The week after the castle massacre, things had moved at great speed. Since the Ruler had died at Ashfall's hands, by law he should have become the new Bright Lord — however, he had rejected it.
There would be no new lord to rule the cursed city.
Things were set in motion. The former lieutenants and their subordinates began working on manufacturing weapons for the siege of the Crimson Tower. Likewise, thanks to the Dawn Crown, which elevated the rank of memories, the sleepers began to win more battles against the abominations.
Led by Nephis, the number of victories increased, including echoes and memories.
Soul fragments were used to saturate the nearly thousand sleepers of the Forgotten Shore.
As the days passed, the army prepared for the future siege. Meanwhile, Ash and Kai explored the surroundings of the Crimson Tower, noting the thousands of abominations that protected it — all controlled by the Fallen Terror.
Ash knew that once the Dark Sea was sealed, the Nameless Sun would begin a massacre of unfathomable scale. And with all the souls traveling through the needle, channeling toward the Terror, it would drive its evolution into a Titan.
If he killed the Terror, he would obtain a soul conduit to keep the portal active, but he wouldn't be able to use it. So his plan was simple.
They would not kill the Terror and would let it evolve into a Titan. Though if that failed, he had a plan he preferred not to have to use.
Sighing, he ordered his echo to return to the Dark City. There was nothing more to explore.
---
One week later, in a small room deep within the ancient Bright Castle, around a table, several people gathered.
Ashfall, Sunny, Cassie, Caster, Nephis, Kai, Effie, and Seishan.
Beyond the walls, the world was hidden by a deep darkness, with the distant murmur of water striking the ancient wall.
"So what do we do now?" asked Sunny.
"Summon the fragments," said Ash.
In their hands, sparks materialized, forming several memories.
The first was a black band with a gem in its center. The second was a heavy bronze shield. And the third, a beautiful bronze spear.
Nephis summoned a long sword of pale light, like the moon. Sunny summoned a black tachi. Seishan summoned a war hammer.
And Effie's last memory was a short, wavy white cape.
The seven memories lay on the table when, out of nowhere, they shone. Six spheres of light floated in the center, then merged into an orb of white essence.
Suddenly, the seven flames turned into beams of light and shot toward Sunny.
After everything was ready, Nephis said: "We're ready."
---
The next morning, the castle gates opened, revealing a long procession of humans abandoning the great citadel.
They walked beneath the skulls swaying in the wind, paying them no attention.
Nearly a thousand people marched toward the Dark City. Nightmare creatures, seeing an opportunity, lunged to attack but were quickly eliminated.
They advanced through the city in a straight line toward the edge of the wall. After climbing it, they watched the enormous Bright Castle release a column of black smoke, then become enveloped in white flames.
After the castle was consumed by flames, reduced to ruins, the sleepers descended from the wall and marched toward the Crimson Tower.
---
During the journey to the Crimson Tower, they had crossed the Crimson Labyrinth, facing powerful abominations. Some had perished, but others had survived.
Finally, they had reached the last stretch that separated them from their freedom — and their prison.
They had survived the terrors of the depths. They had seen the headless statue of the City Lord, and more terrible and marvelous things.
On the final night, everyone prepared to begin the siege early in the morning.
Ash sat in a secluded spot, a calm expression on his face.
Finally, after more than half a year, he was close to returning to the waking world.
His eyes settled on the group he knew would remain together in the future. Looking at them, he knew something: there was no space for him.
But that didn't bother him. He even liked it, in a way. Once he left the Forgotten Shore, he would join the Night Garden and seek a seed to become a Master. He wanted to discover more secrets of his aspect and about the new entity beginning to emerge in his soul sea — one more dangerous than Thrill.
He had lost control of himself during the battle, and if it hadn't been for Cassie, he would have done things he wouldn't be proud of.
Ash lay back on the coral surface, looking up at the sky covered in unchanging gray clouds.
---
When the Nameless Sun rose, the water level dropped, revealing ancient bridges that connected the island of the red tower to the other end of the crimson coral.
Ash could feel thousands of nightmare creatures emerging from the crimson mounds to protect the tower.
Among the abominations were all kinds of horrors: members of the shelled Leguminosas, scavengers, centurions, and demons.
There were colonies of carnivorous worms, enormous centipedes that secreted acid.
Stone knights surrounded by red flowers, as well as gorillas and insects.
In the sky, four black dots circled the top of the tower — the messengers of the needle.
Ash heard a loud shout, which he recognized as Effie's voice.
"Stand your ground, you wretches! If anyone flees, I'll kill them myself!"
A powerful roar answered, but it wasn't from humans — it came from the abominations, which charged forward, marking the beginning of the siege.