Soon enough, time slipped through his fingers. Sunny had stuffed his mouth with sweets to the point where he felt dangerously close to a food coma.
A long yawn escaped his lips as he stretched his arms above his head. Night had fallen without him even noticing, the day passing far too quickly.
'That's right… I was supposed to ask them about that mysterious battle art my shadow showed me…'
Sunny shrugged.
'I'll do that tomorrow… if I remember.'
He had already said good night to his sisters, skillfully escaping cleanup duty.
'If I'd stayed any longer, they wouldn't have hesitated to make me clean everything, even though it's my birthday!'
Sunny frowned at the thought.
He opened the door to his room. It was dark, but that didn't bother him anymore. He had long since grown accustomed to navigating the world without relying solely on light.
What did bother him-what shocked him, was the woman sitting calmly on his bed, as if she had been waiting.
"Mother?" Sunny muttered, staring at the mesmerizing figure.
Ki Song was dressed in a flowing red dress that accentuated her form perfectly. Her porcelain skin seemed untouched by time, and her raven-black hair shifted subtly, as though stirred by a wind that didn't exist.
"Sunless," she said softly. "Happy early birthday."
Her voice was like music carried on a morning breeze.
"Thank you, Mother," Sunny replied, smiling.
Ki Song rarely came to the waking world to see him. The restrictions placed on her made such visits costly, yet here she was.
She looked at him with eyes filled with fierce affection, as though she would destroy the world itself to protect him. Buried deep within them was a hint of sadness, quickly extinguished.
Sunny had noticed it over time—her affection had grown real. Once, she had treated him like a bothersome child, a role to play. Now… every emotion she showed felt genuine.
Slowly, Ki Song stood and walked toward him.
Her steps made no sound. Sunny couldn't feel her presence, not even with shadow sense. The only proof she was there was that he could see her.
Without warning, she pulled him into a hug.
Sunny stiffened in surprise.
Before he could react, she released him, whispering softly:
"Survive out there, my son. Return to me. Return to all of us."
And then she was gone.
All that remained was a cool breeze brushing against his face.
A tear slipped from Sunny's eye. He sniffed and wiped it away.
'That's the first time Mother has ever hugged me… Or called me her son…'
A small smile bloomed on his face. A genuine beautiful smile.
⸻
Sunny showered, washing away cake, frosting, and whatever else his sisters had thrown at him throughout the day.
That night, he slept peacefully. No dreams. No nightmares. Silence only filled his mind as he slept.
⸻
BANG!
Sunny jolted awake.
"Wakie, wakie, little brother!" Howl shouted.
"Howl—what the hell?!" Sunny groaned, sitting upright.
She stood there in her pajamas, grinning shamelessly.
"Come on! Everyone's waiting! It's your birthday, after all!"
She darted away before he could respond.
Sunny sighed, stretched, and climbed out of bed. As he walked through the mansion's empty halls, memories surfaced, running through these corridors, either fleeing from his sisters or avoiding responsibility.
A soft chuckle escaped his lips.
'They were all so serious back then… trying so hard to be dependable older sisters.'
He pushed open the dining room doors. The table was already laid out with food.
Sunny sat down and dug in.
"Hey Sunny," Bin said, dabbing her mouth with a napkin, "since it's the winter solstice, is there anything you want to do?"
Sunny blinked.
'Wait… where did that napkin come from? There weren't any on the table, and she's still in pajamas. Did she bring it with her? Why?'
He shook his head, clearing the unnecessary thoughts.
"Actually… yeah," Sunny said. "Can you all help me with a battle art?"
Revel looked up. "What kind?"
"It's related to what my shadow showed me during are little test of my aspect."
Silent nodded. "Then we can work on it before you leave, if you really want to."
"Are you sure you want to spend your last few hours training?" Rain asked skeptically.
"Yep!" Sunny grinned, raising his hands in surrender. "I really want to finish it before entering the Dream World."
Howl rolled her eyes.
"Fine," Moonvail said calmly. "We'll go after breakfast."
Revel grumbled quietly, but no one commented.
Silent stood first, heading toward the outdoor training grounds. Howl followed. The rest soon dispersed to change clothes.
Ten minutes later, Sunny stepped outside.
The open training field stretched before him, bathed in early morning light. He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the rising sun.
Whatever awaited him next, he was ready.