It was cold—too cold.
Sunny summoned the Puppeteer's Shroud, hoping it would dull the icy bite crawling under his skin. The cuts and bruises only made it worse. Blood still trickled from the wounds on his face, refusing to close even after all this time.
He looked up to see how much farther he had to clime, and a faint smile curved his lips.
A temple.
It stood at the mountain's peak: a black temple, towering against the night sky. Bones littered the ground around it, piled on either side of the grand structure like offerings to a long-forgotten god.
Sunny blinked, then began his ascent up the temple's steps. He stumbled once, barely catching himself.
'Thank the dead gods my sisters didn't see that.'
Ki Song had made sure he and his sisters were well-educated, even in the things most would rather forget, the dead gods and the demons that followed them.
As Sunny climbed, a shapeless guardian emerged from the darkness. Its presence sent a ripple through the air, heavy with death and divinity. It approached, ready to snuff out the spark of life that dared trespass... but then it hesitated.
A faint, familiar scent lingered in Sunny's soul, the scent of divinity.
Sorrowful and lonesome, the guardian drifted aside, allowing him to pass. A chill ran down Sunny's spine. He looked around but saw nothing. So, he kept walking.
When he finally reached the top, he let out a long breath. The temple was carved of dark marble, its walls etched with intricate engravings. Inside stretched a shadow-filled space of colossal pillars and a grand hall that seemed twice as vast as the temple's outer frame.
Sunny trailed a hand along one wall, smearing it with the blood that still coated his fingers... Auro's blood. He didn't think much of it.
Sigh... I thought this would be the end of the nightmare. Guess not. Maybe the end's on the other side of the mountain.
He wandered through the vast temple, awed despite himself. Cascades of moonlight spilled through holes in the partially collapsed roof, pooling in silver circles across the icy floor. Shadows lingered at the edges, afraid to touch the light.
Descending a flight of stairs, Sunny found himself in an underground replica of the main hall, same black marble pillars, same oppressive silence. The only difference was the massive magical circle on one wall, absorbing every trace of shadow that dared near it.
He stared for a moment, then shook his head.
'Nope. Not touching that.'
Heading back up, something caught his attention, a pull, faint but irresistible, guiding him toward the far end of the hall.
There stood an altar, carved from a single slab of black marble. It was untouched by snow, pristine amidst decay. Sunny approached slowly, staring at it before placing his bloodied hand on its surface.
Nothing happened.
He sighed. 'So it was nothing—'
A single drop of blood fell from his face... his blood and struck the altar.
The Spell roared to life.
[You have offered yourself as a sacrifice to the gods.]
[The gods are dead, and cannot hear you.]
[Your soul bears the mark of divinity.]
[You are a temple slave.]
[Shadow God stirs in his eternal slumber.]
[He sends a blessing from beyond the grave.]
[Child of Shadows, receive your blessing!]
The temple trembled. Then—
[Wake up, Sunless! Your nightmare is over.]
[Prepare for appraisal...]
Sunny found himself suspended in an endless black void, illuminated by a sea of stars. Between them stretched countless strings of silver light, weaving into an intricate, celestial web... beautiful and unfathomably complex.
Somehow, he understood. This was the inner workings of the Nightmare Spell.
It almost looked... alive.
'So this is what my sisters were talking about when they described the end of their nightmares.'
Then the Spell's voice filled the void again.
[Aspirant! Your trial is over.]
[A Temple Slave was enslaved; it broke its chains and slaughtered its captors. It ascended the black mountain, entered the runed temple of a forgotten god, and spilled its blood upon the altar. The gods were dead... and yet, they listened.]
[You have defeated a dormant beast: Mountain King's Larva.]
[You have defeated 153 dormant humans.]
[You have defeated an Awakened human: Auro of the Nine.]
[You have defeated an Awakened tyrant: Mountain King.]
[You have received the Shadow God's blessing.]
[Final appraisal: Glorious. Your treachery truly knows no bounds.]
Sunny smiled faintly. 'Guess I won this bet, Howl.'
He could almost hear his sister's groan. Their bet had been simple: if he earned a higher appraisal than her, she'd owe him fifty Awakened Shards. If she won, he'd cook her meals for a week. And for some reason, the only son of Ki Song could cook better than both his sisters and their professional chef.
Just thinking about cooking for Howl sent a shiver down his spine.
Then, the Spell thundered again.
[Dreamer Sunless, receive your boon!]
He grinned.
[You have been bestowed a True Name: Lost from Light.]
Sunny froze. His grin widened. A True Name... as a Sleeper?
Not even Ki Song herself had ever achieved that.
Then came the next wave—
[Your Aspect is ready to evolve. Evolve Aspect?]
"Of course—yes!"
[Dormant Aspect: Temple Slave — evolving...]
[New Aspect acquired.]
[Aspect Rank: Divine.]
Sunny blinked. Then fell over.
[Aspect Name: Shadow Unchained]
He stared blankly. Divine...? Not even Mother's ever... no one's ever...
He summoned his runes just to be sure.
Aspect: [Shadow Unchained]
Aspect Rank: Divine
Description: [You are a miraculous shadow left behind by a dead god. As a divine shadow, you possess strange and wondrous powers. The god that cast you saw your worth and granted you boons beyond mortal reach. You are a shadow that killed all who sought to bind it, and you need no master.]
Innate Ability: [Shadow Chain]
Description: [You are free, yet bound by choice. Should one speak your True Name aloud, you will be chained to their will—until you decide otherwise.]
Sunny's expression twisted. 'That's not a gift... it's a leash! But... I can refuse? Even cancel it?' He smirked. 'Then it's fine.'
The Spell continued.
[The First Seal is broken.]
[Awakening dormant powers.]
[Aspect Ability acquired: Shadow Control.]
'Shadow Control...?' Sunny muttered, scratching his head.
He summoned his runes again, then froze.
⸻
Name: Sunless
True Name: Lost from Light
Rank: Dreamer
Shadow Core: Dormant
Shadow Fragments: [166/1000]
Memories: Silver Bell, Puppeteer's Shroud
Attributes: Fated, Mark of Divinity, Child of Shadows, Unchained
Aspect: Shadow Slave
Aspect Rank: Divine
Aspect Ability: Shadow Control – [Your shadow is more independent than most. It is an invaluable helper.]
⸻
Sunny blinked, stupefied. 'A new attribute? And what kind of description is that?'
Before he could think further, the Spell struck again.
[You have received a Flaw.]
Sunny's stomach dropped. 'If this flaw cripples me, I swear—'
Flaw: [Clear Conscience]
Description: [You cannot lie.]
Sunny froze. His eye twitched.
'...Fuck.'
'Out of every possible flaw...that one?!'
Then, one final time, the Spell spoke.
[Wake up, Lost from Light.]