Shadow Slave

After drinking her fill, Nephis sat silently on the edge of the pool for a while, staring into the distance.

Her eyes, however, were moving, as if reading an invisible book that floated in the air above the calm waters.

Some time later, a pale shadow of a smile touched her lips.

'That guy… he did something crazy again, didn't he?'

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

'How is he so fast…'

In the past months… years, lifetimes?... spent traversing the Dream Realm, surrounded by nothing except for pain and bloodshed, Nephis had started doubting the memories of her previous life. Sometimes, all of it seemed like something that she had simply imagined… a bittersweet dream she had invented to escape from the horrors of the real world. This world.

The world of neverending nightmares.

The change of the runes describing Sunny was the only connection she had left to the actual reality. Perhaps, it was the only thing keeping her sane.

...Even if the things she saw in the shimmering runes were sometimes hard to believe.

The impossible Lineage that should not have existed, the divine Memory of the seventh Rank, the strange essence of his soul, the true nature of the taciturn stone demon… and of course, of his Flaw.

It seemed that Sunny had much more secrets than Nephis had suspected. With that knowledge, many things made much more sense now… but at the same time, many others seemed much more incredible.

Well, it was not like she didn't have secrets of her own.

And anyway, it was all in the past.

Everything was in the past.

All that remained was the future.

...She did hope that he was doing well, though, out there in the real world. With Cassie...

water, Nephis shifted her gaze to the ancient tree and saw two weathered skeletons cruelly nailed to its white

time, one of the

Am I

teeth and let out a creaky growl, then strained, trying to wrestle free of the large silver nails impaling it to the tree. However, no matter

expression,

first skeleton

that… is that living blood I smell? Gods! What terrible sins have you committed, girl, to be cast into this hell alive? Even for

mouth and said hoarsely, in a voice

do

The skeleton laughed.

there is in this place, of course.

for a long time, and then

waking world. Do you know how to escape

stared at her with

waking world? What is

skeleton suddenly spoke, his voice deep

smell the stench of a daemon on this abominable thing?

turned its skull a little, and then

you will not find guides better than the two of us. Just take us off this damned tree, and we will lead you to wherever

stared at them for a

need two guides. Which one should I

to free himself again,

nephilim! I will guide you to the shores of the Underworld and through its

glance, then said to

"...What about you?"

first skeleton answered

Oh, I am no one.

lingered for a bit. Finally, she

are… the two of

had

here because I led my armies into the great war,

shifted her gaze to the