No one moved.
The same could not be said for their minds, for they themselves sat face to face with Death. And among the thousands of overwhelming thoughts, one silent yet blaring question settled within the minds of the six sleepers.
'What are you?'
But all of a sudden, the blade of death was lifted off their shoulders. Time seemed to flow once again, and the room returned to its ambient warmth. Soon after, the cohort began to breathe once again.
Sunny let out a dejected sigh. He didn't mean to end up in such a situation, but he had to send a message.
He simply wanted to toy with Caster.
Caster would do anything to gain leverage with Changing Star, even if it meant killing one of her companions. After all of this time, he thought he knew Nephis. But he only knew Changing Star.
Nephis, and Cassie, wouldn't be surprised by his knowledge of the plan. They knew precisely how cunning and sly Sunny was, something Caster could never comprehend.
Sunny had Caster right where he wanted him to be.
Before, Caster had died an honorable death in the eyes of the survivors of the Forgotten Shore. But now, Sunny could give him the fate he truly deserved: shunned by the very people he hid amongst and left to rot in the Crimson Spire as it crumbled to dust.
Such a fate was ironically befitting for the proud scion of the Han Li clan.
Sunny coughed a few times, breaking through the stiff air of the room.
"So…. that was an accident. All of the shadows and the coldness. But yes, I did kill those hunters, even if it was a mercy they didn't deserve. And I know about your plan because it's quite easy to deduce it from what's displayed on the map."
He shook his head a few times, but a curiosity overcame Sunny as he glanced at the shadows within the room. Despite not having the same level of Shadow Control as he had when he was a Saint, the shadows still obeyed him… to an extent. They seemed to be far more obedient to him, but not enough as to allow him to use either Shadow Manipulation or Shadow Step just yet.
But he was on the right track, and that's all Sunny needed to know.
Soon, his gaze shifted to the members of the cohort. They were in a cold sweat and their faces were ghostly pale. They all stared at Sunny with wide eyes, petrified. But as the realization of Sunny's words washed over them, they began to calm down.
Kai's posture relaxed, his fear of the shadows amongst them all but gone. A seed of suspicion was sown within his mind. Had he really known this demigod before? How could he?
Effie slung her feet on the table once again, assuming a far more comfortable position. Any fleeting moment of respite was enough for her, especially after all of these years on the Forgotten Shore.
Cassie's breaths slowed down. Regardless if she couldn't see the darkness or Sunny's demeanor, she heard the voice of Death and felt his blade upon her shoulders.
Nephis, however, continued to look Sunny with wide eyes. Many — including Caster, who was currently looking at her — would have thought that she was still fearful. Yet, it was anything but fear. There was a glint deep within her alluring grey eyes that betrayed any preconceived notion of dread. It was a spark of curiosity, a burning desire to know Sunny's true strength.
She was deeply intrigued.
Before, Nephis had considered Sunny only second to herself. After all, she had trained him and fought by his side. But what about now? How had he gained such authority over the shadows?
What had he truly done during their time apart?
* * *
'That went pretty swell…. right?'
Sunny looked down at Gloomy for reassurance, but it was to no avail. His shadow simply shook its head and facepalmed, appalled at Sunny's negligence. Upon seeing this, the corner of Sunny's eye twitched.
'If only I still had Shadow Incarnation….'
Gloomy gestured towards Sunny as if to say:
"Anything you do to me is done to yourself."
Sunny reeled in defeat. How could he be beaten by his own shadow?! Sunny slumped down in his chair, trying to not focus on his folly. Around him, the members of the cohort were still trying to recover from his sudden outburst.
Everyone but Nephis, who was staring at Sunny with intrigue and curiosity.
And now, seeing that, Sunny became amused. Nephis had always had a keen eye when it came to combat, and now she recognized his Supreme prowess. He knew exactly what she wanted from him, but this wasn't the time nor the place for a sparring match.
"Is the meeting done yet? I don't mean to rush but I have to be somewhere."
What Sunny meant by somewhere was the Dark City. He knew he would need Saint in the upcoming conflicts. However, she was patiently waiting in Sunny's soul sea. So, he would need to regain his second core. But in order to regain it, Sunny would need at least six hundred more fragments, not to mention the extra one hundred needed to convert Saint into a Shadow. Thankfully, Sunny's body was beyond saturated with essence, allowing him to have strength near the level of a peak Awakened. So, he would be able to obtain his second core and progress the Mantle of the Underworld, in far less time than he had in the past.
However, the truth behind his words fell on deaf ears. In a flash, all eyes were upon him. But a single pair of eyes seemed to gleam especially bright, Effie's.
Her hazel eyes were like open doors into her perverted soul, and her voice seemed to be of the same origin.
"Oh, Doofus. What could be so important that you have to leave us now? Is there someone you have to meet up with…?"
Everyone's gaze seemed to ask the same question as Effie.
Nephis fixed her gaze on Sunny's beautifully dark eyes, seemingly bent on interrogating him.
"I agree, we haven't gone over the specifics yet."
Sunny, confused, let the pressure of his flaw build up before answering:
"I don't have someone to meet up with, I simply have places to be. I'll stay so that you can finish informing me on all of the details, but I'll leave right after."
Nephis slowly nodded in agreement.
While Sunny could've said he knew that already knew about their entire plan, it would unnecessarily reveal too much. Sunny becoming stronger was never out of the question, but him knowing every minute detail about their plan was surely going to force him into a disadvantageous position. So, he began to listen to the details a second time.
* * *
Shortly after the end of the meeting, Sunny said his farewells and went with Effie to the ruined cathedral. After a bit of "delays" within the Dark City, they made it into Sunny's room without any trouble, but something seemed a bit…different.
Sunny boasted about his luxurious — for Forgotten Shore standards — room. He showcased the bed and all of the furniture he had collected. But Effie didn't seem interested in either. Something had caught her eye.
The closet.
Effie giggled as she slowly inched towards the closet, hoping to confirm her suspicions. However, Sunny didn't move an inch. A calm, unbothered look remained on his face.
The stone panel swung open. Effie gazed into the wardrobe with amusement, but much to her chagrin, it was completely empty.
Sunny had cleaned it out when he returned to the cathedral with Kai.
He would not leave around anything that would allow Effie to tease him. He had made that mistake one too many times.
But of course, Effie found a way. If it was her will to tease Sunny, who could stop her?
"Hey doofus… there's only one bed. Whatever are we going to do?"
Sunny, still unperturbed, scoffed at Effie's disguised suggestion.
"I'm taking the floor, of course. You wouldn't have suggested anything else, would you?"
Effie grinned wolfishly at Sunny, believing that he was hiding his discomfort beneath this smug persona.
"Of course not!"
But little did she know, Sunny was not the same doofus she knew. He was far more…. experienced… than she could ever expect him to be.
"Yeah, sure…"
Soon after, Effie went to sleep. The night sky of the Forgotten Shore replaced the bright sun as the sounds of crashing waves resounded throughout the entire city.
Now that Sunny wasn't at risk of being teased by Effie, there was something he needed to do before he went out to hunt for the night.
Sunny summoned the Mantle of the Underworld and set it down in front of him. The thousands of pristine and broken diamond strings wove a beautiful tapestry that seemed entirely indecipherable. But to Sunny, this was just another day. In fact, he didn't have to weave anything at all — not that he could. Thankfully, all he had to do was pour essence into it.
So, utilizing Serpent and the bottomless amount of essence from his domain, he did as such. The cluttered, dysfunctional weave of the armor of Nether's champions began to regain its previous pristine state. Torn strings began to tie themselves together as a wave of shadow essence washed over the Mantle. It became less and less like onyx, and more akin to a lightless metal. And just like that, the Mantle was complete, once again.
"Ah, it's so beautiful, isn't it?"
Sunny convened with Gloomy once again, but was only met with a side-eye from his shadowy helper.
"Oh right, you didn't get to use it very much. But be grateful, peace is a privilege very few can afford!"
Gloomy seemed to be offended by Sunny's comments, but shrugged it off and went back to his usual gloomy self. On the contrary, Sunny was ready to harvest shards and fragments from any abomination that dared to walk his way. And so, he equipped the Mantle and made his way to the desolate stone streets.
* * *
Sunny walked through alleyways, using Gloomy to scout his surroundings. It had been many hours since he left the cathedral, and the starless sky was making way for the sacrificial sun. However, Sunny wasn't heading back.
He had a score to settle, after all. One that would test his limits thus far.
While hunting a group awakened abominations and harvesting their shards, a Spire Messenger managed to steal a good amount of bodies and shards. So now, all of his focus was set on finding that stupid bird and granting him an undeserved mercy.
He didn't have to look too far, thankfully.
Just beyond the settling morning fog, the Cursed Herald lay above a ruined house, crushing the fruits of Sunny's labor within its beak. Along with the shards, he guzzled down the bodies, leaving nothing behind. Despite being a Fallen Monster, it knew not to let its guard down. After all, death could be lurking around the corner.
However, death wasn't around the corner.
He was hiding in its shadow.
Seizing the opportunity, Sunny jumped out of the shadows and slashed at it with the Midnight Shard. The somber blade tore through the flesh of the Fallen one, causing it to stagger backwards. A dark grin made its way onto Sunny's terribly beautiful face.
The shadows stirred.
Completely caught off guard, the monster let out a horrible shriek before lunging at Sunny, attempting to catch him in its terrible claws.
As the Spire Messenger closed in, its claws came mere centimeters from Sunny. However, it underestimated the treacherous shadow. A carefully timed side step allowed Sunny to avoid the first claw. The second was parried using [Feather of Truth], sending the dark monster flying backwards.
The monster shrieked again, and it flapped its wings, sending powerful gusts all around. Three were aimed at Sunny, but he cut through them with ease.
However, the Spire Messenger was now soaring far above its hunter.
Seeing this, the corner of Sunny's eyes twitched. Over the years, he had grown to despise flying enemies. So now, he was going to make sure that this cursed griffin never flew ever again.
A murderous aura seemed to radiate from the sealed Sovereign, causing the surrounding shadows to dance in ecstasy.
Sunny threw the Prowling Thorn with all of his might. It tore through the air, as if determined to hit its target. The Mantle grew lighter as Sunny leaped into the air, reaching great heights.
He felt as if that thief was just within his reach.
Soon after, the string grew taut. Sunny was jerked far into the sky, headed straight for the Spire Messenger.
All of a sudden, the shadows began to reach out with demonic hands, reaching towards their Lord's target.
As the lightless tachi made contact with the tenebrous feathers of the Cursed Herald, a thunderclap echoed across the Dark City.
In one vertical slash, the Spire Messenger was cleanly severed, its two halves crashing into the stone buildings below.
[You have slain a Fallen Monster, Cursed Herald.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
[You have received a memory.]
* * *
Atop the grand hill that watches over the Dark City, the countless victims of the Forgotten Shore walked about. They ran errands, completed menial tasks, or indulged themselves in dubious activities.
Guards stood watch at the gates, watching over the thick mist of the early morning, apprehensive of any threats.
The people of the outer settlement began their morning duties, doing all they can to aid Lady Nephis in her clandestine affairs.
Nephis herself watched the rising sun grace the world in its rays as Cassie sat by her side. The two discussed Sunny's sudden change, while Caster stood in the walkway behind them, staring at the shadows.
Kai sat in his room, trying to piece together Sunny's mysterious truths.
Effie slept in Sunny's bed, unbothered by ecstatic shadows that surrounded her.
Suddenly, in the distant horizon, two figures rose into the sky.
A titanic, monstrous being that soared above the ruined buildings of the Dark City, and a small human. The two were nearly invisible in the starless sky, yet the human seemed to drown the world in an even greater force.
The rays of the rising suns disappeared, replaced by an ever-deepening darkness.
A petrifying cold seemed to steep through the safe streets of the castle.
The shadows around them danced about, fully aware of their Lord.
A flash of black light blinded the world for a moment. The screams of the dead unleashed upon the terrified sleepers.
Thousands of Great beings whispered their tales into the ears of helpless souls for all but a moment.
Then, glass shattered. Wood snapped. Brick cracked. A thunderclap of supreme proportions reverberated across the entire Dark City, making even the Dark Sea retreat further.
The shadow continued to dance despite the countless eyes that stared.
The first seal on the Sovereign of Death had been lifted.