In the dim glow of a flickering overhead light, Rain slowly awoke, her long, jet-black hair sprawled in disarray across her pillow. The early morning shadows danced across the familiar confines of her room—a quiet haven she often retreated to when the rigors of her training became too overwhelming to bear at her adopted parents' nearby home.
Almost immediately, a bitter memory resurfaced. Rain vividly recalled how, just a short while ago, she had stumbled upon a scene that shattered her sense of normalcy. In Sunny's room—the very space that served as his private sanctuary—she had unexpectedly caught him in a passionate embrace with his girlfriend, Nephis. The shock of witnessing such intimacy, especially involving her own brother, had left her reeling.
Although part of her wanted to be happy for Sunny, who had finally found someone who cared for him, the timing and the intrusion had stirred a mix of betrayal, embarrassment, and deep-seated anger.
Struggling to reconcile her conflicting emotions, Rain found herself torn between confronting the situation head-on and retreating into the solitude of her own space. Yet, beneath the turmoil lay a spark of determination—a resolve to harness her unique power, her Aspect, to gain clarity and control over the unfolding chaos. Despite the initial shock of what she had seen in Sunny's room, she was also eager to test the limits of her ability and see if it could serve as a tool in navigating this complicated emotional landscape.
With a slow, deliberate breath, Rain closed her eyes and focused inward, summoning her Aspect with practiced precision. The activation process was gradual and required an intense concentration that seemed to stretch time itself. She allowed herself the luxury of lingering in the moment as her connection grew stronger. Once fully activated, her senses expanded, and she could project her awareness toward the training room—a secretive space nestled in the basement of Sunny's house, where he and his friends often spent time together training.
Peering through the channel created by her Aspect, Rain's heart sank at what she discovered. In the dimly lit basement, the training room lay cloaked in shadows and silence, a stark contrast to the chaotic swirl of emotions within her. There, Sunny and Nephis were entangled in a quiet yet intense exchange of passion—a moment where the intimacy between them spoke louder than any spoken word. The sight was both unexpected and deeply painful, as if the layers of secrecy and hidden desires were laid bare before her. A bitter curse escaped her lips, echoing with the weight of her disillusionment, before she hastily severed the connection.
"Oh for fucks sake. "
Overwhelmed by the reality of what she had witnessed—a stark reminder the memory of the earlier encounter in Sunny's room—Rain collapsed back onto her bed. The fatigue that had been a constant companion now merged with the fresh sting of betrayal and sorrow. In that heavy silence, she lay motionless, torn between the desire to react and the need to retreat from the storm of emotions swirling within her.
Meanwhile, in the secluded basement, the atmosphere in the training room was fraught with its own intensity. After a long, charged pause, Sunny's eyes reflected a mix of frustration and resignation as he stared into Nephis's. His silence spoke volumes of the inner conflicts he now harbored, a turbulence born from secrets and the inevitable consequences of forbidden affection. Yet before he could muster words, Nephis drew him closer, their lips meeting in a fervent, desperate kiss—a silent plea for understanding, for redemption, and perhaps for a way to reclaim a semblance of lost passion.
In that tangled web of relationships, secrets, and raw emotions, Rain's discovery marked a turning point. It was a painful revelation that not only redefined her perception of Sunny and Nephis's connection but also ignited within her a fierce determination to master her abilities further. Despite the betrayal and the emotional turmoil, she resolved to use this moment as fuel for growth, vowing to confront the painful truths of love and loyalty while forging her own path in the shadows of a fractured family
***
While Sunny's real body continued to bask in the warmth of Nephis's embrace, far away on the chained isles one of his avazars faced a very different reality. There, amid the echoing clamor of distant battles, his avatar fought a desperate fight of its own. Tasked with ensuring that Sunny could complete the soul binding of the mantle of the underworld before the impending arrival of Antarctica, the avatar found no time to relax. The chained isles, usually a quiet outpost where the mystical defenders stood guard, now served as a war room. Fortunately, since no recent onslaught had required the urgent deployment of the saints or nightmares, they had been allowed to return to their original posts, providing much-needed backup for the ongoing struggle.
In this tumultuous moment, both the future and current incarnations of Saint—the enigmatic shadow that Sunny wielded—stood shoulder to shoulder with the avatar. They fought fiercely against the swarm of abominations, a relentless horde of nightmare creatures whose wolf-like forms, sharp teeth, and lethal agility challenged every ounce of their strength. As the avatar parried and struck, his thoughts turned sourly inward. "Ahhhh, damn it. She just had to use her Aspect. This guy really isn't trying to save me any essence!" he roared, his voice laden with a mix of anger, frustration, and the unmistakable fatigue of someone who had been battling for far too long. Every swing of his sword, every clash of spectral energy, was a reminder of his urgent need to secure the soul-bound version of the mantle—a key element in maintaining the balance between the living and the dead.
After a grueling bout with a pack of nightmare wolves—a species notorious for their razor-sharp teeth and blistering speed—the avatar finally found a brief respite. As he lowered his sword, sweat mingling with the grime of battle, his gaze shifted to the figure of the future Saint standing before him. She was every bit as formidable as ever: cold, calculating, and deadly, her control over elemental darkness unyielding and precise. Yet, something had shifted subtly within her. Unlike before, she now bore traces of the elemental darkness that her future self had mastered—a quiet inheritance of power that was as gradual as it was potent. It was almost imperceptible, like a hidden ember smoldering beneath layers of controlled emotion, but it marked a profound evolution in her abilities.
This transformation raised unsettling questions. It was baffling to think that Saint might willingly pass on her strength to her past incarnation—especially in light of the charged reunion they had experienced when their paths first crossed. In that first encounter, future Saint had nearly absorbed her past self, only to stop short when she recognized the true nature of the encounter. Now, observing the subtle but undeniable growth in past Saint—an adaptation to the raw energy of elemental darkness that seemed to fortify her beyond what Sunny's intervention could ever provide—he couldn't help but feel a grudging satisfaction. Perhaps it wasn't an act of surrender at all; rather, it was a natural evolution, a metamorphosis triggered by the very forces of darkness they both wielded.
In the chaotic heartbeat of the chained isles, as spectral warriors clashed with nightmare beasts and mystical energy crackled in the air, the avatar allowed himself a brief moment of reflection. The revelation that past Saint was not merely a passive recipient of power, but an active, growing force in her own right, added a new layer of complexity to the battle. It was a reminder that in this intricate dance of shadows and light, every entity was evolving—sometimes in ways that defied the old rules. And as the struggle continued, it was clear that both the saints and nightmares, each a formidable force in their own right, were playing a crucial part in the grand tapestry of fate that linked Sunny's destiny with that of the underworld.