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

pride. Someone else might have been tempted to chase power just for the sweetness of it, but

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, then

Is it true?

for a bit, then

passed her to the healers with

face. It looked as if

doubt! No Nightmare Creature exists

help but smile a little, infected

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

appeared on the young man's beautiful face. Kai swayed a little,

"Gods… thank the gods…"

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 the Forgotten Shore because of someone else's sacrifice must have pressed

faces of his friends, seeing sincere happiness and relief written all over them. Some… Kai especially… looked on the

had no reason to feel a strange ambivalence about Changing Star's

looking at them, Sunny decided to ignore the darker part of his mind for a bit,

would have to deal with it then. If he had to die to avoid becoming a slave, he would. If he had to kill in order to remain free… that

chose to just share this rare

founder of their cohort was

of the Awakened healers in the employ of the Academy appeared

breaths. Even Morgan of Valor looked up from her communicator, strange

government agents couldn't contain

is she? Lady Changing Star