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.

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

paused for a

why the hostility between the two great clans has suddenly escalated so much now, of all the times it could

though he was about to learn a great secret... one that would finally let him see the full

of the great clans,

it on the drying rack, and turned to him. White sparks

with the Sovereigns... and their

He raised an eyebrow.

heard a few people use that word.

headed toward the stairs to the sixth, highest level of

uh, if you

a dark look. then followed. As they ascended the

their rule. so, one might say that they belong to a Domain, meaning that they serve.

are not just an abstract concept... in fact, they are very real. A Domain is an extension of a Sovereign's

at her silently. He had suspected as much, hilt never had any

he had no idea

like the Transformation Ability that the Saints possess? One that

Neph frowned.

But a Domain is

for a

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