SHADOW SLAVE

Eventually, Sunny and Nephis ended up in his underground dojo. Changing Star looked around, her gaze lingering on the racks of training weapons and the deactivated sleeping pod that stood forlornly in its alcove, all but forgotten by its former occupant.

After a few moments of silence, she asked:

"Do you make use of all these weapons?"

Sunny glanced at the training equipment, lingered for a moment, then shook his head.

"Yes and no. In the past two years, I did expand my repertoire to include all kinds of sharp implements. But I practice with something better."

He was still most confident when wielding swords akin to Azure Blade, Midnight Shard, and his serpentine odachi. His proficiency with spears was also quite high, and he was steadily improving his archery skill. However, while Sunny had learned enough to feel comfortable with other types of weapons as well, he had a long way to go before truly mastering them.

Nephis nodded thoughtfully.

"Do you use the... Soul Serpent?"

Sunny stared at her for a moment, then looked away.

"Yes."

He was reminded of the Shadow Bond that connected them. Beyond its main function, it also allowed Sunny to peer into some of Changing Star's secrets. However, she was able to learn a lot of his, as well.

Sunny had suspected that this was the case from the very start, but now those suspicions were confirmed.

He remained silent for a few moments, then suddenly grinned.

"Were you surprised?"

Nephis looked at him, hesitated for a moment, and said:

"I was. Very... very much."

She sighed, sat down on the floor, and crossed her legs.

"I always knew that you were extraordinary. I just didn't… didn't think that you possessed a Divine Aspect, too. To be honest, I thought that I was the first."

Sunny sat down opposite her and shook his head.

"Yeah, I thought so too. But neither of us was the first. It was Mordret, instead. He is older than us by four or five years, and had his First Nightmare when he was twelve. So… he received a Divine Aspect when you were around eight, and I was around seven."

He paused, and said with a bitter smile:

"Come to think of it, he probably became a Sleeper around the time my mother died. Oh… your mother is fine, by the way. Cassie and I visited her from time to time, while you were gone."

As a hint of emotion appeared on Neph's face, she lowered her head.

Then, she lingered for a moment and asked:

"Do you mind telling me where the Divine Memory in your possession came from? The… Weaver's Mask?"

Sunny smiled darkly.

"Do I mind? I do. But I'll tell you anyway… I found it below the cathedral in the Dark City, on an ancient corpse that turned to dust as soon as I took the mask from it."

Changing Star tilted her head a little.

"Do you mind telling me what it does?"

He laughed.

"Why not? I'll tell you... it can reverse one's Flaw."

A sudden silence settled in the dark chamber. Nephis looked at him, a hint of longing and pain reflecting in her striking eyes. Sunny grinned.

"Why? Do you want to take it from me? All you have to do is to say the word. It's not like I can refuse."

She stared at him for a long time, then silently turned away and did not say anything.

Sunny's grin turned somber.

"...Good decision. Did you think that it will save you from the pain? It won't. The Mask does not nullify the Flaw, it just reverses it. No matter what, the Flaw is still a curse. By now, we both should have a good sense about such things… chances are, the new curse would be more terrible than the old. Right now, you have to burn yourself alive every time you actively use your Aspect. With the help of the Mask, you would most likely be burning without reprieve, forever, unless you were using it."

He grew silent, and then added:

"The Mask can also kill you in many other ways. It is… too powerful to be used lightly. At least by the likes of us."

Nephis hesitated for a few moments, then gritted her teeth.

"It is fine. I don't need to be liberated from my Flaw. I don't need a powerful Memory to uplift me. I… I myself is enough."

Sunny stared at her, then shook his head.

"You are exactly the same… you did not change at all. I thought that two year of despair would have made you a little smarter. But you are still clinging to your deranged dreams, aren't you?"

She looked at him, remained silent for a while, and then smiled with the corner of her mouth.

Despite the smile, however, her eyes remained calm and cold.

"Two years? No… I've been desperate for much longer than that, Sunny. Why would I change now?"

He let out a long sigh, then looked to the side.

"Indeed. So… Aster, Song, Vale. They are your next targets, aren't they?"

She nodded silently, prompting him to add:

"You told me once that just knowing these words can get a person killed. However, I went ahead and did some digging of my own. Aster, Song and Vale are Asterion, Ki Song, and Anvil of Valor, correct? The former members of your father's cohort?"

Nephis nodded again, looking at him intensely. Sunny scowled.

"They are also knows as the Sovereigns. Because… because they have conquered the Forth Nightmare. They are one Rank above the Transcendent. They are Supreme, are they not?"

Without saying anything, she just nodded for the third time. Sunny hesitated for a while, and then asked:

"...They killed your father, didn't they?"

Nephis continued to look at him, white flame dancing in her eyes. After some time, she sighed.

"Yes. I believe so. My father… he died when I was four. Before that, the members of his cohort were like aunts and uncles to me. Aster, Song, Vale… that was what he called them. They were his friends."

Her expression turned dark.

"But after he was gone, something changed. I was too little to understand, but none of these… friends… came to our help. Instead, the Immortal Flame clan fell while their clans soared. And a couple of years after that, the first assassin was sent to eliminate me."

Sunny rubbed his face, then asked in an exasperated voice:

"But why? Why did they turn on him?"

Nephis looked away.

"...I don't know."

He frowned and hesitated for a moment. He had suspected that he would receive such an answer. However, there was one small detail that did not make sense to him.

"If they are so mighty and powerful… then how are you still alive? Why did the Sovereigns fail to kill you? All they had to do was pay you a visit in person. No amount of Awakened guards, or even Masters, would have been able to stop even one of them."

Neph glanced at him with and said, her voice even:

"They can't."

Sunny raised his eyebrows.

"What do you mean, they can't? Is there some agreement that prevents them from acting directly?"

Changing Star slowly shook her head.

"No. They simply can't. The Sovereigns… it is hard for them to enter the waking world."