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

To him, 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

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

froze for a moment,

Cassie! Is it true? Princess is

for

her to the healers with

split her face. It looked as if she was on the verge of

No Nightmare Creature exists that

help but smile a little, infected by

arrived, as well. Usually, his appearance would have caused a stir, but right now, no one paid the

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

"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

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

to feel a strange ambivalence about Changing Star's

ignore the darker part

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

he chose to just share this

cohort was back, after

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

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

agents

Lady