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.

important part is that she

Nephis was not born out of simple vanity or empty pride. Someone else might have been tempted to chase power just for the sweetness of

Sunny saw Effie pushing her way through the crowd. She was not shy about using her prodigious strength, so people did not

into the Dream Realm. It was no wonder that

finally reached them and froze for a moment, then asked

it true? Princess is

looked at her for a bit,

her to the

seconds. Then, a wide grin split her face. It

Nightmare Creature exists

couldn't help but smile a little,

too long, Kai arrived, as well. Usually, his appearance would have caused a stir, but right now, no

profound relief appeared on the young man's beautiful face. Kai swayed a little, and then leaned

"Gods… thank the gods…"

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 Shore because of someone else's sacrifice must have pressed down upon him a

friends, seeing sincere happiness and relief written all

reason to feel a strange ambivalence about Changing

to ignore the

he had to die to avoid becoming a slave, he would. If he

share this rare moment of

of their cohort

armored doors finally opened, and one of the Awakened healers in the

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

of the government agents

she? Lady Changing Star