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.

That doesn't change anything. The important part is

vanity or empty pride. Someone else might have been

about using her prodigious strength, so people did not really have any choice except to let her pass. Even Instructor Rock, who had appeared ten minutes

big man had been the person to send Nephis into the Dream Realm. It was no wonder that he dropped everything to come and

them and froze for

Is it

at her for a

I passed her to the healers with

seconds. Then, a wide grin split her face. It looked as if

doubt! No Nightmare Creature exists

a little, infected by her

too long, Kai arrived, as well. Usually, his appearance would have caused a stir,

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

"Gods… thank the gods…"

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

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

feel a strange ambivalence about Changing Star's

ignore the darker part

to avoid becoming a slave, he would. If he had to kill in order to remain free… that was not out of

chose to just share

of their cohort was

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

gathered in the waiting area held their breaths. Even Morgan of Valor looked up from her communicator,

government agents couldn't contain herself and

Lady Changing Star is really