[You have slain a Great Devil, Vile Thieving Bird's Spawn.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
[You have received a Memory...]
[You have received a Memory: Drop of Ichor.]
[You have received a Memory: Shadow Lantern.]
[You have received a Memory: Drop of Ichor.]
[Congratulations, Lost from Light...]
[Your treachery truly knows no bounds.]
How...?
When did this happen?
Lost in the darkness of his own consciousness, Sunny saw nothing.
Only endless blackness stretched in every direction.
He couldn't even open his Soul Sea.
He was trapped.
Alone with his own thoughts.
For some reason, the endless darkness reminded him of the Doll House. That sinister place had always sent shivers crawling down his spine whenever darkness surrounded him. After awakening his Aspect and gaining the ability to see through shadows, he had believed that fear would disappear.
It never had.
It still lingered.
Still hunted him.
Time passed.
Or perhaps it didn't.
There was no thirst.
No hunger.
No exhaustion.
He felt...
Nothing.
Then, something changed.
A faint light appeared in the distance.
It was little more than a flicker at first, white flames dancing in the endless void.
As Sunny drifted closer, however, the colour slowly changed.
White became yellow.
Yellow became orange.
Orange became crimson.
Soon he was surrounded by an ocean of blazing fire.
These flames were nothing like those Nephis commanded.
Those were beautiful.
These were real.
Unbearable.
⸻
Sunny's eyes slowly opened.
Above him stretched a dark sky.
Something felt...
Wrong.
A face suddenly entered his vision.
Two brilliant blue eyes stared down at him as strands of blonde hair fell onto his face.
He knew those eyes.
The girl from the Academy.
The one who had caught his attention the moment he saw her. What was her name again? Cassia... yeah it was Cassie.
But...
Why was she leaning over him?
"Sunny... are you awake?"
Her small, gentle voice pulled him from his daze.
"Ah... yes."
His own voice was barely louder than a whisper.
Confusion clouded his thoughts.
Wasn't he...
In his room only moments ago?
Groaning, Sunny pushed himself upright, clutching his aching head.
His memories were hazy.
Where...
Where was he?
Looking around, he realized they were sitting atop rough stone. Not far away sat another girl with short white hair.
She silently watched him.
Her face remained completely expressionless.
'Where have I seen her before...?'
Before he could stop himself, the question escaped his lips.
"Where am I?"
Cassie blinked in confusion.
"What do you mean? Don't you remember how you got here, Sunny?"
He slowly shook his head.
Every passing second only made him more confused.
"...No."
Lowering his gaze, Sunny summoned his runes.
The moment he read them, his eyes widened.
⸻
Name: [Sunless]
True Name: [Lost from Light]
Rank: [Dormant]
Class: [Beast]
Shadow Fragments: [523/1000]
Aspect: [Crown of Shadows]
Memories: [Silver Bell, Puppeteer's Shroud, ——]
Attributes: [Fated, Mark of Divinity, Scion of Shadows, Blood Weave]
Shadows: [Soul Serpent]
Aspect Ability: [Shadow Control]
Aspect Ability Description: [Your shadow is more independent than most. It is an invaluable helper.]
Innate Ability: [Shadow's Authority]
Innate Ability Description: [A shadow that is a direct heir of the Shadow God cannot be swayed by the will of others. Instead, it grows stronger through their shadows.]
Innate Ability: [Scion of Shadows]
Innate Ability Description: [Shadow Dominion — All shadows instinctively recognize you as their rightful heir. Shadows become denser and more difficult for enemies to control while you stand among them. They accelerate your essence regeneration and enhance your natural healing. Enemies grow weaker within your domain.]
Shadow Dance: [2/7]
⸻
Sunny's hands trembled.
The runes only raised more questions.
'Five hundred and twenty-three Shadow Fragments...?'
When did that happen?
Where did the Unchained attribute go?
Scion of Shadows...?
Blood Weave...?
Shadow Bond...?
Shadow Dance...?
Then another realization struck him.
The Crumych...
It was gone.
So was the Memory he had received from Auro of the Nine.
Destroyed?
His thoughts flashed back to the enchantments etched upon the two Memories.
⸻
The Crumych
Enchantment: [One's Blood]
Description: [The blade drinks deeply of the blood it spills, savoring every drop. When faced with a foe beyond its master's strength, it returns what it has consumed.]
⸻
Cloudy Mind
Enchantment: [Clouds One's Mind]
Description: [This artifact grows by feasting upon Memories. Every sacrifice deepens its legacy, and every relic consumed becomes another step toward perfection.]
⸻
There had only ever been one flaw with those enchantments.
They broke after being used.
Sunny's expression darkened.
'Just... what could have driven me to sacrifice my own Memories?'
His own memories, ones that could never be reclaimed by killing Nightmare Creatures. No... these were the memories he had made throughout his journey.
Raising his head, he looked around once more.
An endless black sea surrounded them on all sides.
Nothing else.
Turning back toward the two bewildered girls, Sunny spoke quietly.
"Tell me..."
He paused.
"...Everything that happened."