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...

cruelly nailed to its

one of

oh my. Am I that pleasant to look

creaky growl, then strained, trying to wrestle free of the large silver nails impaling it to

calm expression,

skeleton spoke

Gods! What terrible sins have you committed, girl, to be cast into this hell alive? Even for a

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

do

The skeleton laughed.

is in this place, of course. Why?

for a

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

skeleton stared at

world? What

suddenly spoke, his

the stench of a daemon on this abominable thing? She is

first skeleton turned its skull a little,

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

for a

guides. Which one should I

free

shores

spared him a glance, then said to the

"...What about you?"

answered in an

I am no one. Just a

a bit.

of you… nailed to

who had called himself

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 to the other