[Aspect Ability acquired.]
[Aspect Ability Name: Shadow Control.]
'Well, at least that did not change.'
Sunny was hoping that his abilities would stay the same, it would be hard to fulfill his goals while learning how to use completely unfamiliar abilities.
'Speaking of new things, I got a new attribute and another evolved.'
Sunny quickly summoned the runes and began to read.
Attributes: [Lord of Shadows], [Divine Aura], [Jade Shell], [Fateless], [The Weave], [Spell Bound], [Unchained], [Shadow Spawned].
'Flame of Divinity evolved to Divine Aura, and my new attribute is called Shadow Spawned.'
Sunny was already pretty sure he knew what the [Shadow Spawned was from. The Spell told him that he had received the lineage of Shadow God.
[Divine Aura] Attribute Description: [You have been chosen by multiple divinities and therefor carry the highest affiliation possible.]
This was exactly what he was expecting, except the surprising fact that the Attribute had Traits.
[Divine Aura] Attribute Traits: [Aura]
[Aura] Trait Description: [When foes see you, they will feel weak and small.]
'Isn't that just a mind attack?'
Suddenly sunny thought of Gunlaug and his armor.
As a maniacal grin cut his face, he moved on to the new Attribute.
[Shadow Spawned] Attribute Description: [You are a direct spawn of Shadow God and are the prince of all shadows, you can bestow the grace of shadows apon those you chose.]
The last part was a pleasant surprise, and sunny wanted to know just what kind of grace he could bestow.
Without any fanfare, he summoned the runes describing the Traits.
[Shadow Spawned] Attribute Traits: [Veiled], [Shadow's Grace].
[Veiled] Description: [While shrouded in shadows your presence is muted. Your smell is erased, your footsteps make no sound and leave no footprints.]
[Shadow's Grace] Description: [You can bestow the grace of shadows on others giving them access to basic shadow abilities.]
Suddenly, Sunny was happy.
Not only had he just received a very powerful stealth ability, but he had just gained the ability to bestow basic shadow abilities on people.
And what was the most basic shadow ability?
'I can give people the ability to sense shadows.'
This was a very useful ability, in the hands of a master it could be a detrimental ability.
But Sunny had another use for it.
He happened to know a blind seer that could use a new sense to navigate the world with.
But that would have to wait until later, because the spell spoke again.
[You already possess a Flaw.]
[Wake up, Lost from Light!]
~~~
In the underground level of a police station, a woman sat on a cheap plastic chair.
She had short, raven-black hair and icy blue eyes. Her flawless skin was smooth, supple and as white as snow.
The woman seemed to be in her late twenties. She was wearing a dark blue uniform with silver epaulets and black leather boots. The jacket of her uniform was casually unbuttoned, revealing a black tank top beneath.
'This is so boring. I wish I was fighting nightmare creatures so much more.'
As her eyes landed on the boy laying on a reinforced medical bed, her gaze softened.
'You got this kid, just don't give up.'
The boy looked to be around thirteen or so, but appearances often did not matter in a place like the outskirts.
An eighteen year old could look like a kid and nobody would be able to tell.
His hair was just as dark as hers, and he had unhealthy pale skin. He looked weak and frail, like he would be swept away by a strong wind.
She had read through his file during the first day, his name was Sunless. He had no parents, no guardian, the only member of his family left was his sister.
She lived in the city with a foster family that had adopted her almost nine years ago. Sunny was in the system for a while before ending up on the streets.
She grimaced at his story, it was the same as hundreds of others. But at least they had a chance to live on, Sunless had been infected by the spell which was almost a guaranteed death sentence.
She closed her eyes and sighed deeply, even if it was tragic. She had to be ready to end his suffering, should he fail.
As she opened her eyes, she suddenly became startled.
The frail boy she had seen just a moment ago was gone.
In his place was a handsome young man with Jade white skin, his complexion was flawless.
No, handsome was not the word. He was simply gorgeous.
As she stared at the boy, his eyes opened.
The moment that the two lightless orbs came into view, the restraints holding him burst apart.
They did not give a single warning of failing, the simply exploded.
In an instant, Jet reached out to the side as her glaive manifested from sparks of light.
However, she did not immediately cleave him in two. Because the boy just lay on the bed with a surprised expression.
As the feeling of her glaive appeared in her hand, the boy looked at her before speaking.
"I'm sorry. I hope I don't have to pay for that."
Jet was honestly appalled.
She had just seen the kid go through a massive change. He was hardly even recognizable, the only reason she knew who was in front of her was because she had been sitting here the whole time.
After realizing that he was in fact, not a nightmare creature. She dismissed her glaive and offered him a smile.
"Welcome back the waking world, congratulations on surviving your first nightmare, Sleeper Sunless."
~~~
Sunny was happy to see Jet again. She was not the Jet he had spent time serving under, nor did she remember their time in antarctica.
But to Sunny, it did not matter.
This was hardly any worse than meeting her after being forgotten, on the contrary, it was much better. He could reforge their bond, but this time he would not be stupid enough to lose his fate and be forgotten.
He had learnt his lesson the first time, but he also had no reason to seek freedom. He was no longer a slave, nor did fate have a hold on him.
He was truly free.
With an internal sigh, he sat up.
"Thanks."
With a smile, Jet introduced herself.
"I am Ascended Jet. You can call me Master Jet. These past three days, I was on watch duty due to your Nightmare."
Sunny remembered this conversation and played along.
"Master Jet? I have a question."
"Go on."
"Why would a Master be put on watch duty? Isn't it… below your pay grade?"
Jet gave him a dark look.
"You're smarter than you look. Recently, there was a lot of Gates opening in this sector. Most of the local Awakened are either wounded or occupied with the clean-up. Or dead. It's always like that close to the winter solstice."
Sunny nodded.
"Plus, there's not a lot of Awakened who, like me, directly work for the government. It's by far the least lucrative or glorious carrier one of us can choose. Would you abandon wealth and fame to work abysmal hours and risk your life, fueled only by altruism and sense of duty?"
Sunny smirked at her.
"Maybe in a few years, but right now... hell no!"
Jet smiled wider.
"See, I was right. You really are smart."
Soon after, Sunny was enjoying a hot shower. Just like before, jet had told him to clean himself, telling him he reeked of nightmare.
Sunny was not going to turn down the chance to take a shower, his current body had not bathed in months.
Sunny also used this time to check his full runes. When he opened them, he was shocked.
Name: Sunless
True Names: Lost from Light, Daemon Spawn, Prince of Death.
Rank: Dormant
Class: Titan
Shadow Cores: [7/7]
Shadow Fragments: 19
Memories: [Weaver's Mask], [Silver Bell], [Warrior's Burden], [Puppeteer's Shroud]
Echos: -
Shadows: [Onyx Saint], [Soul Serpent], [Nightmare], [Ravenous Feind], [Marvelous Mimic].
Attributes: [Lord of Shadows], [Divine Aura], [Jade Shell], [Fateless], [The Weave], [Spell Bound], [Unchained], [Shadow Spawned].
Aspect: Prince of Shadows.
Aspect Rank: Unknown
Innate Abilities: [Shadow Born], [Shadow Bond].
Aspect Abilities: [Shadow Control].
Aspect Legacy: [Shadow Dance]
Flaw: [Clear Conscience]
Flaw Description: [You cannot lie.]
'A third one!?'
This was getting old now. But then he realized something else.
"I have all my Shadows!?"
He was entirely confused.
"The only one missing is Slayer... WAIT, I don't have a shadow fragments cap!"
His thoughts were now thoroughly scrambled.
'Wait, if I already have Serpent then what will I get from my first relic?'
He immediately summoned his runes.
Aspect Legacy: [Shadow Dance]
[Shadow Dance] Description: [Once an elegant dance, now a deadly battle art. This mysterious style was created by the treacherous Lost from Light after witnessing a graceful slave dancing with her shadows. Who else could have taken something so beautiful and turned it into something so vile?]
As he read the runes, he was suddenly mad at the spell for the hundredth time.
"I am not treacherous!"
[You are the treacherous Lost from Light.]
'Uhg.'
He felt exasperated with the spell at this point.
Shadow Dance Mastery Level: [1/7].
First Relic: [Unclaimed]
Second Relic: [Unearned]
Third Relic: [Unearned]
[Do you wish to claim your Aspect Legacy Relic?]
'Yes'
[Your shadow has evolved.]
'Huh, did Serpent evolve?'
He summoned the runes describing Serpent.
[Soul Serpent] Shadow Description: [When the end came, Shadow was the last of the gods to be destroyed. Many have resented him for creating death, but in the end, death embraced all.]
[Soul Serpent] Shadow Attributes: [Shadow Guide], [Spirit Guide], [Soul Weapon], [Soul Beast], [Soul Companion].
[Soul Serpent] Shadow abilities: [Serpentine Steel], [Death Blade], [Soul Reaver], [Formless].
As Sunny looked over the runes, his eyes landed on the only thing different.
[Death Blade] Ability Description: [When in its [Soul Weapon] form Soul Serpent takes on the essence of death. It ignores the will of higher beings, and wounds dealt by it do not heal. This blade is the embodiment of death, it can kill with the simplest of cuts.]
'So, it got a better version of Slaying blade?'
Sunny was happy that his shadow got another, better ability. But at the same time, he was slightly sad, mainly because it would not be useful for a long time.
One because on the Forgotten Shore its main use would be helping him use essence, two because it was currently just a Dormant weapon of the seventh tier.
The last reason was simply because until he left the Forgotten Shore, there would be very little creatures with a will. But that last part could come in handy, especially until he got a weapon.
But Sunny was not just planning to idle over the next month, he was going to strive to reach the second step of shadow dance. This would make Serpent into a powerful Awakened weapon, one that could kill with the smallest of cuts.
Sunny did not realize that while he was going over his runes, his body had finished showering and was currently putting on a police issue tracksuit.
'What just happened?'
Sunny was used to splitting his mind, mainly to control multiple avatars at once. But this level of independence was beyond what he was initially capable of.
'Maybe [Mind] does more than make me think faster and block mind attacks?'
Sunny was unsure, but he did not dwell on it. He was just ready to go and take a nap, but that would have to wait until after he got to the academy.
Right before he walked out of the bathroom, he mustered up enough courage to look in a mirror.
'Mordret should still be stuck in the Night Temple. So, it is fine... right?'
For some reason, Sunny still felt like avoiding mirrors. This was reinforced by the Daemon of Imagination, the fiend!
As Sunny looked at himself, he was silently relieved. He looked just like he did as a Supreme. He was still chiseled like a statue, and unbearably attractive.
Sunny took a few seconds to check himself out, even unzipping the top of the tracksuit to better look at his figure.
With his symmetrical abs, pristine white complexion, and perfect proportions. It was safe to say he was a certified jade beauty.
However, on his chest were four large scars. Three on the top, and one on the bottom. They were the marks the Vile Thief had left on him.
He grimaced and left the room.
Soon he found himself in a PTV, sitting next to him was Jet. She was driving them at a quick pace while giving him a few tips.
This time, he would not need to take any classes. Most of his time would be spent in his room practicing Shadow Dance.
"Remember Sunless, people don't survive in the Dream Realm alone."
Sunny just smiled darkly.
'I did it just fine, in fact I was thriving.'
And this was true. But if one were to look deeper, they would realize that the way he was surviving was just that. Surviving.
He was not really living, he only survived day to day with no goal in sight. That was not a life.
With a grimace, he spoke.
"Alright, I will try to make some friends."
Jet just smiled.
After a few more minutes of silence, they had finally arrived at the Awakened academy.
Jet climbed out of the PTV, followed by Sunny.
Sunny was about to send his shadows to scout, but when he shifted his perception to the shadows. He found the first difference in his aspect abilities.
He was not looking through one of his seven shadows, but the shadow of the PTV.
He was slightly startled by the difference in his sight.
Feeling an instinct, he commanded his sight to a different shadow.
'This is amazing!'
He was now looking at the world from Jet's shadow.
As he swapped from shadow to shadow, he came to an understanding.
He did not need to send his shadows to scout anymore, could simply use the shadows around him to see.
And since his shadow sense was a little over 10 kilometers, he could see through any shadow in that range.
His scouting ability had just increased astronomically, while keeping his personal power as high as possible.
Sunny was a little distracted as Jet said her goodbyes and left, but soon he was broken out of his concentration by the sight of a tall slender girl with silver hair and striking grey eyes.
Sunny noticed her as soon as he stepped onto the bridge.
'She looks a lot different from her future self, a lot younger.'
She wore the same police issue tracksuit, and headphones. Only this time, they rested around her neck as she stared at Sunny.
'She must have been sent back too.'
Right as he was going to say something, she turned around and... ran.
'What?'
~~~
Soon Sunny found himself in the Sleeper building.
The Sleeper part of the compound was relatively small and situated in the southern part of the Academy, surrounded on all sides by training fields and parks.
It was a low, modern building constructed with reinforced materials. Like the majority of buildings in the Academy, most of it was hidden below the ground, leaving only a couple of floors above it. With its white, pristine alloy walls and wide windows, it must have looked beautiful in the summer, contrasted against all the greenery around.
Inside, the building was spacious and well-lit. Sunny was led to a familiar large hall where a hundred or so young men and woman, sleepers of the same unfortunate timing as him, were already filling the room talking amongst themselves.
The second he walked in, everyone who looked at him stopped talking. Their gazes were locked on him, which led to their friends staring too.
Pretty quickly, the entire room was silent and staring at him.
Sunny wanted to smirk, but also disappear into a hole.
'What, have you never seen a Supreme before?'
The thought was funny.
'But so much for being inconspicuous.'
His face was stoic as he made his way to a dark corner, people reluctantly pried their eyes off him as they began to gossip about him.
Once he was standing in the shadows, it was like he didn't exist.
Not only could nobody see him, but they could also not even tell that there was a person there at all.
Sunny also felt stronger, not quite double, but it was a good amount to say the least.
He waited a little longer, hoping everyone would stop glancing towards the corner hoping to see him.
When they took an especially long time to look back, he finally left the corner and made his way to a nearby bench.
Of course, many people still saw him and kept ogling him. But he payed it no mind.
'Maybe they will see my looks and think I'm just a weak pretty boy.'
Sunny felt a lot of different stares, most were from girls. And the guys that stared at him were for an entirely different reason.
They were upset the girls they were talking to could not keep their eyes off him.
After he sat down on the bench, the only other person sitting there flinched.
Her head lowered as she tried to act like she was not there.
Sunny was not gonna let this happen though.
"Hey, my name is Sunless."
Cassie sat quietly, but when she heard nobody answer him.
She looked up and asked in a quiet voice.
"Are you talking to me?"
Sunny chuckled.
"Who else would I be talking to, the bench?"
She giggled lightly.
"Sorry I didn't know you were talking to me. My name is Cassia, but people call me Cassie."
"Nice to meet you Cassie, you can call me Sunny. That's what my friends call me."
Cassie smiled.
"Okay Sunny, but umm... why are you talking to me. You know I'm blind right?"
Sunny just chuckled again.
"Yea, I know. That is one of the reasons I talked to you actually."
Cassie finally looked him in the face, well, turned to let him look at her face.
"Really? Why?"
"Yeah, it is because you can't ogle me like the rest of the girls. And you don't glare at me with death threats in your eyes like the guys do. They just can't get enough of my Supreme visage."
Cassie giggled again.
"Aren't you a little too full of yourself?"
Sunny smirked.
"Not at all, I am probably the best looking person in the world. Two worlds even!"
This was actually true, Sunny had met both Ki Song, and Anvil. In his personal opinion, he had Anvil beat, and the Queen of Worms was a girl. Even then, in his eyes she was not that attractive.
Cassie actually laughed this time.
"Yea, you are definitely too full of yourself."
"Maybe I am, or maybe I am telling the truth. Who knows?"
After a few seconds of silence, Cassie mustered up the courage to ask what she really wanted to know.
"You said one of the reasons, what is the other reason?"
"There are two reasons, one was that I wanted to be your friend. The other was less friendly and more calculative. You see, the Spell is very... fair. I know how that sounds, especially when I am talking to somebody whose flaw makes them blind, but it's true."
He paused to see Cassie's reaction, to his surprise she seemed to be intently listening to his reasoning. Not trying to refute him.
"I hold secrets that can be used against me, so my flaw made me unable to lie. Your flaw took your physical sight, which is a simply terrible flaw. But that means the power you got is equally as significant."
"My guess is that you got some sort of prophetic ability, maybe even strait up foresight."
Cassie seemed taken aback by his words, probably because he so casually revealed his flaw. But also, because his reasoning was solid, and he was spot on.
"Yea, I do have an Aspect related to Fate. I get visions every now and then. But how is that going to help me?"
Sunny contemplated how to answer before he spoke.
"Imagine you are part of the hero's cohort, you are about to set out on a dangerous journey. You get a vision the day before you leave about terrible danger."
Cassie seemed to be listening intently.
"So, your cohort stays for a few extra days. After a few days pass, a messenger arrives with news regarding a mad dragon that attacked the roads you would have traveled just a day ago."
His voice was light, like telling a fairy tale.
"Not only did you just help yourself, but you just saved your entire cohort. That is the strength of a seer, you can see danger before it happens. Have you ever heard the term 'knowledge is power'?"
Cassie nodded.
"You are someone able to see things that happen in the future, that might be the greatest knowledge of all!"
Cassie's face turned less and less joking as she turned to him once more, there were tears welling in her eyes, some already streaming down her face.
She leaned forward and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for not giving up on me like everyone else!"
The words she said made Sunny's blood boil.
He had long forgiven her for the events of the third nightmare, and longer forgave her for the things that happened in the crimson spire.
More than that, this Cassie was not the one that gave his true name away. She also had not sent him to a Cursed Terror, which led him to losing his fate.
This Cassie was just simply a naive blind girl, she had not been hardened by the hell of the forgotten Shore or the weight of the future.
She was just a girl who had her sight taken from her by the cruelty of the spell.
As he looked down and began patting her head, he noticed her ears were a shade of pink.
He would have never guessed her thoughts.
'Why is he so solid?'
Her face was pressed against his chest, it felt like she was hugging a soft statue. Her breasts were pressed against his stomach, and she could feel his chiseled, washboard abs.
He felt small, but not delicate in the slightest.
She suddenly put more thought into his earlier words.
Her face began to heat up as she imagined just how attractive the boy in front of her was.
After her sobs stopped, she reluctantly distanced herself from his perfect chest, and his alluring... mhm.
'Anyways.'
They just sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, until the figure of Instructor Rock appeared on stage.
"I am Awakened Rock. Sleepers, welcome to the Academy."
Everyone listened without making a sound.
"In less than a month, you will be summoned to the Dream Realm. Some of you might think that you are well prepared. You're wrong. The Spell is merciless and cunning. The moment Awakened begin to think too much of themselves, they die. I've seen countless Sleepers like you lose their lives. I've also seen experienced Masters lose theirs. Even Saints are not assured to survive."
Sunny did not really care about his speech, he knew more than everyone here combined.
But he listened anyway, he did not want to look like a brat.
"In the following four weeks, we will do everything in our power to increase your chances of survival. You will receive training from the best instructors in the world. However, don't be misled by their fame: in the end, whether you return from the Dream Realm alive depends only on one person— you. The responsibility to survive is yours, and yours alone. "
Except for the Legacies, Sleepers were looking at each other with growing fear in their eyes. Awakened Rock continued:
"You are not children anymore. It's a shame, because you ought to be. But the Spell has decided otherwise. You have been to the First Nightmare, so you already know what it's like. Your parents, your teachers and your friends can't help you anymore…"
Sunny really wanted to keep up the act of an interested student, but literally none of this applied to him.
He knew about the dream realm, its challenges, and as for the last part. Well, he had not had any parents or guardian figures in years, decades even.
Soon, Rock moved on to differences between the first nightmare and the dream realm.
Sunny was about to doze off as he listened to the rest of his speech, but he made it through.
"That is all for today. Next, follow the instructions sent to your communicators to find your assigned dormitory. Once settled, you may proceed to the cafeteria for some late supper. There will be a round of interviews after that, to prepare your suggested curriculums. Get a good night's rest. Your training starts tomorrow."
Sunny was very tired, so he just went straight to the interview room.
After an uneventful conversation with a random worker, he made the image of a useless pretty boy. Just like he was hoping.
The main reason he was able to do this was due to the nature of the questions.
There was a lot of, would you like to. Or, if you would.
Sunny just gave them the bare minimum and left. After he arrived in his room, he sent Happy to watch the door and fell into the bed.
'Tomorrow, I will start working on Shadow Dance.'
Soon, he fell into the embrace of sleep.
~~~
In the morning, Sunny found himself walking to the cafeteria. He was not thinking about anything, just autopiloting to get some food.
After he grabbed his meal, he found his way to the same table him and Cassie had sat at every day.
Sitting there like usual, was Cassie.
As he sat down, he greeted her.
"Hey Cassie."
Her face went from tense to happy in an instant.
"Hey Sunny!"
As Sunny began to eat, they started to talk about mundane things like favorite foods, colors, and what classes they were taking.
Cassie was surprised to hear that he was not taking any classes.
"Why are you not taking anything?"
Sunny just stuffed his face with another bite of food.
"I don't have anything to learn from the people here, my time is better spent practicing my battle art in my room. What about you Cassie, what classes are you taking?"
After a few seconds of contemplation, Cassie answered.
"I am taking a minor magic class. I am... I will probably not make it long in the dream realm, and there are no classes to help me with my blindness."
Sunny's mood darkened.
He had not thought about the lack of useful classes for Cassie, his initial plan was to simply befriend her before they went to the dream realm.
Then, he would give her access to the most basic shadow abilities, which he believed would be shadow sense, and night vision.
One did not matter to someone like Cassie, but Shadow Sense could be an invaluable piece to her.
It could not replace sight, but it was very useful. Sunny had even learned to fight with it alone, much like the time he fought Harus.
If he could teach Cassie the basics of using Shadow Sense, she would not be nearly as bad off as she currently was.
Coming to a decision, Sunny asked.
"Cassie, how would you like me to teach you to overcome your Flaw. I will not be doing anything during my time here other than practicing my battle art, so I would not mind."
Cassie gave him an inquisitive look.
"How exactly would you help me?"
"I can't tell you will all these people around, after you finish eating follow me to my room."
A few minutes later, they were sitting next to each other on his bed.
"Are you going to tell me now?"
She looked nervous for some reason, and Sunny did not know why.
'Oh.'
Suddenly he realized how this looked, he asked her to come back to his room. Now they were sitting on his bed in the dark, alone.
The idea of doing things with Cassie flashed in his mind which made his face a little red.
"I have a special sense that others don't, it is called shadow sense. With one of my Attributes, I am able to bestow the two most basic shadow powers on others. Night vision and Shadow Sense, the first one does not apply to you, but the second one could be invaluable if you are able to use it correctly."
After a breath, he continued.
"I taught myself to fight with my eyes closed, only using shadow sense to fight. It was a precaution for Aspects that blind you or beings that can harm you just by you looking at them."
Cassie seemed shocked.
"Y-you taught yourself how to fight blind?"
Sunny smiled.
"Yes, it was not quite as easy as with my eyes. But due to that sense, I was able to fight with growing efficiency."
After a brief pause, he asked.
"So, would you like me to teach you how to use shadow sense?"
Cassie seemed taken aback.
"Yes Sunny! I would love to learn how to use it!"
'Good, I was a little worried she would say no.'
Sunny put his hand on her shoulder and activated the [Shadow's Grace].
As the shadows in the room trembled, Cassie let out a gasp.