Zachary was kneeling, taking ragged breaths. The Centurion had collapsed to its side, giving him just enough room to avoid being crushed. With a tired command, he unsummoned Ender's Solace.
The blade had undergone a strange transformation at the pinnacle of the battle, allowing him to break through the Centurion's defenses with ease. He would have to examine the extent of the change... but that would have to wait.
Zachary's head hurt like hell. He had clearly pushed himself too far at the end, but maybe—just maybe—thanks to that, he had awakened a new sight.
Remembering how he'd been able to see the Attack Path made him smile weakly. It would be a huge improvement to his power—and god knew he would need it. Finally regaining enough strength, he crawled out from beneath the Centurion.
He was greeted by the darkness of the night. The storm had finally passed, and the cliff was now surrounded by a calm breeze that might have convinced someone that no carnage had ever happened atop it.
Zachary raised his gaze and saw Nephis looking toward the monster's body. Now that it was night, she couldn't see anything in the absolute darkness of the Forgotten Shore, but she could feel the movement.
"Zachary?" she asked with slight apprehension, perhaps expecting the monster to stir again. Zachary briefly considered playing a prank on her, but in his current state, that wouldn't be smart.
"Yes, Neph. It's me," he replied, as Nephis unsummoned her longsword with a sigh of relief.
"Hey, guess what I—" Zachary began to stand, but flashing pain interrupted his words. Now that the battle was over, the adrenaline had faded, and the accumulated pain of his injuries returned with full force.
Not only had he crashed into a boulder at terrifying speed, but both his body and mind had undergone a transformation that should have taken far longer.
He collapsed onto his back and began breathing heavily, trying to manage the pain. That's when he felt something moving to his right.
Nephis was approaching him. Her expression was strange—she looked both scared and resigned, as though she had made up her mind about something terrible.
Her pupils were wide and dark.
"What are—" But his words were cut off as Nephis knelt beside him.
"Don't move," she said in a cold voice, though Zachary could hear a faint tremble behind it.
Gritting her teeth, Nephis placed her hands on his chest. The pressure sent a sharp wave of pain surging through his body, beginning at his chest and traveling all the way to his injured back.
Then, a soft, radiant brilliance suddenly ignited beneath the skin of her palms, reflecting in her gray eyes like two dancing white sparks. Almost immediately, Changing Star's face twisted in agony, and she let out a terrible, muffled scream.
Her skin turned pale as a sheet of paper. As she bit her lower lip, blood began to flow from her mouth, trailing down to her chin.
As the radiance grew more intense, Nephis shut her eyes tightly, tears streaming down her bloodless, tormented face.
Zachary understood what was happening—but even so, he couldn't help being surprised. Through his enhanced senses, he could feel everything. A warm sensation spread from his chest to the rest of his body, washing away the pain like a calm wave brushing against the sand.
He was being healed by a bright, pure flame. By her pristine soul.
He knew his injuries were not as serious as Sunny's in the novel, but feeling the flame wash them away made him realize just how far he had pushed himself. No bones were broken, but every muscle in his back was torn, and his body had long since gone past its limits.
What surprised him most was his mind—or more precisely, his brain. The splitting headache had disappeared, replaced by a drowsy calm. His eyes, whose blood vessels had ruptured, now felt a revitalizing coldness that made him breathe a sigh of relief.
Just as the pain vanished—as if it had never existed—Nephis flinched away with a stifled moan. The white radiance beneath her skin dimmed and disappeared, letting darkness return to its rightful place. Crawling a few steps back, she stopped, fell to her knees and hands, and violently threw up. Her whole body was shaking uncontrollably, as though on the verge of a seizure.
When the shivers finally subsided, she slowly lowered herself to the ground and lay there motionless. Short, ragged breaths coming out from her mouth.
Zachary felt a sudden heaviness on his chest. He knew what she had to go through to use her Aspect Ability. He even knew that, in the novel, she had grown used to it. But knowing it and accepting it were two different things.
The thought of someone else suffering on his behalf made Zachary feel… wrong. It wasn't a feeling born from affection toward Nephis—it was something intrinsic to himself. His pain was his alone to bear.
He didn't truly understand where this guilt came from, and without the energy to delve deeper into it, he collapsed beside Nephis. His breath had calmed, and he stared into the starless, dark void ahead. He had much to think about—but maybe, just maybe, he could leave those thoughts for later.
They just kept lying there in silence, the low waves crashing into the cliff the only sound. But after a few moments, they began moving—they had to find Cassie.
Finding the blind seer was easy. She was standing next to the mangled Carapace, who towered like a royal guard protecting his princess.
"Guys!" Hearing them approaching, Cassie ran toward their direction, tripping here and there on the wet stones, but she didn't seem to care.
"Hey, Cass," Zachary said as he unsummoned the Echo. The mangled fellow would have to recover inside his Soul Sea.
They sat close to each other, ready to finally get some well-earned rest. But just as Zachary was settling in, Cassie turned in his direction.
"I'm sorry, Zach," she said softly.
Zachary was caught by surprise—first by the new way she referred to him, but mostly by the apology. She hadn't done anything wrong.
"Why for?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You were left unguarded because of me. You had to use your Echo to take me away from danger," she said, hiding her face between her knees.
Nephis simply watched this exchange without saying a word—perhaps the pain of her Flaw was still present, or maybe she didn't have anything to add.
"Oh, but that wasn't your fault, Cass," Zachary said gently. "Who told me to crash into a rock that was already taken, right?"
He flashed a playful smile. "Next time I'll aim for a better landing. Don't worry about it."
Such a ridiculous statement was met with the honest laughter of the blind girl. Zachary even saw a slight smirk appear on Nephis's lips, cracking her always impassive face. With their Souls rested, they finally went to sleep—too tired to care about keeping watch.
***
The next morning arrived, and accompanied by the sound of the receding sea, they began collecting meat from the Centurion and the Scavengers. Once they finished, they moved to the far side of the island, wary of any creature that might come to claim the corpse of the monster.
Zachary, knowing what was coming, even climbed down a little. He didn't want to take any chances.
{_^_^_}
He felt it before the sound of flapping wings reached them—Danger Sense bloomed like a knife to the gut. His enhanced eyes caught more of the creature than he ever wanted to see, and for the first time since arriving in this world, he wished the novel's description had been all it had to offer. The Spire Messenger arrived with terrifying presence, its existence a harrowing augury of death.
Zachary pressed himself against the cliffside. Looking up, he could see Nephis frowning deeply. When the monster finally passed westward, Zachary climbed back up and let out a relieved sigh. His back was damp with cold sweat.
"What was that?" Nephis muttered, more to herself than anyone else, clearly not expecting an answer.
"A Fallen Creature," Zachary said without much thought.
He wanted to avoid revealing how much he knew about this world—especially since he had no plausible way to explain it. Claiming to be a seer or prophet wasn't an option. Staying quiet was usually the safest choice. But this was different; the strength of the warning, along with his sharpened senses, had made it clear: the creature was Fallen. Sharing that much wouldn't risk too much.
Nephis turned to him, visibly surprised by the answer, but she didn't press further. Once they were sure the Fallen wasn't coming back, they returned to camp and began preparing breakfast.
Nephis busied herself roasting Centurion meat. Cassie sat beside her, lost in thought—clearly still shaken by yesterday's accident and her near-death experience.
Meanwhile, Zachary thought about the Balance and the insight he had gained during the battle. It wasn't a monumental breakthrough. He hadn't taken some grand step forward. But he had found the path forward into the Heavy Sword, that was enough. Now that the limit had cracked, he could pave the rest of the road himself—it would just take time. Practice.
Exactly what he needed to keep refining his Balance. Experience.
The food passed to him by Nephis snapped him from his thoughts, he took a bite of the flavorful Centurion meat. Despite only having rock salt to season it, Nephis always managed to make even that taste like a delicacy.
Zachary thought back to the other world, to his own cooking experience while living alone through college. He recalled the lessons from Teacher Julius. He was just wondering how he could use those skills here, when Nephis's sudden question pulled him back.
"Why are you pushing yourself so hard?" she asked, her voice serious, her pristine face unreadable.
Zachary was caught off guard by the frankness of her question. He hadn't expected the usually reserved and socially awkward Nephis to initiate this kind of conversation. So, he deflected.
"Shouldn't I be asking you the same question?" he said casually, taking a bite of the steaming meat.
Nephis looked at him for a few seconds, then turned back to the fire, tending to the meat. "Isn't it obvious? I'm the last daughter of the Immortal Flame Clan. A bearer of a True Name… This is expected of me."
Zachary chuckled inwardly. 'Liar.'
The Nephis depicted in the novel hadn't been particularly driven by duty or a sense of responsibility as a Legacy. Sure, she carried the pride of being her Clan's last survivor, but in truth, she was moved by sheer spite—against the Sovereigns, against the Spell. Still, Zachary didn't push the matter further.
That was when he realized something—he had dodged her question. And Nephis, of course, had noticed.
"You haven't answered me," she pressed, retrieving the last pieces of meat from the fire.
Cassie shifted slightly in her seat. She tried to act uninterested, but Zachary could see through it—she was paying close attention to their exchange, clearly curious about his response.
He had known from the start that lying to the girls would only lead to trouble and misunderstanding, something he wanted to avoid. More importantly, if he didn't want to face his Flaw in a vulnerable state, he had to stick to the path his Penance demanded—honesty, even when uncomfortable.
So then… why had he avoided the question?
Why was he pushing himself so hard?
Zachary had plenty of answers. First, his Flaw: it was hunting him. If he wanted to survive, he needed to outpace it. Second, his goal: returning home. He didn't know how, or even if it was possible—but strength could open doors that weakness never would. Third, the promise he had made—to the Original One, and to Dahrio. He had sworn to prove their faith in him right and to honor their memories. To do that, the only way was forward.
So why had he avoided it, then?
He realized it instantly—there was a fourth answer. A reason he had known all along, one he'd been carrying since the very moment he stepped into this world. A reason he'd avoided naming, because even acknowledging it would cause the feelings he had been hiding to finally burst forth.
It was the weight of being stranded in a foreign world.
Alone.
It was a crushing weight of loneliness—the kind that came from deep within his bones. He didn't want to face those feelings, so he focused on something that gave him even the smallest chance of going back: gaining power.
"I guess I feel… lonely."
The girls stared at him, confused and curious. He realized a second later that his answer probably made little sense to them. They didn't know his story. And even if they had, who says something like that so openly? It was an odd thing to admit.
After a short silence, he decided to go on. He couldn't explain everything—but maybe, just maybe, he could share enough.
"My parents were both Awakened," Zachary began. He had long realized that he could speak as both himself and the Original One—his Penance wasn't that strict. But he didn't want to lie to the girls. He was only bringing this up so that what he was about to say would make sense to them.
"They were the normal kind, closer to mundane people than to Legacies. They stayed in the Citadel every night, they didn't really hunt Nightmare Creatures."
"The few Memories they had were traded ones, and even then, they were of the lowest ranks. They barely earned enough credits to make ends meet by researching some of the vegetation near the Citadel." Zachary recounted the Original One's memories with a deep sigh.
The girls listened quietly as he paused for a moment, and then, with another sigh, he added, "They died in a Gate Incident… It was my birthday."
Cassie brought her hands to her mouth in shock. Nephis simply gave a silent nod of understanding. Meanwhile, Zachary searched through the Original One's memories—despite living his last years in autopilot he did understood their decision, but...
"I think I resented them," he said, recalling how the Original One had lived like a husk after the incident. "I think I questioned why they would make that choice. They spent their whole lives avoiding danger, and at the last moment, they threw themselves into it headfirst."
Even though the Original One had failed to form himself and survived as a hollow shell, that question had always lingered. So with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, Zachary continued.
"My mother… was an interesting person. She was an amazing cook, and her passion was for everything that came before the Dark Ages—music, movies, every little thing she could get her hands on," Zachary said with an honest smile.
He was no longer talking about the Original One or his parents—Aaron and Sophia. He was speaking about himself. Even if their names had faded, their faces remained.
So did the memories of everything they had taught him, everything they had been.
"She was always making these references you'd only get if you'd seen some obscure movie. Or she'd be doing the house chores while blasting Elvis or Billy Joel," he said with a soft chuckle.
He remembered how pushy she got when she nearly forced him to watch the extended versions of The Lord of the Rings. Only when he told her he had already read the books did she ease up. Talking about books...
"My relationship with my father was a little complicated," Zachary said, remembering the last look Aaron had given the Original One. With a slight click of his tongue, he went on.
"But he was always warm. He loved to read—and God, did he know what he read. He was always making some smart comment about this or that book. And if you were unlucky enough to pass by with a book in your hands, he might just spoil the ending without realizing it."
Zachary laughed at the memory. The girls watched him with warm expressions, but there was pain behind their smiles. They were beginning to understand what Zachary was trying to share. Nephis, especially, seemed focused—more than usual. And Zachary understood why.
As a Legacy, she had been raised as a fighter from the beginning. She had never really experienced familial love. Worse yet, with Smile of Heaven gone and Broken Sword always away, she hadn't known even a fraction of what Zachary was describing.
"The worst—and best—thing about him was his humor," Zachary continued.
"He had this dark, sour sense of humor that only came out at the worst times. Bad news on the screen, something grim on the road… he'd drop the most outrageous comment a human mouth could form. I'd burst out laughing most of the time—only to get a dark look from my mother, or even a slap on the back. And he'd just give this dry chuckle, clearly proud of himself."
With a sigh, Zachary fell silent and looked up—the grey, cloudless sky was the only thing staring back. After a long moment, he added—thinking about the Original One: "After their passing, I lived as a shell of myself."
Then, he remembered the moment he realized he couldn't recall their names. The despair of not knowing his own name. "I don't really like thinking about them… so I focus on what's in front of me. Gaining strength."
He looked at Nephis, who met his gaze with those striking grey eyes. "I don't have some grand purpose. I'm not out for revenge against the Nightmare Creatures. I don't want to attack every Nightmare Gate I see."
His eyes stayed locked on hers as he added, "It's not that I want to keep others from going through what I did. It's not that I want to destroy the Spell."
Nephis's gaze hardened slightly.
"I'm just distracting myself," Zachary said, and a heavy silence settled over them. The fire was dying out, and they had finished their breakfast, but no one made a move to leave their seats.
"Anyway!" Zachary suddenly broke the silence, making Cassie jump. "You know, there's this guy called Socrates who said it's a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable."
He stretched his arms behind his back. "So I might as well try to see how far I can go. Who knows? I might even go beyond Transcendence, don't you think?" he said, as if trying to shake off the awkward and gloomy air.
***
Sometime later, Zachary approached the western edge. Nephis was there, sitting leisurely with her feet dangling over the side. He stood behind her in silence. He didn't really know what she was thinking—maybe going over her plans for when she left the Forgotten Shore… or maybe still thinking about his words. With a short breath, he walked forward and sat beside her.
Looking at the horizon and the never-ending red corals made Zachary's heart skip a beat. The sublime sight always managed to steal his breath. Nephis glanced at him, her expression unreadable. After a few minutes of silence, she broke it with a question.
"What were their names?" she asked, looking back at the horizon.
Zachary remained silent for a few seconds. He wanted nothing more than to answer with the names of his original parents, but without anything to share, he finally said, "Aaron and Sophia."
"I see," she replied softly.
"It's your Flaw, isn't it? The pain you feel every time you use your Ability?"
After a few seconds of hesitation, Zachary asked the question out of necessity. Nephis was quiet for a while before finally answering. "Yes."
Zachary looked at her. The light of the grey sky brushed against her pale skin, making her silver hair shimmer like a mirage.
"What does it feel like?" he asked.
Without turning to him, she answered, "Like burning alive."
He had already known, but hearing it didn't make it any easier. Having been electrocuted by Dahrio's ability, he had a vague idea of what it might feel like—but experiencing that every time she used her power...
"I'm sorry," Zachary finally said with a sincere heart.
Nephis shrugged, still not turning her head.
"It's just pain."
Zachary winced. He had expected her to say that, but even then...
"That doesn't make it any better," he said, looking at her. She looked back at him—but only for a moment.
Zachary breathed deeply and leaned back on his elbows. He closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the cold, slightly salty air of noon. They had been running nonstop since the previous day. He wanted to truly rest, but deep inside, he knew it wasn't time yet. With focused eyes, he checked the runes of the Starlight Armor. Without looking at Nephis, he asked:
"Hey, Neph. Guess what I got from that Centurion," he said with a small grin.
Nephis looked at him but didn't reply.
Zachary waited through a few moments of awkward quiet before pressing. "Neph?"
"Yes?" she replied from his side, still facing the horizon.
"Guess what I got," Zachary repeated. He was tempted to just say it, but a part of him wanted to see what she'd do.
After a few seconds, she finally said, "I… I don't know." Her voice was soft, with a faint note of awkwardness.
"Of course you don't know. That's why I asked you to guess," Zachary replied as if stating the obvious.
He propped himself up on his hands and, for the next minute, watched Nephis hum quietly to herself, a little frown forming on her pale face. Eventually, she gave in.
"An injury?" she asked, her tone strange.
"What? No." Zachary couldn't help but laugh—an honest, surprised laugh. That was not the answer he had expected. "Hmm… well, I guess you could say I did get an injury from that bastard."
"But no, that's not what I meant. Here—lend me your hand."
Before she could reply, he reached out and grabbed her hand. It was warm to the touch. A moment later, he felt the Memory leave his Soul Core and flow down his arm into her.
She blinked and pulled her hand away. Then, Nephis stood up, walked a few steps from the edge of the cliff, and summoned the Memory.
Spinning sparks of light danced around her. A moment later, they covered her porcelain body and turned into a black, skintight bodysuit made of some unknown, durable material. It looked similar to the rubbery seaweed that permeated the area. Then, the silver plates of the Starlight Legion Armor appeared in all their glory.
She made a few movements, testing the armor's mobility. Then she summoned her sword and performed a few pirouettes, gauging how well she could move in it. Seemingly satisfied, she let the sword vanish into the air.
Zachary watched her with amusement. When she was finally done, he asked, "How is it?"
She turned toward him. A wide smile appeared on her face. Beaming with delight, Nephis hesitated, then said with a bit of embarrassment, "Much better."
Zachary stood up from the edge of the cliff and looked up, this was just the beginning. But he bore a little hope for the future.