Cade woke up early the next morning. He sat up, stretching out the stiffness in his limbs, then glanced towards Maya's usual resting spot. She was already awake, sitting upright against the wall of the vertebral tunnel. When their eyes met, she offered a small smile.
"Hey. Good morning," she greeted in a low voice.
Cade returned the smile. "Morning to you too. You're up early. Like always."
Maya shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."
"At all?" Cade asked.
Maya nodded slowly.
"Huh," he huffed. "Don't tell me you're just excited to talk to someone else after being stuck with me for weeks…"
Maya let out a breathy chuckle.
"Actually, I am," she admitted, her eyes drifting away. "After spending so much time with you, I'm pretty sure I've changed quite a bit. Guess today we'll find out if that works in my favor or against me."
"Don't worry," Cade said, waving a hand dismissively. "You'll do great. Just try not to manhandle him the way you manhandled me when we first met."
Maya turned her gaze back at him, crossing her arms.
"You asked for it," she retorted. "Who told you to turn my own blade against me, huh? You should've just stayed your hand and done as I told you."
Cade scoffed. "Well, excuse me if I wasn't comfortable holding a conversation at the sharp end of a sword."
Maya laughed lightly. "We've come a long way since then, haven't we?"
Cade smiled. "Yup. I've grown a little more sane, and you've grown a lot more likable. We make an awesome team, if I do say so myself."
"I guess we do..." Maya murmured. "In any case, today is our most important endeavor yet."
Cade stiffened a little, his usual ease giving way to a more serious demeanor. "It most definitely is."
With that, they ate a quick breakfast, went over their plan one last time, and descended the Bone Ridge in a swift, practiced motion. Once they reached the ground, they both turned to look up at the ancient leviathan's skeleton. Its colossal remains loomed over them like a silent sentinel, a place that had been their refuge for weeks.
"Nothing lasts, huh?" Cade mused outwardly.
Maya turned her head to look at him. After a moment, she broke her gaze away and spoke.
"I'm not really sure I wanted it to last," she stated. "Remind me— how many times did we nearly die while staying here?"
"Enough to last someone else a lifetime, I'm sure," Cade replied.
Maya kept looking at the Ridge. "Not us, huh?"
Cade smiled, still gazing at the towering bones. "No rest for the wicked..."
Maya snorted, breaking her gaze. "Alright, come on then. We've got work to do." With that, she turned away, striding toward the Barrow without looking back.
Cade nodded and lingered for a while. His gaze was still fixed on the skeletal remains towering over them. It was... strange— this place had felt so much like home. And Maya's presence had made it feel even more so.
Now, leaving it behind, he couldn't shake the familiar feeling of stepping away from something that had become a part of him, only to walk into the unknown once more. Just like he had done when he'd found himself in this world.
He stood there for a long while, staring up at the bones.
Is this Fate too? he mused. Always leaving anything that lasts behind...
He was reluctant to admit it but he often fantasized about having a real home in this world. It was a little embarrassing, considering he wasn't even from this world. But he'd already given up on trying to go back to his previous one. So, he wanted to settle down here. Somewhere permanent. Somewhere he wouldn't have to leave.
After a while of staring at the towering skeleton, he sighed.
Not until Fate has a grasp over me…
Shaking off the thought, he turned and caught up to Maya. As he walked, he summoned the Crown of Stillness.
Rough obsidian branches materialized out of Darkness, weaving themselves into place atop his head, shifting and twisting until they formed a seamless circlet. Blackened thorns jutted outward, but none bit into his skin. It settled onto him like it had always been there— silent, watchful and cold.
Cade exhaled a slow breath of Darkness, and augmented the Crown once, then twice, coating it in two writhing layers of void. The Memory was already of the Fifth Tier, so its enchantments were potent. But a little more power wouldn't go amiss. After all, it would have to face the full brunt of the Soul Devourer's enthrallment.
As the two soulless Dreamers walked side by side, the silence between them stretched, broken only by the soft crunch of ash beneath their boots. Nearly an hour passed before Cade finally spoke.
"You really don't find this place unsettling?" His gaze swept over the endless expanse of gray. "It's like nothing was ever meant to survive here."
"Who says I don't?" Maya replied, unfazed. "I've just gotten used to it." She glanced at him. "Anyway, check if they're still out cold."
Cade gave a small nod and summoned the Drowned Eye. The onyx spyglass materialized into his grip, its slick surface unnervingly cool against his fingers. Raising it to his left eye, he turned his attention toward the distant silhouette of the Ashen Barrow and peered through the eyepiece.
In an instant, his vision shifted. He was no longer trudging through the sea of ash— he was standing atop the Ashen Barrow, right beside the slumbering mass of the Soul Devourer.
His eyes scanned the scene.
Nephis and Cassie remained unconscious, their breathing slow and steady. Sunny, however, was awake.
He sat with his back against the onyx trunk of the ancient fiend, his posture slack, his gaze distant. He looked as if he wasn't truly awake, as if some part of him still drifted in a dream he couldn't shake. A yawn threatened to escape his lips, but he swallowed it down, staring off into nothing.
Cade observed him for only a moment before he was wrenched back. The world twisted, and suddenly, he was standing once more in the endless field of ash. His feet were rooted in place, and Maya was watching him, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
Before he could say a word, a sharp crack echoed through the silence. Cade looked down just in time to see the Drowned Eye splinter in his grip. Fractures spread across the onyx surface before it crumbled into a wisp of Darkness.
The Nightmare Spell slithered a hiss into his ears:
[Your Memory has been destroyed.]
Cade exhaled through his nose. "It proved to be quite useful..." he muttered, brushing the lingering dust from his fingers. Then, he turned to meet Maya's gaze.
Maya raised an eyebrow. "So?"
"Sunny's awake," Cade replied, motioning for her to keep walking, as he began to move. She followed. "The girls are still out."
She nodded. "Good. We'll pick up the pace, then. They usually sleep until late afternoon, but we can't count on that. Sunny will probably head to the northern end in about half an hour to train. That's where I need to intercept him."
Cade shot her a glance. "And how are you going to signal me?"
Maya shrugged. "I'll reflect some light your way with one of my daggers."
"Simple enough," Cade said, nodding. "I'll use the Radiant Eye, then. Good luck."
"You too."
With that, they split up. Maya veered to the side, slipping into the sea of ash as she circled the Barrow from an angle, staying out of sight. Cade, meanwhile, broke into a sprint, heading straight for the Ashen Barrow.
***
Sunny stretched with a groan, his body weighed down by an unfamiliar lethargy. His limbs felt heavy, his mind even more so.
What's up with that? he thought sluggishly. I'm a Sleeper, aren't I? Shouldn't I feel stronger than I did as a normal human?
A vague unease stirred within him. Come to think of it, I don't even remember how my body used to feel before all this.
His thoughts unraveled, slipping through his grasp like sand. His gaze drifted into the distance, dull and unfocused.
Wait… what was I just thinking about?
It was just so hard to remember things these days. Thoughts slipped through his mind like water through cupped hands.
With a sigh, Sunny pushed himself up and glanced at the two sleeping girls. An imperceptible, small smile crossed his lips.
I guess I shouldn't wake them. We're on a vacation, after all…
His gaze drifted upward, settling on the vast crimson canopy above. The Soul Tree. It stood tall, its ancient, smooth trunk stretching toward the heavens, its branches heavy with glistening fruit. The sight never failed to captivate him.
So beautiful…
A wave of longing rolled through him. Those fruits— they were ripe, luscious, and bursting with something more than just taste. His mouth watered. He could almost feel the sweetness on his tongue.
Sunny blinked, shaking himself from the trance. But the wonder, the awe, the quiet reverence… they clung to him like a whispered lullaby.
So magnificent… so benevolent… so kind…
A shiver crawled up his spine.
…So ravenous. Always hungry.
He shook off the lingering thoughts, briefly considering climbing the tree to pluck a fruit. But after a moment's hesitation, he decided against it.
First, I'll train for a bit. Then, the fruits will taste even sweeter. Cassie and Neph will be awake by then, and we can enjoy them together.
With that thought, he summoned the Midnight Shard. The blade materialized into his grip, its cold weight familiar and grounding. Without another glance at the sleeping figures beneath the crimson canopy, he turned and strode northward, toward his usual training spot.
However, as he walked, a flicker of unease prickled at the edge of his senses. His shadow senses, to be precise.
Something was wrong.
An enormous shadow loomed somewhere along the northern slope of the Ashen Barrow. It wasn't moving but it was definitely there. Also, it seemed eerily detached, as if it belonged to a living being but that being was not quite alive. Sunny didn't know how that was supposed to work, but apparently it did.
He frowned, slowing his steps.
...What the hell is that?
His grip on the Midnight Shard tightened. Was it a Nightmare Creature? No— impossible. The Ashen Barrow was a sanctuary. The Soul Tree repelled monsters. Nothing ever came here.
So what the hell was that?
He cast another wary glance toward the distant shadow before looking back at his own. The gloomy shadow stretched eagerly in the direction of whatever lurked ahead, shifting with barely contained excitement. That was a rare sight.
"You think we should check it out?" Sunny murmured, his eyes narrowing.
The shadow nodded vigorously.
Sunny raised an eyebrow. "It could be dangerous, you know? If I die, you'll have nowhere to go."
At that, the shadow began shaking its head frantically, as if the mere suggestion was absurd. Then, undeterred, it pointed again— more insistent this time.
Sunny watched its antics in silence. His gloomy shadow was almost never excited. But right now, it seemed eager, too eager. Almost desperate.
Finally, Sunny sighed, rolling his shoulders.
"Alright, fine. I guess we can take a look." He cast a glance at the towering crimson canopy behind him. "The Soul Tree wouldn't let anything dangerous get too close anyway..."
His shadow nodded eagerly, practically quivering with anticipation. With a sigh, Sunny started toward the northern slope. He could have sent the shadow ahead to scout, but oddly enough, the thought never even crossed his mind. He was getting too forgetful these days.
As he walked, the massive presence he had sensed earlier grew closer. It really was quite enormous... even somewhat threatening. Sunny frowned but shrugged it off, continuing forward at a leisurely pace.
Then, finally, he saw it.
And what he saw wasn't something he'd expected to see.
His body tensed, fingers tightening around the hilt of the Midnight Shard.
A few paces away, perched on the slope of the Ashen Barrow, sat a breathtakingly beautiful girl.
She was sitting down, cross-legged. Her posture was poised yet relaxed, clad in a suit of armor that looked as though it had been sculpted from ice. The crystalline plates were both delicate and formidable. They were glistening under the pale light with a cold, ethereal sheen. Frost clung stubbornly to the armor's surface, refusing to melt despite the sun's relentless heat.
Her ashen hair framed a sharp, striking and beautiful face. Loose bangs partially veiled her eyes, the color of frozen lakes— piercing and unreadable. Her complexion was pale, but not in the way of someone frail. Her skin, almost translucent, seemed sculpted from ice itself, flawless and unyielding.
And she was watching him. Smiling. Her smile wasn't one of amusement, but rather one of satisfaction, or gratefulness.
Sunny should have felt pleased— maybe even a little awed. It wasn't every day that someone as beautiful as this girl smiled at you in this wretched place.
Well, for most people, it wasn't.
He saw Neph and Cassie everyday, so, he wasn't really a part of that group. Still, under different circumstances, he might have felt satisfied at the sight.
If not for the colossal Nightmare Creature curled behind the icy girl!
Sunny finally understood what the massive shadow he'd sensed earlier belonged to. Strangely enough, though, the girl didn't have a presence. Or rather a shadow presence. Through his shadow senses, Sunny felt like she wasn't there at all. Still, he was in no position to care about that.
The serpent's body, seemingly sculpted from pure ice, coiled around the girl like a frozen guardian. Rows of jagged icicles jutted from its maw in place of teeth, while even larger, menacing icy stalagmites lined its spine. The creature was breathtaking in a way that sent a deep, primal chill down Sunny's spine— stunning, yet utterly terrifying.
Sunny's breath caught in his throat. His eyes darted past the serpent, sharpening as he peered into its being with his newly enhanced eyes. And that was when his composure shattered.
His legs buckled. He staggered and dropped to the ground.
"T-Terror…" he whispered, his voice hoarse. "It's an Awakened Terr— Terror."
Panic clawed at him, instincts screaming for him to retreat. But just as he began to inch backward, the girl spoke.
Her voice was colder than the ice she wore.
"Don't move a muscle if you wish to live."
_______________________________________
So? How is it? Am I getting better at cliffhangers? There's still work to be done, but I'm sure I'll master it eventually.
In any case, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Until next time... :]