1837-1838 eng

1837 Part of Life

A few days later, Sunny dove into the cold waters of the Mirror Lake while the full moon slowly climbed the lightless sky. It was the last full moon before the great war between the two Domains set both worlds aflame, and therefore, the last chance he had to meet Cassie in the ruined stronghold of a dead daemon.

Infiltrating the true Bastion unnoticed was still somewhat difficult...

However, Sunny was tense for an entirely different reason.

'Rain... ah. That girl is really committed to making my life overly exciting, isn't she?‘

It was shortly before his sister expressed her determination to participate in the Domain War on the side of Queen Song.

Which wasn't really a big surprise to Sunny, who knew Rain well enough to guess that she would not stay idle. She was too compassionate and not nearly jaded enough to let her neighbors be bullied without trying to do something about it — no matter how small her contribution would be, in the grand scheme of things. So, he wasn't that angry.

In fact, he was happy to see that she still retained this kind of innocence. He was also a little proud to know that she had this kind of integrity — something that he had always lacked, and only barely found in Antarctica before losing it all over again.

But still, what brother wanted to see his little sister put herself in danger? Honestly, Sunny wanted nothing more than to whisk her to the Nameless Temple and keep her under lock until everything was over. No... the Nameless Temple wasn‘t safe enough, considering what role it was supposed to play. Nowhere was really safe anymore, and nothing would be really over for a long while.

However, the main reason Sunny had not tried to dissuade Rain from joining the war was that she had to make her own choices, earn her own triumphs, and suffer from her own mistakes in order to learn and grow. No matter how much he worried about her safety, he would never want to become someone who stifled her growth with overbearing care instead of aiding it.

That would only be a disservice, especially for someone as bright and dauntless as Rain was.

Plus... so what if she was going to war? It would be a little tricky, without a doubt, but Sunny was quite confident in his ability to keep her alive even in the middle of a battlefield. Who was there among the champions of Song and Valor whom he couldn't handle?

Well, alright, there were the Sovereigns... but he could at least run away from them safely.

So, this war could very well become a harsh, but indispensable opportunity for her to mature and grow stronger — both in terms of ability and mentality.

It was the latter part that Sunny was worried about. Not because he thought that Rain couldn't handle it, but because he knew that she would be left with invisible scars even if she did.

...Scars were a part of life as well, though. They were a part of growth.

'Ah, I don't know.‘

In any case, there was nothing he could do about it now. So, Sunny tried to forget his worries and concentrate on the task at hand.

Cassie was waiting for him near the collapsed tower, her beautiful hair glistening in moonlight like pale gold.

She was in one piece, and seemingly alive. There were no visible bruises anywhere, either. So, Sunny felt a little less guilty about exposing her to Neph's wrath.

'I’ll make it up to her later, somehow…’

Rising from the water, he climbed onto the remains of the fallen tower.

"Hey, Cassie."

Cassie smiled faintly.

"Hey, Sunny."

It was still strange — and heartwarming — to hear someone call him by his name. Sunny enjoyed the feeling and looked at the crumbling walls of the ruined fortress.

They seemed even more deserted than before.

He raised an eyebrow.

"I don't see any Knights on the walls."

She nodded.

"There was no call for the vassals to assemble their armies, yet, but the royal clan has already started to move its forces. Most of the Knights and Paladins are heading north. Awakened soldiers, too. It is hard to notice on the streets of the false Bastion, but here, their absence can be felt."

Cassie hesitated for a few moments.

"...The king is still here, though. So we need to be careful."

He offered her his hand without wasting any time, then pulled them both into the Mirror Maze.

Once they were in the familiar stone chamber, Sunny let go of Cassie's hand, summoned the Shadow Lantern, and said:

"I am glad that you are okay... and I'm sorry for putting you in a difficult situation. Well, I am sure that Nephis was her usual composed and restrained self. But still. The two of you must have had a heated conversation."

Cassie faced him, and for a moment, there was a strange expression on her face.

"Oh... yes. Indeed. She was her usual, composed self."

With that, she turned to the door and smiled.

"It's alright. I was actually glad to see her a little flustered. You did a fine job, by the way. Telling her. Now that this obstacle is behind the two of you, the future seems a little brighter."

Sunny sighed quietly.

"I hope so, too. But... to tell you the truth, I am as worried and apprehensive about it as I am relieved and elated. There are things I simply can't tell her, after all. Can we really be together when we can't even be honest with each other? I am worried."

Cassie smiled.

"Of course, you can. Honesty is important, but it is also overrated. If people were entirely honest with each other, there would have been no romance in the world. What do you think a relationship is? At the start, everyone hides their true selves and only shows the other person their best side. And by the time two people come together, even if some details remain hidden, the important truths shine through. I think you showed her the important truth splendidly."

Sunny stared at her silently for a while.

It was strange, but after hearing her words, he suddenly felt a lot better.

Sensing his reaction, Cassie raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

He shook his head.

"Nothing, really. It's just that... how are you so good at giving advice? You've never been in a relationship before, yourself. It's weird!"

Cassie seemed mortified.

"W-who said that I've never..."

Sunny gave her a dubious look.

"Please."

The young woman remained motionless for a few moments, then slowly turned her back to him.

Her voice sounded a little irked:

"Unbelievable... that's two times in a week, now..."

1838 Palace of Imagination

Soon, a tide of shadows swallowed the Mirror Maze, and they continued their meticulous exploration.

Sunny did not really hope to reveal the secret of the maze tonight. In fact, by now, he was starting to suspect that he would never be able to reach its heart that way — simply because what he was doing was inherently wrong.

It was impossible to reach the Tomb of Ariel no matter how long one marched across the Nightmare Desert... at least during the day. He believed that the only way to approach the great pyramid was to brave the sea of dunes at night, when it was the most dangerous.

Similarly, there must have been some trick to traversing the labyrinth of mirrors. Perhaps by drowning the maze in shadows and neutering its mirror walls, Sunny was preventing himself from making any progress.

He sighed.

Behind him, Cassie hesitated for a few moments, and then said quietly:

"That girl in the Song Domain..."

Sunny glanced back with a neutral expression, knowing what she wanted, but couldn't ask.

"...She is someone precious."

The blind seer remained silent for a while.

Eventually, she smiled and said with a hint of wonder in her voice:

"It is funny, isn't it? The entire world is frozen in fear and anticipation of a great war that will shape history. And yet, no one is aware that something no less important has happened in the desolate wilderness of the Dream Realm, witnessed by nobody except for a young Legacy girl, you, and me. A human of the waking world Awakening without being cursed by the Nightmare Spell. Your achievement... is remarkable."

A pale smile appeared on Sunny's lips, as well.

"Funny? It is a bit funny, I guess."

Her remained silent for a few moments, and then added:

"However, this achievement can only become important in the future. She can only make a difference in the future. Right now... it is up to people like us — you, me, and Nephis — to make sure that there is a future for people like her to make history."

His smile turned a little bittersweet.

"In fact, if there is a future... I hope that what we did becomes all but forgotten, and only what they did is remembered. Such a wish is quite ironic coming from someone like me, isn't it?"

Cassie chuckled.

"It is... especially when expressed to someone like me. Although, I must say — I doubt that there is someone like you or me out there. Or will ever be again."

Sunny couldn't help but laugh quietly.

"Gods. I hope not."

It would be quite sad, if someone in the future had to suffer like him, and was forced to do the same terrible things that he had done or was yet to do, still, just then, they made another turn... and froze.

His eyes widened.

'...I'll be damned.'

Sunny had not expected to discover anything in the Mirror Maze tonight, but, unexpectedly... he did.

Out there in front of them, the narrow corridor opened into a vast hall. The mirror walls that had been pressing down on them expanded, disappearing into the distance. The floor of the underground chamber was sloping downward like a bowl, and the ceiling was out of sight.

The spherical hall was so vast that Sunny could not see the other end of it. In fact, he couldn't see anything, as if something was obscuring his vision. His shadow sense was similarly suppressed.

All he could feel was that the hall was enormous, ancient... and dangerous.

Sunny‘s instincts were screaming that he needed to retreat. This sense of dire danger reminded him of the worst horrors he had experienced in his life.

...Then, there was a sound in the darkness.

Chilled to the bone, Sunny looked down and felt something that did not make any sense, and yet filled him with a sense of terror.

A wave of cold water rolled over the floor and licked his boots, pieces of ice drifting in the foam, then receded... as if he was standing on the shore of a freezing ocean.

Then, there was another sound.

The rustle of countless leaves and the creaking of enormous branches.

Wisps of mist drifted in the darkness, brushing against his skin like cold tendrils.

The ghastly smell of the outskirts assaulted his nose.

Before anything happened, Sunny grabbed Cassie and pulled her back into the corridor. Then, feeling that it was not enough, he stepped through the shadows and brought them back to the stone chamber.

Letting go of the blind seer, he leaned on the wall heavily.

His vision returned. Both of them were deathly pale, and trembling.

"W-what... what the hell was that?"

Cassie's voice was subdued.

Sunny forced himself to calm down and let out a stifled laugh.

It wasn't easy to scare two Saints, and yet, here they were.

"The Demon of Imagination... damn."

Cassie raised her eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

Sunny slowly straightened his back and brushed his hair back.

"This castle was created by the Demon of Imagination once, wasn‘t it? So, there have to be traces of her power left here. The mirrors are one such relic. The hall we found... I think it is another."

The blind seer frowned.

"The icy water, the rustle of countless leaves, the mist... what do they have to do with the Demon of Imagination?"

Sunny slowly shook his head.

"Nothing. But... when we entered the hall, I felt a sense of danger, and couldn't help but remember some of the most harrowing encounters of my life. And so..."

He hesitated for a few moments, struggling to believe in the theory that had formed in his mind.

Eventually, though, Sunny finished his thought in a low tone:

"And so, the hall made them real."

Cassie's face paled.

"You mean... you mean to say that that place can make What we fear into reality?"

Sunny lingered for a while, then shook his head again.

"No... if I am right, then it is not what we fear."

He shivered, and the added in a somber tone:

"It's what we imagine."

Come to think of it, he must have gone blind there because of Cassie.

'Damned daemons…’

What did every one of them have to be scarier than the next?

Cassie seemed a little shocked by his suggestion, too.

She hesitated for a while, then asked in a small voice:

"Then, do you want... to go try again? There is still time before dawn..."

Sunny laughed.

"Are you crazy? Just think about what is hidden there, in our heads. Let's not even mention that one of us might accidentally think about having their limbs severed or skin peeled off. Can you control your thoughts completely? What if you imagine that Cursed Tyrant, Condemnation? What if you think about the Forgotten God?"

He took a deep breath.

"I knew that there would be some kind of challenge at the heart of the Mirror Maze. But this... this is beyond what I have imagined. Pun intended. Conquering that hall is a lethal task, even for us. No... especially for us. Because we have seen too much, and remember too much."

It definitely wasn't something that could be accomplished in a day.

If he wanted to reach the heart of the Hall of Imagination... he would need to prepare thoroughly.

...Sadly, there was no time.

Sunny looked at the door of the stone chamber with regret, and then sighed.

"It doesn't matter. I had a small hope of finding what I seek here before the war, but I can find it after we win, too. By then, there will be no King of Swords and no Clan Valor. I won't need to hide in the darkness and come here only once a month. So... I will return to this eerie place then."

With that, Sunny offered Cassie his hand and forced out a smile.

"Let's leave, for now. There is a lot I have to do in these next few days."

It was true. Because these...

Would be the last days of peace.