It was midday when the group heard the stone move. Nephis jumped to her feet, alert, but Zachary's raised hand calmed her down.
"Relax." Zachary said as he patted the dust from his pants and stood up. "How would you react if you suddenly felt hostility in a camp you thought was empty?"
At his words, Nephis stopped the summoning of her sword and sat back down, giving him a questioning look.
"What're we supposed to do then?" he guessed her silent question as he looked down the stairs, Cinder Eyes letting him see the light leaking in from the moving slab.
"Easy. We don't hide our presence. And…" Zachary placed some of yesterday's meat on the fire. "Might as well invite our guest to eat with us."
"Show some hospitality," he said with a smile.
***
Effie was happy. Extremely so.
She had woken up after a good night's sleep in her awesome hut. She'd had a pretty awesome hunt in the Dark City, and now she was about to have a damn good dinner in her favorite spot, far away from all the problems of the Bright Castle.
More than that, she was alive and walking.
"What else could I ask for?" Effie hummed as she moved the granite slab she had placed there days ago.
"Hum hum-hum hum-hum…" Effie dropped the slab behind her, and just as she was about to ascend the stairs toward her camp, something caught her attention.
Or more specifically, something caught her nose. The smell of cooked meat.
She immediately sharpened her senses. No one from the outer settlement should be able to reach this place. The only ones who could were the Hunters of the Bright Castle — and they had no reason to rest and cook this far from safety. Besides… the other thought dancing in Effie's mind was:
"They didn't share," Effie muttered with bitterness. "They dare cook in my spot and they didn't share, fuc—"
"There's still more if you're really hungry," a voice from above interrupted her profanity.
Effie instantly summoned her bronze spear.
"And please be careful with your language," the voice added with a chuckle as it grew closer, accompanied by careful steps descending the stairs. "There are ladies up here."
"Who is out there?" Effie demanded as the steps neared. A pair of hands flashed from around the corner.
"Careful there," the voice said gently.
Finally, she saw the owner of the voice as a pair of crimson eyes peeked around the stairs — and then the rest of his tall figure emerged.
"Hello, fellow human," Zachary said brightly as he finally saw the Huntress Athena in all her glory.
The braided hair, olive skin, athletic build — everything was as the novel once described, perhaps even more striking. Remembering the words he had heard, Zachary could only lampoon inwardly.
'I guess this is to be expected. The first thing I hear from her mouth is about food.'
Effie unsummoned her spear, though with reluctance.
"Come on, we have some food left. You must be hungry, right?" Zachary said as he climbed the stairs again. Behind him, he sensed Effie following — keeping a cautious distance, her guard still not completely lowered.
Finally, he reached the camp and said to the girls—who looked somewhat nervous, despite trying to hide it.
"We have a guest. Don't be rude, and don't attack her just yet. Let her lower her guard." He said it loud enough for Effie to hear.
The girls stared at him, confused by his choice of words. Behind him, Effie snorted.
"Good job, dumbass, I heard you—"
But as she stepped into the camp, Effie fell silent. Her eyes swept over the group: two girls, both clearly Sleepers, one blind; and one in a broken armor who was currently poking the fire. Their harmless appearance was enough for her to relax. Then she noticed the meat cooking over the flames.
"Hahaha, well—who am I to refuse hospitality?" Effie said, already lowering herself beside the fire with an easy grin.
As she passed by him, Zachary finally registered just how tall she really was. 'Damn, she's a head taller than me. Perhaps more.'
'Ha, with someone like her in the other world, the WNBA viewership would skyrocket.' Zachary lampooned as he sat beside Nephis.
"Well hi!" Effie said, already munching. "I'm Effie, nice to meet you young people!"
Zachary scoffed lightly, eyes half-closed, at the sudden shift in her attitude.
At his side, Nephis tried her best to respond politely. "Hello. I'm Nephis, and you've already met Zachary." She gestured toward Cassie. "This is Cassie. Are you an Awakened?"
Effie raised an eyebrow, looking amused. "No, I'm a Sleeper. …Now that I think about it, I haven't seen you around. Are you new?"
At that, Nephis looked toward Zachary. Feeling her gaze, he turned—and Nephis subtly tilted her head toward Effie, clearly expecting him to answer. This surprised him; he had thought Nephis's recent growth in social skill would lead her to take initiative once they reached the Dark City. Apparently not.
Rolling his shoulders, he grabbed a piece of meat and turned toward the huntress.
"Yes. We arrived yesterday, actually. We wanted to wait for someone who could help us cross the city to the Castle. There are a lot of ugly monsters out there."
"Smart," Effie said—before her face shifted as the implication hit her. "Wait. You spent two months in the labyrinth?"
She didn't hide her awe. "Damn, that's a real feat. How'd you even manage that, huh?"
"With pure faith and prayers," Zachary replied dryly, glancing at the bloody hole in his mantle.
Following his gaze, Effie whistled low. "Hell… what even did that?"
Zachary thought for a moment. "Some crustacean. But worth it, honestly. Its meat tasted heavenly."
He reminisced about the Demon's meat with regret.
"And why haven't you called back your armor for repairs?" Effie teased, a wicked grin forming. "Want people to ask about your injuries so you can brag? Or do you just want to flash those amazing abs? Not that I can blame you."
She gave an exaggerated glance toward his exposed stomach.
Zachary scrunched his nose and tried to cover the hole with his hand, but thankfully Nephis cut in, tone steady.
"So—are you from the Castle? Can you take us there?" At her side, Cassie looked equally eager.
Effie stopped mid-bite. In her eyes, Zachary caught a flicker of pity — regret, even. Being the bearer of bad news was never a pleasant task.
Zachary sighed inwardly, crossing his arms as he slowly leaned back. He wanted no part of this conversation.
"Sure, I can take you there," Effie said with unexpected calm. "Do you have shards?"
"We have," Nephis answered, briefly glancing at Zachary.
"We were hoping to reach the Citadel and access the Gateway as soon as possible. How long will it take?" Nephis asked, leaning forward with controlled urgency.
Effie snorted — and Zachary flinched almost imperceptibly.
"Sorry, sorry," Effie said as she wiped a tear. "I shouldn't laugh but… sorry."
Then she sighed — long, heavy, and far too familiar for someone so young.
"I can take you to the Castle, but there is no Gateway there. In fact, there's no way out of this cursed hell at all. I've been stuck here for three years myself. So… welcome to the Dark City, I guess. 'Abandon hope all ye who enter here,' and all that…"
Her words crashed into them like a wave, the weight settling over the camp until even the air felt thick.
Zachary exhaled in quiet resignation. Not because the news shocked him — he already knew. But because the path ahead promised to be hard, thorny, and exhausting beyond belief.
He watched the girls closely.
Cassie had gone deathly pale, her lips trembling, her unfocused eyes filling with tears as she whispered that it couldn't be true. Nephis looked steadier, but Zachary could see the truth beneath her façade — her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles were white, and her grey eyes carried the hollow weight of realization.
He watched their mouths move, watched them speak to Effie… but he didn't hear any of it. His mind was elsewhere.
'How will I approach the Dark City?'
This question had begun to appear in his mind back when they were still at the statue. But because of the circumstances, he hadn't given it much thought. Now, with the city only a few steps away, Zachary had to begin considering it.
He had had it much easier in the labyrinth. The only thing he needed to focus on was staying alive and continuing west. All he had to account for were his interactions with the girls and how his Abilities differed from Sunny's, and then plan and improvise from there.
But now that they had arrived at the Dark City and were about to enter the Bright Castle, he had to consider the different interactions between characters—no, between people. Zachary reminded himself of that as he focused on the conversation again.
"I like your train of thought, princess, but you should forget it. Just consider him immortal. He practically is. Believe me when I say that no Sleeper can defeat Gunalug, ever. It's simply impossible," Effie said with a shake of her head.
A quote surfaced in Zachary's mind, and before he could stop himself, it slipped out.
"That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even Death may die."
The girls turned to look at his sudden contribution, while Zachary chuckled inwardly at the quote.
Lovecraft had written it to express how Cthulhu and the rest of the Great Old Ones were immortal. "Death may die" suggested that the concept of death itself became meaningless, giving way to immortal beings. But in this world—the world where the Shadow God, the God of Death himself, had died... it was a fitting phrase.
Effie looked at him and scoffed. "Oh great, a poet. Just what this Dark City needed."
Zachary raised both hands with an apologetic look. "Hey, don't blame me. You're the one who quoted Dante first."
Effie chuckled at this. Zachary turned his head slightly and caught Nephis's stern expression—she was clearly not pleased with what she had heard. Trying to defuse the tension, Zachary spoke calmly.
"We can think about all this once we arrive at the Bright Castle. Let's continue eating, shall we?"
"See, Mr. Wannabe Poet gets it," Effie said as she grabbed her sack. "Look, I'll even share some of my awesome hunt with you. What do you think?"
'Wannabe poet?' Zachary thought with a puzzled look, but he let it pass as he grabbed a piece of meat. The girls obviously had no energy left for banter.
They ate in silence. Effie munched happily, seemingly oblivious to the gloomy air around the girls. Cassie ate quietly, her chaotic thoughts bleeding across her expression. Meanwhile, Nephis had a deep frown on her face, faint white sparks appearing and disappearing from her gray eyes.
"We'll leave tomorrow," Effie said as she loudly licked her fingers. "I still have to work on my hunt and… it seems like you need some time to digest the news."
Zachary took that as his cue to leave the camp. He walked toward the stairs and sat down tiredly. He needed to keep planning his way forward—but another thought surfaced instead. With Effie's appearance, Zachary recalled the realization he had at the top of the statue.
'They are no longer characters.' Zachary repeated the words, feeling that strange and nameless emotion growing in his chest.
'They are people. They change, grow, and develop… just like me.' From those thoughts, a question rose—one that amplified the complicated feeling twisting inside him.
'How has my presence affected them?'
It was the question he feared the most.
Because in the original novel, the main trio had shaped one another profoundly. Nephis learned humanity from them—learned to feel, to show vulnerability from Cassie. To grasp the intricacies of lies and the other side of humanity from Sunny. She learned to trust, to long for another person, too.
Sunny learned to care about more than just himself, to tend to those weaker than himself, caring for Cassie. He began to shed the hostility forged in the outskirts. He learned to depend on Nephis, rely on her, admire her, care for her—and long for her.
Cassie found a figure she could depend on in Nephis during her frailest moments. She learned strength through Nephis and Sunny… and she learned the pains and consequences her abilities brought to herself and others.
Everything had culminated at the top of the Crimson Spire.
But now that Zachary was here instead of Sunny… what had changed?
'I think the most important thing is that I've tried to be as honest as I possibly can, considering my situation.' Zachary thought as he nudged a pebble with his shoe. His honesty came from wanting to uphold his Penance—but also because he knew that, in the long term, nothing good came from deceiving them.
Then Zachary winced lightly as another memory surfaced. 'I think… I think I might have deceived them once.'
He recalled the conversation above the cliff after the fight with the Centurion—when he had revealed his loneliness. It wasn't a lie, not exactly. But Zachary had far stronger motives to push himself to the limit, motives he could never share. So he hid them beneath another truth, one coated in vulnerability and emotion.
Zachary had been honest. But he had also avoided the truth.
Steps pulled him from his thoughts. Nephis walked over and sat at his side. Zachary lowered his gaze again, gently tapping the pebble with his shoe. After a few seconds, she broke the silence.
"So…" she began, watching the pebble roll forward, "what do you think?"
Zachary turned to her. "Well…" He searched for what he could share—and how—when Nephis spoke first, her voice low.
"You—You already knew…" she said, eyes widening as she saw straight through him.
His eyes widened too, before he calmed down. But deep inside, he remained surprised. The novel tended to gloss over it, but Nephis was always perceptive to the smallest things.
Sighing deeply, Zachary answered. "Yes, I already knew."
Before she could question him, he continued, "I mean—the clues were there from the beginning. None of us have ever read or heard about a place like the Forgotten Shore. Especially not you, with your Legacy education. And my intuition is… particularly strong. From the start, I had this nagging feeling that there was more to this place."
Zachary leaned back against the steps. "Unfortunately, it seems I was right."
Nephis stared at him with her impassive face, her gray eyes betraying nothing.
"Then what?" she finally asked, emotion hidden beneath her steady tone.
Zachary looked at her, brows raised. "Isn't it obvious? We find a way forward. That's what we've been doing all this time, isn't it?"
Nephis held his gaze for a few seconds before turning toward the fire with a sharp nod. The flames reflected in her eyes—dancing sparks like faery lights, calling an adventurer farther into the darkness.
***
Next day arrived, and the group stood before the granite slab, listening as Effie went through precautions and things to avoid in the Dark City. Just as she was about to finish, Zachary decided this was the right moment to mention his little complication.
"Hum, excuse me?" Zachary said, raising his hand like a student. "Would this be an awkward time to mention a little something that has been troubling me?"
At his words, Nephis and Cassie both lowered their heads in understanding. Effie caught the gesture—and grinned wickedly.
"Oh? Do you have trouble with your friend down there?" she asked, covering her mouth with a coy smile. "I appreciate your honesty, but that has nothing to do with the Dark City, dear."
Zachary frowned. Something about that remark struck deeper than it should have. Refusing to back down, he replied:
"You talking about Bartholomew? No, he's quite an energetic fellow. I'd let you meet him, but unfortunately… you're not his type." He flashed an equally wicked grin at the huntress.
Cassie covered her face, shaking her head in defeat. Nephis gave him a puzzled look and glanced behind them as if searching for the mentioned Bartholomew—though a tiny tremor flickered in her eye.
Effie, meanwhile, was flabbergasted before erupting into laughter.
"Hahahaha—you—" she choked out, holding her stomach. "You called him Bartholomew?"
She kept laughing until she finally calmed down and wiped her tears. "Haha… okay, okay. So what's this little complication of yours?" she asked, still amused.
At that, Zachary explained everything he had learned about the [Blasphemer] Attribute—its radius, the way creatures reacted when they sensed it, and the experiences he had endured in the labyrinth. Naturally, he omitted how he had obtained the Attribute in the first place.
As he continued, Effie's expression shifted—amusement to surprise, surprise to bewilderment, then to shock. Finally, it settled on dismay with the faintest hint of disgust. When he finished, she didn't hold back.
"Are you joking?" she asked incredulously.
"I wish I was," Zachary said with self-deprecation.
"Isn't that basically a Flaw?" Now the disgust was much more obvious.
"I wish it was," Zachary muttered, thinking of Mara's Whisper. The danger that came with [Blasphemer] was still a hundred times better than the constant risk of losing himself.
The girls stared at him for a few seconds, clearly understanding the weight of his words. Effie ran a hand down her face in open annoyance.
"We'll have to change plans a little thanks to Mr. Inconvenience over here," she said as she began shifting the massive slab.
This time, Zachary didn't complain about the nickname. He couldn't. [Blasphemer] was anything but convenient.
Following carefully behind Effie—now wearing her summoned helmet—the group began roaming the Dark City. Zachary stayed close behind her while the girls followed a few steps behind him. Along with explaining his Attribute, he had also shared information about his enhanced senses and how they had helped them manage [Blasphemer] and more. So he was going to warn Effie the moment he felt anything enter the Attribute's radius.
Zachary had assumed that entering the Dark City would overload his Danger Sense, just like the first time he stepped into the Crimson Labyrinth. But to his surprise, it didn't. It reacted strongly, yes—keeping a constant, sharp warning that kept him on edge—but it was not overwhelming.
And through this, Zachary realized something. These past months in the Crimson Labyrinth, fighting monsters, demons, and a Terror, had honed Danger Sense far more than he had consciously noticed. It was calibrated to such a degree that it worked wonders in the Dark City.
They walked through alleys, entered ruined buildings, and climbed rooftops. They couldn't hide the way Zachary had read in the novel. Instead, whenever he felt something approach, he warned Effie in time, and she changed course, avoiding whatever creature roamed the city.
"Not there," Zachary would sometimes warn about certain routes—following Danger Sense even when none of his other senses detected a thing.
Effie looked back at him for a second before taking the turn he suggested, quietly muttering, "No wonder you survived two months in the labyrinth."
Not everything was as simple as it seemed. Sometimes Effie countered Zachary's warnings with one of her own, steering them away from things and situations that even Cinder Eyes failed to sense. That made Zachary realize something else: even Cinder Eyes couldn't react to certain dangers—not because the Ability was flawed, but because it wasn't refined enough yet.
But through these encounters, both Cinder Eyes and Danger Sense were sharpening further—adapting, calibrating, learning to react to things that had been beyond their reach before. They were advancing through the Dark City without complications, yet… they were taking many turns.
The sun was descending, and they still hadn't reached the Bright Castle.
They continued moving without rushing. If they made a mistake—pressed by time or fear—their fate would be far worse than simply arriving late. From time to time, Zachary felt a gaze on his back. Each time he turned, he found Nephis looking at him with a somber expression. Zachary couldn't understand the cause of that look, and the circumstances made it impossible to ask.
Despite the longer route, the group eventually managed to reach the Outer Settlement just as the sun began to set behind the Crimson Spire. As they walked beneath a massive marble arch, Zachary suddenly felt countless gazes fix on him.
Focusing Cinder Eyes, he followed the gazes back toward the castle.
'They must belong to Gunlaug's watchmen.' Zachary concluded as he took in the sight around him.
The first thing Zachary noticed was the smell. It was nauseating—rot and filth seeped into his enhanced senses in thick waves.
The second thing he registered from the inhabitants of the Outer Settlement was their eyes. Defeated eyes followed the newly arrived group.
And what surprised Zachary most was that he recognized them. Not because he had lived in the outskirts like Sunny, but because he had encountered the same expression before.
In his First Nightmare.
The nihilistic people of the Nameless City.
The stranded Sleepers of the Forgotten Shore carried the Soul of the Last Man: the defeated, the surrendered, those who had lost all meaning… those who refused to continue dreaming. This was what the crushing of Hope did to fragile spirits.
But Zachary caught something else—something subtle. He didn't know if it was thanks to Cinder Eyes or something deeper, but beneath their miserable gazes, trapped behind helplessness and rotting dreams, hid a blazing desire.
Contrary to the inhabitants of the Nameless City, the Sleepers of the Forgotten Shore still carried a spark of hope. A longing to dream of tomorrow. A seed of resistance buried under despair, but alive nonetheless.
Now Zachary understood how Nephis managed to garner their loyalty and devotion so easily in the original timeline.
"You should hurry. The castle will close soon," Effie said, snapping him from his thoughts.
Zachary turned to see Nephis thanking her. Effie ruffled Cassie's hair, then faced him.
"Goodbye, Mr. Inconvenience. Despite everything, it was nice." Then she paused, thoughtful, and added with a grin, "Next time we meet, I'll have an even better nickname for you. Just you wait."
"Please don't," Zachary muttered, but Effie was already walking toward her hut.
Sighing in defeat, he turned to Nephis. "So?"
She thought for a moment. "You and Cassie enter the castle. I'll—"
"Nope." Zachary cut her off. "You want to split up, right?"
Nephis nodded slightly. "We need information. You and Cassie can gather intel inside the castle, and I'll check the settlement."
"You're right… but look." Zachary pointed at the lowering sun. "We're not pressed for time. Let's take this slowly."
"How about this," he said, raising a finger. "We stay for the duration of a single shard. See what the atmosphere is like inside the Castle. Once time's up, we start gathering info in the Outer Settlement. Deal?"
Before Nephis could argue, he unleashed his final weapon: "And come on, how can you say no to a real bed, real food, and a real bath?"
Nephis faltered. She looked torn—then glanced at Cassie's hopeful expression—and finally sighed in defeat. "…Okay."
At her answer, the group moved quickly toward the Castle Gates. They didn't want to risk being locked out. But just as Zachary stepped forward with Cassie beside him, a chill ran down his spine.
He remembered Cassie's prophecy: him leading the blind girl, with Nephis following behind, all headed toward the castle.
And with that memory came the ugly feeling he always got when Fate brushed against him—because in this world, Fate was not a metaphor. It was a force with teeth.
"You should walk with Cassie at the front," Zachary said to Nephis with an awkward laugh.
Nephis gave him a puzzled look but followed his suggestion—taking Cassie's hand and guiding her up the stairs. Zachary waited a few seconds before following behind.
'This might be just self-indulgence,' he thought as he watched the girls ahead of him. 'But if I can change Fate even a little… so be it.'
Reaching the castle gates, the first thing they saw were the Castle Guards standing tall. They noticed the new faces immediately, and when their eyes landed on the girls at the front, they flashed distasteful smiles in their direction.
But before the guards could make any crude remark, Zachary stepped forward and held out three Soul Shards.
He didn't say a word. He didn't need to.
The guards frowned, puffing out their chests as if trying to make themselves seem larger.
Zachary arched an eyebrow. He had expected them to act rude—just like they had with Sunny in the novel—but he noticed something else: they kept glancing at his crimson eyes. After a few seconds, both guards clicked their tongues and begrudgingly gave them entrance.
"What was that?" Nephis asked with a raised eyebrow.
Zachary only shrugged.
They had not taken half a dozen steps before the doors began to close behind them. They had arrived just in time.
Walking through the hall, Zachary looked around at the high ceilings, stone columns, and faded paintings—all draped behind a dark banner marked by a golden snake.
Finally, his eyes rested on the lone desk that stood awkwardly at the center of the hall… and the person behind it.
Harper.
A strange expression flickered across Zachary's face before settling into calm neutrality. Turning to Nephis, he pressed a finger to his lips—a silent request not to intervene.
Reaching the desk, he watched Harper busying himself with papers, completely oblivious to their presence. After a few breaths, Zachary's lips curled upward.
He slammed his hand on the desk. "Hey!"
Harper jolted violently, nearly falling from his chair. Before he could sputter out a word, Zachary leaned forward.
"How are you? My name's Zachary. What's yours?"
Harper stared, confused, before stammering, "H-Ha-Harper."
"Well, hello, Harper." Zachary rested his elbow on the desk. "My companions and I would like to stay in this… very hospitable castle. Could you help us out?"
"Huh?" Harper blinked, clarity slowly returning to his eyes. He finally realized there were people in front of him—and what Zachary had asked. "Yes! Y-Yes, of course! I-I can."
He chuckled awkwardly. "Sorry, I was caught off guard."
"I should be the one apologizing, mate." Zachary leaned back with a grin. "I wanted to play a little prank. Didn't think you'd get that scared."
"Haha, don't worry—it was a good joke," Harper said as he accepted the three Soul Shards.
While Harper scribbled something down, Zachary glanced over the desk and caught sight of the date.
February 23. Almost two weeks earlier than the original timeline.
He exhaled deeply as Harper continued explaining the Castle's layout, rules, and systems. Eventually, they reached the subject of the Tower of Dusk.
"So, uh… how many rooms would you like?" Harper asked, stuttering again.
Zachary turned to the girls without much concern. "Two?"
Cassie nodded immediately. Nephis accepted with a quiet gesture.
Zachary looked back. "Two rooms. The closer they are to each other, the better."
Harper nodded and led them down the hall, handing them two keys. "Food will be served one hour after sunrise tomorrow—in the main hall. See you there!"
"Goodbye, Harper," Zachary said, watching the thin young man scurry away as fast as his legs could carry him.
With a sigh, he turned to the girls. "I'll see you tomorrow, I guess."
They nodded and entered their room. Zachary did the same.
He looked around briefly, but the details barely registered. Seeing the date had done more than just remind him how long they had spent on the Forgotten Shore—it reminded him how long he would have to remain here before escaping.
He was exhausted. And there was still so much to do.
Zachary sat on the bed as a heavy weight pressed down on him. With another quiet sigh, he finally unsummoned the Witness' Mantle, letting the Memory sink into the depths of his Soul Core to begin repairing itself. He had wanted to practice Flow Control before sleeping, but he knew he was too drained to make any progress.
"This is going to be the last rest I'll have before things start moving," Zachary murmured without emotion as he lay back on the bed.
He closed his eyes.
Sleep claimed him instantly.