The screen flickered, changing colors, and finally an image appeared.
A rustling sound was heard, and a gentle breeze caressed Sunny's face. He slowly awoke, allowing himself to savor the sweet moments of comfort and peace that lingered on the border between sleep and wakefulness. His bed was soft, warm, and cozy... today it was especially hard to leave its familiar embrace.
After a while, he sighed and opened his eyes.
The sun hadn't risen yet, but the sky outside was already beginning to brighten. A breeze blowing off the lake fluttered the curtains, filling the modest bedroom with a delightful scent of freshness. Even after so many years, Sunny was still sometimes surprised by how pure the air of the Dream Realm was.
He took a few deep breaths, rubbed his face, and rose from the bed.
Effie, surprised, immediately jumped to her feet.
"Master Sunless?" -- she exclaimed.
All eyes immediately fell on her. Confused, Nefis looked at her questioningly.
"Do you know this man?"
Effie blinked as she came to her senses.
"Yes, he's the owner of the cafe where I often come and with whom we cooperate, supplying products. He also gets along well with my husband and son."
And now Morgan, intrigued, decided to ask, "What's the name of this cafe?"
"Eye Candy Cafe is a very popular cafe."
"Strange, I've never heard of this place," she said indifferently.
"Of course you haven't heard. You're only interested in swords and your clan's pride," Effie wanted to say, but decided not to say it out loud.
"So this cafe is in the bastion," Julius remarked.
But everyone had the same question: "Why are we looking at this man? If, according to Saint Affina, he's an ordinary master, then he's not worth our time."
While everyone was wondering this, a figure rose from the seat.
"Perhaps he is the forgotten one we need to know about?" It was Cassie, the blind seer.
Silence fell over the room as everyone considered what the blind seer had said.
But one person was in a panic: none other than Rein.
"Master??"
"Why is this damn movie theater showing my master? He always hides in my shadow and never shows himself in public. Please, Master, your disciple is surrounded by saints, come and save him."
Before she could process all this, the screen began to flicker again.
After putting on simple clothes and summoning the Mist Cloak, Sunny yawned, tied his hair, and left the bedroom. He splashed some water on his face, then went to the kitchen and brewed himself a large cup of strong, aromatic coffee.
Finally, holding a steaming mug, he left the house and sat on the porch, intending to enjoy his coffee while watching the sunrise.
Coffee beans were quite hard to come by in the Dream Realm, but today Sunny wanted to treat himself. After all, it was his birthday.
He was twenty-six years old.
...Of course, no one in the world knew about it.
"No one in the world knew about it?" the holy Kai remarked.
"It's certainly sad, but he seems to be exaggerating that no one knew about his birthday," a voice rang out from the ranks.
Taking his first sip of coffee, Sunny smiled slightly and looked up. A few of the brightest stars were still visible in the pale lavender sky. Just then, the gentle sun finally crossed the dark line of the distant horizon, illuminating the sky with a beautiful golden glow. A hint of bright daylight appeared in the soft dawn twilight.
He watched the sunrise while enjoying his coffee.
Despite the beautiful sight, Sunny felt a slight melancholy. He looked down with a wistful smile.
'...Now I'm older than Mom was when she passed away.'
It was a strange feeling. As a child, Sunny thought of his mother as an adult, and adults as magical beings possessing wondrous and incredible powers. But now that he himself was an adult, he could understand... that his mother had been a child herself.
Everyone's gaze grew sadder, realizing that there had been so many casualties during that time, and that life had sometimes dealt such blows.
She was gone, but both her children were alive and well. This fact was a precious consolation, so Sunny wasn't too sad.
Well, it was a given that he was alive, but he wasn't sure that everything was perfect. He'd come a long and difficult way over the past four years... and even committed some very foolish acts. Nevertheless, things looked better now.
"Both children? So he has a brother or sister?" one of the Saints of Valor remarked.
However, at the same time, a thought occurred to everyone in the cohort. "4 years exactly after our nightmare, forgotten member?
A grand, magnificent white castle towered over the lake, its many towers fluttering crimson flags. It seemed too beautiful to be real, as if it had stepped straight out of a fairy tale. But of course, it did exist.
This beautiful white stone castle was Bastion, the Great Citadel of Clan Valor, where the King of Swords held court. It was also the heart of the teeming city that had grown around the lake over the past four years.
After the Sovereigns revealed themselves, most of the remaining civilian population of the Southern Quadrant—approximately two hundred million people—was evacuated directly to the Dream Realm, divided between Bastion and Ravenheart, and gradually relocated to smaller Citadels. Later, the Dream Gates were opened in other Quadrants, giving even more ordinary people the chance to migrate to the Dream Realm.
Although only a few understood the true significance of these events, the gradual exodus of people from the waking world had already begun. So far, most of those who left were people from the margins of society—those without citizenship, and therefore not receiving their share of the meager resources necessary for normal life on a dying Earth.
But Sunny knew more than most. He had no doubt that sooner or later everyone would leave... if given enough time. As the years passed, the situation in the waking world gradually grew worse. In the future, the Nightmare Gates would increase in number, the Nightmare Creatures would grow stronger, and fewer and fewer places for human existence would remain. Until eventually, the entire world would be swallowed up by the Dream Realm.
True... humanity, too, was growing stronger.
"The clan members are tense. Does he know more than the others? We need to find out about this man immediately upon returning."
"He knows more than the others, and yet he does nothing, just resting in his caffa?" Saint Gilead said reproachfully.
"Oh, if you haven't forgotten him? Everyone has forgotten him, so what can he do?" Effie stated.
In response, she only received a fleeting glance.
Sunny took another sip of coffee and turned his head, looking at the bustling city that had grown around a beautiful, tranquil lake.
Of course, it couldn't be compared to a vast human hive like the SSSC. However, there were still a surprising number of people here—at least a dozen million or so. Another million or two lived in the castle itself.
However, this early in the morning, most people were still asleep, so Sunny could enjoy his coffee surrounded by peaceful silence.
...Oh, and he himself had a house in Bastion. Moreover, this house was the envy of many.
While not as prestigious as living in the castle itself, his house was located right on the lakeshore, its rear windows overlooking the water.
It was an elegant single-story cottage, seemingly built of brown brick, with a sloping tiled roof and a tall chimney. There was a small garden in the back, and a neat lawn in front, where herbs and flowers grew in ceramic pots.
Since the house was located at the end of the street, few people passed by.
But if anyone did, they were sure to see the modest sign hanging above the cottage door.
It read:
"Sunny's Brilliant Emporium: Café and Boutique of Memories."
"Is this the cafe you were talking about, Saint Athena?" Morgan asked.
"Yes, in the flesh, a real treat for the eyes. I mean, the establishment."
But Effie was lucky no one noticed what she said, because at that moment two people jumped up—Noctis and the priestess of the spell. When Master Sunless summoned the misty mantle, both were so shocked they couldn't speak.
"It's a weaver," Ananke declared.
Everyone turned in shock at her voice, trying to comprehend what she'd said.
"Truly fate," Noctis chimed in.
"What do you mean, weaver? Are you saying he's the infamous Demon of Fate?"
Seishan asked.
"No, this boy, that thing he's wearing, a robe, it's unusual," Noctis declared with a sigh. Ananke nodded weakly, not believing what she was seeing.
"Indeed, that robe he's wearing is a very high-level weaving. If you were right about there being no gods or demons alive in your time, then this boy is very special," she assured, continuing. (This was all off-camera; I'm too lazy to correct it.)
"What this man is wearing is an ancient sorcery called weaving, mastered only by the Demon of Fate and the chosen ones like him."
Julius's eyes gleamed at the ancient word. Shock gripped the audience; before they could recover, the screen lit up.
While the city slowly awoke, Sunny finished his coffee and leaned back, enjoying the last few minutes of peace. He didn't have many regular customers, but he still had a few. They would probably start arriving soon, meaning he'd be busy for the next few hours.
Before that, however...
He glanced at his shadow, and his gaze grew distant for a moment.
Then a familiar voice whispered in his ear:
[You have killed the Greater Demon].
[Your shadow is growing stronger].
It was his own voice.
Sunny ran his fingers over the black bracelet on his left wrist and exhaled slowly. The bracelet was a Memory he'd created some time ago... a crude imitation of the Spell, replacing some of its most basic functions. One of them was an announcement about the murders.
WHAT? HOW DID HE KILL A GREAT DEMON? HE'S A MASTER, ALONE! MASTER" Effie screamed, but no one could blame her; everyone was equally confused.
A deathly silence lay in the hall, and no one dared break it. Even Daeron the High was stunned. For an Ascended to kill a Great Demon without lifting a finger was unheard of, yet they witnessed it. The birth of something dangerously powerful, or perhaps they were simply remembering.
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I decided to write another chapter so that you have something to read and understand what to expect from this work. Again, I am happy to receive criticism, both good and bad. Honestly, I am trying to make it good, but I think I am not succeeding. Let me know if you liked the chapter.