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.

matter. That doesn't change anything. The important part is that

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

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

It was no wonder that he dropped everything to come and wait with the rest of

huntress finally reached them and froze

Is it true?

looked at her for a bit,

the healers with my own

her face. It looked as if

Nightmare

help but smile a little,

would have caused a stir, but right now, no one paid the

relief appeared on the young man's beautiful face. Kai swayed

"Gods… thank the gods…"

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

waited. Sunny silently observed the faces of his friends, seeing sincere happiness and relief written all over

no reason to feel a strange ambivalence about Changing Star's

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

would 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 remain free… that was not out

for now, he chose to just share this rare moment of joy with his

founder of their cohort was

finally opened, and one of the Awakened healers in the employ of the

held their breaths. Even Morgan of Valor looked up from her communicator, strange sparks

the government agents couldn't contain

she? Lady Changing