Shadow Slave

Cassie managed to free herself of the vivid memory, dazed by the alien strangeness of the world contained within it.

‘Mictlan... Ketzelkan... the Eel, the Eagle...’ Was it Godgrave?

Yes, she had witnessed the past of Godgrave — of the Sun Realm. The first of the Divine Realms to be infected by the Nightmare Spell, and the first one to be consumed by the Dream Realm as well.

Mictlan was what the civilization that had been born there in the wake of the Doom War called the Hollows. The Sun Temple was the Vanishing Lake Citadel, which Nephis had mostly destroyed during her battle against Moonveil. The Doom was what they had called the Nightmare... Ketzelkan was a Supreme who, like Nephis, had inherited the lineage of Sun God. Who had possessed the Fire.

He was also most likely the Cursed Tyrant, Condemnation, whom the King of Swords had slain during the war.

The memory of the ancient monarch was so clear and vivid, as if Cassie had been there herself.

But how did she come to possess that memory?

Or any of the memories around her, for that matter, that did not belong to her... or to people and creatures whose memories she had witnessed.

’I... don’t know.’

Trying to collect herself, she extended the tendrils of her Will in search of her own memories.

There were a few small memories with sharp edges nearby...

In one of them, Cassie was in Bastion long before it became a thriving metropolis. There was no settlement on the ashen shores of the lake, and the Awakened who served Clan Valor all lived within the walls of the Castle. She was a young woman who, nonetheless, had already become a Master, walking across the battlements of the outer wall.

The view of the radiant lake and the ashen wasteland beyond was both breathtaking and foreboding — but, of course, she could not appreciate its solemn beauty. That was because she was blind, and there was no one nearby whose senses she could share. Until there was.

A knight in polished Memory armor and a vermillion cloak was standing guard atop the wall, examining the distant shore somberly. He was not in the mood to appreciate the view, either — as a retainer of the Great Clan Valor and one of its Ascended Knights, his duty was to monitor the lake for signs of danger.

‘Ah... it must have happened shortly after Nephis was adopted by Clan Valor, before the Chain of Nightmares.’

In the memory, Cassie was walking past the Knight. Hearing her steps, he turned and spared her an alert look.

Then, his eyes widened a little.

”Oh... Lady Cassia.”

She saw her own young face through his eyes.

Stopping, Cassie faced him and bowed slightly.

”Good day.”

He hesitated for a moment, as if feeling shy, then asked:

“What brings you here?”

She smiled.

“l am just taking a stroll.”

A tentative smile appeared on his lips, as well.

”Oh, I see.”

Cassie remained silent for a few moments, then exhaled slowly and said in a clear voice:

“Actually, I’ve been thinking...”

He raised an eyebrow.

”Yes?”

She shrugged.

“It’s nothing really. I was just thinking that when I become a Saint, I should find a man named Sunless and wish him a happy birthday on the day of the winter solstice.”

The Knight blinked a couple of times. ”Pardon?”

Cassie smiled.

“Just thinking aloud. Carry on, sir. I won’t distract you anymore.”

The memory ended.

However, there was another one nearby.

In it, Cassie saw the same Knight. Only she was a little older by then, and already a Transcendent.

Their conversation was not that cordial, either.

”T—traitor...”

The Knight was kneeling on the ground, held in place by Torment’s tendrils. The tip of the Quiet Dancer’s blade was hovering at his neck.

Standing above him with a cold expression, Cassie addressed him in a calm tone:

“Do not strain yourself, sir. Nothing good will come of you getting injured.”

The Knight only began to struggle more desperately, the plates of his enchanted armour bending and buckling under the pressure.

”You... won’t get away... with this! Once I report your treachery to the King, your days will be numbered!”

An emotionless smile twisted Cassie’s lips.

“But you won’t even remember that we had met. Now, sir, show me what I want to know.’

The Knight’s eyes widened.

”I’ll never tell you anything!”

Indifferent, Cassie pulled her blindfold down.

“Keep your silence. There is no need for you to speak, sir.”

The man’s struggles slowly ceased, an entranced expression appearing on his face. Cassie invaded his memories, searching for the secrets of the Great Clan Valor... However, in the process, she found something strange.

It was a memory of them meeting on the walls of Bastion before the Chain of Nightmares. There was nothing particularly odd about that memory — besides the fact that Cassie did not remember that conversation at all.

Her memory was absolute, but at the same time, most of it was gone — at least most of her memories as an Awakened.

So, it was both peculiar and normal to discover a memory of herself that she did not remember in someone else’s mind.

The conversation itself, though, was a bit strange.

‘A man named Sunless?’

Why would Cassie seek out a man with such a peculiar name, and on the day of the winter solstice no less? Was it some kind of wordplay?

Or some kind of code?

Before all that, why had she blurted that odd sentence out, unprompted, to a complete stranger?

None of it made sense.

Unless...

Cassie’s hands trembled.

‘It has to be.’

Unless she had known that she would forget that conversation, that she would capture this Knight one day, and that she would see herself while reading his memories.

Unless she had been sending her future self a message.

The memory came to an end, leaving Cassie confused.

And then, the memory of Cassie being confused ended, as well, leaving her thoughtful.

Still incomplete, she extended the tendrils of her Will to a shard with a similar scent. In that memory, Cassie was a Master once again, entering a modest cafe in NQSC. There was a line, so she stood at its tail, behind a tall man.

Well, all men seemed tall to her, considering her own petite stature.

As if sensing her presence, the man in question turned around and looked at her. Then, he did a double-take.

There was a long bout of silence, and then he asked in a startled tone:

“Excuse me... aren’t you Lady Cassia? Song of the Fallen?”

Cassie smiled.

”Yes. Nice to meet you.”

The man’s mouth hung open. A few moments later, he composed himself and bowed.

“Wow! It’s an honor to meet you, Master Cassia.”

She could not see, but she suspected that there was a silly kind of smile on his face. The man coughed.

“I can’t believe I just ran into a celebrity. My wife won’t believe me.”

He fell silent for a moment, and then added in a happy tone:

“Oh, my name is Yutra. Awakened Yutra. Actually, my wife and I went to see your movie on one of our first real dates...”

He was probably talking about that horrid propaganda piece about the events of the Forgotten Shore.

Cassie chuckled.

“Well, I’m glad to know that it worked out for you.”

She exhaled slowly, and then added in a clear voice:

“Actually. I’ve been thinking...”

The memory ended there.