Shadow Slave

1073 The Fourth Step

Sunny remained silent for a while, looking at Nephis with a somber expression.

Eventually, a dark smile appeared on his face.

"Pray tell."

Neph sighed, then stood up and started gathering the dirty plates. Her movements were calm and unhurried, as if they had not been discussing matters that could very well decide the fate of the whole world.

"Help me do the dishes?"

Sunny blinked, amused by the mundane banality of her request. He lingered for a moment, then shook his head and went about giving Changing Star a hand. As they cleaned the plates in the cold water produced by either a Memory or the Ivory Tower itself, she started talking:

"I've known for a long time that the great clans - especially Song and Valor - were opposed to each other, despite being outwardly unified. The symptoms of the approaching war were quite apparent, if one knew where to look. However, the reasons for this animosity have always eluded me. Ki Song and Anvil had been comrades once, after all... well, I guess it doesn't really matter. My father was their comrade, too.

Sunny hesitated for a moment.

"Do they really need a reason, though? Power is already reason enough. Both have an unimaginable amount of it, but in my experience, those who possess great power are the. ones most greedy for more.

Nephis slowly shook her head.

clans stand to lose more from it than they would gain. There are other powers to consider, too - the House of Night, for example. Even the government, or Asterion, wherever he might be... if both Song and Valor are weakened by the clash, the lesser threats might very well swoop

paused for

suspected there had to be something else at play. And as it turns out, there is - although I only learned of it recently. I still don't know why the hostility between the two great clans has suddenly escalated so much now, of all the times it could have... now seems like a terrible

It felt as though he was about to learn a great secret... one that would finally let him see the full picture clearly, or at least show him the. way to the

but Changing Star herself had infiltrated one of the great clans, while

silent, waiting. Nephis calmly wiped the last plate; put it on the drying rack, and turned to him. White sparks ignited in her

with the

He raised an eyebrow.

use that word.

toward the stairs to the sixth,

uh, if you

her a dark look. then followed. As they ascended the

who know about the existence of the Sovereigns, Domains are synonymous with their rule. so, one might say that they belong to a Domain,

I found out, Domains are not just an abstract concept... in fact, they are very real. A Domain is an

her silently. He had suspected as much, hilt never

no idea what that statement

Ability, like the Transformation Ability that the Saints possess? One

Neph frowned.

Domain is something separate from the Supreme Ability. It is another innate function

lingered for

I don't know everything about it just yet. I've just gleaned bits and pieces of information where I could. The point is, each step of the Path of Ascension... as well as of the Path of Corruption... has its own meaning. The first path is the ascent toward divinity, while the second is the