Shadow Slave alternate paths: The sun of song

The coral mound was much larger than the circular stone platform of the giant knight's neck. In fact, it was almost like a small island. At the highest point of the island, hidden behind some coral blades, the girls had made a little camp. There were piles of seaweed to sleep on, strips of scavenger meat drying under the sun, and a firepit.

Sunny, now satiated and hydrated, turned towards his companions.

He was silent for a few moments, then said:

"Since we're going to be depending on each other, should we share what abilities and Memories we have at our disposal?"

This was a logical suggestion. If they were going to fight side by side, knowing each other's strengths was more or less vital.

Although he was surrounded by impenetrable darkness, he could almost feel the tense aura that surrounded Nephis.

He summarized his abilities and Memories, though he kept his Echo hidden.

The Echo wasn't native to this part of the Dream Realm, so he would have a hard time explaining where he got it from.

It wasn't that he was against letting them know he was from the Song clan—it was that his sisters had specifically told him not to tell anyone.

"Song has many enemies who would stop at nothing to see us fall—even if it means killing Sleepers. Your allies may remain loyal until the moment you tell them... or they might unknowingly pass your identity to those who wish us harm."

Did he think Nephis or Cassie would attack him if they knew?

No, not really.

But he would be stupid to ignore a Saint's advice.

"Uh… he is telling the truth. Not that we doubted your honesty!" Cassie spoke up.

Sunny cleared his throat and smiled, hiding his nervousness.

"Really? That's good to know. But… why are you so sure I'm being honest?"

The blind girl shifted a little.

"Oh! That's my Ability. I can 'see' people's Attributes. Sometimes, I also receive, uh, 'visions.' They can be about the future or the past. I mean, that's what I think… it only happened a couple of times."

Sunny swallowed, then relaxed.

'So, she's an oracle of sorts. Luckily, her insight is limited to Attributes… otherwise, I'd be in real trouble. Still, I'll have to be careful around her.'

He summarized his own abilities. The girls eyed him suspiciously, but ultimately said nothing.

The two girls followed up by sharing their own Aspect, Abilities, and Memories.

Nephis had Attributes related to light, fire, and divinity, while Cassie's were tied to revelation and fate.

Though, that wasn't all…

Nephis could heal.

He was glad it was dark out so they couldn't see the ear-to-ear grin spreading across his face.

Their Memories were fairly simple. Nephis had a rope and a sword, while Cassie had armor, a bottle, and a staff that could produce wind.

They stayed up a while longer, discussing potential paths, the use of abilities, and sharing any useful information they had—things like the scavenger's weak points, how long the corpse would last before being devoured, and their chances of dying on this godforsaken mud heap.

Normal, everyday conversation.

Eventually, the discussion slowed, falling into a lull as exhaustion began to weigh on them.

He offered to take first watch, but was immediately refused.

Sunny stretched his legs and leaned back on the pile of seaweed, staring up at the black void.

He didn't like it.

Soon, the rhythm of Cassie's breathing changed, indicating that she had fallen asleep. Nephis was guarding the camp, motionless and, as always, a bit distant. With her silver hair and fair skin, she looked like an alabaster statue.

Sunny sighed. He struggled for a bit, then said quietly:

"Hey. Can I ask you a question?"

Nephis glanced at him and shrugged. The lack of an audible response clearly indicated she remembered his ability to see in the dark.

"Sure."

As the fire burned low, Sunny glanced at her.

"I thought Legacies entered the Spell with inherited Memories. Why did you only have three?"

Nephis hesitated. "I only had two. The rope was Cassie's."

"…What happened to the rest?"

She looked away. "They were sold. After my father died, it was the only way to keep the clan afloat. The sword and armor are from my First Nightmare."

Sunny frowned. "But your clan had influence. There had to be other ways."

"There were other reasons," she said simply.

Then, turning to him, she asked, "Can I ask you something?"

He nodded.

"You disappeared at random intervals from the Academy. Where did you go, and who were you with?" Her tone was casual, but he could hear a faint undercurrent of menace.

Sunny gritted his teeth. This was not the question he'd been expecting.

"I was... with my sisters at the manor," he said slowly, choosing his words with care. "My family is very rich, so I was recalled every so often because they thought whatever they could offer in terms of training was better than the Academy."

"Better than the Academy?" Nephis frowned. The Academy was the best possible institution for preparing Sleepers to enter the Dream Realm.

"Honestly, I preferred the Academy too," he explained. "But they kept insisting I visit home instead, showering me with soul shards and 'care.'"

Finally, Nephis seemed satisfied with the answer.

After a while, he lowered his voice. "Why are you burdening yourself with Cassie?"

Nephis tilted her head slightly. "Wouldn't you?"

He grit his teeth. "No."

She didn't flinch. "I want to. That's all."

Her answer unsettled him. Wanting something… acting on desire alone? For Sunny, survival had always been about necessity. The idea of choice—of doing something simply because you wanted to—was almost alien. Maybe that was what really separated them.

After a long silence, Nephis spoke again.

"My turn. Do you know the legend of Odysseus?"

Sunny blinked. "No."

She told the tale softly—of a cunning hero cursed by the gods to wander, who found paradise with the immortal Calypso. Yet, in the end, he chose to leave her and everything she offered behind.

"Why?" she asked.

Sunny thought. "Maybe… he missed home?"

Nephis smiled faintly. "Hm. Alright."

She went quiet. He turned to sleep, but after a moment, whispered, "Did he make it back?"

"Yes," she replied. "To his wife and son. They lived happily ever after."

Just as sleep was taking him, he heard her whisper once more:

"Odysseus was the first to defy the will of gods."

***

At sunrise, Sunny and Nephis were the first to wake. While the sea retreated and the world slowly brightened, they quietly built a fire and began preparing a simple breakfast. Cassie was still asleep, and neither of them mentioned the previous night's conversation—it was as if it had never happened.

Eventually, their silence gave way to planning.

"With scavengers to the west," Nephis said, "our best move is to head east as soon as possible. North or south could work too, but won't put enough distance between us and the threat."

Sunny agreed.

"We've scouted a bit in that direction, but not far enough to travel confidently in one day. We should map a route to those cliffs today and move the camp tomorrow," she explained.

He hesitated. "Do you recognize this area at all? Any chance a Citadel lies to the east?"

Nephis shook her head. "I've never heard of a place like this. Still, we have no choice—we need to move. Either we'll find a Citadel, reach a Gateway… or die. East is as good as any."

Just then, Cassie suddenly jolted upright, her pale face tense with excitement.

Nephis turned to her. "Cassie? Are you alright?"

"I had a vision!" she said breathlessly.

Sunny blinked. A prophetic dream?

Nephis instinctively reached out, ready to summon her sword. "Are we in danger?"

Cassie shook her head quickly. "No, it's not that! People… I saw a castle full of people!"

She raised a trembling hand and pointed with certainty.

Sunny and Nephis followed her finger… west. Directly toward the monsters.

"In that direction!"

***

day 5 of the tomato chapter-thon!

Good job on the goal!

No goal for this chap, its too shit, its one of those chaps that i cant change because its too important nor can i gloss over.

matter of fact... i might post two chapters tmrw as an apology.

request: aside from this chapter, what do you think of the other 4 chapters?