In the waking world… Sunny's house…
The cohort sat together all waiting, a few months ago, they had completed their second nightmare and become masters, and the pressure of the great clans on them had doubled, and valor also had an edge on them after they had released the imprisoned prince of Valor and caused the death of a saint.
But all that had been put on hold because according to Cassie, the second orchestrator of their second nightmare, she had received another vision about Merlin, the original orchestrator, the last time she had a vision, it had caused a stir in the two worlds, and now another vision had arrived, so the cohort were in a tense state waiting for the specifics of the vision.
"Alright… Since everyone's here, let's get on with it" Sunny said as he turned to Cassie.
"It's like this, yesterday I had another vision concerning Merlin, but this time it was a little bit clearer… in short, if we don't get Merlin out of the academy, everyone there is going to die" Cassie spoke in a grave tone.
"Wait hold on… what do you mean everyone's going to die" Effie's expression turned to one of shock.
Cassie shook her head indicating she wasn't sure.
"I don't know how, all I saw was that strange being again, the one from last time, but after he arrived, a few seconds later, everyone fell to the ground dead as Merlin regained his body…"
"So how do we handle something like that… we haven't finished dealing with the valor clan, now this…" Sunny sighed as he leaned back.
Nephis looked around then spoke up.
"We need to find a way to take Merlin away from the academy… we can deal with Valor later"
"So how are we going to do that?" Kai asked.
Sunny sighed as he turned to his communicator on the table.
"Damnation…" he muttered under his breath then continued "I think I might have a way".
"How?" Effie asked as everyone turned to him.
"I'll have to ask Master Jet… she should be able to get Saint Cor to do something" He replied as he reached for his communicator.
As he picked it up, he turned to the cohort, after receiving their confirmation, he dialed her number and waited as it rang.
Jet: Hey there Sunny, sorry, Master Sunny, what's up?
Sunny: Uhm Master Jet, I need your help with something, It's about Merlin.
Jet: My help? What is it?
Sunny: Well the situation is….
Jet: …
Jet: That… I understand, I'm currently not around, but I'll talk to Saint Cor about it, if you have any more information, inform me on time alright.
Sunny: I understand, thanks Master Jet… goodbye.
After he hung up the call, he turned to the cohort and nodded.
"That's good, now we just have to stall Valor till he returns…" Nephis nodded, then she asked Sunny.
"When he returns, can he stay at your place, until he settles himself?"
"Sure… I'll just have it arranged, so do we have any idea when he will be returning?" Sunny asked.
"Two days… that's what the voice at the end of the vision said" Cassie answered calmly.
Effie sighed as she leaned back in her chair.
"So we have two days to save the entire academy from what could possibly be the world's strongest ascended… great, this year just keeps getting better"
"At least we can be prepared for his return, but what are we going to do about… you know, 'Him'." Kai asked as he turned to the group.
Everyone kept quiet as they knew who Kai was referring to, the 'Celestial Worthy', that was what Merlin referred to him as, a being never mentioned or heard of before, yet stands above the gods, and the last time 'He' came the world was on its edge, now that 'He' is returning, the possible tragedy described from Cassie's vision might just come true.
"As for that, we'll just have to trust Merlin I guess" Sunny sighed as he stretched in his chair.
Nephis nodded and said.
"I understand… Sunny, if anything from the government comes up , inform us… if you want"
Sunny's breath hitched slightly , but he eventually nodded.
"As for Valor, we'll set a meeting with them, the same day as Merlin's awakening, and the same location too… that should buy us some time" Nephis added and the cohort agreed.
The cohort discussed a few more things, before they eventually went their separate ways.
…
The next day… Academy…
The cohort once again sat in the familiar office of Saint Cor also known as Wake Of Ruin, the information Sunny had told Master Jet had been passed down efficiently, and Saint Cor after hearing the news and the sleeper involved, took action immediately.
And so the cohort was called in the next day for another round of discussion and confirmation.
"So you're saying you had another vision about Merlin, and it somehow ends with everyone in this academy being dead?" Saint Cor asked.
"Yes, I don't know the specifics, but I believe that his second awakening and unconscious use of his ascended abilities might cost the people here their lives" Cassie answered calmly.
Saint Cor thought for a moment, then he sighed and spoke confidently.
"I won't gamble the lives of hundreds of people on one sleeper… I'll arrange for him to be moved immediately, so you better hope this information of yours is accurate"
"Thank you Saint Cor…" Cassie and the others nodded and left the room.
A few hours later, Merlin was discreetly moved from the academy to another one of their branches that had been prepared for them.
The cohort decided to spend the day in that branch as they kept an eye on Merlin closely waiting for his return.
They also set the date and location concerning their meeting with Valor to the next day and their current location, hopefully things would not go so wrong.
…
The next day…
The cohort sat at a round table, in a chair in the same table sat Morgan, the princess of Valor, and a Saint, who sat beside her, their main reason for the meeting was to tie the members of the cohort to the Valor clan using the damages and losses they caused before they challenged the second nightmare.
"So… I hope you understand that the loss of a Saint and a citadel cannot be repaid by ordinary means" Morgan spoke with a wry smile on her lips.
The cohort on the other hand just sat calmly, not one of them seemed to bother that they were being forced into a corner by the clan.
Morgan gauged their reactions, then she continued.
"However, after a long discussion with the clan elders, we've decided that the losses can all be conceded as long as you guys are willing to join the valor clan, Nephis will officially be accepted as a princess of valor and the rest of you will be appointed as elite soldiers…"
She leaned back in her chair as she finished.
"So… what's your decision?"
The cohort stayed calm despite the offer, as they turned to Cassie.
The latter tilted her head slightly as she spoke softly.
"It should be about time now…"
Morgan's face turned confused as the next moment, a blaring alarm echoed through the building beside them.
"I guess that's my cue…" Sunny spoke as he shadow stepped away from the table.
"I'm sorry Lady Morgan, but we have some things to handle right now, we'll provide an answer to your offer later" Nephis spoke as she stood up and left the table walking into the building with the cohort following right behind her.
Morgan, who was slightly shocked but still curious followed them into the building, and the moment she got there, she saw the cohort all standing still.
..
Inside the building, a figure hovered just a few meters above the ground, he was shrouded in a black flowing garment, and a black and gold cloak draped over his figure.
Slightly illusory tentacles with strange markings protruded from under the black garments, as they flayed around slowly through the air.
The cohort stared at the figure, as their eyes locked with its face, all they saw were a lot of squirming worms moving around each other, at that moment they felt a sharp pain in their head forcing them to turn their heads.
'That's 'Him'...' Sunny instinctively wanted to take a step back, but at that moment, he found himself unable to do so, it was as if his body was slowly becoming stiff, along with his thoughts.
'It's… no… good… I… need to… shadow… step'
As time went on, he could feel his thoughts get slower and his body becoming more stuff, through his shadow sense, he could tell that the entire cohort including the Saint and Morgan were in the same condition.
'Is… this… what… the… vision… meant?...' Sunny's thoughts were slowly becoming blurred out as his vision was failing, the next moment he heard a calm voice.
"That's about enough… don't you think?"
As the voice sounded out, he immediately regained control of his body, as he fell to a knee holding his chest as his heart pounded wildly.
He looked up as he saw the illusory tentacles disappear, and the black garment faded into air and the cloak changed its form to one of regular clothes, the face was no longer one of worms, but that of Merlin.
"Yo guys…" Merlin waved slightly with a smile before he fell unconscious.
Sunny instinctively shadow stepped and caught him before he hit the ground.
He turned to look at the government officials who had faces filled with the fear of death as they sat on the ground.
"What are you waiting for! Get some help here! Merlin has returned!" He shouted at the government officials who scrambled up and carefully took Merlin's unconscious body from his hand.
Sunny sighed as he walked back to the cohort who all stood silently by the side, he nudged Nephis and gestured to Morgan and the Valor Saint who stood in shock.
Nephis nodded and turned to face the Valor emissaries.
"It seems that we have some things to deal with, so I hope you give us some time"
Morgan snapped out of her shock as she turned to Nephis and said.
"I understand… we will reschedule the appointment, in the meantime, I have some things to handle with the clan, so I will be taking my leave first"
The cohort nodded and the Valor emissaries made their way out of the building, as they left, the cohort turned to face each other, as they nodded calmly.
..
.
In a new room that had been prepared for Merlin, the cohort sat quietly, until Kai decided to break the silence.
"That was terrifying… I don't even know what would've happened if Merlin had been even a second late" he shuddered subconsciously.
"It's probably an ascended skill… and one that kills very efficiently" Sunny spoke in a low voice.
"That was absolutely horrifying, I can't imagine dying without knowing how, but I almost experienced something similar just a few minutes ago" Effie spoke up, her voice still laced with fear.
"I felt powerless against that attack…" Nephis muttered to herself but everyone still heard it clearly, and they all knew that it was the truth.
"That's why we had to get him away from the academy, if not, hundreds of people would have died the same way" Cassie spoke tiredly.
"We just have to wait till Merlin wakes up…" Sunny spoke up as he stared at his runes, specifically the runes of nightmare, his ascended terror shadow.
He stared for a while, then decided to enter Merlin's dreams later, he didn't want to even test his luck if he happened to meet that being when he entered the dream.
The cohort stayed quiet for a while, before deciding to stay in the building till Merlin wakes up, and also to keep watch from any moves that the great clans might try to make.
…
A few minutes ago…
[Wake up Awakened Merlin… Your nightmare is over…]
Merlin's fading vision was immediately transferred into his soul sea where he stood opposite a figure identical to him, the familiar embodiment of his divinity.
Merlin sighed as he spoke to the figure.
"Do you have anything you have to say to me?"
"A price is to be exacted for what fate bestows" the Divine Merlin spoke calmly.
"Hahaha… I never thought I would hear those words directed at me" Merlin chuckled as he asked "so… in my case, which comes first… the price or the bestowment?"
The Divine Merlin didn't change his expressionless face as he replied.
"That simply depends on how you judge your situation… but I suppose for you, the bestowment came first"
"And the price?" Merlin asked.
"The price has already been paid, or will be paid in the future, that is of little significance" the Divine Merlin revealed calmly.
"Sigh…" Merlin sighed as he asked a question he had been curious about for a while.
"I want to know… why do I have the Fool's uniqueness?"
He was genuinely curious, having the Fool's uniqueness with him, meant that out there, there was a Celestial Worthy that had reduced his status to half a great old one, whether intentionally or not, so he was curious about why he had the uniqueness.
The Divine Merlin sighed softly and answered calmly.
"That is because…"
"He does not need to know that now" a voice cut off the Divine Merlin.
As Merlin turned around, he saw Supreme Merlin he met in his nightmare, now standing in his soul sea, staring at the Divine Merlin.
"What do you mean I don't need to know it now?" Merlin spoke up to the Supreme Merlin.
The Supreme Merlin spared him a glance as he spoke in his calm voice.
"Your friends are in danger, you should leave now"
And with a wave of the Supreme Merlin's hand, Merlin felt himself being ejected from his soul sea.
A moment later, he was back in his body, he could see the spirit body threads of everyone around, and he could feel himself as if he was just a step away from turning them into marionettes.
He could feel his body moving without his control, so he forcefully terminated the process, as he felt his body resisting, he spoke in a calm voice.
"That's about enough… don't you think?"
As his words landed, he regained complete control of his body, and he felt the very exhaustion from ascending kick in, so he smiled and waved to the terrified cohort.
"Yo guys…" the next moment, he immediately fell unconscious as darkness dragged his body.