Shadow Slave

As it turned out, Nephis had not found a Gateway to escape the Dream Realm and Awaken.

Instead, after two long years of solitude and relentless battles for survival, she had found a Seed of Nightmare and conquered the Second Trial of the Spell as a Sleeper.

She had done it alone.

At least that was the only way Sunny could explain the runes he was staring at.

Ascended.

'That is impossible.'

Surviving the Second Nightmare was already not easy for a cohort of prepared Awakened. More people perished while trying than returned victorious. How could a lone Sleeper accomplish the same?

No one had done it before.

However… no Sleeper had been a Tyrant before.

No Sleeper had escaped alive from a battle with a Corrupted horror of the depths before.

No Sleeper had slain a Fallen Terror before.

Nephis had long established her penchant for accomplishing the impossible. Why was Sunny so surprised that she had done it again?

No, he wasn't surprised. He was… dismayed.

A deep, unsettling emotion nestled in his chest, making his face grow dark and his eyes grow dim. The shadows around him seemed to become deeper.

is that she is back. Who

it was of paramount importance. His obsession with becoming more powerful than Nephis was not born out of simple vanity or empty pride. Someone else might have been tempted to chase power just for

footsteps resounded near him. Looking up, Sunny saw Effie pushing her way through the crowd. She was not shy about using her prodigious strength, so people did not really have any choice except to let her

had been the person to send Nephis into the Dream Realm. It was no wonder

froze for a moment, then asked

it true?

at her for a bit, then simply

I passed her to the healers with

did not move for several seconds. Then, a wide grin split her face. It looked as if she was on the verge of

yes! I never had a doubt! No Nightmare Creature exists that can

help but smile a little, infected

caused a stir, but right now,

young man's beautiful face. Kai swayed a little, and then leaned on the wall to keep himself

"Gods… thank the gods…"

He was truly too decent of a person for this vile world, and infected by a misguided sense of nobility to boot. Knowing that he had escaped the hell of the Forgotten

faces of his friends, seeing sincere happiness and relief written all over them. Some… Kai especially…

they had no reason to feel a strange ambivalence about Changing

them, Sunny decided to ignore the darker part of his mind for a bit,

have to deal with it then. If he had to die to avoid becoming a slave, he would. If he had to kill in order to

to just share this rare moment of

founder of their cohort was back,

the Awakened healers in the employ

breaths. Even Morgan of Valor looked up from her communicator,

the government agents couldn't contain herself and

how is she? Lady Changing