Chapter summary: from a Moment of Weakness to a Moment of Freakness is an instant.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One ordinary Monday morning, in a quiet country house just beyond the city outskirts—where the air was still clean and breathable—a middle-aged woman was peacefully setting the table for an outdoor family breakfast.
Suddenly, her daughter came running up to her, beaming with joy, her eyes sparkling as she asked, "Mom, mom! I want a healthy, balanced breakfast that satisfies my craving for something light and delicious!"
The mother turned to look at her, smiling sweetly. "But sweetie, a breakfast like that doesn't exist. May an asteroid strike me down if I'm lying."
Boom!
She hadn't even finished her sentence when, exactly a split second later, an actual asteroid plummeted from the sky and obliterated them both.
However, the unidentified object that rained from the heavens wasn't just a simple space rock. From the smoking crater where the quaint house and its residents once stood, a human arm thrust upward.
Shortly after, a man clad in a full astronaut suit climbed out. Removing his helmet, he took a massive gulp of air as if he hadn't breathed in ages, savoring the sweet, pleasantly familiar atmosphere of Earth.
Exhaling in deep satisfaction, the stranger muttered:
"I'm finally back."
His voice was eerie and pleasant at the same time.
"Now, I wonder... should I pay a visit to little Nephie and her boyfriend, just for starters?"
***
Sunny loves Nephis. He loves her so much.
He still remembers when, after becoming a Transcendent and clearing the trial, he saw her emerge from the rubble like a radiant creature of light and fire.
Oh, what a magnificent sight!
Disgusting!
Sunny remembers walking toward her with a certain intent. He remembers their little lovers' quarrel, and how she then gently asked him to kiss her to make up for it. Her lips were so soft!
Disgusting!
Why was he trying to run away from her? What had she ever done to him to deserve that?
Sunny doesn't remember. Fortunately, his one and only beloved star had forgiven him.
Disgusting!
And yet... why does his chest burn as if scorched by the silver fire of a myriad suns every time he meets her gaze?
Why do their kisses taste so sweet, yet so unbearably bitter?
Why, when they make love, does he feel both intense pleasure and profound disgust?
Sunny doesn't know. He doesn't remember.
He also genuinely wondered what had happened to Cassie in all of this. It had been three years since he and Nephis had last seen her, right after the end of the Third Nightmare. The two women had a falling out that ended with Serenade of Doom leaving without a backward glance, and Changing Star had been desperately searching for her ever since.
Not that Sunny had thoughts for any other women besides his stunning, divine, beloved star. After all, there had never been another woman in his life. Not that he remembers, anyway.
Was there someone else? By any chance? A sister? Friends? Loved ones?
Sunny doesn't know. And for some inexplicable reason, that oblivion hurt him deeply.
***
"And that is all. This concludes my report... Mother."
Serenade of Doom bowed her head respectfully to the Queen of Worms without bending her knees. Her hands were clasped tight in her lap, her fingernails digging painfully into her own flesh.
Listening from the sidelines of the royal hall, Seishan gritted her teeth in a volatile mix of rage and sorrow. Her hands balled into furious fists at her sides until her knuckles turned stark white. Now she finally knew why Sunless hadn't spoken to her anymore, and the truth hurt even more knowing she hadn't been able to help him.
Beside her, her sisters drew close to comfort her. Eunbin wrapped her in a warm, maternal embrace as Seishan shed silent, bitter tears; Moonveil and Revel gently rubbed her back to soothe her sobs; Silent Stalker and Lonesome Howl stood fiercely at her side. Meanwhile, Deathsinger was casually sharpening her knives, quietly promising to go disembowel Changing Star and take back 'her husband.'
The latter, though deadly serious, managed to pull a faint smile from her grieving sister.
"I see."
Supreme Ki Song mused, rhythmically tapping her fingernails against the right armrest of her throne in deep thought, her other hand resting against her chin to evaluate the information.
"If Saint Sunless is truly under the absolute influence of this [Shadow Bond] of his... then that explains why he left us, and it clears him of the treason charges. However..."
The Queen's gaze shifted back to the blind seer. Her expression was solemn, her voice cold and distant, yet a lingering doubt pressed at the back of her mind.
"Why are you revealing all this to me, Saint Serenade of Doom? Why are you betraying little Nephie?"
She raised her head, meeting the Sovereign's eyes from behind her pristine, sea-blue blindfold. Despite her calm exterior, a tempest raged within her—a furious, terrible storm that had tormented her for years.
Cassie took a deep breath, and then said: "Queen Ki Song, with all due respect, I know how powerful and wise you are as a Sovereign, however..."
She paused for a moment, raising a trembling hand to her blindfold and pulling it away, revealing eyes red and swollen from lack of sleep, decimated by dark circles and years of accumulated stress.
"We are out of time. The people don't know it, but we are already far too close to the catastrophe to ignore the signs anymore. We have completely exhausted all possible ways out, and this... this is my last resort. If we don't act now, all that awaits us is total ruin. And Nephis, unfortunately, has become the true architect of the apocalypse."
Her voice cracked. Her nails dug so deep into her palms that blood began to seep from reopened wounds.
"You ask why I am betraying Nephis, my best friend? Because I am desperate, Your Majesty. Because everything that has happened to Saint Sunless since the end of the Third Nightmare is my fault, and because... I love Sunny too. So, if you must blame someone for his betrayal, choose me! Not him!"
Cassie poured everything out in a burst of raw, unprecedented honesty. Pain and profound regret were painted across her face.
Ki Song raised an eyebrow, studying her carefully from head to toe, finding no trace of deception in her words. The Queen glanced across the hall at Saint Nightingale. Knowing his Flaw, she watched him offer a grim, solemn nod, verifying that the seer was telling the complete, unadulterated truth.
Across the room, Seishan lifted her tear-streaked face to meet Cassie's gaze. There was no hatred. No resentment. The two women simply looked at each other, acknowledging the shared guilt of failing the man they loved when he desperately needed them most, and the former of having hurt him more than anyone else.
"I understand. In that case, I accept your offer, Saint Serenade of Doom," the Queen of Worms finally declared, dismissing her with a slight wave of her hand.
After the audience, Cassie walked the long, echoing corridors of the Ravenheart fortress with elegant, measured steps.
Suddenly, in a mirror to her left, the figure of a man with thick black hair and eyes that literally reflected the world appeared.
"I must admit, my dear witch, that was a truly moving speech," the Prince of Nothing said, his voice hovering somewhere between genuine emotion and biting sarcasm as he rested his chin on his hand.
Turning to face him, Cassie snapped, "Shut up, Mordret! I am tired of your constant veiled insults. Why do you keep stalking me if you claim you just want to help?!"
"Me?" Mordret gasped theatrically, placing a hand over his heart as if grievously offended. "Oh, no reason in particular. I just enjoy annoying people. I find it rather refreshing."
At his words, the blind seer's expression immediately turned cold.
"Let me be clear. If you are looking to get something out of me, I highly suggest you get those sick ideas out of your twisted head. There is already someone in my heart."
The Prince of Nothing couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Me? Wanting something from you? Hahaha!" His chilling laughter echoed through the glass. "No... no, no, no!"
He shook his head slightly, highly amused by the misunderstanding.
"I seek nothing from you, Serenade of Doom. Why would I? After all, I am incapable of feeling such emotions. And even if I were—no offense—you aren't exactly my type. I acknowledge your intelligence and find you rather attractive, as all Saints are, but if I were truly to choose a life partner, believe me, I'd definitely opt for someone else."
"Then why are you helping me save Sunny?" The question slipped out naturally.
Mordret didn't answer immediately. Smiling with a casual shrug, he simply said:
"Because he's my Bestie."
"Huh?" Behind her replaced blindfold, Cassie blinked, genuinely baffled.
"Yes, you heard me right, Serenade of Doom," the Prince of Nothing nodded to confirm, even though she couldn't see it. "Sunless is my best friend. He is likeable, pleasant to have around, fun to tease, short, and not bad company for a conversation. Furthermore... I know what it feels like to be locked away. It's a shame he wasn't the one to save me from my prison in the Night Temple years ago. Who knows, perhaps our friendship could have started back then."
Hearing this, Cassie couldn't help but lower her head and sigh deeply. Good gods. How was it possible that such a mad man was a better friend to Sunny than she had ever been? It filled her with profound shame.
"I see. In that case... thank you, Mordret," Cassie said, looking back up at the mirror.
"Don't mention it," he replied with a slight bow. "Now, if you'll excuse me, my dear witch, Rain has a lesson with her master. The girl is smart, but a bit too presumptuous. For someone who just Awakened, she certainly demands a lot from her teacher. The audacity!"
With that, Mordret vanished, leaving the blind seer finally alone with her thoughts.
Cassie hated herself. She hated that she had to reveal her plan to Nephis three years ago, when they were still in the Nightmare, right after she had sent Sunny to find the heart of the Estuary and reclaim his freedom.
But how could she not have? Changing Star would have instantly noticed his absence upon returning to the ship. Because of that cursed Attribute given to her by the Demon of Desire, [Mark of Desire], Nephis was slowly going crazy and inevitably driving everything to ruin. She simply couldn't move on.
Nephis could not accept a life without Sunny by her side, and Cassie, more than anyone, understood that perfectly. But how could they claim to deserve his unconditional affection after what they had done to him? They had no excuses. That was exactly why the seer, despite harboring those same tender feelings for him, had chosen to move forward while remaining loyal to him. But Nephis? She hadn't. And that inability to let go was slowly turning her into the architect of their destruction.
Cassie had to stop her, because she was the one who had created such a monster in the first place. At any cost, she had to do it.
***
Meanwhile, in Bastion...
"So, the House of Night has ultimately allied itself with Clan Song," Anvil stated, his voice bone-dry.
The proud, cold King of Swords sat upon his imposing throne, listening to the report Saint Jest was delivering. Between the old man's dry quips and tactical explanations, the situation was looking incredibly grim for Clan Valor.
In the impending war, Clan Song currently boasted a vastly superior number of resources, citadels and Saints—now including the inheritors of the Storm God's lineage, as well as the householders of the White Feather Clan who had abandoned his wing.
The mastermind behind this massive shift in power appeared to be none other than Saint Serenade of Doom, pulling the strings from the shadows. True, Anvil had Changing Star and her Firekeepers on his side, but he lacked the brilliant tactical mind that should have been coordinating them. Jest had warned him from the very beginning not to trust that blind seer, but he hadn't listened. At the very least, they had managed to bring the famous Devil of Antarctica to their side, which provided a massive boost to their troops' morale.
Anvil rubbed a hand across his forehead, pinching the bridge of his nose to digest the heavy information.
"Any news of Morgan?" he asked, his thoughts turning to his daughter.
Saint Jest shook his head slightly. "None. We haven't found her yet. Rumors suggest she's been spotted near the Song Clan's front lines. It seems little Morgan's rebellious phase hasn't quite ended yet."
Hearing this, the King of Swords clenched his fists fiercely. He knew full well that his daughter would never betray him—or so he believed. But if there was one person capable of making her vanish overnight without him noticing, Anvil knew exactly whose name to curse.
His son. Mordret.
***
Meanwhile, within the quiet intimacy of the Ivory Tower, suspended high above the citadel of the Sword Domain, Nephis awoke once again in the arms of her beloved.
As the first rays of sunlight bathed her closed eyelids, she slowly fluttered them open. The very first sight to grace her vision was two incredibly sweet, ink-black pools.
His eyes.
Sunny's.
The way he looked at her was as if he were gazing upon the most precious thing in both worlds. Yet, there was something deeply wrong with his stare: his eyes were far too wide, his pupils unnaturally dilated. The heavy bags under his eyes betrayed a profound exhaustion that violently clashed with the tranquil, saccharine atmosphere of the morning, and the skin of his arms bore the marks of very recent, fresh cuts.
But she paid it no mind. She was too busy admiring him, thoroughly enchanted by the sight.
"What are you looking at?" Changing Star asked with a tender, deeply affectionate smile, nestling gently in his arms as if to better soak in his warmth.
Beneath the sheets, the two were bare. Their bodies were still tangled from the passion they had shared the previous night.
Just like the night before that.
And the one before.
And again.
And again.
And again...
"Y—you," Sunny whispered, his voice barely audible. A cheerful melody that, for some inexplicable reason, pitched sharply down to an F-sharp.
Nephis's smile widened. Then, exactly as she wanted, Sunny leaned in to softly kiss her forehead. His lips barely brushed her skin, pulling back involuntarily halfway through, but she felt their warmth nonetheless.
Sunny was happy. Truly.
He was happy.
Was he?
Yes, he was.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
A sudden knocking at the door pulled them from their private paradise.
"Lady Nephis, there is someone downstairs asking for you."
One of the Firekeepers spoke from behind the heavy door, not daring to enter. Not because she lacked permission, but because the last time a woman had laid eyes on Saint Sunless, Nephis had branded her face with her flames.
"Tell them I will be down shortly," Changing Star replied, her cold tone freezing the girl in place.
A soft sigh of annoyance escaped her lips. Nephis slumped back against his chest; her morning was ruined.
'Cute.'
Sunny thought, looking down at her. To him, she was the sweetest, most gorgeous creature in the world. Yet... why did his stomach churn so violently by just gazing at her?
To their great surprise, the mysterious visitor turned out to be Cassie. The blind seer had finally returned.
Nephis was overjoyed to embrace her again, and Sunny was too. As happy as she was, he was as well.
Serenade of Doom told them she had gone away to prepare what was necessary to survive the imminent, now unavoidable catastrophe. What was it? She didn't specify, limiting herself only to announcing its arrival.
While the two conversed, Sunny prepared breakfast, washed Nephis's clothes, and cleaned their living quarters. Now that he possessed seven bodies thanks to his Transcendent ability, combined with his mastery over shadows, he could serve her better. After all, running his own cafe was his...
After all, taking care of Nephis was all that mattered. Only that, and nothing else.
Exactly.
Yes, that was exactly it.
Right?
Yes, it was true.
Shortly after, the Domain War began.
The conflict was violent and bloody. In the first few days alone, there were thousands of casualties and even more wounded. Fortunately, she remained unharmed.
Then, one day, Sunny felt the urge to form his seventh core and finally become a Titan. To do so, he had to travel to the Shadow Realm. Nephis was a bit reluctant to let him leave for a while, but deep down, she knew they both needed to grow stronger if they wanted to win. So, she allowed it. He had six other bodies anyway, and as long as his main body wasn't the one leaving, there was no problem.
Besides, Sunny already had a citadel of his own: the Nameless Temple. The very same one from his First Nightmare. He had reclaimed it during one of the exploration missions the King of Swords had assigned to her—missions on which he followed her of his own free will. After all, how could he ever say no to his Master? He had unlocked his Aspect Legacy, he practiced his weaving; now, this was the only thing left to do.
Thus, Sunny departed for Shadow Realm. What should have felt like home turned out to be a far more hostile place than anticipated. The enemies he encountered proved to be particularly formidable and cunning, just like him. Lost from Light even obtained a new shadow, though he wouldn't know what to name it, because where the string of runes should have been, the Spell displayed only:
---
Shadows: [Onyx Saint], [Soul Serpent], [Ravenous Sparrow], [Greedy Mimic], [Nightmare], ...
[—].
---
It was a mystery.
Furthermore, during this excursion, he crossed paths with Eurys of the Nine once again. The old skeleton lay on the dark, barren soil of the Shadow Realm. He was entirely bodiless—just a skull waiting patiently for death.
"Oh, my! Look who it is! How are you doing, boy?"
He called out, his disembodied jaw clattering.
"It's a pleasure to see a friendly face in this place. I'd normally give you a hug, if only I still had a body! Hahaha!"
"Eurys," Sunny exclaimed, turning to face him with a smile utterly alien to his usual demeanor. "What a pleasure to see you again!"
Eurys fell silent for a moment, simply staring at him. Though the Shadow God had robbed him of his death, the ancient skeleton still possessed his Aspect—the very power that allowed him to perceive the world. And in that instant, he could clearly sense the poison festering inside the young man.
It was a treacherous curse, one that was slowly devouring Sunless from within, whittling him down into an empty, will-less shell.
"Oh, boy... What have they done to you?" he murmured with a heavy sigh.
Sunny tilted his head slightly at those words. "Done what? I'm fine. I feel absolutely wonderful, actually. And you can take my word for it! After all, my Flaw prevents me from lying."
He bared his teeth as he spoke, his lips seemingly frozen in a wide, unsettling grin. One of his eyes twitched violently, spasming in evident pain. Even Eurys could see a lone tear welling up in it.
"I see. So that wretched Nephilim actually did it," the talking skull said with another sigh, lowering his gaze as much as his skeletal anatomy allowed.
"Did what?" Sunny asked, blinking in genuine bewilderment. His mind was utterly incapable of associating such a derogatory term with his beloved.
Eurys looked back up at him. "Listen to me, my friend. Because we share the same fate—and because you finally got me off that blasted tree and down into the Shadow Realm—I will help you. But mark my words: I can only do this while you are here with me, and it will only affect this specific incarnation of yours."
Sunny stared at him, now even more confused.
"What are you talking ab— Agh!"
He never finished the sentence. Brought to bear by the will of the Sacred Eurys of the Nine—a will forged over millennia, dormant but unbroken—a mental barrier shattered inside his mind.
Sunny collapsed to the dark, solid ground. A deafening ringing filled his ears, and his mind devolved into absolute chaos. His bones ached terribly, the blood in his veins burned like acid, his eyes were bloodshot, and every fiber of his being screamed for mercy.
"No... no..."
As he lay writhing on the dirt, vainly attempting to push himself up, suppressed memories violently resurfaced.
The real reason he had abandoned the cohort just before the end of the Third Nightmare.
'I hate...'
His failure to reclaim his freedom.
'I HATE...'
His reunion with Nephis, and the bitter fight they had later.
'I HATE YOU...'
The moment she stopped him right before he could strike the killing blow. The freezing echo of her voice reverberating in his skull, issuing those commands.
'I HATE YOU... I HATE YOU!'
"Sunny, from this day forward, you can never leave my side without my permission. You will always remain with me.
You will love me, and me alone. Forget about all these vixens surrounding you. From now on, I am your one and only priority.
Now, kiss me."
The subsequent memories bubbled up, as bitter and caustic as pure venom. Sunny felt his blood boil like molten lava.
Their kiss.
The years of captivity by her side, masquerading as shared passion.
Every single time Nephis had forced herself on him, making love to him against his true will.
The loved ones he had abandoned and hurt.
His dreams.
His stolen freedom.
'I HATE YOU, NEPHIS!!!'
Hatred was the bitter key to his freedom; it was the Mad prince that had finally awakened him from this macabre fairy tale.
And then... Sunny began to weep bitter tears.
Meanwhile, far away, his original body—which was currently cradling Changing Star on a sofa within the Ivory Tower—froze for a fraction of a second, feeling the sudden, violent echo of his distant avatar.
"Is everything okay, Sunny? Why did you stop stroking my hair?" Nephis asked tenderly. Nestled comfortably in his arms, she tilted her head back to look at him.
Hearing her voice, Sunny slowly turned his gaze toward her. For a split second, his expression was terrifyingly blank. Then, he offered her a tender smile.
"Everything is perfectly fine, my love. It's just that I've finally formed my Titan Core. Now all that's left is to recover the remaining fragments of my forbidden lineage... though I'm afraid I'll have to postpone that until after the war," he said in a calm, soothing voice, as sweet and devoted to her as ever.
"I see." She nodded in approval, then shifted her weight, throwing her arms affectionately around his neck.
Sunny returned the embrace affectionately, even as every fiber of his true being wanted nothing more than to crush her throat. While Changing Star fondly rubbed her soft cheek against his, oblivious to his true expression, Lost from Light stared out at the immense sky beyond the window, his mind coldly calculating.
In the end, the Domain War had only one victor: Changing Star.
Having orchestrated a grand conspiracy with Cassie's help to weaken the reigning Sovereigns, Sunny and Nephis had achieved natural Supremacy, both ascending to the rank of Sovereign almost simultaneously to fight them on equal footing.
Sunny had succeeded in killing Anvil, avenging his fallen comrades from the Antarctica campaign. Nephis, meanwhile, had struck down Ki Song, reducing her to ash.
In the aftermath, Sunny was forced to fake his own death before the eyes of the world. Because of his connection to Weaver, the Demon of Fate—and as his sole heir—Sunny could not afford to let humanity worship him. If they did, their collective reverence would risk awakening the Forgotten God: Dream.
A couple of months passed after the conflict's end. During this time, Changing Star focused on consolidating power, assimilating the survivors of the shattered Clans into a single, unified Domain and managing the post-war reconstruction.
Unfortunately, the brief peace of that era was shattered by the arrival of Asterion, the original Dreamspawn. His sudden emergence demanded all of Nephis's military might and undivided attention. The old ghoul waited until the very end of the war to come out into the open.
And now, with her distracted, Sunny could finally embark on the search for the missing pieces of his lineage.
***
Serenade of Doom walked through the grand halls of Ravenheart—or rather, the reflection of the majestic, gothic castle built by Ariel, the Demon of Dread.
This realm was, of course, the domain of Mordret, the King of Nothing. Guided by Cassie's counsel, he had earned his crown and achieved natural Supremacy after battling and triumphing over the Skinwalker.
Eventually, she arrived in a chamber dominated by a massive circular table. Gathered around it were Kai, Effie, Jet, Rain, Aiko, all of the Song sisters, Tyris of the White Feather Clan, the Saints of House of Night, Morgan, Mordret himself, many others, and finally...
Ki Song.
At the very last moment—just before Nephis could deliver the killing blow, when her blinding silver flames had completely obscured the battlefield from the audience's view—Cassie had allowed herself to be taken hostage by the Queen. Seizing upon Changing Star's brief moment of hesitation, the blind seer had used her Transcendent Ability to alter Nephis's memories. She made Nephis believe she had slain the enemy Sovereign, even simulating the Spell's kill announcement in her mind.
Meanwhile, using a Memory pendant borrowed from Effie, she had safely hidden Ki Song away within its spatial pocket.
"Welcome," Cassie said, taking her seat and drawing the attention of everyone in the room. "Before we begin, I want to thank you all for being here."
Although Cassie lacked sight, her unseeing gaze swept over each of the attendees one by one. They watched her in heavy silence, waiting for her next words. Her expression was utterly unreadable, save for a subtle, almost imperceptible quiver of her lips.
"The reason I have gathered you here today, in this reflected world created by the King of Nothing..."
Hearing his title, Mordret placed a hand over his heart and offered a deep, theatrical bow from his seat, though no one paid him any mind.
"...is for one reason alone: to save Sunless. And to do that, I am afraid I must now do something many of you will find highly unpleasant."
Her sudden pause left the room on edge. The attendees were visibly bewildered to see the usually impassive seer display such profound hesitation. A wave of nervous whispers and questioning glances rippled across the table.
Finally, Cassie parted her lips, drew a very slow, deep breath, and spoke a single word:
"Asterion."
***
Sunny set out to complete Weaver's lineage. Because time was running out and the Dreamspawn's movements had recently become unusually slow and cautious, he had no choice but to divide the labor among his avatars.
Acting on Cassie's advice, he went to search for [Flesh Weave] alongside Kai in Ravenheart. His avatar stationed in Bastion teamed up with Effie to hunt down [Mind Weave], while a third was accompanied by Jet to recover [Spirit Weave]. Finally, his fourth, fifth, and sixth avatars departed for the Underworld alongside Mordret in search of the final fragment, [Shadow Weave].
It was a frantic race against time. Fortunately, Cassie was there to help him optimize his schedule and efficiently divide his resources. This meticulous planning allowed him to keep his seventh and final avatar with Nephis—providing her with support and staying close by her side, just as she wished.
After all, a shadow cannot wander the world without a master to cast it.
Searching for all four of the remaining fragments of Weaver's lineage simultaneously was a massive gamble. However, they had no time left to dally. Moreover, it was only a matter of time before the liberating effect of Eurys's Sacred will on Sunny's avatar wore off, dragging him back under the brainwashing of the [Shadow Bond].
To recover [Flesh Weave] with Kai in Ravenheart, Sunny—accompanied by his unnamed fifth shadow, which he had promptly decided to name Slayer—ended up trapped inside a bizarre interdimensional board game called the Game of Death. According to the rumors he had gathered, it was supposedly invented by the Shadow God himself.
During the trial, the trio had to face a relentless gauntlet of Cursed abominations, ranging from the Beast to the Tyrant Class. That last one had played some truly nasty tricks on them, but they ultimately survived, growing significantly stronger in the process.
The Game of Death functioned like a twisted, turn-based game of chess. At the end of each round, depending on the number of enemies defeated, players received an equivalent number of small figurines. These could be sacrificed at a grim altar in exchange for truths.
"Hmm... let's see. What should I ask?" Sunny muttered to himself, rubbing his chin with one hand while idly tossing a small figurine in the air and catching it with the other. His black eyes, dark as obsidian gems, were fixed on the sacrificial pedestal.
Finally, he decided to ask the one question that had haunted him for years.
"What would have happened if Nephis had commanded me to leave her behind on the Forgotten Shore?"
With a dramatic wind-up, he pitched the figurine at the altar.
"Go, Lost from Light!"
The truth it revealed to him changed everything.
The assimilation of [Flesh Weave] was excruciating. It made him feel every fiber of his muscles and internal organs being violently torn apart and painstakingly rewoven.
This profound agony transferred to his other avatars currently engaged in their respective expeditions. However, the avatar tasked with finding [Mind Weave] in the City of Mirage actually benefited from the pain; the sudden torment snapped his mind out of the illusory life the city had crafted for him.
In the City of Mirage, Sunless had lived as a local police detective known as 'The Devil'. He was happily married to a brilliant psychologist named Saint, and together they lived a passionate, blissful life. During his stay in the illusion, aside from experiencing some unexpectedly spicy nights with her, he had finally heard his eternally taciturn knight speak.
But securing [Mind Weave] cost Sunny far more than he could have ever anticipated. Once he obtained it, the sheer mental strain knocked him out of commission for several weeks, severely complicating the expeditions of his remaining avatars.
Worse yet, when he later recounted his illusory experiences—and his intimately steamy relationship with Saint—to Nephis... she did not take it well.
Driven by possessive jealousy, Changing Star used the [Shadow Bond] to force Sunny to execute Saint. The memory of her shattering into pieces before his very eyes still tormented him, echoing constantly alongside the Spell's cold announcement in his mind:
[You have lost a Shadow.]
After finally recovering from the shock, Sunny managed to complete the assimilation of [Spirit Weave] and [Shadow Weave]. The moment he acquired the final piece, all seven fragments resonated at once.
Blood, bone, flesh, mind, soul, spirit, and shadow fused into a singular, perfect entity.
[You have lost an Attribute.]
[You have lost an Attribute.]
[You have lost an Attribute.]
[You have lost an Attribute.]
[You have lost an Attribute.]
[You have lost an Attribute.]
[You have lost an Attribute.]
[You have received an Attribute.]
[One of your Attributes has evolved.]
---
Attributes: [Prince of Shadows], [Flame of Divinity], [Harbinger of Solace and Death], [Jade Shell]...
[The Weave], [Paradox].
---
That mysterious [–Unknown–] Attribute was finally gone, and in its place, Sunny had gained something vastly greater. Yet, even this newfound power proved insufficient to stop Asterion, who was slowly but inexorably consuming the citizens of Nephis's Human Domain.
His freedom was still out of reach.
There was only one gamble left to turn the tables—a final, truly desperate last resort that required them to abandon everything in order to save everyone. Sunny and Nephis had to challenge the Fifth Nightmare and finally become Spirits.
***
In the desolate ruins of what was once the bustling subway system of New York, America, three figures walked side by side as if they had done so a thousand times before.
They were Sunny, Nephis, and Cassie.
Ahead of them, the portal bearing the Seed of their Fifth Trial loomed gruesome and grim—a massive tear in reality, pulsating like a giant black pustule of corruption. Right at its base lay the fresh, lifeless corpse of a Cursed Nightmare Creature.
In that exact moment, as the three stared down at the fallen abomination, a figure stepped out from a nearby reflection.
"Sunless, my dear friend! How lovely to see you in these parts!" the King of Nothing said in greeting.
Nephis eyed him carefully, studying him. There was something unnatural about Mordret that she couldn't quite explain.
He was polite. Too polite.
If it had been anyone else, it wouldn't have been an issue, but for a cursed mirror like him, it was a massive red flag. Furthermore, Cassie had been unusually silent throughout their entire journey to the Americas, almost as if she were an empty shell, or a mere copy of herself.
"Mordret," Sunny said, stepping forward to hug him. "I'm glad to see you too."
The two shared a brief embrace and a couple of firm pats on the back. Changing Star found the scene utterly bizarre. Still, it had been a long time since she had allowed Sunny to have a friend. Just this once, she decided to let it slide.
Sighing, Nephis finally spoke up, drawing their attention. "Alright. If everyone is ready, I say we can proceed."
'Once inside, I need to make sure I find Sunny immediately,' she thought, a bitter taste in her throat. 'It's a pity I didn't order him to seek me out the second we entered, but given that the Fifth Nightmare is divided into two phases—one of which is a solitary trial—there's nothing I can do about it.'
Changing Star couldn't stand allowing her shadow to leave her side, but for this one, singular occasion, she had to make an exception.
The group stepped forward, bracing their spirits for the trial ahead. But before they could take another step, Sunny threw his hand up from the back of the group and shouted:
"Wait!"
Nephis, Cassie, and Mordret froze. Simultaneously, all three turned to look at him.
"What is it?" Nephis asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.
Lost from Light's face was a mask of extreme paranoia, terrified of repeating a tired, cosmic joke.
"I'm going first," Sunny declared, raising a single finger and pushing his way to the front of the group.
"And nobody say a word," he added, glaring at them one by one to ensure their mouths remained firmly shut. "No pregnancy announcements. No sudden jokes. No cosmic revelations. Zip it."
Maintaining eye contact to make sure they stayed silent, Sunny literally moonwalked backward toward the swirling portal.
'Yes!' Sunny cheered internally. 'I'm actually gonna walk into a Nightmare normally for once!'
Unfortunately, because he was glaring at them and walking backward, he wasn't paying attention to where he put his feet.
Trip.
"FU—"
And just like that, Sunny tripped on a piece of rubble and fell flat on his back into his Nightmare.
[Prepare for your Fifth Trial!]
"Damnation!"
[Three brave ones... welcome to the Nightmare!]
"So, you actually pulled it off, Cassie," Sunny murmured as his consciousness slowly dissolved into the first phase of the trial. "Well... good luck, then. You'll need it if you want to defeat Asterion. Don't break your promise this time."
While he, Nephis, and Mordret embarked on their Fifth Nightmare to become Sacred, the true Cassie—alongside Kai, Effie, Morgan, Seishan, Jet, and Rain—was preparing to challenge the Fourth Nightmare.
Meanwhile, the Queen of Worms and the King of Nothing—who was still missing his "Good" Mordret half to be complete—were left to hold off the Dreamspawn's forces all on their own.
The Cassie who had traveled with them from the Ivory Tower all the way to America was never the real one. She had been nothing more than a reflection crafted by Mordret.
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