Shadow Slave

Sunny looked around, noting the spools of razor-sharp wire and steel spikes. Remembering the grotesque scenes hiding in the stunning radiance of the Lighthouse island, he felt a chill running down his spine and asked in a neutral tone:

”So that is how you spent these decades? Escaping the immortals and building traps to keep them away from your hideout?”

Nightwalker regarded him silently for a long while, then smiled.

”I don’t remember.”

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

”You... don’t remember?”

Nightwalker chuckled.

”Well, I remember this and that. In the beginning, I was an Ascended... life was hard. Those abominations were simply too overwhelming, so I died a lot. Sometimes, I managed to escape. Most times, I did not. And eventually, I went mad — I don’t recall what happened after that clearly.”

Relaxing in his chair, he shrugged.

”But I regained my senses after a while. And then, I lost my mind again — and then, I found it again. Time lost all meaning. I would not have known that I have been here for decades instead of centuries or thousands of years if you had not told me.”

His expression grew distant and detached.

”At some point, I found a Seed of Nightmare. There’s a few here, in the Eternal City, but I could only get close to one. I challenged it and died. The city brought me back to life, so I challenged it again. Eventually, I conquered it and became a Transcendent. Things did not get easy after that, but they did become easier. At least I could fight the immortals, finally.”

Nightwalker smiled, and something dark and perilous glearned in his eyes.

”’So that was what I’ve been doing for the last... ten years, I guess? Fighting Great Nightmare Creatures all day, every day. To kill time.”

It was at this point that Sunny realized two chilling facts.

The first fact... was that the amicable youth in front of him was not just a legendary figure from the early years of the Nightmare Spell — an outstanding, but antiquated person whose achievements had been swallowed by the passage of time. No, Nightwalker was something else.

He was the most dangerous Saint in the world, by far.

’Ten years, he says...’

If Nightwalker had been battling Great Nightmare Creatures tirelessly for a decade - as a mere Transcendent, no less then he had accumulated more combat experience than every other Saint combined. These ten years were a harrowing crucible capable of forging a blade so terrifying that no other weapon could ever withstand its sharp edge.

Nightwalker had already been one of the most accomplished warriors of the most ill- fated generation in history before returning to the Eternal City and Transcending. Now, he would be a monster.

And the second fact...

Was that Nightwalker was either the most crazy Awakened in the world... or the most sane one.

Sunny was not sure which statement was true.

The young man seemed composed enough, which could mean that he was either completely unhinged and hiding it well, or had somehow managed to preserve his sanity despite experiencing long years of complete isolation and a myriad of gruesome deaths without allowing his mind to shatter completely.

In any case...

’I want to recruit him.’

Sunny’s eyes glistened.

He had come to the Eternal City to find treasure... and he felt like he had just found it.

The perfectly preserved arsenal of powerful enchanted weapons was a good discovery, but this one man was worth far more. In a world falling into the hungry maw of apocalypse, an exceptional champion like that was a priceless commodity.

Nightwalker shifted uncomfortably under his gaze and coughed.

”That, uh... if you keep looking at me like that, you’ll make me blush.” Sunny smiled slowly.

”All day, every day, you say? Must have been fun.”

Nightwalker gave him a surprised look.

”Well... I wouldn’t call it fun, personally. But actually, it wasn’t too bad.”

He smiled.

”As Bloodwave mentioned, I am not very fond of people. Why would I spend most of my life wandering the sea otherwise? So, on one hand, spending all these years in a city populated only by Nightmare Creatures was a bit of a chore. But, on the other hand... I enjoyed the peace and quiet.”

Sunny could not help but let out a scoff.

”This guy... I like him.”

At that moment, Nightwalker turned his smile to Jet and winked.

”Of course, there’s an exception to every rule. I am actually fond of some instances of

human companionship quite a lot.”

’I should probably kill that guy.”

Ah, damnation! Nightwalker was immortal here, in the Eternal City.

Leaning forward a little, Sunny asked in a pleasant tone: ”Saint Nightwalker... how would

you like to get out of the Eternal City and return to the surface world?”

Nightwalker looked at him in confusion.

”Saint? That’s a bit weird. Believe me, I am no saint.”

Sunny blinked a couple of times.

’Oh, right.”

Nightwalker was probably old enough to be his grandfather.

”That’s what we call Transcendents. Akin to Masters.”

Nightwalker tilted his head a little.

”Saints? Huh. Well... I guess it has a ring to it. Yeah. I like it.”

Smiling, he inhaled deeply and looked into the distance.

”Of course, I would love nothing more than to leave this cursed place. But it’s not that easy.”

Sunny shook his head.

”Actually, it is. I can send you back right now.”

All he had to do was ask Nephis to open a Dream Gate in front of the Lighthouse. That would involve quite a bit of risk, of course, but it was possible. Nightwalker shook his head.

”No, you don’t understand. I simply can’t leave. Once you die in the Eternal City, you become its prisoner - for as long as it exists. And it is, you know... eternal.”

He chuckled quietly.

”Why do you think Repose created this place? Did you think that she wanted to create a peaceful paradise for virtuous creatures to enjoy for all eternity?”

He shook his head with a twisted smile.

”No. The Demon of Repose... she was a complete psychopath, that one. What she wanted to create was a place to gather all the creatures that she hated the worst of the worst—so that they would never be able to escape from her.” Nightwalker laughed.

”The Eternal City is a prison.”