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...

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 bared in

some time, one of the

oh my. Am I that pleasant

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

a calm expression,

first skeleton

What terrible sins have you committed, girl, to be cast into this hell alive? Even for a revolting nephilim like you, this

and said hoarsely, in a voice of a person who

language do

The skeleton laughed.

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

remained silent for a long

world. Do you

stared at her with a

world? What is

second skeleton suddenly spoke, his voice deep and

the stench of a daemon on this abominable

its skull a little, and

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

them for a while, then turned

guides. Which one

strained to free himself again, and

Azarax the Mighty, the 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

then said to the other

"...What about you?"

answered in an aloof

I am no one. Just a

lingered for a bit. Finally,

of you… nailed to

who had

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

shifted her gaze to the