Shadow Slave

Noticing the astonished look on his face, Nephis sighed.

"You must have felt a change in your connection to the Dream Realm and the Waking World when you Ascended. Didn't you?"

Sunny slowly nodded, remembering how he first explored his ability to enter the Dream Realm physically. The process wasn't instantaneous, but it also wasn't too burdensome. He just had to concentrate, feel his connection to the anchor, and reach for it. After a few minutes, he would poof out of existence in reality and appear near the Gateway in the Ivory Tower.

Leaving a tether in the waking world wasn't hard, either, although it took more time and some essence. It was as instinctual as summoning Memories or commanding Echoes.

With the knowledge Sunny had received from being collared in the Red Colosseum, he understood that this hinted at the fact that traveling between the two worlds was one of the functions of the Spell, as opposed to something tied to his Aspect.

After he nodded, Changing Star continued:

"Awakened establish a connection with the Dream Realm by anchoring themselves to a Gateway. Ascended expand on that connection, making them less tied to the Waking World, and thus capable of traveling between the two at will. Transcendent exist in a state of perfect balance. They are connected to both worlds in equal measure, which makes them independent of Gateways. In a sense, they are the Gateway… which is why they can even bring another person with them in their travels."

She paused, and then added in a somber tone:

"However… that balance is broken once a person becomes Supreme. It shifts, tying them to the Dream Realm instead of the real world. In truth, I don't know much about the power of the Sovereigns. All I know is that it is restricted in the waking world, and that they can't enter it freely. That is why… that is why none of them could harm me directly."

Sunny stared, shocked.

That revelation… it made so much sense. It explained so many things, from how Nephis was able to survive to why the government still wielded a lot of power in the waking world.

It also gave credence to Master Jet's statement that the Sovereigns had long given up on reality.

if he

spinning around him, Sunny

if one becomes Sacred, then? Would they lose their connection to the

Nephis shrugged.

know. No one knows. No one had ever conquered the

heavy silence settled between them. After a while,

"...What are Domains?"

asked him which Domain he belonged to. He had not

Neph sighed.

Domain. It is an expression of a… a function of the Aspect, distinct from Abilities, but sharing a lot in common with them. In practice, it is synonymous with

paused for a few moments,

immensely powerful… but within their Domains, they are practically invincible. Not even Saints can

let out a stifled

the people

Changing Star smiled.

Today… today, I am still too weak to do it. I am still insignificant. But will it still be the case two years from now? Will I still be as weak,

Sunny shook his head.

to survive now?

at him for a long time, and

have a

silent for a moment before

"...Yet."

what to say, so he simply shook