Chapter 461: Welcome Home
The heavy lid of the metal sarcophagus opened, letting out bluish light and wisps of cold mist. Soon, a pale hand emerged from inside.
Jumping out of the sleeping pod, Sunny landed on the floor, felt the ceramic texture of the armored plates beneath his bare feet, and let out a low, satisfied sigh.
'I'm back, finally!'
It was so nice to return to the real world.
After meeting the cohort of the Sanctuary Awakened on the Iron Hand Island, he traveled back to the Citadel with them. Some were curious about where he had been for more than a month, but most weren't even aware that Sunny had gone missing. He used the full scope of his formidable ability to bend the truth ever which way, and left them with the impression that his recent expedition had been long, but not very exciting.
…They did continue to give him strange looks the whole way back, though. For some reason.
But Sunny wasn't too bothered by that.
After entering the Sanctuary, he went straight for the altar. Since it was the middle of the day and the moon was hidden behind the horizon, he couldn't use the coins immediately. So, instead, he simply touched the altar and left the Dream Realm.
'Home, I'm finally home…'
Even though Sunny had not spent a lot of time in his new house, the feeling of safety both its walls and the real world gave him was extremely comforting. Miraculously, even though he had been gone for many weeks, his body felt completely fine. It was as though he had only slept for a night.
"That's the magic of technology!"
Glancing at the extravagantly expensive sleeping pod, Sunny decided that he had spent his money well, and headed for the exit out of the basement while whistling a cheerful tune.
Then, however, he froze.
'What the hell…'
Something was not right.
First of all, he had never used the lighting in the underground dojo. But now, it was turned on, drowning everything with bright light.
Secondly, the armored doors of the lift leading up were violently torn open. It was as though a massive Nightmare Creature had broken through the defense systems of the house and ripped them apart, bending the adamantine alloy like it was wax.
'Crap!'
Sunny jumped back and summoned the Cruel Sight.
What could have come here? Did a Gate open nearby?
Full of tension and grim determination, he used the stairwell to climb to the ground floor and cautiously entered his living room.
The first thing he saw there were…
Dirty… dishes? Lots and lots of dirty dishes...
The second thing he saw were two hazel eyes staring at him with scathing accusation.
'Have I gone really… really crazy?'
Somehow, Effie was in his living room, sitting in her wheelchair with a bowl of steaming cup noodles in one hand and chopsticks in the other. There was a very disgruntled expression on her face.
'What the hell is she doing here? What's going on?!'
Staring at Sunny, Effie swallowed a mouthful of noodles, and then said in a dark tone:
"You're back. Way to make your friends worry, asshole…"
***
As it turned, back when Sunny had been falling into the Sky Below and thinking about how no one would miss him… he was very, very wrong.
In fact, the opposite had happened.
About two weeks after he stopped answering their messages, both Effie and Kai got worried. Effie went to the Academy to check on him, and that was when they learned that Sunny moved out of the dormitory.
"Bastard! You could have told us that you bought yourself a house, you know? You owe me a housewarming party!"
Sunny blinked.
'A what party? Is there really such a thing or is she pulling my finger?'
Not knowing where to find him, Kai used his connections to learn Sunny's new address. Since he was limited in where he could go without drawing the attention of the press, Effie went instead. And when she found the basement locked… well…
"My… my armored doors! It was you, you broke them!"
She sneered.
"What are you crying about? Those "armored" doors of yours were pathetically easy to break, anyway. Buy yourself better ones! Anyway, I thought that I was going to find your corpse in the sleeping pod. Do you even know how that made me feel?"
A heavy expression appeared on her face.
"That would have been a… a real tragedy…"
Sunny sighed.
'Well. At least she cares.'
"...I mean, just think about it, all those amazing Memories you hoard, gone just like that! If you're going to die, at least give them to me before you do!"
'...Spoke too soon.'
After making sure that his life signs were stable inside the sleeping pod, Effie stayed to keep a watch on him, while both she and Kai tried to find out where Sunny was. Apparently, they went as far as contacting the representatives of the White Feather clan.
"You didn't!"
Sunny grabbed his head, realizing that he had a lot of explaining to do once he was back in the Sanctuary. A cohort of random Awakened was one thing, but if Saint Tyris herself was aware of his disappearance, things were going to get much harder for him.
Effie snorted.
"Of course we did! We also contacted Cassie and her Fire Keepers, since they have a cohort in that remote hellhole you are anchored at. But even she didn't know where the hell you have disappeared to!"
'Curses!'
They even brought Cassie into it…
Sunny groaned.
"But why… why would you do all this?"
Effie gave him a long look, then shook her head dejectedly.
"Doofus… can you stop being such a doofus?"
He stared at her in bewilderment.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
She shook her head again and activated her communicator.
"Ponder on it! And while you're at it, be quiet for a few minutes. I need to call Kai and tell him that you have turned up. Poor guy must have flown halfway to the Chained Isles by now."
Sunny eyes grew wide.
"F—flown… what?!"
Effie gave him a pitying look.
Then, she said:
"...What part of be quiet did you not understand?"
Chapter 462: An Epic Quest
After Effie gave Kai a call and let him know that Sunny was alive and back in the real world, they spent a minute in awkward silence.
Sunny looked around, taking in the sight of his once pristine and orderly living room. Now, there were dirty dishes everywhere, as well as empty packets of take-out food… at least he thought that that was what they were, since he had never actually bought one before.
Effie was such a slob!
There were even several pieces of clothing thrown into a corner!
Speaking of clothing…
'Crap!'
"By the way, Sunny… when did you get this badass tattoo? A big, long snake no less! Makes a girl wonder…"
He sighed heavily, cursing the fact that he had not adjusted the Puppeteer's Shroud after summoning it back in the basement. There were no burns on his skin now, after all.
"...It's not really a tattoo. It's a magical serpent that helps me control and regenerate essence faster. Don't ask why it manifests as a tattoo, because I have no idea, really."
He hesitated for a bit, then asked:
"So you've been just living here for these past few weeks?"
Effie shrugged.
"Sure. Someone had to monitor your vital signs. Plus, my family… well, they deserved a break after taking care of my comatose body for four years, and everything before that. So I bought a very nice place for us, and then, sort of… moved out."
Then, an animated expression appeared on her face:
"Don't worry, though! The stuff you keep in your bedroom remained a secret. I can't even go up the stairs, remember?"
Sunny stared at her in outrage.
"What stuff?! There's no stuff! I don't even use the bedroom! I can't really sleep, can I?!"
Effie laughed.
"...Right. Makes sense... that you are not doing it on the bed kind of guy. Oh, yeah! What happened to your fridge?"
He glared, then looked away in embarrassment.
"Ah, that… I sort of broke it. By accident."
Then, a sudden smile appeared on his face.
"...Wanna go buy a new one?"
***
Since Kai wanted to meet, Sunny and Effie decided to visit an elite shopping center in the center of the city, and then wait for him in a posh restaurant nearby. The former huntress also told Sunny that she would hold off on asking questions about his unexpected adventure until all three of them were together, so that he didn't have to repeat everything twice.
Which suited him fine, since he needed time to decide what he wanted to tell his friends, and what would be better kept to himself.
There was so much he needed to think about, and do… the journey into the Sky Below had not only disrupted his plans in the real world, but also added new things to his agenda. From training to wield a spear better to setting up a shop to sell the soul shards he had brought back with the help of the Covetous Coffer, there were just too many opportunities in front of him.
He also had to decide what to do about Rain. And continue practicing Shadow Dance in the Dreamscape... everyone had forgotten about Mongrel by now, surely. No doubt about it.
'Adult life is hard…'
They reached the shopping center with the help of a passenger PTV, which seemed a bit too luxurious to Sunny, but was a necessity, considering that it would have been hard for Effie to move around in public transport.
Not only because of her disability, but also because she was somewhat of a celebrity.
He had noticed at least three propaganda posters depicting her — the way she looked in the Dream Realm, to be exact — on buildings as the PTV drove toward the heart of the city. Even he had to agree that Effie looked… impressive. Like a beautiful goddess of war that knew no fear or would never surrender to anything, not even the hopeless darkness of the Forgotten Shore.
Triumph and perseverance… that was what people needed to see, considering how hard and dire life in the real world could seem sometimes. Even if it was just a sweet, benevolent lie.
It gave them hope, at least.
A hope gave them strength.
...Noticing his gaze, Effie grinned.
"Looking good, am I?"
He had no choice but to tell the truth:
"...Yeah."
She giggled.
"Do you remember how Scar and Park came up with a story to make me seem like some kind of a folk hero in the outer settlement, back when Gunlaug's people were searching for me? Well, the government ran wild with it, as you can see. Plus the fact that I was in charge of the first line during the siege… they made me into a poster girl for the young generation of the Awakened. Right after Nephis, of course."
Her face suddenly grew dark and solemn. After a long pause, Effie added:
"...It's a shame that neither of them lived long enough to see their stupid story become a worldwide hit. Park would have been so full of himself now, if he did. I can just about hear him boast."
And that was the bitter truth that people didn't get to see. The terrible price of the triumph they celebrated was known only to those who had gone through it, and somehow emerged alive on the other side.
The two of them spent some relaxing time in the shopping center, Effie resting in her wheelchair, Sunny pushing it from behind. From time to time, someone recognized her as the famous Raised by Wolves, and politely expressed their respect and admiration. He, on the other hand, seemed almost invisible.
Sunny didn't mind. It was better that way, really.
Being invisible suited a shadow very well.
More importantly, the act of buying a stupid refrigerator filled him with pure delight — he had been fantasizing about it for so long in the Sky Below, after all. In a sense, this whole thing had just been a giant obstacle on his epic quest to buy a fridge. And now, after overcoming countless dangers and hardships, that deadly quest was over!
Sunny worked out the details about the delivery, and soon, it was time to meet up with Kai.
He had never been to a posh restaurant before, but it seemed as though his outer appearance was decent enough to not look out of place — the mundane clothes he wore had been chosen with the help of the charming fashion icon himself, after all. Or maybe it was Effie's presence that made everyone there extra polite and a little bit reverent.
They entered a tastefully decorated space and saw a tall individual in a black cap and an ordinary face mask standing nearby. The weirdo was wearing sunglasses inside.
Before Sunny could understand what was happening, the masked individual quickly approached and gave him a big hug.
'Uh… does he really think that his disguise is fooling anyone? And why is he always trying to hug me?!'
Of course, it was Kai.
No amount of masks and sunglasses could hide the glamorous aura of the enchanting Nightingale.
It only made him stand out even more.
Sunny sighed.
'That dashing bastard…'
Chapter 463
The three of them sat down and were presented with old-fashioned, paper menus to make their choice from. Sunny stared at the word "steak" for a bit, then shuddered and shifted his gaze to the salad section.
A few minutes later, a waiter approached to take their order. Effie spoke:
"I guess… three portions of bibimbap, three portions of samgyeopsal, three bowls of jjajangmyeon, and three portions of tteokbokki."
Then, she turned to them, smiled innocently, and asked:
"...Oh, and what about you, guys? What are you going to order?"
Sunny almost choked on the water he was drinking from a beautiful crystal glass.
The waiter, though, somehow managed to keep a straight face.
'What a professional…'
...Since they were seated in a private booth, Kai finally took off his cap and sunglasses, then smiled brilliantly. His voice sounded so sincere that it irked Sunny... a little.
"It's so nice to see you, Sunny. Effie and I were really worried!"
Sunny cleared his throat.
"That's, uh… thanks. I guess. I sort of… assumed that you wouldn't notice that I was gone."
Effie sighed.
"I am starting to wish that I didn't, you idiot! Anyway… what the hell happened? Why were you gone for an entire month?"
He hesitated, then said:
"Do you want to hear the long version, or the short version?"
Kai gave him a curious look:
"Let's start with the short version, I think?"
Sunny scratched the back of his head.
"Alright. Well, in that case… it basically just wanted to find clues about a hidden treasure, but ended up almost being eaten by a treasure chest, falling into a bottomless abyss on top of a devil's corpse, and being burned by divine flames. Luckily, there is this voice I can hear in my head sometimes, and it helped me to only get burned a little."
Effie tilted her head and gave him a strange look. Kai's smile paled a little.
Sunny took a sip of water and continued in a carefree tone:
"Anyway, deep in the void, I found a black tower. There were some broken dolls and a rotting severed arm inside, which I… uh… ate, sort of. From the black tower in the abyss, I went to a white tower in the skies, and then rode back to the ground on a dragon's tail. That's basically it. Oh, and before all that, I kind of killed myself, I guess. Got a very nice Memory out of it, too!"
The two of them stared at him for a few moments, and then sighed almost simultaneously.
Kai shook his head.
"I take it back. Let's hear the long version…"
***
Sunny explained the sequence of events that led to him being gone for more than a month, keeping a few things to himself — like the true number of the miraculous coins he had collected, everything having to do with Weaver, and the real reason for why he was so desperate to grow stronger as fast as possible.
When he was done, Effie giggled.
"Well. That [Fated] Attribute of yours has really been in overdrive lately, hasn't it?"
A sour expression appeared on Sunny's face.
"I guess. I had solid three months of nothing too bad or too good happening before that, though. But that's the thing, when it does finally happen, one thing usually leads to another. It's not all terrible, though. I had to work really hard to survive, but other than that, this expedition was a windfall for me."
Kai took a sip of tea, and then said thoughtfully:
"And what about this voice… Mordret? Do you trust him?"
Sunny hesitated, then shrugged.
"After I made sure that he is not just a figment of my imagination, I came to believe that Mordret is indeed one of the Lost, and most likely an Awakened just like we are. Most likely, he can communicate with me over a large distance because of the mirror shard I picked up after putting down that strange artificial Echo of his. Other than that, though… I don't know. He is very mysterious, to say the least."
He thought for a bit, and then added:
"Every piece of information he had given me turned out to be true, so far. And very helpful. I might have not been alive right now if not for him. So it's hard to say, really."
Kai smiled.
"Well, in that case, he is alright in my book."
Sunny paused as the waiter approached to bring the dirty dishes away and refill their glasses. After they were alone once again, he remained silent for a bit, then turned to Effie:
"But anyway… I do believe that what he said about the Seed is true. I think I can get the Obsidian Knife, which is supposed to make the Nightmare easier. So… I wanted to ask. Effie, I know that you can snap your fingers and have a dozen of the most powerful Awakened cohorts in the world accompany you to conquer the Second Nightmare. But... would you consider… challenging one with me?"
He expected her to tease him a little before giving an answer, but Effie remained quiet for a bit, an uncharacteristically serious expression on her face. After a while, she said:
"Challenge a Nightmare? Now, barely four months after we had become Awakened? Are you crazy, Sunny?"
He smiled.
"No, I don't mean now. Both of us need time to grow stronger and prepare, of course."
After saying that, Sunny looked away.
"...In seven months. After the winter solstice. That's when I plan to return to the Ivory Tower and go into that Seed. Will you come with me?"
Effie looked at him for a long time, then smiled, too.
"Sure. Why not? I wouldn't have it any other way, even. But, Sunny… I have one condition."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Really? What is it?"
Effie glanced at Kai, then said calmly:
"You need to convince Cassie to join us, too. I don't know what happened between the two of you, but it doesn't matter. Members of a cohort don't need to be friends. They just need to work well together… and our cohort worked perfectly, back on the Forgotten Shore. Caster is dead, and Nephis is gone… but Cassie is still here, and we both know how invaluable her Aspect is."
As Sunny's face darkened, she added:
"Plus, isn't she anchored at the Night Temple? She can help you get the Ivory Knife, as well. That princeling said that having both would be much better. A Nightmare is a Nightmare and will be absolutely deadly, no matter how prepared you are. Letting go of any advantage is stupid."
'Convince Cassie…'
A wave of anger and protest rose from the depths of Sunny's heart. Even though he had time to recover from what had happened in the Crimson Spire and understood the reason why Cassie had done what she had, he was still full of resentment. He was still hurt. He was still unwilling to even think about forgiving her…
But Effie was right.
No matter how he felt about Cassie, she was a boon for any cohort… especially now, since she had grown much more confident in her powers after becoming an Awakened. She also had other survivors of the Forgotten Shore following her as they waited for Nephis to return, and the connection to the Clan Valor emissaries in the Night Temple.
He didn't have to forgive her to fight side by side with her. He just had to trust that she won't betray him again… which he reluctantly did. Even though Sunny didn't want to give Cassie the benefit of the doubt, he knew that she had learned a bitter lesson.
A heavy sigh escaped from his lips.
'...What should I do?'
…It was at that moment that Kai, who had remained silent during their conversation, suddenly spoke:
"If you don't mind… count me in, too. I want to challenge the Second Nightmare with the three of you, guys, as well. In fact… even if you do mind, I insist!"
Chapter 464: Passion Blossoms Hotter in theCold Heart of Despair
Both Sunny and Effie stared at him in surprise. After a while, the former huntress asked:
"Challenge the Nightmare with us? Don't you have a great position in Bastion, safe behind its walls? Have Sunny infected you with his madness?"
Kai frowned, then looked away. After a while, he said:
"Yes, I do. But… do you guys remember Aiko? She had a gambling den in the Bright Castle. Well, anyway, Aiko has a real talent for managing various things, so the agency hired her as my manager. One evening, we ended up talking about the Dark City."
A sad smile appeared on his face.
"Both of you only lived in the outer settlement, which had its own share of challenges, of course. Much more dire than what we who paid tribute faced in the Castle. But… but life wasn't that bright there, too."
He remained silent for a bit, then continued:
"Aiko had it way worse than I, though. Especially after one of the Pathfinders made a point of making her life a living hell… Andel, whose head Lady Nephis eventually took off his shoulders. We all knew it, but no one really helped."
A heavy sigh escaped from Kai's lips.
"Because what could anyone of us really do against one of the Pathfinders? But there was a lot of these compromises, of little lies we told ourselves as we closed our eyes to every dark, dirty thing that went on around us."
He looked at Effie, and said:
"People were starving in the outer settlement while we had our bellies full? Well, it wasn't our fault, because the Castle couldn't feed everyone. Surely, if there was more food, we would have shared. The Guards decided to harass someone? Well, that wasn't our fault either, because Tessai was too powerful, and we were too weak to resist him. And so on, endlessly. Everyone went as far as they needed to keep thinking of themself as one of the good guys."
Kai grew silent, then said quietly:
"But, you see, it actually was our fault. All of us have committed the same crime… we were all weak. When I spoke to Aiko, I finally realized that in this world, being weak is a sin, too. At least for us, the Awakened. So… yes, I want to challenge the Second Nightmare, despite being safe and sound behind the walls of the Bastion. Because I never want to close my eyes to anything, ever again."
He looked at them, then smiled.
"Seven months? That's more than enough time for me to prepare. Plus, don't you need someone who can fly? Or are you going to simply jump into that weird undersky again and just hope to miss all those flames?"
Sunny coughed.
Kai had a point…
"Well… if you put it like this…"
***
After Kai's unexpected and poignant confession, they spent some time simply relaxing, laughing, enjoying their food, and chatting about this and that. Kai shared his experience of winning twelve consecutive weeks of the Avatar Singer and having to lose on purpose in the end, and the furor his face reveal and the subsequent announcement of Night&Gale's upcoming comeback album caused in the music industry and among the fans.
…He also complained about having to hire a second publicist because of a strange scandal he had gotten somehow involved in on the network, causing Sunny to look away in shame and keep his mouth tightly shut.
Effie mostly talked about all the fried chicken wings she had eaten and all the sorts of beer she had drunk, as well as what types of Nightmare Creatures she had hunted… and fried, and ate. She also joked about all the propaganda events the government wanted her to participate in, and the various ways with which she had managed to dodge most of them.
Sunny shared his experience of buying a house, and how it made him feel. He almost got sentimental thinking about his beautiful armored doors that Effie had smashed through, and about his new, expensive, shiny refrigerator.
Finally, Kai had to return to his schedule. Before they parted, though, he hesitated, then took out two colorful pieces of synthetic paper from his pocket with a very embarrassed expression on his face.
Without saying anything, he handed the brochures to Sunny and Effie.
Sunny took one, and stared at it with a confused expression.
It appeared to be an invitation of some sort. On it was an image of two people standing back to back with swords in their hands, both of them extremely beautiful, in a professional kind of way.
The guy was dark-skinned and handsome, with broad shoulders and an incredibly masculine face. The girl was thin and languid, with a slim figure that bordered on being gaunter than Sunny had been in his outskirts days. She had a doll's face with big, glistening eyes and full, slightly parted lips.
…She was also wearing a very strange and impractical armor, a regal cloak, and a very expensive silver wig.
'What the hell is this?!"
The title at the top of the brochure read:
"A Song of Light and Darkness"
And right below it, in a smaller font:
"Light shines brighter in the darkest of nights. Passion blossoms hotter in the cold heart of despair."
Sunny stared at the piece of paper in his hand with wide eyes.
"Kai… my friend… what did you just hand me?"
Effie laughed.
"No way! They finished filming it?"
Kai coughed.
"That, uh… yeah. The premier is in a week, actually. My agency arranged for me to attend and give a short speech. So, uh… will you two come, please?"
Sunny shook his head.
"No, wait… no, actually, what is this thing?!"
Effie looked at him with pity.
"Haven't you heard? They made a movie about us. I mean, about what happened on the Forgotten Shore… sort of. Have you not heard about all the casting news?"
He slowly shook his head.
"No!"
Then, Sunny frowned:
"Alright… alright, I get it. But why would I ever want to go and watch this? I would rather eat another Mordant Mimic! Sorry, Kai, but I am not going…"
Effie looked at him with mischief and grinned.
"Oh… hey Sunny, do you remember how I said that I only had one condition to join you in the Nightmare? Well, scratch that. Actually, I have two…"
Chapter 465: Subjective Value
After a while, Sunny and Effie returned to his home — just in time to receive the delivery of the refrigerator. Two tall and broad-shouldered store workers unloaded it from the cargo hold of their delivery vehicle and placed the big box down with a bit of strain. After that, one of them smiled and asked:
"Good day. Where should we put it?"
Sunny waved a hand.
"Ah, no need. I'll do it myself."
The loaders looked at him doubtfully, then simply shrugged and left after getting his signature.
After the vehicle drove off, Sunny looked around, then easily lifted the heavy box and carried it inside the house without any effort whatsoever.
Soon, the refrigerator was standing in the place where his old one used to be, the synthwood panels covering its doors blending in with the minimalist design of the kitchen. Effie and Sunny stared at it for a while, satisfied. Then, he said:
"I like it… a lot. "
Effie smiled.
"Yeah. Really ties the whole room together… doesn't it? Well, in any case, I hope you won't break it again."
After that, she yawned and said in a tired voice:
"Ugh… I'm beat. Time to retire to the Dream Realm. What about you?"
Sunny thought for a few moments. Suddenly, a wide smile appeared on his face.
"I have an errand to run, but after that, I am going in, too. Oh… wait. Where are going to sleep?"
Effie shrugged.
"Your guest room, where else?
He blinked.
"Don't you need a sleeping pod?"
The former huntress giggled.
"I have one. In your guest room. What? Why are you staring at me like that? Was I supposed to shuffle between the Academy and your comatose body every day?"
Sunny lingered for a bit, then sighed.
"Make sense. I guess I should have put one there, to begin with. What are the chances of me having mundane humans as guests?"
Then, he waved Effie goodbye and headed for the door as she turned her wheelchair around and rolled toward the guest bedroom.
He was very excited about what he was going to do.
***
Some time later, Sunny was in a beautifully lit store, pushing a shopping cart forward and slowly filling it to the brim with all kinds of food, as well as some other things. He was quietly whistling a cheerful tune, imagining all this stuff going into his new fridge.
The contents of the cart would have cost more than he could ever dream to make, back when he had been living in the outskirts. But now, he could not only afford it, but even do so without having to count his money or feel apprehensive about the cost. He could just… buy as much he wanted, of any quality that he wanted, and bring it back home... his own home.
Life had changed so much.
After a while, he felt as though he got enough. Now that he had the Covetous Coffer, he could not only bring soul shards out of the Dream Realm… but also bring stuff from the real world to the Chained Isles! That meant so much… an unlimited amount of spices, all kinds of snacks to make the long days of exploring less dreadful, various little things to make himself more comfortable.
Hell, if he wanted to, he could even bring a tent and sleep in it like a king!
'Incredible… oh, this is simply incredible!'
Of course, not all of these things could be bought in a general store. But he could visit other places or simply order stuff on the network.
As he was heading for the registers, a familiar voice suddenly pulled him out of his thoughts.
"...Mom! Can we get ice cream?"
Sunny froze for a moment, then slowly turned his head and looked to his left, down a long aisle he was passing.
There, a pale girl of around fourteen years was standing near a tall, graceful woman in her forties. An eight-year-old boy with blonde hair and a bright smile was pushing a tub of ice cream into her hands.
Sunny watched Rain and her family for a few moments, then turned away and continued on his way, leaving them behind. A quiet sigh escaped from his lips.
'At least she's doing fine. Well, of course she is. I've only been gone for a month. Why would anything happen simply because I wasn't here?'
He reached the register, then hesitated for a bit, and turned back.
…When he returned, there were several tubs of delicious ice cream added to his cart.
***
As the light of dawn shined on the Chained Isles, Sunny appeared on the Altar Island of the Sanctuary of Noctis. He stared at the sky, grimaced at the absence of the moon, and headed toward his room.
Some time later, though, he emerged from there with a peculiar wooden box following him with the help of eight small iron legs. With the Covetous Coffer in tow, Sunny walked into the garden, found a familiar rock, lifted the toothy box, and carefully placed it near himself.
Then, he took out a single soul shard and put it where everyone could see.
Soon, one of the Awakened noticed him and approached.
"Ah, Sunny! You're back? Looking to sell some shards again?"
Sunny smiled.
"Oh… yes, sure. But hey! That's not all. Brilliant Emporium has some new merchandise!"
The Awakened looked at him with doubt, then asked:
"Really? Like what?"
Sunny's grin grew wider.
"How lucky that you happened to ask! Let's see…"
He put his hand inside the coffer, which then somehow disappeared into the comparatively small box up to the shoulder. Then, Sunny began taking out various items, speaking as he did so:
"What do I have in store? Take a look for yourself… toothpaste! Soft, clean underwear! Salt, pepper, and all kinds of spices! Personal hygiene products! Are you a woman? No? Have a female friend, then? What, really? Well, with the stuff I have here, that can be fixed. Oh, what is this? Would you look at that…"
As more and more people gathered and stared at the absolutely mundane, but precious items that almost none of them had access to in the Dream Realm with something resembling lust in their eyes, Sunny's own gleamed with greed.
"By the way, Brilliant Emporium is also proud to announce the opening of a conveyance service… want our dedicated staff to bring something specific from the real world? No problem! Want to send something to the real world instead? That's not a problem, either. For just a small commission…"
'I am going to get rich. So, so rich!'
Yes, soul shards were a rare commodity in the real world.
But a good pair of underpants in the Dream Realm was, perhaps, even more valuable…
Chapter 466: A Gracious lnvitation
Sunny spent a very pleasant morning selling all the stuff he had brought to the Dream Realm to a crowd of Awakened, each of them ravenous for the small comforts the real world could provide.
Very few had a close enough relationship with a Master or a Saint to be able to get these things here, in a place as remote as the Chained Isles. Things were slightly different in large Citadels like Bastion or Ravenheart, but on the frontier, most people simply had to figure out ways to get by with makeshift replacements. Still, nothing could compare to the real deal.
All in all, the Brilliant Emporium was performing splendidly.
Of course, Sunny did not charge too much for the small necessities he sold, but it added up. He wouldn't charge a whole soul shard, even if it was from a Dormant creature, for a tube of toothpaste. But a few tubes, plus a toothbrush, plus some soap and a box of tea leaves, and a promise to bring some sugar with him the next time? That could work.
Unlike before, he wanted soul shards instead of Memories. He was going to take these shards to the waking world, where their value was much higher.
Out there, soul shards came from only two sources: some were brought back by Ascended and Transcendent from their journeys into the Dream Realm, and some were scavenged from the corpses of the Nightmare Creatures that had invaded reality through a Gate.
They were always in short supply, because anyone in possession of a shard was more likely to use it themselves than to sell it for credits. Saturating their Soul Core meant much more to an Awakened than worldly currency… after all, dead men could not spend their riches.
The demand, on the other hand, was extremely high. Not only because all Awakened strived to become stronger, but also because young Sleepers, especially, were able to use these shards to increase their chances of returning from their first venture into the Dream Realm alive.
That was the reason why even Caster, a scion of a prestigious Legacy clan, had not entered the Forgotten Shore with his core already fully saturated.
And that was the reason why Sunny was going to profit a lot from being in possession of his new favorite Memory... the magnificent Covetous Coffer.
After all, he — for better or worse — had no use for the soul shards whatsoever. He could not consume them, so there was no choice to be made between growing stronger himself or earning credits from others.
He was going to sell the shards, buy Memories, and feed them to Saint.
This simple system was almost unfairly lucrative for Sunny, because Memories, unlike shards, had no additional value in the real world. Every Sleeper and every Awakened could bring back Memories from the Dream Realm and freely exchange them there.
…Which did not mean that Memories were cheap. In fact, they were extremely expensive. But the correlation between the number of soul shards he would have to sell and the number of Memories he would be able to buy was very much in his favor.
And of course, Sunny also didn't even need good Memories. The worse, the better! The usefulness of a Memory dictated its price, but did not affect the amount of Shadow Fragments Saint received from consuming them at all.
His smile was growing wider and wider.
'Two months… three, max. That's how long it's going to take me to bring Saint to [200/200]. And what happens next? Oh my, I can hardly wait to find out…'
His pleasant thoughts, however. were eventually interrupted by a shadow falling over him.
'...Another customer?'
Sunny looked up and tensed a little, recognizing the person in front of him.
It was a young woman wearing a simple white garment… the same one that had escorted him to meet Master Roan before his journey to the Shipwreck Island.
The representative of the White Feather clan.
He suppressed a heavy sigh.
"Uh… what can I do for you?"
The young woman bowed slightly, then said in a neutral tone:
"Saint Tyris invites you to share a meal with her, Awakened Sunless."
'Curses… that is what I have been afraid of.'
Sunny shivered slightly.
What were the chances of him keeping all his secrets to himself during a conversation with the fearsome demi-god in charge of the Chained Isles?
Saints were creatures of another breed. It wasn't a coincidence that there were only a few dozen of them across all of humanity… they were not only the most powerful, but also the most skilled, strong-willed, brilliant, and deviously cunning members of the human race. Each was a force to be reckoned with.
Nothing less would suffice if one wanted to survive the harrowing trial of the Third Nightmare.
He wasn't sure of his ability to fool such a person.
Sunny forced out a weak smile.
"...It would be my pleasure."
The young woman nodded, then turned around, obviously expecting him to follow.
Sunny sighed, then dismissed the Covetous Cover and stood up from the rock.
It was time to face Sky Tide again.
***
The graceful stone chateau perched on top of the tall menhirs of the Sanctuary was just as Sunny had remembered it. The open pavilion at the very edge of the ancient monolith had not changed, as well. It was bathed in sunlight and exposed to winds, opening to a breathtaking view of the Chained Isles.
The Ivory Tower floated far above, shrouded in white clouds.
This time, there was a simple meal served for three people on the round table in the center of the pavilion, and both Master Roan and Saint Tyris were preparing to eat. The young woman led Sunny to them, gestured to a free chair, and then moved to stand silently by Sky Tide's side.
Sunny lingered for a bit, then said awkwardly:
"Uh… greetings, Lady Tyris, Master Roan. It's an honor to be invited to join you for dinner. Uh… lunch? Yeah. To join you for lunch."
Saint Tyris simply nodded and didn't say anything, but Master Roan looked at him and grinned. Then, he gestured to the food on the table.
"What are you waiting for, Sunless? Dig in! Food's growing cold."
Sunny hesitated for a moment, then smiled.
If there was one rule he tried to follow faithfully in his life… it was to never refuse free food.
Master Roan didn't have to ask him twice.
Chapter 467: Dinner with a Saint
It seemed that the conversation was not going to happen until after the meal, which suited Sunny fine. Not only did he get to enjoy a simple, but delicious food provided by the White Feather clan, but he also received a bit more time to think about what he was going to say, and how.
Sunny focused his attention on the plate in front of him, and after a few moments, a delighted smile found its way onto his face.
'That's really good!'
Noticing it, Master Roan chuckled:
"You like it? Well… I am not going to say that I cooked it myself, because that would be a lie, but I did hunt the beast with my own two hands. I also watched and gave very wise advice when Tyris was planting the vegetables!"
Sunny choked.
'Tyris planted… what? Sky Tide grew these vegetables herself?!'
The image of the stern Saint doing gardening did not fit into his mind at all. He threw a furtive glance at the unnaturally beautiful woman, and swallowed.
'Yeah… can't imagine it.'
Saint Tyris was calmly eating, not a single emotion appearing on her face. At the mention of her name, she looked at her husband for a second, and then returned to her meal without reacting in any way. Sunny didn't know if she was simply like that around strangers, or always aloof… in any case, it was hard to picture Sky Tide doing mundane things like gardening.
Not knowing what to think of it, he lingered for a few moments, then said awkwardly:
"...Yes. Thank you, it's very tasty."
It was too good, in fact. The food was disappearing from his plate at a concerning speed, which meant that he had to sort out his thoughts fast.
Basically, there were three things about his recent adventure that were better kept secret.
The first one was the miraculous coins and their connection to the Sanctuary of Noctis.
The second was Mordret… despite the fact that Effie and Kai had easily believed him, telling total strangers that there were voices in his head was not the best of decisions. Besides that, Sunny got the feeling that the lost prince might have been in not so friendly relationship with the emissaries of the Valor clan that resided on the Chained Isle.
Sky Tide did not serve Valor directly, but her clan was still allied to the rulers of Bastion, to the point that one might have gone so far as to call them a vassal clan.
And lastly, there was the whole thing about the Ebony and Ivory Towers, the connection between them, and the Seed of Nightmare. If it threatened to create a Gate at any moment, he would have felt obligated to inform the White Feather clan, so that someone else could destroy it before that happened. But since the Seed was far from blooming, he wanted it all for himself.
However, Sunny suspected that he will have to sacrifice one of these secrets to keep the others intact.
The question was... which one?
Finally, the food was gone from their plates, and the young woman in white poured beautiful ember tea into their cups. Sunny blew on his, and glanced at Master Roan:
"So, uh… not to appear impolite, sir, but to what do I owe the pleasure?"
'Here it comes…'
He hesitated, then added:
"Is it about my friends making a ruckus after I have gone on an unusually long expedition? You weren't too inconvenienced by having to look for me, were you?"
He was expecting a confirmation, but instead, a surprised expression appeared on the strapping Master's face.
"Look for you? Uh… why would we look for you?"
Noticing that Sunny was confused, he remained silent for a moment, and then smiled.
"Ah! There must have been a misunderstanding. Nightingale and Raised by Wolves did, indeed, bring your disappearance to the attention of our clan. I was going to explore the places where you had been seen last to investigate, but luckily, Lady Cassia arrived at the Sanctuary just in time. She informed us that you would return in a few weeks, so we didn't have to worry."
A tense smile froze on Sunny's face.
"She did? Well… I'm glad your time wasn't wasted, then."
'Damn it! Damned Cassie and her damned visions! How much does she know?'
He took a sip of tea to hide his expression behind the cup for a second.
That changed things… on purpose or not, Cassie had helped him avoid the scrutiny of having to explain his absence to the White Feather clan. That, however, posed another problem.
And that problem was Song of the Fallen herself. The timing of her visit to the Sanctuary of Noctis and this strange action of hers were probably not a coincidence… what was she playing at?
Or was he being too paranoid, looking for a meaning where there was none? Cassie was not some machiavellian mastermind, after all... unlike Sunny and Nephis both. At least she had not been.
Putting down the cup, Sunny cleared his throat.
"But then… why did you invite me?"
Master Roan smiled and produced a folded piece of paper from his pocket.
"Oh, it was just to hand you this. Lady Cassia left you a message before leaving on an expedition with her cohort."
Sunny tried to seem calm and nonchalant as he took the piece of paper and unfolded it. Inside, two words were written in awkward handwriting:
"Desecrated Grove"
They were, without a doubt, left by Cassie. After becoming blind, writing was hard for her. That's why the penmanship seemed so crude.
'What the hell is that supposed to mean?'
Desecrated Grove… Sunny had heard of that place. It lay west of the Sanctuary, separated from it by a stretch of long chains. The Grove itself was not the most deadly of territories, but there were several Corrupted creatures nesting on islands in close vicinity to it.
Had Cassie known that he would want to speak to her, and left him a direction to where to find her?
Why would she lead her cohort to that remote place, which was situated as far from the Hollow Mountains as one could get on the Chained Isles?
'Strange…'
Sunny folded the note, put it under the vambrace of the Puppeteer's Shroud, and smiled:
"Thank you."
Things like that weren't too strange. Since he had gone on a long expedition and missed Cassie, who was planning to remain in the Dream Realm for a while herself, it was logical to communicate through messages. She could have just sent one to his communicator, though…
Although, if he was honest with himself, there was a big chance that he would ignore the message if she had.
Sunny finished his tea, and then asked cautiously:
"So… I can go?"
Master Roan shrugged.
"Sure. It was nice to see you again, Sunless. I hear your Emporium is doing well!"
Sunny couldn't believe his luck. Expressing his gratitude, he rose to leave.
Just as he did, though, Saint Tyris spoke for the first time. Piercing him with a penetrating gaze, she said evenly:
"...Have you been to the Reckoning Island?"
He froze.
Under the stare of Sky Tide, twisting the truth didn't seem that wise anymore.
Sunny hesitated, then said simply:
"Yes."
Saint Tyris looked at him for a few moments, then turned away.
"Next time someone asks, say no."
Taken aback, Sunny stared at the stunningly beautiful woman for a bit, gather his courage, and then quietly asked:
"May I know… why?"
Sky Tide kept her gaze at the breathtaking vista of the Chained Isles below them. Then, in a calm voice, she answered:
"You may not."
Chapter 468: Desecrated Grove
Sunny descended from the White Feather's aery in a complicated mood.
If he ever had doubts that the lost prince was harboring dire secrets, now, there were none. Why else would Saint Tyris caution him to not speak about the Mirror Beast, who had seemingly been the only trace left of Mordret's existence?
Mordret had conquered the First Nightmare when he was only twelve… such an individual, surely, would have been as famous as Nephis back in the real world. And yet, Sunny had never heard of him, or of anyone who had accomplished the same feat.
It was almost as if someone very powerful had purposefully erased any mention of the mysterious prince from history.
…How had he lost his physical body, to begin with? And where was his spirit body in the Dream Realm? Did… did he even have one? He must have had it once, at least. The pack Sunny had found on the Reckoning contained a detailed map of the Chained Isles, with the word "hope" written on it next to a question mark.
Back then, he thought that the owner of the pack had been killed by the Mirror Beast. Now, however, he suspected that it had belonged to Mordret himself.
So, the lost prince had at least visited the Chained Isles before disappearing. Was the great clan Valor complicit in his disappearance? Sunny had no real reason to come to that conclusion, other than the fact that the Chained Isles were in their sphere of influence, and that Saint Tyris hinted at her knowledge of the nature of the Mirror Beast.
But why hadn't she killed it herself?
'I am going to have to ask Mordret a lot of questions when he appears.'
Which wasn't going to happen for many days, sadly.
Until then, Sunny had other matters to attend to.
He glanced at the sun and judged that it had barely reached its zenith. The moon wasn't going to appear for a while… so, even though the desire to place his precious coins on the altar gnawed on him, he decided to address the most pressing problem first.
…Cassie.
No matter how reluctant Sunny was to face his former friend, he had to speak to her. He couldn't make plans for the future without knowing who would be by his side as he challenged the Second Nightmare.
And he absolutely needed to challenge it.
Collecting essence was fine, but becoming a Master would change the power dynamic between him and Nephis much more. And even though creating future cores would be harder after he achieved a higher Rank, being an Ascended also meant that there would be much fewer things out there that could squash him like a bug.
…Not only among the Nightmare Creatures, but also among the humans. The more crumbs of information about the Sovereigns Sunny learned, the more disturbed he became. He was distrustful by nature, so he didn't believe that these hidden overlords would not try to exert their influence on him or try to destroy him one day, simply by virtue of being able to do so.
And even without this threat… there were hundreds of Master in the world, which meant that there were hundreds of people who could kill him without breaking a sweat. But if he became a Master himself… well, then there would only be a few dozen individuals he would have to be really wary of.
Like Saint Tyris.
...Not to mention that, as an Ascended, he would be free to come and go from the Dream Realm as he wished. He would even be able to abandon it forever, and never come back.
Wouldn't that be a nice choice to have?
'So… the Desecrated Grove it is.'
Sunny frowned, then returned to his room, took out his map from the Covetous Coffer, and spent some time adding all the details he remembered from Mordret's map onto it. Soon, he was in possession of an intricately detailed depiction of most of the Chained Isles on his hands, complete with descriptions of what dangers he was likely to meet, and where.
With its help, traveling to his destinations was going to be much safer.
Sunny studied the route to the Desecrated Grove and sighed.
'...Shouldn't be too hard. I can probably reach it by morning, and return to the Sanctuary the next day at night, when the moon is high in the sky.'
And finally get to use the coins he had bled so much to earn.
He dismissed the Covetous Coffer, stretches his limbs, and headed toward the exit from the Sanctuary.
***
The journey to the remote island that Cassie named in her note indeed turned out to be uneventful. Sunny rode the heavenly chains in the form of the shadow and traversed the islands on foot, avoiding any Nightmare Creature that crossed his path.
The southern part of the Chained Isles was relatively safe, or at least safer than the northern part. Well, no surprise — it was bordering regions of the Dream Realm that had been tamed by humans more than a decade ago, while to the north there was nothing except for the dreadful Hollow Mountains.
The Desecrated Grove itself was somewhat near the main route from one of the Great Chains — which connected all of the Chained Isles to the rest of the Dream Realm — to the Sanctuary of Noctis. People who were either coming to or leaving the region used that route to travel between the Great Chain and the Citadel, so it was often patrolled by the White Feather forces.
Sunny traveled along the established route, then left it to go deeper into the dangerous wilderness of the flying islands. He carefully avoided all the places where Corrupted Nightmare Creatures were known to dwell, and kept his eyes open for any sign of danger.
However, nothing that couldn't be avoided happened. None of the islands Sunny wanted to cross were rising, so he even managed to escape having to endure the Crushing.
The sun rolled down over the horizon and disappeared, and the moon followed its example.
As the first light of dawn ignited in the east, Sunny flew through the shadows and then soared high into the air, cresting the edge of a large island and softly landing on its soil.
The Desecrated Grove… he had arrived.
Sunny let out a heavy sigh.
…He had almost hoped that some terrible monstrosity would attack him on the way, making it so he wouldn't have to meet Cassie. The searing mess of emotions he felt toward her… was much scarier than any Nightmare Creature could ever hope to be.
At the end of the day, humans were much harder to deal with than monsters.
Chapter 469: Fire Keepers
The Desecrated Grove was a large island, its surface overtaken almost entirely by a forest of twisted, charred, dead trees. The ground was covered by a thick layer of ash, which was often thrown into the air by the strong winds. Grey flakes rained down from the sky.
There were many Nightmare Creatures nesting in the dark forest, and although most of them were only of the Awakened Rank, one had to be careful to not get ambushed, surrounded, or stumble upon an especially ferocious abomination.
Sunny couldn't even begin to guess why Cassie would choose such a place to establish a camp.
However, he could already see the signs of human presence.
There were four chains connecting the Desecrated Grove to other islands, but the one he himself had used was the most convenient. Any sane leader would have chosen the same route, and even though the Crushing was capable of making anyone's path unpredictable, the other three were just too much of a risk.
That's why Sunny wasn't surprised to see human footprints leading toward the menacing wall of blackened dead trees, already mostly covered by a new layer of ash. There were also signs of a battle, with several misshapen carcasses laying on the ground and showing clear signs of their soul shards being removed.
Judging by the fact that they were only partially devoured by the scavenging Nightmare Creatures, Cassie's cohort must have passed through no more than a week ago.
Sighing, Sunny tied a piece of cloth around his mouth and nose, summoned the Cruel Sight, and started following the footprints.
Soon, he entered the ashen veil of the twisted forest. His ability to see through any shadow proved to be invaluable once again: if not for that gift, he would have been scared witless, expecting a sudden attack to come from the surrounding darkness at any moment.
With his sight, the Shadow Sense, and the ability to see all around himself with the help of one of the shadows, Sunny felt confident that nothing would be able to get close to him unnoticed… at least not on this comparatively tame island.
But that was the thing about the Dream Realm. Even creatures that were supposed to be easy to deal with could kill you in a second if you weren't careful enough. Tame or not, everywhere in this godforsaken world was a potential death trap.
As Sunny went deeper into the forest, he discovered more signs of Cassie's cohort passing through. There were marks left behind by violent skirmishes, as well as several abandoned campsites. It seemed as though the Fire Keepers had been taking their time, slowly exploring the path ahead and moving their camp further and further into the depth of the Desecrated Grove after clearing a long stretch of it.
'Why travel here all the way from the Night Temple? She had to cross the entire region, getting away from the Hollow Mountains, only to get stuck on an unexceptional island. I just don't get it.'
Sunny was clearly missing something…
With a slight frown, he turned into a shadow and glided through the darkness, covering much more distance with every minute than he had been on foot. He still preferred to be cautious, though, sending one of the shadows ahead and moving slow enough to be able to react in time if something unexpected happened.
After an hour or so, he finally found them.
Cassie and her cohort were camped at a secluded clearing that was around halfway to the heart of the island, dangerously far removed from the edge. If the Desecrated Grove entered the ascent phase, the time window for them to get back to the chain before the Crushing became deadly would be extremely narrow.
Since it was early morning, most of the members were asleep, with only two lookouts standing watch with torches in their hands. Sunny observed them for a few seconds from the shadows, and then sent his own forward.
He recognized both of the watchmen, since they had spent a lot of time together during the struggle for the throne of the Bright Castle, as fellow members of Neph's faction.
The Fire Keepers were comprised of about forty survivors of the Forgotten Shore — those who had decided against pledging their allegiance to the Legacy clans that wanted the recruit them, as well as the government, and had not become fully independent like Effie and Sunny had.
Although Cassie was their nominal leader, she didn't command the whole host herself. Instead, Neph's followers were divided into several cohorts, each operating in different regions of the Dream Realm. Fire Keepers were not a formal organization, but more of a loose alliance of people who shared similar beliefs and principles, the main being the hope that Changing Star was going to return alive one day.
…Sunny's shadow entered the circle of light created by one of the torches, glared at the lookout, and then waved at him.
The young man stared at it with wide eyes.
"What the hell?!"
The other swiftly turned, summoning her weapon.
"What is it?"
The first one remained silent for a moment, then sighed.
"Ah, crap…"
He massaged his temple, as if experiencing a headache.
"...I think it's Sunny."
***
There were eight people in Cassie's cohort, every one of them a familiar face.
…Well, Sunny more or less knew all of the survivors of the Forgotten Shore, had fought with them back to back, so that wasn't surprising. What did surprise him, though, was how warm they welcomed him.
Even if some were clearly displeased with having to wake up a bit early and warry of his entrepreneurial ambitions — which they had been amply subjected to during the war for the Bright Castle — they were still clearly happy to see Sunny. Soon, his shoulder began to hurt a little from all the friendly slaps it received.
"Would you look at that! Four months on these damned islands, and this is the first time we actually cross paths!"
"How have you been, Sunny?"
"Oh! I was so sad that we missed you in the Sanctuary. Glad you decided to visit!"
Sunny smiled weakly and responded to their greetings, feeling both strangely warm inside and extremely uncomfortable with all the attention.
Truth be told… he was glad to meet them again, too. He still couldn't quite believe that anyone had escaped the Forgotten Shore, let alone a whole hundred of young men and women, some of whom were in front of him right now.
After the greetings were done, he looked around and raised an eyebrow.
"Uh… sure, guys. Likewise. But where's Cassie?"
The Fire Keepers glanced at each other, then one of them smiled.
"Oh, right! You must be dying to see her."
'...Not exactly.'
The girl who spoke shook her head and turned toward a path leading somewhere away from the camp.
"Let's go. I'll take you."
…Not too far from the camp, a deep hole was dug near the roots of one of the dead trees. Beside it, with her back to him, stood a delicate girl with pale blond hair and an elegant rapier hanging in a scabbard on her belt.
Hearing their footsteps, Cassie turned around. A small smile appeared on her face.
"Sunny. You've made it..."
Chapter 470: Come Winter
Cassie had changed since the last time they met.
Her hair was longer, and there was a strange silver half-mask covering her eyes, its surface blind and intricately engraved. It matched the polished steel of the armor she was wearing on top of a midnight blue coat, comprised of a short cuirass, vambraces, greaves, and a segmented pauldron.
The Quiet Dancer hung on her belt, but there was also a long dagger opposite it, its guard twisting upward.
What changed most of all, however, was her demeanor. The blind girl seemed… much older, somehow. Firmer, poised, but also weary. As if pressed down upon by the weight of years.
'What? What years? She's younger than me!'
Sunny struggled a little, then pretended to smile, too, for the benefit of the young Fire Keeper who no doubt expected a warm reunion.
No one knew what had happened between them, after all.
"Yeah. I received your note… cryptic as it was. And here I am. In the flesh."
The girl who had led him to Cassie glanced at them, then made an excuse and went back to the camp, tactfully deciding to remove herself from what she thought was going to be an emotional meeting of two old friends.
…Former friends, really.
Sunny hesitated a little, then asked:
"So… how have you been?"
Cassie sighed, then turned back to the excavated roots of the charred tree.
After a while, she spoke:
"Not so good, actually."
Her voice sounded distant.
"We… we have tried to venture into the Hollow Mountains, as you must know. But it was hopeless. That place is pure death, for anyone who dares set foot into the mist. We hoped to find a way back to the Forgotten Shore. In the end, however, we were lucky to simply escape alive."
Cassie remained silent for a bit, then asked:
"What about you?"
Sunny grinned:
"Me? Oh, I've never been better…"
With that, he summoned the Covetous Coffer, fished out some fresh, fragrant fruit from it, and sat down on a nearby stump. Taking a big bite out of a juicy peach, he chewed it with gusto, and then glanced at the blind girl.
"Oh, sorry. I only brought enough for one."
…Yes, Sunny knew that he was being ridiculously petty. But so what? Pettiness was his middle name. Figuratively speaking.
"So, you failed to return to the Forgotten Shore, and now… what are you doing, exactly? Why are you digging up trees in this vile forest?"
Cassie smiled a little, then answered evenly:
"...I am looking for something."
Then, she turned away from the hole and faced him.
"Yes, I told the White Feather clan that you will return alive. No, I did not see a vision of where you were, and what you did in the past month."
Sunny stared at her with a dark expression:
'What is this?! She can read minds now?!'
"...And no, I can't read minds. If you must know, my Second Ability allows me to sense what will happen in the next few seconds. That's why I can walk around without a cane, and knew what you were going to say."
He grimaced.
'That's… going to be very annoying, I think.'
Sunny looked at Cassie, reevaluating her armor and weapons. With an Ability like that, she might have become a very formidable fighter. Or not. He didn't really understand how it worked, to tell the truth.
So, he asked curiously:
"Does that mean that you can see now?"
Cassie shook her head.
"No… not exactly. But if I want to take a step forward, and sense falling into a ravine, I can walk around it instead. If I sense being pierced by a sword, I can try to deflect it. And if I sense being asked a question, I can answer it."
He thought for a bit, then said:
"So, what is my next question?"
The blind girl simply shook her head.
"I don't need to waste soul essence to guess. You want to know how I knew that you will come back to the Sanctuary in one piece."
Sunny finished his fruit, threw the pit into the hole, then smiled:
"Indeed. If you did not spy on my recent adventures, then how did you know that I wasn't going to die?"
Cassie lingered for a bit, then turned away. After a while, she said:
"It's still spring."
He scowled.
"What does that have to do with anything? You knew that I would be fine because it's spring?"
Cassie smiled.
"Yes. I knew that you wouldn't die. Because, you see…"
She paused for a moment, and then said calmly:
"...I already saw you die, in winter. Both of us, actually."
***
After Cassie dropped that bomb, Sunny simply stared at her for a whole minute, his eyes wide and the words refusing to come out of his mouth. Finally, he gritted his teeth and hissed:
"What the hell?! You saw us die?!"
Cassie sighed, then gave him a simple nod.
"Yes."
Sunny growled.
"Elaborate!"
The blind girl hesitated for a little while, then asked evenly:
"Are you sure you want to know? You've seen what happened the last time I shared my vision with someone, and tried to challenge fate."
A dark, resentful expression appeared on Sunny's face. With his voice full of anger, he spat:
"Who cares?! Tell me what you saw this instant!"
Cassie sighed and turned to face him.
"Alright. But remember… remember what happened to the three of us, before. How we tried to deceive fate, but were played by fate instead."
She grew quiet for a moment, and then said:
"This is what I saw: there was a crumbling island falling into the Sky Below, and the two of us — bloodied, mangled, and weak — falling down with it. It was snowing. Above us, a giant bird flew, wreathed in thunderclouds. It was fighting a terrifying black wyvern, their blood falling down like rain. Then the darkness swallowed us… and we were gone."
Cassie looked down, then added solemnly:
"That was how we died."