As Cade solidified his decision, he took a deep breath. Yes. He would not follow the path laid before him. Instead, he would carve out his own.
I wonder what Maya will think about this.
When they'd first met, Maya had been of a different opinion. She hadn't been obsessed with following the plot. But she hadn't been actively trying to change it either. For her, survival had taken precedence over strategy. She'd been too busy navigating the horrors of this world to even consider the ripples her actions might cause.
After meeting Cade though, her mindset had shifted. She had started sharing his thoughts. Cade had made her see the value of observation over interference. He had opened her eyes to the advantage that came with standing apart from the story.
Of course, back then, he hadn't known that it was actually his own vision that had been compromised.
But what now? Now that he had chosen to actually live in this world, to stop being a spectator, how would Maya react?
Would she disagree? Would she cut him off?
Not likely.
Even if Maya didn't see things the same way, she wouldn't abandon him. He was her companion, after all. And he trusted that, whatever their differences, they would find common ground.
I'm sure we'll be able to reach a compromise.
…Hopefully.
He would tell her as soon as he had the chance. That he was done lingering in the background. That he would no longer stand on the sidelines while the world moved forward without him.
And if she disagreed? Then, they would work it out. One way or another.
As Cade processed these thoughts, he heard a sound. Leaning forward, he turned to the left and watched the Mawshade gliding effortlessly across the sea of ash. The afternoon sun reflected off its frost-bound scales. It was casting a shimmering, spectral glow over the bleak expanse. It moved with an eerie grace, as if the ashen wasteland had always been its rightful domain.
And atop its spiny back sat two figures.
Maya, composed as ever. Her icy presence was a stark contrast to the suffocating heat of the artificial sun. And beside her— half-conscious, battered, and barely clinging to himself— was the treacherous Lost from Light.
Sunny looked… empty. As if part of him was still trapped within the Soul Devourer's grasp, even after being freed. His posture was weak, shoulders slumped, his breathing shallow.
Cade's sharp eyes flicked to the deep bite marks marring Sunny's hands— self-inflicted wounds, no doubt, a desperate attempt to ground himself in pain, to keep his mind from slipping back into the enthrallment. Even now, his eyelids drooped. His strength had been sapped by the ordeal.
Cade sighed. Poor bastard looks like death warmed over.
Still, Maya had succeeded in breaking him free, at least.
As they reached the knoll where Cade was waiting, Maya dismounted the ice-clad serpent with effortless grace. Without a second thought, she dismissed it, letting Sunny drop unceremoniously to the ground.
"Damnation!" he gasped as he landed hard on the ash-strewn earth. "Would it kill you to be a little more careful?"
"Sorry, but time is of the essence," Maya replied. She cast a glance around before settling her gaze on Cade. Then, with an exaggerated roll of her eyes, she flicked her gaze toward Sunny, wordlessly conveying: This guy... such a handful!
Cade simply smiled and stepped forward to greet them. As he entered Sunny's field of vision, he spread his arms wide.
"Sunny! My favorite failure! I see my training didn't do you much good— you look like crap and I had to step in to save you, anyway! You know, I was hoping for a more graceful reunion, but hey, fate's got a twisted sense of humor. Anyway, it's been a while... friend."
Sunny stared at him with a strange expression. He was clearly exhausted from his ordeal, but there was more than just fatigue in his eyes— surprise, irritation, and no small amount of simmering anger.
Limping slightly, he moved closer.
And closer.
Cade expected him to stop an arm's length away, but Sunny didn't slow down. He stepped right into Cade's space, until he was mere inches away, his head just reaching Cade's chin.
For a brief moment, Cade wondered if Sunny was about to give him a fist bump or some sort of half-hearted greeting. Back at the Academy, when they'd said their farewells, Sunny had shown a rare flicker of emotion— just a small one, but enough to be noticeable. Maybe this was the same? Maybe he was just overwhelmed?
But of course, that was not the case.
The moment Sunny came within inches of him, he looked up, and Cade saw it— unspent fury burning in his dark eyes. His skin seemed to darken as he wrapped his shadow around himself.
Cade's face paled. Crap.
Even with all the instincts of a seasoned Battle Master, he had no time to react. Sunny's fist shot up with terrifying speed, striking him squarely beneath the mandible with enough force to crack bone. Cade felt his jaw explode with pain as he staggered backward.
Sunny's technique had sharpened since their time at the Academy. Cade could tell— his movements were refined, his precision deadly. Even in his battered state, he struck with the efficiency of a true fighter.
And as a result— for the first time since setting foot on the Forgotten Shore— Cade saw stars.
In broad daylight, no less.
He stumbled, clutching his jaw with one hand, a groan escaping his lips. Then, as the pain settled, indignation flared in his eyes… but beneath it, just the faintest hint of pride.
Sunny had come a long way. His student had just impressed his teacher.
Sunny gritted his teeth, but then dropped to his knees, clutching the hand he'd just used to punch Cade. His face twisted in pain as he muttered through clenched teeth, "Curses! Curse it all!"
It seemed Cade wasn't the only one with a broken bone. Well, that was to be expected. Cade was a Monster, while Sunny was merely a Beast— and he didn't even have [Bone Weave] yet.
Shaking his head, Cade exhaled a wisp of Darkness, letting it wrap around his jaw. The bone immediately began to knit itself back together, though the pain still throbbed beneath the surface.
Then, a sound rang out through the barren sea of ash— bright, ringing, and utterly unexpected.
Laughter.
It was light and unrestrained, full of genuine amusement.
Cade didn't think he had ever heard Maya laugh with so much glee before.
...Huh?
Looking past Sunny, he saw her kneeling beside him, one hand gripping Sunny's shoulder for support while the other clutched at her stomach. Tears welled at the corners of her eyes as she gasped for breath between fits of laughter.
"So... awesome!" she wheezed, struggling to get the words out and tapping Sunny's shoulder appreciatively. "You should have… seen his face right before… you hit him!!"
She doubled over, lost in hysterics, while Cade simply stood there, rubbing his jaw and scowling.
Then, Maya collapsed onto the ground, shaking with another fit of laughter.
Both Sunny and Cade stared at her in utter bewilderment. Then, slowly, they turned to look at each other. Sunny didn't know Maya nearly as well as Cade did, but it seemed like even he thought this behavior of hers was out of place. Cade slowly shook his head.
By now, his jaw was mostly healed, so he commanded the Darkness to retreat. He rolled his shoulders and turned to Sunny, who was still cradling his injured fist.
"You shouldn't have done that, you know," Cade said in a soft voice. "I can heal. You can't."
Sunny shot him a glare, his frustration evident.
"Yeah? Well, it was worth it!" he snapped. Then, as if remembering why he'd punched Cade in the first place, his anger flared. "In case you're wondering, that was for almost killing us with that Echo back then! Just what the hell were you thinking, bastard?!"
Cade winced slightly, rubbing the back of his neck with an awkward chuckle.
"Yeah, well…" He let out another dry chuckle.
Sunny's glare only darkened. He gritted his teeth, clearly unsatisfied with just one punch. But unfortunately for him, he was in no condition to throw another.
Much to his dismay, he'd have to settle for the satisfaction of just one blow.
Cade sat down on the ash and gestured for Sunny to sit up properly as well. Maya was still sprawled on the ground, recovering from her fit of laughter, though occasional snickers still escaped her lips.
Is that really Maya? Cade thought, watching her with mild disbelief. I thought her mind was supposed to be the best of the best… immune to mind attacks and all. What the hell happened to her...?
Shaking his head, he turned back to Sunny.
"I'm sorry about that," he said, exhaling. "That little stunt I pulled was utterly stupid. I've cursed myself for it ever since. Hell, I even lost the only Echo I got in this godforsaken place! Haven't I suffered enough already?"
"Not even remotely," Sunny replied, his voice laced with irritation. His jaw was tight, and his fingers flexed as if he still wished he could throw another punch.
But then, his expression darkened, and his tone grew serious.
"We can settle this some other time. Right now, we've got bigger problems." He met Cade's eyes. "How do we get Neph and Cassie away from that abominable tree?"
Maya finally seemed to come out of her uncalled-for fit and sat up, clearing her throat.
"Uh, excuse me. I kind of... lost myself there... for a bit..."
Even now, she looked like she was holding back laughter, her lips twitching slightly.
Cade narrowed his eyes. I'm definitely gonna get her back for this, one day.
"Anyway," Maya continued, looking at Sunny, and shaking off the last remnants of her amusement. "The plan... is that you're gonna build a boat."
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This one's on the shorter side, I know, but I had to divide the conversation properly and there weren't many points where I could end a chapter. That's why this one turned out short. Also, a little light-heartedness was kinda necessary, because last chapter was emotionally thought provoking. At least, that's what I tried to make it.
Anyway, I decided to write this entire conversation. I could have off-screened it and skipped the part where they explain the plan to Sunny. But where's the fun in that? I'm trying to improve my writing and I'm gonna make mistakes while writing Sunny's character. Mistakes you guys can point out. That'll help me improve, so writing this entire conversation will be quite fruitful for me, I think.
I do hope you'll offer some constructive criticism throughout the way.
In any case, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Until next time... :]