After more than three weeks of falling into the Sky Below — at least Sunny thought that it had been that long — he sighed and stood up, balancing on the dangerously swaying treasure chest.
His hair was wet with sweat, and his skin glistened in the piercing white light of approaching stars. By now, they did not resemble white dots in the boundless darkness of the abyss. Instead, each was the size of a fist, surrounded by a furious, blinding halo.
The heat permeating the void was suffocating.
Sunny stared down, at the ocean of white flames beneath him. If this was what remained of the inferno of heavenly fire after thousands of years of burning in an empty void… he shuddered to imagine what it must have looked like right after the hammer of divine punishment had fallen on the ancient land.
His gaze was locked on a small empty space between several radiant stars.
The rift.
This was his goal.
As Sunny stared darkly at the tiny patch of emptiness amid the vast field of flame, the void suddenly spoke:
"Have you… huh? Is that a… uh… what a large tattoo you have."
Sunny glanced at the darkness, then shrugged.
"What about it?"
Mordret lingered for a few moments, as though not sure what to say, then asked with amusement:
"Sunless… are you sure that you are a research assistant?"
Sunny grinned.
"Of course I am! Do you know how many contribution points they give me every month? I scribbled a few words about this and that, and that bought me a house. An entire house! Maybe being a researcher is not as swell as being a prince, but it's still a sweet gig… with all due respect, of course. Your Highness."
The void laughed.
"You are such an interesting person."
Sunny stared into the void with an incredulous expression.
"You are a bit of an enigma yourself, are you not?"
remained silent for a bit,
what is about
pointed to the
"Look there."
the lost prince spoke, his voice was strangely
really see that well. What
'Oh… right.'
hesitated for a
found the rift you
asked with surprise in his
"...Really? You found it?"
Sunny shrugged.
the Tear, right? Since I fell right into
said
"What if you're not?"
Sunny smiled.
to tell me before you go? I doubt that we'll have the opportunity
a few seconds, then
able to reach you at
Sunny raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
void answered after a
"Yes. Why?"
He shook his head.
are stuck somewhere out there,
Mordret chuckled.
I am
distant. Then, an almost inaudible whisper reached
"I hope… survive… Sunless…"
the lost prince was gone, leaving Sunny alone in the
He sighed.
hope I'll survive,
***
waited for a bit, and then broke the rule he had set for himself for a second time since starting this expedition — he summoned another Memory that should have
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