Sunny found himself back in the inner lining of the Spell - the black endless void stretched as far as the eye can see paired for the shining stars floating in the sky each connected by the shiny strings
Sunny didn't pay it much attention after the first nightmare appraisal since he had been more focused on the changes to his Aspect, Attributes and his being in general
"But to think that all those stars are the lives devoured for the spell to grow ..."
Perhaps Nephis was not wrong about the cruelty of the spell - but that didn't change their situation, that it, even if cruelly it did help them in many ways. Still, they still need to challenge the nightmares and destroy the Dream God
Sunny drew his gaze away from the light and paused
how much had he changed - and how much would be changed because of him. On how large a scale did Sunny damage fate and what was he going to do now
He still had to concern himself with Valor once more and how they will react to Nephis . As an awakened she would be at a larger risk than as a master and now if they were to adopt her and send her on missions where she might actually die
But in what world would he let that happen?
It was not as if there were no options to confirm her safety. The government would be accepting specially to the last living Immortal Flame and Valor could not deal with her openly and Sunny had the ability to deal with the attacks from the Shadows
But somehow all those issues seemed so insignificant
Because at this time in his past, Nephis was alone in the forgotten shore set to be broken in a second nightmare after wandering the Nightmare Desert.
He would have isolated himself contemplating whether he should slaughter Cassie and the sleeping Nephis.
He would only have the power of a titan after suffering in his nightmares, the horrors of Antarctica and the death of Condemnations shadow
He would be bound - though after all his experiences that particular point didn't serve such a daunting message as it once did. Still, it was different type of happiness being free
[The Second Seal is broken.]
[Awakening dormant powers...]
"Ah... my mind is too used to being burdened that I forgot about this" - Having only one body, having no army to command, and the fact that Shadow Sense was a lot easier to deal with, perhaps that was because of its lowered range or that shadows were a lot more caring towards him
[Awakening Aspect Ability...]
[...Aspect Ability acquired]
[Aspect Ability Name: Shadow Step]
Sunny summoned his runes and admired the return of his teleportation ability
Aspect Ability: [Shadow Step]
Shadow Step: You can move freely between shadows, traveling from one to another in an instant
But then the voice of the spell continued, and Sunny's eyes widened slightly and suddenly he felt cold
[Awakening Secondary Aspect Ability. . .]
[Secondary Aspect Ability acquired]
[Secondary Aspect Ability Name: Dark Requiem]
Sunny summoned his runes
Dark Requiem: A seed of darkness planted into the mind of those the wielder wishes. Plaguing their mind comes their darkest desires, darkest regrets, darkest thoughts - A Requiem for Sanity
Sunny was still as the waters of his soul sea - It was an understandable reaction. He did not believe this secondary aspect worked as the normal ones; He believed that it was Soley the ability to use the darkness of those he killed as his own
That alone was an ability that put him on the level of impossible strength - Just because he didn't have the ability to use the abilities of that which he killed - even if he couldn't summon them as servants even though their darkness sat in his soul. It was still there - He could summon a transcendent darkness, and it would have the strength of a transcendent item, same with ascended or awakened and in the future Cursed and Great too
Not only that but it had the ability to heal, become an armor, become a weapon - the possibilities depending on only his own imagination - and he had a very imaginative mind
but now this Second aspect had given him an awakened ability and seemed to give him abilities as he continues on the path of ascension - and this ability was something Sunny lacked
an ability that Sunny hated when it was used on him
It was not as divine as Hope's influence over desire, it was not as subtle as the Soul Devouring Trees hex, it was not as insidious as L049s Terror or the Spirit of Doubt
And yet it was somehow more vicious, more dangerous and more deadly. Making the mind of one's opponent suffer their darkest times while in battle can the weak to insanity and cause stronger opponents to be disabled for even a second during battle giving him an opening
He knew very well how horrifying mind attacks was, he was always on the negative end of this power - but now
"I'm one of these Horrors"
Sunny smiled at the thought, the thought of imposing his own hex onto the bastards that did it to him
But it seemed the spell grew sick of his self-gloating
[Wake up, Sunless!]
And instantly, the black void full of bright stars and silver light disappeared and he felt his stiff physical body
Standing over his bed with stressed expressions, well he assumed Cassie and Nephis had stressed expressions at how Neph was gripping the pod and how Cassie was questioning the awakened that saw them here
"I'm sorry miss Changing Star, Cassia he isn't waking..." - she spoke her voice somber before continuing trying to comfort them - "But his vitals are well, he is alive and could still return"
Sunny groaned and felt as the shadows of Nephis and Cassie as well as the awakened women turned to him - He turned on his side and smiled
"Shhh you're too loud, I can't sleep"
...
Cassie's woke up in her pod placed besides Sunny and Nephis close by. She made an attempt to use her Awakened ability and watched as Nephis rose from her pod in the vision
She woke up and walked towards the pod and at that moment Nephis woke up in the present - She wore a worried and angered look just like the vision
"Is he up..." - She questioned
but sadly, Cassie didn't see Sunny wake up in the mini future vision or the next
by the third try she panicked slightly and just then an awakened women walked in possibly alerted by the opening of the pods
"You two have awoken... the last of that bunch. Come you can enjoy the benefits of awakened" - She could have shown astonishment, shock or worry but she was an awakened. Awakened sometimes were disorientated or just plain insane after awaking so the promise of benefits aided them greatly in terms of the return to reality
She was seconds away from letting out a smile and speaking to them again - maybe offer food with the registration process for awakened
but then she heard a worried call from one of her colleagues in her mind - he sounded almost rushed
Calls from hundreds no, Calls from almost a thousand different people. All sleepers who hadn't awoken in years - All people who were now awakened asking the same questions
"Is Changing Star okay? is Cassia okay?"
but there was one question that everyone asked even those who didn't ask for the other 2
"Is the Star of Darkness awake?"
Not even if he was okay as if that was a given regardless of the situation. Just if he had awoken
'But he is asleep in that pod..."
Just in that moment the awakened became concerned as she saw the white-haired girl open the pod
She walked over and advised her against that. The nature of the pod was to keep the holder in good health as he slept and from the image she got from the girls and the call
That boy's tale seemed to be one where he sacrificed himself
"...You must close the pod, so his body remains healthy" - The lady spoke gently
"No, he will wake up now" - Nephis said the strength of an awakened tyrant crushing the metal hand hold used to enter the pod
The women were about to try another approach trying to get her to leave and calm down but then there was a sudden groan, and they heard a sleepy voice
"Shhh you're too loud, I can't sleep"