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.

part is that she is back.

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

She was not shy about using her prodigious strength,

no wonder that he dropped

them and froze for

Is it true? Princess

her for a

passed her to the healers

her face. It looked as if she was on the

yes! I never had a doubt! No Nightmare Creature exists that can keep that pampered

a little, infected

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

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

"Gods… thank the gods…"

and infected by a misguided sense of nobility to boot. Knowing that he had escaped the hell of

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

reason to feel

to ignore the darker part of his mind for a

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

to just share this rare moment of

cohort was back,

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

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

agents

how is she? Lady Changing Star