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.

change anything. The important part is that she is back. Who cares how

of simple vanity or empty pride. Someone else might have been tempted to chase power

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

into the Dream Realm. It was no wonder that he dropped everything to come

them and froze for a moment, then

Cassie! Is it true? Princess is

at her for a bit, then simply

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

I never had a doubt! No Nightmare Creature exists

help but smile a

Usually, his appearance would have caused

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

"Gods… thank the gods…"

not realized it, but his friend must have been blaming himself for leaving Nephis behind all that time. 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

faces of his friends, seeing sincere happiness and

feel a strange ambivalence about

ignore the darker part of his mind

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

he chose to just share this

of their cohort was back,

and one of the Awakened healers in the employ of the Academy

Even Morgan of Valor

of the government agents couldn't contain

how is she? Lady