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.

is too ill-timed, anti too destructive. The great 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

for a

don't know why the hostility between the two great clans has suddenly escalated so much now, of all the

her, consumed by tense anticipation. It felt as though he was about to learn a great secret... one

infiltrated one of the great

waiting. Nephis calmly wiped the last plate; put it on the drying rack,

with the Sovereigns... and

He raised an eyebrow.

a few people use that word.

headed toward the stairs to

if you

gave her a dark look. then followed.

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

here. As I found out, Domains are not just an abstract concept... in fact, they

He had suspected as much, hilt never had

he had no idea what that

it is an Ability, like the Transformation Ability that the Saints possess?

Neph frowned.

a supreme, ultimate, or pinnacle Ability, I guess. But a Domain is something separate from the Supreme Ability. It is another innate function of the Aspect, just like controlling soul essence or accessing the Soul

for a

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