Sweat beaded on Kane's brow, a testament to his recent sparring session with Seishan. He sat on a nearby crate, catching his breath before speaking. "So, how are the lessons going for the others?" he asked, his voice a low rumble.
Seishan, her pale skin a stark contrast to the dust of the slums, responded with a hint of pride. "They're learning quickly. And you… if you hadn't told me you were from the outskirts, I would have believed you were a Legacy."
Kane looked at her, a thought crossing his mind. "Speaking of Legacies, which clan do you belong to? It never occurred to me to ask."
A proud smile touched Seishan's lips. "I am from the Song Clan, one of their princesses. Haven't you heard?"
Kane's eyes widened momentarily. The Song Clan was one of the most powerful and influential Legacy families in the real world. A sudden, daring thought took hold. "I have a request for you," he said, the smile on his face fading.
Seishan's expression became cold and guarded. "What is it?"
"I want to meet your Clan Head," Kane stated, his voice firm. "I have some questions."
Her eyes widened in genuine surprise. "You want to meet my mother? Why?"
"That is personal," Kane replied, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "I believe your mother might know some things I need to learn." He kept his internal monologue to himself, the secret purpose of his request—to find out about his parents' death, a truth the Song Clan's head might hold—burning in his mind.
Seishan's coldness returned, but there was a flicker of interest. "I can try, but if I succeed, you owe me a favor."
"Sure," Kane agreed, a small smile returning. The price was worth the potential information.
As Seishan prepared to leave, Shakti approached him. "So," she said, her tone a mix of curiosity and concern. "Figured out your Band yet?"
Kane glanced at the Band of Heaven, a Memory he'd received from a Nightmare Creature he'd slain just before entering the Dark City. He'd tested it, making a small cut on his hand, only to find it didn't heal. It was a bizarre, useless trinket. "Nope," he replied, a hint of frustration in his voice. After Seishan's departure, he and Shakti discussed the upcoming hunt. They needed to join the others, as the time for planning was over.
Kane arrived at Nephis's lodge to a chorus of cold questions. "Where were you?" Nephis asked, her voice sharp. "We've been waiting for a while."
"Had some sessions," Kane replied simply, walking into the main hall. He saw Cassie and Caster by the window, deep in discussion. Several other hunters, some of whom were part of his own group, were also present, and they gave him a nod of respect. Today was the day for the big joint hunt they'd been preparing for.
The conversation revolved around the best hunting ground.
"...South of the collapsed lighthouse is a good choice," one hunter was saying, pointing at a map. "But the Awakened creatures living there have incredibly sharp hearing. Attacking them in large numbers won't be easy."
"This spot right here is much more promising," another chimed in. "Blood Fiends are known to dwell in these parts. They hibernate during the day, so if we manage to find a lair or two…"
Caster shook his head, his handsome face set in a frown. "The area you're suggesting is too close to the territory of those strange living statues. We all know how formidable those bizarre creatures are. I still think that south of the lighthouse is better. We just need to think of a way to deceive the hearing of the monsters…"
The debate raged on for a long time, with Kane contributing his own strategic insights. Finally, a plan was decided. After the meeting, Kane prepared his gear, the weight of the upcoming hunt settling on his shoulders.
The hunting party, a group of almost twenty Sleepers, left the outer settlement at noon, heading east toward the massive, ruined lighthouse at the edge of the city. Effie led the way as the chief pathfinder, with Sunny scouting ahead, his shadow moving silently through the maze of streets. The plan was simple, but everyone knew that in the Dark City, simplicity was a fragile illusion. They were all prepared for the worst.
Their fears were soon realized.
Halfway to their destination, a sudden, unnatural sound made Effie freeze. She raised a fist, signaling a halt, and peered into the thick, ominous fog. A dark expression settled on her face. Sunny, sensing impending danger, recalled his shadow and moved closer to Cassie, his hand ready to summon the Midnight Shard.
A tense moment of silence passed. Then, Effie's pupils widened in horror. "Scatter!" she screamed.
Just as the experienced hunters dove for cover, something large and heavy crashed from above, pulverizing the cobblestones where they had just stood. A few people weren't fast enough. Their screams were silenced by the sickening sound of tearing flesh.
Standing on the cracked ground was a massive, winged creature. Its pale body and black feathers were stained with the blood of the unfortunate hunters. Its terrifying beak was open, revealing rows of sharp, needle-like fangs. A Spire Messenger!
Kane looked at the beast, a grim realization dawning on him. This was the original ruler of the Dark City, a forgotten nightmare from before the First Bright Lord. He cursed under his breath. What happened next was a blur of chaos and desperation. The hunters had a choice: retreat into the ruins and risk facing an even more terrifying, unknown foe, or stand their ground and fight. They chose the latter.
No matter how dangerous, a familiar enemy was always better than the unknown.
The surviving hunters launched a coordinated assault. Even though their Memories could not pierce the creature's incredibly tough hide, each strike still inflicted pain. Those with direct damage-dealing abilities unleashed them, hoping to disorient the beast. Kane, with his own unique abilities, joined the fray. His attacks only seemed to enrage the abomination, however. Fighting a creature of this rank was a desperate gamble, a dance with certain death.
For several seconds, the outcome was uncertain. The Messenger shrugged off the rain of attacks with ease, its focus shifting to Kane. It lashed out with its beak, piercing one of the hunters clean through, despite the man's heavy armor. Another was nearly torn apart by terrifying talons, but Caster, with his incredible speed, pulled the young man to safety at the last second.
Sunny stayed in the back, protecting Cassie, praying his shadow would return in time to deal a crippling blow.
…But in the end, it was Effie who delivered the decisive blow.
Summoning her bronze spear, she leaped forward. Her lean, powerful muscles moved like coiled springs under her olive skin, and then exploded with momentum. The force behind her strike was enough to split a mountain. Miraculously, the tip of her weapon managed to pierce the Messenger's pale hide and stab deep, causing a stream of blood to shoot out. The creature shrieked, lashing out at her with its massive paws. Kane, seeing her danger, pushed his sword forward, deflecting the blow.
A large, round shield appeared on Effie's left hand. She braced herself, digging the soles of her sandals into the cracked ground. With Kane defending the main blow, she absorbed the terrifying impact, the cobblestones under her feet crumbling, but the huntress remained standing. Spitting a mouthful of blood, Kane grinned crazily as Effie twisted her weapon, causing more pain to the Messenger.
The Fallen Beast seemed shocked that a group of "ants" could actually hurt it. Letting out another scream, it flapped its wings, sending the Sleepers flying back, picked up the dead hunters, and leaped into the air. It quickly vanished into the sky, leaving behind only puddles of blood, broken stones, and the groans of the battered survivors.
Somehow, they had survived… most of them, at least.
Effie straightened, dismissing her shield, and looked down at her arm. "Damn," she muttered. "I think my arm is broken!"
Kane, still recovering from the Spire Messenger's blow, stayed silent, trying to calm the new, chaotic voices in his mind. After a moment, he went to check on her. He saw her bronze spear and a sudden, chilling memory surfaced: Cassie's prophecy.
I saw the human castle again. Only this time, it was at night. There was a lonely star burning in the black skies, a single point of light in the overwhelming darkness, and under its ominous light, the castle was suddenly consumed by fire, with rivers of blood flowing down its halls, staining the stone crimson. There was a man in black, wearing a crown, and staring angrily at the star, his face covered in blood, his eyes filled with a chilling rage. I saw a corpse in golden armor, sitting on a throne, lifeless and regal; a woman with a bronze spear drowning in a tide of monsters, her struggles futile; an archer trying desperately to pierce the falling sky with his arrows, his efforts in vain.
Kane stared at the spear. The seemingly meaningless words now had a terrifying clarity. The woman with the bronze spear drowning in a tide of monsters—it was Effie. The pieces of the prophecy were falling into place. A feeling of dread washed over him, a premonition of death and bloodshed. 'Who would I kill?' he wondered, a chilling thought. 'If the man in the black crown is me, I'm a part of this massacre.' He pieced together the other roles: the lonely star was Nephis, the woman with the spear was Effie, and the man with the crown was him. The archer was the only one left.
"Hey, Monto-Maniac, are you all right?" Effie's voice cut through his thoughts.
"Uh… yeah, I was just thinking about something," Kane lied, his mind racing. He looked for Nephis and found her, her face as impassive as ever. He thought, 'She knew about this beforehand. So why is she doing this? What is her fucking goal?'
Maybe her goal was simply to die together. He had always known that Nephis was driven by some powerful, mysterious ambition that was not bound to the Forgotten Shore. To achieve it, she had to return to the real world. That's why she was so relentless, so willing to endure any pain or hardship. Her conviction bordered on obsession.
The words she had spoken to him on their first day in the Dark City echoed in his mind, but now, they carried a cold, dark new meaning: "We will find a way to return. No matter what has to be done, we will."
No matter what has to be done…
There was only one way to leave the Forgotten Shore: through the Crimson Spire's Gateway. No Sleeper could hope to reach it alone. An army was needed, an army that would walk over corpses to give a few a chance to escape this cursed place.
But Nephis didn't have an army. Not yet.
To get one, she would have to kill Gunlaug, usurp his power, and eliminate all opposition, drowning the Bright Castle in blood. Only then could she rally every Sleeper left in the Dark City and lead them on a suicidal crusade. She knew most of them would die.
No sane person would follow her.
Kane scoffed internally. 'A saint, huh? More like the devil. She needs loyal followers for her madness, and I have been an unwitting roadblock to her plan.'
After the hunt, Kane was lost in thought on the way back to the settlement. He contemplated the prophecy and the deaths that were to come, a knot of horror in his gut. Still, something didn't add up. 'Why would I kill someone? My Flaw is getting worse. Am I going to be mad?' As they reached the settlement, Kane's confusion persisted. He started to observe the others, particularly Sunny, and a new thought struck him. 'Did Sunny also figure things out?'
Hours passed without a solution, and Kane decided he needed to talk to Sunny. But just as he was about to, Nephis called Sunny aside for a private conversation. Kane initially wanted to give them space, but his new suspicion was too strong. 'Is she about to talk about the prophecy?' He followed them, keeping to the shadows.
They reached a remote alley, bathed in the crimson light of the setting sun. Nephis turned to face Sunny, her face a stern frown. "I've seen you practicing with the sword today. Your moves were weak and aimless. It was as if you had lost all clarity. What were you thinking about?"
Sunny exhaled slowly. So, this was just about his performance. The relief he felt was immediately replaced by a surge of anger. With a crooked smile, he looked away. "Murder," he answered, his voice oddly cold. "I was thinking about murder."
Nephis tilted her head, waiting.
"You once told me that the essence of combat is murder, didn't you?" Sunny said. She nodded. "Well, how come you know so much about murder, Neph? I've been wanting to ask you that ever since you cut off Andel's head without so much as batting an eye. You're out here preaching about how we're all fellow humans, not beasts. Was Andel not human?"
Kane, listening from his hiding spot, found himself nodding in agreement, eager for her answer.
Nephis scowled. "Is this what it's all about?"
"It's a part of it," Sunny retorted, his teeth clenched.
A long silence followed. Nephis absently rubbed her neck. Finally, she spoke, her voice indifferent. "It's not that I've murdered a lot of people. It's that a lot of people have tried to murder me."
Sunny blinked. "Why?"
"Why? All kinds of reasons, really," she said with a hint of a smile. "My family was very powerful once. But power… it's a dangerous thing. You can't reach its peak without making a lot of enemies. And when your power disappears, all those enemies remain."
She turned her face away. "I think I was… five or six years old when someone tried to kill me for the first time. It was my nanny. She led me to an empty room, put her hands around my neck, and tried to strangle me. For the first few seconds, I thought it was a game." She looked at him, white sparks dancing in her eyes. "That was how I learned what weakness is. And when my teacher, who happened to walk by, rushed in and used his Aspect Ability to kill her… that was how I learned what strength is. So yes. I'm no stranger to severed heads, Sunny. Is that what you wanted to know?"
She had a teacher to protect her, Kane thought, a bitter memory of his own parents' death resurfacing. 'It seems my guess isn't far off. Most likely the killers of that bastard, Broken Sword.'
Nephis's smile held no humor. "What else did you want to know? Don't think I haven't noticed the way you've been staring at me since we fought the Spire Messenger. Come clean with it. You owe me at least this much."
Sunny glared at her, a storm of emotions on his grim face. He made his decision. "I want to know what your real goal is," he said, gritting his teeth. "I want to know if it's all worth it."
Changing Star frowned, a hint of surprise in her cold eyes. "My… goal? Isn't it obvious?" She gestured to the surrounding slums and the castle towering above. "I'm trying to help these people. What else?"
Sunny sighed, and the conversation turned to his own past, about his sister who had been adopted and found a normal life. He explained how he had left her because she didn't need saving. Kane listened, a flicker of empathy for Sunny in his heart. 'You did the right thing,' he thought. Then Sunny asked the question that brought the focus back to Nephis.
"Because even a cretin like me was able to realize that the person he wanted to save didn't need his saving," Sunny said, a new anger entering his eyes. "So please tell me, Neph, why is it that you, with all your intelligence and clarity, can't seem to do the same?"
Nephis stared at him, a deep frown on her face. "Are you implying that I lied about my intention to help these people? If so, you are wrong."
Sunny clenched his fists. "Fuck you, Neph," he spat.
"What?" she blinked.
"I said go fuck yourself with that bullshit… Saint Nephis," Sunny repeated, his smile crooked. "You might have fooled everyone else, but I know you. I know you better than anyone else. I don't buy your whole savior act for a second."
He pointed at the hovels around them. "Help these people? Please! You're going to help them turn into corpses. You and I both know how this ends. Cassie already told us. Fire and rivers of blood, right? Is this what you're planning?"
Kane watched, his senses heightened. 'Sunny figured it out. So, what's your answer, Nephis? It could change everything.'
Nephis stared at him, a dark expression on her face. Her eyes, no longer calm, showed a flicker of emotion—confusion, pain, disappointment? She opened her mouth, then closed it. Finally, she shook her head slowly. She seemed to find the right words. Looking Sunny directly in the eyes, she said, "...Fine. You got me."
Sunny was stunned. He hadn't expected her to admit it so easily.
Nephis shrugged. "What? Was I supposed to deny it? Why should I? You are the one who is obsessed with lies, Sunny, not me." A dark smile touched her lips. "Actually, I have to thank you. If it wasn't for you, I would have never learned how to deceive people so easily. I had a very sheltered upbringing. Communicating with others was not a skill I possessed." She laughed softly. "How fortunate I was to meet you, of all people, on this forsaken shore. Lucky me. Right?"
She took a step closer, her gaze intense. "No one survives in the Dream Realm alone. I knew I wouldn't be an exception. So, I watched you and Cassie and tried my hardest to learn. That's when I noticed that nothing you ever said—or did—was true. Wasn't it?"
Kane was momentarily stunned. He watched as Sunny's face crumpled into a frown.
Nephis scoffed. "No matter what happened, you always managed to keep your real thoughts, desires, and reasons hidden. I've never seen anyone so adept at deception. Congratulations, Sunny! The mind games you played were almost as devious as the mental hex of the Soul Devourer. It was nothing short of inspiring." She shook her head. "You can even easily turn truths into lies. How… brilliant. I never knew that was possible. Silly me. I didn't know a lot of things before I met you." Her voice grew colder. "So, you see… while you were learning how to use a sword from me, I was learning how to use people from you. So please, Sunny, accept my sincere gratitude. I could not have wished for a better teacher. Without you, none of this would have been possible!"
She raised a finger and stabbed it at him. "So where do you get the audacity to blame me for doing the same thing you do to everyone you ever meet?"
Kane's anger surged. He cursed under his breath. 'Seriously, where does she get the audacity to blame him? Everyone has their truths to hide. It's called privacy, you idiot!'
"That's not the same," Sunny retorted, his voice strained.
Nephis scowled. "How is what I'm doing different? I haven't told a single lie to these people. I gave them just enough truth to make them deceive themselves, just like you taught me. But now that it's turned around on you, it's suddenly not fair? Now you won't settle for anything less than the whole truth?"
She smirked. "Fine. I'll tell you. Yes, you are right. There's going to be fire and rivers of blood. That is my plan. So what? How is it worse than this pathetic, hopeless existence? It isn't. I am going to kill Gunlaug. After he is dead, the Bright Castle will become engulfed in a civil war. I am going to kill the lieutenants, too. And when I am the last one standing…" her eyes glistened with an insane ambition. "...I will gather those of us who remain and make a road of bones for the lucky few to reach the Gateway. That is my promise. That is the salvation I offer to the people of the Dark City—a chance to return to the real world or die like a human should, standing tall and with a sword in their hand, instead of living in fear like a rat! I thought that you, of all people, would understand."
Sunny was stunned. "Is it really so terrible to live here?" he whispered. "Is Gunlaug really so bad that you would rather see all of us die than remain under his rule?"
A dark expression appeared on Nephis's face. "Gunlaug has done many despicable things," she said, her voice laced with contempt. "But I won't judge him for those. Keeping a thousand hopeless people alive in this hell can turn a saint into a demon. No… there is only one crime he committed that I can never forgive."
"Which one?" Sunny asked.
She lowered her chin and gritted her teeth. "It's that he gave up." She looked at Sunny, her voice full of intensity. "It's that he never even tried to reach the Gateway. With so many years to prepare and hundreds of powerful fighters under his command… do you really think there was nothing he could do to enter the Crimson Spire? No… he simply changed his mind. Why return if he can live like a king here, in the Dark City? He abandoned his duty as an Awakened and submitted to the Spell."
"Don't you think that, maybe, he just wasn't willing to see hundreds of people die?" Sunny asked, frowning. "How many of them are you ready to sacrifice?"
Nephis straightened her back, her eyes firm and calm. Without a moment's hesitation, she said, "All of them. Of course."
Kane, listening in the shadows, felt his anger grow with each word. But the final sentence, "All of them. Of course," was what made him snap. He clenched his fists so hard that blood began to ooze from his palms. He remembered the Broken Sword, a figure he had once admired. 'I thought she would be different from her father. But no, she is just like him, always thinking she has the right to choose others' lives. She's a hypocrite. I shouldn't have saved her at all.'
"What can be so damn important?" Sunny asked, his voice filled with anguish. "What can be so valuable that you're ready to condemn everyone here to death?!" He shook his head, already knowing the answer. "Don't tell me it's some stupid crap about the Immortal Flame clan's glory. The duty of the Awakened? Did you give a terrible oath to conquer the Fourth Nightmare, like your father conquered the Third and your grandfather the Second? Or worse, are you planning to save the damn world?"
Nephis stared at him, a dangerous grin spreading across her face. Something awakened in her eyes—something dark and unfamiliar. "Save the world? No, I'm not going to save the world, Sunny." The smile vanished, and white flames ignited in her cold, grey eyes. "I'm going to destroy it."
Her words echoed in the alley, a terrifying conviction that made Sunny shiver. Kane's anger surged, pushing him to the brink of losing control. Nephis took a deep breath. "This world, Sunny. This cursed place. The Dream Realm. I won't be the first to conquer the Fourth Nightmare. I will be the first to conquer every Nightmare. I'll go through them one after another, destroying anything and anyone who stands in my way. And when I get to the heart of the Nightmare Spell, I'm going to obliterate every part of it, rip it to shreds, decimate it and bring it to ruin."
She looked him in the eyes, her voice a chilling promise. "You think Gunlaug can stop me? A Fallen Terror? Those three ghouls? No, Sunny. Nothing will stop me. Anyone who dares will die. I'll kill them all."
Sunny shivered. He grimaced, a hint of anguish in his voice. "Why? Why do you want to destroy the Spell so much?"
A corner of her mouth curled up. "Because I hate it," she said simply.
Sunny and Kane were stunned by the sheer simplicity of her answer.
"You are actually insane," Sunny whispered, his eyes closed.
Nephis smiled. "What does it mean to be insane in a world that has gone mad? I would be wary of anyone who remained perfectly sane in this hell." She sighed. "So, are we done here? The sun is almost gone."
Sunny shook his head. "Yeah, Neph. I'm done." He turned and started to walk away.
"Where are you going?" Nephis called after him. "Come back here."
He waved a hand, his voice strained, "Sorry. I have an errand to run. We'll… talk some other time."
Her frown deepened. "I said come back, Sunny! This conversation isn't over! Come back here right now!"
But there was no answer. Sunny had vanished into the shadows, leaving her alone in the fading light.
Kane, watching him go, felt a deep sorrow for Sunny and a heavy rage toward Nephis. He emerged from his hiding spot, intending to leave. He didn't want to hear another word from her.
Nephis saw him. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice sharp.
Kane didn't reply and simply started walking in the opposite direction. If he stayed, he knew he would do something he would regret. If he took action, Nephis would wish she were dead.
Kane walked toward the settlement, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts, trying to find a way to stop the events of the prophecy. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice. He turned to see Shakti, her expression still cheerful. But as soon as she saw the look on his face, it changed to one of concern. "What is it?" she asked.
Kane dragged her to a secluded corner and explained everything, from the prophecy to Nephis's insane intentions. Shakti's face went grim and horrified. She was speechless for a moment, on the verge of fainting. "Seriously, what type of shit is going on? Nephis is a psychopath. Kane, what are you planning to do?"
"First, I'm quitting Nephis's hunting party," Kane said, his voice hard. "For the next steps, I really need to think." Shakti nodded, leaving him to process the shocking information.
Kane returned to the lodge and found Nephis, now wearing the Starlight Legion Armor. "Kane," she said. "I need to talk to you alone."
In a clear rage, Kane nodded and followed her. As they reached the same secluded alley where she had spoken to Sunny, Kane was about to turn and confront her.
Suddenly, a sword stabbed through his heart, passing straight through him. Kane was shocked, but when he turned to see his attacker, his eyes widened in disbelief. It was Nephis. She had stabbed him.
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