Shadow slave: The Prince of Death

Nephis stood alone in the dim training hall, her body humming with newfound power—even when dormant, it was several times stronger than before.

It had only been a day since she had gained her aspect, but everything felt different. She was stronger, sharper—better.

In everyway, shape and form.

Her hair, once raven black, had also turned silver overnight, for some reason.

Perhaps affected by her aspect.

She gritted her teeth in exasperation.

"I hate this so much."

Incandescent flames danced on her hands, turning into various shapes.

Nephis was practising her aspect, this time without any pain.

Her lethality had soared by leaps and bounds, and she was none the wiser.

---

A firm knock on the door broke her thoughts for a moment.

"Come in," she called, turning around still engrossed in her thoughts.

Sunny was going to laugh at her new hair so much...

The door creaked opened and her teacher, rengoku walked in. He looked at her, then at her hands where her flames were still dancing—lighting up the area around her.

'Is she trying to make her flames into a silhouette of sunny? Poor kid, he's going to suffer so much now.'

Shaking the thought out of his mind, rengoku turned on the lights.

"Lady Nephis," he said, his voice was calm but worried. "You've only just Awakened. You should rest."

Nephis exhaled sharply. "I can't rest. There's too much to do. I need to get used to my strength before entering the academy."

Rengoku folded his arms. "You can duel with Sunless later to adapt." Then, with a sarcastic tone, he scoffed. "Just like you did after he Awakened."

Nephis narrowed her eyes and sighed dramatically.

"You'll never let me hear the end of that, will you?"

After Sunny had fought both her and cassie, all three of them had received scoldings for ruining their clothes at the gathering. Cassie had it the worst—her mundane parents had been terrified for her, worried that she might've hurt herself.

Sunny's parents had simply chastised him for being too rough—and in a way, rude with guests.

Nephis had received a strange mix of both.

And an added lecture about revealing her techniques too easily to a stranger.

It had worked out nicely for her in the end though, nephis and Cassie had exchanged numbers. They had gotten pretty close talking about nightngale's strange lack of updates.

'It is weird though, even if gale's on a solo tour, night should have uploaded at least one song.'

An old memory surged in her mind. It was of sunny lecturing her, the same memory she had had in her nightmare.

'You listen to nightngale's music to distract yourself from the boredom of your repetitive training.'

Frowning inwards, she retaliated against the imaginary sunny in her mind.

'I don't listen to them for distracting myself, Nightingale's songs are the peak of music. Stupid sunny, he has no taste!'

Then, for a moment, she found herself agreeing with him, albeit reluctantly.

'But maybe I shouldn't take it so hard on myself...'

Only to immediately rectify herself.

'As if! He literally trains harder than me...who is he to lecture me? If anything—I should be the one lecturing him–.'

Her teacher sighed, unaware of her internal debate competition she was having with her self.

"I'm not hear to lecture you young lady, you are an adult now. You don't need my supervision.

But I am here to inform you of three things."

Nephis raised an eyebrow, waking up from her overthinking. "Pray tell."

"Firstly, your new friend cassia woke up from her Nightmare yesterday."

A good news finally found its way to her.

"Oh cassie's safe? That's great."

"Safe, yes. But her family isn't exactly celebrating."

Rengoku's expression darkened slightly. "Her flaw is… difficult. Kingmaker informed me—she has gone blind."

The words hit harder than Nephis expected.

She hadn't known Cassie for long, but the thought of her losing her sight while she herself emerged untouched, with a flaw that was far easier than her's—it made her feel wrong. Unfairly fortunate.

It made her ashamed for some reason.

Ofcourse, such thoughts weren't rational nor did they have a real foundation.

But they were what made Nephis—the last daughter of immortal flame.

Nephis swallowed. "Did she join the Academy?"

"Yes. Her parents hesitated, but they understood that she needs to control her new abilities. She was admitted this morning."

A small relief. At least Cassie would have time to adjust.

"And the second thing?"

Rengoku hesitated, then knelt before her.

"And the second thing is mylady, I want to swear an oath."

Nephis frowned in confusion.

"What oath?"

"My contract with your family has ended," he said, voice steady, "but after seeing your dedication—your willingness to push yourself beyond reason—I have made my decision.

I cannot serve the great clans, knowing what they have done to you.

And I cannot align myself with the government's absurd neutrality.

I would have become an independent awakened after leaving, but now that I see others—people who have had no connections to you—come and help you.

Simply because your clan deserves to exist as well.

Simply because they too want the tyranny of the great clans to be opposed.

Simply because its the right thing to do...

...I can not find in me, the audacity to leave this place, to leave you—alone to face the world.

So I would rather die as I've lived—serving the Immortal Flame Clan."

Nephis blinked. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond. A warmth swelled in her chest, it wasn't foreign per se, but she hadn't felt genuine happiness like that alot in her life.

She straightened her posture, awkwardly attempting to mimic the way her father would speak.

"I will value your service, Master. Thank you."

Rengoku smiled—a genuine expression, filled with care and love—and reached into his soul.

Sparks of light flew around his palm, and a Memory manifested in his hands.

A katana with a hilt resembling flickering flames. Its blade, tinted ember-red, pulsed faintly—although that pulse was hidden under the light of the room.

"This," Rengoku said, "was my father's Aspect Legacy. It evolves alongside its wielder. When I Ascended, so did the sword.

I want you to wield it—until you find something greater, that is the third thing I wanted to tell you.

Nephis hesitated. "Master, I… I can't take something so valuable."

"You can. And you will." Rengoku's voice was unwavering. Seeing that nephis was reluctant, he decided to act as if he had a selfish wish in all this.

"I'll get to see it evolve when you transcend. That is all I could ask for."

With hesitance, nephis reached out slowly, her fingers brushing against the hilt, the moment she grabbed it properly, she felt the sword being absorbed in her soul sea.

A presence much stronger than both her previous memories combined had settled down in her soul.

"I will accept your gift, Master," she said quietly, "but when I Awaken, I promise to return it.

Your father would have wanted it to transcend with you."

Rengoku looked away "I'm not capable of-"

"You will be, rengoku, when the time comes I'm sure you will pull through." Nephis found herself speaking with an authority she had never felt before.

As if being awakened by the spell and thus being declared an adult had finally pushed her to follow in her parents' footsteps.

She had to take those who followed her under her wing.

And see to it that they achieved greatness aswell.

Nephis glanced at her runes.

Memories: [Dream blade] [Eidolon guard] [Flame pillar]

"Flame pillar huh, I'll be sure to cherish it, master."

She smiled slightly.

"I know you will," Rengoku said, then he remembered something.

"Oh, and one last thing—Sunny is applying to the Academy. Do you wish to enroll as well?"

"Yes," Nephis answered without hesitation.

"If both my friends are there, then I ought to be with them.

But, Master."

"Yes?"

"Didn't you say you had three things to tell me?"

Rengoku coughed. "Well… 'three things' just sounds better than four, doesn't it?"

Nephis stared at him blankly.

"...What even."

---

Sunny stared at the academy gate—surprised, perplexed...horrified even.

In front of the gate was a tall gaunt man in his late fifties.

There was a subtle scent of rot and slaughter around him.

But Saint Cor wasn't what caught Sunny's attention the most—no, it was...

Madoc of Valor.

'Why the hell is he here?'

The tall and severe looking man was talking to Saint Cor casually—yet his steely blue eyes betrayed any hint of listlessness.

Sunny's mind churned with possibilities.

He wasn't sure why whispering blade himself had arrived at the academy, he couldn't possibly have come to execute nephis himself.

No, asterion wouldn't allow that. Not for now atleast.

Maybe it was something mundane? A relative infected by the nightmare spell? Plenty of new cases were appearing. But if that were true, why would Whispering Blade himself come instead of sending someone else?

A legacy from a great clan wouldn't enroll in the Academy to train, either.

'Goddamit, why the hell is he here!?'

As sunny finished his last thought, he had reached the conversation range of the two saints.

He was now staring at the two talking, his mind yelled at him to ignore them and go inside the academy.

That it wasn't his place to get involved with saints.

But sunny wanted to know... exactly what had changed from the original timeline.

He needed to know what valor was planning.

Cor's face was tense as he spoke to Madoc, the air between them charged with a confrontational tone. But before Sunny could hear anything—

Cor turned. His sharp gaze locked onto Sunny like a blade.

"Go inside." His tone wasn't a suggestion.

Sunny's muscles tensed, he sighed inwards and, knowing that he couldn't just refuse the saint, turned to go inside.

Just then—

"Stop."

Sunny's blood ran cold.

Madoc had turned to face him.

The Whispering Blade of Valor looked at him with piercing blue eyes, void of warmth.

Sunny felt the weight of that gaze settle over him, a silent pressure that crawled up his spine. A single drop of sweat rolled down his neck, but outwardly, he remained still—his expression nonchalant, almost indifferent.

To anyone watching, it would seem as if he saw Madoc as nothing more than another passerby.

Deep down, sunny was smiling darkly—he was going to learn atleast something about valor's reason of coming here.

Something unreadable within Madoc's gaze deepened.

"You're the one who made a deal with the Immortal Flame clan."

He wasn't asking. He was stating a fact.

Sunny met his gaze evenly. "I am." His aloofness was not at all second to madoc's.

"Why?"

His voice was casual, but there was something beneath it. Something sharp.

Before Sunny could answer, Cor cut in.

"That's enough, Whispering Blade. You have no right to question someone's personal choices."

Sunny didn't waver. He tilted his head slightly, voice cool.

"Because I wanted to. You got a problem with that?"

His heart thundered in his chest, adrenaline rushing his veins like the time storm of the great river.

He was picking a fight with Madoc of Valor.

And he loved every second of it.

Madoc studied him for a moment, then exhaled, his expression unreadable.

"Hmm. No. The great clan of Valor has no issue with the Immortal Flame clan's decisions."

He didn't justify why Valor had never aided Immortal Flame.

He didn't even pretend to care about them.

He simply took a step forward.

And the world crushed down on Sunny.

A wave of pressure, vast and suffocating, pressed against his very soul. It wasn't physical—no, this was something deeper, more insidious. Madoc's mere presence was causing suffocation around him, forcing submission.

He wanted sunny to kneel.

Sunny's body screamed in protest. His bones felt like they might shatter. But he stood tall, acting like he didn't care.

Then—

Another force surged beside him, clashing against Madoc's influence.

The pressure eased instantly.

Cor had interfered. If he did not, sunny believed his bones would have broken.

"Don't try anything stupid, boy," Cor warned.

Madoc chuckled. "Relax. I'm not here for a conflict today, anyway."

It didn't miss sunny that madoc had said 'today' meaning he could come looking for a conflict later.

Madoc took another step forward, stopping directly in front of him. Then, unexpectedly—

He extended a hand.

"Not bad, for a sleeper" he murmured. "Even Morgan couldn't stand under my presence as a Sleeper.

I am whispering blade."

Sunny narrowed his eyes.

He knew this act—oh so well. The same game Valor had played in Antarctica. Pretending she was weak and inexperienced.

Pretending that there was a conflict between the two sons of the warden.

It was bait.

Still…

'But it's probably true that Morgan couldn't endure it.'

Sunny smirked. He grasped Madoc's hand in a firm shake.

"Nice to meet you, Whispering Blade," he said. "I am the Prince of Death."

Madoc's lips quirked upward in amusement.

"A true name already huh."

"The future of the government seems promising," he mused. "I hope you get along with the future of Valor, too."

The unspoken warning was clear.

Don't choose the wrong side, or else you will regret it.

Sunny remained unfazed.

He tilted his head, smiling lazily.

"I'm not the future of the government," he corrected. "I'm the future of the world itself. Nothing less would do for the strongest human of the future.

So don't worry—so long as Valor remains champions of humanity, we'll be friends. Just like the Immortal Flame clan is."

Silence stretched between them.

Then—

Cor stepped between them.

"That's enough," he said, his voice edged with authority. "Madoc, I advise you to wait in the meeting room while I prepare my staff—we have much to discuss and the time of a Transcendent is worth its weight in gold.

I'd much rather you didn't waste it rambling with a dormant kid."

Madoc gave a casual shrug. Without another word, he turned and strode toward the Academy, finding a government official inside who was waiting to take him to an area only allowed for the highest government officials.

Only once he was gone did Cor turn to face Sunny, his expression dark.

"What?"

Cor's eye twitched.

"What do you mean, what? Are you insane, child? You were picking a fight with a Saint. With a great clan. Do you wish to die?"

Sunny sighed. "It's not like I meant to start anything…"

Cor scoffed. "Sure you didn't."

"I just didn't like him provoking me."

"And that's worth your life?" Cor snapped. "Listen carefully, boy. The only reason I allowed you to pull this ridiculous stunt—aligning with the Immortal Flame clan—was because it serves the human race. It strengthens the government. It keeps the last embers of Immortal Flame alive.

But if you keep acting like you want the great clans to kill you—then the government will not have anything to do with your antics!

Your incredible talent is meaningless to me if you aren't alive to use it!"

"Relax, I'm not that reckless," Sunny muttered. Then, after a pause, "Why is he here, anyway?"

Cor exhaled. His voice lowered.

"And who are you to ask?"

Sunny's expression darkened.

"The guy that will save your little goverment during Antarctica?" Sunny tilted his head again, and asked in a fake innocent voice.

Cor was only growing more exasperated though.

"Antarctica is only half a decade or so away, not enough time for you to even Ascend—what will you even–"

"Alright bet." Sunny grinned slightly, accidentally interrupting the saint.

"What even are you saying anymore young man..." Cor, being from the 1st generation had no idea what sunny had just said.

"Uhh...just watch me speedrun this career."

Cor sighed, half confused and half annoyed.

"Listen, you are kingmaker's son, and your skill will be valuable once you ascend. So I'm inclined to give you some leverage when you do these antics—but don't do something so stupid that it gets you killed.

Not only would that be a waste, your parents would also mourn you."

He looked at sunny for a moment, then continued.

"Now, lady nephis of immortal flame is coming to register today, so I want you to take care of her while she's here.

We have taken the risk, we will have to see through it."

Sunny nodded sincerely.

"She'll be here in a few minutes too, that's why I wanted whispering blade out of here, but you had to interrupt."

"I'm sorry..." Sunny let out a stifled breathe, slightly annoyed by all the lecturing.

---

Wake of Ruin had left to meet Whispering Blade.

Nephis was going to arrive in a few minutes, so sunny looked at himself, reminiscing about the past.

In the original timeline, they had met here for the first time.

Now, they had known each other for two years already.

Despite all his connections in this life, he still wasn't carrying any luggage—just like before.

But this time, it wasn't because he was poor.

His room at the Academy was already set up. He had been visiting since he was twelve, attending Wilderness Survival and Nightmare Creatures—weakness and anatomy courses. He had even completed the advanced classes, usually reserved for Awakened students.

Even the combat courses were meaningless now, not only had sunny completed them—he had already learnt everything the awakened trainers could teach him individually too.

He had been practising new styles even after joining the training with nephis—so he had over a hundred styles under his belt. Mastered.

"I really am just going to hang out there, huh?"

He smirked, talking to gloomy again like he usually did when alone.

"But what else can I do? Serpent is grinding fragments for me, and there's no better method available.

And fighting Nephis is the best way to hone my skills—especially now that she's Dormant."

A PTV appeared further away and came to a slow stop.

It's door was opened, and a young maiden with beautiful silver hair and aloof grey eyes stepped out of it.

Only this time, those eyes weren't lifeless—no they were searching for someone.

And standing in front of them, waiting, was that someone.

Sunny grinned inwardly and approached her.

'Let's restart the show.'

Coming close to her, before she could say anything-

"So, I see we dyed the hair."

Nephis crossed her arms. "I did not dye my hair. The Spell did this. Anyway, did you meet Cassie?"

"Not yet, but I heard the news. Wanna go see her together?"

"Sure… but why didn't you visit her already?"

"Oh, you know. Just fought a raid, killed a Terror, wiped out a few hundred Awakened. Nothing special."

Nephis froze. "...You did what?"

Sunny smirked. "What else did you expect? I'm the prince of—"

"You have a potetic name, I know, I know." Nephis rolled her eyes and cut him off before he could make his dramatic declaration.

Sunny sighed. "Oh, come on. That was ages ago..."

"Anyway," he said, changing the subject, "how was your Nightmare? Wanna share?"

Nephis hesitated.

Sunny had told her his true name, his Aspect, his Nightmare. It had been a long time since that night when he had nearly beaten her and Cassie—when he had aimed his spear at her throat.

"'If he was an assassin, he would've struck then. Besides… it's been two and a half years. I can absolutely trust him.'

She already knew these things in her heart, but before revealing the secrets to him, she wanted to verbalize those facts to herself.

It made her feel at ease.

"...My first Nightmare was a dream at first," she admitted. "Then I realized what it was, a trap, and so I tried to break free."

He looked at her with worry in his mind and asked. "So how did you break free?"

'Please don't have burnt yourself alive, Please don't have burnt yourself alive,

Please don't have-'

"Well I just beat up the people in the dreams and once they died, I got out."

Nephis looked at sunny with a pleased expression, she was proud of having cleared it without resorting to self harm.

"Wow that's rude...what did the dream people ever do to you..." Sunny was relieved beyond words but—he couldn't let go of the opportunity to tease her either.

"Shut up or I'll beat you up too, anyways it retaliated with a hundred more dreams so I had to destroy them all.

And then… I woke up in the nest of a sleeping Terror.

So I killed it."

Sunny raised an eyebrow. "That's nice."

Nephis stared. "...That's nice? That's it? That's your reaction?"

"I mean, you're Nephis. You wouldn't be my favorite sparring partner if you weren't capable of this much."

Nephis hesitated, then muttered, "...Thanks."

A feeling of contentment found its way to her heart. While a feeling of bewilderment entered Sunny's.

'I had gone through the forgotten shore and the Colosseum before surviving an Awakened terror's dream barrage.

What kind of a monster just does that without any prior real combat?

But I guess Nightmare is just that amazing too huh, nephis wouldn't have survived him.'

She blinked. "...Wait. Why are we still standing outside? Shouldn't we go in already?"

Sunny laughed out loud.

Nephis punched him in the gut, slightly smiling herself.

"Shut up."