Lucien woke up when the first rays of sunlight fell on the cave, and right on his face. It was just his luck that he picked the position where the sun would strike first.
Well, he was awake now, and the mist was gone. They could leave the cave and continue their search. But they weren't going to do that.
For the first time in what seemed like a lifetime, they could take a moment to rest and relax. In the Hollow Mountains, there was no threat of the Deathless to keep them on their toes. There were only untold horrors hiding in its depths.
Stifling a yawn, Lucien sat up and took a good look around. The cave looked exactly as he thought it'd look, plain. There were no murals on the wall, it was entirely blank.
That was until his gaze drifted to the pile of rocks blocking the way inside. Lucien stared at the blocked passage, and the walls around it. There was nothing inherently special about the pile of rocks, it was simply, well, a pile of rocks.
But the walls around it, those told a different story. There were deep cuts and cracks on the stone surface, as if someone had deliberately tried attacking the stone.
Lucien frowned. But why? What was the purpose of attacking the walls?
Slowly, his eyes drifted back down to the rocks, and the realization hit him. Why would someone attack the walls of a cave? To block the path behind them, so that no one could follow.
He wanted to know what was behind it, and why someone had gone through the trouble of blocking the path. But his storm sense didn't catch anything, and there was no wind passing through the wall. Whoever did it, made sure to leave no way for even air to cross through.
"When are we leaving?" Nephis asked all of a sudden, breaking him out of his thoughts.
A moment of silence passed before Lucien tore his eyes off the rocks.
"As soon as I'm done making breakfast." He said, and began taking something out of the Soul Sack.
Nephis nodded and began preparing to light a fire. It didn't take them long to cook the food, especially with Nephis' all-purifying flames.
As they ate, Nephis spoke, "What exactly happened last night with the Fallen Terror?"
"It put us under a hex," Lucien said, grimacing as he remembered how easily that thing had subdued him. "It was a mind numbing curse that made you complacent. It activated the moment we looked at it."
Nephis frowned, but said nothing.
"If that wasn't enough, it killed any defiant thoughts we had, and made it impossible to actually fight back against it. On top of all that, it altered our memories, removing itself from them. Which is why we saw nothing but sand when looking upon it."
A few seconds of silence passed before Nephis asked, "How did you break free?"
Lucien paused. It was Nethers lineage that helped him break free, the infinite streams of thought that overwhelmed the curse for just long enough for him to escape to his soul sea. But did he really want to tell her that?
"I…I was too fast for it to keep deleting my thoughts consistently. There were gaps where it couldn't remove them, only for a fraction of a second but it was long enough for me to escape to my soul sea." Lucien lied through his teeth. "From there, I commanded Mictlan's demise to cover my eyes so that I wouldn't look at it when I returned."
"You fought it blind?"
"Well, yes. I had to rely entirely on my affinity to wind and sand and my storm sense to fight it. Luckily, it was weak to a physical confrontation, so I managed to kill it with pure destructive power. Which is why I ended up in that state"
Nephis frowned, "Did you take damage from your own aspect ability?"
That wasn't supposed to happen, awakened were supposed to be immune to their own aspect ability. Just like how her soulflames couldn't hurt her, Luciens lightning shouldn't hurt him either.
"Not exactly, it's more of a side effect of what I did."
Her frown deepened. A side effect? Like a… flaw? Was that what his flaw was, he took damage every time he used his aspect. Like her own flaw, but far more fatal.
"I…see." Nephis knew how much of a taboo it was to talk about one's flaw. She quickly shifted the topic, "Did you get a memory?"
"Yes actually," Lucien raised his hand as the ring materialized out of white sparks, "It's a tool type memory with three enchantments."
Nephis stared at the ring for a few seconds, "What are the enchantments?"
"The three abilities of the Terror," Lucien said, "To put someone under a mind numbing hex, to kill their thoughts, and to alter their memory.
Nephis raised an eyebrow, "How does it work?"
"I don't know," Lucien admitted, "Originally we needed to look at the Terror to fall under its curse, but memories don't always follow the same rules as the nightmare creature they came from."
Nephis remained silent for a while before saying:
"Use it on me."
"…" Lucien stared at her, "Are you sure?"
She nodded, "Yes, the effects of the memory should vanish once you dismiss it. The chances of permanent memory alteration are low."
She wasn't wrong, the enchantment of a memory fades once it's dismissed back to the soul sea. The only times that wasn't true was for a soulbound memory like Nightveil, or a Remnant like Mictlans Demise, whose enchantments persisted even after being dismissed. Both of those memories had a strong connection to his soul, unlike Damnatio Memoriae. So in theory, it should be safe.
Well that was enough to convince him.
Lucien nodded and activated the memory. Instantly, the ring exploded outward, covering his entire arm in a violet gauntlet.
Raising his hand, Lucien pointed his palm towards Nephis and tried commanding the [Curse of Oblivion] to activate.
A second passed in silence, then two, then three. Eventually, after a whole minute passed without anything happening, Lucien dropped his hand.
"We can rule out eye contact." He said, turning his palm and looking at the eye embedded in it.
"Try physical contact.", Nephis suggested and dismissed the Dawn Shard, leaving her head bare.
Nodding, Lucien raised his hand again, and slowly pressed it against her forehead. The moment the eye touched her bare skin, Lucien's world disappeared.
Lucien was laying on the ground, a cacophony of pain ravaging his body. There was a hole in his abdomen where his hand was pressed. Above him, the artificial sun was growing dimmer by the second. His once silver hair had turned red with blood.
Only his hair wasn't silver.
He was in Nephis' body, the enchantment had succeeded. He was in her memory. The memory of the fall of the Crimson Tower.
Nephis slowly crawled a few steps, then arduously pushed herself and sat up, leaning on a piece of rubble. She watched as Sunny walked towards the glowing gateway, seemingly unable to move.
Sunny walked up to the edge of the gateway and froze. A few seconds passed, and the Crimson Tower trembled. Sunny swayed a little, then turned around and walked back to Nephis.
Stopping above her, he lingered for a moment, then kneeled, so that their faces were on the same level.
Looking at her right in the eyes, Sunny raised his hands and clapped several times.
Finally, he said in a terrible, furious voice:
"Congratulations. You almost fooled me…"
Nephis stared at him tiredly.
A few seconds later, she opened her mouth, letting blood flow over her lips, and said in a low, barely audible voice:
"What… are you talking about?"
Sunny snarled.
"Drop the act. Your performance was, indeed, masterful. But don't forget who taught you how to lie in the first place. Did you really think that you would be able to deceive me?"
She was silent for a few moments, then whispered:
"I don't… understand."
He looked at her and asked, his voice shaking with anger:
"Why did you do it? Why?"
Nephis blinked and drew in a shaky breath, but didn't say anything, looking at him with pain and confusion.
Realizing that she wasn't going to answer, Sunny spat:
"Why did you throw the fight?!"
She lingered for a moment, then said quietly:
"...I didn't."
A bitter smile appeared on Sunny's lips. Shaking his head, he said:
"You almost made it work, you know. I almost bought it! But after all of it was done and I could think clearly, some things really didn't add up. They didn't make any sense! No matter how I looked at it, something felt wrong."
The Spire swayed, drowning their voices in the sound of breaking stone. Not paying it any attention, Sunny continued:
"First! I know for a fact that you are somehow able to support two augmentations at the same time. You did so while fighting Gunlaug. One to enhance your sword, the other to enhance your body. I rarely forget things, so how could I not remember this? Once you were heavily injured, you summoned back the flames from the sword and were able to simultaneously strengthen yourself and heal those wounds. And yet, you only used one when fighting me. Funny, isn't it?"
Nephis stared at him, not saying anything. Then, she uttered:
"My powers were exhausted…"
Sunny spat.
"I would have believed that, maybe, if not for your other mistakes. Back at the top of the Spire, you had an opportunity to cut off my arm, ending the fight right there and then. That was the best course of action, the swiftest and most effective attack you could have performed. But instead, you chose a less advantageous method and went for my head, striking with the flat of the blade."
A grim expression appeared on his face.
"Someone else might have made that choice, but not you. Not Changing Star, the sword saint. The only reason for you to pass on that golden opportunity is that you never really wanted to win. Did you?"
He looked up and grimaced, pain assaulting his mind like a furious sea.
"...And finally, why did you even stay there at the top of the tower, waiting for me to come? If you wanted to escape, you could have gone to the Gateway as soon as you realized what the Soul Conduit was, not even giving me a chance to save myself. But you did not. You just sat there quietly and waited, ignoring your chance to reach the Gateway first. So… why?"
He looked at her and shouted, the pain finally finding its way into his voice:
"Why the hell did you pretend to go all out on me while planning to lose from the start?!"
Nephis stared at him for a while, her face pale and inexorable.
Then, she sighed and looked away.
After a moment, she said quietly:
"Maybe it is because I am far away from home, too."
Sunny stared at her for a couple of moments, then snarled.
"What? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Changing Star turned her head and looked at him calmly, then smiled.
"Alright, Sunny, You caught me. Now go. This tower won't last much longer."
As she said that, the white flames flowing from her wounds suddenly flashed, growing stronger and brighter. Her injuries started to heal once again, not as fast as in the past, but still with considerable speed. Her eyes shined with fearsome radiance.
He gritted his teeth.
"Like hell I will! Not before you give me an answer."
Nephis shrugged tiredly, then looked him in the eyes.
"What is it that you want to know?"
Sunny clenched his fists.
"Why even fight me if you wanted to let me win all along?"
She sighed. As he stared at her with burning intensity, she said:
"Isn't it obvious? Because if I didn't, you wouldn't go."
Turning away, she lingered for a moment, and then continued:
"People… people are usually either cruel or kind. But not you. You can be both, depending on the situation. Either ruthless or compassionate. Either cruel or kind. So that's what I did. I created a situation that would allow you to be ruthless and cruel. To leave me behind without showing any mercy."
Sunny stared at her, his fists trembling.
"But why? Why would you doom yourself to save me? What happened to your goddamned goal?! Didn't you tell me that you will sacrifice anything, anyone, to achieve it?!"
Nephis looked at him and smiled bitterly.
"Why? Are you the only one who is allowed to grow and change? Can't I change too, Sunny?"
She turned away and said tiredly, her voice full of invisible, but crushing weight:
"...Yes. I did say such a thing. But saying and doing are two different things, Sunny. Once it all started… once all those people were dying because of what I have done… Once I suffered defeat after defeat… It was more difficult than I could have ever imagined. It was… distasteful."
He shook his head in shock.
"So… that's it? You just gave up? After all that crap, you just decided that it was too much for you?"
Changing Star remained quiet for a bit, then slowly shook her head.
"...You don't really understand me at all, do you, Sunny?"
Facing him, she grinned.
"Give up? No, I didn't give up. I didn't abandon my goal. I just realized that I was not ambitious enough."
As white flames grew brighter in her eyes, Nephis said:
"I am going to destroy the Spell, and all those who stand in my way. I will accomplish everything that I want. But I will also do it in the way that I want. I will do it in a way that suits my desire, without compromising anything. Without sacrificing my sense of right and wrong."
Illuminated by white radiance, her pale, bloodied face seemed like the face of a demon.
"Manipulating all those people, causing their deaths? I would do it again. I would kill more if I needed to. Because it was fair and right. I gave them the chance to save themselves, or die fighting against the Spell. There is no better way."
For a moment, her eyes were aflame with passion. However, then, her expression suddenly changed. Looking down, Nephis added in a quiet voice:
"...But abandoning you here would be vile, and wrong. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth. Just like leaving a helpless blind girl to die alone would. I won't do it. If I do, I would be no better than those who I want to destroy. What's the point of reaching my goal if, in the process, I become the same as those whom I hate?"
She pierced him with a burning gaze and said:
"No, Sunny. My goal hasn't changed. It's just that reaching it by using a wrong path is worse than not reaching it at all. But why do you care, anyway? Don't you think that it is insane? Don't you think that I am despicable and vile? So, go! Why are you hesitating?!"
Sunny stared at her, a deep frown appearing on his face. Finally, he asked:
"I'm hesitating because of you, fool. What about you?"
Nephis smiled.
"What about me? Do you think I will die here, in this tower? No. I will… I will be fine. I will escape it and survive, somehow. I'll find another way out. No matter how long it's going to take me, I will. Nothing will stop me. You know it won't…"
He stared at her for a while, then glanced at the shimmering Gateway.
The crack traveling through the stone balcony was already almost upon the circle of runes, threatening to destroy them.
…Salvation was so close.
He could almost taste it.
Turning away from the dais, Sunny shook his head.
"That is a horrible plan. You want to travel around the Dream Realm battling Nightmare Creatures? Fine. Let's do it together. We can go to the Hollow Mountains and drag Lucien out. We can try to reach the human Citadels on the other side. And that's just the south. We can also try north, east, and west, searching for an unclaimed Gateway. The three of us will have a better chance to survive. It's better than being alone. Right?"
She hesitated for a long time, then closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. When she spoke, her voice was wistful and tired:
"...No. I can't. I can't let you stay, Sunny. Go! Go and meet your sister. There's something waiting for you in the real world, at least. All that's waiting for me is emptiness, bloodshed, and graves. If I return, the same thing that happened in the Bright Castle will repeat itself, over and over again, until there's nothing else. So go while you can."
The runes of the Gateway shimmered, as if on the verge of disappearing.
He gritted his teeth.
"...No."
Nephis opened her eyes and looked at him, a sense of sorrow appearing on her face.
"Leave me, Sunny. Please. Go."
He shook his head stubbornly.
"I don't want to."
Changing Star was silent for a moment, looking at him with a pained expression. And then she said, making his world crumble:
"Go… Lost from Light."
Sunny's eyes widened, and his hand shot forward, a dagger memory appearing in it almost instantly.
"Stop."
His hand froze, the tip of the stiletto mere centimeters away from Nephis' eye.
Overcome by horror, Sunny moved his gaze and looked at Nephis, his eyes wide with shock.
"H… how…"
A sad smile appeared on her lips.
"How did I know? …Cassie told me."
Nephis sighed and looked away.
"She was the first one to understand the meaning of her vision. She knew that the two of us would end up fighting each other, and that I was going to lose. Maybe even die. She just didn't know how, when, and why. So, Cassie told me your secret, in hopes that it will save my life one day. But I… I hoped that I would never have to use it."
Sunny stared at her, too shocked to say anything. She smiled sadly.
"So, then. I guess… I guess this is goodbye. Ta… I hope that you'll take care of yourself, Sunny. Now, go. Escape before it is too late."
Then Sunny moved, his face still full of shock and horror. He moved mechanically, more like a machine than a man. Sunny slowly walked up the steps of the dais and approached the circle of runes, then crossed the iron ring without slowing down. As soon as he did, the runes shone with intense light.
His body began to glow, too.
The ethereal radiance grew brighter and brighter, until it became hard to discern the human figure in its middle.
And then, suddenly, it disappeared, leaving only emptiness behind.
Just a few seconds after he disappeared in a flash of light, the crack in the stone reached the circle of runes and broke it.
The shine of the Gateway grew unstable and swiftly faded away.
At the same time, the artificial sun of the Forgotten Shore ignited one last time with a bright, intense explosion of light, and then extinguished.
Left alone in the collapsing tower and with no more light to shine upon her, the beaten, broken figure of Changing Star disappeared into the shadows.
Then the memory ended and Lucien was thrown back into his body. Damnatio Memoriae disappeared, returning to his soul sea.
'So that's what happened.' He blinked and pulled away his hand. His suspicions were right, Nephis had intentionally lost.
But…what was that at the end? Lost from Light…was that Sunny's true name?
Why did he try to kill her as soon as she said that name? Why did he stop when Nephis told him to? Why did he leave when he clearly wanted to remain? And why was he so horrified of her?
"What is it?" Nephis said, furrowing her brows, "What did you see?"
Looking up at her, Lucien stayed silent for a few seconds. In her eyes, she hadn't sent the sleepers of the Dark City to their deaths, but rather given them a chance at salvation. To her, that was the fairest thing she could have done. But at the same time, she wouldn't abandon Sunny in the Forgotten Shores, that was where she drew the line.
"Has somebody ever told you that your moral compass is all over the place?"
Nephis frowned, "What do you mean?"
Sighing, Lucien stood up, "You asked me what it was that I saw right? I saw the aftermath of your fight with Sunny, and the conversation that followed."
"…" She looked away, "How far did you see?"
"Up until Sunny left." Lucien said, "What happened there by the way? Why did he suddenly start listening to your every command?"
'Like he had no other choice. Almost like a slave.'
Nephis would not look at him. Inhaling sharply, she said, "I did the right thing."
'I think we've already established that what you think is right is far from the norm.' Lucien thought, but didnt voice it out. Instead he said:
"That doesn't answer my question."
Nephis stared at the fire, or perhaps beyond it, for a long while as if looking at something no one else could see. Then, all of a sudden she stood up and finally looked up at him.
Whoever had said that the eyes were the window to the soul was onto something. Her eyes were a whirlwind of emotions. There was a hint of regret, a touch of guilt, along with a fiery anger. But the emotion that burned the brightest was resolve. The unwavering belief that she was right.
"Ask Sunny yourself when we get out of here." She said, and left the cave.
From the other side of the cave Eurys looked up and said "I think you hurt her feelings boy."
"Shut up Eurys."