Thanks to the shadow fragments Sunny had absorbed in the last few days, the range of his Shadow Control had increased slightly. However, it still wasn't enough to explore deep into the labyrinth. All he could really do was determine the general direction the two large monsters were heading in.
They were going west.
After relaying that to Nephis, there wasn't much else to do. So, Sunny decided to rest—tomorrow promised to be full of hardship and danger. The best thing he could do was let his body recover as much as possible.
Some time later, Sunny was lying on his back, staring at the grey sky. Cassie sat beside him, lost in thought. Nephis was meditating—or at least, it looked like she was. For all Sunny knew, she might have been asleep. Miguel, meanwhile, looked completely out of it. Either he was zoned out or so focused inwardly that he seemed disconnected from the world around him.
After a while, Cassie turned her head slightly.
"Sunny?"
He tilted his head toward her. "Yeah?"
She hesitated. "Do you... do you think we'll be able to return home?"
Sunny furrowed his brow, then looked back up at the sky.
"Sure."
Cassie smiled. "You really think so? Why?"
'What's with all the questions lately?'
He pointed toward Nephis—though he knew Cassie couldn't see it. Still, she'd understand who he meant; there was no one else around except Miguel.
"And I'm not someone who dies easily, either. Plus, you've got a Slayer as a bodyguard who'd throw himself between you and death without hesitation. If anyone has a shot at making it out of this hellhole, it's us. So yeah, I'd say our odds are solid."
Cassie giggled.
"Aren't you a little too full of yourself? You were second-to-last in the rankings!"
Sunny shrugged.
"Because someone smart told me to keep a low profile. Otherwise, I would've ranked way higher."
He grinned.
"Much higher. Like, third-to-last, at least. Maybe fourth if you count Miguel."
Cassie burst into laughter, light and melodic. It was the first time Sunny had heard her laugh since they arrived in the Dream Realm. It reminded him that even in a nightmare like this, joy still had a place.
Come to think of it, he couldn't recall hearing her laugh back at the Academy either. She had always seemed quiet... and kind of sad.
After the laughter faded, her expression turned wistful.
A few seconds later, she asked, "You and Miguel... did you know each other before the Nightmare Spell?"
Sunny blinked. His memories of their first meeting were vague and hazy.
"I... don't remember. But I guess if I don't remember, maybe that means we did know each other. A long time ago, maybe?" He looked at Miguel. "You remember how we met?"
Miguel snapped out of his thoughts and blinked.
"Huh? Oh, right. Nah, bud. Everything before the Nightmare Spell's kind of fuzzy for me."
Then something clicked in his mind.
"Hey, remember when I mentioned Chekhov's Law? Don't forget that. It might come in handy later. Got a weird feeling about it."
Sunny raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
"That sounded way too ominous... but sure, I'll try not to forget."
The conversation shifted so smoothly it was almost strange—though none of them noticed it.
Cassie's expression grew somber again. After Miguel drifted back into his quiet state, she asked Sunny:
"What do you miss most about home?"
Sunny tried to think of something... but came up empty. He wasn't even sure he'd had a home. That tiny rented room had only ever been a shelter from the rain. And the real world? It hadn't been kind to him.
Finally, he said, "I don't particularly miss anything."
Cassie's brows furrowed. "Really? Don't you miss your family?"
Sunny gave a small smile.
"I don't have a family. Well... I guess I have a sister somewhere. Haven't seen her in years, though."
"Oh..."
Cassie went quiet. Then, softly:
"I miss my family the most."
There was pain in her voice. Sunny didn't know how to respond, so he didn't.
"Mom and Dad must be heartbroken. They probably think I'm already dead."
Sunny glanced at her and sighed.
"You really love them."
Cassie turned toward him, confused.
"Of course. Isn't that normal?"
Sunny looked back at the sky. The air smelled of rain.
"I wouldn't know."
That evening, Nephis made Sunny go through another round of a thousand sword strikes. Afterwards, they shared the last of their dried scavenger meat, took turns standing watch, and tried to get some sleep.
Thankfully, the night passed quietly.
When the morning came and the dark sea retreated, they got ready to leave the statue. Nephis was the first to climb down, but before she did, she gave a few instructions:
"Today will be different. There'll be more scavengers in the labyrinth. We might not have time to set ambushes, and avoiding multiple fights will be harder. Miguel—you've got two tasks: make sure we don't get surrounded, and protect Cassie."
"If things go south, we'll fall back into tight corridors the scavengers can't follow through. If we get separated, head for the high point alone. Don't wait for me. Got it?"
Miguel nodded nonchalantly. Sunny gave a more somber nod. Nephis returned the gesture.
"Good. Let's move."
Miguel lifted Cassie in a bridal carry, then, turning into a mirage, reappeared at the base of the statue. Gently, he set her down. A minute later, Sunny and Nephis joined them.
They entered the labyrinth quickly, moving with purpose. Sunny's shadow scouted ahead, watching for danger and helping chart a safe route.
Despite that, their progress was slow. Constant detours to avoid scavengers led them into dead ends and far from their destination. Sunny's brain felt like it was boiling from the effort of navigating.
Eventually, they ran out of options.
A large group of scavengers was closing in from behind, and a trio stood directly in their path. They hadn't noticed the Sleepers yet, but it was only a matter of time.
Nephis scowled, thinking for a few seconds. Then she said:
"If it's just three, we can handle them."
Sunny wasn't so sure.
"There's no time to set up an ambush."
Nephis shrugged. "It's the same either way. I'll go first. Once they turn, Sunny—you come in from behind and kill one. Then we'll take the second together."
She paused, then looked at Miguel. "And for the third—"
Miguel smirked, already summoning Yamato.
"You can leave that one to me. I've taken one of those bastards down before. I can do it again."