Shadow Slave

The Ebony Tower was just like the last time Sunny had seen it — floating ominously in a boundless black void, with a sea of fire burning above it relentlessly.

The Fire Keepers had established an outpost here, but after the Chain Breaker gained the ability to brave the Crushing, they only maintained a token presence in the Sky Below. Now that Neph's followers had left to challenge the Nightmares, there was not a soul around.

He stepped out of the black arch on the highest level of the obsidian pagoda and remained there for a while, staring into the distance. Somewhere far away, in a different world, one of his shadows was following Rain… Sunny had to think of a way to approach her openly, but his current mental state was too volatile to try.

«…I'll think of something later.»

Nothing moved in the Sky Below. Nothing disturbed the cold silence. Rid of the suffocating pressure of human company, he felt… comfortable, for the first time in a while. Or at least numb.

There was consolation in solitude.

Sunny exhaled slowly, then allowed the Onyx Mantle to retreat back under his skin. With his military bodysuit in tatters, he was left practically naked — after hesitating for a bit, Sunny allowed the wild shadows to envelop his lithe body, and manifested them into a semblance of soft fabric.

Summoning the Endless Spring, he satiated his thirst and left the sixth level of the Ebony Tower.

The fifth level consisted of one large chamber. It was shrouded in darkness, with countless runes covering the obsidian walls. These runes were the reason why Sunny had chosen to come to this place.

He stared at them emotionlessly.

«I knew it.»

Before, Sunny had been unable to read the forbidden runes. In fact, simply beholding them had almost killed him… but things were different now. Not only had he grown vastly more powerful since his day as an Awakened, but he had also received the revelations of madness from the Sin of Solace.

Thanks to that, he glimpsed the secrets that Ariel had left behind, and was seemingly inoculated against the power of the forbidden runes by the knowledge of the Forgotten God.

by the runes carved into the walls of the Ebony

had to be careful when studying them — the knowledge of the Void that a daemon was capable of enduring could very well plant seeds of Corruption into his Transcendent Soul, and there was not telling if any

also a

he could not do it himself from memory. After years of wandering the Dream Realm and exploring ancient ruins, he could somewhat decipher the meaning, but a proper translation would take a

Which was fine.

but time, these

not get to work immediately, though. What was

flame reservoir on the second floor where Weaver's arm had once been left to burn, devoured by the harrowing rot

the Fire Keepers had established

shrouded in darkness once, but now, it was brightly lit by a multitude of enchanted lanterns. Sunny counted them calmly

reason. For as long as the master of the lantern was alive, their lantern would continue to glow. If

in the Ivory Tower, which could tell if any of them had

it, the Fire Keepers were doing well in the Second Nightmares. The number of lanterns had not dwindled at all… at

walked over to one of the cots and fell on it heavily. As soon as his head

He was tired…

was time to

his new life as

—— —— ——

up feeling

him, to sleep while one of his incarnations stayed awake. In such moments, his consciousness seemed to split, one part of it functioning normally, the other drifting in the comforting embrace of slumber. He even dreamed sometimes, while simultaneously observing his dreams

fatigue lessened no matter which

from the cot, Sunny

was not in a hurry. He summoned the Covetous Coffer, took out some supplies, and