Hey…Hey! Like I said, I'll find and protect you don't worry! Before you realize it I'll find you.]
Cassie only subtly nodded in response, her hidden eyes telling a different story as she clenched her shaking hands. Arriving before her pod, she stood before quietly speaking, her words cutting him like knives.
[S-Sunny….I'm scared.]
Shaky breaths escaped between her teeth, shoulders trembling, [Oh Gods Sunny i'm s-so scared! I-I don't want this I just want to go home to my parents….I-I don't want to die!]
Sunny painfully listened in her shadow, unable to do anything except listen and comfort her shaky voice on the brink of tears—all of it stirring unwanted memories and feelings that unraveled him.
[Well the truth is….I'm also very scared.]
In response Cassie tilted her head up, sniffling as she rubbed her blindfold.
[B-But you were always so confident and s-sure!]
All around the room, the shadows grew darker as his voice solemnly responded.
[Truthfully, I'm always scared Cassie. I may be powerful but I am not absolute. I am not immortal, I bleed, I cry and I'm not safe from death. But….I still try my hardest.]
Alone in the room she listened, before quietly asking.
[....And do you think your best is enough?]
Sunny could only smile.
[Only time will tell.]
After a brief hesitation she entered her pod, closing her eyes as the light inside dimmed and her pulse weakened to a stable slow. Silently in the room, Sunny rose from the side. He looked at her fragile sleeping face, manifesting a blanket of shadows to cover her body, ordering them to hide themselves if someone were to enter.
Looking at an adjacent wall, he emerged in a separate room, doing the same for a pod that contained Nephis, glancing at her sleeping face with complicated eyes.
Alone he stood in the room.
He looked at all the sleeping pods, his shadow sense spreading to feel all the others in close rooms. His eyes grew dark, wondering how many he could save.
Letting out a silent curse he left the hospital.
Rising before a familiar tree, his fingers trailed the three marks, before he pulled out a bouquet of flowers—gently placing it against the tree. A small Dream Gate opened behind him as he turned around, looking at the tree one last time before it swallowed him, disappearing without a trace.
*********
On a coral hill bathed in darkness, the same Dream Gate shimmered open once more. Sunny stepped through with a silent, brooding expression, his gaze hardening as it fell upon the bleak horizon.
Before him stretched a dark and desolate land — a graveyard of coral twisted into unnatural shapes, rising like skeletal fingers from blackened stone. Above, eternal storm clouds churned across the sky, smothering the heavens in endless night. Below, the Dark Sea whispered and sloshed, licking hungrily at the jagged coastline.
The Dark Sea.
He clenched his fists.
Behind him his six shadows finally arrived.
Sunny inhaled, steadying his breath. He remembered this place — remembered the bitter salt in the air, the ominous pressure in his bones, the cold hostility of the world that had tried to break him time and time again. He had come far since then… but now, he needed to become something more as his body began to change. He was quite comfortable with his actual form, but he needed an appropriate appearance for his role in the world. One that oozed power, something absolute but not overbearing that eyes would look at with fleeting caution, something that best suited him.
What better form than that of the Daemon of Fate he experienced during his brief nightmare in the Tomb of Ariel?
Slowly his limbs lengthened as his spine stretched, his stature increasing in height until he reached 3 meters. Behind his eyelids, his eyes twitched. All across his body, muscle fibre stretched as ligaments snapped and repaired themselves. Blood vessels lengthened and multiplied in areas as his internal organs changed and rearranged themselves, his hands splitting as seventh fingers formed. From his back, four new arms unfurled, manifesting as shadows. Two curled around his shoulders in a protective embrace. The others hovered low, poised like reaping blades at his sides.
Theoretically he could manifest the extra limbs with flesh and blood, but he wasn't familiar enough with unnatural biology to make proper corrections with his anatomy.
Finally, the Nebulous Mantle followed the change, draping across his ominously tall body and additional arms.
Summoning Weaver's mask, it hid his face from the world as his hair turned white, a ripple of recognition spreading through his body as if recognising his master.
His shadows watched before detaching and manifesting to mirror his new appearance.
"Wow," he whispered to himself, voice low beneath the mask.
A smile tugged at his lips.
"I actually look like a proper Daemon now."
Looking at his other selves, they each manifested a mask, completing the look.
Without a word six nebulous wings manifested on each of his avatars backs. Silently in one powerful motion, they launched off the ground, shooting into the sky as they spread across Forgotten Shore.
His smile faded.
He looked toward the Dark Sea again, hate simmering beneath his mask.
If he retrieved and placed the seal then there was the risk of Sleepers falling to their deaths upon arrival. Additionally, Gunlang and the citizens of the Dark City would immediately notice its absence and take action, which Sunny couldn't have.
And Sunny still didn't understand how he was meant to kill an entire ocean although he really wished nothing more.
Cursing he looked with disdain at it, allowing it to thrive for now.
Spreading his Shadow Sense….he felt it.
All around, hundreds, thousands—tens of thousands—of new shadows appearing one by one.
His lips contorted into a grimace as all six of his avatars spread their hands.
********
Within his Soul Sea, the Nameless Temple stood shrouded in reverent stillness.
Passing through its ancient halls, Sunny walked with a bouquet of flowers towards a coffin in the middle. Resting beside it, his younger shadow stirred, tilting up to look at him.
Sunny bitterly smiled, gently placing the bouquet on top before taking the shadows hand
Together, they walked toward the entrance.
Outside the Temple, at the edge of his Soul's ocean, a legion waited.
Stretching before the steps, thousands and thousands of shades prostrated themselves before their ruler as his Shadows exited the Temple and joined them. The Ember Queen and Abyssal Eledone bowed their heads as Fenryr, the Vile Thieving Bird, both Slayers and his shadows kneeled at the front. All of them were ready, awaiting his command as the hanging Shadow Cores pulsed with power.
Looking at his younger self, Sunny smiled, his voice wistful.
"Once again I am nobody and have nothing…."
Then his grin widened into something ridiculous — filled with memory, with pain, with purpose.
"....so let's change everything."
Under his command, ripples spread far and wide.
The shadows now motionless began to sink into the water, traveling further and further into its depths as the light above faded. Reality seemed to flip as they now found themselves rising from the depths of the world of shadows towards a distant light of reality above.
And they rose.
From the depths of shadow, they surged toward the surface — toward war.
In the heart of the void, a knight charged forward, crimson flames billowing like a beacon from beneath her helmet as her terrible steed galloped towards the light—pointing her great sword forward as an ocean of shades surged behind her like a cape.
Across the Forgotten Shore, six Angels of Death hovered in the air as death let out a chilly breath across the land.
Death was inevitable.
But it was tired of waiting.
And with that silent decree, the shadows across the land twitched.
And then….. they moved.