Within the Underworld's depths, its inhabitants defied easy reckoning. This domain, a grim tapestry woven where dreams enclosed on the end, lay beneath the hollow mountains as roots would to a tree. Descent into its abyssal tracts witnessed life distort and utterly transform. Near its dark heart resided cast-off abhorrences, beings so vile they hungered to devour the six vast realms should they ever touch the sky.
Here too wandered broken adherents, bodiless husks adrift in faded forms. Stone Saints, sculpted by a solitary yearning, also guarded this stygian realm. These creatures, born from its very essence, reigned over it's blackened territories and traversed unending caverns. Each Saint, a legend-ender, a force to unmake heroic tales, nevertheless faced its eventual decline.
Yet, amidst such forms, one presence towered distinct. Its name woven into the Divine forevermore, marking a epochal shift. This entity, the Daemon of Destiny, Prince of the Underworld, held sway over infinite choices. A singular inquiry drove his relentless study of deities and his own divine essence.
He spearheaded no inaugural divine rebellion. However, he first drew divine blood and unveiled his own hidden truths. This act fractured the age of gods, sundering its absolute reign. He was the Forgotten God's finalborn, the last child.
This Underworld served him not merely as a dominion, nor a transient haunt. It functioned a vast workshop, a macabre laboratory, a sepulcher for flawed designs. All unfolded beneath his piercing gaze, an endless inquest into self-determination, souls, divinities, and the world's deep foundations. Each ruin within those depths might conceal an experiment, every creature an alteration, a shaping, or a prolonged observation.
Here, in the dream's buried world, Lost from Light ultimately stood before him.
The Spell's voice stirred his mind.
[The 'Prince of the Underworld' is looking at you.]
In that same instant, Sunny beheld him.
This Dream was different from the usual strangeness he had observed on his way here. His descent into the Underworld led through chasms where existence simply… ceased. Gaps filled with absolute Nothingness yawned, formless, unperceived. Nothingness denoted the utter absence of all nameable and perceivable things, swallowed by the mists.
However, this Inner-Dream bore a different uniqueness. Its world possessed an intrinsic structure the Nightmare 'Hell of Eternity' lacked. Here, Sunny discerned expanse, depth, and form. Perhaps his bond to True Darkness clarified his sight, or perhaps vision held regardless of ambient light. The entire space felt replete, dense with existence, as though countless entities coursed within the very air.
His situation resembled an immense, inner cathedral, carved from the dream's very soul. Colossal pillars rose from the gloom, emblazoned with circles of luminous runic script. They shimmered as if captured stars resided in their essence.
At the vast space's core, Nether rested upon the stone. One leg yielded a gentle bend, an arm draped over his knee. His two eyes, wells of unfathomable obscurity, fixed upon Sunny. A long vigil completed.
Sunny approached with measured steps. He began to discern the Daemon's true form.
Nether's complexion shone pale, or perhaps he was merely sans color, untouched by any and all sources of light. The pervasive darkness of the chamber clung to him, wrapping his shoulders, arms, back, and neck as living tendrils. His features resisted Sunny's attempts to on focus again and again, as if even his godly perceptions were perpetually barred. But his eyes... those eyes of Nether's could not be denied. Each held a vastness of gloom that seemed to draw Sunny's very reality inward. Within that expanse, a single ring of light resided, an endless eclipse.
Two formidable black wings spread behind him. Though, calling them wings fell short of their nature. Their feathers alone filled the cathedral; the entire space seemed held within their vast shadow. Sunny's mind conjured an image: a reflection in a Time Storm's eye, a pale figure tracing the water, suffused with murderous intent fit to drown the sky.
Nether's gaze fixed on Sunny. Sunny felt every stratum of his being meticulously examined.
Sunny first surmised Nether probed his myriad affinities, or this peculiar confluence of powers. For moments he simply endured the gaze, striving for composure. Then, he slowly perceived Nether surveyed neither his soul, nor his shadows, nor his attributes.
Nether's gaze swept his skin. Or more precisely, his shell.
His [Mythril Shell], an evolution from Jade, gained after becoming Sacred through unnatural means.
"Oh? Peaked his interest have I?"
That armor undeniably captured attention. His attribute, once a Memory, formed one of seven suits forged by the Daemon of Destiny himself.
The runes spoke: [In the deep darkness of the underworld, a prideful demon forged seven suits of splendid armor for his favorite creations. The intricate shells were both a boon and a test since only those worthy of his regard could unlock the mantle's true potential and bear its weight.]
At that juncture, Nether spoke.
Nether's gaze passed over Sunny's form. ["In all the choices I could foretell, I wonder why none led to this unforeseen moment. I… I cannot perceive you, Heir to Peace. You remain invisible to me; yet you have reached my very presence."]
["I assisted in your wretched battle, for even I desired that fiend's collapse. Therefore, I bestowed my Desire."]
A pause fell. Sunny dared not utter a single syllable.
His eyes settled on Sunny's own.
["Still, that proved insufficient for you, did it? You chose this path, facing me directly — the Daemon of Destiny. I must inquire, Lost from Light. Are you a brazen simpleton? Or have you arrived bearing a definite conception?"]
Sunny offered no immediate response. A slight shift in his posture, a barely perceptible tensing. He watched the Daemon, gauging which truth might better serve him here. A brazen simpleton he was not. A man with a definite conception? Perhaps.
He unleashed his True Voice and enveloped himself in his own Will. Just as Nether was undeniable, he would not be denied either.
He spoke clearly, for he was a god as well.
"A definite conception, you say?" Sunny kept his voice level, though the effort cost him much. "Well, without a doubt, I do have one. I'm here because you are the Prince of the Underworld... and that means you're adept in controlling True Darkness."
He lingered a moment before speaking once more. "I have need of your knowledge."
Nether regarded him. Those twin eclipses studied Sunny with an intensity that made him feel like a specimen. After a moment, the Daemon tilted his head slightly.
["You want my knowledge?"]
Though really, Nether understood what that request truly meant. No Sacred, regardless of how exceptional, would descend into the bowels of the Underworld and stand before a Daemon simply because they wanted something. This one needed help.
["...What for?"]
Sunny raised his hand slowly. A mirthless smile tugged at his lips.
"Simple. Because I have absolutely no idea how to control my own."
In that same moment, True Darkness erupted from his palm. It spilled outward in jagged, uneven waves, refusing any structure he attempted to impose upon it. However, it was not an attack. Nether could feel that much. And yet the Daemon's eyes widened as that blackened essence flood over him, joining the darkness that already permeated the cathedral.
Even submerged in True Darkness as they both were, Sunny's addition could be felt. An abyss layered atop an abyss.
Nether's gaze traveled across the space before settling back on Sunny. Confusion flickered behind those infinite eyes.
["You are a Divine Shadow of Shadow God. How is it that..."]
He trailed off. Something seemed to click in his mind, prompting Sunny to smile.
"It's just as you're thinking. I stole Abaddon's power." He let that hang for a moment before adding, "Or rather... the true identity of that god was 'Entropy.'"
Nether fell silent. One pale finger rose to his chin, and he made a low humming sound as he contemplated. After a moment, he snapped two of his fingers.
["...'Assimilation' then. But how?"] The Daemon's voice held genuine curiosity now. ["I could perceive that you held an additional Aspect. An unprecedented feat on its own. But is this... a third?"]
'Oh, Nether... how great that would be!'
Sunny shook his head dejectedly.
"No. My Aspect was torn apart by Entropy's Disorder. Both of them, actually." He exhaled slowly. "It was only because my final Avatar was physically present within the Shadow Realm that it could be mended... and even that wasn't completely successful. As for my second Aspect, it was recreated using the abandoned essence drifting inside the Soul Sea of Entropy and Abaddon."
Nether nodded slowly.
["I see."]
A moment passed. Then the Daemon spoke again, his tone holding slight caution.
["Tell me, Sunless. If it is true that the authority of Assimilation was used on your second Aspect... then I see no possibility that your first remained unaffected."]
Sunny tilted his head.
"What are you talking about? I just told you my original Aspect was—"
He stopped.
His eyes widened.
No. That wouldn't be the case at all. Nether was right.
For a moment, Sunny's expression fell. He stood motionless, thoughts churning inside his head. The nature of holding two Aspects would never be simple. Just because his second had been assimilated using different affinities didn't mean his first would remain untouched by the consequences of splitting apart.
["Pay it no mind."] Nether's voice cut through his thoughts. ["It is simply a thought. No... a warning."] The Daemon's wings shifted, feathers rustling and causing minor winds to stir. ["You are a unique existence, the first to hold two Aspects. And yet, even with everything I know, I am uncertain if one can walk the path of ascension twice simultaneously. How you managed it, I cannot fathom. But do not think you will be able to repeat such a feat in the future"]
He paused. When he spoke again, his tone had shifted.
["But aside from that... this means you have encountered the True Abaddon. That Nephilim."] Those eclipsed eyes narrowed. ["Was he responsible for your current state?"]
Sunny nodded. He was surprised at how quickly Nether had pieced it together.
Nether looked down and fell silent. His expression betrayed nothing, those fathomless features unreadable as stone. Sunny studied him, searching for any hint of what churned behind that pale visage.
Nothing. He couldn't get a read on him at all.
Just what could the Daemon be thinking?
As Nether apparently fell too deep into his own thoughts, Sunny took the time to heed his warning.
And true to his word, his first Aspect was… well. The runes spoke for themselves.
Aspect: [???]
Aspect Rank: Divine
Innate Ability: [???]
Master: —
Truly, Sunny was astonished.
He had completely overlooked his own Aspect because he had grown used to the alterations of his existence. Changes kept happening one after another, and at some point, he simply stopped questioning them.
Never once had he seriously wondered what would happen if an Aspect was broken.
Could it even be repaired naturally?
His Second Aspect, which was once [Light Bringer], had been forced into assimilation with Entropy's affinities. That alone was already something that should not have been possible. However, just because his First Aspect had been repaired by the Shadow Realm did not mean it would return unchanged.
And clear as day, his Aspect [Shadow Slave] and innate ability were no longer the same.
Both were deemed undefinable by the Spell, just as the entirety of his Second Aspect's runes were. The Spell simply refused to define them.
That meant he would have to complete this Nightmare to see what they truly were.
Just as he had already assumed he would be forced to wait until his Appraisal to fully understand his Second Aspect, it appeared that his First Aspect would also be revised by the end of the Nightmare.
The rank was still Divine, and in that, he could find some comfort. Knowing that it had not dropped to Sacred relaxed him more than he expected.
Even more reassuring, his abilities seemed to be completely the same, down to the smallest detail. Everything he remembered being able to do, he could still do.
Well, aside from his Sacred ability, of course.
Surely he had one. He just had no way of confirming it.
It was pretty clear by now that anything obtained in this Nightmare would simply appear as undefined. Even more concerning was the fact that he had slaughtered dozens of Cursed abominations and had not received a single Memory. Because of that, he had no way of telling whether he had actually collected any.
A Sacred Memory or two would be nice right now.
Or even greater, a Divine one of the seventh tier from Entropy.
…But Sunny had a feeling he was not that lucky.
Still, one could hope.
And yet, Sunny was not foolish enough to rely on hope.
What he had in front of him was far greater than hope. A Daemon who held dominion over choices and had collected knowledge about True Darkness. There was hardly anyone more suited to help him than Nether.
And so, minutes passed in silence.
Across from him, Nether's eyes slowly passed over Sunny's unique form. Although Sunny's appearance was currently close to that of his Supreme self, he was slightly taller and far more refined in appearance, his features having changed subtly after surpassing Supremacy.
However, none of that was what Nether was focusing on.
It took some time for Sunny to figure out what had caught the Daemon's attention.
And by the time he did, Nether finally spoke.
The words that came out of his mouth genuinely surprised Sunny.
["I will assist you and give you all the knowledge I possess over True Darkness. However, I demand something in return,"] Nether said calmly.
'What?'
'That… huh?'
No. Sunny must have misheard.
Really?
Sunny blinked a few times, then made a few confused gestures before letting out a quiet sigh and looking at Nether again. By this time, Nether had already risen to his feet.
'But what could Nether want? What could he possibly want that I could give him?'
His only choice was to hear him out.
"And that is…?"
Nether did not answer immediately. His eyes seemed to drift as he slowly walked around the cathedral in steady strides, seemingly admiring the architecture.
Sunny knew he was doing anything but.
After all, this was Nether's inner dream.
However, based on his conversation with Hope, Sunny was also aware that the Daemons sealed within the Nightmare Spell were practically unconscious. Or to put it more simply, they had no real consciousness until the Nightmare began when Sunny challenged it.
In other words, until this Nightmare had started, the Daemons were barely aware of their own existence. And once this Nightmare ended, they would fall back into that state again unless they were somehow called upon.
Perhaps even by [Echo of the Stars], which originated from the original Sunless just like [Silver-Sky Weave] had.
Truly… those two attributes had barely logical origins.
One allowed him to store Soul Essence, something thought impossible for him as a Divine Shadow.
The other allowed him to call upon the countless constellations bound within the Nightmare Spell.
After all, the Nightmare Spell's structure was essentially the celestial equivalent of a neural network. Each of those celestial points were connected and woven together by the Spellweave. Every connection and node, every bound soul formed a vast network across the Spell.
And so, each of those points were Stars.
Stars that Sunny could call upon, if both he and his body could withstand the Desire of that Star.
It was truly a terrifying attribute when one thought about it carefully. Really, that power allowed him to draw strength directly from the Nightmare Spell and any soul bound within it. Not just Daemons or Gods, but any being that had ever, and had been saved into a Nightmare.
One could say that he could even call upon Daeron of the Twilight Sea, or Noctis the Beast of Twilight if he truly wished to.
Hell, he could even call upon the Mad Prince.
Truly, the power of that Sunless, the one Abaddon had called an Outer God, was something that even Sunny found difficult to fully comprehend.
'What type of monsters are the Outer Gods?'
Well, some Angels were among those existences. Even the Gods themselves, born from the Void at the beginning of all things, once existed in that state as well.
So the only conclusion that remained was this… Outer Gods were beings that existed beyond existence itself.
Yet even that phrasing felt imprecise. A clearer understanding formed as Sunny traced the idea further, turning it over in his mind.
Outer Gods were those who had stepped beyond the confines of the Dream Realm. They dwelled outside its law, untouched by the rules that shaped one world, or any world at all. Their existence did not rely on the logic that bound everything else together.
The Gods and Daemons still belonged to that logic. Even after everything, they remained tethered to the Flame of Desire, having long abandoned their origin within the Void. That tether defined them, gave them shape, and held them in place within the order of existence.
Outer Gods had no such tether. They had either never possessed one to begin with, or let go of it as the Original Sunless had.
They remained aligned with the Void, whether fully or in part. That connection placed them outside the logic that governed reality, leaving them unbound by the same principles that dictated life, time, death, and everything in between.
And so, the name began to make sense.
"Outer."
The word held a simple meaning. They existed outside the world.
Even so, that distance came with its own constraint. Just as the Gods required avatars to descend and act within the Dream Realm, Outer Gods could not simply enter it at will. Their nature placed them too far beyond it, forcing them to reach inward through vessels, incarnations, or influence rather than direct descent.
That separation was something that defined them as much as their power did.
And so, what Nether was interested in about Sunny might not have been just one thing. But it was, in a sense, something that could be called outer.
His Mythril Shell.
It had been born after Sunny achieved Sacred, but that was where the problem began. Sunny's apotheosis had not happened through natural means. It had not even happened through unnatural means. It had happened through something that should have been impossible in the first place.
Sunny had not achieved Apotheosis in this cycle of Regression, but many cycles before this one.
And during those cycles, many things had happened to him. More than once, he had been corrupted by Entropy's influence. Each time he died, Regression cleansed him and reset his existence, but that did not mean everything returned to as it had before. The process had repeated again and again across countless cycles, and each time, something must have remained.
In the end, just as Sunny himself had become a Tainted Sacred, his shell had also become tainted.
Jade Shell was never meant to become Mythril Shell.
And since the shell was originally Nether's creation, the Daemon's interest made perfect sense.
Sunny slowly came to that conclusion and allowed himself a small smile. If Nether was so interested in his Mythril Shell, something that arguably should not exist at all, then he had no reason to hide it.
So he spoke calmly.
"You are interested in my Shell, are you not?"
Nether made a quiet sound of agreement before speaking.
["Indeed. That armor… tell me. How did you come to acquire it, and how did you bring it to such an unnatural state?"]
Sunny glanced at the Mythril mantle covering his body for a moment. He raised his head, meeting Nether's gaze while the Daemon walked across the cathedral.
"It's from the Forgotten Shores, if I'm not mistaken."
"As for its current state? That's all thanks to a rather nasty encounter with an overly disgusting God."
Nether tilted his head, a silent query for elaboration.
"I'm not entirely sure what it would have become had I managed a proper, natural Apotheosis. But the sheer repetition... dying and returning, again and again... it profoundly affected my power."
"My shell, like me, has been through a few cycles of rebirth. It accumulated a bit of corruption in the process."
A bitter smile touched his lips.
"You could call it a... unique tempering."
He ceased speaking, allowing Nether time for contemplation. In mere seconds, the Daemon appeared to finalize his decision.
["I see, then. Well, I offer you this, Sunless."]
Sunny perked up, an eyebrow arching.
Nether brought up a single hand, and within it swirled the opulent life of True Darkness. The sheer mastery he exhibited was profound, eclipsing Sunny's nascent control entirely. Nether seemed capable of weaving intricate forms, shaping the blood of a void being with effortless grace.
Then it vanished as he raised his hand in Sunny's direction, his palm spread outward.
["This is my accord as Prince of the Underworld. What I require from you is nothing more than the chance to peer into my work. I wish to see what has become of my Weave. And in turn, you wish to learn how to control this blood of the void."]
Nether paused.
["And so, I will teach you all I know. And in turn, I will see all I wish to know from your shell. Nothing more. Nothing less."]
Nether's wings seemed to spread out further, his black feathers changing the very space of the cathedral into something new. The room assumed an even vaster, more boundless quality, an extension of the Daemon's will.
Sunny stood there, enveloped by Nether's absolute presence. He smiled, then a low chuckle escaped him, echoing low in the cavernous space.
"Alright then, Nether. Let's not squander time, shall we?"
Sunny's hand rose.
"Unlike your divine beings, I don't intend to fritter away the next thousand years immersed in a Dream."
Sunny closed his palm, feeling the nascent darkness churn within.
"I have a world awaiting my return. I cannot re-enter it if I am... well, rendered inutile by my own power. Without Hope's intervention, I would not be here. So let's expedite this, Daemon."
Nether began to slowly walk toward Sunny.
["I see. Then we will start forthwith."]
—
During one of Sunny's many days spent mastering True Darkness—an endeavor to emulate Nether's own—he finally grasped its core.
It had required time, given Nether's description. Revel might have termed it an elemental force, pure darkness. However, Nether's portrayal elevated it beyond such confines.
Sunny knew True Darkness for what it was: the very blood of a Void Being. A creature far surpassing an Unholy-Being, even a Titan. True Darkness was the lifeblood of a God. Its age remained uncertain; perhaps younger than the Seven Gods, or older still. It existed before time, before any of the world's governing logics Sunny had known.
Nether had described it as teeming with life. For if True Darkness was blood, it held a singular form of vitality, disparate from the life the world had come to know. It was, make no mistake, life.
Through this understanding, he realized how Entropy had imposed its Disorder upon him. Entropy's unique vitality had infiltrated Sunny's own, initiating his decline, his eventual rapid dissolution into peaceful oblivion.
This was the very process Sunny now sought to replicate. He wielded Entropy's power. During his recent clash with the Profaned God, he had already projected his own Will of Disorder through Shadow Dance.
But his current endeavor differed fundamentally from Shadow Dance. He aimed to manifest the true essence of Disorder, not a mere copied Will, by manipulating True Darkness itself. This undertaking proved far more arduous.
Sunny wished to perfectly mirror Nether's mastery. He anticipated years of practice. As a Sacred, he possessed millennias of life. Yet, with his adaptability, he doubted the cultivation would stretch beyond a year or two. This elemental power, this blood of a Void Being, demanded his full attention.
He required every fragment of strength attainable. One might assume a single being could possess excessive power, but such was fiction. In the perilous landscapes of the Dream Realm, no one, not even a Divine, could ever amass too great a might.
Were not the Divine dead, after all?
Sunny asked Nether to demonstrate the control once more. He also inquired about the Daemon's progress in analyzing his Mythril Shell.
Nether responded calmly. Sunny's Shell was astounding. It evoked a peculiar sensation for Nether, the potential to replicate or even enhance his creation. He had not conceived that even in death, a chance to create would arise.
As for his demonstration, Nether assented.
Nether's pale form glided past Sunny, bending True Darkness to his will with an effortless command Sunny yearned to possess.
Nether raised a hand, then clenched it. The gesture was simple, the resultant phenomenon far from it.
A mere second elapsed. The Darkness—or rather, the torrents of life Sunny could perceive, intricate patterns woven in the ethereal air—coalesced into a new conceptual weapon. This time, as on a previous occasion, it formed a defense Sunny aspired to reproduce.
Before him, seven rings materialized, encircling a single point before Nether's palm. They unfurled like a blooming flower, transforming into a grand shield, nearly impregnable.
With another gesture from Nether, the torrents transformed into countless nails, capable of piercing even an Unholy-Being's hide with ridiculous ease. So numerous were they, Sunny could count over a million. Had Nether bypassed the Nightmare Spell's chains and unleashed this upon him… Sunny would have no means of evasion. Even if he shifted into a Shadow, the attack would pierce it, tearing his soul.
Nether began speaking again, turning toward Sunny.
He observed that Sunny's application of True Darkness had progressed commendably over the months. However, Sunny's difficulty in replicating Nether's control stemmed from no personal failing. Even without an innate affinity for Darkness, Nether, as a Daemon, wielded it through Sorcery—just as Mirage once crafted Mirrors from nothingness via Sorcery. Sunny's existence approached their own, yet his affinity meant direct replication was challenging, though not impossible.
Nether added that given Sunny's status as a Divine Shadow, capable of mimicking the Wills of others to such an extent, mastery would not elude him long.
However, the core difficulty derived from Sunny's inherent attempt to mimic Nether himself.
Sunny turned his gaze to Nether, a questioning expression on his face.
"You want me to… not use Shadow Dance?"
Nether nodded, his gaze shifting to his own palm, where he continued to shape numerous forms of life from the Darkness.
["True Darkness is an alien blood, yet blood it remains. You may replicate my application, but the blood you command must be your own. As you cannot transform into me, the Daemon of Destiny, you must cultivate this power in your own unique state."]
["Henceforth, cease striving to become a formless shadow, to copy me. Remain utterly yourself. Even if your true form is that of a Shadow, cultivate in your current, familiar physical manifestation. You intend to apply these abilities upon your Regression, do you not?"]
Sunny nodded.
"As I've told you before, my Regression should restore my original body, that of a Sleeper. My Sacred Aspect's true abilities are uncertain. I've become one with it, making it difficult to discern my Dormant, Awakened, Ascended, even Transcendent powers."
"However, if I can master this, then even if my other abilities prove surprising, I'll have a much easier time applying them with my other affinities."
Nether nodded.
["Well, then, do as I've instructed. You possess a familiarity with shadowing others, but this endeavor demands pure self-reliance. I have imparted all theoretical knowledge I can. I can still demonstrate the myriad creations this Darkness can yield, but..."]
"The rest is up to me." Sunny finished for him.
Nether nodded. His gaze became distant.
He spoke calmly.
["I grow quite close to replicating that Shell of yours. I perceive avenues for its enhancement. Therefore, before you depart from this Dream — whenever that might be — I request you allow me to alter that Shell."]
Sunny turned his gaze to Nether, a questioning look in his eyes.
Nether concluded, ["Perhaps then, when you eventually return to your world and conclude this Nightmare, my efforts — the proof of our time — will... carry onward. You mentioned awakening in a region known as the Forgotten Shores, did you not? As a... 'Sleeper', as your kind terms it, facing those Abominations ranging from Awakened, Fallen, to even Corrupted ranks... it is a wonder your shore has endured."]
Sunny nodded.
—
Sunny's mind registered an unusual sensation.
'What an odd feeling...'
He understood Nether's implications, yet a Daemon's desire to enhance his survival felt peculiar. Nether, without explicit statement, wished to modify Sunny's Shell out of a desire for his continued existence.
Like Ariel and Hope, their youngest sibling, Nether, appeared intent on transmitting something to the world Sunny would re-enter upon the Nightmare's conclusion. After all, the Nightmare's end would herald their return to endless slumber.
Perhaps, never to stir again.
"Believe me, Nether, we of the Forgotten Shore are nothing if not resilient. And I," Sunny tapped his chest with a flourish, "am the most resilient of them all! A cockroach like me wouldn't die so easily."
Nether blinked a few times, then averted his gaze.
["What an odd thing... to hear a Spirit call themselves a roach..."]
Sunny chuckled, then resumed his practice of True Darkness applications.
—
Sunny sat on the cool stone floor, observing Nether, who meticulously wove intricate patterns of True Darkness through the air. The Daemon's movements were fluid, effortless, reshaping the void blood into delicate filigrees that glowed with an inner, terrible light. Nether's focus was absolute, his gaze intent on the task at hand, occasionally sweeping over Sunny's Mythril Shell with an almost possessive curiosity.
'It is an odd feeling, being scrutinized so thoroughly. Though I can't even blame Nether. My Shell is his creation.'
"Nether," Sunny said, breaking the silence. "The Stone Saints of the Underworld… they bear a striking resemblance to the Storm God." He paused, watching the Daemon's pale fingers hesitate in their intricate dance. "Was that truly what Nokstella looked like?"
Nether's hands stilled for a fraction of a second. The living currents of True Darkness he had been shaping held their form, frozen in mid-air, a testament to his absolute command. Then, with a subtle shift of his shoulders, he resumed his work, though a melancholic air now clung to his ethereal form.
["Nokstella…"] he said, the name a soft, wistful murmur in the vast chamber.
["She was… unique among the Gods. My only friend, in those distant, solitary ages devoid of mortal warmth."]
He continued to weave the patterns, his eyes distant, fixed on a memory only he could perceive.
["Even after the Flame gave birth to the Daemons, she was… different. A force of untamed beauty, a song that tore through my isolation. I sculpted the Stone Saints in her image, yes. Each facet, each curve, an attempt to capture an echo of her boundless grace."]
His gaze dropped to Sunny's shell, a faint, almost imperceptible twitch at the corner of his lips. ["It was… an obsession, I suppose. A flaw, perhaps, for the Daemon of Destiny to cling so fiercely to a single, unyielding thread."]
'An obsession?'
'The Demon of choice, bound by such a human failing? I know he is beyond me, his nature defined by principles I have yet to name. But still…'
To hear him speak of a flaw, a deep-seated craving… it was a revelation.
Nether shook his head, a feather in his wing rustling with a sigh that seemed to resound through the very cathedral. ["No. Not a flaw, not truly. Rather, something I could never let go of. The irony, I concede, is not lost on me. To command destiny, yet to be ensnared by a yearning for the immutable past."]
His movements became more deliberate, intricate forms blooming and fading from the darkness he manipulated.
["In the aftermath of… our parting, the madness clawed at me. I retreated into the depths of this Underworld, attempting to manifest life and sculpt existence into a form that might… understand. Or perhaps, simply to remember me."]
["That period faded. All that remains are the Stone Saints, echoes of a time and a being I could never forget. All that remains is the proof of a… broken heart."]
Sunny understood then. The unyielding determination in his eyes, the subtle wistfulness that underscored his calm demeanor. The Seven Stone Saints, guardians of his desolate domain, were not mere constructs. They were monuments to a profound, divine grief, an immortal's longing, etched in the likeness of the one he cherished. His longing, not truly so different from Sunny's own, whispered through the ages.
'Though… he didn't answer my question.'
—
Months, perhaps even years, elapsed. Nether finally brought his alteration to completion.
His Mythril Shell, while retaining its fundamental form, had undergone a profound refinement.
If the Shell previously merited the Sacred Rank, it now approached that of Divine status. Its enchantments were so exquisitely refined that, upon Sunny's examination of its Weave, it defied conventional reason.
Yet, this outcome also held a certain logic. Years had vanished within this Dream, and as divine beings, they perceived the passage of time differently. Furthermore, Nether embodied a True Daemon, mind and soul, while Sunny's body now merely mirrored such an entity.
Truly, these years proved fruitful. Sunny had mastered True Darkness, adept at crafting conceptual weapons from its torrents of rich life. Though his control did not rival Nether's, his own proficiency was unsettling.
Moreover, he had learned to impose Entropy through his True Darkness. A more formidable Sacred-Titan than Sunny would be hard to conceive.
And so, he had reached Nether, fulfilling his needs. Unlike the other Daemons, Sunny sought nothing from Nether but his teachings. No blessing, no power, merely knowledge.
Yet, through his now-altered Shell, Sunny had acquired a fragment of Nether's power.
He now held Ariel's Blessing, Hope's Blessing, Shadow God's Blessing, and Sun God's Blessing.
And now Nether's Blessing, etched upon his Mythril Shell.
Sunny sat directly before Nether in the cathedral once more. Having decided to cook for the Daemon, for this was his final day in this Dream, they shared a meal.
Nether's expressions proved quite entertaining.
Nether accepted a golden-brown waffle from Sunny, his eyes widening. He took a cautious bite, chewing slowly.
["This... this texture is... intricate. And the sweetness, quite... perplexing."] He picked up a small cake, inspecting it before a delicate taste.
["This, too, possesses a... singular quality. A pleasant disruption to my senses, yet its purpose... eludes me."]
Sunny chuckled.
Nether sampled every offering from Sunny's culinary palette, even providing nuanced suggestions for enhancement. The Daemon's discerning taste buds proved remarkably useful in this regard.
After finishing his meal, Nether spoke calmly.
["Tell me, Sunny, which of my siblings will you find next? You bear the Marks of Ariel and Hope, thus I must be the third Daemon you have visited."]
Sunny confirmed this with a nod.
"Mirage is next. I already know where to find her."
Nether nodded calmly.
["Be warned, however. As all Daemons in this Nightmare exist in a state of forgetfulness, Mirage will... likely have forsaken many of the shapes she once embodied. In such a circumstance... you might face a trial akin to Omer of the Nine."]
Sunny's eyes widened.
'Oh? That could be useful.'
Sunny thought for a moment.
"You believe Mirage will test my creativity, then? Given the outlandish things I've uttered over the years, I suppose you might find my mind... wonderous. Unique. And, probably, a bit dirty too!"
Though Sunny's own eye seemed to twitch.
'I did not wish to give off such an impression…'
["That may aid you with Mirage, regardless."] Nether's expression remained impassive. ["What do you intend to gain from Mirage? Perhaps control of your affinity to Nothingness?"]
["I am regretful I could not aid you in that, but Nothingness was a concept I entirely avoided. Mirage, however, will be able to assist you."]
"That is true. Now that I recall, Mirage used Sorcery to create mirrors to trap the 'others.'" Sunny paused. "So that may be why I was instructed to find Mirage after you."
Sunny's expression turned somewhat amused, prompting Nether to raise an eyebrow.
["What is it?"]
Sunny chuckled nervously.
"This may be why Abaddon told me to find you and Mirage before... Repose."
Nether remained silent for a moment before a soft utterance.
["Ah."]
["Abaddon was wise, then. It would be prudent for you to master your two alien affinities before encountering Repose. Even I would suggest it."]
Nether continued.
["We may have discussed it during our time together, but understand this: Repose will most likely assail you on contact. While it would be a marvel if Repose had been observing you, I doubt it. Thus, the moment you attempt to enter her Dream, she will repel you."]
Sunny finally asked.
"How would she do such a thing, though? All of you bound to the Nightmare Spell are unable to attack me, or anyone in particular."
Nether raised an eyebrow.
["Do you recall the construct you once called 'Nightgarden?' That Great Citadel?"]
Sunny nodded…
…Then he went deathly pale.
"Oh."
["'Oh' indeed, Sunny."]
Nether explained.
["Although it might not seem important, Rime's 'Fable' is nearly unified with the Nightgarden. Even crafted from a piece of Heart God, Rime's narrative has inundated it. Thus, through her story with the Nightgarden, she will unleash that creation's full power against you."]
Sunny raised a brow.
"So I will be battling the Great Citadel itself?"
Nether shook his head, offering a caveat.
["The Nightgarden is most likely in a state of slumber. As it is what you described as a great moving Citadel, in this Nightmare, she may be capable of awakening it completely. If I am accurate..."]
Nether fell silent for a moment, making Sunny's anticipation mount.
He continued.
["It may prove to be a Divine-Beast."]
Sunny's eyes widened. He internally cursed for making a jest in the past about Repose unleashing a Divine-Beast. A mere joke! And Fate, the cynical bastard, had deemed it true.
He sighed. A Sacred-Titan battling a Divine-Beast remained within his capacities.
"That is something I am capable of tackling."
Nether nodded. He had observed Sunny closely. His strength, truly, knew no bounds. He offered a tactical insight.
["Your best chance for victory lies in unleashing your Darkness after limiting what the Nightgarden can accomplish. You can restrict its rejuvenation, allowing you to strike it down. You are more than capable of inflicting Soul Damage, and, as you now know, the Nightgarden possesses a soul."]
Sunny nodded.
And then… his expression grew somber.
"Well then. I guess this is goodbye."
Sunny grew silent.
He felt Nether's feather lightly touch his head, prompting him to look up.
Nether smiled and shook his head.
["Do not be sad, Sunny. I had a splendid time with you. Your company was indeed one of the best I've experienced, even across my span of living. This opportunity to speak to you, even in death, was a joy." ]
["I only hope that you accomplish what you came to this Nightmare to do."]
Nether turned his gaze upward toward the Darkness before speaking, recalling memories.
["It… is vexing."]
["We Daemons, aside from Hope, lived in isolation. Throughout our long lives, we forged connections with few. I attempted to contravene the gods' decree, to create anew. And, in a sense, one could say I succeeded. Ariel once attempted something similar. Rime created the Nightgarden, imbuing it with consciousness through its narrative, drawn from Heart God." ]
["Hope conversed with humans until she was eventually worshiped, only to be sealed and brought down by Sun God. And Mirage experienced a thousand worlds, unable to conceive of any herself."]
He looked at Sunny with a genuine smile.
["Do you see, Sunny? Each of us, perhaps excluding my eldest sibling, Weaver, sought to experience 'humanity' in some measure. As you have ascended to the status of a God, we Daemons once aspired to descend — to embrace your human state. All of you, who truly understand and savor things beyond our grasp."]
Nether raised a hand slowly. Sunny realized that the moment he took Nether's hand, this Dream would end.
Nether continued.
["Perhaps this is why only you, once human—and still fundamentally human, having merely adopted the mantle of a God—can conceive and create wonders beyond our imagination." ]
["It is why I… believe in you. Not just to transcend this Nightmare, but to eventually confront the Forgotten God. The Daemon of Possibility — your original self — must have reached the end of all things if this Nightmare was thus conceived. Thus, in this dream's creation, he has entrusted this task to you, and to those of your era."]
Sunny's expression grew distant. He slowly raised his hands.
'Could only humans conceive such concepts? Was that a true limitation of a God? To remain blind to the very ideas that mortals birthed?'
Did every God lack this?
'Perhaps… it just may be.'
And yet… his time with Nether. Had he sparked something in the Daemon? A desire to alter his own work? To grasp Sunny's era, to know the changed world?
Nether had learned all this from him. Slowly, subtly, the Daemon had begun to change.
'Was that the impact I had on him? An impact no other human, not even in the age of gods, achieved?'
Sunny smiled. It was a nice thought.
'Perhaps my my coming time with Mirage will put this to the test..'
Finally, lifting his hand to Nether, he clasped it. He felt the dream fade. Unlike with Hope and Ariel, where he had merely deactivated the [Dreamwalker] attribute, this Dream was forcefully ending.
"Farewell, Nether. Thank you for the lessons... and for trying my waffles!" Sunny's voice echoed one last time.
The dream faded away, and he found himself in the darkness of the Underworld once more.
Alone…
—
From that moment, Sunny swiftly departed the Underworld. Using a Dreamgate to traverse space, he immediately entered Bastion.
Bastion, once a formidable citadel of the Great Clans, built into the side of a colossal mountain and fortified with every known defense, now presented a desolate scene. Its once vibrant markets lay silent, its training grounds empty, its grand halls echoing only with the wind. The vast city structures that had once bustled with life now stood as hollow monuments to forgotten glory. A profound quiet permeated the entire place, testifying to its abandonment, a husk of its former self in the desolate Labyrinth.
Sunny, his desire recently restored, keenly felt the loss of all human life within it. He bore to gaze upon it for only a short time. With great haste, he descended beneath Bastion, heading directly for the Palace of Imagination.
—
He stood before the now… broken Great Mirror.
The Great Mirror, once one of Mirage's greatest creations, a colossal surface of reflective essence that served as the entrance to the Kingdom of Imagination. Within its depths, entire worlds could be seen, reflections of countless tales and dreams. It was a gateway to boundless realms, each a testament to the raw power of unbridled fancy. Now, however, the glass was fractured. Cracks spiderwebbed across its surface. The vibrant images once shimmering within it were dulled, obscured, like memories struggling to form.
Remembering his time in the Kingdom of Imagination, a place of boundless creativity where fantasies took tangible form and the impossible became ordinary, Sunny closed his eyes and breathed in.
"Come to me, Demon of Imagination!"
And the next moment—
[Sacred-Titan 'Lost from Light' has activated 'Dreamwalker.']
Sunny's physical body vanished from the point he was standing on.
Falling further and further into the endless dream of imagination.
—
In mere moments, Sunny was in another space entirely. And yet the only thing he could see was thousands of himself.
He was looking at himself.
'No.'
"Mirage."
Floating in an endless space of mirrors, there was no ground or sky to speak of. Every direction held a mirror. Every perception he experienced comprised only mirrors.
Yet he knew—
Mirage was all around him.
Slowly, a voice began to call out to him.
[The 'Demon of Imagination' is looking at you.]
[The 'Demon of Imagination' is…]
The Spell ceased speaking. That alone conveyed Mirage's profound confusion.
It took some time, but Mirage finally found her voice.
["What…"] She broke off. ["No. Who… are… you...?"]
He could not perceive from where Mirage looked at him. The countless mirrors reflecting him stood perfectly still. Regardless of his movements, they remained static, like statues. They tilted their heads, speaking in unison with his own voice, questioning him.
Sunny answered before Mirage could formulate a guess.
"I am Lost from Light. The Heir to Peace and Fate. A spirit with a wish to show you my imagination."
"I hold more dreams than a sleeping world, and more nightmares than I could convey with words! I've seen things you beyond your wildest imagination, walked paths from eras long after yours, and survived too many finales to count!"
"Oh, and for the record, my sense of humor is far more developed than most deities. You're going to love it."
["…Imagination! Oh oh!"] Mirage's voice, a chorus from the mirrors, pulsed with sudden excitement, breaking its former static quality.
'Curses. To think the Nightmare Spell's constraints would affect her this much.'
Realizing that Mirage was so far gone, Sunny kept up the act.
"Yes, imagination! How many will you be able to conjure, I wonder. Will I bore you, or not?"
["Y-You can't! But... but... my grand illusions are... gone now? Will you... help me create more?"] Mirage's voice, though still thousandfold, held a fragile desperation.
Sunny nodded.
"Of course! My imagination is as grand as my shadow. Perhaps it is not endless, but I assure you, Mirage, my imagination will be more than enough to endure your Desire to see more."
Mirage floated closer, clearly excited, yet still tinged with confusion. Sunny breathed in, preparing for the countless illusions he would have to conjure. He would gain Mirage's help, and remind her who she was, and meant to be.
He touched the mirror.
And fell into the first world he imagined, Mirage at his side.