Sunny woke up before Cassie. The roomkeeper had given them a room with only one bed, so they just ended up sharing it. It didn't bother them, since back in the academy, the three of them had done the same — and even slept on top of the statue together.
Summoning Ordinary Rock back, he sat in the chair and listened to what it had recorded. It was a tedious process, but then, in the depths of the night, when no more recordings were left, four people walked in. Among these four was the tyrant Gunlaug himself. Sunny pressed his ear against the rock like it was a shell on a beach.
"I have told you many times… this kingdom can't sustain those outside this castle as well as the ones within these walls."
A soft voice filled with allure rang out; the words spilled smooth like pouring water.
"So what are you suggesting? Should we start prohibiting the hunt of Nightmare Creatures from those who aren't with us?"
The one he assumed to be the tyrant spoke once more.
"That would be unrealistic… rather, I command a purge. A purge of anybody outside these castle walls."
---
By the time Cassie had woken up, Sunny rushed them out of the castle, making haste to the spot they had agreed to meet Nephis. In the end, he did learn something — not from the idle chatter, but from the tyrant himself. He hadn't learned anything about the past like they were looking for, but rather something that was upcoming: in a month's time, a purge would happen — one that would wipe out everyone outside the walls of that dark castle.
Of course, it wasn't that easy. An obstacle had appeared.
The thing is…
That obstacle was Gunlaug himself.
---
Nephis woke up. It seemed she had slept in, as the sun was already setting. She looked outside the hut she was staying in — lent to her by Effie with the promise of getting the information. There was no sign of Sunny or Cassie. They should have been back in the morning. This could only mean something had gone wrong.
Why was it today? Today, of all days, she had slept in? For the first time in her entire life — why today? Those thoughts rushed through her mind as she bolted toward the dark castle. She knew they were strong, and she also knew Sunny had many tricks up his sleeve.
But she also knew that, at the end of the day, they were still Sleepers who had just arrived in the Dream Realm — and could never compare to the years of experience Gunlaug most likely had.
From a distance, she could hear a commotion. But before she could reach her destination, an obstacle got in her way.
A familiar man — one she had seen almost every day back in the waking world.
Han Li Caster stood in her way, a smile on his face.
---
Clenching his fists, Sunny buried his forehead into the dirt. He knelt as Gunlaug stood before him. He knelt so Cassie didn't have to. He knelt because he could swallow his pride.
"Did you think nobody would notice a memory? It's a shame the imbecile didn't report it the day he saw it. Thanks to him, you'll be another body in this giant graveyard we call the Dark City."
Gunlaug raised his gold-covered face toward Cassie before turning to his underlings.
"Take her. Throw her into the alleys and let fate decide what happens."
Shadows shot out, aiming for Gunlaug's head, only to fail to penetrate his armor. Sunny jumped back, shooting out a barrage of shadow pillars, but they all met an immovable, unstoppable object.
One of the underlings lunged at Cassie. Sunny attempted to summon something to block them but was met with a crushing blow on his back from the golden tyrant.
His eyes shot up behind him — the man was hideous: extremely tall and with unnaturally lanky limbs. Suddenly, the man lunged at Cassie, his blade flashing forward.
But Cassie jumped forward after feeling the shift in the air. The blade pierced her shoulder — but the obsidian dagger she had summoned as the man lunged pierced his throat.
Gasps rippled through the crowd as the man fell.
"Harus!" one of them shouted. Gunlaug froze — but that second was all they needed.
Grabbing Cassie, Sunny summoned strings of shadows throughout the street. It was like a spiderweb of black threads that only opened for him. Gunlaug attempted to run through them, and while they didn't damage him, they slowed him down. Suddenly, the strings unraveled from being a web and wrapped completely around Gunlaug, squeezing him. It wasn't meant to harm or stop him, but rather to blind him.
As soon as they arrived in the Dark City, they had already become wanted enemies.