Chapter 12: Lost and Found
Sitting in a cafeteria, a handsome young man with styled auburn hair and emerald eyes was having a casual conversation with his fellow soldiers.
They had been traveling the ocean on an enormous vessel for a few days now.
The journey was a rough one, and many felt exposed and uncomfortable knowing that they were only a few alloy walls between them and the horrors of the deep sea.
But besides a few creepy encounters from the sea, nothing too major had happened yet, which was a hopeful sign.
Sitting next to Kai, a joyful soldier spoke up.
"Ah... it's less than a day left before we finally land. I...really didn't enjoy this voyage, honestly!"
Another spoke up, shivering a little at the memory.
"Yeah, me neither! I'd rather be able to see my enemies than this..."
Kai looked around at his subordinates and smiled faintly. It seemed people were the most honest during harsh times.
Despite the bumpy journey, he was feeling quite excited and nervous about the Antarctic campaign. Things apparently had only partially gone to plan, and from the newest reports, Central Antarctica was a total mess.
And Sunny was still stationed there. Kai sighed and raised his cup, drinking his coffee. 'Please be safe, Sunny.'
Kai had heard that Sunny had made quite a name for himself over there, but that didn't mean that Sunny was invisible.
The handsome archer was then ripped out of his thoughts by a hand shacking his shoulder... "Yeah, what is it?"
"Commander Night, isn't that the Devil from your cohort!? Look!"
'Huh, do they mean Sunny?'
Before Kai knew it, a soldier raised the volume of the Entertainment devices as a small crowd gathered around the screen in the middle of the cafeteria.
He took a sip of his coffee and watched the TV program, wondering what the commotion was about.
"...and now the Central Antarctican army group... has just confirmed their victory against the Corrupted Titan, which had previously been thought to be impossible."
The reporter paused, shaking his head with a quiet chuckle... "Yes, dear viewers, you heard me right. Less than a handful of Masters led by the Devil had set out and achieved the impossible, which even Saint Tyris of the White-Feather clan had only managed to contain before her unfortunate defeat a few days ago."
Kai immediately spit out the coffee he had in his mouth and fell into a coughing fit... it was quite a sight, but everyone else was too busy being stunned to notice his sorry state.
The handsome archer grew deathly pale and rubbed his eyes in disbelief... 'Sunny... did WHAT!? Oh gods, the reporter wasn't lying either..!'
While the handsome archer was having a meltdown, the stunned crowd erupted into a loud fit of cheers and reveled in the hype of this impossible victory.
After all, if the Devil alone had succeeded at such impossible odds, then why shouldn't this operation succeed? They had all these heros and legends on their side... it felt like nothing could defeat the evacuation army anymore.
Not even mythical Titans.
Kai quickly got up, leaving his coffee behind and concentrating on his anchor, pulling it so he could quickly enter the Dreamrealm.
'I have to tell the others! This is huge news!'
He heard the sounds of celebration slowly fade away as he was being transported into another world...
Not long after, he stood on the emerald grass of the beloved Tower of Longing.
Said pagoda was as pristine and Ivory as always, stretching into the skies of the chained isles.
The sun was slowly descending at the edge of the sky, painting the world in a multitude of colors.
The handsome archer had seen it many times, but he never got used to the serene beauty of it.
He quickly soared into the air and flew up along the tower's Ivory walls, aiming right for the opened balcony on the... 6th or 7th floor? He wasn't sure... But that wasn't important now!
He had to bring the news of Sunny's whereabouts and status!
The cohort always left the balcony in the kitchen/dining floor open so Kai could enter through the window like a prince charming or something...
*
Sitting at the table, Effie and Cassie had a usual conversation about the latest things...
The tall huntress sighed in dejection, feeling a shiver run down her spine at the haunting memories...
"Huff... I'm telling you, Cassie... they serve the cheapest sludge I've ever eaten on these ships. Just thinking about it makes me lose my appetite."
Cassie, who had been cradling a warm cup of tea in her delicate hands, only smiled faintly. "I'm aware."
She looked up, casting a glance in the direction where a certain silver princess stood. "But then again, we're meeting here for dinner so often anyway... I'm almost getting used to Neph's cooking."
They often met in the Dreamrealm for dinner so they could all spend time together and talk about their days.
This new 'ritual' of sorts had let to them all growing even closer to each other. Having a close group of friends and some vague semblance of a daily routine in the chaotic world of the nighmare spell had benefited them all greatly.
Only... despite everything, it felt like something had been missing these past months... and that something was Sunny. It had been a long while since they had seen him... well– not for everyone present, tho.
Cassie had been unusualy quiet lately, and when Effie or Kai had asked her about Sunny, she assured them that "He was fine." Whatever that meant in the Antarctic hell.
Effie sighed in dejection again, a small smirk forming on her lips.
'She a true seer, huh, all cryptic and vague nowadays.'
Meanwhile, standing over at the kitchen stove was non-other than the mighty Changing Star... wearing an apron...
'Gods. I hope Sunny never sees me in this.' Nephis thought, already dreading and anticipating his eventual return. That was what Cassie had guaranteed her at least.
She looked down at the slightly dirty apron, wiping her hands on it for a final time before turning off the stove.
'But it's too useful to discard.'
Effie suddenly sat up straight and grinned madly in Nephis's direction, making her shiver a little.
"Princess, you're finally done! Gods, I've been starving all day on these stupid cramped metal boxes!!"
Nephis only gave a small nod and turned around with the steaming pot in hand, walking over to the both of them.
"It's done."
Cooking had become a little side hobby of sorts for Nephis. Cooking up a warm meal with the limited supplies they had and seeing them enjoy her work gave her a sense of satisfaction that wasn't entirely unwelcome...
'If only He was here as well... I put so much precision into this work today.'
Cassie glanced at the open balcony...
Putting the pot of steaming stew on the table, Nephis was about to sit herself down...
...
Until suddenly, Kai came flying through the open balcony, almost stumbling at his rough landing. He had an unusually pale look on his face that made the 3 of them tense up in alertness.
"Kai, is everything okay?" Cassie spoke up when she realized what was going on.
"It's– It's Sunny, Guys! There was a massive disaster in Falcon Scott and... and..." Kai was speaking with an excited yet worried voice... it still sounded enchanting despite everything.
"Calm down, Kai. You look like you're gonna pass out." Effie ridiculed jokingly, a small grin plastered on her face. Yet despite that, she seemed to be quite curious at the mention of Sunny.
"Hey, Kai."
Nephis gestured to the set table, her expression calm as always. "Let's sit down and eat first... then you can collect your thoughts and we'll discuss it."
Kai looked at the steaming stew and was stumped for a moment... Nephis and Cassie seemed quite calm. It seemed they knew a bit as well.
"Ah... yes, you're right, Lady Nephis."
Kai proceeded to join them in dinner, silently organizing his thoughts as Nephis put the stew into everyones bowls.
Everyone proceeded to dig in and have a nice and quiet dinner. The usually chatty Effie was too busy stuffing herself with multiple servings to hold a conversation.
*
The orange glow of the setting sun shined through the curtains, painting a warm and cozy atmosphere in the Ivory Tower.
They all knew that soon, they wouldn't be able to see this heartwarming place for a while... too busy with the evacuation of Antarctica and other issues.
Putting his empty bowl aside, Kai glanced at his friends again and spoke up once more, this time in a calm but disbelieving voice, having organized his thoughts.
"While I was on the Ship earlier, I caught the news on TV. Previously, Sunny and everyone else from Central Antarctica had been cut off from the network, as you all know.
"But now the connection has been restored, and news came out that the local garrison consisting of just a few Masters - led by Sunny - have defeated the Corrupted Titan that had been marching toward Falcon Scott after the Saints left them... Gods..."
Effie, who had leaned back with a satiated expression, suddenly sat up straight, her eyebrows shooting up in shock...
"WHAT!? ANOTHER TITAN!? D-did you just say corrupted rank??"
Effie looked around the table, noticing the nonchalant behavior of Princess and the blindy... "What's with you two!? Cassie, are you deaf as well!? Kai just said Sunny killed a corrupted Titan! A TITAN!"
Said blind seer just tilted her head... "I was aware, Effie. There's no need to freak out."
"No need to freak out!?" Effie wasn't having it.
"Doofus just killed a corrupted Titan! And the shorty is just a Master! Where were the damn Saints, for spells sake!"
Kai slumped forward, nodding his head helplessly.
"Honestly... Sunny always does these impossible things that are always somehow true...
"Gods, what's next, he's got a new Supreme Echo or something..?"
Nephis - who had been curiously observing the conversation - suddenly almost spat out her tea, choking a little instead.
'Pff... ah, it would be so funny to tell them...'
She suppressed the smile that threatened to come out.
'But no, I can't just expose his secrets like that... what a shame.'
After a silent struggle, Nephis spoke up...
"It isn't that we're not shocked. It's just that i and Cassie already knew." She paused, turning to Cassie."Well... I just assumed that you knew already, Cassie."
Said blind beauty meanwhile, put her cup down and nodded a little. She had a faint smile as she explained...
"I've already told you all that Sunny is fine. And... yes, I saw him and the master that was with him somewhere after the rough battle they had... that's what I assume the context was, at least."
Cassie smile dimmed a little as she remembered the strange vision she had recently... she spoke softly, everyone's attention now on her.
"There was a huge devastated battlefield. A large valley surrounded by multiple erupted volcanos that had all been at least partially destroyed or turned unrecognizable. The grounds were covered in a layer of obsidian and ashes...
"Amidst all that, I saw Sunny, his Echos, and Master Jet who had gone with him... they were all fine and rested after their tiring battle."
Of course, there was another part she had intentionally not mentioned. It was the super creepy moment where Sunny had 'felt' Her gaze and turned to stare directly at her for a moment!
'Ugh... when did you become so aware, Sunny...'
She had almost woken up and shit herself from that creepy encounter! Never ever had someone noticed her dream divination until now...
Nephis and the others gave Cassie worried looks but didn't pry further. They all knew to stay curious instead of prying by now.
Kai sighed in relief when Cassie guaranteed his best friend's safety. "That's good then, that their safe, I mean..."
Effie nodded. "So doofus is fine. But I'm still curious..." She glanced at Nephis again. "How did you know, Princess?"
Nephis sighed, speaking up as she silently recalled.
"As you know by now, me and Sunny can share our runes with each other. So when he killed the Titan, I saw the new memory he had gotten..."
Nephis had truly been shocked when she had routinely checked Sunny's runes after waking up and discovered that he had a new transcended memory of the 7th tier!
...and it wasn't one of his own custom-made memories either because the naming sense and descriptions were quite poetic. It was easily distinguishable from Sunny's works.
The other watched as Nephis looked into the air, her finger tapping at seemingly nothing. She was reading her runes.
And then, noticing their curiosity, she softly read her findings out loud...
"Memory name: [Frozen Weepings],
Memory Rank: Transcendent,
Memory Tier: VII,
Memory Type: Armor..."
((Noone but Sunny and some crafters can read memory traits/enchantments))
Effie let out an impressed whistle as she leaned back into her chair.
"So it's a transcendent armor, huh? What a lucky, bastard."
The others seemed equally impressed by the memory... it was quite an invaluable armor that probably had some very promising enchantments.
Kai was starstruck as he tried to imagine how beautiful such an ice encased armor would look, a thoughtful smile on his face as he rubbed his chin.
"...and what does its description say, Lady Nephis?"
Nephis spared them a glance and then read the rest out loud in a soft voice.
"The description says...
[The long battle was lost, the realm devastated. Having survived the cataclysmic destruction of the Gods and the Daemons, the Ice spirit attempted to seek mercy and protection of the Gods but received no answer.
In the end, they could only seek refuge in the Tomb of Ariel... yet it was to no avail. Corruption of the [Unknown] was festering in their soul, leaving them no choice but to rip themselves apart into fragments.
The spawns of the Ice Spirit quickly spread out at the request of their creator, but in the end, all were doomed to succumb to corruption or find their demise in the desert cursed by Shadow.
Far in the future... a vengeful Shadow was vowing that he would right his wrongs in this doomed reality. The treacherous Lost from Light took the impossible task upon himself to Vanquish the Lost fragment of the ice spirit.
He gathered his allies and rallied his people who were fated to die.
Together, they defied their fate, making the impossible possible.
May thy Fate be unraveled into obscurity, Lost from Light.
The Ice wept one last time before finally finding peace... their tears forming this enchanting piece of armor.]"
As the description came to its end, Nephis's voice had quieted down a bit.
The atmosphere had dimmed as they all took in the melancholic story of the Winter Beast– no the Ice spirit.
It must've happened somewhere after the doom war when the Gods mysteriously died and wouldn't respond to the pleas of the Ice spirit...
The second part, meanwhile, described Sunny's struggle and eventual victory against the Titan.
Yet there were many unanswered questions despite the long description...
What exactly is a "Spirit"?
Why did the Gods die?
What was this Tomb of Ariel that was mentioned?
Where is that desert cursed by Shadow?
...and what was the [Unknown] that had led to the corruption and death of the Ice spirit and their spawns?
Effie sighed and shook her head a little.
"Of course, this super memory has a sob story attached to it..."
She grinned a bit, glancing at her friends in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Luckily, i didn't understand half of it."
Kai smiled faintly, shaking his head. "Ignorance truly is bliss, huh?"
Cassie couldn't help but agree with a silent nod.
Nephis, meanwhile, was reading the memory Description a few more times by herself... her eyes lingered on a certain part of it.
"I... think this cursed desert is the one I've been in during my lost years."
They all looked at her now, curious where she found the connection...
Neph continued... "That damned skeleton, Eurys of the Nine, told me that he and everyone participating in the Daemons army had been cursed by Shadow God. Due to the curse, they became immortal, unable to find peace for eternity... as you all know, I've found him in the white desert."
...
Cassie chimed in, giving her own thoughts and theories, but still withholding some things she knew for her own reasons.
In the end, after a lengthy discussion, the cohort decided that they just didn't know enough details yet and that only time would tell...
...
Kai sighed and turned to look out of the balcony, seeing that the orange glow of the sunset had fallen, turning into a mix of dark blue and violett instead... it seemed their relaxing time was coming to an end for today.
"Before we go back to duty..." He turned to look at Cassie with a worried expression. "Cassie, can you tell us if Sunny will really be fine?"
Cassie looked at the table, a small smile on her face as she noticed her friends concers. She spoke up softly...
"There's no need to worry, guys... I've seen Sunny come here again in a vision, looking quite different... although I don't know exactly when he's coming back."
Upon the confirmation that it was the truth, Kai shoulders visibly drooped as he sighed in relief. "Good... that's good. He must've been through a lot over there..."
Bringing her dishes away, Effie suddenly grew a grin that promised nothing good... she looked at Nephis in particular. "'Looking quite different', huh? Ya think he's trying to impress, Princess, Cass?"
Neph immediately shot her a serious look. Effie was just being annoying now... "The Sunny I know would not care about such trivial things as people's validations."
Effie's grin grew wider as she didn't back down... "Oh, come on, Princess, you're making this harder than it should be..." She looked over at Cassie with anticipation.
Noticing their gazes, Cassie looked thoughtful for a moment, tapping the table rhythmically. The opinion of a seer was always worth a lot because their intuition guided them in all things... after a while, she looked up again, smiling mischievously...
"He might be..."
Nephis immediately deadpanned at Cassie's betrayal, her expression exposing nothing. Although, if one looked closely, they would see the tips of her eyes growing red...
'What? W-why would he...'
Then she suddenly shivered, slowly turning to glance at the dreadful aura beside her...
Hearing Cassie's input, the Huntress turned to look at Nephis with an almost predatory grin... she opened her mouth about to unleash the worst teasing ever...
... but then the Saintly figure of Kai suddenly pulled her back, dragging them towards the stairs with a nervous smile. "Ah, look at the time! Sadly we have to go now! Thank you for the meal, lady Nephis!"
Neph and Cassie could only watch, stumped as the 2 left the room...
Sighing a breath of relief, Nephis could only silently thank Kai for his great sacrifice...
**
The sun was shining almost blindly bright at the corner of the sky... yet it never went down fully.
The land was mostly pure white and barren as soft winds howled around every corner.
Standing at the peak of a mountain, a dark figure watched the landscapes of open plains that led to the ocean waters in the far distance...
Out of nowhere, Sunny felt a shiver down his spine...
'... what the spell. I swear someone just talked about me.'
This was just getting too creepy! First gazes, and now this?
Beside him stood Jet with her arms crossed as she gave him a strange look... "You cold, Sunny? I know it's a bit windy up here."
"What? No, of course not." He watched her with indignation, feeling insulted that she'd think this mere mundane breeze could affect him at all! He was a Supr– no, a Master after all!
Jet just chuckled and returned to look at the distant fortress... it wasn't in the best shape. It's 70 meter tall walls having collapsed into a huge crater at the southern part of the Siege capital.
Sunny joined her observations as well. After the unnatural blizzard had disappeared, one could finally see at these distances again.
Not that he couldn't just use his shadow sense instead...
He took in the distant sight from the mountain peak they were currently on after a tedious hunt.
It was – of course – Falcon Scott. Or what remained of it after the evacuation.
One more crowded vessel had just taken off, taking countless people with it towards the safety of Eastern Antarctica...
Sunny could only watch in a disbelieving daze as the fruits of his labor were sowed before him. He still couldn't believe it yet... it felt like a dream.
'I saved them...'
He smiled weakly...
'Feels good...'