Staying atop the shell of the giant turtle had turned out to be surprisingly comforting. If you didn't think too hard about it, it almost didn't feel like they were resting on the corpse of a nightmare creature capable of destroying an entire city.
Alongside Sunny, Nephis experienced moments that were both joyful and utterly embarrassing. Even she could feel how much deeper their bond had grown. After all, they had been completely alone for an entire week.
They shared stories, confidences... truly opening up to each other. Nephis spoke about her two years of solitude, back when she had still been a simple Sleeper. Sunny, in turn, told her about his most desperate battles, how he had been tricked by Mordret, how he had stolen two Nightmare Creatures from Saint Tyris... and how he had died. Twice.
Of course, hearing that someone had died twice —especially coming from someone who literally couldn't lie— wasn't exactly a funny story.
But in the end, none of that mattered.
Because they both knew that this moment of peace was a temporary gift. A fragile illusion.
They were one step away from becoming Saints, and they knew it. But before that, they had to find their friends. Follow the river downstream across the endless sea until they were reunited. The problem was that this third Nightmare was anything but normal.
Nephis had felt it from the very beginning. She knew it when the ghost of her sword, once barely a faint whisper, started manifesting as a living image of herself. She knew it when she found that tree — the familiar one, where desperate, clumsy strokes had carved the words: "light and shadow, together."
The message was clear. And so was its meaning: Light and Shadow — Nephis and Sunny.
But what truly sent chills down her spine was not the message itself — it was the way it was written. The words, gouged deep into the bark, seemed to have been carved by her own hand. And the tree... the tree felt so familiar it made her heart ache.
No matter how much she thought about it, no matter how many theories she spun, she couldn't understand. Not yet. Not without more information.
Thus, there was only one option left: to leave the colossal corpse behind.
But one obstacle remained. And it wasn't a small one.
The great sea serpent.
That monster still guarded the remains of the turtle and the surrounding sea — the only route forward.
Therefore, the serpent had to die.
There was no other choice.
Of course, facing a Nightmare Creature two full ranks above them sounded insane. But that only applied if the battle was fair. And this one... wouldn't be.
What remained of the majestic and fearsome serpent was a body torn apart by dozens of wounds. It bled from multiple points, its movements sluggish, its scales cracked and battered from endless battles against those who had dared to challenge it.
And yet, what made the serpent truly dangerous still remained.
Its eyes.
A gaze filled with fury and untamed madness. No matter how many had tried to kill it, the serpent kept fighting. Kept defending its nameless throne.
Nephis had a plan. Something rough and improvised, but functional. Although, when she saw the look in Sunny's eyes a few days ago, she realized there was no need for words.
He had already decided.
Sunny stood at the edge of the turtle's shell, staring into the endless sea. In the distance, the silhouette of the serpent cut through the waters with infernal speed. But Sunny's eyes... they never left it.
For over an hour, Sunny observed his enemy with chilling focus. His gaze was so sharp it seemed capable of piercing through the sea itself. His onyx eyes, if it was even possible, looked even darker — like an endless abyss one could fall into without ever returning.
Nephis knew him better than anyone. In this world... and in the other.
She knew his mind must have been overflowing with strategies. Calculations. Hidden plans.
So she did the only thing she could: she went to train with Saint.
Night was falling, and though she hated the idea of staying behind, she understood. Tomorrow would belong to Sunny. And she would support him, even from afar.
Was she afraid?
Yes. If she had Sunny's flaw, she might have said it aloud.
But there was something stronger than fear: trust.
Nephis trusted Sunny with her life. Trusted his survival instincts. Trusted that he was not someone who could be killed easily.
And more than that... she had a reason to stay alive. A simple, yet powerful reason:
She didn't want to die — because if she did, she wouldn't be able to stay by Sunny's side.
And she knew he felt the same.
With that certainty burning inside her chest, Nephis smiled.
Tomorrow would be a great day.
The Seven Radiant Suns rose over the horizon, illuminating the vast sea with a brilliance so intense it almost defied reality. If that were even possible, they seemed to shine brighter than ever that day. Their light wavered and trembled, distorting everything in sight, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Yet, in a remote corner of that infinite ocean, atop the massive corpse of an ancient turtle, the shadows grew darker.
The tension was so thick it could almost be touched.
Across the torn shell, shadows writhed and churned as if alive, swirling silently around two solitary figures: a silver-haired woman, and a young man with dark, merciless eyes.
Nephis watched, her heart pounding, as Sunny cloaked himself in four swirling shadows, obedient spirits dancing around him.
And then... she felt it.
A chilling cold crept over her fingers, slowly spreading through her skin. It was the kind of cold she knew too well — the kind that seeped into the bones during the lonely nights of her childhood, when there was no warmth, no comfort.
She knew why.
Despite her bravery, despite her absolute faith in Sunny, her body still reacted with an old, involuntary fear.
And who could blame her?
Since childhood, she had learned that attachment only brought pain. Those she loved —her family, her protectors, even her friends— had been taken from her. Some fled out of fear. Others died out of loyalty.
Since then, she had kept her heart locked away. Until Sunny.
Now, she had something precious. Something she was terrified of losing.
And even so, as the shadows engulfed the boy she loved, Nephis felt something else burning inside her. A heartbeat, fierce and alive. As if her very heart, instead of cowering, had chosen to fight.
Moved by that impulse, she channeled her Aspect.
With the warm touch of an invisible embrace, she wrapped Sunny in the pure white flames of her power.
The flames slid over his body like a protective mantle, and for a fleeting moment, Nephis felt something strange and inexplicable within her soul... as if she brushed against something beyond comprehension, something mystical, something unique.
She saw him smile one last time.
A beautiful, arrogant, and free smile, as his steps carried him toward the shore.
Slow.
Elegant.
Silent.
A predator approaching its prey.
Sunny's dark hair floated gently in the breeze, and his onyx eyes, deeper than any abyss, showed no fear, no hesitation.
And then she heard it.
A voice that cut through the murmur of the wind and the distant roar of the waves. A declaration, powerful and cruel, aimed at the monster lurking beneath the sea.
—Who are you to dare stare me down, beast? I am Lost from Light, who was born from the shadows. I am the rightful heir of death and the bastard son of fate. Wherever I go, ruin follows. If you had any sense, you would have run away as soon as you saw me.
Despite the solemnity of the moment, Nephis almost smiled.
Another line for Sunny's little notebook, she thought. Another grand, ridiculous, and wonderful speech.
She would tease him about it later... if they survived.
Sunny, unflinching, extended his hand.
The Shadow Lantern appeared in his palm, its dim black light swallowing even the reflections of the Seven Suns. For a second, the entire world seemed to darken.
And then he jumped.
The water swallowed him whole, and for an instant, there was only silence.
But from the depths, something new emerged.
A colossal figure rose from the ocean — a serpent of pure shadow, blacker than the deepest abyss.
Its scales were not solid but woven from vibrant darkness. Every movement sent waves crashing around it.
Sunny.
Using his Manifestation, Sunny had transformed.
No longer the dark-haired boy rising from the waves... but a fearsome beast.
A new sea serpent.
Of course, not as colossal as the original monster... but big enough.
Intimidating enough.
And for one eternal moment, across the vast sea of nightmares, there were two great beasts.
One of flesh and madness.
And one of shadow and will.
The challenge had been cast.
The battle of the depths was just beginning.