The next morning...
Sunny walked with a tranquil pace, still rubbing a bit of sleep from his eyes as he moved through the rows of tables in the cafeteria. The hall was already buzzing with Sleepers gathering for breakfast. His path led him toward a secluded table in a quiet corner, where a young girl with soft golden hair sat alone, accompanied only by her silent caretaker.
The sweet aroma of coffee and the colorful chatter of the passing students accompanied his steps in a lively dance of animated sounds and savory fragrances.
Deep within his shadow lurked a beautiful woman with ink-black hair and obsidian eyes. Myriad shade always remained at his side, following him on his path with the resolve of a dark guardian.
"Morning, Cassie," Sunny said as he took a seat beside the blind seer. His voice carried a warm, affectionate tone.
"Morning, Sunny," she replied, turning her head toward him. She returned his greeting with a smile that held the very same warmth.
Without a word, Sunny reached out and began to gently pat her head. Cassie didn't protest. She simply closed her eyes, letting him do as he pleased with the quiet confidence of a kitten that had just learned to trust a passing stranger.
At that moment, Yuki joined them. On her tray, "Mount Fatmore" loomed large—the faces of the presidents seemingly carved into four different types of processed meat. Unfortunately, two seconds later, Sunny was forced to rename it "The No-More Flatlands."
"Hello, Yuki," Cassie greeted, shifting her gaze toward the newcomer, having recognized the distinct rhythm of her footsteps.
"Mh," Yuki nodded in return, her genuine smile looking as if it were carved from ice. Then, she lowered her gaze and noticed that the shadow of the black-haired boy was waving at her enthusiastically, its movements completely independent of the one who cast it.
Yuki blinked, a sudden realization washing over her. She looked back at Sunny in a completely new light. Meeting her eyes, Sunny took a slow sip of his coffee and raised an eyebrow, his expression saying it all: Yes, it was me.
"So..." Sunny raised his right index finger to capture his companions' attention. His tone suddenly shifted, becoming boastful and proud. "Did I ever tell you about the time I dissed a Master so hard that the very earth started to tremble?"
And so, he began his tall tale.
Cassie giggled and Yuki smiled at his fables. His epic adventures became the center of their circle, making the atmosphere lively and pleasant around them. It was only natural, then, that such peace was destined to be ruined by a sudden storm. In this case, the storm had silver hair.
The three of them heard her footsteps approaching them with impetuous force, but they didn't acknowledge her presence until she stood directly over Sunny, her gaze practically piercing through his skull.
'And here comes the headache,' Sunny thought, exasperated. He rubbed a hand over his face, bringing his story to an abrupt halt.
Just as one should never run when stared down by a predator, Sunny refused to let fear take hold. Slowly, he reached out, closed his fingers around the handle of his coffee mug, and brought the warm brew to his lips for a steady sip.
As he drank, his eyes flickered toward Nephis—once, then twice. He noted her stern expression, a fury recognizable only by the slight knitting of her brow and the raw intensity he could sense through her shadow.
"Why did you stand me up?" she demanded, her voice thick with irritation. The fire in her eyes was palpable. Fortunately, the others were too immersed in their own conversations to pay much mind to their interaction.
Sunny set his cup down, taking every second his Flaw would permit. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long, weary sigh.
Meeting her gaze again, he interlaced his fingers on the table. "First of all, I said Sure, which is a far cry from I accept your challenge. Second," he added, raising an eyebrow, "you and I aren't exactly dating, so saying I 'stood you up' is a bit of a weird way to put it, don't you think?"
Sunny expected her to pivot—to ask why he'd dodged the invitation or why he didn't want to give her a straight answer. Instead...
"Fight me," she restated, throwing the gauntlet yet again without a second's thought for logic or explanation.
Sunny stared at her in pure disbelief. Both his mind and the mental image of his Flaw were reeling at how someone could lack even the most basic grasp of tact and social cues.
One of his eyes twitched visibly. He opened his mouth to speak, but before a single word could escape from his lips, Nephis snapped her head toward Yuki.
"I want a rematch," she added bluntly.
'Really?! Can you at least manage to a "Good morning" first?' Sunny had to bite his lower lip to keep from spitting out something truly unpleasant.
Meanwhile, Caster, who was hovering a few paces behind Nephis, had approached to reiterate his invitation to the first and third-ranked Sleepers. However, seeing the explosive atmosphere at the table, he made the wise decision to turn on his heel and vanish into the crowd.
***
After dismissing Nephis's latest challenge and spending the rest of breakfast recounting his "exploits" while petting a cat with thick golden fur, Sunny made his way toward the dojo.
At this hour, classes hadn't yet begun; the hall was empty and easily accessible to anyone who wished to use it. Being not only the top-ranked student but also one of the few Sleepers to have ever received a True Name, Sunny enjoyed certain unspoken privileges granted by the Academy.
With this window of free time, he could dedicate himself to training with Thene in the Shadow Dance without anyone discovering him or his Shadow.
'Truly! Being popular has its perks,' Sunny grinned, feeling the illicit thrill of a spoiled rich kid coursing through his veins. That smile vanished instantly, replaced by an annoyed scowl, when he noticed a certain radiant shade following him at a persistent distance.
"Are you planning on sticking to me much longer?" Sunny asked without turning around, maintaining his pace.
Nephis didn't answer. She simply continued to follow him, mirroring his stride. Despite her expressionless face and taciturn nature, her intentions were glaringly obvious.
Seeing there was no room for reason, Sunny sighed and accelerated, darting around a corner to lose her. Nephis picked up her pace accordingly, but when she rounded the turn where the boy had gone, she found no one. The corridor ended in a dead end—no doors, no windows.
Nephis blinked in bewilderment. 'Wh— A teleportation ability? Invisibility?' she mused, searching for a logical explanation.
Changing Star looked around. When it became clear that Everlasting Gloom had truly vanished, her brow furrowed. She turned on her heel and walked away, clearly offended, her boots stomping over the shadows of the hallway with mounting frustration.
Nephis headed straight to the Combat class, waiting for him ready to spar as soon as he would step on the dojo.
As soon as her silhouette disappeared turned the corner, Sunny re-emerged from the shadows, cradled in the arms of Myriad Shade who was currently resting her chin on his right shoulder.
He pressed a hand to his face and groaned. "Great! Now, how the hell am I supposed to train?" he muttered to himself, rubbing his temples with two fingers.
***
The third day...
Sunny took a deep breath, his eyes opening in sync with his exhale. The silent shadows of his room greeted him. The sun was still slumbering on this cold, biting winter morning. The very first thing his senses registered upon waking was a profound, comforting sensation of warmth and softness.
Glancing down, Sunny saw Thene snoozing blissfully, her head tucked just beneath his chin. In sleep, her striking face held an expression that was incredibly sweet, almost fragile.
As his consciousness fully breached the surface like a stone breaking through a mirror of water, Sunny realized their bodies were tangled together—two disjointed halves forming a single whole. Their arms and legs were entwined in a manner that was frankly embarrassing to define. Only their clothes separated skin from skin as they lay cocooned in the plush embrace of the black blankets.
Shifting his gaze to the blank ceiling, Sunny let out a slow, measured sigh. 'The Spell should really grant me an Attribute for my nerves of steel in situations like this,' he thought, acutely aware of the pleasant weight of Thene's delicate frame pressed against him. He could feel the huge pressure of her chest against his own through the fabric of their clothes.
Giving her a soft kiss on her forehead—careful not to wake her—Sunny began the painstaking process of extricating himself. He moved slowly, unweaving the mass of limbs and blankets that had become as hopelessly knotted as a pair of wired headphones forgotten in a pocket.
With light, silent footsteps, he made his way to the bathroom, slipping inside and clicking the door shut behind him.
The cool water from the faucet rushed out with a roar. Sunny leaned over the sink, cupping his hands to catch a handful of the stream before splashing it over his face to jolt his nerves awake.
<
The imaginary creature was currently sporting a pair of ridiculous pajamas with blue and white vertical stripes. <
'Morning,' Sunny replied mentally, grabbing a clean, folded towel from the rack to dry his face.
Once finished, he leaned his weight against the porcelain rim of the sink, staring at his pale, dark reflection. A few stray droplets of water still clung to the shadows of his sharp features.
Sunny closed his eyes, and a vast, boundless sea of black water beneath an eternal black sun welcomed him. Looking toward the edges of his dark Soul Sea, Sunny recognized the dozens of Meek Shades standing there. Their numbers had dwindled slightly since he last checked, but the loss had granted him something else in return.
Shadow Fragments: [394/1000].
Sunny focused his gaze on one of the shades at the periphery. It was too far for his eyes to discern, but his perception allowed him to recognize its shape. It was one of the soldiers from the Champion of War's army—a Dormant human. As he concentrated, a shimmering string of golden runes appeared before him.
[Do you wish to consume this shade to fill your chalice?]
'Even though the whole Nephis situation kept me from practicing the Shadow Dance, at least I've had time to figure out what my Innate Ability actually does,' Sunny mused.
'It wasn't that hard to piece together; there weren't many options for what these "sacrifices" could be. Nephis can detonate her cores to incinerate hordes of enemies; Mordret can use his to create reflections. Both can naturally gather massive amounts of soul essence. It's only fair that I can gain Shadow Fragments by consuming the shades of those I've slain.'
---
Innate Ability: [Shapeless Shade]
Ability Description: [Your Chalice is full; now only one final step remains for the receptacle to take its shape. It demands sacrifices.]
---
'However... the gain in fragments isn't any different from a normal kill. So far, I've only consumed the Dormant-level shades, gaining 202 fragments to add to my previous 192. But now I have to wonder: is it actually worth it?'
Sunny scratched his chin, scanning the borders of the bottomless waters. 'After all, these shades are part of my nascent Domain. Usually, one only starts building a Domain as a Saint, but I am a Divine Shadow; everything I kill finds peace within me. It belongs to me. Yet, when I consume a shade, I feel like a leaky cup—I'm only absorbing a fraction of the fragments released. The ability says my chalice is complete, but I have yet to take shape. Mh... Maybe that's why. If so, it's better to wait and fix this flaw before I waste any more funds. Besides... I have the soul of a collector. Some of these shades—like Goliath, Auro, or the Mountain King—are really important to me.'
He nodded to himself. 'Yeah. Better to figure out the conditions to complete this chalice first.'
TOCK. TOCK. TOCK.
Before he could think anything else, a sudden knock brought his attention back to the present.
Sunny's eyes snapped open, finding himself back in front of the bathroom mirror. He moved quickly toward the door to see who was there.
Meanwhile, in the bed, Thene was jolted awake by the abrupt knocking. A mischievous, lethal smile curled her lips as she reached into the shadows to manifest a greatsword, clearly intent on repaying whoever had ruined her sleep.
Fortunately for the person on the other side, Sunny was faster.
He forced a very grumpy Myriad Shade back into his shadow just as he pulled the door open. Before he could even fully register the sight of her silver hair, Nephis spoke.
"Fight me!"
'Are you freaking kidding me?!' If he had still had the door in front of him, Sunny would have gladly smashed it with a powerful headbutt by now.