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...

gaze to the ancient tree and saw two weathered skeletons cruelly nailed to its white bark.

time, one of the skeletons

oh my. Am I that pleasant

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

looked at the skeletons with a calm expression, no emotion reflecting

first skeleton

What terrible sins have you committed, girl, to be cast into this

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

do you

The skeleton laughed.

is in this place, of course.

remained silent for a long time, and

the waking world.

stared at her with

waking world? What

his voice

of a daemon on this abominable thing?

skull a little, and then

so? My, oh my. In that case, 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 while,

need two guides. Which one should

free himself

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

spared him a glance, then said

"...What about you?"

skeleton answered in an aloof

I am no one. Just a humble

a bit. Finally,

of you… nailed to this

skeleton who had called himself

you know where you are, abominable creature?! I am here because I led my armies into the great war, slaughtered a myriad of souls, and was punished for my strength and my

her gaze