Sunny was on his feet even before fully waking up. Somehow, the Azure Blade was already in his hand. His shadow was hovering beside him, ready to either wrap itself around the sword in case he needed to attack or around his body, in case it was already too late for that.
He looked around, Nephis had done the same as him, the cape draped around her back and her long-sword poised at the ready.
Cassie...
Where was Cassie?
He looked around and found her stumbling near the edge of the platform, grasping at nothingness as she sobbed hysterically.
Sprinting before he realized it, he caught her right before she was about to fall into the still abyss.
"I caught her," he called out to Nephis to reassure her.
Also to make sure he didn't lose a limb.
He whispered sweet nothingness to the girl as he frantically looked around for any sign as to what made the blind girl so horrified.
But saw nothing.
He felt for his shadow but it only shrugged.
The girl was violently sobbing and trembling as he half-carried her to the center of the platform, he didn't like being close to the edge for fear of being dragged down.
He settled her down after making sure there were no threats, he looked down and only then realized she had fainted.
Sunny's heart was hammering in his chest as he gently laid Cassie down. Her body was limp, her chest rising and falling shallowly. Even in unconsciousness, the panic radiating from her moments ago seemed to cling to the air around them.
He turned towards Nephis then asked slowly, "What was that?"
Nephis stared for a moment before shrugging, she seemed just as confused as he was.
They stood in silence for a minute, considering the recent events.
"Maybe it was a vision?" he wondered aloud.
Nephis nodded, "Possibly."
"Has anything like this happened before?" Sunny asked.
Nephis shook her head, "No, this is the first. Let's… leave her be, for now. Maybe she needs time."
Sunny was about to retort, but, truth be told, he didn't have any ideas either. In the end, he just nodded.
He just hoped she didn't go insane like another seer he knew...
"Okay. I'll keep an eye on her."
Changing Star, however, had other ideas.
***
As the sun rose and the sea receded, Nephis led Sunny to the edge of the platform, though she never let Cassie leave her sight.
Sunny frowned. "Are you sure it's okay to leave her like this?"
Nephis gave him a complicated look. "Yes. Cassie is strong."
He didn't quite believe it, but if Changing Star said so… maybe strength had different forms.
Soon, Nephis had him summon the Azure Blade. She compared it with her own silver longsword, explaining the differences: his was built for cutting, hers for versatility, but both relied on leverage.
Demonstrating a downward slash, she said, "One hand pushes, the other pulls. Power comes from the whole body—feet, hips, core, shoulders—then the hands."
Sunny imitated her. He wasn't a stranger to fighting, and with her guidance, his form improved quickly.
"Good," Nephis finally said. Then she added, "Now, do it a thousand more times."
Sunny's smile froze. "A… thousand?"
"Yes. Only a thousand."
Resigned, he turned to the sea. The Azure Blade whistled through the air, again and again. Repetition, experience, clarity.
Sure, he had trained rigorously with his time with his sisters.
But still, a thousand repetitions on the first lesson?
Not that it would be especially hard, but still.
Nephis watched over Cassie all the while sunny was training, sometimes even walking up and checking her temperature or making sure she was as comfortable as possible.
By the time he was done, Cassie was finally awake.
***
Cassie was trembling.
Her skin was pale and she was sweating hard.
Nephis and Sunny looked at each other and approached her slowly, eventually settling on the ground near her.
"Cassie? Are you alright?" Nephis asked tentatively.
Sunny stared at her for a moment, that was the first question she asked?
Cassie was clearly not alright, she was shivering, pale, and sweating.
Nonetheless, Cassie nodded slowly.
"Are you ready to talk about it?" he inquired, "Also could you please summon the bottle?"
Cassie turned to him and scowled, as though confused by the question. Then, she suddenly gasped and opened her eyes wide.
"Oh! Oh, sorry. Yes, of course…"
She summoned the limitless water bottle and offered it to Sunny. He took it with a grateful smile and greedily drank a few gulps before giving the bottle to Nephis. Eventually, it returned to Cassie.
"You drink some too."
After she did, he awkwardly patted the blind girl on the shoulder.
"Everything seems to be fine now. Uh… did you dream of another vision? You can tell us. If you want."
"At first, I saw a… a boundless darkness locked behind seven seals. Something vast was churning in the darkness. I felt like if I directly saw it, I would lose my mind. As I watched, terrified, the seals broke one after another, until only one remained. And then that seal broke, too."
She trembled a little.
"After that… I don't know. It was as though my mind shattered into a thousand shards, each shard reflecting its own image. Most of them were dark and scary. Some I have already forgotten. The other…"
Cassie fell silent, remembering.
"I saw the human castle again. Only this time, it was at night. There was a lonely star burning in the black skies, and under its light, the castle was suddenly consumed by fire, with rivers of blood flowing down its halls. I saw a corpse in a golden armor sitting on a throne; a woman with a bronze spear drowning in a tide of monsters; an archer trying to pierce the falling sky with his arrows. Another woman calling out desperately to someone who wasn't there."
Finally, she looked up, her face full of horror.
"In the end, I saw a colossal, terrifying crimson spire. At its base, seven severed heads were guarding seven locks. And at the top, I.. saw... Oh gods!"
She began to go into hysterics again but Sunny quickly soothed her, he grabbed her hand and squeezed it affirmingly.
Nephis watched before deciding she should also do something, she awkwardly raised her arm and hesitantly squeezed the blind girl's shoulder.
"You don't have to continue," Sunny reassured calmly.
She shook her head slightly and shivered.
Cassie calmed down before continuing, her voice slightly cracking, "There was a… shadow and an angel, together at the top. Then the angel faded from sight. After that came the woman from before… she reached for the shadow, crying out, but the vision fractured. One moment she was there, the next she was gone, her voice cut short. Then everything around them began to crumble, and all I could feel was this… terrible weight. Sorrow, grief… an endless solitude that clung to the vision, even as it slipped away from me."
She was about to go into hysterics again but Sunny stopped her.
"Stop, Cassie, rest now," he whispered. "We have to move soon."
Nephis just nodded.
Cassie stayed quiet for a moment as she quivered slightly, then slowly nodded.
Sunny let go of her hand and walked to the edge of the platform, feeling wary and unsure.
***
The tomato chapter-thon part 2: electric boogaloo
You know how it works folks!
no goal for the first chap, as a thank you for the patience.
Tell me, how excited are you all?