Seated on the cold stone floor, Arthur inhaled deeply and looked at the people around him.
They were all exhausted, wounded, covered in blood and dirt, barely conscious. Their armor was broken and torn, and their faces were deathly pale. They sat on the ground, too tired to move or speak, breathing heavily and staring down with empty eyes.
So few remained… Yet also many more than he had expected.
Nearly two hundred and fifty Dreamers had survived the battle of the Crimson Spire. They were the strongest, the bravest… but above all, the luckiest warriors of the Dreamer Army.
Sitting beside Sunny, he noticed him beginning to search for familiar faces, and Arthur started doing the same.
His gaze first settled on Nephis, who was beside Cassie. Seeing her alive brought a small curve to his lips. Near them lay Kai's unconscious body.
Effie was leaning against a wall, her armor completely shattered. Beside her, Gemma and Kido were hugging each other. At that, Arthur raised an eyebrow in judgment.
A little farther away, surrounded by handmaidens, stood Seishan. When he saw her, his heart skipped a beat and he inclined his head slightly. The beautiful woman was in terrible condition as well, her entire body stained with blood, and knowing her Flaw, he couldn't help but worry a little about her.
Fortunately, Sylvie was at her side, healing her with the little strength she had left.
Caster was there too, tending to a superficial wound on his shoulder. Compared to the other survivors, he looked strangely clean. He also managed to spot Aiko, who was hugging Stev.
There were many familiar faces, but they did not compare to the number of those that had been lost.
Letting out a sigh, he rose from where he was sitting and walked toward Nephis. Before he reached her, she turned around and, with a nod, understood what Arthur intended. Without exchanging words, she spoke.
"It's time to go. Gather your strength! We're almost there!"
Then Arthur added, "There's almost nothing left, one more step!"
The Dreamers looked at them with tired eyes, but the light of hope ignited within them with renewed strength. Slowly, groaning in pain, they stood up. Those who were relatively fine supported the gravely wounded. Those who had lost consciousness were carried by friends or fellow warriors.
Soon, the group of humans walked deeper into the Spire. Nephis and Arthur walked at the front, the former holding Cassie's hand, and a moment later Sunny ended up beside Arthur.
He noticed Nephis wanting to say something as soon as Sunny arrived, and as the good companion he was, he simply stopped in his tracks and began looking for Sylvie.
Nephis and Sunny stood side by side, and at that moment she spoke.
"Thank you, for ringing the bell… and for everything." She finished with a genuine and soft smile.
Strangely, Sunny did not look away and remained mesmerized by the smile; something stirred in his heart. But this was not the time for that.
"There's no need to thank me, we're in this together, right?"
She simply nodded and they continued walking.
A little farther back, Arthur found Sylvie walking beside a steadier Seishan.
Before reaching them, he exchanged glances with her and they both smiled at the same time.
"Are you okay?" he asked in a worried tone.
Seishan broke eye contact. "Better than ever," she replied sarcastically.
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Ah, I suppose hundreds of Nightmare Creatures aren't enough for a princess."
"Oh, don't remind me. I don't want to see one ever again in my life," she said, rolling her eyes.
They both laughed, and Arthur stopped beside Sylvie, paused for a second, and gave her a hug.
She returned it immediately.
"I'm happy you're okay," she said.
Still holding her, he replied, "I'm glad you are too."
Eventually, they let go and he looked ahead. As he did, he noticed Sunny had stopped dead in his tracks.
'You've got to be kidding me,' he thought.
He ran to him and stood at his side. At that moment, Sunny explained to him and Nephis what he had seen in the shadows.
There were thousands of Golems staring at them motionlessly.
"We'll be careful," Neph said.
Minutes after walking through the area, they had a better understanding of the ground level of the Crimson Spire; it became clear that the Gateway was not there. To find it, the remains of the Dreamer Army were going to have to ascend higher.
There were no stairs or lifting mechanisms in sight, but luckily, many of the twisting coral pillars were wide enough for several people to walk on them, and not so steep as to make things too difficult. The Sleepers could use them to easily reach the next level.
However, as soon as Sunny stepped forward, Neph suddenly pulled him back and shouted:
"Everyone, back!"
Just a moment later, a wide ray of blinding light fell from somewhere above and swept across the interior of the Crimson Spire, annihilating the darkness.
It didn't take a genius to realize that the ray was imbued with the same soul-destroying property as the deadly beams of sunlight outside… only this one seemed much more powerful.
It was also different. Although its movements were erratic and strange, they were unmistakably aimed at the exhausted mass of human invaders and full of intent.
"Hide in the shadows!"
Swiftly, the Sleepers dove behind coral growths and pressed themselves against them. A few unfortunate ones lingered too long and were exposed to the light. They didn't scream or struggle, just fell to the ground, their lives extinguished in a split moment.
The rest froze, consumed by tense fear.
Arthur found himself beside Sunny, Nephis, and Cassie, leaning lightly against a pillar. Carefully looking out, he saw the deadly beam of light grow dim and dissipate. A moment later, however, several more fell from above, tearing the darkness apart.
But that was not all.
Guided by the light, the mass of coral golems suddenly surged forward, moving toward the place where the Dreamer Army was hiding. Their movements, which had been aimless and mindless before, were now full of malevolent will.
Sunny turned to Nephis and Arthur and asked,
"What do we do now?"
Arthur immediately replied, "Someone is going to have to go up and distract it."
Sunny looked at both of them and finished by saying,
"And who's that going to be?"
Neph answered while summoning her sword, "Me, it has to be me."
He frowned, feeling very reluctant to say his next words. But in the end, he still couldn't help but say them:
"Are you crazy? That's a Fallen Terror we're talking about!"
Sunny gritted his teeth and added, "Alright, whatever. Say someone really needs to distract that thing. But why does it have to be you alone? Because you are the great daughter of the Immortal Flame clan? Don't tell me that you started to believe in your own bullcrap!"
Before Changing Star could respond, Arthur spoke. "Who said she'll be alone?"
Both turned to look at him and said simultaneously,
"What?"
"Are you crazy too?"
He simply shook his head. "No?" He continued, "That thing deals soul damage, and when it was attacking the creatures outside, I didn't feel affected. I suspect my sword has some protection against soul attacks as well."
Nephis nodded and turned to Cassie, asked her for a Memory, and looked back at Arthur before Sunny could say anything else.
"Ready?" she asked while summoning the Memory.
Arthur nodded and summoned [Ashwind Cloak], a Garment-type Memory he had obtained by killing the Spire Messenger.
Without wasting time, she looked at Sunny.
"Once we're gone, guide the people to the Gateway. Make sure everyone escapes." She paused. "And… I hope we see each other again."
With that, Nephis and Arthur reinforced their bodies, bent their knees, and jumped with all their strength. Aided by their Memories, they rose at great speed, pushed off a coral column, and flew into the darkness.
A ray of light shot toward Neph, but she managed to dodge it, crashing into another coral formation and launching herself from it a moment before another annihilating beam reached her.
With most of the rays chasing Nephis and Arthur as they leapt from one coral column to another, climbing higher and higher, the Dreamer Army was able to move again.
Gritting his teeth, Sunny looked at the two hundred and fifty frightened people and shouted,
"Follow me!"
As much as he hated the role he had been given, the worst part was that he was perfectly suited for it. Thanks to his ability to see in the dark.
Hiding his unease deep inside, Sunny projected nothing but absolute confidence and shouted for everyone to follow him. Surprisingly, the Sleepers did just that without voicing any objections.
Taking Cassie's hand, Sunny dove out of his cover and dashed toward a wide, spiraling coral root that reached high into the darkness above. He could hear the sound of footsteps following him from behind.
The Dreamer Army was on the move once again.
Jumping onto the root, Sunny sent his shadow forward and glanced at the approaching sea of coral golems. There was still time.
He ran forward, using the coral growth as stairs. A second later, he yelled:
"Those at the back! Ready your weapons!"
They did so while the first rows of Sleepers followed Sunny up. Almost everyone had time to climb onto the root by the time the first of the golems showed up.
The coral figure stumbled from the darkness, only to be met by a flash of a sword. It crumbled instantly, offering almost no resistance.
But a moment later, several more appeared, and then more, and more.
The Sleepers destroyed the first wave to buy themselves a few moments and then jumped onto the root, then dashed away, soon catching up with the rest of the survivors.
Thanks to Sunny's shadow, he was able to guide them all, jumping from coral to coral. At one point, he ran into Effie and told her to take care of Cassie.
This was because ahead of him, on a wide platform, there were even more golems. He summoned the Midnight Shard.
A few seconds later, he reached the first golem and slashed it with his sword. The golem's body offered some resistance, but no more than a mundane creature would. It almost disintegrated under his assault, crumbling easily into a pile of broken coral.
He led the Dreamer Army forward, climbing higher and higher. Every couple of minutes, they had to leave one root and use another, sometimes moving across stone galleries situated here and there along the walls of the Crimson Spire.
Somewhere high above, meanwhile, the flashes of white light slowly turned into one continuous, radiant halo. Nephis and Arthur were probably already approaching the very pinnacle of the ancient tower. The fact that none of the annihilating rays had returned to attack the Sleepers proved they were still alive, drawing the Terror's attention away from them.
As he wondered where the Gateway was, his shadow finally found it.
Their return to the Walking World.
Out there in the darkness, a vast balcony was built into the wall of the tower, reaching almost to the center of the gargantuan structure. On its surface was the Gateway.
They were so close…
With renewed energy and adrenaline rising, Sunny threw himself at the golems.
Shattering a few golems, he cleared enough space for others to follow and watched several more people reach the balcony. One after another, the Sleepers jumped off the coral and joined him. Those who arrived first repelled the attacking golems to allow the others to come down.
Soon, all the Sleepers were on the balcony.
As he watched, the whole Spire suddenly shuddered. Massive pieces of coral broke off and fell down, crashing into other branches below. High above them, the radiant halo of light grew several times brighter. Nephis and Arthur had reached the Crimson Terror.
The remains of the Dreamer Army cut through the mass of golems and escaped it.
Thanks to a couple of shouts from Sunny followed by some from Sylvie, those who could still fight faced away from the Gateway and formed a defensive line, protecting the wounded with their bodies. Those who couldn't helped the people in the worst condition enter the iron ring.
Watching the Sleepers leave one by one, Sunny turned his head as if searching for someone, and Caster was definitely not there.
While looking for him, he saw Seishan take Sylvie's hand and cross the portal together.
Before he could go up to search for Caster, he ran into Effie. The huntress was carrying Kai's unconscious body over one shoulder and keeping Cassie close under the other. The blind girl's face was ashen, confused, and completely empty.
"Doofus! Where are you going?"
Sunny stared at her for a few moments, and then suddenly smiled. "…There's just some unfinished business I need to deal with. Take care, you three. I will… see you later. I hope."
With that, he took a step back and disappeared into the shadows.
***
At the top of the Crimson Spire, Nephis and Arthur were locked in a deadly battle against the Crimson Terror.
A tentacle descended swiftly.
Arthur leaned to the side and it brushed his shoulder before crashing into the stone. It wasn't the only one. The creature had dozens, irregular, covered in coral and exposed flesh. They moved without rhythm, attacking from impossible angles.
Arthur responded with a clean cut. Dawn's Ballad severed one, but another was already coming toward his back. He spun, blocked with the flat of his blade, and stepped back twice. Even with four augmentations on his body, he was struggling, not to mention that Static Void did not work against this thing.
Then a golden flash illuminated the platform.
Nephis threw herself to the ground as a beam of light sliced through the air where her torso had been. The golden line destroyed everything in its path. Moreover, those rays dealt soul damage; a single direct hit was enough, and no matter how much resistance they had, there would be no second chance.
Nephis rolled and rose immediately, Dream Blade burning with white flames. She unleashed a burst of fire that forced several tentacles to recoil.
Arthur tried to advance, taking advantage of the opening, but three more rays crossed in front of him, forcing him to retreat. The creature maintained distance with brutal precision: tentacles to force them to move, golden rays to prevent any direct advance. And without the possibility of using Static Void to stop the attacks even briefly, all he could do was dodge thanks to his Aether sense.
For several exchanges, it was the same.
Arthur cut one tentacle and dodged another. Nephis burned sections of the Terror's body but had to interrupt every offensive to avoid the rays. They could not get closer. Every attempt to reduce the distance was punished with a combination of physical strikes and golden light.
Arthur jumped back when two tentacles tried to close around him like a trap. As he landed, he looked up at the creature.
It was repulsive.
The gigantic mass was covered in thousands of human faces. All twisted in expressions of eternal agony. Black eyes, open mouths, skin fused with crimson structures. They did not move. They did not scream. They were simply there, forming part of the body.
Arthur clenched his jaw.
"It's the most horrible thing I've ever seen."
Nephis did not respond. She was focused on dodging another ray descending from above.
They continued exchanging blows. Dawn's Ballad opened another deep wound along the Terror's flank. Dream Blade sent out a white explosion that charred an entire strip of its torso. But the creature remained firm, pressing them toward the edge of the platform.
Then something changed.
The tentacles stopped attacking as frequently. The mass began to retract toward the center. The overall volume increased, but the structure compacted. The golden rays stopped for a moment.
Nephis saw it first.
"It's evolving."
Arthur noticed as well. The energy was concentrating inward, as if something was taking shape.
If it completed the process, it would evolve into a Titan.
Arthur did not hesitate and ran forward.
The tentacles reacted immediately, launching themselves to intercept him. Arthur slid under one, cut another mid-descent, and spun to sever a third trying to wrap around his waist. Dawn's Ballad moved without pause, carving a narrow path through flesh and coral.
A golden ray formed to his left and he jumped just before it fired, landing closer.
That was when he saw it. At the center of the creature, something was spasming. It was in the process of forming a Core.
He forced his advance one last stretch, cutting two more tentacles descending toward his head. When he was close enough, he activated Static Void.
This time, he did not try to encompass the entire body or the tentacles. He focused all his intent on the point where the core was forming. He pushed his will toward that fragment.
The process faltered.
It did not stop completely, but it slowed enough. The tentacles that were about to trap him lagged slightly due to the sudden disruption.
"Now!" Arthur shouted.
Nephis was already running.
Dream Blade burned with greater intensity, white flames completely enveloping the blade. She leapt, using the space Arthur had created, and descended directly toward the Terror's body.
She drove the sword down with a powerful strike, and the flames penetrated before spreading through the creature's body, burning and purifying its entire being.
Arthur released Static Void as Nephis pushed deeper.
The flames spread across the body of the Crimson Terror. The tentacles lost cohesion. The golden rays never fired again.
With one final surge of strength, Nephis pulled the sword free and immediately brought it down in a vertical slash.
Dream Blade, wrapped in flames, cut through flesh effortlessly, and the body of the Crimson Terror was nearly split in half.
The corpse hit the ground with a dull impact that shook the entire summit of the Crimson Spire, and at that moment Arthur let himself fall to the floor, breathing heavily. Nephis stepped away from the corpse and did the same a few meters from him.
It had not been an extremely risky fight, but the tension of knowing that a single one of those rays could hit them and kill them instantly was not easy to ignore. Being in constant motion, dodging tentacles and rays, was not an experience he would like to repeat.
As he thought about all that and replayed the fight in his mind, he remembered that the Spell had spoken to him in the middle of the previous battle, and he entered his runes to check.
As he did, his eyes focused on his attributes, and there a new one appeared.
'What?'
The attribute was called: [Soul Conduit.]
He furrowed his brows. 'Soul Conduit? It has no description and it's not related to Aether…'
He pulled his gaze from the runes and looked at Neph. She seemed to be looking at hers as well, and a vacant expression settled on her face. Ignoring it, he looked back at the corpse of the Crimson Terror and seconds later returned his gaze to the attribute.
'No… no!'
Arthur let out a long sigh and lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling. Through clenched teeth, he muttered, "For fuck's sake."
Neph turned and looked at him with empty, lost eyes.
"Have you realized what it means?"
Slowly propping himself on his elbows, he looked at her. "Yes."
"What are we going to do about this?" she asked.
Rising slowly, he answered, "Let's go to the Gateway, maybe there's something we can do."
Neph shook her head.
"There's nothing to do. It's just us now."
And Sunny, Arthur wanted to say, but before he could vocalize it, the mentioned person appeared right in front of them. Sunny had some wounds on his body and armor, but overall he seemed fine.
At that moment, Arthur realized why Nephis and Sunny would end up fighting. Only two would be able to leave.
But that raised the question.
Cassie's vision said the two of them would fight and that Sunny would be the one to win, but where was Arthur in that?
Now he had the answer. He would be there with them as well. But that raised another question.
Why would he let them fight and even allow Sunny to kill Nephis? He would never let that happen…
'Did Cassie lie to me?'
She knew that if she told Arthur they would end up fighting, he would intervene. But what would she gain by doing that? Preventing both of them from dying and making him stay behind?
'Wait!'
Sunny's True Name! She gave it to Nephis hoping she would use it to leave Sunny behind so that both of them could escape. And then she told Arthur about the existence of Sunny's True Name so that, in case Nephis didn't use it, he would.
But Arthur didn't know what Sunny's True Name was… and he would never use it to sacrifice him. At the same time, thanks to Cassie's information, he had discovered Sunny's Flaw, which was that he could not lie.
He was literally one question away from knowing the True Name and using it. Still, there was no way Cassie could have known Arthur would decipher Sunny's Flaw from what she told him.
'Unless… she already knows it?'
That would close the circle, but it still didn't answer what her final objective was.
In any case, it didn't matter.
If he had to stay behind to let them go…
He would.
Sunny hesitated and said in an incredulous tone, "You did it… you killed it."
Nephis lifted her gaze from the floor and replied sadly,
"Sunny… why… why are you still here?"
"What? You told me to take care of Caster," he said.
Arthur quickly asked, "Is Caster alive?"
Sunny turned to look at him and shook his head. "No, I confronted him while climbing to the top. He and two other hunters were climbing up behind you." With a proud tone, he added, "I killed all three."
Neph and Arthur let out a sigh.
"What? I thought you'd be happy?" Sunny asked, taking a step toward Nephis.
They looked at each other, but it was Changing Star who answered. "We are, but… have you checked your attributes?"
Sunny stopped and tilted his head. "Yes, but I don't know what it does." He continued, "Do you?"
She was about to respond, but Arthur interrupted her.
"Let's go to the Gateway first, okay?"
Something like understanding passed through Changing Star's eyes and she simply nodded. Sunny still didn't understand, but he also started descending.
Moments later, the three of them descended toward the Gateway, Arthur thanks to [Ashwind Cloak] and the others thanks to their Memories that allowed them to glide through the air.
Standing before the bright light that would take them back to their homes, Sunny asked, "Are you going to stop playing dumb and tell me why we're not running to the Gateway?"
Neph replied,
"Sunny, for the Gateway to function, it needs a vessel. We are that vessel now. If two of us leave, the Gateway will stop working and one will be left behind."
He took a few steps back and stood in front of them. "I don't suppose one of you'll stay behind and let me go?"
Arthur answered, "Go."
Sunny blinked.
"What?"
"I said go," he repeated.
Sunny looked at him in disbelief. "Just like that? You're not even going to fight to leave?"
"No." He shook his head.
Sunny shrugged. "Okay, do whatever you want." And he started walking toward the Gateway.
One step, two steps, until halfway there he stopped and turned around.
"Neph? What are you doing?"
"Leave, Sunny," she replied.
His expression hardened. "No, you too? Why? Arthur said he's staying why would you too!?"
She sighed and looked away. After a moment, she said quietly,
"Maybe it's because I'm far from home too."
Sunny stared at her for a few moments and then growled, "What? What the hell is that supposed to mean!?"
Changing Star turned her head and looked at him calmly, then smiled.
"It doesn't matter. Now go, Sunny."
He gritted his teeth.
"Like hell I will! Not before you give me an answer."
Nephis shrugged tiredly, then looked him in the eyes. "What is it that you want to know?"
Sunny clenched his fists.
"Why are you going to sacrifice yourself too if Arthur said he was staying!?" Before she could answer, he continued, "What happened to your goddamned goal?! Didn't you tell me that you would sacrifice anything, anyone, to achieve it?!"
Nephis looked at him and smiled bitterly.
"Are you the only one allowed to grow and change? Can't I change too, Sunny?" She turned away and said tiredly, "Saying it and doing it are two very different things. And don't get me wrong, I was about to do it, but then I realized how unpleasant it would be."
He shook his head in shock. "No, you can too but… 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, she said, "I'm going to achieve everything I want and destroy everyone who stands in my way, but at the same time I'll do it in a way that aligns with what I want, without compromising anything. Without sacrificing my sense of right and wrong."
"Sending all those people to their deaths? I would do it again, because it was just and right. I gave them the chance to save themselves."
Her expression suddenly changed. Lowering her gaze, Nephis added quietly, "But abandoning Arthur here? After I realized all of this thanks to him? That would be vile and wrong. Just like letting a blind and defenseless little girl die alone. I won't do it. If I do, I won't be any better than those I want to destroy. What's the point of reaching my goal if, in the process, I become the same as those I hate?"
She pierced him with a burning gaze and said,
"Now go, go back to 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. So go while you can."
At that moment, the Crimson Spire began to tremble and entire platforms started falling around them. Arthur took a few involuntary steps back.
Arthur's head was a mess of thoughts. Why was she so focused on not letting Sunny stay if he wanted to?
He didn't plan on letting either of them stay with him, but if they decided it on their own, why would he reject the help? Two people were better than one. The more they were, the more chances they had of surviving what came after all this.
He could intervene and force Sunny to stay, or force them to leave, but this seemed like a conversation they both needed to have, and interfering could generate worse consequences.
Sunny gritted his teeth.
"No."
Nephis opened her eyes and looked at him, sorrow appearing on her face. "Leave, Sunny. Please. Go."
He shook his head stubbornly.
"I don't want to. Why is it okay for you and Arthur to stay and not me? The three of us would have more chances of surviving!"
She hesitated for a long time, then closed her eyes and slowly shook her head.
"No. I can't. I can't let you stay, Sunny. Go! Please!"
Sunny stared at her, a deep frown appearing on his face. Finally, he asked, "Why!? How important am I for you to want to sacrifice yourself for me!?"
Nephis opened her eyes and with a slight smile said, "You are very important to me, I can't lose you too." Then with a sad expression she added, "Forgive me for being so selfish, Sunny."
'What is she talking about?' Arthur wondered.
Changing Star was silent for a moment, looking at him with a pained expression, and then she said, making his world crumble,
"Go… Lost from Light."
At that moment, Arthur understood everything and began cursing himself for being so stupid. He didn't have time to do anything before Sunny's eyes opened wide and his body blurred from the speed at which he moved.
Immediately, Arthur activated Static Void to freeze them both.
He could feel the number of fragments decreasing dangerously, however, that was not what caught his attention.
Running forward, he saw Sunny's sword stopped just as it touched Nephis's neck. She hadn't expected that reaction and hadn't managed to dodge. A small drop of blood was forming at the wound.
Arthur calculated he had four seconds to do everything.
In the first, he moved Nephis away from Sunny's blade. Her gray eyes were completely open and her mouth parted, as if about to say something. Pulling her out of danger, he channeled Aether into his arm and with a sharp blow to her head, knocked her unconscious.
In the second, he released Static Void around her but maintained it on Sunny. He hoisted her over his shoulder and began running toward the Gateway, dodging rocks and platforms that had started to fall in the gallery where they stood.
In the third, he threw Changing Star's unconscious body through the Gateway and proceeded to deactivate Static Void.
He fell to his knees from the weakness of having spent so many fragments in so little time.
He then lifted his gaze, and focused on Sunny.
Even without Static Void limiting him, Sunny had not moved from his position. He still held his weapon, and his eyes were fixed on the tip of Midnight Shard, where small drops of blood clung.
Slowly getting to his feet, Arthur questioned what to do. He didn't know if everything had gone well or badly. Both were alive, but apparently the result was worse.
Eventually, Sunny dismissed his sword and turned around. The expression on his face showed a completely broken man. Betrayed. On the verge of collapsing.
Looking at the floor, in a low voice he said, "I almost… I almost killed her." He continued, "I… almost killed… Neph."
Arthur swallowed and discarded all the thoughts of pity he had.
"Sunny, you have to make a decision now! Either you go or you stay." In a calmer voice he added, "If you decide to stay, I'll accept it, but we'll have to move now. And if you decide to leave, I'll respect it."
Sunny lifted his face and looked at him, adding in a sad and weary tone, "If I go, I… I think I'll end up killing her." He looked toward the Gateway. "A part of me wants to do it and be free again. But another part just wants to go back and hug her."
"If I go back, I don't know which part will win."
Arthur looked at him for a few seconds and, without needing to know his Flaw, realized he was speaking sincerely. At the end of the day, love and hate were different faces of the same coin.
"Alright, then we need to move now," he said as he walked toward him.
That snapped Sunny out of his daze and he immediately summoned Dark Wing. Arthur, for his part, summoned Ashwind Cloak, and both began descending the Crimson Spire.
As they did, the tower trembled again and the number of falling rocks increased even more.
Fortunately, they got out in time, and when they did, the tower completely collapsed.
Only three things remained in all of the Forgotten Shore.
Arthur, Sunny, and total darkness.
[End of Volume 2: Paths Not Taken]