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...

up from the water, Nephis shifted her gaze to the ancient tree and saw two weathered skeletons cruelly nailed to its white bark. Both stared at her with empty eyes, their teeth

some time, one of the skeletons

oh my. Am I that pleasant to

to wrestle free of the large silver nails impaling it to the tree. However, no matter how

with a calm expression, no emotion reflecting

first skeleton

to be cast into this hell alive? Even for a revolting nephilim like you,

her mouth and said hoarsely, in a voice of a

language do you

The skeleton laughed.

place, of course. Why? Do

a long time,

world. Do you know how

stared at her with a

waking world?

his voice deep

the stench of a daemon on this abominable thing? She

skull

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

two guides. Which one should

free himself again, and then

of a hundred thrones! Choose me, nephilim! I will guide you to the shores of the Underworld and through its dark

a glance, then

"...What about you?"

skeleton answered

I am no

lingered for a bit.

of

had called

armies into the great war, slaughtered a myriad of souls,

shifted her gaze