Fanfic Shadow Slave - All god (Regression)

He entered the cafeteria and saw Jet sitting with two bowls full of synthetic porridge; reluctantly he sat beside her.

'Who'd have thought I'd be eating this crap again?'

Unenthusiastically he spooned some porridge into his mouth, immediately regretted it, took a sip of water, and turned his head to speak—only to notice she was busy with her communicator.

Seconds passed, and Jet gave him a mischievous smile.

"Nephis finished her nightmare. Looks like you two will enter together again."

When he didn't react, she sighed and shook her head.

"Wrap it up quickly—we can't talk here."

Before she finished speaking, Sunny was already heading for the exit.

"What are you waiting for?"

- - -

Jet closed the PTV door and started it up.

"Sunny, it seems what you did actually worked."

"What—out of all the things?"

She laughed.

"The mortality rate among those infected by the Spell has dropped dramatically. Of course, since we're close to the solstice, there aren't many cases, so the government just treated it as a blip."

Another of his enchantments had been clever: whenever an Aspirant died, the Spell gave them false memories of having conquered their nightmare and returned them to the waking world.

Basically, it didn't matter if they died—the Spell ended the trial there and proceeded to evaluation.

True, this lowered the overall quality of the Dreamers, but Sunny had accounted for that. The Dream Realm itself would handle raising standards; if they hadn't used their time before the solstice, they would have died anyway. So it didn't matter.

"By the way—weren't you going to activate the Memory Market?"

She clicked her tongue at the mention of her failure.

"Seems the damned Spell is still polishing it. I don't have access yet."

Jet frowned and sighed.

"Well, it doesn't matter for now. But we need it ready before the solstice, so the Dreamers have a better chance."

"Yeah… there's nothing we can do right now. I'll let you know if anything changes."

The rest of the trip was silent and calm. They'd already discussed what needed doing before returning, so there wasn't much left to say.

After a while the PTV stopped before the Academy's massive gates. The wall loomed impressively—truly a fortress, just as he remembered.

He stepped out and turned to Jet.

"Hey—see you later."

She gave him a serene smile.

"Of course."

He headed toward the Academy gates. The snowy landscape was breathtaking—almost magical. In his past life he'd been awed, but now none of that mattered; the only thing he cared about was the person standing in front of him.

Silver hair and those gray eyes, a slender figure and a beautiful face that seemed devoid of emotion—at least, that's what everyone else would think. But he knew her all too well.

He approached slowly and stopped a meter away, taking several breaths before speaking.

"Hi, Neph."

At those words the ice mask cracked; her face contorted with sadness, joy, hope, and love.

Her chest rose and fell with desperation to have back what she loved most—to have him back. The mere memory of those four years apart tormented him; he didn't believe he could stand being without her again—he couldn't.

She smiled—the purest smile he had ever seen—and with just two words unbalanced him.

"Hi… Sunny."

As if the chains binding them had shattered, they both ran and embraced tightly. Sunny sobbed softly while Nephis stroked his back.

They stayed like that for a long moment, as if their world would shatter if they let go. And maybe it would—each knew if one died, the other would go mad. To them, the other was their world.

After several minutes they pulled apart.

"I was scared… if you hadn't had your memories I…"

Nephis wiped his face with her hands.

"I love you, Sunny."

As if on cue, the ground trembled and the massive gates swung open.

They looked at each other, smiled, and spoke in unison.

"We'll talk later."

Their eyes widened and they laughed.

They turned toward the open gate, and without looking back at her, Sunny spoke.

"Hey, Neph."

She turned back to him.

"What is it?"

Sunny continued staring at the Academy gates, now wide open.

"I love you."

After saying those words, he walked through the walls.

She watched him go with a smile.

- - -

Sunny found himself in the grand hall where the ceremony would take place. He honestly hated being surrounded by so many people—mostly because it made him stand out. Everyone else looked dazzling, tall and muscular.

'Idiots—one day I'll be maybe the world's… most handsome man!'

A few had tried to talk to him, but he always cut them off politely.

"Yes, during my nightmare I faced five Sleeping Beasts. It was tough, but I made it."

The young Dreamer raised his chin and looked at Sunny expectantly; Sunny simply shot him a killer glare.

At least this time he wasn't earning a reputation as a pervert, and he didn't have to suffer embarrassment in front of the great Legacies.

Several others tried to approach, but he always evaded them. When he finally escaped the swarm of teenagers, he spotted a bench nearby.

Seated there was a neat young woman with pale blonde hair. Her eyes were white and seemed to stare into nothingness.

Sunny's heart ached—seeing his old friend so weak and helpless broke him, especially since she looked so downcast and sad.

He swallowed his feelings, approached her, greeted the attendant helping her, and sat beside Cassie.

"Hi—my name's Sunless, but you can call me Sunny."

The girl turned her head slowly, then said in a low voice,

"Are you talking to me?"

Sunny forced a cheerful tone.

"Sure—there's no one else nearby. Anyway—what's your name?"

Cassie was stunned for a moment. Her face twisted, as if she might cry, but she held it together.

"Ah—my name's Cassie. Nice to meet you, Sunny."

Cassie recovered and gave him a kind smile.

"What a lovely name. By the way, I wanted to ask you about a singer—I think his name was Night."

Sunny chatted with Cassie about everyday things: parents, family, friends, hobbies. It was refreshing to reconnect with his friend this way. In his past life their relationship had been tumultuous, but this time he'd make sure things went well.

Gradually she relaxed and began speaking with passion, laughing more often, a smile brightening her face.

After a while someone entered through the door and ascended to the main stage. All the Dreamers fell silent.

The Awakened Rock delivered his speech; the Dreamers seemed affected—some nervous, most filled with hope and energy.

Cassie looked a bit sad, as if the Rock's words had been meant for everyone but her. Sunny remained quiet—though he disliked it, he knew Cassie had to face her own problems. She'd still be needed in the future, so he hoped she'd grow stronger.

Sunny himself was unmoved—he didn't even listen. After all, he knew more about the Dream Realm than the Rock himself—perhaps more than anyone in both worlds.

After the speech, all Dreamers were sent to their dormitories. Sunny smiled at his room—it was the same as in his past life.

'I guess some things never change.'

He opened the door and flopped onto the bed. He didn't have much to do, so he planned to rest.

He lay there for a while until a familiar shadow approached—he knew it well.

Before it could touch him, he opened the door and saw her: a young woman, expressionless, with gray eyes and silver hair.

Unbeknownst to himself, his heart raced—he nearly leapt from the bed to the door.

Realizing what he'd done, his face flushed with embarrassment. He quickly composed himself.

"Hmm—eh, hi, Neph."

He ran a hand through his hair, fidgeting.

"Ha."

He heard a small laugh, looked up, and saw Changing Star trying—and failing—to hold it in. After a few seconds she stopped giggling and looked at him.

"Um—hi, Sunny. May I come in?"

She stepped inside and closed the door.

He felt soothed and comforted. It had been so long since he'd seen Nephis act like an ordinary person—not in a bad way, of course.

Since they began their plan to travel back in time, their relationship had become, at best, distant—mainly because they were both so busy they couldn't give each other attention. Also, her Flaw had made her more withdrawn. So Sunny had become her home—he gave her a place to return to, stood by her through the worst days, which were almost all of them.

Seeing her act like herself again—able to laugh and feel without the weight of humanity's ruins on her shoulders, without her Flaw crushing her, without the emotional burden of having lost her friends—simply being her, carefree, was refreshing and filled him with joy. If she was happy, he was too.

Unknowingly he'd been watching her for minutes. Now she looked at him with a full-ear-to-ear grin.

"What are you staring at?"

Another time Sunny might have tried to hide it or dodge her question, but today he didn't—he simply smiled at her, the kindest, purest smile he'd given in ages.

"At you."

She seemed puzzled by his answer, shook her head, and patted the mattress.

"Sit down."

He sat beside her, and they stayed there, enjoying the quiet company. They'd done this many times—just being together in silence, which had grown comfortable.

Nephis took his hand, leaned her head on his shoulder, and lay back.

He felt her warmth, her breath, her soft hair tickling his neck, and an indescribable passion.

They remained like that until mealtime; later they'd have time to discuss important matters.

"Nephis, you go ahead first. I don't want people seeing us leave together…"

He cut himself off when he noticed her icy glare. She opened her mouth and, in a cold tone, said,

"I don't care."

Sunny swallowed—he'd definitely messed up.

"O-Okay."

They left the room side by side, walking down the corridor. Other residents stared at them—no wonder: Nephis was a beauty, slender, regal, and Sunny… well, his looks were below average.

He felt a twinge of regret for not being as handsome as before, but something made him happy: Nephis didn't seem to mind.

Sunny reached for her hand and gently took it. She turned her head quickly—surprised—but when she saw Sunny looking straight ahead as if unbothered, the corners of her mouth lifted. He could feel his ears warming.

- - -

The Academy cafeteria was packed with chattering Dreamers, all trying to forge new connections or curry favor with a Legacy. Caster sat with his entourage in one corner, but in another corner was a nearly empty table with three people.

Two girls delicately ate their modest meals, while a ravenous beast consumed a towering pile of food—the beast was a frail young man with black hair.

Cassie looked a bit disgusted by the noises coming from the front, while Nephis merely shrugged.

"Uh, Sunny."

He looked up and scooped another spoonful into his mouth.

"Yes?"

As she spoke, bits of food fell onto the table. Cassie heard it and recoiled—she didn't want to touch a glob of slobbered food.

"Sunny, you should swallow before you speak."

Nephis leaned forward and wiped his mouth with a napkin. Sunny complied, swallowing hard.

"Phew—well, the food here isn't that bad, but I could make something much better…"

The blind girl heard a second voice for the first time. She thought it was another outcast Dreamer and paid little attention.

"Um—hello—my name is Cassie. Who are you?"

Nephis gave her an expressionless look and was silent for a few seconds. Just as Cassie was about to break the awkward silence, Nephis spoke in a monotone.

"Nephis."

It took Cassie a few moments to process that was the girl's name.

"Oh! Nephis—what a lovely name. Pleasure to meet you."

Cassie assumed Nephis was shy, but that wasn't the case—only Nephis and Sunny knew why she behaved so oddly.

She was conflicted: seeing her best friend again filled her with complex emotions, and she was unsure how to approach—she didn't want to ruin their friendship.

Sunny stifled a smile and stuffed another bite of food in his mouth, giving them space.

The two girls chatted about various girly topics, Sunny guessed—music, debating the best songs by Kai, and other things he couldn't care less about.

He felt a little left out, treated like a mannequin. He tried not to mind, simply enjoying the girls' conversation and his delicious meal.

He wanted his friends to be close again, especially Cassie—he knew how badly she'd struggled with her Flaw. Having a friend to talk to without explaining everything every few seconds was a blessing.

After a while the Dreamers were called for their interviews. Sunny knew exactly what he'd do.

Unlike his past life, this time he had no reason to hide—and he wouldn't. He'd no longer tolerate the nasty stares of foolish teenagers.

Finally his name was called. He stood, finishing the last piece of meat on his plate.

"See you tomorrow, Sunny."

He looked at the two girls and gave Nephis a mischievous smile.

"See you, Cassie."

He wanted to see if this time she still thought she was above him.

- - -

He sat across from an administrative officer who asked him several protocol questions, including whether he wanted to receive psychological counseling.

"Would you mind telling me about the type of Aspect Skill you received—combat, sorcery, utility?"

Sunny weighed his words carefully; he wanted to give just enough information to be seen as strong, but didn't want to reveal everything.

"Uh, I haven't had time to test it yet, but according to the runes it grants me a boost when I fight to the death."

"Oh, a combat class—perfect. Could you tell me about your dormant skill?"

He pretended to hesitate for a few seconds.

"I don't fully understand it, but it lets me manipulate my shadow, move it, and I can sense through it. It also gives me a boost when I wrap myself in it."

The officer seemed pleased with his answers.

"Good. Would you like to tell me something about your attributes?"

"Sure. One of my attributes grants me affinity with divinity."

The officer looked surprised—after all, affinity with divinity was uncommon.

"Very well. Is there anything else you'd like to tell me about your memories or anything else?"

Sunny shifted uncomfortably in his seat, sighed, and said something that shocked the social worker.

"Lost from Light."

"Hmm. What?"

"That is my True Name: Lost from Light."

With that, he should rank above Nephis—unless she revealed more than he did.,