The sun rose over the edge of the cliff, its light gleaming off the crimson coral that stretched as far as the eye could see. The dark sea had retreated once more, leaving behind a world painted in red.
Sunny opened his eyes to find Nephis and Cassie huddled together near a jagged rock. Nephis held Cassie's hand tightly, her grip protective, almost as if shielding her from something unseen.
Sunny frowned.
'What the hell happened last night?'
He reached out and tapped Nephis on the shoulder.
Her eyes snapped open instantly. Without hesitation, she summoned her sword, her body shifting into a defensive stance. But as soon as she saw him, her posture relaxed.
Sunny shook his head and gestured toward Cassie.
Nephis sighed, glancing at the sleeping girl beside her.
"She came to me in the night," she murmured, biting her lip. "She was too afraid to sleep alone."
Sunny clenched his jaw.
'Was her vision really that horrifying?'
A silent breeze rolled across the cliffside, carrying the scent of blood.
Below, near the shore, a pack of Scavengers were fighting over the remains of some massive creature, their fangs tearing through flesh and bone in a chaotic frenzy. Snarls and shrieks echoed in the air—until a towering Centurion descended upon them.
Its scythe-like limbs cut through the lesser abominations with brutal efficiency, painting the coral in fresh streaks of dark ichor. The ugly skirmish lasted mere moments before the scavengers lay dead, their remains nothing but scraps.
Sunny clicked his tongue. The last bit of meat left behind by the abominations he had slain in the dark sea were almost vanished.
"We'll be facing a lot more of them from now on."
Nephis nodded.
Rising to her feet, she swung her sword in a series of smooth, intricate patterns—testing her strength, refining her form. Then, she turned to him with a small smile.
"But we're also a lot stronger now."
Sunny grinned.
She was right. The last few days had sharpened them both like honed steel. He had remastered countless battle styles, while Nephis had refined her own technique to a frightening degree.
And more than that...
They now had an Echo. A Centurion Echo.
To say they were simply "strong" would be an understatement.
Right now, they were probably the deadliest duo of Sleepers in the world. And this was just the beginning.
Sunny summoned the Azure Blade, its cold brilliance flashing in the morning light. He raised it toward her, his black eyes gleaming with quiet determination.
Nephis glanced at the sleeping Cassie one last time. Then she met his gaze and nodded.
A second later, steel met steel.
The sound of clashing metal rang through the crimson wasteland, echoing like a ravenous symphony across the desolate cliffs.
Sunny pushed himself harder, striving to master as many battle styles as possible. He could feel it—he was getting closer. With every technique he remastered, his understanding of Shadow Step deepened. It wouldn't be long before he reclaimed the Second Step.
And Nephis... she was enjoying this, too.
Sunny did everything he could to sharpen her skills, drilling into her things that would have taken months—perhaps even years—for her to grasp on her own. He pushed her past her limits, forced her to step beyond the edge. The result was explosive.
Her growth was astonishing. With each clash, her understanding of her own battle style expanded in unexpected ways. However, there was a limit to what he could teach her. In the end, mastery came down to her own will, her own relentless drive to refine further and drill into her bones what he taught her.
But determination was never something Nephis lacked.
In fact, Sunny had never met anyone more resolute in his entire life... With one exception.
A dark scowl flickered across his face.
'I hope that mad bastard is rotting in some burning pit of hell.'
He scoffed, then returned his attention back to his opponent.
The two of them were utterly lost in their battle, immersed in the flow of blades clashing, bodies moving in a deadly rhythm of offense and defense.
That was why they didn't notice the sightless gaze fixed upon them.
Cassie sat silently, knees drawn to her chest, her face eerily blank. Though she couldn't see, her head was tilted slightly forward, as if watching the shapes moving before her.
Her feet trembled. Her fingers twitched restlessly, intertwining, separating, repeating the motion in an endless cycle.
Then, suddenly, she froze.
A shadow stirred beside her. Sunny's shadow.
Cassie's feet stopped. Her hands went motionless, falling into perfect, unnatural stillness, as if they had never been moving at all.
Sunny flicked Nephis's sword aside with a precise strike and took a step back, gesturing for her to stop.
Before she could even register what had happened, he spoke.
"Cassie is awake."
...
"How are you feeling?" Nephis asked, her voice light but laced with concern.
Cassie shook her head slightly.
"Much better, thanks to you." She reached for Nephis's hand and pulled herself up. "I'm sorry for disturbing your sleep last night... I was just too afraid..." Her voice trailed off, barely above a whisper, as if embarrassed by the admission.
Nephis turned her head toward Sunny and sighed. "Are you ready to share your vision with us now, or do you need more time?"
Cassie hesitated, her expression tightening into a frown.
Before she could answer, Sunny spoke.
"At least tell us if you saw something that will affect us soon." He cast a wary glance at the crimson landscape stretching into the horizon. "There's a Nightmare Creature chasing us. It's at least a Fallen Devil... or worse. If there's anything you know about it, tell us now. Every night we spend in the dark is a gamble."
Cassie lingered for a moment, then took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry," she said finally, shaking her head. "None of my visions showed a Fallen Devil stalking us from the sea."
Sunny stared at her, unblinking.
None of her visions... Just how many visions did she see?
Cassie bit her lip, then exhaled. "But I saw something else. The three of us... walking through the halls of the Castle together. There were a lot of people around us, watching. I couldn't see their faces, but their eyes..." She shuddered slightly. "Some were bright. Some were dark. And... a pair of green eyes followed us from behind."
Sunny's expression darkened.
A pair of green eyes?
'Is it that damned Caster?'
If he is the one following them, it would make perfect sense. But what aboue the bright and dark eyes? Were they just a vague representation of onlookers, or did they mean something?
No.
Everything in Cassie's vision meant something. But what exactly, Sunny couldn't tell—at least not yet.
"Can you explain it in more detail?"
Cassie pressed a hand against her forehead, straining to recall. She tried once. Then again. Again. Each attempt took more out of her. Sweat formed on her brow, her breathing growing heavier. Finally, she exhaled in frustration, lowering her head.
"I-I'm sorry," she murmured. "I can't remember enough to give more details."
That was unfortunate. There was so much more they could have concluded from this vision. Even the smallest details, like the shade of the onlookers' eyes or the exact place they walked in the Castle, could have been a clue.
But it was rare for her visions to be clear in the first place. Sunny had hoped that after spending so long sleeping this time, she might have been able to recall more.
"It's alright," he said finally, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Are you comfortable sharing anything else? Like..." His voice turned cautious. "The creature that attacked you in your vision?"
A dreadful silence fell over them like a suffocating fog. Cassie simply stood there, unmoving. No flicker of emotion crossed her face, making it impossible to tell what she was feeling.
The silence lasted for a while, until a subtle tear trickled down her eyes.
Sunny's stomach clenched.
'Did I just make her relive that traumatic memory?'
Sunny took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked." He reached out, gently wiping the tear from Cassie's frozen face. "Let's move on to the next high point for now. You're not ready to—"
"No, it's not that—" Cassie blurted out, her voice trembling. "I-I'm trying my best to..." She struck her forehead with a sharp motion, as if trying to force the memories to surface. "There's so much I need to—" Her voice faltered, breaking under the weight of something unseen. Then, suddenly, she stiffened. Her breath hitched. "The shadow... I saw it."
She perked up, her sightless eyes widening as if she had just grasped something vital. "And the creature..."
She froze, turning sharply toward Nephis. Without warning, she grabbed her hand in a tight, almost desperate grip.
"I felt it," she whispered. "The warmth."
Her lips parted, as if more words were on the verge of spilling out... but none came. A few heartbeats passed in silence before her grip loosened. She took in a deep, shuddering breath.
"I'm sorry... I need more time."
Sunny studied her for a moment before shaking his head with a sigh.
"Don't worry. We understand."
He turned to Nephis, who was watching Cassie with quiet concern. There was nothing more they could do—except give her the time she needed.
Still... there was one thing gnawing at him.
The Cassie he knew had never been able to glimpse into her visions of her own will. Yet the girl before her had done it.
How?
He wanted to ask... but one look at her pale, exhausted face made him decide against it.
'Some other time.'
For now, they had to keep moving.
Sunny cast his gaze down the cliff, where a pack of scavengers prowled below. A small smile tugged at his lips. Sparks of white light coalesced beside him, swirling into existence.
Nephis's eyes widened as she saw the Echo of the Centurion fully materialized in the daylight for the first time. It looked just as terrifying as she had imagined—massive, armored, and deadly.
Cassie, on the other hand, flinched at the sudden shift in the air. Her senses were keen enough to detect the weight of the creature's presence. She tensed as she heard the heavy thud of its massive body hitting the ground.
"What—"
Before she could react, a pair of hands wrapped around her waist, lifting her into the air.
A mischievous voice whispered in her ear.
"Hey, Cass... do you like rides?"
Cassie stuttered, bewildered. "Uh... no, I guess? I only ever rode in trams before—my family wasn't rich enough to afford a PTV."
Sunny chuckled. "Well, today's ride is gonna change your mind."
Before she could protest, her body suddenly felt weightless. A firm grip secured her as she was lifted higher, then placed onto something rough and uneven. Her feet dangled in the air. The ground was no longer beneath her.
A growing sense of horror filled her chest.
Her hands moved around wildly until her fingers closed around something solid—something sharp. A protruding thorn.
"Sunny, what—"
"Hold on to that. Tightly." His voice held a note of amusement. "Unless you want to abandon your ride."
Cassie flinched.
Without hesitation, she clutched the thorn with a death grip, her fingers locking around it as if her life depended on it.
Which, given the situation... it probably did.
The world lurched.
A powerful gust of wind slammed into her as the massive Echo surged forward. A rush of giddiness twisted in her stomach as the creature skidded across the cliff.
"Are we really riding this down?!" Nephis's voice rang out over the chaos.
Sunny didn't answer immediately. Instead, Cassie heard the unmistakable grin in his voice as he settled in behind her.
"Welcome to Sunny's Fast Travel Services."
And then, the descent began.
A powerful jolt shook Cassie as the Centurion leapt off the ledge, skidding down the sheer cliffside with terrifying speed.
Cassie's world became a blur of wind and violent movement. The abomination carved down the cliffside, sending dust and rubble flying in its wake. The force of the ride rattled her bones, every rough jolt threatening to throw her off.
A loud, panicked scream tore from her throat—only to be drowned out by the excited shouts of the two maniacs riding alongside her.
Nephis was swinging her fists. And Sunny? He was laughing. Meanwhile, Cassie clung to the thorn for dear life... her heart hammering against her ribs.
It was in that moment she truly realized—
'Crazy. Both of them are crazy.'
AN: Hope you liked the chapter. Lemme know your thoughts in the comments. :)
Next chapter will be released in 3 days or when there are 3 new reviews (15 currently so 18) and 5 new comments (tftc and peak not counting), whichever comes first. :))