Light. There was nothing but light and agony.
Light and a terrible, deafening roar. It was too much to bear.
She forgot how to breathe. She forgot why she had been running. All she could remember was the sound.
That terrible, harrowing sound.
Then—
Nothing.
Not darkness. Cassie had grown used to the darkness. She knew how to live alongside it now.
This was different.
This was an absence—a void where sensation should be.
Slowly, sound returned. A distant ringing. High and thin, like a bell struck too hard. Then beneath it, something else. Muffled and wet. The sound of breathing that wasn't hers.
She tried to move her body—but it didn't respond immediately. It felt distant, disconnected, like she was inhabiting someone else's skin. Her fingers twitched. That was good. She focused on that. One finger, then another. Her hand slowly curled into a fist.
Then the pain came back.
A terrible pain engulfed her leg, traveling upward in waves that made her stomach lurch. Next was her side, her ribs, her face. Everything hurt. Everything was wrong.
She forced her eyes open, though the gesture was meaningless. The world remained black.
However, her other senses began to stir. She could feel the surrounding area once more.
Though… the sounds alone told her enough. Debris was everywhere. Heat was everywhere. The air itself felt scorched, thick with ash and dust that coated her throat.
And weight.
There was weight on top of her.
Cassie's breath caught. She reached up with trembling hands and felt fabric. She slowly but surely recognized it—having felt it quite recently.
And… it was wet and damp. It was a body.
Her voice came out as a broken rasp. "K-Kai?"
No response.
Her fingers moved higher, searching for his face, his neck—anything. She found his pulse beneath her fingertips. It was steady and slow.
He was unconscious, but thankfully, still alive.
Relief flooded through her, so intense it nearly brought tears.
He… he must have shielded her when the attack came. He'd thrown himself over her instead of flying away. She could feel the burns along his back now, and they were truly terrible.
"Kai!" she tried again. "Kai! Wake up!"
Nothing.
She tried to shift beneath him, attempting to push him off gently—but her leg screamed in protest. The pain was so sudden and absolute that her senses—what little remained—went haywire. She gasped and fell back, her chest heaving.
Her leg… it wasn't broken, but soon it would be completely unusable. Her bones had cracked in multiple places from the shockwave alone.
Around her, the world was screaming. She could hear wails—the sounds of people crying out and calling names. Some were begging for help, unaware that their comrades were probably dead.
The sounds layered over each other into a terrible chorus of agony and despair.
Cassie forced herself to breathe. In. Out. Focus.
Slowly but surely, she focused back on the world. She could feel vibrations through the ground—moving bodies, some not. Too many of the latter.
But it didn't take long for a pair of footsteps to come close.
Someone stumbled toward her through the debris. Their steps were weak, but still burning with resolve.
Cassie croaked. "H-Help, please—"
Suddenly, rough hands gripped her shoulders in urgency.
"Can you move?"
It was a man's voice. Definitely one of Gunlang's Castle Guards. She didn't recognize him specifically, but the desperation in his tone was universal.
"Kai—he's unconscious—"
"I'll get him." The guard shifted Kai's weight off her with a grunt. Cassie heard him curse under his breath. "He's burned bad. Dear gods—you both are!"
"I need—" Cassie tried to sit up, but her leg wouldn't bend. She screamed in pain.
The guard pressed her back down. "Hey—hey! Don't bother moving. Your leg—damn it, your leg's a mess. You're not walking on that."
Cassie couldn't care less. "I have to—" She fell into a coughing fit. "Nephis… I have to find Nephis."
The guard went quiet for a moment. Then he said in a somber tone: "Lady Cassia… the center's gone. Anyone who was there when it hit—"
"No." Cassie shook her head violently. "She's not dead. Something like this wouldn't kill—"
"Just listen—"
"NO!" She said in an indignant tone. "I need to find her!"
Before the guard could respond, another voice cut through the screams and chaos.
"Get them up! Now! We can't stay here long!"
Gemma was still alive.
Cassie felt him approaching—strong, steady, far stronger than anyone should have been after such devastation. It didn't take her long to realize that he must have used his Aspect. He'd regenerated the damage, knitting his body back together.
But there was still something wrong with his movements. He was sluggish. Something was interfering with his Aspect, slowing his healing to a crawl.
The guard called out. "Sir Gemma! We've got wounded here—"
"Everyone's wounded, dammit! Can you not see that—?!"
"It's Lady Cassia and Nightingale!"
From what Cassie could tell, Gemma seemed to freeze for a moment before running over. He was in front of them now.
"Cassia's leg is ruined. Kai is unconscious, but both will live."
Gemma cursed. Cassie heard him crouch beside her and check her for injuries with his hands.
"Cassie," he said. His voice was urgent but controlled. "I need you to listen. All of you in Changing Star's cohort are indispensable. We need to leave. The castle is collapsing and we maybe have minutes before this entire section falls into the earth. We need to move—"
"Nephis," Cassie whispered, not bothering to conceal her name. "Where's Nephis?"
Gemma's hands stilled. He responded quietly.
"…Center of the blast. With Caster and Gunlang."
Cassie's chest tightened. For a moment, she couldn't breathe and her entire world tilted sideways.
If Nephis dies, then everything will mean nothing.
"I have to—" She tried to push herself up again, but her arms shook. Her leg was still uncooperative. She fell.
"Cassie, enough—!"
"I have to find her! This will all mean nothing if she isn't here!"
"You can barely move! What good will it do if you die as well! Did you not hear me—"
"I DON'T CARE!"
Gemma grabbed her shoulders. Firm, yet making sure he didn't do any more damage to the already broken girl.
"Listen to me," he said. "Tessai's unconscious. Kai's unconscious. Half the survivors can't even walk! I need to get them out. And I need you with the group—"
"Then go, for the Spell's sake!" Cassie shoved his hands away. "Go! I'll find her myself!"
"You'll die! I cannot allow—"
"Then I'll die!"
At some point, they both simply stopped talking. There was no use in trying to convince the young girl.
Gemma stared at her for a long moment. She could feel his gaze even through her blindness, sensing the conflict warring within him.
Then… he sighed.
"…You lot, you're all insane," he muttered. "All of you. Every single one."
He suddenly stood up.
"Daniel. Get Kai somewhere safe. Follow the retreating group out of here—and get someone to take Tessai. Move anyone who can walk toward the east, and get as far away from the center as possible. The ground beneath us is… not stable."
"And Cassia?" the guard asked.
Gemma looked down at Cassie. She could practically feel the frustration, but also resignation radiating from him.
"Gunlang is still at the center of this hell. And… besides, Cassie is right. Those three are some of our strongest. It'd be a shame to let them die. So I'll go with her."
He paused, then turned his head as though searching for something.
"Where's Effie?" he called out. "Has anyone seen Athena?"
Silence answered him. Only the groans of the wounded and the distant rumble of collapsing stone.
Gemma waited a moment longer, then cursed under his breath.
"She must have fled already," he muttered. "Or she's buried somewhere. Either way, we can't wait."
He turned back to Cassie and crouched down again.
"Very well then… let's pray that we don't die."
Cassie felt his hands grip her arms as he hauled her upright. Her leg buckled immediately and she bit back a scream. Gemma steadied her with one arm while she leaned heavily against him.
"Can you walk at all?"
"I can crawl."
"That'll have to do."
Together they stumbled forward. Gemma barked orders at the survivors as they moved. Cassie heard people shuffling, groaning, crying. The sounds of the living trying desperately to stay that way.
Behind them, the survivors were fleeing toward what they hoped was safety—though even that did not exist.
Ahead of them, the ground was slowly splitting apart.
They pressed deeper into the ruins. Every step was agony. Cassie's leg dragged uselessly behind her, the bones grinding with each movement. She gritted her teeth and forced herself forward.
Gemma supported most of her weight, but she could feel him struggling too. His regeneration was still being suppressed by whatever lingered in those crimson flames. He was strong, but not invincible.
"How much further?" he asked through gritted teeth.
Cassie strained her senses. The sounds of the world around her painted a picture in her mind—the crash of falling debris, the hiss of dying flames, the awful groaning of stone giving way.
And beneath it all—
Combat.
The clash of something massive against something else. The shriek of tearing metal and splintering bone. A roar that made the air itself tremble.
The Disasters were still fighting.
"There," Cassie gasped, pointing with a shaking hand. "I can hear them. The Disasters—they're still—"
Another tremor cut her off. This one was different, with its origin from deep below…
The ground beneath them shifted.
It wasn't just shaking anymore—it was sinking.
Cassie felt it through the soles of her feet, through the vibrations that traveled up her ruined leg. The castle wasn't just collapsing.
It was falling inward.
The entire hill was caving in on itself, creating a massive sinkhole that would swallow everything. The Bright Castle had stood at the peak of this rise for centuries, and now the earth beneath it was giving way.
And if they fell—
The drop was immense. The castle sat high above the surrounding landscape. Below was nothing but jagged rock and—eventually—sea level.
No one would survive that fall.
Especially not Nephis, who had no way to manipulate wind or slow her descent.
Cassie's blood ran cold.
"We have to hurry," she whispered. "Gemma, we have to—"
"I know." His voice was tight. "I can feel it too."
They pushed forward faster, stumbling through the ruins. Cassie's world narrowed to pain and sound and the desperate need to reach Nephis before the ground opened up completely.
Somewhere ahead, buried in the rubble—
Nephis was waiting.
And time was running out.
—
Flames. Oh… crimson fire.
There was nothing but fire all around. Flames and a cacophony of screams. It was too much. It was everything. It was all there was to feel.
She forgot who she was. She forgot how to feel. She forgot why she was fighting. All she knew—all she could remember was a crimson comet. A flash of the heavens…?
'Ah… ah…'
She remembered now—
The pain that engulfed her very being was what brought it back. Her name. As her mind started to clear, she could remember… her name was Nephis.
The pain wasn't comparable to her flaw. That agony was familiar—and something she'd continue to be familiar with.
But this… this was different.
The sight all around her was devastating. It was as if the Forgotten Shore was hellbent on showing her utter despair. She lay buried beneath a pile of rubble, unable to move, staring at what had once been the Bright Castle. The towers were gone. The walls were gone. The great hall where they had gathered, argued, planned, eaten—
Gone.
Even the foundations had been erased, as though the castle had never existed at all.
All that remained was burning debris.
The place that had stood against Nightmare Creatures for weeks—years—and hundreds of years before had been reduced to ash in a single attack.
She could hear the sounds of screaming—but her ears rang. Too many sensations. Too many details all at once. She attempted to bring her arm up and she screamed again. She was only capable of moving her head. Whether it be the fact that she had accumulated too much damage, or that the crimson flames were somehow nullifying her Aspect, she couldn't heal herself. She was simply incapable of doing so.
Turning her gaze to the left, she saw Caster's slumped body. It was hard to tell if he was dead or alive. There were terrible burns on the back of his body. He was stomach-first in the rubble. Turning her gaze to the right, far away, she saw Gunlang. Half of his Echo was destroyed—it was a miracle it hadn't vanished entirely. Though it didn't matter—it would die soon.
His left leg was missing—and though she could finally see his face, it was painted red.
Was… anyone left?
Finally, she turned her gaze forward and witnessed a truly horrifying sight. The Disaster of the South was fighting something else. Just what was that thing?
Ah…
Nephis would have chuckled, but she couldn't move her mouth. The image wasn't clear, but she was smart enough to put it together. What had attacked them was clearly another Disaster.
That red streak they had previously seen in the sky…
The Disaster of the West had come as well. Did none of them have any good fortune? What had they done to deserve encountering two calamities?
Alas, this world was cruel. And it was stripping her bare. She… she was losing everything so fast.
In the short days that Nephis and Gunlang had allied themselves, the castle had become a fragile symbol of hope. Those who had placed their faith in her without hesitation. The illusion that she—Changing Star—could protect anything at all felt like nothing but a sick joke.
Caster was most likely on the brink of death. Gunlang bled out beside the ruins of his shattered, fading Echo. The Sleepers she had led into this hell were burning, screaming, and vanishing. The bright hall where they had once gathered was ash. The banners on the walls were ash. The hope she had nurtured—foolishly, stubbornly—was ash.
Sunny wasn't here.
Cassie was—
Her thoughts refused to finish that one.
Everything she reached for turned to dust in her hands. Every bond she allowed herself to form was torn away. Clan. Followers. Her two friends.
Piece by piece.
And she was still breathing.
Unable to move, she simply watched the harrowing sight. The Southern Disaster was battling the Western one—and by the looks of it, the Silver Wing had the upper hand. She could hear the cries and wails of the one that controlled the mist. It was being overwhelmed—maybe even eaten. It wouldn't take long for it to retreat.
And once it did, what would become of all the Sleepers? Hell, what was she thinking? Did any of them still live? Perhaps the Silver Wing's attack had granted them a swift and painless death. Oh how kind it would be to simply die. To have enough with the Dream. To not feel the pain of losing loved ones. To no longer have to worry about the Nightmare.
But that was not who she was.
She gritted her teeth, trying to lift her neck once more—and fell back down. She let out another pained groan. The state of her body was uncertain, but she could feel pain at practically every nerve. She knew it wasn't in a good state. There was nothing she could accomplish here. Nephis wasn't one to put her hopes into someone else—but anyone would work right now. If neither she, Caster, nor Gunlang could move—then someone else would have to move them.
But was anyone left? If the gods were merciful—no, they weren't. But Nephis knew this world well enough. She was a Dreamspawn, after all.
It only took another minute for her to finally feel something else. Someone was struggling to pick her up. Now she could hear voices—yelling and screams. Someone was breathing near her.
"…Neph!"
Who…?
It was hard to discern who was touching her. Her vision was quite blurry. All she knew was that whoever was dragging her was wounded—due to the additional blood running down her stomach. And that they had blonde hair—
'Cassie!'
For a split second, something inside her eased. A thin, trembling thread of relief slipped through the suffocating weight in her chest. Cassie was alive. She was here. She had survived the blast.
It was fragile. Painfully fragile. But it was there.
A breath she hadn't realized she was holding shuddered out of her lungs—only to hitch again just as quickly. Because if Cassie was here… then she had come back by choice.
Why would she come back?
"Neph…!"
Nephis heard her voice more clearly that time. It was as if everything snapped into place. She could feel the surrounding area more clearly. The damned castle wasn't just ruined—it was splitting. The ground wasn't merely shaking from the ongoing battle—it was going to cave in. One glance down was all it took to see the forming cavern. Anyone who was caught in the castle was going to sink down—down below the very earth.
Nephis's gaze snapped back to Cassie as she saw the girl trying to drag her away. Why did she come back for her?!
Cassie's leg and side were bloodied and nearly unrecognizable. Her face was painted red, but her blue empty eyes were focused.
Though that was the issue. She was blind. Cassie wouldn't be able to navigate her way out of here.
"C-..Cassie… ru-n…"
Cassie heard her, but didn't reply. She was panicking. Her entire world was black and she couldn't find a way to safety—
"Is anyone out there?!"
Both Cassie and Nephis heard another voice. It belonged to Effie.
"H-Here—!" Cassie's voice dissolved into a coughing fit. Yelling wasn't an option either.
And soon, after only a minute of trying to traverse the rubble—Cassie's leg gave in. She stumbled and fell, protecting Nephis as they tumbled. Now they both lay there, facing each other. Nephis's eyes were pained.
"Let's move! We found Caster!"
Nephis tried to snap her eyes backward, but couldn't. That was Gemma's voice, wasn't it…?
Oh, of course. His Aspect was one of self-regeneration. Even if the initial blow brought him down—he could have simply healed himself. Nephis couldn't because she was at the center of the blast.
Truly, it was a miracle she was alive at all. Though… if no one found her and Cassie, they were both going to die.
Nephis felt something warm brush against her cheek. For a split second, she thought it was falling debris.
But the touch lingered. It was trembling, and so very gentle.
Cassie's fingers. They were slick with her own blood.
"Sorry… Neph…"
The words were barely there. A breath more than a voice.
Yet that was all it took to send Nephis into a spiral of panic.
Sorry?
For what?
"W—Why…" Nephis fell into another coughing fit. She felt something rip in her throat. She coughed another fountain of blood.
She was feeling nervous—nervous unlike ever before. Not only for the fact that Cassie seemed to know something she didn't, but also because she had a bad premonition.
Her blue empty eyes were fixed somewhere beyond her, unfocused yet terribly certain. Her lips trembled, but she didn't look afraid.
She looked resolved.
A cold dread flooded Nephis entirely.
'No. No no no no no no no—'
"No," she tried to say. But it only came out as a wet and broken moan.
The ground shook again. This time, it was directly under them. Cassie gritted her teeth as she crawled closer to Nephis. In her hand, the memory of a wooden staff appeared from sparks of light. The same one capable of generating winds. Cassie fully embraced Nephis and activated it. The winds weren't strong, but they gave them a little push.
Unfortunately, they were too slow. The crack beneath them was widening further and further—and it was then Nephis realized what Cassie was trying to do.
Stone gave way in slow, grinding fractures. But Cassie completely ignored it.
It was clear to Nephis now. Cassie wasn't trying to escape.
She was trying to push her away.
"S..stop!"
Her arm twitched uselessly as Cassie twisted the staff and shoved her body toward solid ground. Nephis forced her fingers forward, straining every damaged muscle, reaching—
Just inches too short.
Nephis was screaming inside. Though she couldn't say it out loud, she would sooner die with Cassie than leave her behind. For all she knew, she'd already lost Sunny. She couldn't lose Cassie as well.
Her voice was choked—in pain. Blood vessels ruptured in her throat as she screamed.
"C-..Cas..Cassie! C-..CA..SSIE!"
Cassie had a small, bitter smile on her face. It wasn't brave at all. It trembled, like something put there only to keep herself from breaking. There was an apology in it.
And resolve.
By now, the Disaster of the South had retreated, and the Silver Wing was glaring in their direction. Its massive form loomed against the burning sky, attention shifting—locking onto them.
Nephis couldn't move. She felt it then. The shift in intent.
Cassie's fingers tightened around the wooden staff. Her knuckles were slick with blood.
She wasn't trying to escape with her any longer.
She was measuring the distance.
Nephis… she simply watched as Cassie pointed the tip of the wooden staff toward her stomach.
'Stop.'
Nephis could only watch as a relieved and fearful tear slipped from the corner of Cassie's eye.
It was a frightened cry—but also a soft one.
'Please. Stop.'
Cassie inhaled deeply as behind her, the Disaster of the West began to glow like a crimson star.
'Why…?'
The Disaster's power swelled further and further. And finally, Cassie let the wind rip free. She blew Nephis away as the ground beneath her dissolved.
The wind roared, though it was not violent enough to save them both.
Strong enough, only for one.
Nephis was torn away, dragged across the ruins. Her nails carved uselessly into the ground as she fought the momentum.
The earth beneath Cassie gave way. It crumbled, piece by piece until there was nothing left. Cassie's silhouette lingered at the edge of the widening void for one heartbeat—
Then she was gone. Swallowed by darkness.
The Disaster's attack stopped abruptly as it realized it was falling. The flap of its wing blew Nephis further away as she helplessly watched Cassie fall into the abyss.
…How? This… this couldn't be. Could it?
This was all a joke, right? What had she done wrong? Could she not keep one companion?
One friend?
One person she—she didn't have the word. She was too panicked to think of it.
B-But she cared! Was that not enough? Why was this happening?
Her family—her clan, and now both of her friends?
"CASSIE!"
She screamed at the top of her lungs as she collided with someone. She only saw the arm—and realized it was Caster, barely conscious, though still capable of using his Aspect. The entire castle crumbled and fell deeper into the hill it sat upon as the Disaster of the West flew away. At the same time, numerous crimson stars crashed upon the remaining survivors in its wake. All Nephis saw was Caster and Effie defending her with their bodies.
But she couldn't think. Couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.
She had just lost something precious—again. She had just failed—again. She hadn't been enough—again.
She came to the Forgotten Shore with two people she hadn't known. She had saved one, and been found by the other. She had taught one to survive, and learned how to be deceitful from him. She had taught one that they weren't weak and useless, and learned how to be… human from her.
She...
She treasured her?
She did…?
Ah… that was it, wasn't it? A feeling she wasn't used to.
Nephis almost rejected it outright. But that, too, would have been a lie.
She did not understand what shape such feelings were meant to take, nor where they were supposed to fit within her carefully ordered existence. She only understood the sensation itself.
She liked being with them.
With Cassie. With Sunny.
She liked Cassie and Sunny. In their presence, something inside her eased. She did not have to measure every word before speaking it. She did not have to calculate every glance, every pause, every breath. She did not have to remain tight and ready for betrayal.
They trusted her—and she had trusted them.
Now she had lost them both.
Something inside her shattered as she watched Cassie's bloodied body disappear into the void.
Oh, so very silently.
Without so much as a whisper.
Without a scream clawing its way out of her throat. Without a single broken cry chasing after her friend as she fell.
The fracture happened inwardly, where no one could see.
She simply broke.
There was no physical collapse. No trembling hands reaching for the abyss. She remained in Caster's arms, blade still in hand, eyes clear and cold while the world continued to move around her.
Only the center of her—whatever fragile thing had dared to soften—splintered beyond repair.
She did not think it would ever mend.
One thing was certain.
When Cassie fell, a piece of her fell too.
And she knew she would never get it back.
Hours after the fall of the Bright Castle, what remained of the cohort—Gunlang, the artisans, the handmaidens, the pathfinders, the scattered people of the settlement—had retreated.
Retreat. There was no other word for it.
The damage was beyond measure. The scale alone overwhelmed everyone's minds. Each and every Sleeper had a profound feeling of uselessness.
The Southern Disaster's first assault had wiped out most of the Castle Guard and slaughtered the Hunters before reinforcements could arrive.
And it did not stop there.
The settlement itself had been torn apart.
Fortunately, weeks of preparation under Nephis had spared them from total annihilation. She had trained them for such things—taught them how to see Nightmare Creature raids coming. Because of that, many had lived.
Just… not enough.
Across the entirety of the Forgotten Shore, more than a third of the Sleeper population had been wiped out.
One thousand had once walked these shores.
At least three hundred and eighty-four were confirmed dead.
That number only existed because one of Gunlang's people possessed an Aspect capable of tracking the living souls bound to the Shore. Without it, the losses would be guesswork at best.
No one had stood in the aftermath to count bodies. They had no such luxury.
The moment the Bright Castle fell, the settlement collapsed with it.
And everyone ran.
And thus, here they were.
—
They retreated into the catacombs.
With their combined strength, and with the Lord of the Dead absent from his domain, the descent had been almost mercifully easy. The few Nightmare Creatures that lingered near the ruins were overwhelmed by the sudden influx of Sleepers.
And so they survived.
Days had passed since the fall of the Bright Castle.
Effie lay against a wall with her jaw clenched as Nephis pressed a glowing hand to her side. The light of her Aspect spilled into Effie's wounds, a mending flame restoring her vitality and body. Effie didn't crack a single joke…
Caster had been carried most of the journey, slung over another Sleeper's back when his own legs refused to obey him. Even now he leaned against a pillar, pale as a sheet. Gunlang had not woken once. He remained unconscious from the moment the Silver Wing descended upon them.
Suffice to say, no one was doing well.
Grim expressions could be seen on every face. The chain of command had fallen to Nephis. Until Gunlang opened his eyes again, she led.
If he ever did.
He had summoned his Echo to shield them from the Silver Wing's attack, taking the brunt of it. Without him, both Nephis and Caster would have been cooling corpses.
The very thought of it soured the air.
It was not the only reason, though.
The Bright Castle had been more than some fortification. It had been shelter and routine. Walls that held the Nightmare Creatures at bay. On the Forgotten Shore, that counted as home.
Now it was gone.
They were deep in Nightmare territory, surrounded by things that hunted without rest.
And their temporary leader, Nephis of the Immortal Flame Clan, was faring worse than any of them.
Even a child could see it.
Over the course of those long days, she had issued orders perfectly. Carving through creature after creature, white flame devouring anything in her path. With Effie guiding their movement through the wilds, alongside the Pathfinders and Gemma's coordination, they had lost remarkably few on the journey.
It should have felt like a well-earned victory—to make it so far.
It did not.
Nephis walked like a corpse. She was hollowed out—without a doubt.
She had not spoken outside of commands. No one had heard her exchange a single piece of dialogue with anyone else. She didn't even retort to Effie's teasing.
Effie and Caster might have once dismissed it as her usual reserve.
This was different.
Her eyes, once cold and steady, now seemed emptied of depth. Her steps were precise, yet something essential was missing, as though the core of her existence had faltered. When she gave orders, her voice carried…
It carried nothing.
Caster had found her alone once. He had not meant to.
The memory lingered in his mind—and he found it very uncomfortable. She had been sitting—leaning against a dark tree, with shaking shoulders. He didn't hear her mutter any words—but it was obvious.
She had lost composure. All he could hear was the raw, broken sound of someone coming apart.
Nephis had sobbed. Truly, body trembling, breathtakingly sobbed.
He had stepped back before she noticed him.
He would not say he felt nothing about it. That would be a lie.
Still… his mission remained.
Now, as the massive group circulated supplies and redistributed rations within the catacombs, Caster leaned against the dirt wall and let out a quiet chuckle.
Nephis was nowhere to be seen.
She had vanished again.
But that was not what amused him. It was the absurdity of it all.
He was supposed to kill her—and he had the chance.
But right now… his mission felt distant. Unreal. With the way things were going, he doubted it would matter. They were stranded in open Nightmare territory with no true shelter, and surrounded by four weakened Corrupted abominations that possessed multiple abilities each.
The Southern Disaster alone had wielded eroding poison, crimson blood-mist, distortion of distance and perception—
—and control over lesser Nightmare Creatures, despite not being a Tyrant.
Four abilities. Its strength, though diminished, was no less fearsome.
If those abominations returned to full power, there would be no need for his mission.
They would simply die. Even Saints would struggle against these beings.
What, then, were Sleepers supposed to accomplish?
Gunlang lay still, unconscious with his secrets locked behind his lips. Nephis suspected he was hiding something, and Caster was inclined to agree.
None of it mattered if they were devoured before any answers could surface.
He tilted his head back and looked toward the distant opening where the Nameless Sun shone across the sky. Its light had returned, yet it seemed thinner now. Night crept in at the edges, staining the horizon crimson.
Beautiful, in a distant and indifferent way.
Caster let the quiet laughter fade from his throat.
Truly.
What a life he was living.
In the three days or so, things moved with terrible speed.
There had been no time to grieve or hesitate.
The news had spread fast. Gunlang's Transcendent Echo had been annihilated during the battle, and with it, the unshakable authority he once held over the Sleepers. Power, on the Forgotten Shore, was a simple equation. Strength decided everything.
And now, strength pointed to her.
It did not take long for Nephis to become the undisputed leader of the Sleepers.
The transition, however, was far from smooth.
More than one Sleeper had attempted to take advantage of Gunlang's unconscious state. A blade in the dark. A poisoned draught. A quiet end to the old tyrant.
Each attempt had been stopped.
By Nephis.
Everyone through the ranks—even those who were still loyal to Gunlang—were confused. Why protect him? Why spare the man who had ruled them through fear?
It appeared that they had already forgotten what truly mattered. Personal grudges were a luxury they did not have.
They were all mistaken in thinking that the catacombs would be their permanent residence. Nephis, as well as Caster and Effie, knew better. The Lord of the Dead would return to his domain sooner or later.
More than that, at some point they would have no choice but to brave the Dark Sea. The Nightmare Creatures lurking beyond the walls did not care for their rations, materials, or resources.
They needed every capable fighter they could get. Every mind that could still think clearly under pressure. And regardless of his past, Gunlang's Aspect allowed him to brave the Dark Sea in ways few others could.
Nephis had explained it plainly. She required him for what was to come.
And besides, where would any of them go if they refused her? The ruined shore offered only isolation and death. United, they at least possessed a sliver of hope.
So the old structure of the castle reassembled itself. Handmaidens, pathfinders, artisans, tenants. The remaining hunters and castle guard fell back into their respective factions. The only difference now was the name at the top.
Changing Star.
—
Outside the entrance to the catacombs, high above the ground, Nephis sat on a narrow branch of a tall, skeletal tree.
The bark rested against her back. The wind tugged faintly at her pale hair. Below, voices carried—though too far to discern. Orders—footsteps—plans of survival.
She had positioned herself where she could see everything.
And feel nothing. Her eyes were closed.
It had been a long time since she had truly felt lost.
Now the same feeling was upon her. Her mind felt adrift.
…She had what she needed, did she not?
Gunlang's people now had no choice but to follow her. His Transcendent Echo—the one that granted him his overwhelming power—was now destroyed.
The settlement had been obeying her commands for weeks. They wouldn't abandon her now.
Supplies were being rationed. Scouts were rotating shifts. The catacombs would be secured in no time.
Everything was functioning and intact.
Everything except for her.
Cassie was dead.
Sunny was missing.
For days she had searched when she could, sending pathfinders along routes with the excuse of "not endangering the group." She had looked herself, when no one was watching, yet there had been no sign of him. He didn't leave any sort of trail, much less an echo of his presence.
It did not matter.
Somewhere along the way, after watching Cassie fall into the void, hope had withered into something hollow.
Her mind whispered what her heart refused to voice.
He died long ago.
Everything she had allowed herself to treasure was gone.
Cassie… Sunny…
The fragile wish to have something that would make her happy after this was all over.
All of it reduced to memories.
Only her goal remained now. Her vow. Her path. Her fire.
That should have been enough, no? It was what kept her going, even after those ghouls sent assassin after assassin to take her head.
It had always been enough. So why… why did it feel like standing upright required effort?
…A sudden warmth slid down her cheek. Nephis frowned faintly.
Another followed. Then one after the other.
For a moment, she did not understand what was happening. Her hand rose almost absently, fingers brushing damp skin.
"…Oh."
She was crying again.
The realization felt distant, almost curious. She had thought that part of herself had been buried years ago, beneath the ashes of her once great family. Tears had no function in a world where Nightmare Creatures waited behind every shadow. Weakness was a luxury—and also a sin. She couldn't afford it on the path she was taking.
Yet she did not wipe them away.
Cassie was gone.
Sunny was gone.
'I'm… I'm to blame.'
It wasn't a justified thought, really. But she couldn't help but think it.
If she had not driven Sunny away with her cold words and resolve, he would have remained at her side. If he had been there when the Disaster of the South descended, perhaps the outcome would have been different. It always had before. Somehow, against reason and probability, things always worked out when he was around.
Perhaps Cassie would still be alive.
Her breath hitched.
She tried to steady it, but each inhale scraped down her throat. Her chest felt like it bore a mountain, a deep tearing pressure that made her curl forward slightly, fingers digging into the rough bark.
Sleepers died every day. People passed on every morning.
That was the law of the Dream Realm. Completely indifferent to both Nightmare Creatures and Dreamers.
She—no, everyone had come to accept this truth long ago.
But this acceptance did nothing to ease the pain in her heart.
The dam broke.
She ensured that no sound escaped her, yet her shoulders trembled violently. Tears fell unchecked, darkening the bark beneath her. She bowed her head, hiding her face in the crook of her arm, alone in the branches like some wounded, cornered thing.
There was no one left she trusted enough to see this.
The only ones who ever could were gone.
She couldn't help but question… why?
Why did humans—why did she wait so long to speak things that truly mattered? Why does everyone cradle their feelings like fragile contraband, guarding them until time quietly slips away?
It was quite simple, really. She had believed there would always be more of it.
More days. More battles and triumphs. More quiet moments in the spaces between.
Enough time to untangle the strange warmth in her chest. Enough time to decide what to call it. Enough time to say it aloud.
She never told Cassie how deeply she cherished her presence, the certainty of her voice, the way she steadied her world without ever demanding anything in return.
She never told Sunny that, in a realm devoured by shadow, he had been a stubborn and infuriating point of brightness. That when he stood beside her, everything seemed… manageable.
She had assumed they would remain by her side.
That assumption felt like the cruelest arrogance of all.
Now the words lived only inside her, completely useless. And they always would.
After a long while, she lifted her gaze.
Beyond the ruined landscape, the Nameless Sun burned upon this new day. Its light flickered uncertainly, night still bleeding into the sky in streaks of deep crimson. The Crimson Terror was weakened—but nonetheless, dawn was returning to the Forgotten Shore.
The horizon glowed red and gold.
Beautiful…
Cruel…
The dawn had come.
It had come without them.