[Prepare for appraisal…]
Sunny found himself in a space between dream and reality—an endless black void illuminated by a myriad of stars. Between them, countless strings of silver light wove into a beautiful, inconceivably complex net, forming nexuses and constellations. The sight was truly breathtaking.
Past Sunny scanned the void, analysing all its intricate details with the careful gaze of a curious explorer. His future self, however, simply stared. He never thought he'd be here again—appraised by the Spell. And he wondered, had he ever truly escaped fate?
Yet now was not the time for philosophical ponderings. He was eagerly waiting to see if anything had changed.
The Spell was still evaluating his performance. His past self trembled with anticipation.
[You have received a Memory: Puppeteer's Shroud.]
Past Sunny tried to examine his newly acquired Memory, but then the Spell's voice boomed.
[Aspirant! Your trial is over.]
**[A nameless slave ascended the Black Mountain. Both humans and beasts fell by his hand. The slave took shelter with the destined hero. However, fate was shaken. They came face to face with certain death, but something dark lived within the slave. A shadow, deep and powerful.
The wraith emerged and bent fate back into place.
The slave's blood was spilled. The gods were dead, and yet they listened.]**
[You have defeated a dormant beast: Mountain King's Larva.]
[You have defeated three dormant humans, names unknown.]
[You have defeated an awakened tyrant: Mountain King.]
[You have survived an awakened human: Auro of the Nine.]
[You have received the Shadow God's blessing.]
[You have achieved the impossible!]
[Final appraisal: glorious. Your treachery truly knows no bounds.]
Sunny was shocked. It changed. It really did.
His past self stood, frozen in disbelief.
[Dreamer Sunless, receive your boon!]
[You have been bestowed a True Name: Lost from Light.]
[Your Aspect is ready to evolve. Evolve Aspect?]
"What kind of question is that?!"
Past Sunny crossed his fingers and muttered, "Yes."
[Dormant Aspect: Temple Slave is evolving…]
[New Aspect acquired.]
[Aspect Rank: Divine.]
Sunny collapsed.
[Aspect Name: Shadow Slave.]
"Divine… it's Divine."
Sunny knelt, utterly stupefied. The shock was so great that, for a brief moment, he lost control over his limbs and fell forward. Future Sunny just listened, hoping—praying—that something had changed further.
Aspect: [Shadow Slave]
Aspect Rank: Divine
Aspect Description:
[You are a miraculous shadow left behind by a dead god. As a divine shadow, you possess plenty of strange and wondrous powers. However, your existence is empty and lonesome; you mourn the passing of your former master and long to find a new one.]
Innate Ability: [Shadow Bond]
Ability Description:
[Find a worthy master and let them know your True Name. Once they recite it aloud, you will be bound to their will, unable to disobey any command. It is improper for a shadow—let alone a divine one—to walk around without a master.]
[The First Seal is broken.]
[Awakening dormant powers…]
Future Sunny scanned the runes. Nothing seemed to have changed. But then—he saw it.
A new attribute glowed.
Attributes: [Fated], [Mark of Divinity], [Child of Shadows]. Just as before but there a new one stood
[Shadow Guide.]
He begged his past self to read it, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.
The appraisal continued just as it had originally. Sunny could feel his past self's anger mounting at the revelation of his flaw. He wanted to scream, but before he could, the Spell interrupted.
[Wake up, Lost from Light!]
The black void spun and vanished.
Sunny opened his eyes.
The armoured ceiling of the police station's vault loomed above him. No one would call its aesthetics beautiful, but to him, it was the most majestic sight in the world. Only now did he realize how much he had missed reality.
It was safe. Familiar.
No monsters. No slavers… well, at least officially.
No constant fear of torturous death.
His past self calmed, but Sunny hardly cared about that. What caught his eye was the woman sitting beside his bed.
She had short, raven-black hair and icy blue eyes. Her flawless skin was smooth, supple, and as white as snow. Actually—it was the same as Sunny's. Yet, while his pallor appeared strange and unhealthy, the striking stranger was nothing short of ethereal.
The woman stared at him and asked, "What are you staring at?"
Before Sunny could react, his past self spoke.
"Your breasts."
Both Sunnys screamed internally.
A slap rang out.
"Are you awake now?"
The woman sat back, arms crossed.
Past Sunny endured her scolding in silence.
The conversation continued as normal: Jet introduced herself, Sunny asked his questions, and eventually, he found himself exiting a luxurious PTV and standing before the looming gate of the academy.
Then, something strange happened.
A girl stood before him, and something deep within him stirred.
She was tall and slender, with clear grey eyes and a detached expression. Her silver-white hair was cut short and neatly parted to the side. Like him, she wore a police-issued tracksuit and had no personal belongings. A pair of old-fashioned headphones sat atop her head, playing music as she waited.
Future Sunny's heart raced.
Neph.
But not his Neph.
He had missed her so much over these five years. He had hoped, prayed that she'd find him—that this was all just a bad dream—that he could go home.
But the gods were dead.
So no one heard his prayers.
Sunny steadied himself.
Should he influence his past self? Say something? Or let things play out?
Considering his past self's utter lack of control, he would definitely scare her away.
"Why did I have to be such a creep?"
Yet even without his future self's influence, Sunny couldn't help but stare. He couldn't tell why—but something about her felt important. Something deeper than attraction.
A longing.
And so, he spoke.
"Hey—uh—what are you listening to?"
The girl either ignored him or hadn't heard.
"Hey! What are you listening to?"
She turned, scanning him from head to toe with detached grey eyes.
"Nightingale," she finally replied before turning back, continuing as she had before.
Sunny was about to say more when the gates creaked open.
The girl walked inside with calm indifference.
Sunny scrambled to catch up, curious.
Future Sunny was stunned.
He hadn't tried to influence anything. And yet—it had just happened.
This was strange. Like back in the Nightmare, when he'd seen himself move with grace—like that of a trained warrior and not some mere Outskirts rat.
Sunny would have to wait and see just how much his presence affected things.
"My second first day… huh. Never thought it'd happen."
"Hopefully, this time, I won't be known as some kind of perve"