1753-1754 eng

1753 Runaway

In the morning, Sunny woke up and simply remained on the cot, staring at the ceiling. He felt strangely apathetic.

Yesterday, he had considered whether it was worth it to continue studying Nether's writings. There wasn't much left for him to learn from the runes... as soon as that idea entered his mind, all the motivation and excitement he had been feeling about translating them disappeared. Without something to look forward to, he could not find a reason to get up.

How long had he spent in the Sky Below, anyway? A month? Closer to two?

In any case, he had beaten his previous record.

'Might as well get comfortable…’

Sunny closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

He spent the next few days doing nothing. Sometimes, Sunny would go outside and look at the sea of flames. Sometimes, he would remain in the Ebony Tower, staring at the walls. Only his incarnation that guarded Rain remained active, which was the sole reason he was not dying of boredom.

Eventually, however, he became fixated on a strange thought.

‘...Can I cross the Hollow Mountains?’

The question seemed rhetorical, but it was not. Sunny did not dare delve into the hollow interior of the great mountain chain, where elemental darkness dwelled. But what about braving the mist shrouding it to traverse the exterior?

If the mist enveloping the jagged peaks was indeed pure nothingness, then anyone who entered it would become nothing. At least that was what one would think... they would think wrongly, though.

Sunny had undeniable proof that it was possible to survive in the mist, at least for some time. It was the fact that Saint Cormac had spent months exploring the Hollow Mountains on behalf of Clan Valor before being killed by Saint Tyris.

What had been his goal? Searching for a way to cross to the other side? Looking for an entrance into the Underworld, where Nether's stronghold was supposedly located? Or something else entirely, which Sunny could not even guess?

In any case, if Cormac could do it, then Sunny could, too.

'Should I try?'

He had no plans and no particular desires, except for the desire to be far away from everyone. Was there a more distant place than the unexplored vastness beyond the Hollow Mountains? There, Sunny would be truly and utterly alone, which was what he wanted.

The romance of the unknown....

His curiosity and wanderlust were calling him.

On the other side of the impregnable mountain chain... lay the Forgotten Shore.

It was now a desolate land of perpetual darkness. Most of the creatures that had populated the coral labyrinth were gone, annihilated by the Terror of the Crimson Spire. The dark sea was gone, as well, sealed by his own hand Maybe a few abominations still survived, somewhere in the darkness... but he still wanted to visit that place one more time.

Sunny could retrace the steps of the journey he had made with Nephis and Cassie. He could make sure that the Soul Devourer was dead, and if not, fulfill his promise to burn the damned thing to the ground. He could return to the Dark City and sift through the scorched ruin of the Bright Castle, find the statue of the Slayer that he had never seen, and sleep on his own bed in the ruined cathedral.

And that was not all.

Humans knew about the Forgotten Shore now. They also knew that the Nightmare Desert lay to the east, thanks to Nephis making the journey. However, no one had even learned what lay to the west and north of that cursed place.

Sunny could become the first human to ever set foot in those mysterious regions of the Dream Realm. Sure, no one would ever learn about his discoveries... but he would know, Doing it for himself was enough.

A subtle sense of excitement slowly took hold of his heart.

‘No, no... I must have lost my mind.’

The Hollow Mountains were vast, and they were called a Death Zone for a reason. Who would want to enter a Death Zone of their own free will? One would have to be completely insane to do something like that!

He would never.

Shaking his head, Sunny summoned the Covetous Coffer and went about cooking himself a dinner. The dimensional storage was still full of monster meat, but there were plenty of ingredients from the waking world, as well. Feeling a bit down, Sunny decided to pamper himself a little.

Pulling out a printed cooking book from the alloy chest, he turned the pages absent-mindedly. Eventually, his attention was drawn to two recipes.

Sunny frowned.

"Huh."

Waffles? Or pancakes?

He wasn't very knowledgeable about these staple dishes, so deciding which to make was a big problem.

In the end, he decided to make both.

***

Sunny had abandoned the thought of crossing the Hollow Mountains,

Or, rather... he had tried to.

However, it was stuck in his mind like a catchy melody. The more time he spent idling in the Ebony Tower, the stronger the call of adventure became. He had come up with all kinds of reasons for why it was a terrible idea... and yet, it only grew more alluring.

'Can I do it or not?'

He probably could.

Sunny continued to hesitate, wasting time in indecision.

In the end, the decision was more or less made for him.

One day, he opened his eyes earlier than usual. His five shadows had all been resting on the floor, but now, they seemed alert. His shadow sense had long ago enveloped the island, so he could instantly feel the most minute changes in his surroundings.

Someone was moving on the highest floor of the Ebony Tower.

‘The portal.’

Sunny rose from the cot noiselessly. He had been careful not to leave any traces of himself anywhere on the island, so all there was to do was place his pillow back in its original position.

The shadows wrapped themselves around his body, and a moment later, he dissolved into the darkness.

Soon enough, a delicate figure walked down the stairs, followed by a few more. It was Cassie and a few Fire Keepers... who seemed to have undergone the Ascension, already.

"Gather everything. We will be leaving shortly"

Sunny observed as the Fire Keepers went about dismantling their makeshift outpost. The cots were disassembled. The enchanted lanterns were gathered and prepared to be carried away. The modest kitchen was taken apart and stored in crates for transportation.

'What are they doing?'

Cassie looked a little bit disheveled, which was very unlike her usual tidy self. She observed the Fire Keepers silently, but at some point, a slight scowl appeared on her face.

The blind seer wandered the hall for a bit, seemingly without aim. Eventually, she stopped near the cot Sunny had slept on and touched the pillow briefly. He was about to grow tense, but at that point, one of the Fire Keepers called out to her:

"Cassie... are we really not going to be able to return here?"

Turning around, she lingered for a few moments, then answered with a sigh:

"I don't know. The Ivory Tower is about to leave the Chained Isles. The connection between the two portals might depend on distance, or it might not.... in any case, it is better not to take the risk.”

Hiding in the shadows, Sunny was momentarily stunned.

'Right... Nephis told Cassie to take the Ivory Tower to Bastion.’

He had forgotten all about it.

What would have happened if he stayed on the Ebony Island until the connection between the two portals was broken? Was he capable of ascending all the way to the Sky Above on his own?

Probably... after doing some weaving, at least.

But it would be such a pain.

'It seems I can't stay here anymore.’

It was so sudden.

But it was also... a relief.

Feeling strangely liberated, Sunny silently hid himself in Cassie's shadow and stayed with her until the outpost was completely disassembled. Then, he followed the blind seer back to the portal... on the way, Sunny said a silent goodbye to the statue of Storm God and threw one last glance at the map carved into the wall on the fifth level.

The Hollow Mountains were calling to him, and he had no reason to refuse the invitation anymore.

Once Cassie and the Fire Keepers returned to the Ivory Island, taking him with them, Sunny silently reached down with his senses and used Shadow Step to teleport to the distant land far below.

He stepped out of the shadows on the Southern Island, in the ruins of the ancient stronghold that had once belonged to Shadow Lord, and where he battled Nightmare many years ago.

In the sky above, the beautiful silhouette of the Ivory Island was drifting among clouds.

Sunny remained motionless for a while, looking up. Eventually, the flying island slowly moved, traveling south... crossing the chasm separating the Chained Isles from the rest of the Dream Realm, and leaving them behind.

It was time for him to go, as well.

He watched the Ivory Tower float away, and then turned around, facing north.

"...Goodbye."

Taking the first step, Sunny headed away from the ruined stronghold, never looking back.

 1754 I Hurt, Therefore I Am

Sunny remembered the first time he went all the way to the northern boundary of the Chained Isles vividly. Back then, it had taken Cassie and him around a month to reach the Night Temple from the Sanctuary of Noctis.

The Southern Island was further away from the Hollow Mountains than the Sanctuary - and yet, Sunny made the journey in under a week. Even then, it had only taken him that long because he was taking his sweet time.

He did not need to traverse the heavenly chains to get from one island to the other anymore instead, he simply turned into a crow and flew north, landing from time to time to rest or take a look at something peculiar.

The Crushing was of no issue because he could escape it at any time with Shadow Step. The Nightmare Creatures of the Chained Isles were too weak to pose a serious threat to him, at least as long as he stayed alert. Most simply fled, frightened by his dark presence.

Strangely enough, Sunny felt that he was more at home in the Dream Realm than he was in the waking world. It was as though being a Transcendent finally made him suited to exist in this land of beauty and dread.

Soon, he saw a black line on the northern horizon. The line grew darker and taller as he ventured further north, until he finally could make out the jagged peaks of the Hollow Mountains.

The great mountain chain pierced the sky like the fangs of a giant dragon... at least that was how Sunny always perceived it before. Now, however, he knew that they were simply a scar left on the surface of the world by the fall of a Void Creature that had been killed here at the dawn of time.

True darkness was born from the blood of that abyssal being, which had seeped into the broken earth.

Having beheld the draconian peaks, Sunny lowered his gaze and looked down.

The Northern Island had been destroyed in the battle between Sky Tide and Saint Cormac, so the chasm separating the Chained Isles from the Hollow Mountains was wider than before. Across the dark abyss of the Sky Below, the mountains rose steeply into the distant sky, white mist rolling down their slopes.

It flowed into the abyss like a wall of clouds, disappearing into the darkness.

Sunny exhaled slowly.

He was standing on the edge of an island, with the broken chain that had once connected it to the Northern Island rattling quietly far below, Far away, on the other side of the chasm, the great anchor chain that had once connected the Chained Isles to the Hollow Mountains was hidden by mist.

He was not alone.

Saint, Serpent, Nightmare, and Fiend were standing around him. Gloomy, creepy, haughty, naughty, and crazy shadows lay on the ground, as well. Only the happy shadow was missing, busy with its own mission.

Sunny exhaled slowly, then looked at his retinue.

He remained silent for a while, then said with a pale smile:

"The smart way of doing this would be to send one of you into the mist first. To see how it goes."

None of them showed any reaction... except for Fiend, who tried to hide behind Saint without drawing attention. Sadly, with his current size, hiding behind Saint was not as effective as it had been before.

Sunny grinned.

"...Luckily for you, no one has ever accused me of being smart."

He had been complimented on his wit from time to time, but never in an accusatory tone. So, the statement was technically true.

Shaking his head, Sunny commanded the shadows to wrap themselves around his body. Then, he dismissed the Shadows and faced the abyssal chasm once more,

‘What a bother...'

He had already tried to extend his shadow sense into the mist to breach the chasm with Shadow Step, but couldn't sense a single shadow on the other side. In fact, he couldn't sense anything. It was as if... nothing existed beyond the veil of mist.

Perhaps quite literally.

'Here we go.'

Sunny dissolved into the shadows, then emerged from them in the form of a crow. Flapping his wings, he cawed loudly and flew toward the Hollow Mountains.

He left the rattling of chains behind and glided on the winds above the bottomless abyss of the Sky Below. The white wall of flowing mist drew closer and closer, and as it did, Sunny's heart beat faster and faster.

'What if I really just... disappear?'

Would it be that bad? After all, he was all but erased from existence, already. Ending up being swallowed by nothing only seemed fitting.

'What the hell... of course, it's bad!'

Sunny was not going to disappear. He still wanted to live... in fact, he wanted to live more than ever before.

That was a strange quirk of his personality. The less reason there was for him to live, the more he wanted to survive, out of nothing but pure spite. Now that the world had truly and utterly rejected him, Sunny had to stay alive, no matter the cost.

Letting out another caw, Sunny plunged into the white mist.

Immediately, he felt..., strange.

‘Ah…’

What... what was that feeling?

Sunny couldn't quite describe it. However, it was debilitating enough to make him fall from the sky.

He crashed into the cold rock, rolling down the slope in a mess of limbs. The Crow Shell had collapsed, and he was back to his human body. The rocks bit into his skin painfully, but Sunny did not, and could not, pay it any attention.

'What... the hell... is this...'

It was... it was.... It was like a mind attack, but also completely different. At the same time, it was like a soul attack, but did not bring him any pain. It was also like a physical attack, but ir did not harm his body.

The best way Sunny could describe it was that, suddenly, he felt as if he was dreaming. Or rather, had been dreaming all along.

As if he was nothing but a fleeting dream, and all his life had been one long, meaningless nightmare. And, therefore...

That none of it was real, and none of him was real either.

His sense of self was slowly dissolving under the numb indifference of that obvious realization, as if he was being pulled into a state of senselessness.

Sunny had never existed, and would never exist.

He…

He…

He did not exist.

As soon as he acknowledged that fact, his soul started to dim.

His body started to lose strength, as well.

His thoughts turned slower.

‘That is right.’

Sunny smiled faintly.

'Come from nothing. Return to nothing.’

He could sense the mist flowing around him.

Through him.

Was his body turning transparent? If so... that was alright. That was how it should be.

Only...

'If I don't exist, if there is no me... then why does it hurt to have never existed so much?’

He had experienced being erased from existence once, already. That pain would have been meaningless if he had never existed, in the first place... so, the mere fact that it had hurt him so badly was a contraction.

If he was nobody, then he would have felt nothing. But he felt something, and therefore, he had to be somebody.

Pain bloomed in his heart like a flower.

And with it, his Transcendent soul ignited with the beautiful radiance of divine flame.

Tenacious blood ran through his body, filling it with strength.

His mind was aflame with desire.

Desire to exist.

'I hurt, therefore I am... wait, what? What kind of nonsense am I spouting?!'

Sunny groaned and concentrated all of his formidable mind on a single thought:

"I am!"

He was not nothing.

He was not nobody.

He was Sunless, formerly known or rather, unknown - as Lost from Light. He was the Devil of Antarctica. He had been the Mad Prince once, but he was not anymore. He was even Lord Mongrel, even if he wished otherwise.

He was... Sunny.

It took all his focus to keep that thought from dissolving into the mist.

Once he managed to prove his own existence, the pressure of nothingness did not disappear, and the pull of non-existence did not lessen. Sunny had to keep concentrating on the fact that he had been, was, and would be without reprieve. If he let go of that fervent thought even for a few moments, both his soul and body would probably turn into flowing mist.

"Dam... damnation…”

Grimacing, he slowly rose from the cold stone and stared into the white nothingness that surrounded him with a grim expression.

'Ah. How insidious.’

This... was not going to be easy.

Mumbling quiet curses, Sunny dusted himself off and looked around.

He could not see anything, and the mist was dampening his senses. So, he didn't even know which direction he was supposed to go.

However, it wasn't hard to determine where the north was.

All he had to do was pay attention to the ground.

The ground under his feet was sloping in a certain direction... going down meant returning to the Chained Isles, going up meant venturing deeper into the Hollow Mountains.

He rubbed his face, sighed, and started climbing the slope.