Thirty minutes into the drive, Sunny looked out the limousine window and saw a huge mansion rising in the distance.
It was surrounded by high, ornate walls, elegant yet intimidating. The kind of design that screamed wealth.
The mansion itself was dark in color, much darker than any building Sunny had ever seen.
But strangely, the deep tones calmed him. He hadn't realized how tense he'd been until that moment.
He turned his gaze to the other side of the limousine, where Ki Song sat.
She was already looking at him.
Sunny opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it.
"So, do you like it?" she asked, a small smile playing on her lips.
"Yes, I do," Sunny replied, grinning. "Actually... I don't just like it — I love it."
Ki Song's smile grew faintly. "I'm glad to hear that. I'll introduce you to your sisters now. Follow me."
'Sisters?' Sunny thought, blinking. So she has more kids than just me and Rain? How many, I wonder?
He quickly climbed out of the limousine with Rain following closely behind.
They walked in silence. Sunny took in his surroundings as they moved through the grand entrance. Rain clung to his leg like a little sloth, making it hard for him to walk, but he didn't try to pry her off.
Eventually, they entered a massive hall but they weren't alone.
There were about seven girls gathered there, all of them younger than fifteen.
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(I found it on reddit randomly so the ages might not match up. One might be older or younger but for this fanfic they are going to be close in age. :>)
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Sunny stopped and studied the group. 'Are these my sisters?'
He looked up to see Ki Song still walking with her usual confident stride. Everything about her radiated authority, power that demanded respect without needing to say a word.
Sunny hurried to follow before he lost her.
Ki Song suddenly stopped, forcing Sunny to halt abruptly so he wouldn't bump into her.
"These are your sisters," she said, gesturing gracefully toward the group.
Sunny's eyes swept over the girls. They were all beautiful in their own ways, though none could compare to Ki Song herself, his mother now, he supposed.
"I'll be returning to the Dream World," Ki Song said. "Introduce yourselves and get along."
Before Sunny could say anything, she pulled on her tether... and vanished.
Sunny froze, wide-eyed. Ki Song had just disappeared right in front of him. Rain gasped, clutching his hand tightly.
For a moment, the hall fell completely silent.
Then Sunny took a shaky breath and spoke.
"H-hello. My name's Sunless... but you can call me Sunny." He gently moved Rain so she stood in front of him. "And this here is Rain."
He gave an awkward smile.
The group of girls exchanged looks. Then one, clearly the eldest, stepped forward with a kind smile.
"Hello, my name is Seishan," she said warmly. "It seems we have a new younger brother and sister."
She reached out and patted both Sunny's and Rain's heads.
Sunny's cheeks turned red with embarrassment, but Rain only looked up at Seishan with wide, curious eyes.
"Sister?" she asked softly.
Seishan's smile brightened. She knelt down until she was eye level with Rain.
"Yes," she said gently. "I'm your new big sister."
Rain turned to Sunny, silently asking for confirmation with her big eyes.
Sunny gave a small nod.
Rain's face lit up. "Big sister!" she yelled happily, wrapping Seishan in a hug.
As Rain giggled, the other girls started to gather around. Sunny watched them with a cautious smile, until he felt an arm drape heavily over his shoulders.
He staggered under the sudden weight, glancing sideways, only to be met with a devilish grin.
"Hey, Sunny!" the girl said with far too much enthusiasm. "I'm Howl, your big sister! Why don't we do some sparring?"
Sunny's smile froze.
'Sparring?' he screamed internally. 'I can barely run without my lungs catching fire! I've never even held anything sharper than a butter knife in my life! How am I supposed to spar with her?!'
Outwardly, though, all he managed was a painfully stiff grin, the kind of smile that screamed please end me now.
After the introductions, Sunny finally learned the names of all his sisters, Seishan, Howl, Eunbin, Moonveil, Revel, Silent, and Hel.
They were all such exotic names... but who was Sunny to judge?
It had been a month since the adoption. Ki Song had returned to bring Sunny and Rain to the Dream World, along with his new sisters.
This was where he would be spending the rest of his time, a place called Ravenhart.
Bringing them there served another purpose as well. It ensured that both he and Rain would be infected with the Nightmare Spell once they turned sixteen.
Sunny didn't like it. Not one bit. But he hadn't been given a choice in the matter.
He'd tried not to think about it too much anyway, especially with everything else going on. Because, truthfully, he'd been going through hell.
Over the past month, Sunny had been training with his sisters. But training with them was no joke.
Every morning started with at least six laps around the castle, enough to make his legs turn to jelly, followed immediately by sparring practice.
That always ended the same way: with Sunny beaten, bruised, and lying flat on the ground.
On the bright side, though, the food was amazing. There was always something to eat, no matter the time of day.
Rain, meanwhile, had been completely spoiled by her new sisters. They adored her, constantly showering her with gifts and affection.
At the moment, the whole family was eating together after finishing their training. Once Sunny was done with his meal, he'd finally had some free time.
"This sucks," Sunny muttered under his breath, poking at his food. Being the only son of Ki Song wasn't as great as it sounded. His sisters were always nagging him — always telling him he was too weak.
While he was lost in thought, he looked up just in time to see Bin and Revel start another fight.
It wasn't unusual. Around here, arguments were settled with fists, not words.
Sunny had learned quickly that until he was strong enough to stand his ground, he'd always end up losing.
Finishing his meal, he quietly placed his dishes by the sink and slipped away.
He decided to explore the castle again. Even after a month of wandering through its endless halls, he still hadn't seen every room, and exploring had become his favorite pastime.
This time, he ventured deep into the far reaches of the castle, to a place almost no one ever visited.
Room by room, he looked around. Most of them were dull, empty, and unremarkable.
Until he found one.
A large iron door stood before him.
In the dim, flickering light of the sorcerous lanterns, its beautifully carved surface looked dark and uninviting.
It took some effort, but Sunny managed to push it open.
Inside, dust hung in the air like mist. It looked like an old toy room... or at least, that's what Sunny thought it was.
The Toy Room seemed forgotten, hidden away in one of the lowest and most desolate levels of the Jade Palace.
Most of the toys had long since decayed, crumbling into piles of dust on the floor. But some had survived the slow cruelty of time.
Sunny's eyes were drawn to one thing in particular, a large dollhouse, a miniature replica of the Jade Palace itself, sitting proudly on a stand in the center of the room.
The craftsmanship was stunning. Every little detail was perfect, even tiny streams of water flowed through the replica's Gateway Hall.
"Beautiful..." Sunny murmured softly, reaching out to touch the lifelike model.