52. Fate and Revelation
The sun had risen, and the dark sea had receded. We were ready to depart at any moment—the only question was which direction to take. That uncertainty, however, was swiftly resolved by Cassie's power of revelation. She had envisioned a grand castle, one that might hold the gateway we were searching for.
Affinity with Shadow, Fate, and even the Divine… This world might actually be more dangerous than mine, I thought with a touch of humor.
…
Okay, I take that back—nothing is more terrifying than monocles and pregnant women.
'The Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire is wondering if you were planning to destroy the sun.'
…Why are you so fixated on that?
"I just don't want to get burned," I replied.
'The Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire says they've got your back—anytime you decide to go through with it.'
"Okay, thanks."
Well… if the situation really forced me to, I guess it's not such a bad thing to have a helper as an insurance.
"Who are you talking to?" Sunny approached me and asked when he accidentally listened to our conversation.
"Nothing—just an imaginary archangel," I replied nonchalantly.
But there was a flicker of pity in his eyes. He's not seriously thinking I'm crazy… right?
I really need to rein it in a bit. I've gotten too used to living alone, with no one to talk to except her.
The formation was simple: Sunny would take the lead, scouting ahead with his shadow. Neph would stay in the middle, as she was the most versatile among us.
Well, I wasn't all that different, but my role was at the rear—carrying Cassie on my back. With my heightened senses, I could guide us along the safest path, and even with Cassie, my combat ability wouldn't be hindered much.
This was the formation Neph had suggested after assessing all of our abilities.
Of course, Cassie voiced her dissatisfaction at being treated that way—but to increase our speed, it was unavoidable. It simply took too much time for her to walk on her own. We were heading west from our current location—the direction Sunny had originally come from—and according to his account, there were far more creatures lurking there than in this area.
***
Sunny had no objections to the suggested formation—in fact, he thought it was a good plan. He wasn't entirely sure how much Chris's senses would help, but Chris seemed vigilant enough.
What puzzled him, though, was why Chris didn't say a word about carrying Cassie around. Sure, she had some abilities that might come in handy in unusual situations, but it was undeniable that she was a burden. Yet Neph had structured the plan from the start with the clear intention of bringing Cassie along.
Ironically, the only one who voiced any dissatisfaction was Cassie herself.
Then he noticed something. Don't they look familiar? he thought, glancing between Cassie and Chris.
"Are you two siblings?" he asked, the question slipping out as a memory stirred—of a certain girl, his own sister, and the helplessness he'd felt in being unable to protect her. Or maybe it was his selfishness, thinking she'd be better off staying by his side.
He turned to Neph, hoping she might have an answer, but she looked just as curious, clearly wondering the same thing.
"Sibling?" Cassie was the first to react. The question stirred something in her—reminding her of the vision she had seen: a blonde young man with blue eyes, his body covered in mushroom growths.
She, too, had blonde hair and blue eyes. We do look alike, she thought.
"No, we're not. I'm an only child."
The conversation tugged at her memories—of her family. Can I ever go back? Doubt began to creep in.
"I'm also an only child," Chris added. "Though, yeah… we do look a bit alike."
He suddenly put on a dramatic tone, as if performing in an opera.
"Oh no—are you my long-lost sister?"
Sadly, no one reacted to his performance. Neph didn't seem to care, Sunny grew even gloomier at the mention of a "long-lost sister," and Cassie was too lost in her melancholy to play along.
Still, despite the lack of response, Chris was actually relieved. His dramatic outburst had been impulsive—but having someone call him Oppa or "bro" every time would've been a bit much.
What happened to her? Is she alright? …Was she even real?
For a fleeting moment, his thoughts drifted to NaRi, but he quickly shook them off.
And so, the journey began. We had to move quickly, aiming to reach another high ground before nightfall. Despite Sunny's and my abilities, it was inevitable—we'd have to fight creatures along the way, especially with a fixed direction and a ticking clock.
Neph held her ground without issue, but it wasn't quite the same for Sunny. He was resourceful, making the most of what he had, but like me, he still lacked refined combat skills. I supported by using my threads to bind and restrain the creatures, setting them up for an easy finish.
"Chris," Cassie called softly. We were at the rear of the group, and her whisper was too quiet for the two ahead to hear.
"Mhm?" I responded in the same low voice, my eyes scanning the surroundings—lesson learned from the first day. No more getting ambushed. I figured she had something private to say.
"Why did you decide to follow us?"
She had missed the chance to ask before, but the question still lingered in her mind.
"Is it strange for me to look for the gate too?" I asked, feigning disbelief—as if her question was ridiculous. But…
Her grip around my neck tightened slightly.
"Yes, it's weird," she said, her voice firm and direct.
She completely believed it was strange for me to be with them.
"..."
I was caught a little off guard.
"Why do you think that?" I asked, trying to keep my tone even.
"Because you're different from us," she declared. For a moment, it felt like time and space froze—then slowly began to move again.
"So, you know." I accepted it calmly. I'd never gone out of my way to hide it, after all.
"Did you lie when you said you couldn't see anything about me?" I probe her intention.
"No," she shook her head gently. "I truly can't see anything. So much so that I realized something, Chris—you didn't even suffer from the nightmare spell."
"I guess the cat's out of the bag now—fate and revelation, huh? What a scary power," I joked, trying to lighten the mood. Seeing her silent I stopped joking around "Neph was the reason," I added honestly.
Cassie looked confused by the answer but didn't press further.
Just what is she trying to achieve?
Despite the encounters with creatures and the weight of the luggage we each carried, after a full morning's journey we had made considerable progress. While resting whenever possible, Sunny found his way over to Neph.
"I have a proposal," he said. "I'll give you my share of soul shards until we reach the castle Cassie envisioned—if you'll teach me how to fight." He spoke sincerely as he handed her the shards they had collected from the Carapace Scavengers.
I, too, had accumulated quite a few. Over the past week, I had hunted no less than hundred of those scavengers, gathering shards with every kill. While butchering them, I had found these shards and, thinking they were monster cores, I collected them.
She seemed to contemplate the offer for a moment before finally deciding to accept it.
"We're starting immediately. You two—Cassie and Chris—should listen in, too," she declared.
"What do you think is the essence of combat?" she asked.