"Is it really you?"
"Who else would it be?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sunny scrunched up his face.
"Yeah, it is you." Sunny relaxed a little, but not completely.
"What brings you to this place? Did Neph send you to find me? Or are you trying to kill me?"
Ash sneezed.
"Sorry, there's a lot of dust. But to answer your question, no one sent me. If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead. And I came to find you… what else?"
Sunny blinked.
"Neph or Cass didn't send you?"
"No… actually, Nephis vaguely told me about the argument you had with her when I returned."
"You returned?" Sunny murmured before realizing something. "You weren't inside the city."
"No. I just got back from a trip to find something in a very distant place," he explained.
Sunny nodded.
"I see…" he murmured.
"Where did you go, if one can know?"
"Nowhere impressive, just a death zone."
Sunny blinked and all he let out was a confused, "Huh?"
"A death zone! How are you still alive?!"
"Yeah, it was a death zone, though I don't even know how. I guess I'm lucky," he said, shrugging.
"Oh, and how's the solitary life treating you?"
"Pretty well… Hey, don't change the subject!"
"I tried," Ash murmured.
"This is an unexplored region of the Dream Realm, and on top of that, a death zone. What kind of death zone did you go to?"
"Do you know the Hollow Mountains?"
Sunny frowned, not really knowing what they were.
"Listen. Human influence in the Dream Realm isn't very extensive, but it has expanded over the years. There are three citadels: Bastion, Ravenheart, and the House of Night," Ash explained like a high school teacher.
"Bastion has expanded north, but its advance was halted by a mountain range that stretches across the entire Dream Realm for thousands of kilometers. To put it in perspective, it's like a straight line that divides the entire Dream Realm in two. As for the name 'death zone'… it's a place so dangerous that not even the bravest Saints return alive from it."
Ash saw Sunny shudder.
"Are you saying that place is worse than the Forgotten Shore?"
"There's no comparison. Compared to that place, the Forgotten Shore would be a kindergarten."
"...and you went to that place."
"My attributes give me a better chance of surviving in that environment. Anyway, I didn't go inside that place; I went to obtain two Memories, a crown, and a shield."
Sunny looked at Ash for a few moments and then let out a sigh.
"I understand," Sunny said.
"By the way, Sunny, is that Echo new?"
"Yeah. I got it recently. A few days ago, to be exact."
Ash nodded. It looks good.
Both remained silent for a few moments until Ash sighed, deciding to address the main topic.
"Sunny, it's time to leave this place. Everything we need to open the doors of the Crimson Spire is in our power."
Sunny looked at Ash.
"You know what that means, right?"
"You mean Cassie's prophecy?" Ash asked.
"Yeah. You must know what it means. Rivers of blood, a castle in flames, the golden corpse."
"Yes, I know. You don't need to be a genius to understand it."
"Even so, do you agree with this?"
"Honestly, I don't know, Sunless. If there were another option, we could take it without spilling the blood of young and promising Sleepers. You know as well as I do that as long as Gunlaug is the Bright Lord, nothing will change."
Sunny frowned.
"Listen…" Ash said in a serious tone.
"There are times when people can only choose between two paths. One leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, and the other makes you regret it in the future. It's up to each person to choose one of the two options."
"You're trying to manipulate me with your eloquent words," the boy said suspiciously.
"I'm not manipulating you, I'm just giving my opinion. But my point stands. You want to get out of here, I want to get out of here, everyone trapped in this cursed place wants to return. But there are others who refuse because they would lose their influence or power. If we eliminate the heads of the oppressors… wouldn't everyone be free?"
"You speak of a freedom based on blood, Ashfall."
"Haven't you done the same, Sunny?" he asked, causing Sunny to fall silent.
"Yes," he said with a certain anger.
"And the result is your freedom. The same thing will happen here. Nephis will kill Gunlaug, I will kill Tessai, and you will kill Harus. If we eliminate those three, we will conquer the Spire and be free. I can assure you."
Sunny remained silent, meditating on Ash's words deeply, trying to discern what he was planning.
Sunny, by nature, was a distrustful person who only trusted himself after growing up in the outskirts. The idea of trusting someone was new. There weren't many people he truly trusted enough.
Finally, Sunny looked at Ash, making a decision.
"Alright," Sunny said.
Ash nodded, a slight smile forming on his face as he turned and walked in another direction to find a certain pop star.
…
Ash walked in silence alongside Sunny and his strange Echo through the alleyways, climbing ruined houses.
"This isn't the way to the settlement."
"No, it isn't. I can sense someone somewhere near here."
"Who would be crazy enough to be in this place with all the abominations wandering around?"
Ash looked at Sunny without responding.
"What?"
"Nothing." After climbing another ruined building, they reached a clearing in a courtyard where a dark stone well stood in the center.
"It's in there," Ash said, approaching the well.
The duo approached until they were a few meters from the well. As they got closer, a voice came from the well.
"Ah… a visitor…" the voice said.
"It's been a while… a while… a while…" the echo of the voice resonated several more times before fading.
Time passed slowly. After almost a minute or two, Sunny spoke.
"N-nice to meet you," he said with a cautious voice full of disbelief.
"Oh, no… the pleasure is mine…"
Again, the echo made itself present on the last word.
"So… are you going to feed me or not? No offense, but lately, you've been arriving very late. I've been sitting here alone for three days. Or have you decided to try something new?"
Receiving no response for a few seconds, the voice spoke again.
"Ah, I see. So now we're going to starve. Well… I have to admit something to you, this is your best idea yet. Unfortunately, it won't work. Do you even know what kind of diet we apprentices must follow to debut? I suppose not. In fact, I thank you. This is a great opportunity to improve my BMI."
Ash observed the exchange with slight amusement.
"Who are you?" Sunny asked.
The well remained silent for a few moments. When it spoke, its voice was tense.
"Wait. You're not one of the… you're not… oh god."
As amusing as the scene was, Ash was feeling a bit sleepy, so he decided to speed up the process a little.
"Hey, mysterious voice, are you human?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yes, I'm human… are you also human?"
"Yes," Ash replied.
"Yes, it's definitely over for me. Well, I suppose I had a good run."
Sunny sighed, seeing the exchange go nowhere.
"Stop panicking, idiot! I really am human!"
"Please forgive me if I don't believe you."
"Hey. Are you by any chance Kai of Nightingale?" Ash asked.
Sunny blinked, confused, and then the voice immediately responded.
"You truly are human?"
"Yeah. Anyway, Idol Boy. We're going to get you out of here to talk."
Ash summoned his Steel Crow. Sunny moved back a bit, watching as the Echo used its claws to easily pry off the heavy metal grate cover with a loud crash.
"The cover is off. Get out of that dark well and don't be scared if you see a huge crow. It's my Echo," Ash said.
"Alright. I just hope you aren't terrifying creatures."
After saying that, a figure flew out of the dark well and then landed on the ground in front of Ash and Sunny.
He was tall, slender, and incredibly handsome. His face was small with perfect, beautiful features, high cheekbones, and flawless ivory skin. His eyes were an electrifying green. Overall, he was handsome.
The idol looked in front of him, finding a young man with ash-gray hair and golden eyes that seemed to shine with a mysterious and dangerous light. His face was one of unshakeable calmness, as if he were detached from the world.
For some reason, he felt a shiver run down his spine, warning him that this one was dangerous.
"Are you sure you're human?" Kai asked.
"I am," Ash replied.
Kai looked behind the boy, having to lift his gaze and squint his eyes slightly to see the outline of something large behind him.
Summoning a light Memory, Kai held his breath as he saw a huge crow about five meters tall with folded wings, sharp claws capable of easily piercing awakened armor.
Kai took a step back cautiously.
He watched as the crow disappeared in a sea of sparks, proving it was an Echo.
Kai guided the lantern to another side, seeing someone else, shorter, with a face irritated by the light that made him look like a demon.
"Well, it seems you two really are human. Part of me was hoping you'd turn into terrifying monsters. But no, you're truly human, and besides, you're cute!"
Ash raised an eyebrow while Sunny coughed.
"I'm Ashfall, but you can call me Ash. The one beside me is Sunless."
Kai blinked.
Sunless… where have I heard that?
"Oh, I think I've heard of you. Aren't you the crazy kid who lives alone in the ruins?"
Sunny shot Kai a murderous glare.
Ash yawned.
"Yeah, that's me," Sunny said.
Ash took the opportunity and quietly withdrew to a more secluded spot, sitting down on some ruins and giving another yawn.
'I hope this is quick, I want…' Ash thought, wanting to go to sleep early.