Nephis felt the sunshine on her skin. It was warm, soothing, a gentle comfort she had grown to crave. There was a calmness in the air that settled over her, a relaxation that seemed to seep into her very bones. She took another bite of the sweet fruit in her hand, savoring the burst of flavor, but there was something faintly... off.
The sound of a guitar played softly in the distance, the notes drifting toward her in a lazy cadence. It should have been peaceful, but there was a heaviness to the air, a quiet unease that she couldn't quite place. Her gaze turned toward the west, where the horizon stretched out endlessly, the sky so vast it felt almost too expansive. She couldn't explain it, but something about this place made her feel like she had been here longer than she could remember.
She sighed, the weight of the thought pressing down on her chest, and looked back at Cassie and Alice, who were busy working on their makeshift jewelry and makeup. Their chatter was light, their laughter infectious. They seemed so at ease, their happiness a sharp contrast to the discomfort swirling beneath Nephis's calm demeanor.
This is what friends do, right? Nephis thought, her chest tightening as she took a step toward them. The sand beneath her feet was warm, soft, but with each step, the ground felt oddly… solid, as if something beneath the surface was pressing up against her. But the thought passed quickly, buried by the gentle, comforting rhythm of the beach.
She finished the last bite of her fruit, feeling the sweetness linger on her tongue, but it somehow tasted faintly like ash as she sat down next to the others. The sunlight around her was too bright now, the warmth too constant, as though it was pressing in from all sides. She couldn't shake the feeling that the world itself was a little too still, a little too perfect, like a picture that had been held in place for too long.
The air, though warm, felt too still. And Nephis, for the first time in a long while, felt a tiny flicker of discomfort. But it wasn't enough to truly worry her. Not yet.
'*'
Sunless was currently staring at the most dangerous thing he had ever witnessed on the Forgotten Shore.
In a round nest made from branches as thick as his own limbs, there lay something that looked like a rock—but it wasn't a rock. It was an egg. An egg the size of him, and one that he was about to break into pieces.
His attempts over the last few days had been futile. His body had been pushed beyond its limits, each movement feeling like it took everything he had left. The raw burns on his skin still throbbed, his flesh tender to the touch. Every breath came with a sting, each step causing a jolt of pain that shot through his body. The cracks in his armor were a testament to the toll the environment—and the tree—had taken on him. The constant ache in his muscles was starting to blur with the ache in his bones, the feverish pull of the tree around him sinking deeper into his chest.
The only reason he continued was that he didn't know how long he and the girls could survive as the guardians of these soul-devouring trees.
Not that it was all bad. He didn't need the soul shards the tree produced, and he even got some growth for his shadow core… maybe. But the price had been steep.
Sunless slapped himself, his palm meeting his bruised face with a sharp sting. It was the only thing that seemed to bring clarity anymore. Another reason they needed to leave. It was getting harder to resist the pull of the tree, even with his armor and [Trinity] protecting his mind. He could feel it—like tendrils of darkness, crawling, pulling, seeping into his thoughts. The armor should have protected him, but every hour spent near the tree was like trying to hold back a tide with nothing but a piece of cloth.
But he couldn't just leave. Not yet. First, he had to get rid of this egg.
The weight of it pressed down on him—an ominous force, calling, waiting. He knew, deep down, that whatever came out of it would be drawn straight to him by [Fated].
And he hoped it would give him something to break Nephis out of her trance.
That's why he had Midnight Shard wrapped in his shadow. The Itachi had failed to harm the egg the last time he'd tried, but now?
His hands were slick with sweat, his grip on the Midnight Shard weak from the fatigue, but he gripped it tight, willing his muscles to respond. **Shadow Fragments: [387/1000].**
The words blurred in his vision. Every movement was a struggle, his limbs heavy like stones. Even lifting the shard above his head felt like it would tear him in half. His body screamed at him to stop, to rest, but there was no time. There was never time. Not now.
He stepped forward, every muscle protesting the action. His breath came in shallow gasps as he raised the shard above his head. With a grunt, he swung it down, delivering a crushing blow. The dark blade, infused with shadow, bit into the stone surface of the egg, splitting it apart.
The force of the impact reverberated through his entire body, a sickening wave of pain flooding through his limbs. A sharp gasp left his lips, but he didn't stop. The egg cracked open beneath the weight of his strike, revealing a flash of crimson light as the darkness inside spilled out. The wave of heat that followed nearly knocked him off his feet.
Cracks ran through the egg as his sword sank deeper into it. The light—sickly, crimson—flickered and disappeared, leaving behind nothing but blackness. The sound of viscous liquid pouring out of the egg filled the silence, thick and dark, oozing onto the white spiderwebs of the nest.
The pain in his chest was unbearable now, his lungs screaming for air. But he couldn't afford to stop. Not when there was so much at stake.
In the silence, the Spell's voice slithered into his mind, its words chilling.
[You have slain a Great Devil, Vile Thieving Bird's Spawn.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
[You have received a Memory: Drop of Ichor.]
A Great Devil, Sunny thought with dread, then just defeat. Of course! What else would it be? It just had to be an ungodly being. Hopefully, I can get out of here before mama shows up!
The dizziness hit him hard, his vision blurring. **Shadow Fragments: [451/1000].** That was the only thing keeping him grounded, the only thing stopping him from slipping into unconsciousness. He was halfway through saturating his shadow core, and the temptation to light everything ablaze and fall into it—into the cold, dark space of the void—was almost overwhelming.
He was still going to do it—just not now. He forced himself to focus, his body trembling as he summoned the Memory.
Memory: [Drop of Ichor].
Memory Rank: Unknown
Memory Type: Unknown
Memory Description:
The loathsome Thieving Bird was hated both by the gods and -unknown-. However, it only cared about shiny things. Enamored by Weaver's beautiful eyes, it stole one of them on a dark, starless night. Impatient, the vile creature looked at its bounty while still in flight. However, when it saw the reflection of -unknown- forever frozen in the depths of Weaver's pupil, it went mad and screamed, dropping the eye on the mortal realm below. All that was left in its greedy beak was one drop of pure, golden ichor.
Sunny's frown deepened. What the hell was that? His thoughts were sluggish, like his mind was fighting through molasses. The runes swam in front of his eyes, too alien, too strange to comprehend. He tried to ignore the automatic translation, but the words didn't make sense. The symbols twisted in his vision, the more he stared at them, the dizzier he felt. He fought back the nausea, but it kept coming, like a wave of vertigo. His body couldn't take much more. It was hard enough to stay conscious.
The Spell spoke again, and this time, its voice had a strange, almost… eager tone.
[You have acquired a drop of ichor. Do you wish to consume it?]
A surge of weariness, of indifference, washed over him. Maybe it was exhaustion, or the gnawing pain from the burns on his body, or the fever spreading through his system. Whatever it was, he didn't have the strength to care.
His shadow flickered, and without a second thought, Sunless accepted the Spell's offer. It was the easiest choice he'd made in days.
[As you wish.]
The golden sphere separated into two streams of beautiful, radiant liquid. The streams flowed through the air, approaching Sunny's face. He felt a gentle touch caress his cheeks.
Then, the golden liquid reached his eyes and flowed through them, entering his soul through the pupils.
Soon, it was gone.
Sunny was frozen, not knowing what to expect.
A second passed, then another.
He raised his trembling hands to his face, finally feeling something.
In the next moment, Sunny opened his mouth and let out a terrible, wailing shriek as unimaginable, blinding pain tore through his entire being.