Inside the lowest and most secure level of the Awakened Academy. Cassie stepped out of a heavily protected room as a metallic door closed behind her with a loud click.
She stood still for a while, shadows covering her beautiful face, a bouquet of flowers in one hand and other was clutching the hilt of Quiet Dancer tightly
With a sigh, she relaxed her grip on the rapier and composed herself into the calm and confident mask she always wore.
Her footsteps echoed through the narrow corridor as she walked towards another room.
Its door was slightly open, meaning that somebody was already in there, however she didn't stop and pushed the heavy door.
She was immediately met with a question.
"Who are you?"
Cassie smiled slightly.
"Master Jet, it's an honor to meet you."
There was silence for a moment before Jet finally spoke again.
"Ah, Lady Witnesser of Unwalked Path, the honor is all mine."
Cassie cringed inwardly at the mouthful of her true name, but she didn't show it on her face.
"Please, just call me Cassie."
She walked towards one of the few objects in the room, a sleeping pod and put the bouquet of flowers next to it, like she has been doing every time she came here for the past few months.
She stepped back and stood next to the Government Ascended in the room.
They didn't exchange a word, both were facing the sleeping pod and the short black-haired figure sleeping in it.
After a few seconds or even minutes, Jet broke the silence with a question.
"I'm surprised you know me, I didn't think I was that famous."
Cassie turned towards Jet's voice and answered with a polite smile.
"You have personally managed some of the Fire Keepers after their return from the Forgotten Shore...And also Sunny mentioned you in passing to me."
The Fire Keepers were a loose organization formed from around 40 survivors of the Forgotten Shore. They weren't loyal to any legacy clan or even the government
Instead they pledged their loyalty to Changing Star of the Immortal Flame and waited for her return.
But as of now, Cassie was considered their unofficial leader.
Jet was silent for a moment then chuckled lightly.
"Really? I'm quite curious about what he said."
Cassie could hear the teasing tone in Jet's voice, but she didn't question it. She had more pressing matters.
"Master Jet, may I have a talk with you about something?"
Cassie could almost feel the surprise coming from the Master, she could also feel the glance at Quiet Dancer.
Tense silence filled the room for a couple of seconds, before Jet finally responded.
"Sure, I also have some questions."
Cassie nodded and walked side by side next to the Government Master.
"How is the Chained Isles? I heard that place is a real hell."
Cassie pressed her lips into a thin line, before saying with a sigh.
"It's okay...we have managed worse."
"I see."
Before things could get even more awkward, Cassie tried to say something. But Jet beat her to it.
"I heard that you have spent the longest time with Changing Star and Sunless and were their closest companion."
Cassie slowly nodded in confirmation, wondering why she would bring up such a common knowledge about her.
"I am sure you have heard about the many exaggerated theories and speculations of what happened in that...what was it called? The red Spire? But anyway I am curious about what you think."
Cassie's steps halted for a moment before resuming again, a small frown covering her face
"Since you seem to have been paying close attention to the matter, you must have already heard my answer before Master Jet. Nobody knows what happened in that Spire. After we stepped through the gate, all we know is that Sunless went to help Nephis to face the Terror."
Cassie repeated the same thing she has been saying to the media like a broken recording machine, however she was sure the ascended next to her wasn't exactly convinced.
"Well, do you want to know what I think?"
Jet didn't give her time to answer before continuing.
"I may have known the kid for a short time, but we both were raised in the outskirts, we don't survive there by kindness or selflessness."
"What are you trying to say, Master Jet?"
Jet shrugged.
"I just find it hard to believe that the same cynical kid I met would put his life in danger to save others especially with salvation so close...at least not willingly."
Cassie narrowed her eyes, her mask cracking a bit.
"People can change a lot in one year, Master Jet, especially in the Dream realm"
Jet stopped walking and stared intensely at her.
"Then tell me, Cassie since you were one of his closest friends, do you truly think he would put his life in danger for others?"
Cassie didn't cower in front of the gaze of the fearsome Master, she took a deep breath to calm herself down and faced the taller woman confidently.
"Yes, and I don't just think he would, I know he would...otherwise I wouldn't be standing in front of you right now."
A bitter feeling filled her chest as she recalled that horrifying experience, she remembered how she was losing conscious and all hope when she felt something wrapping around her torso and pulling her away, back then in her half conscious state, she tried to resist thinking the dweller of the depth wrapped itself around her again. But Sunny didn't let her go and pulled her out of the water.
And how had she repaid him?
It seems like Jet was momentarily stunned by her answer. Then out of nowhere, she started chuckling.
Cassie was brought back to the present by Master Jet's laughter, she was extremely bewildered by her reaction and tried to find anything funny in what she said.
After a while, Jet managed to calm herself down.
"Maybe you are right, the Dream realm can change people into something their past self won't recognize anymore...I know that better than anyone else after all."
She said it with a shake of her head as she resumed walking. Cassie followed closely behind.
"I got the answers I wanted. Now, tell me what you wanted to talk about."
Cassie hesitated for a moment before sighing.
"I would like to ask for...a way to contact you."
Jet raised an eyebrow at the unexpected request.
"Me? You already know I am a Government worker, if you wanted to contact me you could always go through the government."
Cassie shook her head. "No, this is something I want to keep between us, it's something concerning Sunny."
Jet's steps slowed for a second, a confused expression on her face
"I'm sorry, Cassie. But I have only known that kid for a few hours, I'm not really interested in getting involved in his life."
Cassie wasn't deterred by the clear rejection and replied calmly.
"Master Jet, I think you have already shown more concern for him than you would like to admit...and I can't force you to do anything, you can always refuse if you want."
Jet stayed silent, though Cassie's sharp ears caught something about how hard and rare it was to meet another outskirt rat in the world of Awakened under the Master's breath.
Once they reached the elevator, she turned to face her.
"Alright, give me your communicator, I will give you my personal number. But don't expect me to always answer, I am a very busy person."
Cassie smiled and handed the Master her communicator as the elevator's door opened and they stepped inside.
*****
Ten minutes later, Cassie bid farewell to Master Jet.
She was now standing in front of the gate of the Academy, her connected senses to Quiet Dancer allowed her to feel the thousands of objects covering the area.
According to what she heard, these were burning candles meant as an altar for Nephis and Sunny.
After the survivors of the Forgotten Shore returned, their tales spread like wild fire, and the most prominent figure in their stories was always Changing Star, the last daughter of the Immortal Flame.
Stories about her virtues and deeds caught the public's attention immediately like feeding the starved population outside of the bright castle without asking for something in return, and toppling the tyrant ruling the Sleepers of the Forgotten Shore, and finally gathering all the remaining Sleepers in the Forgotten Shore for one last attempt at returning to the waking world and staying back to fight a Fallen Terror so the rest of the Sleepers can escape.
The propaganda machines of the Government were put immediately to work. Portraying the last princess of the ruined clan as a symbol of human spirit and sacrifice.
However, another figure was also rapidly gaining attention.
Sleeper Sunless.
Due to multiple factors including having no background, mostly keeping to himself and being outshined by Nephis, he didn't gain fame overnight.
But as the Forgotten Shore got more attention and coverage, some tales about him started surfacing.
From the Sleeper that led the army to the gate through a collapsing spire, to a member of Changing Star's personal cohort, to the crazy Sleeper who lived among and hunted Fallen creatures, and finally to being Changing Star's first and closest companion.
Some even say they were more than friends.
Hell, Cassie once heard from Effie there was a rumor about a love triangle between her, Nephis and Sunny.
That was an image Cassie would rather forget.
Anyway, it didn't take long before Sunny's background became known to everyone. However, that only fanned the flame of his popularity.
From an untrained and uneducated orphan living in the outskirts to, as many of the general population decided, the second strongest Sleeper.
It felt like something straight out of a webtoon!
Safe to say, Sunny became extremely popular, especially among the residents of the outskirts.
The Government of course didn't let this once in a lifetime opportunity pass.
From Posters, to interviews with some of the Forgotten Shore survivors who talked about Nephis and Sunless "heroic acts", to even the possibility of a movie about the Forgotten Shore.
Cassie rubbed her face tiredly when she remembered the amount of journalists she had to deal with since her return to the waking world.
That's why she needed to leave quickly before someone recognized her and caused a scene.
She glanced one last time in the direction of the candles.
Nobody knows who started it, but everyone now believes in the same thing.
For as along as the flame burns, and for as long as the shadows are cast. Both lost Sleepers will return.
Cassie lingered in front of the gate for a moment before turning away with a shake of her head.
If Nephis was here, she would probably act indifferently towards such gesture...as for Sunny?
He would definitely hate it.
*****
In an entirely different realm, Sunny tried to stifle a sneeze.
'There is no way I am getting sick now...no, it's probably because of the ash.'
It has been a few days since they left the Dark city. And without even agreeing on it beforehand, Sunny and Nephis were retracting the steps of the journey they made before to reach the Dark city.
However, this time, they were heading east. And instead of a blind seer, it was Saint who was accompanying them.
He glanced around. This area was slightly elevated, offering a better view of the surroundings.
"Let's stop here for the night."
Next to him, Nephis tried to examine the area using her limited vision and removed the Curtain of Mysteries that was wrapped around the Starlight Legion Armor like an oversized cloak that dragged behind her.
In the front, Saint walked to the highest point and started watching the area for any hidden threats.
Sunny watched them both silently. Saint didn't need any sleep, so she could always act as their guard all night without the need for Sunny and Nephis to take watch and waste hours.
As for Nephis, she was using the Curtain to make a tent using some wooden poles, stakes and a rope, all were stashed in her storage memory.
After the Crimson Labyrinth turned into a gray sand-like ash, they could travel much faster now without the need to take twists and turns to navigate the maze made of crimson corals.
However, without the labyrinth acting as a cover for them, they were essentially exposed to basically every Nightmare creature. This would prove to be even more dangerous as they got further and further from the Spire and meet more creatures.
Especially the flying ones since they have no cover now.
Thankfully the same creatures were the ones who were the most exposed to the Nameless Sun's attack.
Sunny wouldn't be surprised if they all actually died.
Anyway, Sunny didn't have to worry too much about being seen by Awakened creatures and most Fallen ones with enough distance. He was a child of shadows in a land ruled by shadows after all.
He was practically invisible, hence why using a tent was useless and a waste of time even with the concealing effect Curtain of Mysteries.
...The same couldn't be said about Nephis unfortunately.
Also, there were occasionally pretty strong rainy storms and harsh winds that carried gray sand which was extremely hard to clean off and interrupted his sleeping more times than he would have liked.
He took a deep breath to clear his mind and sat on the ground, legs crossed while Nephis was setting up the tent.
He had realized that he wouldn't catch up with Nephis' cores and fragments progress anytime soon. As for Saint, her fragment count just barely passed 100 after months of hunting.
Of course, this didn't mean he gave up on Saint or trying to get as many fragments as he could, but he was forced to find other ways to grow stronger.
However, This only left one way for him to catch up with her.
His Aspect Legacy.
Sunny believed that to unlock the next step he would have to strengthen Shadow Dance by absorbing more styles.
Unfortunately, there were only two people with a fighting style in the Forgotten Shore, and he had already absorbed their fighting styles.
Even if he hadn't, he had the feeling two wouldn't be nearly enough at all to unlock the next step.
So, with no other alternative, he had the brilliant idea of shadowing Nightmare creatures.
In theory, it should have been simple. Nightmare creatures didn't use complex battle styles, often just guided by their instincts and desire to kill.
But in reality as usual, things were way more complicated.
Shadow Dance wasn't simply about copying your enemies' movement, it was also about diving in your enemies' mind to understand them deeply and predict their actions.
And Nightmare creatures' mind was far more complex and alien to him than anything he tried to shadow. Sunny felt like he was trying to understand the most sophisticated and complex battle art which was way out of his league.
He would have lost a limb to a Carapace Scavenger he tried to shadow on the way here if Saint hadn't been there to interfere.
He took another deep breath to clear his mind as Gloomy and Happy wrapped around the tattoo of a Serpent on his chest, augmenting it.
Another thing he was working on was the Soul Serpent, specifically its attribute [Shadow Guide].
[Shadow Guide] Attribute Description: "Soul Serpent guides shadow essence as it flows through your body."
Even though Sunny believed this attribute was meant to only help Awakened who could already use essence, he couldn't shake the feeling that he could still put it to use as a Sleeper.
He focused deeply on his soul and tried to grasp the peculiar and vaguely familiar feeling deep in his soul every time he used Serpent.
After what felt like ages, Gloomy and Happy detached themselves from Serpent and went to different directions to scout.
Sunny stood up from the ground and tried to wipe the ash out of Puppeteer's Shroud with a slight frown.
Whenever he tried using Shadow Guide, Sunny felt like he was digging a hole using only a broken spoon. However there was still some kind of progress, and Gods know how much he needed that when everything he tried to do was met with failure or an obstacle.
He glanced at Nephis who was almost done setting up the tent before turning his attention to the east.
He was lost in his thoughts when Nephis' voice brought him back to reality.
"Can you see it?"
Sunny blinked in confusion before realizing what she meant.
"Yes, the Crater is only a day or two away from us."
Nephis turned to face the same direction, as if she could see through the darkness.
"Then we circle around it and head southeast."
Sunny nodded then said with a smile.
"Do you think that tree is still standing?"
Nephis contemplated for a few seconds.
"Maybe."
Truthfully, Sunny hoped the soul devouring tree survived. Otherwise, how would he fulfill his promise of burning it down one day?
Eventually, they both headed to the tent and left Saint, Gloomy and Happy to act as guards.
The tent made from the Curtain wasn't quite large enough for the two of them, so they had to sleep quite close to each other.
This wasn't new to them anyway. They had to sleep basically pressed to each other along with Cassie during the stormy days when they were crossing the Crimson labyrinth.
It still felt a bit awkward.
Sunny lay on the ground and closed his eyes, trying to use the same meditation he used when training with Serpent to clear his mind.
He would have never expected that his attempts to use essence would somehow allow him to solve his sleeping problems. His mind and body felt more relaxed and energetic now that he could get some actual sleep.
However, his mind kept wandering off.
From now on they were going to traverse an uncharted area of the Forgotten Shore and face new and definitely very powerful abominations.
He wondered what kind of Nightmare creatures he was going to face, or how long before they left the Forgotten Shore and what exist east to it.
"May I ask you a question?"
Seems like he wasn't the only one having trouble sleeping.
He shifted slightly towards Nephis.
"Sure."
"Why did you look happy when I said the tree might be alive?"
He was slightly surprised she managed to read his expression with her limited vision but answered anyway.
"Well, I promised it I will come back one day to kill it...I would have been quite sad if it died before that."
Nephis was silent for a moment, as if trying to process what she just heard.
"You want to come back to this place one day...just so you can burn that tree?"
He smiled at her puzzlement and said cheerfully.
"Of course, I do...don't you want to burn that vile thing down too?"
"I want to. But I never thought of coming back here just to kill it."
He shook his head in disappointment.
"You just don't have enough spite in your heart."
"...I am sure you can carry enough for the two of us."
Sunny simply huffed in amusement and turned to stare at the starless sky through the inner transparent side of the tent.
His mind drifted back to his previous thoughts.
However, was there any reason to worry?
Hadn't his life in the Dream realm always been like that?
Hadn't he experienced most of the horrors of the Forgotten Shore?
From the Crimson labyrinth to the Dark city to the Spire. Hasn't he always been thrown into unknown areas with abominations that could crush him with ease?
He wasn't even sure if the Forgotten Shore had anything left to surprise him.
His mind finally drifted to a dreamless sleep.