Sunny sat near the dwindling fire, his eyes reflecting the dancing flames. The pain in his body had faded — mostly — and his mind, now rested, had grown sharp again. He had barely survived his last hunt in the Dark Sea.
Too close.
He had almost died.
If he hadn't drifted onto Nephis's island… if she hadn't healed him without hesitation…
There were too many ifs. Sunny didn't like ifs.
He sighed quietly, glancing down at the runes etched into his soul.
[SHADOW FRAGMENTS: 250/1000]
Not bad. But not enough. Not nearly enough.
He knew he would have to stop hunting in the sea — at least for now. It was too dangerous alone. He had gotten lucky this time… and Sunny never trusted luck.
Still, he had a plan. One that didn't involve holding back too much.
So, later that day, he told them — with a casual grin and just the right amount of cocky enthusiasm — how he had "stolen" a kill from a corrupted devil. The same one that had been chasing the shark. Cassie was impressed. Nephis… more cautious.
Sunny didn't blame her.
He carefully explained where the kill had taken place and even offered to lead them to the statue where it happened. The place was still dangerous, but it could also offer real opportunities for growth. For all of them.
In truth, he needed Nephis and Cassie to grow stronger. Fast. The Forgotten Shore wasn't going to wait.
At the same time, he had to walk a tightrope. He wanted Nephis's trust — not suspicion. He couldn't afford to look too capable. He knew exactly how Legacy scions were trained to think. Too much skill from a supposed nobody could easily look like hidden intent. It could make him look like an assasine.
She won't trust someone who hides their blade… but if I show too much steel, she'll wonder who I plan to stab.
Nephis had been wary at first — a boy from the outskirts killing a corrupted devil? With a Transcendent weapon no less? But his casual disdain toward Legacies… his openness with Cassie… the fact that he didn't try to brag — only explain…
It calmed her. A little.
She didn't fully trust him, not yet. There was still a quiet tension in her gaze when she looked at him, a shadow of caution. But she didn't see him as a threat either. Just a mystery.
That was fine by him.
They spent the day talking. Cassie laughed more than once, and even Nephis relaxed, ever so slightly.
And when the sun dipped low, Sunny stood, brushing ash from his coat.
He stepped away from the firelight and into the shadows beyond the camp, where the moonlight danced faintly on the sand. There, in silence, he began to move.
Shadow Dance.
He had already mastered the first step of Shadow Dance — the Initiation of Flow. That alone had changed him. Made his movements faster, sharper… allowed him to claim the Soul Serpent.
But now, that wasn't enough.
He needed more.
Each step was precise. Each movement flowed into the next like black ink in water — smooth, controlled, merciless.
He moved faster. Sharper. Letting exhaustion set in.
When his limbs burned and his breath came shallow, only then did he stop.
Sunny dropped to the ground, cross-legged, his body soaked in sweat, his mind focused. With a slow breath, he closed his eyes and turned his attention inward — to his soul.
To the shadows.
There was so little essence. Barely enough to shape. He hadn't walked the true path of the Awakening like Rain had. He had a little help from the Spell.
Rain had compressed her essence in small but solid particels which, after enough were collected, were merged toegeter into a soul core.
And so, he compressed.
Not to create something new, but to refine what already existed. To push it closer to completion — not through force, but through pressure. Repetition. Focus.
Growth.
The essence moved sluggishly, resisting his will like wet sand slipping through clenched fingers.
Sunny gritted his teeth, his brow damp with sweat — not from exhaustion, but from the sheer concentration it took to mold something so ethereal. Shadow was formless by nature, chaotic, unbound. To give it shape required more than strength.
It required belief.
And then… he felt it.
Not the resistance — he was already familiar with that.
But something else.
Support.
A subtle pulse through the bond. A silent rhythm, coiling through the marrow of his soul. Serpent… was moving with him. Not just following his will, but guiding it. Lending its own essence to the shaping of the shadows. Lending… intent.
It was almost like the creature understood what he was trying to do. And wanted it, too.
That was when the realization struck him.
Like a shard of ancient memory unearthed from deep within the soul.
This is the real path…
Not brute force.
Not even brilliance.
But a sacred tradition — passed down not by scrolls, but by blood, instinct, and suffering.
The Shadow Dance. The first step, practiced by temple slaves, not to entertain or survive… but to become. The ritual that laid the foundation. That taught the body to obey the rhythm of death, and the soul to hear the silence of the void.
And then… with that rhythm embedded in one's very being…
The Soul Serpent would awaken.
And with the Soul Serpent, the followers of Shadow God would be led to ascension or even more.
Hours passed. The fire had burned low behind him. The night deepened.
But slowly… ever so slowly… he felt a subtle shift.
The shadow essence inside him grew colder, denser. More defined and refined.
Not a breakthrough. Not yet.
But a step forward.
Toward a natural awakening.
Sunny opened his eyes.
His face was calm. His gaze… sharper.
The shadows around him whispered softly, as if they, too, were watching.
After that, he realized it was already night, and the girls were most likely asleep. So he walked over to them, in order to lay down with enough distance not to alert the overly cautious Nephis.
But she had been awake the whole time. He saw her sitting upright looking in his direction.
At first, she had tried to observe him while he practiced his strange movements — as long as there was still light to see. His steps were precise and fluid, like a battle art… but not quite. It wasn't something she recognized. That made her uneasy.
It was different. Special. Dangerous.
And because of that, she became even more cautious. The threat level of the boy named Sunny had to be reevaluated.
When his movements stopped, so did the sound. He must have finished. But he didn't return.
That made her more nervous.
Would he try to assassinate her now, thinking she was asleep? That was the thought in her mind. She stayed perfectly still, ready to react — but nothing happened.
Hours passed.
He hadn't returned. Either he had fallen asleep where he was… or was waiting to strike. Still, she had to be sure. So, she went to check.
He didn't move.
Just sat there, like a statue. Meditating, maybe. She wasn't sure why he'd do something like that now, but he looked completely unaware of her presence. She could've reached out and touched his skin — he wouldn't have noticed.
So when she later heard footsteps coming near and stopping a short distance away, she was already alert, eyes fixed in that direction.
A quiet voice broke the silence.
"…Do you want to talk, or is there another reason you've been staring at me like that?"
Nephis was caught off guard.
She had wanted to ask him something. About his movements. About where he learned them — if he was really from the outskirts, like Cassie had told her. But now, confronted so directly, her confidence faltered.
"Yes," she said.
Her voice sounded stiff, even to herself.
He said, "Okay… let's go to the edge. We don't want to wake up Cassie, do we?"
Nephis nodded, and the two of them walked a short distance away from the campfire. Both were nervous — but for different reasons.
She was trying to order her thoughts, still reeling from how he had caught her off guard. She had questions. A lot of them. But now she had to think carefully about what to ask… and how.
Sunny was nervous, too — at least until he made up his mind. But once he did, a quiet confidence settled in. He had a plan now. One that suited him just fine.
Once they sat down, close enough to speak quietly but not quite within arm's reach, he turned to her and said:
"You seem like you've got a lot of questions. But before you ask any of them… I want to propose a deal."
Nephis raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing.
"I'll tell you my flaw. In exchange, you ask your questions in a specific way. Let me choose what I want to answer. Like this: 'Do you mind telling me…' or something similar. If you break that promise… I'll separate myself from you and Cassie as soon as possible. What do you think?"
Nephis blinked. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond. Again, he had thrown her off balance. Then befor thinking about it she asked why would you even do something like this. Do you trust strangers like me that easily.
He simply answered, "No. I don't trust people that easily… and I don't know if trusting you is a good idea, either. But I do know one thing — no one survives the Dream Realm alone."
There was no emotion in his voice. Just a quiet, steady certainty.
"That's why I have to cooperate with you, even if I wouldn't want to. And real cooperation needs trust. So… this is me trying to build it."
Nephis remained silent, staring at him.
She had to admit — the logic was sound. Brutal, but sound. Trust, for him, wasn't a gift. It was a tool. A necessity.
She was tempted to accept his offer becaus even if she would break her promis.
Was losing him really a bad thing?
Maybe not.
After all… he could still be an assassin.
Sunny didn't press her. He just sat there quietly, breathing slow and even, waiting.
"What a strange person…" she thought.
The offer was bold. Unexpected. Foolish, maybe. Who would reveal their flaw so easily?
And yet… it was tempting.
If he really tells me, I could use it against him. If he's lying — well, that would say enough about him, too. But maybe he's telling the truth. Maybe this is his way of showing trust.
She considered. In the end, she decided it didn't matter. If he was weaker than her — and she was sure he was — then she had nothing to lose.
"…Alright. Let's do it," she said quietly. "What's your flaw?"
Sunny smiled. Not smugly — just amused.
"I can't lie. That's my flaw. It's called Clear Conscience."
He chuckled and shook his head slightly.
"Don't you think it's funny? An outskirt rat who had to lie to survive… cursed with honesty. The one thing that kept me alive is now forbidden to me."
Nephis stared at him, stunned.
She didn't know what she had expected — but not that. And the worst part was… she realized he had outplayed her. He had given her a truth so sharp it left her no room to maneuver.
She knew his flaw now. But she had also agreed to his terms.
That meant she couldn't use it recklessly. Not without risking his disappearance.
His flaw, as far as she could tell, was only useful in conversation. He couldn't lie — and, more importantly, he was compelled to answer if questioned directly. That was the real reason behind his strange demand. The phrasing he'd asked for… it gave him control. An escape, if needed.
She realized all of that after thinking through his words.
And with that realization came a bitter taste.
Despite everything… she had ended up exactly where she started.
So that's it… he trapped me with the truth.
At first, a flash of frustration surged inside her. But then she heard his quiet laughter — not mocking, just light, almost relieved.
For some reason, it disarmed her.
He wasn't laughing at her. He was just… happy.
Despite herself, Nephis smiled a little, too. She didn't know why. But somehow, his strange joy was contagious.