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...

ancient tree and saw two weathered skeletons cruelly nailed to its white bark. Both stared at her with empty

some time, one of

I that pleasant to look

its teeth and let out a creaky growl, then strained, trying to wrestle free of the

expression, no

skeleton spoke

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

her mouth and said hoarsely, in a voice of a person who had almost forgotten how

do

The skeleton laughed.

only language there is in this place, of course. Why? Do you wish

for a

way back to the waking world. Do you know how to escape this

at her

waking world?

his voice

daemon on this abominable thing? She is one of Weaver's, you

skeleton turned its skull a little, and

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

them for a while, then turned

need two guides. Which one should I

second skeleton strained to free

Plague of Steel, King of Kings, conqueror of a hundred thrones! Choose me, nephilim! I will guide you to the shores of the Underworld and through its dark expanse, back to the world of the living! You will need a powerful guide if you wish

glance, then said

"...What about you?"

answered

am no one. Just a

lingered for a bit.

of you…

had called himself

because I led my armies into the great war, slaughtered a myriad of souls, and was punished for my strength

her gaze to the other