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 that she is back.

it 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,

was not shy about using her prodigious strength, so people did not really have any choice except to let her

wonder that he dropped everything to come and wait with the rest of them. Sunny felt a

huntress finally reached them and froze for

it

her for a bit, then simply

the healers

Then, a wide grin split her face. It

Nightmare Creature

but smile a little, infected by

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

of profound relief appeared on the young man's beautiful face.

"Gods… thank the gods…"

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

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

looking at them, Sunny decided to ignore the darker

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

chose to just share this rare moment of joy with

their cohort was back,

of the Awakened healers in the

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

agents couldn't contain herself

how is she? Lady Changing Star is