Nephis was content on their journey through the coral labyrinth. Not happy by any means, for she struggled to remember times when she was truly happy, save for several precious moments with Sunny. But she was content.
That was mostly because she was now in control of the situation. She had been disoriented at first when she had been sent to the past. The emotional shock of seeing Sunny as well as the weight of all that was to come had been great. She had pushed through it with sheer willpower, and she was still coming to terms with her new role.
But now, at last, she knew what she wanted and what she should do.
First of all she should figure out what was Sunny's role in Forgotten Shore. That way she could best help his growth. The knowledge of the exact details of their confrontation in the Crimson Spire was also of paramount importance, but her memories didn't yet reach that far. In the meanwhile she should deduce what had happened. Her best theory was that only one of them could have escaped and she had willingly sacrificed herself. It may or may not be true but it was what she told herself in the darkest hours of the night.
The rest was easy, really. They just had to survive in the middle of the literal Death Zone, fight against an evil tree, sail through dark ocean, overthrow a tyrant and then march to the Crimson Spire where the fallen terror was waiting for them. What could go wrong?
Life was simple. Once again Nephis felt an odd sense of peace in the middle of the nightmarish situation they were in. She truly belonged to the Dream Realm, or rather, a half of her did. They traveled and hunted during the day and in the night her memories came back to her. Most of them were inconsequential but often times brought her joy and comfort, both of which her life had always lacked.
They hunted a lot. Nephis wanted them to be in peak condition when encountering the soul devouring tree and its guardian. She remembered now that Sunny had saved them from the island last time, and for that she was thankful. She knew that she had suspected Sunny to be an assassin at the time. Did her opinion change after that adventure? It would make sense.
Other thing that Nephis tried to do was unlocking Sunny's Aspect Legacy. She had a good guess as to what its nature was but had never learnt the details. Thus she could only watch as Sunny tried to puzzle his way through the problem. She was confident in his ability to find whatever it was that they were looking for, but would it be soon enough?
At least Sunny's swordmanship was improving. In fact it was skyrocketing. He was no match for Nephis but a dangerous opponent for anybody else, and his power would only grow after he attained his second soul core. Nephis had begun "feeding" him different battle styles when they sparred, and she would often speak with him about various techniques or offer tips.
"I have an idea", Sunny said one time. His shadow moved from its position and attached itself to Nephis's feet. Then he shaped it to be identical with her own shadow.
"I want to see how it mimics your fighting", Sunny explained.
Nephis merely nodded and they readied themselves. Cassie was sitting and listening some meters away from where they fought. Her intuition was also becoming sharper with more consumed soul shards, and she would sometimes warn them from taking certain routes in the labyrinth. She would always point them in the right direction and Nephis was happy that her other friend was finding ways to help.
She and Sunny clashed in the middle of the island, two sleepers with divine aspects as well as true names. Nephis smiled widely as they danced — for it was a dance, a shadow dance if you will. After all, they shadowed each other, Sunny having adopted the sword style of the Immortal Flame. He was sloppy compared to Nephis but that was to be expected.
She let the bout continue on for some time and then stepped inside of Sunny's guard, tripping him. Before he hit the ground Nephis catched him in her arms. They looked at each other for couple of seconds, Sunny's head hovering inches from the ground.
He gulped.
"That was a good fight."
Sunny's face was now red as a tomato. "That's good to hear."
And then Nephis laughed. She remembered another time when she had saved him from falling in the exact same way. The Sunny in question had been a saint, much more good-looking and mature version of the boy below her, but their reaction was still the same.
They were still both Sunny.
When was the last time she had laughed?
*******
The morning of the next day Sunny had news for them.
They sat in a triangle, smoldering campfire between them, having just eaten a delicious amount of warm monster meat. That was when Sunny began his tale.
"I saw a dream last night", he said. Cassie's brows furrowed.
"A dream? But that's not supposed to be possible."
Sunny nodded. "It isn't, but somehow I still saw it. Like you see your visions sometimes. Anyways, in it I saw a woman dancing in a dark temple. I think she was a priest of some sort. And now... " he looked at Nephis. "I have unlocked my Aspect Legacy."
Nephis was satisfied that their work finally bore fruit. Cassie on the other hand was dumbstruck.
"A sleeper unlocking their Aspect Legacy is unheard of", she exclaimed. "What is it? And what does it have to do with that dancer?" A mischievous smile spread across her lips. "I never took you for a dancer Sunny, but maybe you can do a performance once we have escaped this place? Well, you'll have to dance just for Neph because I won't be able to see it anyways."
Sunny shot a dark look her way. "No, I will not do a dance performance. Not now, after we have escaped, or ever. My Aspect Legacy is named shadow dance and it is a battlestyle. It is unique to me or, more accurately, to my shadow. And as for that dancer... I think she was a priest of shadow god. Other than that I have no ideawhat her role was."
"Well... that's amazing!" Cassie beamed. "Do you then have a legacy relic as well?"
"No. Actually, there is supposed to be seven of them, but I have not yet reached the first level", Sunny said. He sounded little irritated for the fact.
"I'd imagine you have to physically more capable to unlock the first level", Nephis interjected. Sunny was not even a half-way through his first soul core. A battle style tailored to a divine aspect wielder had to demand a high level of strength, and as Nephis thought about Sunny's battle style (or styles), it demanded considerable mobility as well.
Sunny massaged his temples. "You are probably right, as you were about this whole thing... Which brings us to my question." His voice had a hint of steel in it now. "You have told us to trust you, but how about you trust us for a change? We cannot cooperate if we're not in the same page. I want you to tell me everything. And don't even think about lying because you absolutely don't know how to lie."
Nephis had known this was coming, but she didn't want to waste good hours of daylight explaining all the necessary things to Sunny and Cassie. She looked up. Sun was just beginning to climb to mid-sky.
"We cannot lose time if we want to get to the Bone Ridge before night — "
"And I don't care fuck about that! I have had enough of your secrets", Sunny intercepted. "I... Neph, look. What would you think if one of your companions knew everything about you and you nothing about them? Would you trust that person?"
"Sunny is right, Neph", Cassie said as well. "We deserve to know." She showed a little smile. "It seems to me that you are a seer of your own right. Surely you can share some tips with a colleague?"
Nephis looked at them. They were resolute and she realized that this past month, while smooth sailing for her, had been terrifying, frightening and frankly abhorrent for them, especially Cassie. They had feared for their lives, wondered if they were going to make it home at all. They didn't have the privilege of knowledge like she had.
It was unfair.
And she didn't want to repeat the mistakes of her past life. They had been very secretive back then. On surface they had worked seemlessly, but it had been a deception. In reality they had all kept their closest secrets to themselves, not trusting each other.
I will not have that, she thought.
But how was she supposed to tell them that she was from the future? Or past? Strangely, it was both and at the same time neither for it had never happened in the first place...
They were still looking at her, waiting for her to speak.
She had to start somewhere.
"You are right. But you are also wrong", she said to Cassie. "I indeed know the future, or at least some of it. But it is not because I am a seer. It is because... I have lived it."
There was a silence, but it was a loud one. Sunny looked at her, trying to determine whether she had lost her mind. Cassie's eyes widened. Her hand trembled.
"You have... lived it?"
"Yes." She nodded. "This is in fact my second time in Forgotten Shore, with you two. My past life was the first. I... I am not actually eighteen years old. I am twenty-seven."
And now Sunny was white like a ghost as well. Nephis continued:
"In my past life we managed to escape this place and become awakened. In fact, it didn't stop there. We became very powerful. Cassie... you were a saint when I was sent back in time to my first nightmare. Sunny and I on the other hand were Sovereigns, humans that had reached a Supreme rank."
"It cannot be... " Sunny said. "I cannot believe it."
Nephis smiled faintly. "It sounds unbelievable, I know. But that's what happened. And that's how I knew about your Aspects and abilities. You both have terrifying potential. I have seen it."
Cassie was deep in thought. "I guess it makes sense. I have not seen many visions after the first one and the ones that I have seen have been strange — fractured. Like something has struck the tapestry of Fate itself. But if you are really from another time then you are an unknown variable."
Or an error... Nephis felt her eyes tighten. She also felt Sunny's gaze hot on her skin. She certainly was an unknown variable to him, the one that always wanted to keep cards close to his chest.
She looked at Sunny. "Don't you believe me? Because if you don't, then I fear I cannot give you another explanation."
Sunny looked really uneasy. "I cannot believe you. If... " He shook his head, clearly in inner turmoil. Then he suddenly laughed. "You are saying that I became supreme? That's delusional! That is the craziest thing I've ever heard. Why should I believe you?"
Nephis was about to say that she and Sunny had also been also lovers in the second timeline, but then she decided not to push it.
"It is not as crazy as you believe. Three people have already done it, in fact."
"What?" Cassie bursted.
"Give me a proof", Sunny said. "If you give me an irrefutable proof, then I will believe you." He looked up at the grey sky. "Gods, my days are numbered. I'm going crazy."
Nephis thought. How could she convince Sunny? She had to tell him something, some kind of fact that she absolutely wasn't supposed to know, like something about his aspect.
"Fair enough. I suppose... well, I suppose your true name is proof enough. Lost from light."
She watched as Sunny registered the words... and then the world shifted.
Terrible foreboding feeling overtook her, but it was already too late.