Shadow Slave

Some time later, Sunny waiting in a cafe, looking out of the window at a lively street outside. People were rushing past, in a hurry to get inside before the heavy clouds covering the bleak sky erupted with rain. The subtle smell in the air told him that this was going to be a bad one — maybe not toxic enough to burn through clothes, but still unpleasantly hazardous.

The acid rain didn't bother Sunny too much, since it was something everyone was accustomed to. Even in the outskirts, people knew how to avoid getting caught in one. Here in a prosperous part of the city, citizens had much more protections.

What he was thinking about was the street itself.

This was the same cafe he used to visit when observing Rain, and the same street that had become a scene of panicked evacuation during the Gate incident several months ago. Armored vehicles of the government had torn apart the road, and several violent skirmishes had spilled into the peaceful surroundings.

And yet, there were no signs of the furious battle left. The road was long repaired, and the battle damage mended. The cafe was open again, and people went on about their business as though nothing had happened. They had endured the disaster and moved on, showing the astonishing resilience the human race possessed.

Not even the Nightmare Spell could overcome it.

At least it had not managed yet.

Sunny sighed and glanced at the pastry in front of him. At that moment, the door of the cafe opened, and the familiar sensation of phantom cold enveloped him.

Master Jet looked even more disheveled than usual, her uniform jacket actually sporting several small holes, their edges charred. However, she looked just as relaxed and strong as ever, her icy blue eyes radiating fierce energy. She seemed dead tired, but also, somehow, brimming with life.

Jet looked around, noticed Sunny, and offered him a smile. Then, she flicked a few flakes of soot off her epaulet, walked over, and crashed on the chair.

"I hope that this pastry is for me…"

He smiled, and pushed the plate and a cup of fresh coffee toward her.

"Of course."

Master Jet took a bite out of the pastry, closed her eyes in delight for a few moments, and then cradled the cup of coffee in her hands. After a while, she looked at him and sighed.

"So… Second Nightmare, huh?"

Sunny simply nodded.

Soul Reaper Jet was the only Ascended he knew well enough to trust… a little… so he had asked her to meet him, hoping to receive some advice. Nothing he could read on the network, or even in the staff library of the Academy, could be as valuable as talking to a person who had actually conquered a Seed once.

took a sip of coffee and shook her

"Crazy kid…"

appeared on

that much younger than you.

at him with a dangerous

my age? Damn. I guess I

at each other for

much had happened to him in the past two years, ten seemed like a lifetime. But at the same time, he wasn't a kid anymore… not by a

a few moments,

as good a time as any. I thought things through before deciding to challenge a Seed. This is

for some time, then

are certain… drawbacks, too. But you don't need to worry about that for now. Right now, you need to concentrate on surviving the

Sunny smiled.

thought exactly. So… is there any wisdom a venerated

Jet glared at him, then

Maybe I really should slap

a

but at the same time very different. The Spell will send you and your cohort into an illusion of the past, one centered around a central conflict. To conquer the Nightmare, you will have to resolve that conflict — one way or another. There is no right or wrong

as if remembering her own trial. Her icy

You might die, too. But you know this already… let's talk about the differences, then. The first one is rather obvious — the Nightmare will be larger, longer, and harder than your First one. The Nightmare Creatures populating it will be of higher Ranks and Classes, usually either Awakened or Fallen. But if you're unlucky, you might

Awakened Tyrant… what were the chances that he would get lucky this time and only

…Slim.

Master Jet, meanwhile, continued:

smart enough to think through the implications of that fact on your own, but I'll mention one thing that very few people consider. The

his head

different are

She shrugged.

"more or less" might cost you your life. A specialist has to rely on his or her body… it is our first and most important tool. Imagine that you are

his eyes for

in any given situation, what it could accomplish and what was beyond its ability. All battle techniques were finely tuned for that precise machine… changing its parameters was like throwing a wrench into the mechanism,

was informed, he would be able to prepare and shorten

you. That is a very