Chapter 1: Changes
As Sunny stopped just before the circle of runes that made up the gateway, he realized.
"Why did you throw the fight?"
Turning around he marched back to her side and squatted to be eye level with Nephis, Changing Star.
A look of confused flashed across her bloodied face.
"What… are you talking about?"
Sunny snarled.
"Drop the act. Your performance was, indeed, masterful. But don't forget who taught you how to lie in the first place. Did you really think that you would be able to deceive me?"
She was silent for a few moments, then whispered:
"I don't… understand."
He looked at her and asked, his voice shaking with anger:
"Why did you do it? Why?"
Nephis blinked and drew in a shaky breath, but didn't say anything, looking at him with pain and confusion.
Realizing that she wasn't going to answer, Sunny spat:
"Why did you throw the fight?!"
Changing Star turned her head and looked at him calmly, then smiled.
"Alright, Sunny. You caught me. Now go. This tower won't last much longer."
As she said that, the white flames flowing from her wounds suddenly flashed, growing stronger and brighter. Her injuries started to heal once again, not as fast as in the past, but still with considerable speed. Her eyes shined with fearsome radiance.
He gritted his teeth.
"Like hell I will! Not before you give me an answer."
"What it is that you want to know?"
Sunny clenched his fists.
"Why even fight me if you wanted to let me win all along?"
She sighed. As he stared at her with burning intensity, Neph said:
"Isn't it obvious? Because if I didn't, you wouldn't go."
Turning away, she lingered for a moment, and then continued:
"People… people are usually either cruel or kind. But not you. You can be both, depending on the situation. Either ruthless or compassionate. Either cruel or kind. So that's what I did. I created a situation that would allow you to be ruthless and cruel. To leave me behind without showing any mercy."
Sunny stared at her, his fists trembling.
"But why? Why would you doom yourself to save me? What happened to your goddamned goal?! Didn't you tell me that you will sacrifice anything, anyone, to achieve it?!"
Nephis looked at him and smiled bitterly.
"Why? Are you the only one who is allowed to grow and change? Can't I change too, Sunny?"
She turned away and said tiredly, her voice full of invisible, but crushing weight:
"...Yes. I did say such a thing. But saying and doing are two different things, Sunny. Once it all started… once all those people were dying because of what I have done… once I suffered defeat after defeat… it was more difficult than I could ever imagine. It was… distasteful."
He shook his head in shock.
"So… that's it? You just gave up? After all that crap, you just decided that it was too much for you?"
Changing Star remained quiet for a bit, then slowly shook her head.
"...You don't really understand me at all, do you, Sunny?"
Facing him, she grinned.
"Give up? No, I didn't give up. I didn't abandon my goal. I just realized that I was not ambitious enough."
As white flames grew brighter in her eyes, Nephis said:
"I am going to destroy the Spell, and all those who stand in my way. I will accomplish everything that I want. But I will also do it in the way that I want. I will do it in a way that suits my desire, without compromising anything. Without sacrificing my sense of right and wrong."
Illuminated by white radiance, her pale, bloodied face seemed like a face of a demon.
"Manipulating all those people, causing their deaths? I would do it again. I would kill more if I needed to. Because it was fair and right. I gave them the chance to save themselves, or die fighting against the Spell. There is no better way."
For a moment, her eyes were aflame with passion. However, then, her expression suddenly changed. Looking down, Nephis added in a quiet voice:
"...But abandoning you here would be vile, and wrong. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth. Just like leaving a helpless blind girl to die alone would. I won't do it. If I do, I would be no better than those who I want to destroy. What's the point of reaching my goal if, in the process, I become the same as those whom I hate?"
She pierced him with a burning gaze and said:
"No, Sunny. My goal hasn't changed. It's just that reaching by using a wrong path is worse than not reaching it at all. But why do you care, anyway? Don't you think that it is insane? Don't you think that I am despicable and vile? So, go! Why are you hesitating?!"
Sunny stared at her, a deep frown appearing on his face. Finally, he asked:
"I'm hesitating because of you, fool. What about you?"
Nephis smiled.
"What about me? Do you think I will die here, in this tower? No. I will… I will be fine. I will escape it and survive, somehow. I'll find another way out. No matter how long it's going to take me, I will. Nothing will stop me. You know it won't…"
He stared at her for a while, then glanced at the shimmering Gateway.
The crack traveling through the stone balcony was already almost upon the circle of runes, threatening to destroy them.
…Salvation was so close.
He could almost taste it.
Turning away from the dais, Sunny shook his head.
"That is a horrible plan. You want to travel around the Dream Realm battling Nightmare Creatures? Fine. Let's do it together. We can try to go through the Hollow Mountains and reach the human Citadels on the other side. And that's just the south. With can also try north, east, and west, searching for an unclaimed Gateway. Two of us will have a better chance to survive. The two of us, together… it's better than being alone. Right?"
She hesitated for a long time, then closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. When she spoke, her voice was wistful and tired:
"...No. I can't. I can't let you stay, Sunny. Go! Go and meet your sister. There's something waiting for you in the real world, at least. All that's waiting for me is emptiness, bloodshed, and graves. If I return, the same thing that happened in the Bright Castle will repeat itself, over and over again, until there's nothing else. So go while you can."
The runes of the Gateway shimmered, as if on the verge of disappearing.
He gritted his teeth.
"...No."
Nephis opened her eyes and looked at him, a sense of sorrow appearing on her face.
"Leave me, Sunny. Please. Go."
He shook his head stubbornly.
"I don't want to."
Changing Star was silent for a moment, looking at him with a pained expression.
At this moment Sunny suddenly felt his mind slip a little, he did not know what exactly was happening.
It felt very similar to when his first nightmare had flashed before his eyes, but also different. That was because it was all about him.
It was his life, not just the past but something far grander. His future... or his possible future.
At that moment he understood everything. Things he had learnt on the Forgotten Shore clicked together with things he saw in his vision... if it could be called that.
More importantly, he understood the sovereigns, what domains were, how it felt to wield the will.
He understood what devastating loss felt like, he understood what it meant to lose something precious.
He understood far more than could be put into words. The Dream God, The Void, The Daemons, The Dream Realm.
He also understood what was about to happen.
It did not even take him a second to begin his strike.
Due to Nephis current bodily state, as well as her mental condition. She continued with her destined words.
"Go... Lost from Light."
The moment the words were spoken, Sunny felt a familiar stirring deep within his soul.
But in the next instant, before she could even take another breath.
Sunny's fist, augmented by his shadow, and unconsciously mimicking his future self. The strike he delivered instantly knocked Changing Star unconscious.
Had she not been barely awake already, this would never have happened. But Sunny could say he was almost lucky.
Sunny did not exactly understand what had happened, but the very, very vivid memories of his future spun in his mind.
The feeling of loss, the grief, the hate, ...and he felt it.
...But not as much as he had felt the moment he stepped through the gateway.
Sunny's mind was a mess, but in that moment, he chose to act on his vision and do the first and only selfless thing he had ever done in his life so far.
He decided to send Nephis back to the waking world.
If he had been aware, he would have known how hypocritical and self-centered this thought was, but currently he did not care.
He simply cleared his mind of unnecessary thoughts and began to move.
Reaching down, he grasped the nape of the Starlight Legion armor and began to drag Nephis toward the gateway.
With every step he took, he could feel strings digging into his flesh, he could feel an inescapable web embracing and chaining him.
The thought of the Will and his time a Supreme flashed in his mind as he strained against the world.
One by one, he heard the faint sound of strings snapping somewhere just out of sight.
With one last deliberate move, the last of the resistance disappeared. He had just tossed Changing Star's unconscious body into the gateway.
In the back of his mind, Sunny heard the unmistakable sound of ripping thread and tearing fabric.
He payed it no mind, and simply watched as Nephis, Changing Star dissipated into brilliant white sparks.
'Good, maybe the world I saw will change for the better with her in my place.'
Unbeknownst to him, he had just achieved an utterly impossible feat.
He had just broken Fate, with pure will.
~~~
In a faraway lightless abyss only aluminated by golden strings and far off stars, a place between the void and the god realms.
A consciousness stirred, it had gone into slumber long ago awaiting the arrival of a worthy being.
It had been stirred by something unbelievable, in fact even Shadow fully awoke from his slumber to gaze apon the being. The Dream God had not awoken, but did stir slightly at the disturbance.
After all, an event worthy of being watched by gods had just occurred.
The Spell, not the automated system that everyone knew, but the true Consciousness of the Spell gazed at the being.
Past, Present, Future.
It has seen the predetermined path of the being and... smiled?
In the abyss, a familiar feminine voice sounded.
"Master has chosen an heir, and he is favored by Shadow."
As the voice spoke, it felt a gaze land apon it. The gaze of Shadow.
The Spell simply nodded in silent affirmation.
After a moment, Shadow nodded as well.
Of course, they were not nodding heads to each other in a greeting, it was more of an agreement.
'We will share an heir. Hmm, I wonder how powerful he will be.'
With that thought, the spell acted on its long-time goal. To find and nurture a being capable of not just defying but actively breaking fate.
And so, it blessed the being with as much power as it could.
At the same time, Shadow blessed the being with his direct lineage.
This was not something like a lineage attribute, or memory. No, he had blessed the being with an actual blood relation to himself.
The being was now truly the son, and price of shadows. Not just in name, but in flesh and blood.
Once they had given their boons, both simply exchanged a silent understanding, and resumed their eternity long slumber.
~~~
Sunny was currently not in the best of states, earlier he had felt an indescribable pain radiate from his soul, but disappear moments later.
All that was left was a vague itch.
But now that Sunny was alone, he suddenly felt like his veins were burning, his bones were shifting, his flesh was being torn and sewn back together.
He felt something more intangible within him shifting and becoming harder, tougher. He fell his will flare, as his spirit became tyrannical.
This was all happening with the [Soul Conduit] blocking them.
These were all new itches, things trying to change within his body, things struggling against the [Soul Conduit].
That was until Sunny finally made it out of the spire. It was after only a hundred paces that his eyes widened.
The [Soul Conduit] had just disappeared, and in its wake a torrent of pain unimaginable washed over his body.
In his ear the spell spoke.
[Your existence is being remade.]
If someone would have been looking from the side, they would have been horrified.
Sunny fell to the floor screaming inhuman wails that sounded even over the collapsing spire.
But the most terrifying of all was his body, his bones shifted under his skin as his flesh split and twisted making way for new, much tougher flesh.
His entire body seemed to be morphing through some, very, very painful process.
Somehow, he seemed unable to lose consciousness, the pain was unimaginable. Even a god would flinch at the amount of pain Sunny was in.
After what seemed like an eternity but was truly only a few hours.
Another change started, this one was not so violent and instead felt like cold water being ran over his mangled body.
Only his body was not mangled, if anything he was briming with newfound might. And the feeling he thought of as water? That was pure blood of shadow god.
In the wake of this miraculous process, the shadows all across the Forgotten Shore stirred... and bowed. They all genuflected before their lord, and their Prince.
As Sunny writhed in unimaginably agony, the kind of pain that could extinguish feeling and humanity all together.
Something else was happening far away.
~~~
On one of the underground levels of the Academy hospital complex, in a small room that was filled with the massive rectangle of the dream pod and various pieces of medical equipment, a delicate girl with pale blond hair was sleeping beneath the transparent glass lid, her face surrounded by wisps of cold vapor.
Suddenly, a series of lights ignited on the surface of the pod, and the medical machinery in the room came to life, producing various noises.
A few moments later, the girl opened her striking blue eyes and screamed.
~~~
…On a top floor of a private care facility in the center of a city, in a spacious room with tall windows and a luxurious interior, a state-of-the-art sleeping pod stood silently, bathed in sunlight. An attending nurse sat in a comfortable chair beside it, monitoring the vital signs of a beautiful young man who slumbered inside.
For the past three years, there had not been a single minute when the young man was left alone. His pod was surrounded by fresh flowers, and someone was always there to keep watch.
For three years, the flowers and nurses came and went, but the young man had remained the same. Nothing about him ever changed.
Suddenly, the nurse opened her eyes wide.
A second later, the sleeping pod shone with bright light. Its lid swiftly slid sideways and hid in a special housing slot.
The figure inside was slowly raising in the air, as if pulled up by an invisible force. The beautiful young man was… levitating.
The nurse remained motionless for a few seconds, stunned. Then, she hastily ran to the panel on the wall and pressed a call button.
~~~
…In a small apartment in one of the less prestigious areas of the city, in a tiny room, a tall young woman was lying in an old and barely functioning pod. This one was possibly the last representative of its model, taken out of production a long time ago. Still, it seemed like the most luxurious thing in the apartment, by far.
The door of the room was open, letting in the sound of a news broadcast. A pleasant and confident tone was currently saying:
"...unusual number of Awakenings! Dear viewers, we… we are currently receiving a report from our correspondents, and will be able to update you on this event shortly. The representatives of the great Legacy Clans, meanwhile…"
Suddenly, the sound of the broadcast was cut out, replaced by a heavy, hopeless silence.
Soon, the sound of tentative steps could be heard, approaching the room where the pod stood.
Just a second later, however, a fist slammed into the armored glass of its lid from inside, sending a net of cracks through it.
~~~
Back in another underground chamber of the academy, a metal sarcophagus sat.
Inside, a tall, beautiful slender girl with silver hair lay asleep. Soon, however. Her eyes shot open as lights whirred across the surface of a nearby panel.
Nephis, Changing Star, had returned to the waking world.
And a few hundred meters away, in a slightly higher, and less guarded room lay another sleeping pod.
This one contained a boy with pale skin, and raven hair. However unlike all the others, this boy stayed silent showing no hint of waking up.
~~~
As Nephis's mind came to, she wondered where she was. The first thing she saw, was three doctors standing over her trying to assess her current state.
Her mind was muddled, and her vision refused to focus.
No, it was not that her vision would not focus, it was that she had to many tears in her eyes to see clearly.
With an almost physical weight pressing down on her heart, she sat up.
With resolve burning in her eyes, she turned to the nearby doctor.
"Take me to Sunny."
The doctor looked puzzled.
"Lady Changing Star, who is... Sunny?"
Nephis, realizing her mistake clarified.
"Sleeper Sunless, take me to his room."
The doctor immediately started to tell her about the procedures and tests they needed to run, but under her unblinking gaze. The doctor caved.
In just a few minutes, she walked into a room very similar to her own.
It had no special defenses, no special life preserving machines, and was quite a bit smaller.
And at the center sat a metal coffin, still, silent, entirely unperturbed by the chaos unfolding outside.
On one side of the Sleeping Pod, a delicate blind girl sat. Her pale gold hair shimmered in the misty light from the coffin, and her blue eyes matched the hue of the stark lighting.
Hearing the new arrivals Cassie's face visibly brightened.
"Neph, did it work like my vision showed?"
Her voice sounded hopeful, almost glad that she had condemned Sunny to solitude.
For the first time in a long time, Nephis felt like she wanted to scream.
"Yes Cassie, it worked. I... left him there... alone."
As she gritted her teeth, Cassie forced out a smile.
"...That's... that's good."
Nephis's heart felt like it was being twisted in her chest.
She stayed quiet as she approached the slumbering boy.
Once Nephis was within arm's reach, she felt something tug on the deepest part of her soul.
It was similar to how she had felt the moment she spoke his true name, but much more powerful.
Feeling an instinctual urge, she called apon her runes. They looked almost the exact same, only now near the bottom there was a single rune.
[Slave]
Nephis's heart became even heavier as she realized what Sunny's weakness was.
It was not some kind of bane to use against him, it was not even a weapon.
It was a chain, a shackle.
As she focused on the rune, her vision lit up with dozens more.
They were... Sunny's runes. Right in front of her she was looking at Sunny's most guarded secrets.
She had enslaved him, stripped him of his freewill, and now she was stripping him of his secrets.
At that moment, Cassie's face became confused as she glanced at Sunny's sleeping body.
Her eyes widened as she watched his attributes change, right in front of her his Attributes changed as he gained new ones.
In a very similar way, Nephis's eyes became wider and wider as she watched not only his Attributes, but his Aspect and its innate ability change.
But a particular rune began to form that drew her attention, it read [Unchained].
Before it fully formed, Nephis managed to see its description.
[Unchained] Attribute Description: [You naturally reject all shackles placed on you, only the shackles you accept can be places apon you.]
The moment the Runes fully formed, the rune saying [Slave] became dull grey and lifeless.
'His body rejected me... because I am a shackle.'
The doctors on the other hand were horrified as they watched his body start to twitch and writhe.
They heard his bones break and watched them shift under his skin, his flesh split and fell from his frame before being replaced by new skin.
It was not just his skin, it was his tendons, muscle, nerves, and organs.
Every soft tissue in his body was going through a metamorphosis, and based on the tears streaming down his contorted face it was a very painful process.
Immediately the doctors jumped into action. As they hit a call button to request more help, they began to hold him down the best they could, trying to prevent him from hurting himself.
Soon, there was over twenty doctors and awakened healers in the room, tending to his writhing form.
At the sound of all the bustle, Cassie had become confused and scared about what was going on.
Even if she had conspired to leave him there, it hurt her beyond what words could express.
If both girls were honest with themselves, they could have both admitted they truly loved Sunny.
Yet they had left him there, with no way to return.
As Cassie's heart began to twist in guilt, she started to cry.
As Nephis hugged Cassie, tears began to roll from her eyes.
At that moment a particularly loud crack resounded in the room.
The sound made them both flinch, but they did not make any moves to leave.
Whatever was happening, it had happened because of them.
They were the ones who had chosen to leave him there, even if Nephis had changed her mind last second that did not change the fact that, until then she was planning to leave him.
After a few hours, the sounds of breaking bones and tearing flesh ceased.
Unfortunately, they were escorted out of the room within the first hour, so they were not able to see if Sunny was alright.
Soon, they found themselves in seperate rooms being asked all kinds of questions about their time in the dream realm.
It was exhausting for them to answer questions regarding small things like the rank of creatures, the nature of the land, etc.
But eventually they were allowed to leave.
The next few days, they did not see each other due to having to find a place to anchor themselves and other responsibilities related to awakening.
However, on the third day. There was a celebration for all the survivors of the forgotten shore.
~~~
As Nephis approached the doors leading to the hall where the sleepers of the dark city, now awakened were loudly celebrating.
She saw a familiar girl.
Cassie was standing next to the door looking at the ground, and as she heard Nephis approach her head rose.
"Neph?"
"Yea it's me Cas."
As Nephis got closer, Cassie smiled.
"I was waiting for you, I wanted to meet the cohort together with you."
As a small grimace passed over Changing Star's face, she patted Cassie on the shoulder.
"It's okay Cas, he will make it back."
Cassie's face became stiff, but she nodded.
And soon they found themselves in a crowded room of the sleeper complex. They saw plenty of familiar faces and were given many thanks and praises.
But it was all the same, they thanked Nephis for not leaving them behind, they thanked her for saving their lives.
With every thank you she got, she realized that she was wrong.
She had always thought that she could give anything in exchange for power, in exchange for her goal.
But with every thanks, and praise she realized the one thing she could never give, even for her goals.
It was Sunny, the one she had left alone.
As she fought back the familiar feeling of loss and regret she spotted a familiar head of auburn hair.
Tapping on Cassie's shoulder, she began to walk in his direction.
It was time to meet some friends.
~~~
In the lightless remains of the Forgotten Shore, near the rubble of the once mighty Crimson Spire.
A young man with perfect pale skin, and hair that was like strands of the night sky lay on the dust.
His form was caked in dried blood, but he had no wounds.
He seemed... fine.
As he lay there on the dust, his eyes began to flutter.
As his eyes opened, two lightless orbs of pure shadows appeared, and as they did the shadow jumped and surged.
They were celebrating the return of their prince.
"Ah, what the hell was that?"
Sunny had felt pain before, but the pain he had just felt was something he could not even imagine.
As his vision focused, he started to take note of the land around him. It was safe to say, the crimson forest was no more.
All around him was... nothing. There was no crimson coral, no cyclopean tower, not even a single movement.
The entire world was lightless, silent, and still.
Where the once vivid crimson coral used to be there was now just muted gray dust.
And that was all there was for as far as the eye could see.
Although not too far away were the remnants of the crimson spire, but they also looked grey and lifeless.
As Sunny got to his feet, his mind began to spin.
'Where do I go from here, what is my objective.'
Well, his objective was obvious, he wanted to live. And to live he would have to find his way out of the Forgotten Shore, one way or another.
But as he started think about his future, the memories of his life that had flashed before his eyes came to his mind.
They were vivid, so much so that he could feel, smell, and taste the things he was remembering.
It was like he was living it while remembering.
As his mind relived his life over and over the voice of the spell spoke in his ear.
[You have recalled parts of your aspect legacy: Shadow Dance]
[You aspect legacy mastery has increased]
[You may claim a Legacy Relic]
[You may claim...]
[You may claim...]
Due to his current state of mind, he did not even feel surprised about his rewards.
He already knew what they would give him after all.
As he brought his runes forward though, his mind simply stopped working.
"Wh-what?!"
They read.
Name: Sunless.
True Names: Lost from Light, Prince of Death.
Rank: Dormant
Class: Titan
Shadow Cores [7/7]
Shadow Fragments: 0
Memories: [Silver Bell], [Puppeteer's Shroud], [Midnight Shard], [Ordinary Rock], [Endless Spring], [Prowling Thorn], [M...un...old..], [Weaver's Mask], [Broken Oath].
Echoes: -
Shadows: [Marble Saint].
Attributes: [Fateful], [Divine Grace], [Shadow Spawned], [Unchained], [Forbidden Holder], [The Weave].
Aspect: Shadow Prince.
Aspect Rank: Unknown
Aspect Description: [You are the direct spawn of Shadow and carry his legacy, you enjoy the loyalty and reverence of all shadows. You are a complete shadow and do not need to be cast, but when cast you become more complete and powerful. You possess many strange and wonderous powers.]
Innate Abilities: [Shadow Bond], [Shadow Born].
Aspect Ability: [Shadow Control].
Aspect Legacy: [Shadow Dance]
Flaw: [Clear Conscience]
Flaw Description: [You cannot lie.]
As Sunny read over his runes, he became very confused.
His runes had changed a lot, he had a second true name somehow, his Attributes had completely changed, his Aspect was different and possessed a new innate ability.
But the part that intrigued Sunny the most was his class, and shadow fragment counter.
Not only was he a Titan all of a sudden, but he did not have a cap to his shadow fragments.
According to his memories of the future, this was exactly one of his problems.
After attaining supremacy and reaching full saturation of his Titan core, his progress had utterly stalled.
But Sunny did not spend too much time dwelling on possibilities, he had a lot to go over see he decided to start at the top and make his way down.
Starting with his Attributes, Sunny called forward the runes.
Attributes: [Fateful], [Divine Grace], [Shadow Spawned], [Unchained], [Forbidden Holder], [The Weave].
'Not even a single familiar one.'
[Fate Breaker] Attribute Description: [You have broken fate and are free to change its events as you see fit.]
This specific Attribute did not have any traits and was pretty self explanatory yet it was a very powerful Attribute.
'Free reign over Fate huh.'
As his face turned hostile, he yelled.
"And why could you not have given this to me earlier, why now after everything is over?!"
Of course there was no answer.
Sunny could only grit his teeth and shake the unhealthy thoughts out of his mind. After calming down a little, he continued.
[Divine Grace] Attribute Description: [You have been chosen by multiple divinities and therefor carry the highest affiliation possible.]
[Divine Grace] Attribute Traits: [Graced], [Beholder].
[Graced] Description: [You are of direct Divine lineage, all creatures with connection to the divine feel inclined to worship you.]
[Beholder] Description: [All foes who behold your presence feel small and weak.]
'So, it is an all around mind attack, while giving me an unmatched affiliation to divinity?'
Sunny simply grinned as he moved on.
[Shadow Spawned] Attribute Description: [You are a direct spawn of Shadow God and are the prince of all shadows, you can bestow the grace of shadows apon those you chose.]
[Shadow Spawned] Attribute Traits: [Veiled], [Shadow Step], [Shadow's Grace].
[Veiled] Description: [While shrouded in shadows your presence is muted. Your smell is erased while your footsteps make no sound and leave no footprints.]
[Shadow Step] Description: [You are one with the shadows and can freely move through them, traveling from one to another in an instant.]
[Shadow's Grace] Description: [You can bestow the grace of shadows on others giving them access to basic shadow abilities.]
Sunny just stared at the runes and blinked.
'So, I am basically undetectable here.'
Sunny's face looked deadpan, but the darkness swirling in his eyes seemed to gleam with delight.
He did not know exactly how the whole [Shadow's Grace] thing worked but the other traits were like strait up cheats in a place covered in never ending shadows.
Eyes full of glee, he moved to the next Attribute.
[Unchained] Attribute Description: [You naturally reject all shackles placed on you, only the shackles you accept can be places apon you.]
[Unchained] Attribute Traits: [Breaker].
[Breaker] Description: [Once you accept a shackle, you may reject them again at any time and break free.]
This one did not have any Traits, but it said everything it needed to.
But as Sunny read this, his heart became cold.
His eyes flicked down to [Shadow Bond] and he was that it was indeed gray and lifeless, just like it should have been.
But instead of seeing the rune [Master], he saw.
[Do you wish to accept Changing Star as your Master?]
Sunny's eyes widened as his mind became blank for a second.
'I... I get to choose.'
In the past, or future, Sunny hated he fact that his choice was stripped from him. He had been mad at Cassie for telling Nephis his True Name and had even cruelly severed their connection for it.
But now, not only did he have a choice, but he remembered just how much it had hurt her to do so.
He knew what lengths she would go to just to make up for what she had done.
The question was, would he allow Nephis to be his master. Or would he reject her and continue to hide his true name.
Well, the answer was obvious.
With the knowledge of the future came the regret he had felt once the connection was severed, and more than that.
[Breaker] Description: [Once you accept a shackle, you may reject them again at any time and break free.]
Letting out a sigh, he whispered.
"Yes"
[So be it.]
~~~
Far away in entirely different dimension, four people sat in a quiet room.
One was a tall, beautiful women with silver hair and grey eyes. To her right was a petite girl with pale golden hair and unseeing blue eyes.
To her left was a pale, frail girl in a wheelchair. Her body was weak, but the spark in her eyes spoke of great vigor.
Lastly was an incredibly handsome young man with auburn hair and electric green eyes.
After some general greetings, the four had made their way to a table in a secluded corner to have a chat.
They had just sat down and were about to begin their discussion.
"It is good to see you made it out of their Princess."
"Yes, Lady Nephis, it is good to see that you made it back. You too Cassie."
As Kai greeted them his eyes started to look around the crowd, before he asked.
"How long do you think it will be before Sunny makes it?"
At the question, Nephis and Cassie flinched.
Cassie looked down, avoiding his gaze. Nephis looked him in the eye and said.
"He's not coming back, at least not right now."
When Kai and Effie heard that, they both frowned.
"What do you mean Princess? What happened to Doofus?"
"Is Sunny okay, what happened?"
Nephis gave them long looks and decided they deserved to know the truth, the full truth.
"Cassie, tell them about your vision. The one we saw while traveling to the bright castle."
Cassie looked startled at her words, as her face turned to Nephis.
She only grabbed Cassie's hand, assuring her that it was okay.
"Back when Nephis, Sunny, and me were traversing the labyrinth, I had a vision regarding the Bright Castle and the siege of the crimson spire."
She stopped and took a deep breath.
"At first, I saw a… a boundless darkness locked behind seven seals. Something vast was churning in the darkness. I felt like if I directly saw it, I would lose my mind. As I watched, terrified, the seals broke one after another, until only one remained. And then that seal broke, too."
She shivered but continued.
"After that I saw the human castle again. Only this time, it was at night. There was a lonely star burning in the black skies, and under its light, the castle was suddenly consumed by fire, with rivers of blood flowing down its halls. I saw a corpse in a golden armor sitting on a throne; a woman with a bronze spear drowning in a tide of monsters; an archer trying to pierce the falling sky with his arrows... this part of the vision was referencing the revolution in the bright castle as well as the siege of the crimson spire."
As she spoke, the members of the cohort's faces hardened. They could easily tell who the corpse in the golden armor was, and it did not take much thinking to figure out that they were the women with a bronze spear, and the archer.
"In the end, I saw the crimson spire. At its base, seven severed heads were guarding seven locks. And at the top, a… a dying angel was being consumed by hungry shadows. When I saw the angel bleed, I suddenly felt as though… as though something so precious that it can't be described with words was taken from me."
She paused for a moment before she explained.
"It did not take me long to realize that the angel was Nephis and the shadows were Sunny. I did not know why they were going to fight, and I still don't know why but they were and did."
She paused and lowered her head.
"The day after I realized what the vision meant, I asked him if he could promise me to protect Nephis no matter what."
She paused for a second and continued.
"He told me no and said that he could barely take care of himself. That day I decided to help Nephis win the fight."
Her shoulders slumped as she began to explain what she did.
"I did not know how I was going to help her until a few months after we arrived in the Dark City. About a month after Sunny went to live in the City, I had another vision, this one of the recent past."
If Cassie could have deflated anymore she would have.
"In the vision, he was talking with the young man that used to run the front desk, Harper. Harper had brought alcohol and him and Sunny had been drinking."
Kai and Effie exchanged a look. They had never seen Sunny drink alcohol, and usually he furtively avoided it.
"Harper was asking a lot of sensitive questions about Nephis and the cohort, it was clear he was fishing for intel and Sunny knew that. The only problem is that as Sunny drank more wine his judgment became impaired."
Cassie seemed to contemplate something before she moved of subject for a second.
"I don't know how Sunny would feel with us talking about this but in order to make you understand I need you to understand Sunny's flaw."
Kai and Effie shot each other another glance, they had never been explicitly told his flaw, but they had an idea. Especially Kai who knew that Sunny never told a lie.
Before Cassie could continue Kai spoke.
"He can't tell a lie, right? He always spoke the truth no matter how much it sucked or how much it would hurt people, even him."
Effie looked at him then back to Cassie.
"Yes, but that is not the problem. Yes, his flaw forces him to tell the truth, but it also compels him to answer any question directed at him. If he refuses to answer a pain will build in his mind until he is forced to answer."
Kai's eyes widened a little, and Effie seemed relieved.
"Honestly that's what I though his flaw was. I was a little confused by what Kai said but I think I understand now."
Cassie only nodded and continued.
"He is a master at deception, perhaps one of the best to ever exist. He would give half truths and let your mind lead you to the wrong answer on its own. It was an insidious way to mislead people."
Cassie looked at Nephis.
"You can ask her just how insidious and useful a skill like that is, she is the only graduate from Sunny's school of deception."
Nephis smiled as she nodded.
"He is the one who taught me to deceive people and manipulate people for a desired outcome."
Cassie smiled back and got back to the story.
"Back to Harper, usually Sunny would be able to expertly lead him astray and he did. He made Harper believe that Nephis was a healer, and that the rest of the cohort were the actual muscle."
Cassie seemed to dim a little as she spoke the next part.
"That was until Harper asked how Nephis got her true name. Sunny, due to the alcohol and his focus on leading Harper away from the cohort's secrets forgot to hide his own."
Cassie grimaced as she remembered what happened next.
"When Harper asked how she got her True Name Sunny replied with, "Probably the same way I got mine.""
Kai and Effie's eyes widened as they realized what that meant.
"Sunny had a true name?"
"Sunny got a True name in his first nightmare?"
They both seemed dumbfounded, then they looked at Nephis and asked at the same time.
"What did you do in your nightmare to get a True Name?"
"What did you do in your nightmare to get a True Name?"
They did not ask to pry into her secrets, they were asking so they could understand what Sunny had done.
Nephis was suddenly glad she did not have a flaw like Sunny's. She had already decided to be honest with them, but such a broad question was hard to answer.
"I killed an Awakened Terror."
If their eyes could have gotten wider, they would have.
"What?!"
"You killed a Terror as a mundane?!"
Nephis just smiled and nodded.
Cassie allowed them to digest before she continued.
"While I do not know exactly what he did in his nightmare, based on his [Fated] Attribute it is safe to say that whatever is was, it was truly a one of a kind feat."
All their heads nodded in unison.
"After Sunny said that he seemed to sober as he instantly looked to Harper to see if he had caught that mistake... he had."
Kai realized something right then.
"Based on the fact that he hid it so well, it probably is not good for people to know."
Effie looked at him then back to Cassie.
"Yes, I don't know why but he obviously had messed up."
As Cassie told them about the next part their eyes became solemn.
"Harper thought he was jesting and asked him what it was as a joke."
Kai and Effie had just learned about his flaw and knew where this was going. After all, they had never seen Harper again after his first day in the outer settlement.
"Sunny tried to resist his flaw, he even lasted longer than a minute against the pain, but in the end, he could not overcome his flaw."
Cassie sighed then finished.
"So, he grabbed a knife off the nearby table and drove it into Harper's heart. He covered his mouth and held him down as he whispered his true name to Harper, just loud enough to alleviate his flaw. Only two people heard him, Harper..."
"And you."
Effie was the one to answer, her face was solemn and even a hint of sadness was in her eyes.
"Yes, and at that moment, I thought I had found the way for Nephis to win. The next morning, I told her about my vision and his true name hoping it would allow her to win."
She seemed to wither in her chair as she turned to Nephis.
"You will have to ask her about the rest, I was one of the first through the gateway so I don't know how the actual fight went."
Kai and Effie turned to her and awaited her to speak.
"It happened after everyone was already through the gateway, Sunny made his way up to help me against the Terror, but I had already killed it."
She grimaced and continued.
"After the Terror was dead, me and him got a new Attribute called [Soul Conduit]. It was what allowed the gateway as well as the entire spire to function."
Her eyes seemed to be filled with rage.
"Only one of us could leave, and until that moment I was ready to kill him. But I knew that if I killed him, I would be stuck, the thing is killing him and leaving him alone in a dream realm prison were much different."
Nephis's fists clenched as she continued.
"So, I threw the fight."
Kai and Effie looked at her with sorrow and understanding.
"The spire was crumbling around us, and we fought across the entire thing. Our fight led us to the gateway, and we continued to fight. Without me using my flames, he won. Honestly, he could still have beat me, even if I had not thrown the fight."
When she said this, they all seemed shocked. Even Cassie looked at her with confusion in her eyes.
"Near the end of the fight, he seemed to switch his fighting style. It was like he was mirroring me, every swing was countered perfectly. All the faints were seen through, and my blocks seemed to not work anymore."
Kai and Effie looked at her with some shock until Cassie spoke.
"Or like he was shadowing you?"
They all seemed to realize what she was hinting at.
"Maybe, but at the end he ran me through with his sword."
Effie looked at her with pity, while Kai just nodded solemnly.
"With my flames that would not be fatal, so he simply kicked my sword away and made his way to the gateway. But Sunny is the person who knows me the best in two worlds. He knew I threw the fight, honestly even if I hadn't, I think he still would not have walked through the gateway."
As her eyes became solemn, she continued.
"He asked me why, and when I told him it was because I would not leave him there, he started to come up with ways for us to leave together, to make our way out of the Forgotten Shore together."
Nephis looked around the table and spoke.
"Due to my selfishness, I told him that it would not work, I told him that he did not have a way to heal himself, I told him that he needed to go."
Her eyes dimmed.
"In the end he decided not to go, so I decided to use his True Name, Lost from Light against him."
Nephis shivered.
"But it was not a bane, or a weapon at all. It was a shackle, and the one to speak his true name to him becomes his Master."
With a sigh she added.
"But he seemed to somehow know what was about to happened and swung at me. The second I spoke his True Name, he knocked me out. The next thing I knew, there were doctors helping me sit up in my sleeping pod."
The cohort seemed to all understand the meaning of her words.
At that moment, Cassie fully understood what she had done.
The next person to speak was Effie.
"So does that mean you are his master?"
There was no mischief in her tone, not even the hint that said she was about to say something inappropriate.
Nephis shook her head.
"No. When I went to see him in his sleeping pod, I felt something and looked at my runes."
Everyone looked at her with curiosity.
"Near the bottom there was a new rune, [Slave]. When I focused on it, I was able to see all of his runes. His memories, aspect, flaw, everything."
As everyone looked at her with wide eyes, she continued.
"I don't know what happened, but right before my eyes I watched as it all began to change, his Aspect and Attributes shifted, and new attributes were added."
Her face turned solemn.
"As I watched, a specific attribute began to form. I read the runes as the came into existence."
"It was called [Unchained], and its description said that he naturally rejects all shackles placed on him, and that only shackles he accepts can be placed on him."
They all understood what that meant. He had naturally broken their connection, and unless he actively accepted it then she would not be his master.
"The second the Attribute finished forming, the rune saying [Slave] became grey and lifeless. I think it is waiting for him to either accept or reject it."
Almost on instinct she glanced at her runes again, and as her eyes landed on a familiar rune near the bottom. Her eyes widened.
At the bottom, a rune that said [Slave] shone with brilliant light. It was no longer grey and lifeless.
Cassie caught her change in demeanor and asked.
"What's wrong Nephis?"
Nephis just looked at her and smiled with a brilliant and genuine smile.
"He accepted me."
They all looked at her clearly confused.
"The [Slave] is shining again, the only way for that to happen is if he accepted it."
They all understood what she meant and waited.
"What?"
Effie laughed.
"You have already told us about all his other secrets, why not tell us a few more?"
Nephis looked at her with doubt.
She was curious too, but blatantly sharing his secrets was a little much.
'Things like his aspect name won't hurt.'
However, the second she opened his runes she froze.
"What the fuck is this?!"
Effie and Kai flinched as she yelled, and Cassie almost fell out of her chair.
"What?"
"What?"
"What?"
They all asked at the same time, but Nephis was entirely still, and her eyes raced through the air clearly reading his runes.
"After a reaction like that, we need to know now."
Kai looked at Effie, but he silently agreed.
"I would also like to know."
The last was Cassie.
"I saw a few of his attributes change, but I'm also really curious."
Nephis just looked at them then back at the runes, the things she was reading were simply absurd.
Name: Sunless.
True Name: Lost from Light, Prince of Death.
Rank: Dormant
Class: Titan
Shadow Cores [7/7]
Shadow Fragments: 0
Memories: [Silver Bell], [Puppeteer's Shroud], [Midnight Shard], [Ordinary Rock], [Endless Spring], [Prowling Thorn], [M...un...old..], [Weaver's Mask], [Broken Oath].
Echoes: -
Shadows: [Marble Saint].
Attributes: [Fate Breaker], [Divine Grace], [Shadow Spawned], [Unchained], [Forbidden Holder], [The Weave].
Aspect: Shadow Prince.
Aspect Rank: Unknown
Innate Abilities: [Shadow Bond], [Shadow Born].
Aspect Ability: [Shadow Control].
Aspect Legacy: [Shadow Dance]
Flaw: [Clear Conscience]
Flaw Description: [You cannot lie.]
She simply did not know where to start, it was all just... absurd.
"I don't know where to start so just ask about the things you are curious of."
Nephis would usually not leave such an open ended invitation but currently she was strait up starstruck by what she was seeing.
Effie was the first to speak.
"What is his aspect? What rank is it?"
Nephis quickly read over his aspect.
Aspect: Shadow Prince.
Aspect Rank: Unknown
Innate Abilities: [Shadow Bond], [Shadow Born].
Aspect Ability: [Shadow Control]
Aspect Legacy: [Shadow Dance]
Shadow Dance Mastery Level: [4/7]
'He already has an Aspect legacy, and is over halfway done with it's progression.'
She wondered how long he had it, and what it did. But after seeing its name she had a feeling she had already seen some of it.
"His Aspect is called Shadow Prince, it's rank is Unknown and it has two innate abilities [Shadow Bond], and [Shadow Born]."
Effie looked at her with expectation.
"Okay you gotta at least read the descriptions."
Nephis looked at her.
Effie met her stare unblinking.
In the end Nephis sighed and summoned the descriptions.
Aspect Description: [You are the direct spawn of Shadow God and carry his legacy, you enjoy the loyalty of all shadows. You are a complete shadow and do not need to be cast, but when cast you become darker and more powerful, you possess many strange and wonderous powers.]
[Shadow Bond] Ability description: [You are a complete shadow and do not need to be cast, but when cast you become much stronger. Find a worthy master and let them know one of your true names and you will be bound to them. Your strength will increase further in proportion to the strength of your master.]
[Shadow Born] Ability Description: [You are born from shadows and when embraced by them you become stronger, heal faster, and regain essence quicker.]
As she read her face started twitching.
'He is the direct spawn of Shadow God, what does that even mean? And now that I'm his master he will become more powerful?'
As she finished reading them, she restarted and began to read them aloud.
"His Aspect description says. [You are the direct spawn of Shadow God and carry his legacy, you enjoy the loyalty of all shadows. You are a complete shadow and do not need to be cast, but when cast you become darker and more powerful, you possess many strange and wonderous powers.]"
Effie seemed confused by its wording, Kai looked just as confused.
'They don't know about lineages.'
At this moment Nephis had to think about just how much she wanted her cohort to know.
But another thought landed in her head. The thought that they were not just her cohort but her friends.
With a long sigh, Nephis leaned a little closer and began to speak.
"You must never tell anyone what I am about to tell you, it is something that could put your lives at risk."
Effie looked at her with an amused expression, while Kai just nodded with a serious face.
Cassie on the other hand, who could see Attributes and had asked her before just seemed surprised that she was going to tell them about lineages.
"So, you all know of the three great clans, yes?"
Effie seemed exasperated and spoke.
"Of course, we know about the great clans Princess."
As she said this her eyes suddenly gleamed.
"Hey now that I think about it, his Aspect is called Shadow Prince right. Sounds right up your alley Princess."
Nephis's face turned a little pink as she glared at her.
Kai spoke up trying to ease the tension.
"Yes, I have heard of the great clans before. What about them?"
Nephis's gaze softened, and she sighed.
"The great clans did not find their way to the top on accident. They found something in the Dream Realm that helped them, they are called lineages."
Their faces looked puzzled, so she continued.
"They came from memories called Drops of Ichor. They are the lineages of the dead Gods, but they are only a single drop of the Gods' blood, not their direct lineage. My family for instance possessed the Sun God lineage called The Fire."
As she finished speaking, they looked surprised.
"In order to tell you about the other lineages you will need to know about another secret of the great clan, well two of them."
Nephis gave them a look that showed this was of the highest importance.
"Most people believe that Saints are the highest rank humanity has produced but they are wrong. There are three people who have passed transcendent and become Supreme, the Sovereigns."
At this all their eyes widened, even Cassie was surprised.
Nephis just sighed and continued.
"The leader of clan Valor is a man named Madoc, but that is only on the surface. Their real leader is a man named Anvil, a Sovereign. Clan Song also has one, her name is Ki Song."
At the revelation, Cassie, Effie, and kai looked like they had been dunked underwater.
Nephis found it a little funny to see their mortified expressions.
"The last one is alone and does not rule a clan, I can't tell you his name because he becomes more powerful the more people know of him."
They nodded, signaling they understood.
"These Sovereigns possess the lineages and the only one that has not been found is Shadow. Valor is War God, Song is Beast God, Night is Storm God, the third Sovereign alone has the Heart God lineage, while my family possessed Sun God's lineage."
Kai and Effie nodded, while Cassie asked.
"How did he find Shadow Gods lineage?"
Nephis just shrugged as she answered.
"He didn't, from what I can tell his Aspect gave it to him, not a Drop of Ichor."
Cassie nodded.
However, before she could speak again, Kai spoke up.
"So, when it says he is a direct spawn of Shadow God..."
Nephis nodded.
"Yes, it means he possesses the full unfiltered lineage of Shadow God, not just a drop but the full thing."
Their faces seemed shocked as they fell deep into thought.
Nephis let them be for a moment.
Soon, Effie shook her head trying to get rid of unnecessary thought and spoke.
"Alright enough with the great clans, what are the descriptions of his innate abilities?"
Glances back at the descriptions, Nephis began to speak.
"Shadow Bond is the one that binds him to someone, its description says. [You are a complete shadow and do not need to be cast, but when cast you become much stronger. Find a worthy master and let them know one of your true names and you will be bound to them. Your strength will increase further in proportion to the strength of your master.]"
As she finished speaking, the three's heads snapped to her.
"One of your True names?"
Kai was the first to ask.
Nephis just nodded.
"He has two, the first one is Lost from Light, the second is Prince of Death."
Effie was taken aback and Kai seemed just as suprised. The one who showed the littlest reaction was Cassie.
"The other one is Shadow Born, and its description says [You are born from shadows and when embraced by them you become stronger, heal faster, and regain essence quicker]."
Effie seemed like she was thinking about arm wrestling, while Kai just nodded. It sounded very fitting for the spawn of Shadow God.
Cassie just sighed trying to get used to all the new information she was receiving, and deciding to use this time to ask what she actually wanted to know.
"What about his attributes? I saw them change and am curious what they say now."
Nephis glanced at the runes once again.
Attributes: [Fate Breaker], [Divine Grace], [Shadow Spawned], [Unchained], [Forbidden Holder], [The Weave].
"He has six Attributes, Fate Breaker, Divine Grace, Shadow Spawned, Unchained, Forbidden Holder, and The Weave."
She already knew they would want to know more than just names so she summoned forth the descriptions ahead of time.
"Fate Breaker's description says [You have broken fate and are free to change its events as you see fit.]"
Effie and Kai's reactions were very tame compared to earlier, but Cassie seemed to have just heard that she was getting a present.
"What did you just say?!"
Nephis looked at her. She understood why she reacted that way, because she had been trying to break fate the entire time, yet her actions only made it seem more inevitable.
To hear that Sunny has not only broken Fate but now is allowed to change it as much as he wants was like a slap in the face.
"I know how you feel Cassie, but we already know that his attributes changed. If he would have had this to begin with, he would have used it. If anyone knows it best, that would be you. You saw his original attributes after all."
Cassie seemed to calm down as she thought about it, after a few seconds she just nodded signaling for her to continue.
"The Divine Grace Attribute's description says [You have been chosen by multiple divinities and therefor carry the highest affiliation possible.]"
This was not very surprising seeing as how he was a direct spawn of Shadow God, but what made them slightly confused was the fact it said multiple divinities. But before they could dwell on it Nephis continued.
"It has three traits, [Graced], [Beholder], and [Charmed]. The description for Graced says [You are a direct descendant of Divinity, all creatures with connection to the divine feel inclined to worship you. The higher the affiliation the stronger the feeling]. Beholders description says [All foes who behold your presence feel small and weak]. Charmed says [Those with an affiliation to divinity will naturally show you their true feeling.]
Effie and Kai just nodded, neither of them had an affiliation to divinity nor were they his enemies, so this Attribute was of no concern to them.
Nephis felt a little apprehensive about it but did not let it show, she had a very high affiliation to divinity, so she wondered how powerful the feeling really was. And gods knows how much that last one made her feel.
As Nephis moved onto the next one, she started to feel a little jealous of all his powers.
"The Shadow Spawned Attribute's description says [You are a direct spawn of Shadow God and are the prince of all shadows, you can bestow the grace of shadows apon those you chose]. It has three traits [Veiled], [Shadow Step], and [Shadow's Grace]."
When they heard traits, they became curious again, his first attribute did not have any, but his second one did. It did not apply to them so they were not interested but this sounded like it would be a little more up their alley.
"Veiled's description says [While shrouded in shadows your presence is muted. Your smell is erased, and your footsteps make no sound and leave no footprints]."
Effie looked like she had just heard a funny joke.
"So, he got even more sneaky huh, it suits Doofus well."
Kai could not help but nod in agreement.
"Shadow Step is honestly less of an Attribute trait and more like an Aspect ability. Its description says [You are one with the shadows and can freely move through them, traveling from one to another in an instant]."
Effie suddenly stopped looking amused and strait up looked jealous.
"So, he is not only almost undetectable in shadows, but can teleport through them?"
Nephis just nodded, feeling the same.
'I wonder which of us is stronger?'
Although she thought this, she was pretty sure she already knew the answer.
Sunny had not only gotten a new ability but had also grown stronger in reference to his master, her.
That meant that he was probably just as strong as she is without any augmentations from his shadow. And if they fought in a shadow, he would be even stronger.
Sighing she continued.
"Shadow's Grace does what it sound like and says [You can bestow the grace of shadows on others giving them access to basic shadow abilities.]"
Kai and Effie did not even react as they heard about this particular ability, but Cassie was different.
"Do you think that will allow you to have his Shadow Sense?"
The reason for her question was obvious, she could not see but if she had shadow sense her life would be much easier.
Nephis just shrugged.
"Maybe, maybe not. I'm not really sure what basic shadow powers are."
They all nodded, and Cassie just looked down at her hands.
"The next one I already told you about, Unchained. It has one trait called Breaker, and its description says [Once you accept a shackle, you may reject them again at any time and break free]."
They all nodded, it sounded self explanatory.
"The next one is called [Forbidden Holder] and its description says..."
As she went quiet, they all looked at her.
Nephis's face was contorted with surprise and confusion as her eyes moved in the same pattern over and over clearly reading it again and again.
After three minutes had passed, she finally opened her mouth to speak.
"Umm... its description says [You have lived as a Supreme and recall all you learned, thus you possess forbidden knowledge of the future and the –Unknown-]."
Everyone's faces looked surprised. They had just heard about the Supremes but now they had just heard that one of their friend's attributes said he had been a supreme and remembered all he had learnt.
Cassie was the one who showed the biggest reaction as it had to do with the future and knowledge.
"Did I hear you right?"
Nephis patted her shoulder.
"I was surprised by its description too, I had to read it a few times to make sure I was not going crazy."
Cassie just slumped in her chair and tried to wrap her mind around what she had just heard.
Nephis was the one with the most to think about. But right now, was not a good time to introspect on her goals, right now she was with her friends.
"It has two traits [Holder], and [Untouched]. Holder's description says [You hold forbidden knowledge of the past and future]. Untouched has a weird description, it just says [You are immune to the –Unknown-.]"
They all seemed puzzled by that but quickly got over it, they had no way to find out what the –Unkown- was anyway so they might as well just leave it be.
"The last one called [The Weave] has a rather short description, it says [You are the heir to Weaver the Daemon of Fate, you bear his final creation and lineage the ultimate Weave]."
Effie and Kai shot weird looks at her before asking.'
"What is a Daemon?"
"What is a Daemon?"
Nephis just shrugged.
"I don't know much about them other than the fact they were around at the same time as the gods and very similar in power."
Effie just tilted her head in confusion, and Kai made no move to ask another question so Nephis continued.
"It has seven traits, and each one is rather long so let me just read them how they come."
The three nodded, so Nephis jus began to read from the list word for word exactly as they were listed.
"[The Weave] Attribute Traits: [Blood], [Bone], [Flesh], [Mind], [Spirit], [Soul], [Shadow].
[Blood] Description: [Weaver's blood flows through your veins, you will not bleed out and are immune to all poisons and infection.]
[Bone] Description: [You possess the bones of a Daemon, they rarely break and heal at unprecedented speeds.]
[Flesh] Description: [You possess the flesh of a Daemon, your soft tissue is incredibly tough and heals at an incredible pace.]
[Mind] description: [Your mind in formidable and processes at an extreme pace. You are immune to mind attacks.]
[Spirit] Description: [Your spirit and will are reinforced and have become simply tyrannical. Your will is unmatched and when wielded it becomes even more so.]
[Soul] Description: [Your soul is reinforced and has become incredibly powerful. You replenish soul essence at an incredible pace and are immune to soul attacks.]
[Shadow] Description: [You shadow is reinforced and has become incredibly powerful. You are immune to shadow attacks.]."
After she was done with the long list of traits, Effie's voice sounded out.
"How is that a single Attribute?!"
Kai was similarly baffled, and Cassie seemed taken aback.
Nephis was also a little surprised by just how powerful the attribute was but did not let it show.
"I don't know much about Weaver, but his lineage is powerful that's for sure."
They all seemed to agree. The next to speak was Kai.
Back in the Dark City Sunny had once told him that he had never absorbed a soul shard before, and Kai had never seen him absorb one after that so Kai had always wanted to know what Sunny's core saturation was.
"What is his Soul Core's saturation at?"
This was one thing Nephis was apprehensive to tell them because in order for them to truly understand it, she would have to disclose the fact she was also able to make more cores.
Although she had no idea how he was a Titan, what confused her the most was the fact that his runes simply said.
Shadow Fragments: 0
There was no [0/1000] or even [0/7000], just a zero which made her think that once you reach Titan you can forever get stronger.
But something in the back of her mind told her that this was something specific to him and his Aspect of an Unknown rank.
She had already come to the conclusion that her Divine rank Aspect was what allowed her to form more than one core, so if someone had an aspect beyond the normal scale. It would make sense for it to be much more powerful.
But in the end, she had already decided to be truthful and honest with them, so she began to speak.
"He has zero saturation."
Effie, Cassie, and Kai all looked very confused at that statement, so she took a deep breath and explained.
"Sunny had once told us that he reaps soul fragment directly from his kills, which is true. He has no direct use for soul shards, that is due to the fact his aspect deals in Shadow Fragment, not Soul Fragments."
They seemed to understand why they had never seen him absorb shards, and Kai felt like he understood now.
"But then why is his saturation at zero?"
Effie was confused and assumed Nephis would know the answer.
Nephis started to explain.
"I think I know but I'm not exactly sure, to tell you why I say that I need to tell you about my aspect, more importantly it's rank."
They all looked at her clearly exspecting her to continue.
"I have a Divine Aspect, and had Sunny did too. I only saw its name and rank before it changed in front of my eyes. That was the day we returned to the waking world."
Effie and Kai both looked at her with so much surprise she thought they would pass out.
Cassie just nodded along already knowing all this. Having been told shortly after she formed her monster core.
"A Divine Aspect? Those exist?"
"Well, isn't that... nice."
Effie and Kai could hardly believe their ears. If it was not for the fact that it was Nephis, Changing Star of the Immortal Flame clan telling them, they would not have believed her.
"They exist, and I do have one. Mine is called Light Bringer, and Sunny's was called Shadow Slave."
They seemed a little taken aback by the name of his aspect. What kind of Divine Aspect would make you into a slave after all?
Before they could dwell on it, Nephis continued.
"I was not sure before but after seeing his runes, I am positive."
They looked at her with interest.
"After I fully saturated my core, instead of just reaching full saturation I underwent a change and gained another core. It was shortly after we got the Moonlight Shard that I became a Monster from a Beast."
Again, everyone but Cassie seemed surprised by the fact that Nephis had risen in class and had more than one core.
Kai stayed silent waiting for her to continue, but Effie couldn't help but ask.
"So, you are actually a Monster?"
Nephis shook her head.
"I am currently a Demon, my third core formed after I killed Gunlaug."
At this moment Effie seemed to realize something.
"So that's why you just collapsed, you were forming another core?"
Nephis just nodded.
"Like I said I was not sure but now I am positive that it is a function of a divine aspect. That is what allows us to form more than one core and ascend in not just rank but class."
They all just nodded allowing her to continue.
"It happens when we reach full saturation on our cores, as we ascend to a higher class the needed amount increases due to the number of cores we have to saturate. Currently I need three thousand total fragment to reach Devil."
They seemed to already have expected as much so she just continued.
"I don't know how, but he is already a Titan. His new Aspect is of an Unkown rank which means it is higher than Divine, but what stands out the most is that he has no cap to his core saturation."
As she said the word 'Titan', their eyes widened, and jaws dropped. Even Cassie looked like she had just heard an incredibly juicy piece of gossip.
Nephis just ignored their reactions, and kept speaking.
"It just says zero, there is no cap to it which makes me think that he can forever get stronger."
They did not even react to her words, their minds seemed to still be on the whole Titan thing.
'Maybe I see the appeal to telling random world-shattering truth too, it is very amusing.'
She would never say that aloud though.
From there, the conversation shifted to things like his memories but after they learned about Weaver's mask they finally had enough of his runes and decided to go get something to drink.
Pretty soon after, they all started to say their goodbyes. They were very busy and some of them still needed to find a citadel to anchor themselves to.
And just like that, their first meeting since they had returned to the waking world had ended.
~~~
In the streets of the Dark City, one of the few Fallen creatures that had lived through the sun's wrath was hunting for prey.
It was an amalgamation of bones and rotting corpses; it looked like a walking cemetery.
As it lowered its head to the ground, sniffing for any traces of prey it suddenly felt two light taps on its large back.
Whatever it was had made no noise and felt almost weightless. The creature did not even get time to shake itself off before a black blade simply passed through its neck, separating its head from the rest of its body.
As its head bounced off the ground, the mass of its body fell into a heap.
[You have slain a Fallen Monster, Crypt Walker]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
Of course, the one to kill it was Sunny.
"Look at me go."
He was currently hunting the last of the beasts in the city while preparing to leave the city.
It had been roughly seven months since the day he pushed Nephis through the gateway.
Sunny had a hard time during the first few days, mainly because he had nothing to eat, but after he made it back to the Dark City, he had begun to hunt like there was no tomorrow.
After that he had been living safe and sound, well safe at least.
Looking down at his shadows, he asked.
"What do you think?"
They all gave him a different reaction.
One shrugged, one flipped him off, another just looked at him creepily, while one gave him an energetic thumbs up.
"Exactly, you should all take a page out of Happy's book!"
Over the last month Sunny's mental state had taken a nosedive.
It was honestly incredibly impressive that he had lasted more than five months before his mind even showed a single sign of madness.
That was probably because of one of his Attributes though.
Currently, Sunny was getting ready to leave the dark city and travel East. This was the last creature on his list, there was no other Fallen in the entirety of the city due to his efforts.
He remembered that Nephis had met Eurys in the nightmare desert, back when he was nailed to a tree.
And if anyone could lead Sunny out of this hell, it was Eurys. He had already done it once before after all, and Sunny was sure he would accept, especially if he learned that Sunny was very possibly able to kill him.
The meat of this particular abomination was not useful, but its soul shards were perfect for what he needed.
As Sunny hopped down from the creatures back, the sword in his hands shifted into a small dagger.
Most would think that something so small and delicate could not even hope to pierce the flesh of such a creature, but they would be wrong.
As sunny ran the blade across the chest of the creature, it parted like a hot knife through butter. There was not even the slightest resistance.
This knife was Soul Serpent, which was a Transcendent Titan, not only was it of an incredibly high rank and class but one of its abilities had changed from what he remembered.
Instead of [Slaying Blade], Soul Serpent had a new ability that was most likely because of his status as the Prince of Death.
[Death Blade] Ability Description: [When in its [Soul Weapon] form Soul Serpent can kill almost anything tangible or intangible it does not matter. It all but ignores Rank, Class, Armor, or Will. Any damage done with its blade will not heal.]
Every time Sunny read about his trusty sword's ability, a grin across his face.
"Have I ever told you how much I love you?"
He had indeed told him this before, in fact he had done so over a thousand times.
As Sunny found the glimmering shards, he quickly removed them and summoned a memory.
In the beginning Sunny had been sad that he did not have the Marvelous Mimic, so he had made a spatial Memory to replace it.
Though nothing could ever replace his trusty Coffer.
As the [Storage Bag] appeared in his hand, Sunny just stuffed the shards in and dismissed it.
Sunny had been weaving a lot in his free time, making all his memories into the same versions they had been after the Tomb of Arial.
The best example would be the endless spring, he had added the [Blessing of Flesh] from the Shroud of Graceless Dusk.
He had also made some adjustments to his other memories, but there was one thing he sorely regretted.
A while back, he had tried to transplant all five anchors of the Puppeteer's Shroud with Fallen Shards.
He had succeeded, but the thing he had failed to account for was that the fabric of the Shroud could not bare the weight of the shards.
So, he had lost the Puppeteers Shroud.
Now he was wearing the Mantle of the Underworld and was working on its counter.
It currently read.
Vanquished Foes: [1708/6000].
He was closing in on 500 kills, and thinking about progress.
Sunny Summoned his runes.
Name: Sunless.
True Name: Lost from Light, Prince of Death.
Rank: Dormant
Class: Titan
Shadow Cores [7/7]
Shadow Fragments: 2188
Memories: [Silver Bell], [Puppeteer's Shroud], [Midnight Shard], [Ordinary Rock], [Endless Spring], [Prowling Thorn], [Mantle of the Underworld], [Weaver's Mask], [Broken Oath], [Storage Bag].
Echoes: -
Shadows: [Marble Saint], [Soul Serpent]
Attributes: [Fate Breaker], [Divine Grace], [Shadow Spawned], [Unchained], [Forbidden Holder], [The Weave].
Aspect: Shadow Prince.
Aspect Rank: Unknown
Innate Abilities: [Shadow Bond], [Shadow Born].
Aspect Ability: [Shadow Control].
Aspect Legacy: [Shadow Dance]
Flaw: [Clear Conscience]
Flaw Description: [You cannot lie.]
Looking over his runes, Sunny felt very satisfied.
He had only killed a little less than 500 creatures since his return to the Dark City, and that was mostly due to the lack of creatures, yet he had collected over 2000 fragments.
He had gotten plenty of memories too, but they had all been fed to Saint. Even the random awakened ones that barely gave her any progress.
The only new memory he had was the bag he had made.
That was simply because he did not need anything.
His sword was good enough to kill Corrupted nightmare creatures, and he suspected that if he had the chance, it could even kill Great nightmare creatures.
His armor was not the best, it cost essence every second he wore it, but it would eventually pay off in spades. And whatever his armor did not block his flesh usually had no problem taking the blow.
Not only did he have [Flesh], but his will was tightly wrapped around his body like an armor. With [Spirit], his will had become simply tyrannical, even Fallen Demons had no chance to pierce his skin.
While Sunny was looking at his Runes he decided to look at Nephis's progress.
Name: Nephis
True Name: Changing Star
Rank: Awakened
Class: Devil
Cores: [4/7]
Soul Fragments: [237/4000]
Aspect: Light Bringer
Sunny filtered out the rest, he just wanted to see how many soul fragments she had.
Sunny had long realized just how strong he was.
With all his abilities, plus shadow bond's empowering connection he was easily at the level of a high tier awakened.
With his seven shadows wrapped around him, Sunny knew he could best the average Master. He did not know how his will would affect people of that rank and higher so he could not tell if they would be able to damage him or not.
With his sword he could kill any human in the waking world, but if he lost his head before he could swing it then he would lose.
While Sunny was absorbed in his thoughts, he had already made his way back to the cathedral.
As he walked inside, he saw Saint Standing in the center of the hall, waiting for anything to intrude her master's resting place.
Sunny waved at her.
"How was it tonight?"
He had no idea if it was night or day, but that did not matter here.
She just tilted her head and tapped her hand on her chestplate twice.
"Good. Good, I'm glad to hear it."
With that, he stepped through the shadows and landed in his bed.
Tomorrow, he would begin his long journey to the East.
'Oh, how much I wish I had Nightmare right now.'
Then he slipped into sleep.
~~~
A month later, Sunny was just monotonously walking forward.
Running would have made it faster but after more than two weeks of running and sleeping. He decided to just walk the last bit.
Recently, he was seeing less and less dead coral and gray dust, and more and more golden bits of sand here and there.
And as of yesterday, the dust around him no longer looked grey, it was a prefect mix of golden sand and muted dust.
And at some point, he noticed that the never ending shadows were starting to get brighter and brighter.
Sometimes it would get dark again signaling that it was night in the desert, but Sunny had woken up early today to make sure he had as much time as possible during the day.
Because even with his will, and deadly sword, just one of the harrowing skeletons would obliterate him.
Today he would fully enter the nightmare desert.
And soon enough, the shadows finally gave way to a blinding radiance and scorching heat.
Well, scorching for some people. Sunny felt fine due to the mantle's enchantments.
The moment Sunny felt the sun on his skin, he felt the augmentation of shadows disappear from him.
With a sigh, Sunny got to work.
Six of his shadows flared out in a wide semi-circle, while he spread his shadow sense as far as he could.
Sunny was a Titan, so his range was farther than 20 kilometers but in a massive desert, it would not be as reliable as he would like.
Now all he could do was hope that his shadows, or shadow sense found the tree before the night came, and he was forced to retreat.
Now that he was pressed for time, Sunny bent his legs and exploded forward in a sprint.
The speed he could run at was similar to how fast he was as an awakened, but currently he was a little faster.
Honestly Sunny was not expecting to find the tree on the first day. But to his surprise, within the first hour Happy saw a familiar tree he had seen once in Neph's dreams.
Without waiting for even a second, he called for his other shadows and used four cores worth of essence to shadow step directly to Happy.
And just like that, he was suddenly standing on a mound of sand in the shade of a large tree.
On the tree, two weathered skeletons were cruelly nailed to its white bark. Both stared at him with empty eyes, their teeth bared in eternal grins.
As Sunny just looked the skeletons over, the one on the left spoke.
"My, oh my. Am I that pleasant to look at?"
Sunny rolled his eyes, and replied.
"Not really, your complete skeleton makes me remember you broken into pieces back in the shadow realm."
Eurys just kept looking at him, then in a voice much more serious than he had ever shown, he asked.
"What do you mean?"
Sunny just smiled.
"Well, the future of course, all though you will have to help me if you ever wish to see that place."
When he said this, the second skeleton spoke up.
"I shall help you Child of Shadow, remove me from this tree and I shall help you. In return, you must send me to the Realm of Shadows."
Sunny glanced at the Skeleton he knew as Azarax, and sighed.
"I don't need your help Mr. King of Kings, I need Eurys. You are but a Supreme, Eurys is at least a Sacred, plus I kind of own him a favor for helping me understand how Supremacy works."
Sunny gave him a look then just strolled over.
As he raised his hand a simple dagger was formed as Serpent slid from his body.
Without any fanfare, he slid the dagger into the sternum of Azarax. The blade was met with no resistance, and as soon as the blade was fully imbedded in his bone, the skeleton shook.
Instantly he began to crumble, turning to white dust.
The spell did not speak, nor did he earn any fragments.
Eurys watched as this happened and in an almost sad voice he spoke.
"Well now that we are alone, would you like to tell me what you have been talking about, and how you know who we are?"
Sunny just reached up and started to pry the nails out of the tree.
"Well, a few months ago. I was in a fight and suddenly, my life flashed before my eyes. Not the kind of 'I'm about to die' kind of thing, but the literally my life flashed before my eyes."
As the first nail came free, he continued.
"I saw my life in reverse all the way to the moment of the present. It only went about a decade into the future, but I learned many curious things and even got an attribute to prove that I carry knowledge not meant to be known."
The second nail was gone, and Sunny kept going.
"In the latter half of that decade I had a very hard time becoming a Supreme the normal way, but that is when I met you in the shadow realm. You had made your way there after my friend, a Nephilim let you off the tree."
Eurys laughed at his words.
"You are friends with such an abomination?"
Sunny stopped removing nails.
"I'll tell you this once, just as I did in the future. Don't call her that, if you do, I will not kill you."
Eurys immediately stopped laughing, taking it as a sign to continue he resumed talking and removing nails.
"You told me all I needed to become a Supreme and I did end up becoming one. But after I reached Supremacy, you told me I had no chance of ever attaining the level of Spirit, simply because I lacked time."
Eurys did not answer but the tension in his bones disappeared.
"So, you really do know forbidden knowledge."
Sunny nodded.
"How strong is your resistance to corruption?"
Eurys just laughed.
"Anything that could corrupt me would have turned you into a mindless monster!"
Sunny looked at him again and spoke.
"I'm immune to corruption, and I'm not a monster. I am a Titan."
Eurys somehow coughed.
"What do you mean?"
Sunny just laughed.
"I mean exactly what I said, I am immune to corruption and am a Titan. What is there to not understand?"
Eurys just clicked his jaw in what felt like annoyance.
"But anyways, just so you know I am not lying, I know about the Forgotten God or the Dream God. I also know a little bit about the void. I have even been into that pyramid before."
As he said this, he pointed at the distant mirage.
Now Eurys was really listening.
As Sunny finished removing the last nail in Eurys's arm, he suddenly wanted to ask about a certain bird.
"Do you know anything about the Vile Thieving Bird?"
Eurys seemed to shudder as his bones rattled.
"You have met that abominable creature?"
Sunny tilted his head.
"Not me, but in the memories I have. While I was in the tomb it stole my fate. The vile thing erased me from existence and made everyone forget I existed."
Eurys's skull moved to look at him, before speaking.
"That might just be the only Fate worse than my own."
Sunny nodded.
"Yea it was pretty rough, anyways. I need to catch you up on a little bit of information. I have been entirely alone for months, and I am in dire need of some company, but for our talks to not be one sided you need to know the base amount. And yes, I know that you have been stuck here for Spell knows how long, but I am not a Sacred who has gone through apotheosis. So cut me some slack, I am still dormant."
As he said this, Eurys let out an awkward chuckle.
"You have slain Azarax the mighty, the plague of steel, the conquerer of a hundred thrones, and as you have eloquently put it, Mr. King of Kings. As a dormant?"
Sunny laughed.
"I have killed a spawn of that Vile Bird as a dormant, it was a Great Devil. Although it was trapped in an egg probably just as old as you."
Eurys let out a laugh.
"You better be glad I am not a woman, or I would have hit you just now."
Sunny just chuckled as he finished removing the nails on his other arm.
"So, to start I am from War Gods realm. But I am not a follower of War just to be clear. If anything, I am a follower of Shadow, or Weaver. I am the heir to both, so I don't even count as a child of war."
Eurys flinched as Sunny mentioned being the heir of both Weaver and Shadow.
"You are truly a one of a kind existence."
Sunny smiled, then he raised his head as if realizing something.
"Meet my friends, you have already met happy."
He gestured at the floor, his shadow waved and gave a thumbs up. Almost at the same time six other shadow flew to his feet. It now looked like the sun was landing on him from seven different directions.
All at the same time they waved, except gloomy who flipped him off.
Sunny just stomped on him and smiled at Eurys.
"Maybe you were right about needing company, he does not seem very friendly."
Sunny laughed.
"He is not, I always get treated like that, it is truly tragic."