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 is

did matter. 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 the sweetness of it, but to Sunny,

not shy about using

Dream Realm. It was no wonder that he dropped everything to come and wait

and froze for a moment,

it

at her for a bit, then simply

the healers with my own two

grin split her face. It looked as if

Nightmare Creature exists that can keep that pampered psycho

but smile a little, infected by

Usually, his appearance would have caused a stir, but right now, no one paid

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

"Gods… thank the gods…"

too decent of a person for this vile world, and infected by a misguided sense of nobility to

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

they had no reason to feel

them, Sunny decided to ignore the darker part of his mind for

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…

to just share this rare moment of joy

of their cohort was back,

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

waiting area held their breaths. Even Morgan of Valor looked up from

of the government agents couldn't contain herself and

how is she? Lady Changing Star is