Shadow Slave

Soon enough, there was a fire burning in a brazier, and Sunny was preparing a meal for himself and Nephis. They were in the same cabin as they had used in the Nightmare, while the shades were cleaning and repairing the ship beyond its door.

Nephis was watching the flames, a distant look on her face.

“It’s so strange.”

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

“What is?”

She lingered for a moment, then said hesitantly:

“The time… being separated from time by the walls of the Tomb of Ariel.”

Nephis frowned slightly.

“Back then, I spent a long time in the Nightmare. But when the Nightmare was over, not even a second had passed in the real world. We emerged from it as soon as we entered… that is because time in the Tomb of Ariel works differently than anywhere else, and its connection to the world beyond is unique.”

She shook her head.

“Now that the Greater River stands still, I thought that things would be different. But they’re not. From our perspective, time in the world outside is frozen, and only flows here.”

Sunny had gathered that much, but he still wanted to ask:

“How do you know?”

Nephis pointed to the flame.

“I am still connected to the few people who are left in my Domain. I can feel the flames of their longing. However, those flames don’t dance anymore… they are static, unmoving. Like beautiful statues made from radiant ice.”

She looked at Sunny.

“You have a similar connection to the subjects of your Domain, don’t you?”

Sunny remained silent for a few moments.

“There is a kind of connection, yes. They serve as conduits of my perception, just like the shades… but it’s a conscious action on my part, to look at the world through them. I was holding myself back from doing just that, on account of not making them a target for the Dreamspawn. Or being attacked by the Dreamspawn through them.”

He sighed.

“I can also travel to their Soul Seas through the Mark of Shadow. I had not done that since entering the Nightmare Desert, though, for the same reason. I wonder if I am in the same situation as you.”

Nephis looked at him and said in a calm tone:

“I would assume that you are. Nothing is stopping us from checking, does it? We were forced to isolate ourselves from the rest of the world before to prevent the Dreamspawn from spoiling our plans. What can he do now, though? We are already inside the Tomb of Ariel. He would have to brave the Nightmare Desert to do anything to us, and that should be quite difficult even for him… impossible, perhaps.”

Sunny contemplated her words for a short while, then nodded.

“You are right. Nothing is stopping me from trying.”

First, he dove into his Soul Sea, and then used the Mark of Shadows to enter the Soul Sea of one of the Shadow Clan members — specifically, Rain.

A few moments later, Sunny spoke in a tone of amazement.

“Yes, it’s the same. I can enter her Soul Sea, but it’s just all… frozen. As if existing outside time. Wait… Rain is already a Master?! By the dead gods, that was fast!”

He grinned.

“That’s my disciple, by the way.”

Nephis just stared at him silently, prompting him to continue.

Next, Sunny tried to perceive the shadows around Rain.

“Well, that is… strange. Rain is on the upper level of the Ebony Tower, frozen in time. Oh, and your mother is with her.”

Nephis let out a quiet sigh. She had not shown it, but he knew that she was worried about Smile of Heaven. The Ivory Island had fallen, after all, and neither of them had known what happened to its inhabitants. As Nephis allowed herself a few moments to enjoy the feeling of relief, Sunny briefly attempted to sense the shadows around Revel.

He blinked a few times.

“What the hell…”

Out there, frozen in time, the Marvelous Mimic seemed to be besieged by vaguely familiar abominations, stomping them with its feet as the warriors of the Shadow Legion and Nightmare… and Little Ling?… were defending the walking castle from the swift figures climbing its walls.

Revel herself was in the thick of the battle, raising one of the creatures into the air by the neck as her dark wings opened to push the others away.

“…Barrow wraiths? Where the hell did she find those?!”

He covered his face with a palm.

Well, it did not matter that much. Revel seemed to have things under control, and with Nightmare there, she had more than enough power to defend the Mimic from most enemies one could find in the vicinity of the Forgotten Shore.

At least he knew now that the Shadow Clan had escaped the clutches of Asterion… mostly. He did notice that more than a few of his agents were missing, having most likely succumbed to the plague.

Sunny remained silent for a while, then asked:

“Do you think we can leave the Tomb of Ariel? By crossing the realm boundary and returning to the waking world, I mean.”

Nephis did not answer immediately.

When she did, her voice sounded somber:

“We probably can. It is just that I don’t think that we will be able to come back the same way… and we must not leave, regardless.”

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

“Even if there is a good reason?”

She nodded.

“Yes. Because this place… it is the source of all Nightmares. I am afraid that if we cross the realm boundary from here, we will bring more Nightmares with us. Perhaps there will be another chain of them, starting from the point where we open the boundary to come through. Or maybe the entire area around the point of our arrival will be swallowed by the Dream Realm. In any case, I am not willing to risk it.”

Sunny studied her for a few moments, then looked away with a sigh.

“I guess I should be happy that we don’t hear the Call anymore.”

He shivered.

The Seventh Seed…

It was really here, somewhere above their heads.

“Dinner is ready.”

He plated the food and stared at it for a while.

The Forgotten God was trapped in a Nightmare above them, and here they were, trying to enjoy a warm meal. Who could eat when the God of Corruption was nearby? Well, Effie probably could.

‘I wonder how Effie is doing…’

He was distracted from his thoughts by a satisfied sigh. Looking up, Sunny saw Nephis enjoying her food as if nothing was the matter.

‘Right.’

Corrupted gods or what have you, people still had to eat.

Well, Supremes did not really have to eat. But food was delicious, so why wouldn’t they?

‘People really can adapt to anything.’

Forgetting about the Forgotten God, Sunny smiled faintly and picked up his chopsticks.

“Enjoy your meal.”