The odachi felt natural in Sunny's hand, balanced, responsive, almost alive. When he swung it through the air, the blade sang a clear, low note, leaving faint afterimages in its wake. The weapon was heavy, but not cumbersome; it felt like an extension of himself, as if forged for him alone.
He took another few swings, faster this time. The wind howled around the blade, splitting the stillness of the courtyard. A satisfied grin crept across Sunny's face.
"Are we going to fight or not?" came Howl's impatient voice. Her tone was sharp, but there was amusement hidden beneath it. She had been standing off to the side, arms folded, eyes gleaming with excitement. Watching him swing his sword for minutes on end had clearly tested her patience.
"Yeah, I am." Sunny's smile turned crooked as he turned to face her.
In the next heartbeat, they both moved.
Their feet tore into the earth, bodies blurring as they closed the fifty-meter gap in a second. The air rippled under the force of their speed, and the ground beneath them cracked and splintered. They met in the middle, steel crashed against steel, and a shockwave burst outward, sending dust flying.
Howl's stance was firm, controlled. She was holding back, Sunny could tell. Though she limited her strength and speed to that of a Sleeper, her precision and combat instincts were as sharp as ever. Every movement, every pivot, was deliberate and honed by countless battles.
Sunny, however, wasn't thinking about that. His focus was total, his breathing steady, his hands sure. Every deflection, every counter, came from pure instinct. He moved with surprising fluidity, a rhythm born from desperation and relentless training.
When Howl brought her sword down in a clean vertical slash, Sunny met it head-on, sparks bursting where their blades collided. He parried, then swept upward, his blade aimed for her ribs.
Then... something inside him stirred.
A cold instinct flared in his mind like a whisper of shadow.
Without thinking, Sunny's shadow rippled beneath him, then flowed upward, wrapping around his body like a living veil. Power flooded his limbs, his movements grew faster, lighter, more precise.
He struck.
Howl crossed her blade just in time to block, but the impact drove her a half-step back. She grunted as the force trembled through her arms, and the ground beneath them fractured further, dust erupting between their feet.
They broke apart, both panting. A grin tugged at Howl's lips. "You've been holding out on me, little brother."
Sunny exhaled, lowering his sword slightly. "Didn't know I could produce that much strength."
"What the heck was that?!" Rain shouted from the edge of the training grounds, her small hands cupped around her mouth.
Sunny glanced over his shoulder. "I don't know... it's like my body doubled in both speed and strength." He looked down at his hands, dismissing the Crymych. His palms were trembling slightly, not from exhaustion, but from excitement.
"Look at the ground," Hel said suddenly. Her tone was sharp, cautious. "His shadow... it's gone."
Everyone turned. Where Sunny's shadow should have been, there was only sunlight and dust.
"Wha—" Bin began, but then stopped as the shadow slithered back across the ground, sliding into place behind Sunny like a living creature returning to its master.
Sunny blinked, then smirked. "Still think it's useless?" His teasing tone earned an unamused grunt from Bin.
Moonvail, however, was watching carefully. "It is quite mysterious... this shadow," she murmured. "When you were fighting with Howl, I was watching closely. Your shadow... it wasn't just mimicking you. It was moving slightly differently, as though performing its own battle art."
Everyone turned to her in shock.
"So, you're saying Sunny's Aspect comes with its own battle art?!" Silent exclaimed, her voice echoing across the courtyard.
Moonvail shrugged, her expression thoughtful. "It's only a theory. But I'd advise you, Sunny, to study it. A power like that could be far more than it seems."
Sunny nodded, his expression serious now. He looked down at his shadow, still and silent, but couldn't shake the faint pulse of awareness he felt from it.
⸻
Hours passed. The sun dipped low, painting the Song mansion in warm shades of gold and crimson. Sunny remained at the training grounds long after his sisters had left. The faint sound of their laughter faded into the distance as he practiced alone, the steady rhythm of his breathing filling the air.
Each swing of the odachi felt cleaner, more refined. Each breath steadier. His shadow followed silently, matching him... or perhaps leading him.
By the time he finally walked back inside, night had fallen. The grand dining hall was filled with warmth and chatter. His sisters were already seated at the long table, Revel among them... eating and laughing together.
"So was no one going to come get me for dinner?" Sunny asked, raising an eyebrow as he stepped into the room.
Hel glanced over and smirked. "Oh yeah, you exist! Sorry, we forgot about you."
Sunny's eye twitched. 'Yeah right... you just wanted sister time.' He sighed and sat down between Rain and Bin, picking up a plate.
The food was warm and fragrant, roasted meat, vegetables, rice , and he ate quickly, half-listening to the conversation around him. The familiar comfort of it almost made him forget how different he'd become since waking.
Then, casually, Sunny said, "Oh yeah. I forgot to mention... I got a True Name in my Nightmare."
The table fell silent.
Every head snapped toward him in unison. Even Revel froze mid-bite.
"You're not serious, right?" Rain whispered.
"I am," Sunny said around a mouthful of food, as if he hadn't just dropped a bomb on them.
"Then what is it?" Hel demanded.
Sunny hesitated, remembering his Flaw, Clear Conscience. He couldn't lie, even if he wanted to. "It's Lost from Light."
The words hung in the air like a sacred chant.
"Lost... from Light," Revel repeated softly, her brows furrowing as she thought.
At that exact moment, Sunny felt something, a faint tug deep in his mind, like a string being pulled. It was subtle, but unmistakable. He pushed it away instinctively, testing the resistance. The pull vanished.
'So that's how it works,' he thought. 'I can stop anyone from binding me by will alone.' The realization filled him with quiet satisfaction.
When he looked up again, his sisters were still staring at him, some in awe, others in disbelief.
Eventually, the tension faded. The conversation slowly returned, quieter than before. Sunny felt a twinge of guilt for stealing the lively mood, but Bin rescued him with a timely question.
"So, what are you going to do until the Winter Solstice?"
Sunny blinked, then nearly choked on his food. He swallowed quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well... I was thinking about going to the Awakened Academy until then. After that, I'll come home, say goodbye, and head to the Dream World."
Revel nodded. "I thought you might."
"You all went after becoming Sleepers," Sunny continued. "I want to see what it's like too."
"That makes sense," Howl said, leaning back in her chair with a stretch.
"Then do you want to go tomorrow?" Moonveil asked.
"Yes," Sunny said immediately.
"Then it's decided," Silent said firmly. "But you must return before the Solstice."
Sunny nodded, but before he could speak, Revel smirked and slid a small glass vial across the table. Inside, thick red liquid shimmered faintly under the light.
"Mother told me to give you this, Lost from Light." She winked at him while saying in a playful tone.
Sunny gave her a suspicious look before picking it up. "What is it?"
"Mother's blood," Revel said calmly. "It carries the lineage of the Beast God."
Sunny blinked, then looked at the vial again. "Do I... drink it?"
Revel nodded once.
Sunny shrugged, all his sisters had done the exact same thing as he was doing today so he popped the cork, and downed it.
The taste was metallic, sharp and bitter. For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then agony erupted through his body.
He dropped the vial, collapsing to the floor as pain tore through his veins like molten fire. His vision blurred. His skin burned. He clawed at his neck, gasping for air.
"What happened?!" Howl shouted.
"I don't know! This never happened to any of us!" Revel yelled back.
"Is he still breathing?" Silent demanded.
"He's... barely!" Rain cried, kneeling beside him.
"Revel! Knock him out!"
Without hesitation, Revel struck the side of Sunny's neck with her palm. His eyes rolled back, and he fell limp.
"Moonveil, tell Mother!"
Moonveil nodded sharply, pulling on her tether, vanishing in a flash of pale light.
⸻
When Sunny opened his eyes, sunlight was pouring through the window, warm against his skin.
He blinked, sitting up slowly. "How did I end up in my bed...?" he muttered, rubbing his eyes. Memories came back in fragments... the vial, the fire, the pain. His hand instinctively went to his throat.
"That was... some of the worst pain I've ever felt," he whispered.
A knock sounded on the door.
"Come in," Sunny said, his voice hoarse.
Revel stepped inside, her usual composure slightly softened by concern. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine," Sunny said, stretching his arms. "Better than expected."
"That's good," Revel said with a faint smile. "Your body... rejected the lineage. It dispelled the blood of the Beast God. Mother was surprised by that, and by your True Name. She said to let you do whatever you wish."
Sunny sighed. "Unsurprising."
"Don't take it personally," Revel said gently. "You know how she is."
Sunny walked over to the window, gazing out over the vast garden. The servants were already tending to the morning dew on the flowers. Everything was peaceful, almost too peaceful.
"So," he said finally, glancing back at Revel. "If Mother doesn't care what I do... that means I'm free to go to the Academy?"
Revel nodded. "She gave her silent approval."
A slow smile spread across Sunny's face. "Then what are we waiting for?"
⸻
Later, in the Academy's reception hall, a nervous Master sat across from him, fidgeting. She couldn't meet his gaze.
Even though he was just a Sleeper, Sunny's presence was terrifying. After all, he was the only son of Ki Song. One of the most powerful Awakened alive.
Everyone, in both the government, great clans, and lower clans knew Song and the only prince of Song as sitting in front of her.
Sunny leaned back in his chair, unimpressed. 'This is a Master? I guess I was spoiled spending time around my sisters...'
With a sigh, he stood and walked to the door. "This conversation's over. You don't need to know anything else about my Aspect, do you?"
"N-no, sir!" she squeaked.
Sunny left without another word, hands in his pockets as he strolled down the quiet halls.
'The Academy's smaller than I expected.'
He found his assigned room and opened the door. It was tiny, barely the size of his closet back home. He didn't care.
After a quick shower, he flopped onto the bed. Sunny lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. The moonlight cast faint patterns across the walls, and his shadow shifted slightly, as if breathing with him.
He thought about his sisters, their laughter, their power, their faith in him... and about his mother, the distant figure who had never quite been his. He thought about his True Name, the blood he couldn't accept, and the strange, divine power resting quietly inside him.
'Lost from Light.'
He smiled faintly. "I guess that name suits me, doesn't it?" He mumbled.
His eyelids grew heavy. The last thing he saw before drifting off was his shadow, stretching across the room, almost protectively.
Tomorrow, a new chapter would begin.