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Chapter Text

She was Changing Star of the Immortal Flame Clan, the last bearer of the Lineage of the Sun. The leader of the strongest Sleepers to ever escape the Dream Realm.

…And she had lost this fight.

Her world was an ocean of pain. Her flames flickered weakly, seeping out of deep cuts and gashes, desperately trying to mend her wounds. But her injuries were far too severe to heal right now.

In the end, she was bested by Sunny. Her own student. She was so proud to see the progress he had made, and now he had earned the right to leave this hell.

She pushed herself against a large slab of stone, ignoring the pain as she sat up and watched him go. The shadow slowly got further and further away, walking into the fading Gateway, when he suddenly hesitated. 

A second passed, then two. Nephis swore she could see him sway a little.

The blur of darkness got larger and larger, until her former student stood right in front of her hunched, beaten figure. A few claps brought her to her senses, followed by an irate growl.

“Congratulations. You almost fooled me…”

***

Ah. He found out, in the end.

A bloodied grin found its way onto her face. The dreamspawn released her second flame- she couldn’t hide it from him anymore. The pain from her Flaw grew unbearable, but her battered body finally began to mend itself. 

“Alright, Sunny. You caught me. Now go. This tower won’t last much longer.”

Her sight grew clearer, and she saw Sunny clench his fists. “Like hell I will! Not before you-”

She cut him off. “Would you leave me behind had I not fought against you and lost?”

The raven-haired boy seemed lost for words. Flashes of flame from her dying body sparked in his eyes.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Finally, he snarled angrily: “Of course I would have! What about you, then? Why would you doom yourself to save me?! All your goals and ambitions- didn’t you say you’d sacrifice anything, anyone to achieve them?!”

Nephis smiled bitterly. “Anything? Perhaps I thought that once. Can’t I grow and change too, Sunny?”

As he glared at her with burning intensity, she continued. “Seeing all those people die because of my actions was… difficult to accept. Distasteful, even. But I would do it again. I would give them a chance to escape the Spell, or die trying.”

The bright radiance of the Gateway had faded to a dim, almost imperceptible glow. The crack in the ground threatened to destroy the ring of runes, and she knew that their time together was almost up.

“But leaving you behind is something I refuse to do. I intend on achieving my goals, but I will do it the way I want, without leaving my sense of justice behind in the process. What use is my ambition, if I become the enemy I hate in the process?”

She gazed into his lightless eyes, and it was there. Hesitation, and the slightest hint of sorrow. It made her feel… something. 

“But why do you care, Sunny?! You don’t bring ruin and bloodshed wherever you go. You have a sister to meet! Just… leave me behind. I’ll find a way out. You know I will. You know nothing can stop me-”

“And what if I don’t want to?” His voice was quiet, but Nephis could feel the suppressed rage. “What if I don’t want to leave you behind, because I find it utterly reprehensible? What of my own sense of right or wrong, Nephis? Do you have the right to decide for me?”

For a moment, she was silent. Sunny did not let this moment go to waste.

“My sister has been fine without me for years. She has a loving family and a warm place to call home.

But you? You think you’ll be fine wandering the Dream Realm for years, with no contact with anyone remotely human? Even if you survive this, you’ll never be the same again.”

Sunny shook his head. “You want to stay and find another way out? Fine. It’s a horrible plan, but I’ll come with you. The two of us will have a much higher chance of surviving this. And… you’ll have me to rely on. You won’t be alone in this hell.”

At this point, something inside her cracked. Ah, how she wished it was possible. Having a human companion in her trek across the Dream Realm would make a world of difference.

Especially if it was Sunny… no. She wouldn’t let him. She would never forgive herself if he died. Nephis steeled herself to say the words she knew would hurt him the most.

The shadow in front of her blurred. Much to her surprise, Sunny stumbled back towards the marble dias, eyes full of obvious pain and exhaustion. In a swirl of sparks, the Midnight Shard appeared in his hand as he stepped up to the runic circle. What was he going to-

With a shout, her student brought his blade upon the runes, causing them to erratically flicker. He had aimed for the crack that threatened to destabilise the Gateway, causing it to quickly widen and spread. The Spire began to violently rumble and shake.

“What are you doing?!” Nephis yelped. “Stop! Lost from-”

It was too late. The light pulsed once, then faded entirely. Sunny had destroyed his only exit from the Dream Realm. 

She stared blankly at the iron arch left behind, devoid of its radiance. The shadow stood above the broken circle, motionless, as if in disbelief of what he had just done. 

After some time, he tugged the tachi out of the ground and made his way over to her.

Nephis looked up at him, too shocked to say anything. He slowly lowered himself next to her and sank to the floor, unmoving. The artificial sun above them grew brighter and brighter, but an exhausted chuckle from her side was the only response.

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Neph. Come on. Let’s do this together. It’s just a couple of years in the most dangerous region of the Dream Realm…”

His head dropped onto her shoulder, clearly having fallen unconscious.

Nephis sighed. She turned away as light from above grew to blinding intensity. “...You fool.” 

As the sun of the Forgotten Shore detonated in an explosion of dying light, she whispered those words with a resigned smile on her face.

Chapter Text

“Wake up, Sunless! Your nightmare is over.”

The boy with black hair groaned loudly as he clawed at the stone ground, blindly searching amongst the rubble for the rude rock that had woken him up. The silver-haired girl sitting close by gazed at him with quiet amusement. Sunny had awoken at some point during the night and, while half-conscious, decided to summon the Memory for reasons unknown.

She assumed it was during the night, anyway. In reality, there was no meaningful distinction- the sun was long gone, after all.

“Wake up, Sunless! Your…”

“A-ha!” With a triumphant cry, the shadow pounced on an innocuous, fist-sized rock that lay next to him, only for Nephis to lift it out of the way. She carefully stepped over her confused ally, and held the Ordinary Rock right next to his ear. This time, it was much louder than before.

“WAKE UP, SUNLESS!”

Sunny shrieked and jolted out of his daze, wild eyes quickly focusing on the dreamspawn and her small, barely noticeable smirk. With a snarl, he snatched the rock out of her grip and threw it into a pile of collapsed coral nearby. “Damn you, Neph! I needed that rest!”

“Morning, Sunny,” she replied simply. “Your wounds are all healed, so up you go.”

She pulled a reluctant Sunny to his feet, and sent a final burst of soul flame into him for good measure. He had required surprisingly little healing after the fight. His injuries were still extensive, but they had seemed to be mending themselves even before the collapse of the Crimson Spire- possibly the work of the Lineage Memory he had mysteriously acquired. 

“How do you even know it’s morning?” the swordsman grumbled resentfully. “The daylight cycle doesn’t exist any more. For all I know, you woke me up at midnight and cheated me out of my deserved rest.”

Nephis sighed. “Is there any difference between night and day, then?”

He blinked. “I guess not. Wait… you could have let me sleep for longer then!” 

Hmm. It seemed as though some of Sunny’s pettiness had rubbed off on her. She was in an unusually vindictive mood today.

“You could have been sleeping on an actual mattress if you’d listened to me and left,” she told him. “Now here you are, begging to oversleep in a bed of rubble and dust. Be thankful your wounds don’t hurt any more.”

A feeling of dark, malicious satisfaction settled in the pit of her stomach as Sunny stared blankly into the distance. She ignored him and began drawing out a rough map of the Forgotten Shore, planning out potential courses of action.

After a while, she stopped. There was only one place they could really go.

The charred remains of the Dark City.

***

After cleaning off the dust and blood from their bodies with help from the Endless Spring, they left the ruined spire and set out for the city they had once called home.

What once was a series of wide bridges leading to the Crimson Spire was now a decaying path of grey, the red coral slowly crumbling into dust. With the sea gone and the sky dark, the cliff on either side looked bottomless. The two of them hurried across the abyss as quickly as they could without losing their footing and plummeting to their deaths.

‘So this is how being Cassie feels like.’ 

Sunny was pulling her along by the hand, relying on his night vision to navigate the darkness. His shadow was further ahead, scouting for any weaknesses or cracks in their path. Fortunately, the bridge was holding… for now.

The same could not be said for the rest of the labyrinth. While she couldn’t see anything, she could guess from the low, irregular rumbles far away that the same thing was happening everywhere else. The way Sunny’s grip tightened told her all she needed to know.

The darkness was oppressive and frightening, especially since they were too exposed to risk using some of her flame. Only the reassuring feeling of Sunny’s hand in hers, and the broken sword she grasped in her other hand, gave her some sense of security.

Sunny had warned her to never use the Memory unless they were in serious danger, but she held onto it anyway. If they encountered anything powerful enough to survive the annihilating sun, nothing less than an Ascended blade would suffice.

She couldn’t help but relive the vicious, harrowing battle that had transpired barely a day ago. This very bridge had allowed thousands upon thousands of Nightmare Creatures to march upon the Dreamer Army, slaughtering more than half of them. It had been their path of salvation as they raced against the deadly sun.

Now, the two of them were heading back. It hardly felt real, but that part of her life had never really changed.

Nephis stayed silent, trusting her ally to lead the way. Eventually, the crunch of broken coral under her boots told her that they had made it into the decaying Labyrinth.

Sunny produced a torch that they had prepared earlier, placing it into her hand, and she set it alight. The dried seaweed burned with a bright, warm flame, allowing the two to warily observe their surroundings.

They did not like what they saw. 

All around them, the growths of coral that once seemed like cascades of crimson blood now looked… diseased. Small cracks ran through the twisting protrusions, surrounded by an unhealthy pallor. Though she could see again, she was much, much more terrified than before.

With an involuntary shudder, she realised why. The scene reminded her of the ashen wasteland surrounding the Soul Devourer.

The whole of the labyrinth was connected to the Crimson Spire, and now that its Terror was no more, the entirety of the Forgotten Shore was slowly, but surely disintegrating.

Perhaps in a few years, nothing but plains of grey sand would remain of this place.

“Keep an eye on the grey spots,” she warned.

No sooner than she had uttered those words, a deafening crack sounded above them. She quickly glanced upwards to see a massive chunk of ashen coral hurtling towards her.

Before she could do anything, Sunny forcefully yanked her out of the way. A leaf-shaped kunai leaped out of his hand and anchored itself to a nearby protrusion, and he pulled them both to safety just as her back was pelted with shattered shards of coral.

Chapter Text

In the depths of the Crimson Labyrinth, where irregular growths of crimson clashed violently with malignant patches of decay, two figures sprinted through the ensuing destruction at full speed.

“Huff… that was close,” Nephis observed as they ran. Despite making no attempt to hide their footsteps, she was fairly certain that they wouldn’t be attacked. Not even Nightmare Creatures would be suicidal enough to stay out here in the open.

“You think?!” Sunny barked back at her. His shadow slipped up his legs, and instantly his speed increased. “Focus, dammit! We did not come all this way just to be-” 

He was interrupted when a slab of razor-sharp coral impaled itself in the ground right between them. Sunny disappeared in a shower of bloodred debris, but the indignant curses from some distance away reassured her that he was fine.

She briefly wondered why he still had his shadow when it was supposed to be scouting ahead, then promptly put it out of her mind. Questions could come later, if- no, when they got out of this mess. The dark-haired swordsman had her full trust, though he was sometimes downright incomprehensible…

Now paying much more attention to what was happening above, she weaved through the falling debris with quick and efficient movements. Predicting the trajectory of the potentially lethal pieces of coral was difficult in the flickering light, but it didn’t matter when she was expecting them to come.

A hint of consternation seeped into her inscrutable expression. The size of the hunks of coral falling down from above, the roaring collapse of the labyrinth at large- her intuition was telling her that something was not quite right.

The collapse of the labyrinth all around them was happening at a sluggish, but predictable rate. Parts of the decay had slowed down and stabilised, as though the crimson walls were furiously resisting its spread.

Above them, however, the disintegration was happening rapidly. Almost as if the spirit of the Crimson Terror was determined to crush them both in retribution.

But that didn’t make sense to her.

Nephis dodged and ducked through the deluge, slowing down just enough to avoid being flattened instantly. A massive pillar of coral slammed down behind her, and she dove forward to escape the destruction. Several crimson shards about the size of her palm narrowly missed the back of her head before she deftly snatched one out of the air and rolled forward, soaking up the impact.

She gritted her teeth and briefly released a flame. Her skin shone with a slight radiance, granting her a burst of speed and catching up with Sunny, her bounty held tightly in her hand. The torch she was holding was on the verge of sputtering out, and she channelled some of her flame through it to keep it going.

“This way!” 

Turning a corner, she soon spotted her companion up ahead. He was in a small clearing, fending off two giant centipedes who had apparently decided to go for him despite the danger. As he entered the range of the Dawn Shard, he sidestepped the acid from one centipede and whirled around, easily beheading the second one that had tried to sneak up on him. By the time Nephis had arrived by his side, he had made short work of the other one.

Despite the severity of the situation, she couldn’t help but stare at him a little. Just a year ago, it would have taken both of them to even consider taking on one Awakened Monster. Now here he was, slicing up two of them almost casually. It was nothing short of impressive how far he had advanced with no official training of his own.

And also… she couldn’t help but think that the way monster blood streaked across his face was just a tiny bit cool. Slightly embarrassed, she mentally grabbed the image and shoved it somewhere in the back of her mind before her face could turn pink. 

She would appreciate the sight later. Now wasn’t the time.

The torch in her hands finally gave out and crumbled to ash. He eyed the shard in her hand with slight confusion, before suddenly widening his eyes in understanding.

The pieces of coral falling down from above were strange. The cascading walls of the labyrinth were the colour of blood, but the fragment that Nephis had risked her life to obtain was of a noticeably brighter shade. But most importantly, its surface was suspiciously devoid of grey decay, unlike the structures collapsing all around them.

Meaning that the coral above them was being destroyed intentionally, rather than structurally collapsing on them.

She could perhaps attribute the accelerated collapse of the labyrinth near their location to Sunny’s mysterious, intermittent misfortune, but this? This was too significant to be easily discounted as coincidence.

In the faint light emanating from her skin, they shared a look of silent understanding. Something was most likely targeting them from above. 

Naturally, they had to kill it.

Right now, there was nothing above them, so they were in no immediate danger of being crushed. Despite that, this was actually a more dangerous location to be in- any abominations in hiding were essentially free to swarm them here. 

She could barely see several lurking in a nearby hollow, chittering in anticipation. No doubt there were many more hiding away, waiting for their chance.

Not to mention the thing trying to kill them from up on the walls- its capabilities were still unknown, and they would be helpless to retaliate should it have more means of ranged attack than dropping boulders on them. She had no choice but to move fast.

The burning agony from her Flaw proved too much for Nephis to bear, and she quickly extinguished her flame. Her tolerance level was much lower after overusing her Ability, and healing herself had taken a lot out of her.

Gasping in pain and exhaustion, she managed to choke out: “Defend me… ten seconds… be with you…”

Sensing a moment of weakness, more and more abominations began crawling out of every nook and cranny, encircling the duo until they were surrounded. 

Around her, the shadows stirred and whispered as Sunny readied his blade.

Chapter Text

Nephis was not usually scared of the dark.

The name of her Aspect was Light Bringer, after all. By summoning a small flame, she could dispel the heaviest, most oppressive instances of darkness. Even the ability of the Fallen Devil they had killed back in the Dark City had stood no chance.

Even before that, the young Neph believed that there was simply no reason to fear darkness. Not when she had the armies of two Sovereigns constantly aiming for her life. To be scared of something so trivial seemed completely ridiculous to her.

The Forgotten Shore had completely shattered that notion.

When she had arrived alone on the Forgotten Shore on a spindle of twisted red coral, a solitary island in a sea of pure darkness. When she raced that very sea to the top of a dreadful cliff, and heard Sunny lose his grip and nearly plummet into the maw of the rising tide.

When she had sailed atop the Dark Sea on a boat carved from the corpse of a horrifying Demon, shivering under a starless sky. When that vessel had been easily, contemptuously torn apart, and the tentacled horror had dragged her into the murky depths.

When she had sealed her own eyes with wax, and descended into the depths of the Hollow Mountains. The way she stumbled over her own feet, with no choice but to have Sunny guide her through the misty underworld, being completely helpless in the dark- that terrified her beyond belief.

As she knelt on the ground, body wracked with exhaustion and pain, unable to summon the tiniest of sparks as she listened to the battle going on all around her, she was reminded of each and every one of those moments. Felt how little the power she had gained really mattered in this place.

But that didn’t stop her. She had to use the precious few seconds Sunny had bought her to recover enough to help. Enough so she could fight the darkness, even vanquish it. She could not falter in the face of something so insignificant.

Nephis closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.  Focusing on each part of her body that screamed in pain, she silenced them in quick succession. This would help her endure the agony just a little better, until they got a moment to rest.

Four seconds passed. She whispered under her breath a simple phrase, and instantly her mind focused to a frightening degree. Every detail of the sounds that reached her ears, every clash of steel and cry of "Damnation!" was taken apart and processed, creating a vague idea of what was going on around her. Sight would have been much more preferable, but she had to conserve every drop of energy she had.

Three seconds remained of the time she had left. She gripped the Nameless Sun tightly in both hands, blade facing up. The din of the battle subtly shifted- the Nightmare Creatures attacking them knew something was wrong, and they began to get desperate.

Two seconds left. She got up from her position on the ground and opened her eyes. The action around her grew frenzied, but somehow Sunny was still keeping them at bay. White sparks bloomed from nothingness somewhere to her left- he was summoning a new Memory. 

One second. Her eyes ignited with flames of white, laying bare the conflict that raged around her. With a quick glance, she took in the piles of massacred, chitinous insects, and began to channel her power into the broken sword. The jagged edge glowed with brilliant light, and she readied herself for a fight- only for something soft to tackle her around the waist.

Her heart skipped a beat. Shrieking, Nephis let go of the blade with one hand and was about to burn the thing that had grabbed her, before realising a split second later that it was Sunny.

“S-Sunny? What-” was all she could get out before she felt herself being jerked up into the air. She looked down and saw an arm wrapped tightly around her. A pair of dark wings blurred behind his back, and attached to his other hand was a nearly invisible piece of string, leading far upwards. 

“Summon your wings!” Sunny hissed. “Mine can’t take both our weights for long!”

He was pulling them both up with an improvised grappling hook, she realised. Shaking away her surprise, she summoned the Dark Wing, and soon they began to ascend with considerable speed.

Nephis gripped onto his shoulder as they soared through the darkness. A few moments later, they reached the walls at the edge of the clearing, and Sunny landed lightly on top of a protruding ledge before placing her down. Far below, the army of oversized insects had lost sight of them- their senses weren’t very good to begin with, causing them to miss the duo’s escape entirely.

A few steps in front of them, there was a small hollow in the side of the cliff. Sunny held out his sword and moved forward cautiously, then relaxed when the cave was mercifully empty. Sitting down near the wall, he summoned the Endless Spring and took a quick sip before offering it to her. No words were spoken- it seemed he was a little out of it.

Sitting down next to him, she took the glass bottle and took large gulps of the clean, cool water before splashing some of it on her face. Tentatively, she released the state of concentration she was keeping, and winced as the admonishment from her entire body hit her. Now, however, she could properly assess Sunny’s state.

He did not look too good. There were gashes all over his body, and the skin on most of his left arm was missing. She could see white in several of the deeper cuts, but he had lost very little blood- it seemed as though his blood simply refused to leave his body.

Wincing, Nephis reached over to heal him, and he groaned as his tattered body stitched itself back together. His eyes gradually regained clarity. “Thanks, Neph,” he muttered. “Let's rest here for a while. Mind if you take the watch?”

“Fine with me.” She wasn’t in the best of shapes, but she could hold up for a couple of hours. Sunny said nothing, opting to silently study her, apparently lost in thought.

She suddenly became aware that her face was hot, and the water wasn’t cooling it down one bit. Quickly turning away, she concentrated on pouring more of her light into the Nameless Sun, hoping her companion wouldn’t notice but knowing it was too late anyway.

A ray of pure sunlight finally emerged where the blade should have been, bathing their surroundings with a soft glow. Sunny had told her that this was a soul damage weapon- a fantastic replacement for her Dream Blade, which was starting to lose its effectiveness against the foes she often ended up facing. 

Apparently, it absorbed the soul shards of the Nightmare Creatures she killed, but that was a small price to pay for the combat power it gave her. Using the blade too much would cause her to slowly lose control of her Aspect, though- she had to be careful while using it.

She still had no idea how Sunny knew the properties of the Ascended blade when he hadn’t tried to use it even once. He had simply asked Nephis to transfer the Nameless Sun to him so he could figure out what enchantments it had, and resurfaced shortly from his Soul Sea with full knowledge of its capabilities. 

Another mystery in the enigma that was Sunny, but she suspected that he would tell her when he was ready. He still didn’t fully trust her, after all.

The soft, regular breathing to her side told Nephis that her companion had dozed off. She sighed, and ever so slightly leaned closer to him. 

He was cute when he was asleep, she thought absentmindedly.

Chapter Text

Nephis woke up in complete darkness.

“Morning, Princess. Sleep well?”

Blearily, she turned her head and looked in Sunny’s direction, briefly forgetting that she had killed the sun a few days ago. She wondered why she was asleep on the floor, before her eyes widened in horror as she realised what had happened.

She had dozed off during the watch!

A chuckle came from his direction. “Relax. We weren’t in any danger. I woke up while you were nodding off, so I decided to let you sleep.”

“Sunny… you should have woken me up.” She was sure there was a small pout on her face. 

“You’re right. Ah, I missed my chance for revenge!” His voice turned mournful. When that didn’t get a reaction, he sighed. “Fine, Neph. Now that you’re awake, we should probably get ready to hunt down some demons.”

Nephis frowned a little. “Demons? Don’t tell me…”

“Yeah.” Sunny shrugged. “Found three Fallen up top, almost directly above us. They moved a few times while you were sleeping, but they seem to know we’re here. I think we’ve found the monkeys who’ve been dropping rocks on our heads.”

She shivered. Facing a Fallen Demon was one thing, but to sleep right under three of them, blissfully unaware of their presence, was pure stupidity. She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten to check their surroundings before even daring to rest. 

“Why haven’t they come down yet?”

The swordsman hesitated. “That… I’m not too sure myself. They look like the hosts of the Blood Flowers we fought a while ago, but flower-free and bigger. All of them are definitely capable of climbing, but it seems that the coral under them cracks a little every time they move.”

Nephis blinked. That wasn’t what she had expected to hear, and yet it made perfect sense. “The cracked ground was a brighter shade of red than other places in the labyrinth, right?”

Sunny closed his eyes and concentrated, no doubt trying to see through his shadow. “My shadow can’t really see colours. But yeah, that’s what it looks like.”

She leaned back and breathed out deeply. If her theory was correct, and she was almost certain it was- this fight was not going to be easy. Not at all.

But since when had their fights ever been against fair opponents?

“I’m fairly sure they’ve been oversaturated with soul essence. The Crimson Labyrinth was built to be a giant essence funnel, so naturally the material all around us absorbs some of the essence released from killed creatures-”

“But now that the Terror is dead, everything it absorbs now has nowhere to go.” Sunny finished for her, a hint of convalescence in his voice. “The coral near them just fragments and explodes, so they can’t scale a vertical cliff. Great. How did they manage to supercharge themselves, anyway?”

Nephis had no answer for him.

The faint silhouette that was her companion shifted uneasily. “So, uh, do you want to confront them or escape? We can probably strand them if we plan our path carefully.”

She opted not to answer, instead grabbing the hilt of the Nameless Sun and willing the blade into existence. As the ray of sunlight brightened, Sunny appeared next to her, face firmly planted in his palm. Letting out a long-suffering groan, he murmured, “Of course. Why did I bother asking? It’s just a damned trio of Fallen Demons, right?”

The silver-haired girl flashed him a small smile. “You really do know me well.”

***

Roughly half an hour later, they were at the top of the cliff, nestled in a large crack in the ground and silently observing their targets. Sunny was visibly blushing due to their physical proximity, but Nephis had rearranged her face into a mask of stone-cold professionalism.

…Not that it stopped her ears from turning bright red.

The reason that they dared to get this close, and even keep the Nameless Sun activated, was the milky white orbs in the sockets of the Demons’ eyes- they seemed to be entirely blind. They knew the duo were nearby, and would definitely react if they attacked, but for now they seemed to be entirely unaware of them.

Nephis stood guard over Sunny while he looked at the monstrosities through his shadow, which was directly opposite the place they had chosen to fight. Two of them were sat on a small, long mound of coral, busy shredding a large locust with their sharp, pointed teeth, while the third was standing to one side, not paying them any attention. 

The towering primates were at least three metres tall, completely dwarfing their Awakened counterparts. Each had four arms, with hands covered in bony gauntlets and ending in sharp, serrated ivory claws. The only one standing held a tall fang torn from the mouth of some dreadful creature in its left hands, whittled down to resemble a crude lance. 

The two Demons on the ground looked relatively normal, as far as Nightmare Creatures went. The lance-bearer, though, clearly seemed different. The ground under the duo was riddled with cracks and gleamed a bright, saturated red, while that underneath the standing one seemed completely unchanged. 

Sunny reported all this to her, and she listened pensively. Finally, she sighed. “Either that guy is the normal one, or it’s completely in control of its essence leakage. Seeing how the only weapon is in its hands, I suspect the latter.” 

He took a while to respond. “Our plan hasn’t changed, has it?”

She hesitated. Though she had decided to fight this battle of her own volition, upon seeing the dire odds stacked against them, she was forced to reconsider their approach.

Even with the Dawn Shard and the Nameless Sun on their side, this was hardly a favourable situation for them. Sunny’s Echo wouldn’t get to enjoy the augmentation from the crown atop her head, and they were pitted against intelligent foes a whole rank higher than the Carapace Demon that had given them so much trouble, back on the Ashen Barrow. Three of them, no less.

Sunny claimed he had some method of circumventing that, and she herself was confident of taking one of them down in a life-or-death fight. But… she couldn’t help but worry about him, since he would have to lure two of them away while she was dealing with the first. 

In the end, she patted Sunny awkwardly on the shoulder. “No. The plan hasn’t changed. I trust you. Be careful, and don’t die.” 

I don’t want to lose you. Again. 

He gave her a strange look. “You know, Neph, you’ve been getting awfully emotive lately. What happened to the old Neph and her nonexistent emotional capacity?”

Hmm. He had a point. When did things change? 

As she poked a finger through the side gap of his leather armour and heard him suck in a sharp breath, Nephis couldn’t help but wonder. 

Wonder if he was the culprit that had led to this change.

Chapter Text

Under the shroud of the starless sky, a lonely shadow lay nestled against a jagged outcropping, completely invisible to the eye. From time to time, it would hesitantly, slowly peek out from its cover, only to let out an inaudible squeak and dissolve back into the darkness, hiding from the subject of its observation.

The happy shadow was scared. 

Which was to be expected, really- this was the first mission it had been sent on. It was nothing like the gloomy shadow, who traversed the labyrinth easily with nothing but a deep scowl on its face. 

This was also why the shadow was so surprised when Gloomy volunteered to send it on the mission, against a trio of scary, deadly monsters. Alone, no less!

Its shoulders slumped briefly before it quickly cheered itself up. Right- there was no need to worry! Master was strong. He would do all the fighting for it. It would cheer him on!

Such was the nature of the happy shadow, after all.

Before long, the order came. The shadow slid out from under cover, then swiftly slid to the edge of the cliff. It made its way down and soon reached the ledge that it had scouted earlier.

It stopped, becoming completely still, and for a moment the world itself seemed to darken. Two glimmering eyes of ruby appeared within the depths of the shadow, growing brighter and brighter.

Seconds later, the sound of shouting and the clashing of blades sounded across the labyrinth.

***

Hearing the signal from far away, the Demon with the lance abruptly stiffened and snarled. It bared its fangs, but then stopped and looked back at its kin, a vestige of confusion appearing on its grotesque face. The Fallen duo not too far from him did not seem to react, simply lying prone on the ground, surrounded by fragments of the insects they had just devoured.

It was as if they had not heard the sounds of battle at all.

The lance-bearer snorted almost derisively. Lazy, foolish creatures! This was why, out of the three of them, only it could fully wield the power it was granted. Only it was deserving of such power! Switching the massive fang to a single arm, it dropped on its lower arms and began to gallop away from the two Sleepers, quickly gaining distance and vanishing out of sight.

Some distance away, faint light was spilling out from a fissure in the ground.

Peeking over the edge, a boy with long, black hair watched it go, then staggered, his face showing visible relief. As the ashen-grey fossil in his hand dissolved in a shower of sparks, a curved sword took its place. Leaning slightly into the silver-haired girl next to him, they shared a look of silent understanding.

It was time to hunt down a pair of demons.

***

The Nameless Sun shone like a beacon in the eternal night of the Forgotten Shore, but Nephis knew nothing would respond to its call. The top of the Crimson Labyrinth provided enough cover to drastically reduce the chance of being spotted by something as she moved rapidly toward her targets.

Soon, they noticed her approach. The hulking figure a dozen metres from her finally moved, letting out a low growl- prompting the other to do the same. The bone gauntlets on all eight arms shimmered, the ivory claws extending by several inches in the blink of an eye. But by then, she was already within reach.

Her task was to distract both Demons long enough for Sunny to land a crippling strike on one, buying enough time for her soul-destroying blade to take effect. 

With four arms each, the Nightmare Creatures they were facing could both attack and defend at the same time. As such, the only way they could deal any meaningful damage was to take them by surprise- a method of combat Sunny knew best.

Nephis summoned her flames and infused one into her sword. In the brief pulse of light, the figure in front of her blurred, and instantly she was forced to sidestep and parry. Pale sparks flew as sunlight met jagged bone, shaving off a large chunk of charred ivory. 

Darting forward, she ducked under a furious swipe and attempted a stab at the creature’s abdomen, but was forced to pull back as a fist drove downwards, bare millimetres from crushing her on the spot. She slashed at the arm with lightning speed, and was met with little resistance, leaving a deep, charred cut on its upper limb.

If the monster had reacted just slightly slower, she would have severed it entirely. Its speed and strength were truly monstrous- greater than even that of the Spire Messenger they had fought at the Hollow Mountains, and that fight had heavily injured the strongest cohort on the Forgotten Shore.

However, the old Nephis couldn’t even compare to the demoness that was fighting now. She had an extra core filling her with power, and a powerful Ascended weapon capable of rending flesh, bone and soul. Plus, she knew how to fight humanoid enemies- even if they had four arms, their biology was still familiar enough.

Familiar enough for her to if not kill, then at least distract without too much difficulty.

The other Demon closed in behind her as she turned to face it, trusting Sunny would do his part. She switched to a single-handed grip before summoning the Evertwine in a swirl of sparks. As the abomination snarled and lunged at her, she rolled under its left arms and held her sword up, angling it slightly to the side- an elbow was already falling onto her, but she was prepared for this move.

The glowing blade sank deep into the giant’s flesh, slicing into the joint. Nephis twisted her sword out the side of its arm, severing it, and threw the golden rope under the stump that remained in the same fluid motion. The end of the rope looped around the bloody forearm twice in rapid succession, then seemed to melt into the flesh- she had infused it with some of her flame, too.

Not wasting any time, she wrapped the rope around her wrist once and jumped forward, before the rope drew taut. The maimed Ape screamed and withdrew its arm, yanking Nephis forward so hard that her shoulder threatened to give out. 

She shot towards the creature with astonishing speed. Her sword flashed as she cut deep into its shoulder, cleaving another one of its arms and filling the gap with radiant white flame. 

Nephis smiled. A risky trick she learned from Sunny, and it worked. She tucked in her knees and turned her momentum into a forward roll, hearing the agonised wail of the creature behind her.

Then, she frowned. The battle had gone much, much better than she had expected. Within less than a minute, she was able to heavily wound a creature one whole tier above the Messenger they had fought, so long ago. This one was supposed to be empowered by a surplus of essence, too.

Perhaps the Nameless Sun was simply a bad match for the defences that the Apes possessed? It did seem a little too strong for an Ascended Memory…

Chapter Text

As the bone-plated Demon writhed in agony, Nephis glanced in Sunny’s direction. Her eyes glittered with silver light, peering into the depths of the night- not too far away, a desperate, bloody fight was taking place.

Her companion was doing rather well for himself. Streams of black, noxious blood ran down the Ape’s body as it struggled against the slippery swordsman. Another deep cut appeared on the bellowing monster’s torso, and Sunny’s movements became slightly faster, the ominous flower around his neck infusing him with bloodlust.

There were several gashes on his skin, and a shard of primate bone sticking out of his left vambrace, but the Nightmare Creature had yet to land a single decisive blow on the sneaky shadow. It didn’t look like he needed any help- the fight would be over in a minute or two. 

She smiled darkly and returned her attention to the Fallen in front of her.

With two of its arms gone and the stumps charred thoroughly, the abomination no longer seemed so imposing. As a Sleeper, attempting to fight such a powerful creature was tantamount to suicide, yet here she was winning in a one-on-one fight.

Of course, what she was facing right now couldn’t be compared to the Fallen Devil they had killed back in the Dark City, but this moment reminded her of just how far she had come.

As well as just how far she needed to go, to destroy everyone who had tried to hold her back.

Two radiant stars ignited from within her eyes, and for a moment the Demon seemed to shudder. Cracks began spreading through the coral at its feet, and shards of oversaturated debris pelted its body. Its two remaining arms began to shimmer, the bony carapace covering its arms swiftly being painted red, as if a tide of blood had spread from the creature’s body.

Nephis had just enough time to recognise the massive influx of power before it pounced on her. 

She dove to one side, seemingly evading the attack, until a sharp pain pierced her ribcage. Shocked, she reeled back before angling her blade to block a blindingly fast punch. Acting on pure instinct, she stumbled backwards and felt an invisible claw leave a scratch on her forehead.

For an instant, she saw it. A faint but well-defined crimson outline, wrapped around the claw almost a dozen inches away from her face, in the shape of three barely-visible prongs. It had to be some kind of ability, but that was a trait belonging only to Devils…

Then, there was no more time to think. 

Crude blades of pure force crashed against a twirling, shimmering sword of sunlight. With each deflection and blocked strike, the impact shook her entire body, but somehow she stood her ground. The invisible blades seemed capable of morphing and twisting slightly- not by much, but at such high speeds that made all the difference. 

The Starlight Legion armour was being seriously damaged, with some parts shredded as though it were made of paper. More cuts and lacerations were being opened over her body with each passing second.

Just a moment ago, she had grievously injured the Ape by slicing off two of its arms, but now she was being overwhelmed by the renewed assault. The only reasons why she hadn’t been sliced into pieces already were her outstanding agility and unpredictable movements, and even then she was barely hanging on.

Her arms were busy parrying and blocking, so Nephis inwardly put her face into her palm. How could she have been so reckless? 

Back down in the Labyrinth, the entire Labyrinth was collapsing on them, and yet the Demons were capable of walking around with only minor issues. This showed that they could suppress their essence leakage at will, and had some sort of control over their strength.

Was it not obvious enough that the abominations were suppressing their own power to protect themselves?! Now that her target had been seriously injured, there was no way it would hold back!

She shut out her self-admonishment and quickly began assessing the situation, even as her body was slowly getting destroyed. The Evertwine was somewhere to her back, but it would be of no use even as a distraction. The Dark Wing would quickly be ripped apart- not worth the small amount of mobility it would grant her.

Sunny was busy with his own battle, and by the raucous, almost uninterrupted sound of clashing blades, his opponent had abandoned all caution as well. 

Not one of her Memories came to mind- she had few of them in the first place. 

Was there no other way? It certainly appeared so.

Nephis sighed. When their blades clashed next, she took the force head on. The impact shook her entire body, and she flew several metres away- giving her time to shift her grip towards the very edge of the broken blade, just short of the projected sunlight.

Already, the Bone Ape was closing in, ready to deal a devastating blow to the insect that had cost it both its arms. Within its unseeing eyes, the figure it was about to destroy suddenly burst into pure, annihilating white flame.

The girl’s face twisted in agony as every inch of her body shone with destructive radiance, like a brilliant star that had fallen to earth. The Nameless Sun shone twice as bright, and in that instant she vanished- an afterimage subsequently winking out of existence.

Only to appear right behind the Demon as she drove the blade into its torso with all her might.

White flames spilled out around the sunlight blade, quickly burning away the flesh around the wound. The abomination staggered and howled, trying to distance itself. But it was far too late.

The blade of sunlight arced again and again, slicing through the Demon’s desperate resistance. The shards of bone that fell to the ground instantly crumbled into ash upon contact.

Not long after, the abomination was completely incinerated.

[You have slain a Fallen Demon, Ivory Keeper.]

[Your soul shimmers with radiance.]

The white flames died down, and Nephis emerged from within. The wounds all over her body flashed brightly and began closing. Her expression was cold and harsh, but quickly softened upon seeing Sunny approach, the Stone Saint following closely behind. 

Both of them were injured, but none of them were serious. An impressive feat, considering what they had just faced.

“You killed it?” she asked.

“Yeah. I summoned my shadows back as fast as they could go. Barely beat it even with Saint’s help. That Memory of yours is really strong, huh?”

She shrugged. “I got lucky.”

Her armour was melted all over and seemed to be on the verge of breaking, so she dismissed the outer layer, leaving behind the dark bodysuit underneath. Dismissing part of a Memory was a very inefficient way of restoring it, but Sunny was around, so she had no other choice.

“...Let’s leave before the last Demon returns.”

Sunny averted his eyes. “Got it.”

He stared at the charred, slowly disintegrating corpse behind her, before silently turning away.

Just then, Nephis’ vision blurred, and she slumped to the ground.

Chapter Text

What… is going on?

Nephis fell on her knees, then collapsed, rolling over sideways. She felt weak. 

Weak and feverish, like when she used her powers for too long- maybe that was it. The human mind could only withstand so much pain until it began to beg for mercy.

She gritted her teeth in frustration. But then again, when had she used her Aspect for as long as she had these couple of days? Time behaved strangely while one was suffering.

I know my own limits, damnit! I can still… carry on…

In the blink of an eye, Sunny was by her side, clearly startled. “Neph? What’s going on?”

His face darkened. “Another attack?”

Probably not, Nephis thought. But just in case…

Her breath steamed in the cool air- without the sun, the temperature would only plummet faster. “Do you… sense anything around us?” Sunny closed his eyes for a few seconds, then shook his head.

“Neither of my shadows see anything nearby, but there’s the last Demon we lured away. My guess is, another five minutes before it-” His eyes shot open in horror. “We have to go.”

Nephis knew that look. What it meant was simple- only death would await them if they stayed.

Sunny hesitated. His gaze settled somewhere over Neph’s shoulder and he quietly spoke. “So, um. Can you walk on your own? I could car- have Saint carry you until you recover.”

She sighed. “No, I’m okay.” 

Fighting through the nausea, she activated her Aspect Ability. White flame slowly spread through her body, circulating faster and faster, until she was able to move again. Her entire body screamed in agony, but she had long since mastered pain. 

She concentrated on getting up, as hard as she could, until she could barely feel the immolating flame burning at the back of her mind. Swaying a little, she dismissed the Nameless Sun and took a step back from the swirling white sparks, the Dream Blade appearing in her outstretched hand- the sunlight blade took too much energy to maintain. “Let’s go. We’ll make it back to the Dark City in a day if we pace ourselves right.”

Sunny looked uncertain. “In your condition?”

Nephis grinned dangerously, the Dark Wing manifesting itself on her back. She knew she could hold out until they got there safely, away from the Labyrinth. “Are you doubting my abilities, Sunny?”

“...Fine. Just don’t collapse again midway. I’m not carrying you all the way to the Dark City if you do.” 

Without waiting for a response, both of his shadows slid up his legs. He broke into a sprint for the edge of the cliff, speeding up- and leaped off the ledge as far as he could without a shred of hesitation. His own wings turned into a blur, slowing down his fall and allowing him to retain his forward momentum as he glided forwards into pitch darkness.

Steeling herself, Nephis followed closely behind him, incandescent eyes burning through the darkness like a pair of meteors. She couldn’t afford to lose sight of him, especially not at the pace they were keeping- and yet it wasn’t nearly enough. The pain she had endured for so long was steadily eroding her mental defences, and soon she would not be able to think straight. 

Briefly, she thought about tying them together with the Evertwine, but the golden rope reflected too much of her light for her liking. And since she was in no fighting condition, she wanted to draw as little attention as possible.

Ha. Too late for that, after that massive fight… I hope nothing catches up with us.

***

They fled from the encroaching danger that Sunny had sensed, relying on Neph’s memory of the map they had studied back when they had planned to reach the Crimson Spire, and Sunny’s shadows, who were both much faster and harder to kill than the two.

Once they were sufficiently winded, the shadows would find a place for them to rest. Sunny would summon the Endless Spring and let her drink her fill before taking his turn, while she tried her best to catch her breath during the few precious moments her Aspect could be deactivated.

After a few minutes of leaning against each other to keep warm, they would force themselves to get up and pick up the pace. They didn’t have much choice, since whatever Sunny had been terrified of was definitely following them.

They weren’t running at full speed, of course. Both of them had more experience at running away than most Awakened, simply because the Forgotten Shore was just that unforgiving. It was preferable to keep a steady pace, and conserve enough strength to sprint at a moment’s notice, than to rush ahead and become unable to recover in time.

Occasionally, an Awakened creature would pop out of the shadows, baring its fangs at the humans bolting right through their hunting grounds, then quickly scurry away as two gleaming red eyes threatened to emerge from a nearby shadow. There were Fallen waiting in ambush, too, but Sunny would expertly guide her past them without sacrificing too much speed.

They were spending their fourth break in a narrow tunnel, nestled within a partially collapsed wall. The dark-haired boy was resting his head on Neph’s shoulder, eyes shut in exhaustion, when he suddenly tensed. “It’s nearby.”

Fighting against the urge to grab him and make a desperate escape, Nephis simply sighed. “Do we have a chance against that thing?”

Beads of sweat, mixed with the water from the Endless Spring, shook loose from his matted hair as he slowly shook his head. “That monkey we lured away earlier? It’s not a Fallen Demon anymore. We’ll die if we leave this cave. I can feel it.”

Her expression darkened. “What’s the good news?”

Sunny chuckled. “Well, this tunnel appears to be very long. I didn’t sense anything down there when we came across it, and it widens up nicely further along. We might get lucky and find an exit somewhere else, or we might get unlucky and stumble into some Great creature’s lair.”

Nephis slowly exhaled. “I… trust your judgement. It can’t follow us through here, but we should go deeper as soon as possible.”

Her partner looked as though he was about to say something, then decided against it. Turning away, he summoned the Midnight Shard and stared down the narrow passage, his lightless eyes every bit as inscrutable as the darkness ahead.

The only way they could go was forward.

Chapter Text

Clank. Clank.

Two pairs of footsteps echoed down the long, winding passageway, sounding heavier than they really were in the enclosed space. 

White sparks flickered in Neph’s eyes, both to provide light and to enhance her vision. For now, this was the best she could do without overloading her consciousness, if only not to trip over in the darkness. She carried the Nameless Sun in her hands, the weapon poised to attack at a moment’s notice.

The Marble Saint marched behind her, keeping pace without showing a hint of exhaustion. That made sense, since Echoes were simply, well, echoes of Nightmare Creatures- they weren’t even alive enough to feel such things. 

But it was far too easy to forget that simple fact when she fought alongside the deadly moving statue. It often felt as though the stone woman was a living, breathing human warrior, albeit a completely silent one. Had she not seen Sunny dismiss the Saint herself, chances were she would have mistaken it for a real Awakened.

Sunny’s Echo was peculiar in many ways, such as the subtle, yet undeniable connection to the Hollow mountains, but the strangest of them all was that she- no, it seemed to have a personality of its own. 

It was in moments like these that she realised how little she really did know about the enigmatic boy and his abilities. Both of them held many secrets, but for a teenager not embroiled in the conflict between Sovereigns, he had far more than his fair share.

Though with his control over shadows, it was unlikely that Asterion would leave him alone. 

One day, Nephis decided, she would tell him all about herself. About her Clan, and the truth about their world. She hoped that when that moment came, Sunny would finally decide she was worthy of his trust.

For now, all we need to do is run and fight. And do everything in our power to escape this place.

Oblivious to her pondering, the Awakened in question strode ahead with silent steps. His shadows strayed further, but never vanished out of their sight.

Splash. Her silent contemplation was broken by a puddle of water. She looked around and saw that the tunnel had begun to open up. Slowly, at first, then becoming wide enough for her and Saint to walk side by side, with plenty of room for Sunny to join in. The suffocating feeling of being trapped by the earth slowly went away, and Nephis breathed a silent sigh of relief.

They had arrived into a large, elongated cavern. The smell of stale seawater and the sounds of disturbing it filled the air- it seemed that underground, the traces of the Dark Sea had yet to fully disappear. 

Her sight, even when enhanced by her flames, couldn’t discern what lay at the edges of the chamber. The splashes of their footsteps echoed throughout, but she trusted Sunny’s shadow sense more than her own instincts. If he hadn’t said anything, there was definitely nothing lying in wait.

The hazy, dull ache at the back of Neph’s mind, the result of suppressing her Flaw, was getting stronger. If she didn’t stop using her Aspect soon, her mental barrier would shatter, and the flood of pain would most likely kill her. 

With little warning, the ground began to slope steeply upwards, to the point where Nephis had to dismiss her sword and climb. The rock was slippery with saltwater and seaweed, but survivors of the Forgotten Shore were nothing if not good climbers. 

Having unsummoned Saint beforehand, Sunny was the first to reach the top: hesitantly, he ascended the remaining few feet and announced, ‘It’s safe.’

A few beats later, Nephis grabbed hold of the ledge and pulled herself over the top, the taciturn statue standing guard over her as she caught her breath. Here, the ground was perfectly dry, save for a few patches of damp soil leading ahead. Patches that looked suspiciously like… monster tracks.

At least now, with more space to move around in, they stood a chance against any Awakened creature they came across.

Deeper they descended into the tunnel, with no end in sight behind the twisting crimson walls. At some point, they passed a large crevice in the wall, three feet wide and thrice as tall. She threw a questioning look at Sunny, who shook his head. “Spiders. I can barely sense the webs.”

They passed the dark passage without incident. Whatever was in there had either not sensed them, or was too scared to come out, but Nephis kept an eye on the foreboding tunnel just in case. The ceiling was now high enough for an iron spider to drop on them, too- she spared the ceiling a wary glance before moving on.

A few minutes passed before they came across another side passage, then another. The place was eerily silent for a cave infested with Nightmare Creatures- perhaps the nest Sunny had sensed earlier was abandoned, but she wasn’t so sure. 

It was a mystery how the Crimson Labyrinth was home to significantly more creatures than could fit within the masses of coral, especially considering many of them had never adapted to underwater life. Before the cohort had sealed away the Dark Sea, it was commonly thought that the spiders, centipedes and other land-bound monsters took refuge within the crimson walls when night came, but further explorations only deepened the mystery.

This was a topic well-discussed during their ventures into the wilds of the Forgotten Shore, but so far nobody had been suicidal to explore any of the caves- until they had, of course. And now, Nephis was sure that the tunnel they were in was part of a vast underground network, where the Beasts and Monsters of the labyrinth gathered at night. 

The large chamber they had passed through was an air trap, Nephis realised. Which meant the cave system they were in was not flooded when the Dark Sea came and went- a safe haven for all manner of Nightmare Creatures, and an unfortunate end for all Sleepers who dared enter.

And yet, the abominations which were supposed to be swarming them by now hadn’t yet appeared. Even on a good day, they should have been silently observing, waiting for a moment of weakness- and the two humans were obviously exhausted. Any creature still living in the vicinity had retreated beyond Sunny’s shadow sense, as if they were afraid of something.

But what could force a Nightmare Creature to turn against its instincts?

Her answer came in the form of an abrupt flinch from Sunny. He had stopped, frowning as he concentrated on things Nephis couldn’t see or hear, muttering something under his breath- she only caught the last word. Damnation?

A heartbeat later, he grabbed Neph’s arm, causing her to raise her eyebrows in surprise, even as she knew what he was going to say next.

‘Neph, turn off your Aspect. It’s chasing us down.’ 

Chapter Text

The darkness seemed to envelop Nephis like a shroud, trailing behind her as she fought to keep pace with Sunny. Grimacing from the screams of protest coming from her body, she silenced them in quick succession, the Dark Wing supporting some of her weight as the swordsman all but dragged her past an alcove and into another small opening.

Her light extinguished, Nephis was barely able to see a thing. Only by listening to the echoes of their footsteps, and relying on her uncanny intuition, was she able to avoid tripping over the rough ground. She wasn’t used to running in absolute darkness, but the situation demanded she adapt or die- like it had always been for her.

At least nothing changes, even in the Dream Realm.

Sunny’s grip on her arm tightened slightly. A second later, he cursed. ‘They’re gaining on us. Neph, can you fight off an Awakened Beast without slowing down?’

She answered between laboured breaths. ‘Can Saint fight them off?’

As if in response, two burning eyes of scarlet appeared somewhere in front of them, and Neph felt the passing gust as the statue sprinted behind them. Not a moment later, she heard the sound of a stone blade ruthlessly tearing through flesh, accompanied by… nothing. Not a single sound was made by the creatures in pursuit as the stone warrior eviscerated them.

The dreamspawn felt Sunny shiver slightly. ‘Saint will slow them down, but a Beast is coming to intercept us on the path ahead. I don’t know how… but that thing up there has become a Tyrant. The minions chasing after us have the ability to move silently, but I don’t think they know exactly where we are. That changed immediately after you activated your Aspect, but I have no idea why.’

Nephis nodded silently- that sounded about right to her. Fleeing from an unbeatable Tyrant through the depths of the Crimson Labyrinth, where even worse horrors could kill her in the blink of an eye. ‘We can’t defeat it right now. How long until we reach the one ahead?’

Through the pounding in her ears, the reply came a moment later. ‘About thirty seconds. I’ll tell you when it shows itself.’

A wave of weakness took her by surprise before she was able to answer, and she collapsed like a rag doll. Growling, Sunny yanked her forward, evoking a small yelp from the swordswoman. An instant later, she was draped helplessly on the young man’s back as he ran for both of their lives.

Despite the situation, a weak smile appeared on her face, though with all the blood and grime it looked more like a grimace. ‘Didn’t you say something about not carrying me?’

Groaning from the exertion, Sunny was too preoccupied to answer. He let go of Nephis with one hand, staggered slightly from the imbalanced burden on his shoulder, and brilliant white sparks began weaving together, slowly converging on his forearm.

They sped past several different forks, the shadows guiding them down the correct path without hesitation. The sparks coalesced to form a small chitinous buckler on Sunny’s free arm just before something struck it so fast and hard that the two of them were sent tumbling. Neph lashed out blindly with her silver blade, slicing through something tough in the darkness yet hearing no shriek in response. A sharp pain seared into her leg right before Sunny leapt over her, grabbed a ghostly dagger from the air, and delivered a swift stab to the creature in the darkness.

A few heavy footsteps, followed by the sound of shearing flesh, told Neph that the Stone Saint had come to their rescue again. Hissing in pain, she glanced at her leg and found her calf muscles completely shredded by long claws. The assailant lay dead nearby, a small and slender primate cloaked in dark fur- save for its face, which was sealed by some kind of bone plate. Ivory claws slick with blood and flesh protruded from its unusually long limbs.

Her vision fluttered as stone-cold arms scooped her from the floor, and then she was flying through the tunnel at breakneck speed, slung over the pauldron of a marble statue. The stone warrior was not in good condition: hideous cracks had spread across her intricate armour, and ruby dust spilled like blood from where the fractures were especially deep. 

The jagged edges of the cracked stone dug into her side and her maimed leg felt like it was aflame, but all she wanted to do was close her eyes and give in to exhaustion. She’d done enough, surely… but she couldn’t rest yet. Sunny was in danger.

Neph squinted. The edge of her vision was covered in a veil of dark fatigue, but she managed to focus her vision on the small, dark blur in front of her. Sunny’s right arm hung at an odd angle, the shield nowhere to be seen- dismissed or destroyed, she wasn’t sure. The raven-haired boy had enough cuts on him to bleed a regular person out in seconds, and the odd way in which he was moving suggested more than a few damaged ligaments. He was going to die if he continued to fight, divine lineage be damned.

But so would she if she tried to help him. Her instincts were to push past her lethargy, recover her injuries with a burst of soul flame, and keep the healing going until they reached the Dark City. However, even without considering all the Beasts that would swarm them in a matter of seconds, the recoil from using her Aspect in her state any longer would definitely kill her afterwards.

Strangely enough, the silver-haired girl didn’t mind all that much. Her lofty ambition, her desire for revenge and justice, her past… all of them seemed to fade away at the desire to keep Sunny alive. The past Neph would never have allowed herself to entertain the thought, but her scorching Flaw seemed to have burnt away her mask of indifference as well. For the first time in her life, Changing Star was willing to give her life for someone- not even to accomplish her goals, but to save a dear friend… if only for a moment.

That moment was soon gone, though. What am I even thinking? There has to be a way. We must… both make it out alive. I refuse… to let myself die… before… She fought to stay conscious even as her mind wandered, desperately searching for something, anything that would get them out of danger, but realising in despair that there was nothing she could do. It all came down to Sunny, and whether or not he was good enough to survive this hell.

The crack in the back of Neph’s mind was almost audible. All of the pain and exhaustion from using her Aspect non-stop over several days caught up with her at once, finally free of her stubborn control. The dark shadows populating the tunnel began to burn a searing white. Everything became white. All she could feel was burning agony, as if she was chained in the middle of a gargantuan Spire and made to channel her Aspect into a new sun, for thousands of years without end, suffering without end, until nothing mattered anymore and-

This is the Crimson Terror’s curse, the girl thought in detached bemusement.

Then, everything turned dark, cold and lifeless.

Chapter Text

The cool ocean breeze brushed against her face, loose strands of dark hair waving lazily in the gentle wind. The young woman stood at the very top of a tower, painted in white with dull faded patches- a testament to how long it had protected the shoreline. The clouds near the horizon shone a warm, muted yellow as the last rays of the setting sun cast the ocean’s surface in pure gold.

Behind her, the rustic lamp waited, ready to be lit for the night. Nephis had never seen a lighthouse lantern in the real world before, but she knew without a doubt that it was a work of art. An intricate bronze cage housed the gigantic lenses used to project the light over vast distances, be it calm or stormy night: and between those lenses were the tips of thick rope soaked in oil, each sticking out of a small brass cylinder, which protected the oil reservoir below from the flame above. 

She took a moment to savour the view as the sun dipped below the horizon, smiling slightly, then turned and snapped her fingers. A clear orange flame appeared at her fingertips, dancing in the slight breeze, and she ducked under the bronze frame of the lamp to light the wick. The Aspect she had gained in the Nightmare wasn’t very powerful, but it was perfect for a lighthouse-keeper’s daughter- though, she supposed, she was the lighthouse-keeper now.

Sometimes, she wondered if her true identity was Nephis of the Immortal Flame Clan, or a bad dream that the lightkeeper’s daughter dreamt at the end of an otherwise perfect day. She had not looked at the Nightmare Spell for seven years already- what was the point? Why would she ever want to leave?

The warm flame licked the end of the rope twice before billowing outwards with an audible whoosh. She lit the remaining three, then adjusted the knobs until they were burning with a steady light. After that, she gave the frame of the lantern a slow push to get it spinning, and that was the last of her main tasks for the day. She had already cleaned and polished the lenses earlier in the morning- to keep the light burning clear at night, all it took for her was a little controlled fire to burn away the soot.

Having tended to the lighthouse for almost eleven years now, she had invented several techniques with her Aspect to keep the maintenance needed on the lighthouse tower down to a minimum. She was only a Dormant human, but she hardly needed to be strong. There was no fighting in this place, after all. She’d never regretted staying in the Nightmare, not even once. 

Just as she was inspecting her work, the faint sound of a door opening came from behind her, followed by that of uncertain yet careful tiptoeing. Feeling a wide grin come onto her face, Neph kept her back turned and pretended to be busy at work as the tottering footsteps came ever closer.

Three steps, two… and a leap.

‘Mama~!’

Neph spun around just in time to see a small child jumping up at her. He was no more than six, with jet black hair, wide grey eyes and a lovely smile that mirrored her own. Feigning surprise, she swept her son into her arms and lifted him up to kiss his forehead. 

She’d even found love during her time here, and that love was undeniably real. Nothing else would make her feel as much joy.

‘Dear, have you come to watch me work?’

The child shook his head. ‘Papa is back. From the mu… uh, market! He brought cheese!’

Her eyes widened in delight- now that was a treat. Sunny was a sailor she had rescued from the wreckage of a ship years ago, and while regaining his strength in her family’s care, he had decided that a life on the sea simply wasn’t for him. They had fallen in love and eventually married. The market was several days’ journey inland, but every so often Sunny would take their lone horse and a small enchanted wagon and bring some perishables back, to spice up their diet of tinned food. Her son’s favourite was fresh cheese- his eyes would sparkle with anticipation every time his father returned, and the cheese never did last very long.

Nephis smiled softly. ‘It's settled, then. We’re having pasta tonight. Where is your father?’

The celebrating child had the presence of mind to tell her where Sunny was waiting, and Neph gazed back at the silhouette of her child against the vanishing sun with a look of tender warmth. Then, she all but ran down the stairs to check on her husband, lifting her dress slightly so its hem wouldn’t touch the floor.

She found him standing outside their cellar, having stored away his bounty for the month. His eyes lit up as the young woman ran for him, arms outstretched. Reciprocating the hug as she held him tightly, he then brushed away a loose strand of her hair and grinned with the mischievous smile that she had grown to love. ‘I brought us a bottle of your favourite, and some extra cheese for us. Don’t tell our boy- he doesn’t suspect a thing.’

She leant down slightly and kissed him. ‘I love the wine, but I miss you more.’

He gave her back a pat, then gave her another kiss- this one less tender and more passionate- and glanced towards the kitchen. ‘You can have more of me later- I’ll fill you up with some food first. I know our son wants pasta, but what about you?’

Neph smirked dangerously. ‘Keep that promise you made, and I’ll have the chef’s recommendation.’ Sunny licked his lips nervously, and she fought the urge to push him down then and there- her son would complain if they took too long. ‘Go,’ she chuckled, giving him a little shove towards the kitchen. ‘I’ll be upstairs doing maintenance if you need me.’

As the young man hurried into the kitchen, she took the stairs up to the reading room. The uneven shelves were fashioned out of driftwood, as was the reading table in the corner- cut, polished and assembled by her father years ago, and installed by herself all around the room. Some held potted plants which thrived despite the lacking sunlight and water. A small candle burned in the corner where sunlight couldn’t reach, and next to that candle was the man in question, hunched over a book Sunny had brought him a month ago. The faded cover read ‘Free Fall: Pyramid of Gold’.

That book must be really good, Neph wondered, if Father is sleeping with the thing. A snap of the fingers startled the drowsy man out of his literature-induced stupor. ‘Wake up, Father. Sunny’s cooking tonight. Dinner will be ready in an hour or so.’ Her ashen eyes narrowed. ‘Have you actually done any work today?’

The former lighthouse-keeper scrabbled at the book that his daughter had snatched out of his grasp, eyes wide open in terror. ‘Give it back! And yes, I have! Do you see how spotless the shelves are?!’ Nephis trailed her finger along the spine of one book and raised an eyebrow. Her finger was covered in a layer of fine dust.

The older man deflated visibly. ‘Oh, right. That was yesterday. Damnation…’ 

Shoving a feather duster into his hands and ignoring his dismayed expression, she replaced the sputtering candle and took a much larger lantern from a top shelf- this was much better for reading, but that didn’t deter her father from secretly reading away instead of working. Settling down next to the table with the book in hand, she lit the lantern. ‘I’ll keep your baby company, so get to work,’ she admonished. Quickly, she became engrossed in the book while her father cleaned, looking as if he was about to cry.

About an hour passed before Neph looked up from her book, realising that something wasn’t quite right. Moments later, she realised that nobody had told her to go down for dinner, and she set down the book while extinguishing the lamp with a wave of the hand. Father was long gone- she chalked it up to taking his revenge for what had happened before, then made for the stairwell. The young woman observed the spotless shelves and books, and decided to reward him with some extra reading time. Father hated to work, but he always did his best at a task he started.

She was halfway down the stairs before a sense of unease prevented her from going further. She walked back up to the reading room, slowly at first, then broke into a dash and flung open the door. Nephis walked over to the window, and suddenly felt her heart stop. The sensation was strangely familiar, though she didn’t have time to process that thought.

The sun was still on the verge of setting. 

Even after hours had passed, it still hovered near the horizon, almost but not quite gone. The water had turned pitch black, a far cry from the azure waters she was so used to. An ominous feeling slowly settled in her stomach. She turned around and saw blood on the floorboards- the very floorboards that had been clean moments before. Her father was still nowhere to be found.

Now in a panic, Neph hastened down the stairs to where the kitchen was. The room was dark, but the faint scent of cooking still lingered in the air. Neph grabbed a knife from the countertop, flipped it over so the blade was pointing downwards, and set the wooden handle alight. She ventured forward, hoping to see a glimpse of sanity, of Sunny. 

What is happening? Why is everything so quiet? No, it can’t be… is the Nightmare ending?

The package of cheese sat on the countertop, halfway unwrapped but otherwise untouched. The bottles of dried herbs- garlic, onion, thyme, and some she didn’t recognise- lay neatly on the side, while a pot sat silently on the stove. She looked in the pot and found half-cooked pasta submerged in water. She cautiously dipped a finger in it and paled- it was lukewarm.

‘Mama! Papa! Grandfather! Come look at this!’ Her son’s cry startled her out of her reverie, coming from two floors up- the oil room. She yelled over her shoulder ‘I’m coming, dear!’ and fled the kitchen. No response from either her father or Sunny. She was terrified- terrified that the moment had come for this Nightmare to end. She didn’t want it to end. She was happy here.

She broke into the oil room, the wooden door slamming into an oil barrel, but she paid it no mind. Frantically scanning the room, she saw a child grinning at her, his pearly teeth white with mirth and undisguised joy. In his hand was a piece of cloth, and his cute little sleeves were stained with something dark. It’s just the oil, Neph sighed in relief, he’s just playing around with an oil rag, and Sunny will be here any second now. 

‘Sweetie, stop playing with that. It’s dangerous-’ Neph started, only to falter as she looked outside the window, letting in the crisp, cool evening air. The sun was rising again, casting sunlight into the unlit room once again, but this time it looked pale and weak. The air was suddenly cold, and smelled of something very metallic… almost like blood. She looked back at her son and saw a dark liquid flowing down from both of his eyes.

Her thoughts were violently torn apart. Not my son, please. He can’t open the oil barrels.

‘Mama, what is this?’ the child laughed. ‘I feel very strange!’ He held the rag up at his left eye, dabbing at the blood, and out popped an eyeball. 

The young woman backed away from the horrifying scene as her child collapsed, convulsed for a moment, then fell still. Amid the overpowering stench of blood, the blood on the ground rippled, and something jagged and rocky began to sprout from the remains, but Neph was too busy running for the top floor, stricken with fear and grief. She knew what she had to do. It would really hurt, but it was the only choice of ending this all.

She swiftly moved to the top of the stairs and looked at the motionless lantern- it was dark. Forcing back a sob, she grabbed a refilling canister still half-full with oil and was about to pour it all over herself when a quiet girl’s voice spoke from behind her. 

‘You won’t be needing that.’

Against her best instincts, she turned around. Her father leaned against the doorway she had just passed through. The ground was slick with blood, and he was casually tossing something large and round in the air. It was a head, Neph recognised. Sunny’s head. 

Her face remained impassive as she summoned a fire in her hand. It was white. She was numb to the revelation, as if she was used to feeling sorrow. Didn’t she love him? How much suffering could she take?

The man’s face morphed into that of Broken Sword- her true father. The girlish voice coming from his mouth became distorted. ‘Time’s up, Changing Star. Take my place. Become this world’s new sun.’

A flood of ghostly light entered her chest, reaching deep into her soul. The white flame in her hands wrested loose of her control, running up her arm before enveloping her whole. Her skin crackled and darkened, and healed to become spotless again. Everything was agony.

And as the pale sun rose, light shone from her wide eyes and screaming mouth, reaching for the zenith of the sky and bathing the whole world in white.

***

The white-haired girl slowly rubbed her eyes and sat up, her body feeling surprisingly refreshed. The constant use of her Aspect when she was awake had her body wracked in exhaustion and pain, but only a few dull aches remained- and even those were slowly dissipating. 

She opened her eyes and looked around, lighting a small flame at her fingertip. The first thing she saw was Sunny, seated a few feet away, looking at her with brows knit with consternation. For some reason, the way he stared at her made her a little sad- like she’d lost something, and she was never going to get it back.

But then, the feeling was not unfamiliar to her. She forced herself out of her reverie and gave him the barest hint of a smile. ‘Sunny. Are we alive?’

The young man opted not to reply, continuing to study her. Just as Neph was about to summon her sword, fearing an illusion or something far worse, Sunny finally spoke, his voice uncharacteristically heavy.

‘Neph. Did you have a dream?’