Shadow Slave

Soon, the Chain Breaker was swallowed by the mist. The winds had grown stronger, making the folds of Sunny's nebulous mantle flutter. Feeling drops of water fall on his face, he sighed and looked at Cassie.

"Go."

She lingered for a moment, then rushed away to replace Nephis at the steering oar. Sunny was left alone on the bow, looking into the mist with a dark expression on his face.

'Effie, Jet...'Both of them were still alive. They had to be.

But how could they?

The Third Nightmare was not easy to survive. And these two... they, of all people, would have found it impossible to cling to life while stranded for more than a year on an isolated island.

Jet could only exist by killing living beings to replenish her constantly dwindling essence, after all. Effie was a slave to inhuman hunger. Without access to a great amount of food, she would swiftly wither and die.

How many foes to kill could there have been on a hidden island, and how much food?

'No... don't think about that.'

The crow Echo still existed, which meant at least one of them was still...

"That crow has always been a bit strange, though. Much too animated for a simple Echo. Perhaps it has something to do with Wake of Ruin... so who's to say that it can't exist without a Master?"

Sunny threw a dark glance at the Sin of Solace, who grinned in response.

"Admit it, they are both probably dead already. Ah, how sad... they were slowly starving to death while you were having fun with Nephis on the dark island. You really took it easy back then, at the beginning, didn't you?"

his teeth. The sword wraith

surely did. He is probably walking around now, wearing Kai's corpse right as a luxury brand suit. Well... it's for the best. You have always been jealous

of the Great River was growing restless. The waves were already much taller than before, making the bow of the Chain Breaker sway. Feeling the deck rise and fall beneath him, Sunny

true. Kai has Anvil's charm - I gave it to

stared at him for a few moments,

right... it protected

prepared to rebuke the apparition, but at

talking to your

the mist, two pristine white sparks burning in

reached him, Nephis looked into the mist and

that they

bitter smile appeared on

it seems like wishful

were not immortal. He had lost enough comrades to know how ruthless this world they lived in was, so wasn't it

Nephis shook her head.

contrary. I think there is a valid and logical reason to believe that all members of the cohort are

put her hand on the hilt of her

therefore, none of you is likely to be dead in the present. Otherwise, their existence can't

a moment,

can't die yet because you're destined to become a Defiled monster,

However, that also meant that there was no way for the six of them

ending for themselves and the Nightmare. Yet it also meant that there was no reason to believe that the rest of the members were

did, could be altered - it was just that the end result almost always remained the same. Sooner or later, all deviations were proven meaningless, failing to change the grand design

change fate inside of a Nightmare, as well, due to its fragmented and isolated nature. Plus, the Great River was a