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Chapter 1544: Innermost Void
Shadow Slave

After returning the silver blade to Nephis, and failing to say anything meaningful to her, Sunny did not have much to do. He spent some time with Kai, Effie, and Jet, enjoyed a good night of sleep, and then assumed his usual spot under the branches of the sacred tree to meditate. Everything that could have been done was already done. They had prepared as best they could… at least he thought they did. Now, all that remained was to clear his mind and prepare himself mentally for the coming battle. Sunny and his companions spent the rest of the time the Chain Breaker was traversing the empty void clearing their minds and steeling their hearts. The battle they faced promised to be a dire one…

But, honestly, Sunny did not find it hard to calm his mind and get ready to face whatever it was that would come. There were only so many times he could feel nervous to the point of losing sleep before a decisive battle. He had experienced so many bloody clashes in Antarctica that anticipating another one had long become an ordinary event. Preparing for one mentally was not only a skill, but also a habit.

So, Sunny found himself feeling strangely calm. He slowly went over his experiences in the Tomb of Ariel, consolidating his insights and shoring up his fundamentals. Rapid growth was most welcome, but failing to digest his many gains properly could leave him unstable. He had to eliminate all instability before reaching Verge. Others were doing the same, each in their own fashion. While Sunny meditated under the sacred tree, Nephis practiced with her new sword, getting used to its weight and powers.

Jet had found a hammock, somewhere, and was comfortably asleep in it. Effie was enjoying the snacks she had prepared for herself. Kai was practicing a strange, outwardly inefficient form of archery while absentmindedly humming a song. Cassie was steering the ship, which seemed to calm her down. Mordret, morbidly enough, was inspecting his collection of bodies. Those of them that had belonged to Awakened each possessed their own unique powers, so he was probably coming up with plans of when and where to use them best. 'That guy… is such a creep.'

Sunny shook his head, and then went to inspect his Shadows... which were created from the dead creatures he had killed. Not creepy at all, surely. Everything seemed to be in order. Everyone was ready. …But before they could return to the Great River, an unexpected event threw a wrench into their plans. Sunny was on his way to the bow when a loud boom resounded from below the deck, and the entire ship suddenly shook. Gritting his teeth, he immediately stepped through the shadows and appeared at the galley, which seemed to have been the place where the booming sound originated. He had expected to see some harrowing Nightmare Creature that had come from the void and infiltrated the Chain Breaker, or perhaps Mordret trying to kill one of the members of the cohort… but nothing like that was happening. Instead, he only saw Effie standing near the bulkhead, hissing curses. Her fist had crashed through the durable wood, splintering and cracking it. Her other hand was resting on her belly.

Her face was pale, and twisted by a grimace of pain.

Before Sunny could understand what was happening, Kai and Jet appeared at the doors. Cassie was not far behind them.

Mordret had not deemed it necessary to show up, but was definitely watching through the reflections. Nephis, meanwhile, remained on the stern, controlling the ship.

'What happened?'

Effie lingered for a few moments, then turned to them and forced out a smile. The sight of it was familiar, but Sunny was unnerved by the dark, bitter look in her eyes. The huntress took a deep breath and said, her voice somewhat strained:

"Ah… I think… that was a contraction."

Sunny remained motionless for a moment, trying to comprehend the meaning of what Effie had said. Then, his face fell. They had left Fallen Grace so swiftly precisely because they hoped to end the Nightmare before Effie was due. No one knew what would happen to her baby if it was born here… would it be Riverborn, or an Outsider? Would it become infected by the Nightmare Spell the moment it was born? Would it survive the return to the waking world?

Because they did not know, they could not risk it. They had to escape the Tomb of Ariel as soon as possible, and it had seemed like there was enough time. But fate had different plans. Even though Effie had not been pregnant for nine months yet, the labor had started prematurely. Seen from a different perspective, though, she had been carrying her child for close to two years now. So, if anything, its birth was long overdue. Effie studied their frozen faces, and then looked down with a sigh.

"...Sorry, everyone."

Sunny frowned. A moment later, he said in a stern voice:

"What are you sorry for? Give that nonsense up right now. Also… please don't break the ship any more. We need to traverse this bottomless abyss, so, you know, it would be really inconvenient if it fell apart around us."

He glanced at the other members of the cohort. Jet and Kai looked extremely worried, while Cassie maintained a calm expression. 'First, I need to get Nephis here.'

Effie was a Master, and her pregnancy was nothing if not irregular. Sunny had very little idea about how to deliver a baby, but he knew that having a powerful healer at hand would be extremely helpful. Nephis could recover from having her neck broken and most of her body vaporized. Certainly, making sure that both Effie and the baby survived the delivery would not be a problem. Banishing unnecessary thoughts from his mind, he shifted into problem-solving mode and pulled Kai away. "Let's go… give the ladies some privacy."

Then, glancing at Cassie, he said:

"I'll send Nephis down. You… probably know what to do better than I do."

Receiving a nod from the blind girl, he led Kai away. Ascending to the upper deck, Sunny walked over to the stern of the ship and stopped near Nephis, who looked at him with a silent question.

He lingered for a moment. "...Effie seemed to be going into labor. Go, they're waiting. I'll steer the ship."

A frown appeared on Neph's face, and she left the runic circle without saying a word. Soon, Sunny and Kai were left alone. But not for long. Mordret had appeared from somewhere, sparing them a curious glance. "I couldn't help but overhear. It seems that a wolf cub is about to be born, huh? How exciting. Can't say I ever heard about a child being born in a Nightmare… that should be a first, even among the Great Clans…"

Before he was done talking, Kai suddenly turned and raised a hand. It seemed as if he had wanted to grab Mordret by the collar, but managed to control himself, and simply put a hand on his shoulder instead. Kai's usually gentle eyes were shining with a cold and furious kind of light. "...You stay away from that child, Prince Mordret. I'm warning you."

His clear voice did not contain the authority of his Ascended Ability, but it still crashed into the Prince of Nothing like a wave. Mordret stared at the charming… usually charming archer for a few moments, amusement slowly disappearing from his gaze. Then, he scoffed. "Who do you take me for? A monster?"

He shook his head. "Well, alright, I might be a bit of a monster. But I'm not a fool. What do I gain from taking the body of an infant? Relax, Ascended Nightingale. We are all in the same boat. Quite literally."

Kai glared at him for a few moments more, then slowly removed his hand and took a step back, leaning on the railings. His expression was suddenly somber and pained. He remained silent for a while, then said in a lost voice:

"How… did this happen?"

Sunny knew how he felt, because he felt the same. Nevertheless, he suddenly had a ridiculous impulse to start explaining the birds and the bees to his friend, just like Effie had done to him so many times. Steering the Chain Breaker through the dark void, Sunny chuckled all of a sudden. "It just did. Don't worry… with Nephis there, it's all going to be alright."

However, he knew that the delivery itself was not what Kai was worried about. It was everything else. Shaking his head, Mordret walked to the edge of the deck and looked into the dark emptiness beyond. Somewhere fat away, the Great River flowed, a long span of it shrouded in mist. Outside the mist of the Source, Verge was waiting for them.

He smiled. "What an exciting Nightmare it is. Is it not?"

 

Shadow Slave
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Comments 27

  1. Offline
    Chaos_before_time
    Chaos_before_time
    + 10 ⋅ 0 -
    I actually started to like Cassie (after her first betrayal) now if she betrayes again then there is no redemption for her
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  2. Offline
    ZEXOS
    ZEXOS
    + 18 ⋅ 0 -
    1551. Left Behind


    The five members of the cohort were gone, off to scout the approach to Verge. Sunny felt uneasy and worried about their safety, but not tremendously so. Each of them was a powerhouse in their own right, and possessed a wealth of experience when it came to moving stealthily through a region infested with Nightmare Creatures.

    Nephis, Kai, and Effie were veterans of the Forgotten Shore, where humans had been at the very bottom of the food chain. Effie, who had hunted in the Dark City alone for many years, was especially proficient in navigating dangerous terrain without alerting anyone or anything of her presence.

    Jet had already been a frightening existence before the Southern Campaign, and grew only more tenacious after going through the disastrous months in the Antarctic Center, followed by serving in the military reconnaissance in East Antarctica.

    Mordret was by far the most slippery of the five, so even if Sunny was inclined to care about his well-being, the bastard was the last person in the Tomb of Ariel he would be worried about.

    So, the scouts were more than capable of fulfilling their mission unscathed.

    If anything, Sunny was more concerned about himself and Cassie. The restlessness he had felt for the past few months reached an apex, telling him that something was about to happen.

    The Sin of Solace was not shy about voicing his opinion, either:

    "You've done it now, fool. What madness made you think that staying here alone with her was a good idea? It wasn't me, that's for sure. Now, you are completely defenseless against whatever new betrayal she had in mind, with no one to cover your back."

    Sunny looked at him somberly, then turned away.

    Saint, Fiend, and Nightmare were still aboard the Chain Breaker. So, the loathsome wraith was wrong — there was someone to cover his back. There were plenty.

    'No, that's wrong...'

    Why would he even need that? Cassie was not going to betray the cohort. That was just his paranoia talking.

    Sunny frowned, realizing that this state of his was a bit concerning. He had grown so used to the Sin of Solace that listening to the apparition's poison was already a habit. It had failed to drive him insane due to Sunny's robust mental defenses... but maybe the sinister whispers of the cursed sword were having some effect on him, after all.

    Then again, maybe it was simply the result of the incredible mental strain he had been exposed to in the Tomb of Ariel.

    'Is that how the Mad Prince started to slip, as well?'

    Feeling grim, Sunny filtered out the incessant whispers of the sword wraith and went about his business.

    Cassie softly landed the Chain Breaker on the water and brought it close to the shore of the ice land, hiding it in the shadow of a tall rock mound. Sunny moored the ship, making sure that the ropes could be cut at a moment's notice.

    Then, there was nothing for them to do but wait and remain on guard.

    While Sunny was consumed by alarm and doubt, Cassie seemed perfectly at ease. If she had been surprised by his sudden decision to stay back —which, in all honesty, went against how he would usually act — she did not show it. The blind girl remained at the stern of the ship, ready to activate the runic circle and send the Chain Breaker into the air the moment there was danger.

    Sunny, meanwhile, was in charge of watching out for said danger. One of his shadows continued to keep an eye on Cassie, while the other five spread out to have a better view of the environment. He commanded Saint and Fiend to remain on the ship and sent Nightmare to hide in the shadows on top of the mound they were moored to.

    Hours passed in tense silence, with nothing happening.

    ...It was strange, really.

    Torment had been like a scarecrow in Sunny's mind. He had enjoyed the benefit of having Cassie around for long enough to know how potent and miraculous, albeit not applicable in a direct confrontation for the most part, her powers were. So, he was understandably wary of the Defiled version of the blind seer, not to mention if that Defiled was a Saint.

    What was Torment's Transformation Ability? How had her other Abilities grown, and what was she capable of?

    There were no answers, which only made Sunny feel more nervous. If there was one thing he did know, however, it was that the Last Plague would be attuned to fate and revelations to an incredible degree. Which meant that she would have means of knowing when she was in danger.

    The arrival of the cohort was definitely a dire danger. They had already exterminated the other Plagues, after all. So, Sunny had been fully prepared to fight their way to Verge through a sea of abominations.

    However, there had been no one waiting for them when they descended from the black void. There was no one laying in ambush at the shores of the frozen landmass, either. Even now, when the members of the cohort had split up into three teams, nothing appeared to attack them while they were separated from each other.

    Why was that?

    Was Torment, perhaps, unable to receive any visions of fate in the Tomb of Ariel, just like Cassie was unable to see anything except darkness in hers?

    That would certainly make things easier.

    If Cassie was really unable to see the future...

    Was Torment's strange passivity the result of the Mad Prince's schemes?

    Sunny was full of alarm and ready for something perilous to happen, but nothing was happening. That only added to his frustration.

    Cassie remained on the stern, acting like nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

    Hours slowly passed, and then, the night came. The seven suns drowned in the water, and the Great River ignited with a soft, iridescent glow. Even the massive plain of ice shone dimly, illuminating itself with a pale, ghostly radiance. Bathed in that radiance, pillars of black stone were like a forest of colossal, dead trees.

    Sunny remained on the deck for a while, looking in the direction of Verge and wondering how the members of the cohort were doing. After a while, he went to the stern and spoke with Cassie about taking turns guarding the ship.

    "My shadows will wake me up instantly if something happens. So... if there's danger, just keep yourself alive for a few seconds. I'll be there before you know it."

    The blind girl nodded seriously.

    "Of course. Go, and try to rest well. There probably won't be a chance to do so after the scouts return."

    Sunny hesitated for a bit, then descended below deck and entered his cabin. Laying down on his cot, he closed his eyes and relaxed his body. He also controlled his heartbeat and breathing, making them as calm and natural as he could.

    Pretending to be asleep.

    But, of course, Sunny was not asleep. Instead, he was observing Cassie.

    If she really intended to do something in secret, and his decision to stay behind put a wrench in her plans, now would be the perfect moment for her to act.

    And, indeed, after some time passed... Cassie did.
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    1. Offline
      ZEXOS
      ZEXOS
      + 16 ⋅ 0 -
      1552. Lifeboat


      'What is she doing?'

      Laying in the darkness while pretending to sleep, Sunny suppressed the desire to frown. Cassie had left the runic circle, picked up the Guiding Light, and slowly walked across the deck. As she did, a hurricane of white sparks rose around her, slowly forming into a humanoid figure.

      It was the echo of the Defiled sybil she had received in Fallen Grace. The eerie thing had survived Twilight, although just barely. Now, her wounds were healed. Even her flowing red dress mended itself, as did her veil. The Echo followed the blind seer, the hem of her red garment hovering a couple centimeters above the ancient wood.

      Just like always, her movements were too smooth to be the result of walking. Sunny had seen what was hiding behind that dress once, and he never wanted to see it again.

      Nevertheless, he continued watching.

      By then, Cassie had passed the sacred tree and was most of the way to the bow of the ship, near Ananke's ketch. She did not, however, proceed any further. Stopping near the ketch, she silently gave a command to her Echo.

      Soon, the boat was lowered into the water. The masts were affixed in their grooves, and the sails were raised. Gliding down with the help of the Quiet Dancer, Cassie took a seat at the helmsman's bench and summoned a different Memory.

      It was a wooden staff she had used on the Forgotten Shore — one of the three Memories from her First Nightmare. The Endless Spring was now with Sunny, the Evertwine was with Nephis, and only the staff remained in Cassie's own soul arsenal.

      Its enchantment was capable of summoning wind.

      Aiming the staff at the sails of the ketch, Cassie activated the enchantment and sent the boat moving away from the Chain Breaker.

      Sunny's shadow, of course, was already hiding under one of the masts. Back in his cabin, Sunny continued to pretend to be asleep.

      The night was silent, with only the sound of waves breaking against the hull of the Chain Breaker disturbing the quiet. The water glowed softly, and bathed in that glow, Ananke's ketch was slowly traveling along the shore of the frozen land.

      '...Goddammit.'

      Although Sunny was more or less certain that Cassie was hiding something, he had hoped to be proven wrong until the very last moment.

      However, he had been right all along.

      "You mean I was right."

      The grating voice of the Sin of Solace sounded like thunder in the silence. Sunny refused to react, knowing that Cassie was most likely perceiving the world through his senses. As long as he kept his eyes closed and controlled his breathing and heartbeat, though, she had no way of knowing that he was awake.

      Because she could only share the senses of those marked by her Ability, not read their thoughts.

      "That's the question though, is it?"

      The sword wraith laughed.

      "Am I just a figment of your imagination, or am I more real than you give me credit for? If it's the former, then I am merely a thought construct, and Cassie has no way of knowing of my presence. She said so herself, back on Aletheia's Island. But... can anything she said be trusted? Because if she does hear me, then your little performance was just rendered useless. Oh... sorry."

      Sitting in the ketch, Cassie showed no sign of having heard what the Sin of Solace said. And yet... by now, Sunny knew that she was a remarkable actress. Her effortless switch between her usual unassuming persona and the magnetic image of Dusk was proof.

      Could Cassie perceive the Sin of Solace, or not?

      If not... then how had she become aware of the time loop on Aletheia's island?

      What was she trying to accomplish right now?

      He forced himself to remain motionless, continuing to observe her.

      'I'll wait until she is about to exit the range of Shadow Control before taking action.'

      Sunny could control his shadows from a vast distance. It was also the maximum distance to which he could travel via Shadow Step. So, as long as Cassie remained within that range, he would be able to appear next to her in an instant.

      And by remaining passive, he would hopefully learn what secret Cassie was keeping, and what she was planning. Knowing that, he would be able to decide what to do.

      If she was going to leave the range at which he could reach her, though... then all bets were off.

      Sunny was not about to let Cassie put herself in danger, and just on the off chance that what she wanted to do could put the rest of the cohort in harm's way, he had to intervene as well.

      He had remained silent and tolerant of her for long enough. Today, on the eve of the decisive battle of this dreadful Nightmare, the truth would come out... one way or another.

      The ketch continued to sail along the shore of the icy island, surrounded by the beautifully glowing water. Up above, the night sky was impenetrably dark, hiding a numerous legions of slumbering horrors. Somewhere, not too far away, the abominable remains of Aletheia of the Nine were sprawling through the city of Verge, waiting to be destroyed by the challengers of the Tomb of Ariel...

      Or infect their souls and bodies with seeds of Corruption, making them a part of her Defiled legion.

      Cassie sailed further and further away from the Chain Breaker, making Sunny feel grave. The Sin of Solace continued to whisper into his ear, spouting all kinds of vile accusations.

      Finally, to Sunny's indignation, he felt the sailboat was getting too far away. If he lingered any longer, the ketch would slip from his reach, cutting his connection to the shadow.

      So, taking a deep sigh, Sunny opened his eyes and dissolved into shadows.

      A moment later, he stepped out of them inside the ketch, standing a few meters away from Cassie. She was sitting on the helmsman's bench, accompanied by her Echo. Her face was illuminated by the soft radiance of the Guiding Light and the pale glow of the iridescent water.

      Sunny's face, meanwhile, was drowning in shadows.

      Letting out a sigh, Sunny looked at the blind girl and asked, his voice neutral:

      "...Where are you going?"
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      1. Offline
        Pro100zver25
        Pro100zver25
        + 14 ⋅ 0 -
        I still believe that Cassie is not Cassie at all, but the Tormentor. The author very painstakingly and carefully led readers to this, and since the first time Cassie was shown to us, we didn’t even suspect her of anything, but now that the puzzle is complete, the picture becomes clearer. G3 has a lot of talent in writing!
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        1. Offline
          BlankDjinn
          BlankDjinn
          + 7 ⋅ 0 -
          I agree G3 has such skill and talent!!! But, Idk I think there’s more to it than she’s torment I think that’s part of the puzzle but we’ve already seen a person with a seed of corruption resist it in some fashion and she can use memories and echoes so we know she’s at least not fully corrupted yet. I’m still holding out hope she’s trying to be kind and take everything on herself like a silent guardian, but it is Cassie so that may be the case or just not.
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        2. Offline
          GoodKnight_
          GoodKnight_
          + 3 ⋅ 0 -
          I agree, but in my opinion, it was a huge mistake for Sunny to let this internal conflict (referring to a conflict within the team) erupt right at the final moment of the nightmare. This is supposed to be the most challenging part, where external conflicts could intensify, and despite that, he chose to resolve these issues with Cassie at this point. It seemed like a terrible decision to me.

          Especially considering that if Sunny had talked to Kai telepathically and convinced him to check something for him (regarding Cassie), he could have resolved it with the testimony of the entire team. However, he decided to go solo.

          And if he turned out to be wrong in the end, all he had to do was say, "Sorry guys, I had a ghost on my back trying to convince me otherwise, thanks for understanding."
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          1. Offline
            hell 2011
            hell 2011
            + 2 ⋅ 0 -
            It was a careful game of finding an advantage. Sunny was lurking, waiting, watching Cassie. Hoping to get an advantage, waiting for her to slip up.

            Cassie played it well and didn't show any weakness, she waited till the climax to move her hand. Thus, forcing Sunny to show his hand as well.
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            1. Offline
              GoodKnight_
              GoodKnight_
              + 2 ⋅ 0 -
              I see your point, but it doesn't seem logical to keep playing when he could simply call the guy who can see if others are lying (I say this considering that Cassie could do like Sunny and tell half-truths, but even that can be circumvented with enough questions).

              In the worst-case scenario, Sunny would only be seen as paranoid, and he could blame everything on the ghost, and everyone would believe him because he's the most honest person in two worlds.

              I don't even know why I kept writing this. In the middle of writing, I realized that the author just wanted to create something cool to read, I just didn't delete it because I took the trouble to think of an answer for you.
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              1. Offline
                Xenko
                Xenko
                + 3 ⋅ 0 -
                From an utilitarian standpoint you are completely right

                But this whole mess isn't something rational, it's about emotions
                Sunny stalled until the last moment exactly because he didn't want to feel like shit for distrusting the cohort member out of blue even though she continuously proved that she would sacrifice her life for everyone

                He didn't tell Kai anything exactly because he did not want the word to spread across the cohort and he was reluctant to reveal his suspicions to anyone

                This whole Cassie-suspense is happening because Sunny does not wish to be seen as a paranoid and blames himself for even thinking about distrusting Cassie after everything, so, yeah, logically, that's stupid, but for me it does seem insanely human-like
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      2. Offline
        ExeS
        ExeS
        + 4 ⋅ 0 -
        Am I the only one who thinks Cassie is manipulating Sunless?
        Could it be that he is manipulating Sunless by making suspicious movements?
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      3. Offline
        BlankDjinn
        BlankDjinn
        + 1 ⋅ 0 -
        Damn what a cliffhanger!!! I can’t wait to see what happens :)
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  3. Offline
    Kenneth
    Kenneth
    + 6 ⋅ 1 -
    Child: Uncle sunny what's my father name
    Sunny: ehhhhhh, about that 9

    Imagine baby clearing nightmare and becoming a saint wiseacre
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  4. Offline
    ErectileReptile
    ErectileReptile
    + 17 ⋅ 0 -
    Mom, where am I from?
    - A nightmare…

    Mom, what’s my dad’s name?
    - I don’t know…
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    1. Offline
      Dummybaron
      Dummybaron
      + 5 ⋅ 0 -
      Fr Fr poor child
      Edit: He has uncle with alot of wisdom at least
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  5. Offline
    Awybin
    Awybin
    + 7 ⋅ 0 -
    Damm, but at least Effie will be able to help in the fight I guess....
    If this baby is born a Saint... this is going to be crazy
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