Shadow Slave

Sunny almost choked on his tea.He had grown accustomed to Ananke being helpful and accommodating, so he did not expect her to become philosophical all of a sudden. Worse still, because of his own Flaw, he had no chance but to answer her philosophical question.

'What is life, huh?'

He coughed.

"Well, I don't know. To me, life is all about being rich and comfortable. Throw a little decadence in the mix, and it's even better! If I ever manage to build such a delightful life for myself, I'll be more than happy to never improve or grow... apart from growing fatter, that is..."

The old woman laughed.

"That is a remarkable dream, my Lord."

Nephis threw a burning gaze at him at the mention of decadence, then turned to Ananke.

"Then what about the next step? How does one become Supreme?"

Her voice was tense.

The old woman lingered for a while, then shook her head with a sigh.

"That I don't know... and there is no one left to teach me. I am sorry that I can't be of help."

Sunny shook his head.

"No, no... you've already been very helpful. We learned a lot from you."

Ananke smiled.

"In that case, thank you for this meal, my Lord and Lady. I've been blessed by your grace. Rest well tonight."

She rose and added, her voice tinged with melancholy:

"...Tomorrow, we sail to the center of the city."

After she left, Sunny and Nephis remained silent for a while. Both were thoughtful, pondering the startling truths of how the ancient humans walked the path of Ascension before the Nightmare Spell.

Eventually, Sunny sighed.

"It seems that Awakening took a lot longer before, but was not nearly as fatal as it is with the Nightmare Spell."

He scratched the back of his

the help of the Spell, then why has

She frowned.

according to a different set of laws. Or maybe there were Awakened in

head and added, her voice

surprising if the possibility was there, but no one has ever managed to grasp it. After all, all steps except the first one - gaining the ability to sense your essence - require some kind of knowledge. Forming the core, refining essence, expanding

Sunny nodded.

them that there was something to be learned. Yes... it is a good theory. The theory that our world is simply different from the Dream Realm is also good. As well as that there were actually

answering. After a while,

and why. But, personally... I don't buy that there has always been a connection between the two. If so, then

She shook her head.

on Earth before the Nightmare Spell? No soul shards, no sorcery, no Aspects, and no Flaws?

for a while, thinking. Then, he said

precisely because there were no Awakened, no soul shards, no sorcery, and no Aspects... that there was no

shrugged with

don't know. To be honest, I don't really believe in that sanctuary stuff. I just said what came to mind. You are right... our world is the only place that was drastically different from the Dream Realm, before the Nightmare Spell infected it. We don't know anything

head and

tired, and it is time to rest. Where are you

him a long

a particular reason you're

that, he almost dropped the

know which room you chose, to pick a

huffed, glanced at

"Although..."

Nephis was already standing

"Goodnight!"

moments later, she was

for a while, alone in

Eventually, he sighed.

I'm the only

"Look!"

standing at the bow, staring into the distance curiously. Nephis was a few steps back, sitting on the

she opened

a floating city was slowly appearing from beyond

Weave.

a single whole. There was a network of canals between the various districts that served as roads, and a forest of narrow towers rising into the sky. Most of them were windcatchers, just like the tower of the House of Parting was - some

fluttered in the

seemed to be carved of ivory, some were pavilions of sun-bleached, bright silk. There were districts with homes and houses, groves of fruit trees, and even entire city-ships taken entirely by a single elegant palace or a solemn