Shadow Slave

The white beach was shrouded in mist once again. The bright and beautiful vista of Wind Flower's dream was gone, replaced by the chilling gloom of reality. Surrounded by the flowing fog and dreadful silence, Sunny waited for a moment, then slowly straightened and looked around.

His heart was beating wildly, full of crippling panic and boundless dread.

...These feelings were not something he wanted to feel, or had a reason to. Rather, they were simply an instinctual response caused by meeting countless harrowing ends in this misty hell. Even when Sunny was calm, his body remembered every torturous death, every heart-wrenching loss, and every pained cry.

The sight of the white fog enveloping the Chain Breaker was a promise of many more torments to come. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his heart... it was getting harder and harder to do with each new revolution.

A few moments later, Sunny let out a long sigh and turned around.

Cassie was facing him with a somber expression on her pale face. She lingered for a few moments, then leaned heavily on the Guiding Light and asked in a quiet voice:

"So? How did it go?"

He looked away.

"I met her. There is... a lot to discuss. We should bring Jet back first."

The blind girl nodded listlessly, then walked over to Nightmare, adjusted the stirrups, and climbed into the saddle. A few moments later, she disappeared into the mist.

Nephis had been observing them tiredly. Her brow was furrowed into a deep frown. Glancing at Sunny, she asked:

"What is going on?"

He met her gaze and sighed.

"Cassie... is off to find Jet. Let's just rest for a bit, please. I'll explain everything when they return."

She studied his face for a few moments, as if wanting to ask more. Eventually, however, Nephis simply nodded and said in her usual emotionless tone:

"You don't look too well."

Sunny looked at her. Neph was not in the best state herself... she seemed spent and exhausted, almost ready to topple at any moment. Her already pale face was drained of all color, her eyes sunken and slightly unfocused. The slumped shoulders, the sickly pallor, the feverish gaze... these were the symptoms of extreme essence exhaustion.

He smiled.

"You look beautiful, though."

the railing. Nephis remained motionless for a few moments, flustered. Then, she silently sat down near him and rested

wait until

not answer,

lot to think

many lifetimes of dread, really - to reach Aletheia's Tower. However, the truths Wind

Waking World... the true identity of the First Seeker... the secrets of Aletheia's Island, and so much more. Even the impossible number of challengers who had entered this

But, most importantly...

a few things about the Mad

point... I can't

a nightmare, but the bastard had spoken to Wind Flower personally. Which meant

on Aletheia's Island, they were her only guests. That proved that very few beings possessed power over dreams, even here in the Tomb of

And that meant...

'It was him.'

Sunny exhaled slowly.

she would

was that madman who had massacred Weave, then used its last priestess to guide them deeper into the Nightmare. Past the time storm and to the derelict of

the Estuary Key and secreted

even been the author of the demented runes Sunny had seen on the piece of flotsam drifting in the upper reaches of the Great

Mad Prince done all these

'No, before that...'

had that monster

Sunny was covered

mysterious puppeteer responsible for many of the strange things happening in this Nightmare was none other than his

did not make any

things. But there was one

wasn't Fallen

except for Fallen Grace. That last city, though, had strangely been spared. It was attacked by the Defiled from time to time, sure, but none of the Heralds of the Estuary

inaction seemed very strange,

because the Mad Prince needed Sunny and Nephis to visit it

it because the Six Plagues

had treacherously eliminated Undying Slaughter and Devouring Beast from the board, after all. Who was to say that Soul Stealer, Torment, and even the Dread Lord himself had not been dealt with in a

the final obstacle of the Third Nightmare would be the