"Oblivion." Cassie said, straining her eyes.
Leon locked eyes with her.
'Oblivion?'
But as soon as he heard Cassie mention his final attribute — one completely invisible to him — his gaze grew distant.
Leon blinked, snapping out of the haze with a faint frown.
'Wait…what was I thinking about?'
He soon remembered he was here to console Cassie, but couldn't remember what had just happened.
"Right, so Cassie. How are you holding up?"
Cassie jolted her head upward, who also seemed to snap out of a daze.
"Um… I'm fine, thanks, Leon."
Leon smiled softly as he turned back toward Nephis and Sunny. Nephis had won the duel; Sunny was sprawled on the ground. Nephis breathed heavily as she leaned on her longsword.
'That was…fast.'
Leon noticed Noah staring at him with a frown… Raising his eyebrows, Leon gestured with his hand, asking Noah what had happened. Noah knelt near Leon.
"Do you remember? Oblivion. Try to remember—"
But Noah soon paused as he noticed Leon's gaze growing distant again. It was as if Leon's mind had suddenly gone still.
Leon's eyes twitched as he looked at Noah. Tilting his head, Leon raised an eyebrow and motioned to Noah, silently asking what had happened. Noah remained there for a while before eventually rising to his feet and walking away.
Sighing softly, Leon leaned back on the cold rock and closed his eyes. Focusing inward, he entered his soul sea.
***
Standing on the blue expanse, Leon looked around for Noah. Noah stormed toward Leon and grabbed his shoulders.
"How many attributes do we have?"
Without questioning Noah, Leon immediately checked his runes.
Attributes: [Fated], [Oathbound], [Veil of Forgotten Truths], [Omen of Insight]
"Four. What's wrong?"
Noah frowned as his hands dropped down. After a moment of silence, Leon let Noah take his time to process whatever he had just realized. Noah definitely had something important figured out, but it likely wasn't anything good.
"Do you remember the daemons?" Noah asked in a tense voice.
Something shifted within Leon. It was similar to the moments when Noah revealed something new to him. Every time he received information from his Aspect Ghost, it wasn't normal. It was as though something inside his mind had suddenly clicked into place, like he had received something.
It was not like finding something you had lost, but rather, new memories that were forced into his brain. Memories that did not belong to him. Although this feeling was faint in the past, this time it felt different — more intense.
His head soon started to ache while he examined the new memories. Rather, he was experiencing them.
***
A young boy was in an alleyway, holding two bags of garbage. He gripped the heavy bags and dragged them across the ground. Reaching a recycle bin, he tried to lift the bags, but they were too heavy for him. After struggling for a while, he finally managed to put one inside.
He wore a faded gray apron and a pair of black gloves. Beneath the apron, his clothes were tattered rags. His hair was black and messy, and his eyes looked tired.
As he tried to replicate his success, the second bag suddenly tore, and wet waste spilled everywhere. Some of it splashed onto his left foot as he jerked it back. Looking at the waste in front of him, the young boy immediately vomited at the sight.
"Fuck this," he said, covering his nose.
He began moving away from the trash can. But right as he began walking, he heard a noise. Frowning slightly, he slowed his pace and carefully peeked around the corner.
Two girls in high school uniforms were beating up another one in the same outfit. One of them grabbed her hair and jerked her head around. The other filmed the whole thing while occasionally throwing in a few kicks.
The girl being beaten squirmed in pain, trying to loosen the grip on her hair. But she was already too bruised to fight back.
The young boy watched all of this and sighed. He looked at the girl's face. Tears ran down her cheeks, with bruises here and there. Reaching into his pocket, the boy stepped out of the shadows and walked toward the scene.
The two girls noticed him and stopped.
"Ugh. What the fuck is that smell?" One of them growled.
Covering her nose, she let the girl she was holding by the hair drop. The girl filming soon lowered her phone.
"Let's go."
The two girls left the alleyway at a controlled pace, leaving the black-haired girl behind. Noticing an ID card near his feet, the boy glanced at it.
Akmong Academy
Name: Sophia
Date—
Not bothering with it, he approached the girl with one hand still in his pocket. Sophia raised her head and saw him approaching. She immediately shoved him away.
"No! Stay away from me!"
But before her hand reached him, the young boy grabbed her arm and pulled her closer. He pulled his other hand from his pocket and revealed a jagged piece of metal. He held the knife near her neck.
"All your money. Now." The boy said in a cold voice.
Sophia shivered as she saw the hollow eyes of the boy. She immediately reached into her bag to grab something, but the boy seized her arm. A small drop of blood trickled down her neck, spilling onto the knife.
"I won't say it twice."
Tears streamed down her face as she slowly pulled her hand out. Taking out a red purse, she removed all the bills and held them out. The boy immediately punched the girl in the face.
She groaned in pain and held her face. The boy clicked his tongue and struck her again, this time with the back of his knife. The girl fell as blood streamed from her face.
"Why is making someone unconscious harder than killing them?" the boy muttered under his breath as he grabbed the money she had dropped. After counting it, he put a few notes back into her wallet while keeping the rest.
Checking her bag again, he found a bottle of pepper spray, a water bottle, and some random textbooks. He used the water to wash his feet and put it back into her bag. He glanced at the labels on the textbooks and nearly grabbed them along with the money, but then stopped.
He heard footsteps approaching, so he stuffed the knife and money into his pocket and ran away. Making a few quick turns, he soon approached a steel door. Opening it, he entered a messy kitchen where everyone was busy working. Navigating through the crowd, he entered a small closet and closed the door behind him.
Before the door closed, he heard someone's voice shout.
"Where is that brat Leonar?"
As the door shut, he clicked his tongue and made sure it was locked. Ahead of him, many boxes were arranged neatly. Carefully moving them aside, he slipped into a small opening in the wall. Crawling through the hole, he reached outside and began walking away.
Crossing the streets, he hurried his pace. He soon entered a large scrapyard, where there were hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of cars lying around. Most of them had their windshields and windows broken, while others were no longer recognizable as cars.
Reaching one of the red cars, the boy opened the door and sat inside. Taking the money out of his pocket, he began counting it.
"That…should last me a week."
Stuffing the money back into his pocket, he slowly lifted the seat of the car. Beneath the seat were many books and pieces of paper labeled with names and symbols. There were academic textbooks, storybooks, and some manga. The pieces of paper were maps covered in his markings. Beside these was a small bundle of cash and a smartphone.
He chuckled softly. "Better put this back before that fatass chef notices."
He switched on the phone and unlocked it. Scrolling through maps and google searches that were research for his next destination, he mentally noted the directions and travel costs. Then he removed the SIM card and slipped it into his pocket before opening a new tab and beginning to read something else.
Chapter 372 - Names of the Gods
After a while, he regained—
As he read, the boy smiled softly and relaxed his shoulders. After a while, he switched the phone off again. Gathering everything he had in the car into a small bag, he exited the vehicle. Tossing the phone and SIM card aside, he began walking away.
***
Leon snapped back after the memory finished playing in his head. He grabbed his head as searing pain hit him. The pain had always been there, but it had been drowned out by the euphoric sensation of watching the memories again.
"That… what the fuck was that?"
He had just remembered… or rather, been shown. The memory of when he had worked at a random hotel, after he had ran away from the orphanage.
"Those were… my memories. But why?"
Why did it feel so strange? What changed this time?
Perhaps Noah telling him something far more important had triggered a memory within him. He suddenly knew about the existence of daemons. Other memories of there being seven of them had also surfaced.
Explaining the wierd situation to Noah, he felt confused at the whole thing. Noah remained silent, with a thoughtful gaze. After a while, Noah spoke again.
"I thought perhaps us getting here was because of Weaver… the Daemon of Fate. But now I think there's another daemon at play here."
Leon frowned as he breathed heavily.
"Which one?"
Noah's face darkened.
"Oblivion."
Leon gritted his teeth. The Daemon of Oblivion was perhaps the one they knew the least about. Trying to uncover the secrets of any daemon was very difficult, but this particular daemon felt impossible.
"But aren't the gods and daemons supposed to be dead? How are they influencing us now?"
But before he could get a reply, his mind went blank. Opening his eyes, he found himself back outside the soul sea. Cassie had grabbed Leon by his shoulders, with a look of worry on her face.
Nephis and Sunny stood beside him, looking at him weirdly.
"What?" he asked in a calm voice.
"You were trembling and muttering to yourself, Leon. Are you alright?" Cassie asked, concern in her voice.
Leon soon realized his face was covered in cold sweat.
"Just a bit tired. I'll be fine with some rest."
He said as he closed his eyes again and immediately fell asleep.
***
The next day, the four remained on the hills, trying to recover mentally and catch their breath. It was mostly Cassie's recommendation. Since they had left the knight's statue, she felt more comfortable staying there… and talking about her latest vision.
But mainly, they were worried the terrifying storm that had arrived the previous day might happen again at any time, and they would not be prepared. Leon had wanted to discuss more with Noah, but apparently, the ghost had reached his limit on how much information he could provide.
Cassie gathered the three and sighed.
"At first, I saw a… a boundless darkness locked behind seven seals. Something vast was churning in the darkness. I felt that if I directly saw it, I would lose my mind. As I watched, the seals broke one after another, until only one remained. And then that seal broke, too."
She trembled a little.
"After that… I don't know. It was as though my mind shattered into a thousand shards, each shard reflecting its own image. Most of them were dark and scary. Some I have already forgotten. The other…"
Cassie fell silent, remembering.
"I saw the human castle again. Only this time, it was at night. There was a lonely shadow standing on top of a vast ocean, looking down peacefully. I saw a corpse in golden armor sitting on a throne; a woman with a bronze spear drowning in a tide of monsters; an archer trying to pierce the falling sky with his arrows."
Finally, she looked up, her face full of horror.
"In the end, I saw a colossal, terrifying crimson spire. At its base, seven severed heads were guarding seven locks.
And at the top, a…a dying angel seemed to be consumed by the shadows. Her bright light was swallowed by the deep darkness. Beneath the angel and the shadows, there was a deep blue sea that did not move. It didn't rage or consume; it simply waited.
When I saw the light dissipate, I suddenly felt as though… as though something so precious that it can't be described with words was taken from me."
Her voice became quieter.
"Then, I felt so much sorrow, pain, and rage that what little remained of my sanity seemed to disappear. That was when I woke up… I think."
Leon's eyes narrowed.
'Past or future? Seven seals, seven valiant heroes…'
Leon glanced at Noah, who had remained silent. Noah noticed his gaze and sighed.
"Seven statues,"
Noah muttered.
"Seven nightmare creatures. Seven shards…"
Leon was deep in thought.
'Is he telling me to find seven statues? Like the broken knight statue?'
Pushing his thoughts aside, he listened back to the trio's conversation.
He heard Cassie's soft voice.
"You really think so?"
There was silence for a while before Sunny answered.
"Why not? It's a possibility."
***
They began their journey west as Cassie and Leon rode Sunny's Echo while Sunny and Nephis were in front.
Leon stood on the Echo, one foot in front of the other, resting an arm on it. He observed the vast expanse of the labyrinth as they began descending into it.
"Why are you even riding the Echo?" Sunny asked.
"Kings need their mounts, don't they?" Leon replied with a grin.
Sunny shook his head and let out a frustrated breath as his senses focused on the shadow scouting ahead.
They travelled for a day before encountering a new type of enemy.
Centipede monsters — these things were more than three meters long, with glistening red chitin and hundreds of tiny, scurrying legs. They were agile, being able to move through mud, climb the coral walls, and their bodies were able to secrete a corrosive black oil that melted through the strongest armor in seconds.
The only silver lining of the centipede monsters was that their chitin shells weren't very tough and could be easily pierced by a sword. Leon suggested harvesting the oil sacks from the centipede monsters' corpses. Each had two of them, connected to a special gland.
The whole process was more disgusting than dangerous, since the corrosive effect was only achieved after the liquids from the two sacks were mixed.
Moving forward, the cohort stumbled onto a war between the centipede monsters and the Carapace Scavengers.
After Leon got his resonance fragment, he lost interest in trying to fight the damn critters. But he still needed to strengthen his body and gain experience — and most importantly, recharge the Ember Crown.
So he mostly went around trying to start fights on his own while Sunny and Nephis scolded him time and time again not to be reckless. Cassie herself usually ended up beating Leon whenever he tried to fight alone.
After a while, though, they got used to his behavior and only intervened when things became too risky.
***
Two weeks had passed since they had left the knight's statue. The cohort then began planning their next move. Their pace was unusually fast. They would try to avoid the scavengers and centipedes as much as possible, but it didn't last too long.
The labyrinth was filled with too many horrors unknown, so they had to keep fighting to grow stronger. Still, they took care to explore paths to their next stop before committing to a day-long journey. This way, the risk of being caught in another storm was minimized.
As they kept moving west, jumping from one high peak to another, they eventually reached the Bone Ridge.
The Bone Ridge was, in fact, made of bone. The skeletal remains of a colossal sea monster lay on an enormous mound of chaotically growing coral. Leon took a keen interest in observing the bone ridge as he deduced that the remains must have belonged to a gargantuan leviathan.
Inside the spine, the bone surface under their feet was as wide as a road, with beams of light falling through the gaps between the massive vertebrae.
The tunnel was inclined upward, most of its length hidden behind the bend of the ceiling. When the Echo entered the spine, its chitin legs produced a loud, echoing clatter.
The four eventually stopped and decided to take a break. They took turns using the Endless Spring as they went off to bathe. Leon eventually found himself alone while bathing. He obviously did not mind Noah being there, because in a way, they were the same person.
The cold water from the Endless Spring flowed over Leon's body, sending a sharp chill through his skin. His body was not as malnourished as it had been back at the academy, but it still felt lacking for some reason.
Leon looked up at Noah, who was lying down on one of the bone protrusions, with one leg crossed over the other.
"Noah. How much have we deviated?"
Noah looked at Leon with a bored expression.
"Not that much. They were supposed to fight their first centurion on that rocky ridge. Sunny was much weaker than he is now."
He leaped up and stood on the bone.
"I think Cassie was much more of a burden. The rest is honestly the same."
Leon hummed.
***
Before the cohort entered the Bone Ridge, Sunny had felt anxious — as if something was wrong. As the sun hung low in the western sky, he said he could feel the shadows grow unnatural, as if they were too ancient, too deep. Leon, curious as ever, used Shadow Sense and noticed it as well.
'A structure tall enough to cast a shadow like this…'
"That is the shadow of the Crimson Spire," Cassie said.
"The spire from your vision? The one with seven seals?" Sunny asked.
Cassie nodded.
"In my dream, it was as tall as a mountain. I could see it even from the walls of the human castle, looming in the distance like a crimson spear piercing the sky."
She swallowed.
"When the sun sets, its shadow falls over the castle and stretches east… as far as the eye can see."
***
After a while, they decided to set camp. Sitting around a lit fire, Nephis was busy roasting meat, while Sunny was scouting for danger with his Shadow.
Sunny joined them as they all began having dinner. The sun was setting. Leon stared into the fire and let out a long breath.
"That story of Odysseus you told me was interesting, Neph,"
Leon said, lowering his gaze. He recalled the time Nephis had narrated the story of Odysseus — and his journey back home, while they were on the rocky hills, one night.
Nephis looked up from eating, and before she could say anything, Leon continued.
"But have you guys heard of Icarus?"
Leon shifted slightly, watching the sparks dance above the flames.
"It's an old story. About a boy who tried to fly."
Leon remembered a particular story he was fascinated with, back in his old life.
Cassie tilted her head.
"His father was a great craftsman," Leon continued. "A man named Daedalus. They were trapped on an island surrounded by the sea. There was no ship to escape… no road to follow."
He paused for a moment.
"So Daedalus made wings. Not from feathers alone — but from feathers and wax. He tied them to their backs and told his son something important."
Leon raised his gaze slightly.
"Don't fly too low," he said quietly. "The sea will weigh your wings down."
The fire crackled.
"But don't fly too high either. The sun will melt the wax."
Sunny frowned slightly.
Leon let out a small breath.
"They escaped the island. For a while, everything worked. The boy soared through the sky, feeling freedom for the first time."
His voice grew softer.
"But the higher he flew… the better it felt."
Nephis watched him silently.
"And eventually," Leon said, looking up at the three, "he forgot the warning."
He paused for a while, letting the story settle in their minds.
Cassie swallowed.
"What happened next?"
"So Icarus flew higher and higher… until the sun melted the wax."
Leon looked back at the curious expressions of the three.
"The wings fell apart."
Silence lingered.
"And the boy fell into the sea."
The flames flickered.
Sunny sighed. "That fool… why would he do something like that?"
Leon chuckled softly.
"For a moment, he had touched the sky."
He leaned back slightly.
"And I guess… that was enough for him."
***
The next morning, Nephis, Sunny, and Leon decided to climb out of the spine before it slipped downward. They managed to climb out as they began analyzing the sight in front of them.
Some distance away, the labyrinth seemed to lose color. The crimson blades of coral stood grey and misshapen. The stone-like material looked brittle and fragile, ready to crumble to dust at any moment.
The patch of dead coral spread for as far as the eye could see.
Further away, the walls of the labyrinth seemed to have collapsed into a sea of ash-grey sand. This ashen wasteland looked so alien and strange after weeks of seeing only the endless crimson pathways.
Not a single nightmare creature was seen on the ashen plane.
Far away into the distance, the ground rose, forming a tall hill. Covered in the grey sand left behind by dead coral, the hill resembled a mountain of ash. That mountain was crowned by a giant tree.
The tree rose into the sky like a tower, its branches wide enough to cover the whole island in their shade. The bark of the giant tree was as black as the water of the dark sea, while its leaves were red as blood.
"The Soul Devouring Tree…" Noah's voice sounded.
Leon looked ahead with an expressionless face.
"Let's go. We still have time before the sun sets." Nephis said in her usual tone.
Sunny nodded and went back to fetch Cassie with his Echo. Leon looked at the tree, his expression serious. Whenever Noah spoke these days, things tended to get messy.
'Soul devouring…'
"You alright?" Nephis asked.
Turning to her, Leon saw worry written across her face.
"Just thinking."
Nephis smiled. In the past two weeks, she had learnt to be less awkward around the others, even trying to mimic their actions. After so long, this smile looked almost natural.
"Thinking too much slows you down; don't worry too much."
Leon chuckled,
"I'm not sure if I'm capable of worrying, Neph."
Nephis raised an eyebrow, but she could not ask further as Sunny and Cassie returned — and they continued toward the Ashen Barrows.
With grey sand under their feet and dead coral walls surrounding them, they moved west.
Soon, they reached the point where the walls of the labyrinth had crumbled into dust.
Now, there was nothing but a vast expanse of grey sand between them and the hill crowned by the giant tree.
As they kept moving closer to the big hill, the tree looked bigger and bigger. Leon was busy studying the tree when Sunny suddenly reacted.
"Stop!" He said in a tense voice.
The cohort froze, waiting for Sunny to explain.
Sunny looked around hurriedly before noticing a small rock protruding from the ground. He grabbed Nephis's hand and signaled for Leon to grab Cassie.
Sunny immediately unsummoned his Echo as Cassie suddenly fell with a yelp. Leon caught her in his arms as the three rushed behind Sunny. They hid behind the rock, which, on closer inspection, felt like wood.
The rock wasn't very big, so they had to cling together to hide from whatever Sunny had seen. Sunny stuck close to Nephis as he concentrated on his shadow. Leon still held Cassie close as she began blushing.
"What is it?" Leon asked.
Sunny put a finger on his lips, signaling Leon to keep quiet.
After a few moments, Sunny looked at them.
"Let's head back to the bone ridge. I'll explain everything once we're back."
Leon frowned, but reluctantly nodded.
"Um…Leon? You…you can let me go now."
Cassie said in a low voice.
Leon looked down, realizing he still held her in his arms.
"Oh. Sorry."
He said, smiling, as he gently put her down.
The four headed back to the bone ridge.
***
Once they were back in the spine of the dead leviathan, they sat in a circle expecting Sunny to explain. Sunny began explaining how there was a large creature right next to the large tree with crimson leaves.
"The creature was as large as a house, with its eight legs resembling tall pillars. Its form was similar to that of scavengers and centurions, comprised of a crab-like carapace and a protruding, somewhat humanoid torso."
Sunny gulped.
"Instead of chitin, the behemoth's shell was seemingly encased in an impenetrable suit of shining Armor."
He took a moment to continue.
"The demon's head was crowned with several tall, sharp horns. Its metal face was almost human-like."
Leon's eyes widened slightly.
"Demon…"
He said, while a small grin appeared on his face.
The three looked at him — and suddenly, all three widened their eyes.
Leon was about to stand up when Nephis suddenly pinned him down in a choke hold, while Cassie held his legs.
"Guys, wha—"
"Bastard! Don't you dare go running toward that monster!" Sunny exclaimed as he used the Neph's rope Memory to tie up Leon's arms.
Leon lowered his head and sighed.
"I was just going to take a look…"
After tying him up with Neph's rope, they sat down again and began planning what to do next.
"So what do we do?" Cassie asked in a shaky voice.
"We can't possibly challenge that thing, it's an awakened demon! We're just sleepers."
Sunny yelped.
"It's just an Awakened Demon."
"It's just an Awakened Demon."
Both Leon and Nephis sounded simultaneously.
Nephis looked at him and sighed.
"Look, although it seems bad, there is no other way west. And if anyone can beat an Awakened Demon…"
She took a glance at the other three, "It's us."
Sunny looked at the two as his mouth opened to say something, but soon closed. He sighed.
"What did I even expect from two lunatics…"
***
Leon was sleeping peacefully, oblivious to the feeling of being trapped in the death zone. Suddenly, he was awoken by Cassie, who was shaking his shoulder.
He opened his eyes and looked at her tense expression. He thought that the frown looked unnatural on her face.
"What's wrong, Cas?"
"A vision, I had a vision about the Carapace demon."
Leon, now free from the rope binding him, sat up to comfort Cassie and calm her down. Soon, all four were up and listening to what Cassie had to say.
"I saw the Ashen Barrow deep at night, enveloped in a raging storm. The island was illuminated by the constant barrage of thundering lightning bolts, with rain falling."
She paused, catching her breath, and continued:
"The Carapace Demon was there, standing in the middle of the storm. Electricity bounced off his armor, but he didn't care. He was just as Sunny described… prideful, sinister, and terrifying."
Leon felt a flicker of interest cut through the tension.
'So the creature is intelligent…'
Cassie closed her eyes.
"When I looked into his eyes, I felt… a sense of emptiness and corruption. He observed the storm until it began to dissipate. But then, the last bolt of lightning fell from the sky and struck the ground beside it."
Leon silently noted how Cassie mentioned the Carapace Demon as 'he' instead of 'it'. The girl had already personified the supposed demon that Sunny described.
Cassie paused.
"When it hit the ground, it ignited the fallen leaves that covered the Ashen Barrow's surface. Soon, a large part of the island was engulfed in fire. In the absolute darkness of the night, it shone like a beacon.
Before the flames died down, the dark sea surged, and a… a thing crawled out of it, covering almost the entire slope of the Ashen Barrow with its body. It looked like a… like a mass of bones and rotten flesh connected by black seaweed, with thousands of horrible eyes staring at me hungrily from beneath, coiling tentacles seething as it pushed itself toward the great tree.
The demon fought the creature, and in the end, the creature retreated into the sea. The demon was severely wounded, with several of his legs missing and his scythes covered by a spiderweb of cracks."
Leon perked up as he heard the mention of the creature.
'Oh, it's that thing I met on the first day.'
There was a long silence before Sunny eventually spoke up.
"I think I have a plan."
'And I think I know what he's thinking.'
Leon thought as he smiled.
Nephis intervened, "Leon."
"Hmm?" He looked at her, still smiling.
"If you don't follow the plan, we'll leave you here tied up till we finish the demon off ourselves."
The smile soon disappeared.
Sunny widened his mouth.
"You expect the three of us to fight that thing without this bastard?"
Nephis nodded. She turned back toward Leon.
"Well?" she probed.
Leon clicked his tongue. "Fine. I won't act out of plan."
With that, they began scheming on how they would bring down the Carapace Demon.
***
Before they left for the Ashen burrow, each of the four decided to take a quick shower with the endless spring.
When it was Leon's turn, he had finally gotten some alone time.
"Is the demon bad?" He asked. From someone else's perspective, it looked like he was talking to the air.
"Worry about the tree," Noah said in a cold tone.
Leon nodded as he gripped two clay bottles in his hands and let out a chuckle.
"This is rather exciting."
***
Sunny was explaining his plan to Nephis. Have his Echo bait the demon and leave the tree. Use this opportunity to reach the tree from the other side and hide above it.
"Then we use the centipede oil to burn the demon, lure the fog creature, and let them battle it out."
Nephis nodded, acknowledging his plan.
"Why are we not including Leon?" Cassie asked.
Sunny sighed.
"You know how he can be. He'll probably just clash with the demon one-on-one."
Cassie remained silent, unable to refute his argument.
"How long is he even taking to—"
Sunny froze.
He shot his head toward Nephis and asked nervously.
"Nephis, where are the bottles of oil?"
Nephis tilted her head in confusion. She stood up and went to check the seaweed bag, where she had kept the bottles of oil. Nephis picked it up, but it felt much lighter than usual.
She froze and turned toward Sunny.
Sunny gritted his teeth and rushed toward the opening in the spine and climbed up to look over. The sun had just set as he climbed up, and the dark sea was already rising in the distance.
"THAT LUNATIC," Sunny growled.
He realized that he would not make it to the hill even if he left the bone ridge now. Nephis and Cassie then climbed up and stood beside him.
Horror spread across Nephis's face. She thought that she had grown careless, and now he was gone.
"Leon…"
She said, her voice shaking.
Cassie swayed, her face draining of color. A second later, her knees gave out.
The dark sea swallowed the distant hill at a terrifying speed. It almost looked as if the sea was eager to rise again now that the sun was gone. The crimson leaves of the tree swayed softly.
Icarus did not fall because he was foolish. He fell because the sky was too tempting to ignore. Maybe Icarus knew the risk all along… and flew anyway.