Shadow slave: The Prince of Death

While Nephis absorbed her soul shards, Sunny slipped away to the boys' washroom and locked himself in a stall.

Leaning against the wall, he exhaled sharply.

"I really need to watch my mouth around her... What the hell was I talking about? Marriage? I'm going to ruin my chances all over again…"

Shaking his head, he pushed the thought aside and focused.

"Best finish this quickly."

He summoned his runes.

---

Aspect Legacy: [Shadow Dance]

Mastery Level: [2/7]

First Relic: Claimed

Second Relic: [Claim]

Third Relic: Unearned...

Concentrating on the second Relic, Sunny said calmly:

"Claim"

And then, answering his call, the Spell spoke from beyond:

[You have claimed an Aspect Legacy Relic.]

[You have received a Memory.]

Sunny didn't waste time staring at the memory in his soul sea, or trying to read it's runes. Which were pretty much non existent anyways.

He simply summoned the drop of ichor...and watched.

as soon as Sunny willed the drop of ichor to manifest itself into reality, the darkness of the room suddenly came to life. Countless shadows moved and danced around him, forming an invisible whirlpool. Their movements were strange and erratic, fraught with anticipation, excitement, and longing.

Slowly, golden sparks of light appeared in the air in front of him and then shot toward a single point in space, coalescing into a small radiant dot. However, the Memory did not appear yet. Instead, more and more sparks flew into it, thousands upon thousands of them, until, at last, it seemed as though wide streams of brilliant golden light were constantly flowing into the slowly growing sphere of radiance.

This continued for almost an entire minute, and when the sparks finally disappeared, a brilliant drop of golden liquid was floating in the air in front of Sunny. It was suffused with a beautiful light that didn't seem blinding, but was somehow able to illuminate the entire expanse of the stall...

…However, there was also something dark about the shining drop of the divine blood. Contrasted against its golden radiance, the shadows around him were now suddenly much deeper, darker, and starkly pronounced. All their movement ceased, as though they were frozen still by awe and reverence.

Gulping, sunny thought of consuming the drop of ichor.

The spell spoke immediately

[You have acquired a drop of ichor. Do you wish to consume it?]

Sunny sighed, "Yes."

[...So be it.]

"Again with that ominous tone..."

The golden drop trembled—then split into three equal parts. Without warning, the fragments shot toward his chest, abdomen, and head, sinking into his body. They entered his three Shadow Cores, dissolving into the darkness of his soul.

Then, everything changed.

The moment the ichor mixed into his essence, a wave of euphoria crashed over him. Ecstasy and pain intertwined in a chaotic storm, wracking his body. His muscles tensed. His breath hitched.

But he didn't scream, instead he held it in. Afterall if he screamed in the washroom, he'd have a hell lot to explain.

When he finally opened his eyes, he knew.

He had changed.

[You have obtained the attribute: The Solace.]

A strange sensation spread through him. His shadow… it felt deeper, darker… richer.

His powers had evolved.

He studied the changes in his body, since he now had the blood of Shadow in his veins, in its pure form—

Obtained directly after it was shed by Shadow, and not as a diluted genetic lineage, it was stronger than the average war or storm lineage.

His control over shadows had grown, his aspect enhanced in subtle yet profound ways. But the two most significant changes were:

His ability to maintain his sense of self while using Shadow Dance had improved by leaps and bounds, which would allow him to accelerate his growth in the future.

And.

His body and soul had gained a trait reminiscent of the Soul Serpent's Slaying Blade.

His attacks would now weaken the wills of his enemies.

A slow, satisfied grin stretched across his lips.

"Not bad."

With that, Sunny stepped out of the washroom.

---

Outside, Nephis was waiting. Her counter now read:

Soul Fragments: [728/2000]

She feigned nonchalance, but Sunny saw the way her fingers curled slightly. She was ashamed of relying on him.

He sighed inwardly. She doesn't need to feel that way. I need her to be strong too… She'll grow out of it...I hope.

The entrance ceremony for that month's Awakened was going to happen the next day. Before that, they had something else to take care of.

Cassie.

---

During lunch, they found her sitting alone.

'Obviously'… Sunny sighed inwardly. 'Gotta get her back on her feet. She's gone quiet again.'

Approaching her cautiously, he spoke.

"Hey, Cassie. How are you feeling?"

She lifted her head slowly—not out of politeness, but out of pure habit.

"…Sunny? Nephis?" Her voice was quiet, brittle as if broken by torment. "You two joined the Academy?"

"Yeah, we just entered today—" Sunny choked mid-sentence. "Wait, hold on. You know Neph's name?"

Nephis smirked. "Of course. After you got scolded for fighting us, we exchanged numbers." She paused, then added, "You know, as fellow victims of the same villain."

Sunny raised his hands in surrender. "Sure, sure, absolutely. Wait—damn it, we're here to console Cassie, be serious."

Cassie let out a faint laugh, the sound barely reaching her lips. "By all means, continue whatever you two are doing. It's working better than anything you could say to comfort me."

But by the end, her voice had lost its warmth again.

She was not coping well.

Unlike Sunny and Nephis, whose aspects and flaws had changed, Cassie's had remained the same.

And they were just as terrible on her.

Sitting beside her, Nephis placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't be so gloomy, Cassie. Your flaw might be dire, but plenty of people have survived flaws like that."

She glanced around. The other Sleepers were avoiding Cassie, treating her as if she were cursed.

As if she was an omen of bad luck.

"Don't worry about others avoiding you either, they're just kids," Nephis said after a moment. "They have no idea how reality works, so they cling to foolish beliefs to feel safe."

She hesitated, choosing her next words carefully. Socializing wasn't her strength, but she had improved immensely in the past two years.

"But you are strong, Cassie. You defeated the Vile Fiend of Death, even when I couldn't."

'Prince of Death Damnation.' Sunny corrected internally.

Cassie shook her head. "Only because you were doing ninety percent of the job. And my combat skills are back to square one now. I can barely walk on my own. If not for all the training Sunny and I did blindfolded, I'd be completely useless… I'm just a walking corpse."

Sunny leaned back. "But you completed your Nightmare, didn't you?"

"I wasn't blind then."

"Doesn't matter. What Memories did you get?"

She hesitated, but answered. "A staff that generates wind… a golden rope that grows in size… a flask that produces endless water… and a charm that creates a forcefield bubble."

'So she got more kills after all, that training was worth it. That's a perfect charm for her.' Sunny smiled with satisfaction.

"Good. The staff helps you move, the charm protects you, and that leaves us with mobility."

He reached out his hand. "Give me yours."

Confused, Cassie complied.

The moment their hands touched, a faint spark traveled through her skin.

[You have received a Memory.]

Cassie stiffened. "…A Memory?"

Sunny leaned back on his chair at her question and yawned. "Consider it a gift."

But soon cassie's face went pale, her breath hitched. "S-Sunny… this is an Ascended Memory?!"

Nephis who had just gotten comfortable with her food, choked on it.

"Yeah, remember the Ascended demon I killed in my first Nightmare? That's from it." Sunny shrugged. "It makes you harder to detect and sharpens your senses. You'll survive with that."

Cassie's hands trembled. "Why would you… give me something so valuable…?"

Her voice was breaking up.

Sunny blinked. "Because we're friends, obviously—wait, holy shit, why are you crying?"

Cassie wiped a tear off her cheek. "Thank you, Sunny. Truly."

Sunny was caught off guard, not expecting such a strong reaction from her.

It might have been easy for him to dismiss an Ascended memory due to his past life, but for someone like cassie— it was a treasure worth more than an average person's entire life savings.

There was also the fact that sunny needed nightmare creatures to be attracted to him, and the Guardian's Creed hindered that.

He needed to be seen as a force of destruction by others too, not stay hidden in the shadows anymore.

So it was perfect to give it to Cassie, but for now— he had to calm her down. "Alright alright but don't cry now, you are gonna make everyone stare at us.."

Nephis gulped down her food and joined in.

'So that's the gift he had in mind for her.'

"But seriously, it's a pretty big deal, giving an Ascended memory to someone."

A soft smile formed on her lips. Then as sunny turned to look at her, thinking of an answer—

"I thought you weren't capable of being polite." She teased him.

But sunny didn't retort back at her. He was too busy looking at her instead.

She was smiling at him with both admiration and amusement.

It was a genuine smile— something nephis wasn't known for doing much, atleast in his past life.

It was a smile of heaven.

It was perfect.

And that made him want to protect it even more.

Unaware, of this silent moment,

Cassie took a shaky breath. "I can't just take it for free. So even though it's not comparable, take any of my Memories in return...please."

Sunny acted surprised, but he already knew Cassie wouldn't have accepted anything for free, especially an Ascended memory.

She hadn't accepted neph's armour in his last life for free either.

"Uhh..in that case, let's trade it for your water flask memory."

Cassie nodded, and touched his hand.

And the endless spring was back to the shadows.

Then, remembering something suddenly, sunny turned to nephis again.

This time he was the one grinning.

"Oh, and by the way, Cassie—Nephis dyed her hair silver."

Cassie froze. "…She did what?"

---

In a dimly lit room, a young man with brown hair and green eyes stood with a disciplined posture, listening intently. Across from him, an older man—bearing similar features but with a more weathered face—spoke with quiet authority.

Han Li's gaze was sharp as he addressed his son— the future of the Han li clan, Caster.

"And so," he said, his voice calm yet firm, "you should try to befriend him. Sunless is likely the most talented Sleeper that has ever existed. More importantly, he saved your sister's life. Do not make an enemy of him."

His tone hardened.

"Both because it would be foolish… and because we owe him a debt."

Caster stood with his hands folded behind his back, his expression unreadable. But his response came without hesitation.

"Yes, Father."

Han Li exhaled slowly before continuing.

"Your mission remains unchanged. Nephis of the Immortal Flame must be eliminated. However, if you, Nephis, and Sunless find yourselves in the same place, and it comes down to a fight between you and him?… you will abandon the mission and retreat."

Caster frowned slightly. "But Father, the Sovereign has commanded us to—"

"It does not matter." Han Li's voice turned steely.

"We may face punishment, yes. But if you fight him now, you will die." His gaze bore into Caster's. "You are the future of our clan. Caster.

Yunis can lead if necessary, but you are the most capable."

His voice softened—just slightly.

"So do not throw your life away."

Caster clenched his jaw but eventually nodded.

"Understood."

Then, as if he had never been stern in his demeanor, han li patted his son on the back and said.

"Besides. Dinadan of Aegis Rose clan will join you."

His eyes turned contemplative. "It is weird, the Aegis Rose clan and the dagonet clan have been the biggest supporters of the great clan valor.

And yet, Cornwall is sending his nephew Dinadan to the academy this year. Maybe it is because of the immortal flame clan's deal with Kingmaker that has worried valor."

Then, with a slight exhale, he assured caster.

"Anyhow, you are not the one leading this crusade caster, simply follow dinadan and you will triumph."

Caster was anything but assured though, he nodded in firm determination and obedience— but deep down in his heart, the desire to prove himself burned brighter than ever.

---

The next day, the trio made their way to the entrance ceremony.

'I wonder if caster has joined the academy, now that nephis is here. I'm damn sure he had been infected earlier and only joined in the last month so he could meet nephis.

If that's the case, he should be here...'

Sunny's thoughts were cutoff as he entered the main hall where the ceremony was being held.

Infront of him weren't a hundred people, no— there were atleast three hundred now.

And among them, were more legacies too.

The legacies had made a group around a particular individual. Extremely similarly to how they had grouped around caster in the last life.

'Found him.' Sunny smirked, as he made his way somewhat closer to that group, he had no intention of having a conversation with that group— but seeing caster again would be fun.

As the son of a master with a true name, and as someone who fought in a raid and played an important role in its clearing— sunny would certainly be called to join the legacies in their circle.

He was going to start the spread of his fame from the humiliation that would follow those legacies then. But—

As he finally managed to get a good look at the central person of that group, he didn't see caster...no it was someone else.

Sunny looked at the symbol on his cloths and recognised the symbol after a moment.

It was from the Aegis Rose clan.

Someone who might have been infected later or might have had entered the dreamrealm in the depths of their clan's facilities— had now joined the academy instead.

A slight sigh escaped sunny, this was not going to be as easy as he thought.

Before he could ponder any more, nephis grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him closer.

"What are you doing!?" He protested, leaning into her ear so as to not make a scene.

"Don't go wandering off. We should stay together. Or do you want to abandon Cassie?" She spoke back with a stifled voice.

"Ohk alright alright." Sunny complied, simply following the girl back to where Cassie had been. They were going to need to find a place with three seats open.

Fortunately, it wasn't going to be much of a problem, as most people were just standing around—too full of energy and excitement.

---

Sunny was feeling a surge of deja vu, everybody just wanted to talk. It was annoying him to the core.

'atleast I can deal with my truth flaw better now...'

In half an hour, pretty much everyone in the room was either afraid or in awe of him.

His apperance was more similar to ascended sunny now, only scaled down to the level of a dormant human. But he was also a demon, with two shadows wrapped around him to hide his multiple shadows.

That intensified his muscles vividly, and the shadow lineage made him all the more domineering.

His eyes were as deep as an onyx jewellery, which made him look mysterious and enchanting.

Accompanied with an aloof face and the news of him being a central point of the recent raid, made every other sleeper treat him with respect just like they would come to respect caster.

Only with much more intensity.

Sunny wasn't a legacy from a clan, but his family had two masters already, both of them also had true names—which was a greater feat than what many lesser clans were capable of. So the legacies tried to enter his circle, only to be dismissed without a care.

He wasn't interested in mingling with them if he couldn't mess with caster.

'Where is that guy though?' His thoughts swelled up again in frustration. Caster had not appeared at all till now.

If things continued, he would have to actually meet the Aegis Rose clan's legacy. Out of formality.

This time however, his wish was answered almost immediately...

...As caster entered the hall, with his father.

"Ahh sleeper sunless! How have you been!"

Master Han li's flaw was perhaps not reading the room. He had single handedly destroyed Sunny's cold aura moments with that gesture.

He waved his arm at sunny with a cheerful smile.

Sunny had to reply, he wasn't stupid enough to act non chalant with a master.

'Not right now anyways.' Sunny mustered a smile and waved at him back.

"Good evening master Han li, I've been great, how are you?"

Sunny almost visibly cringed from the formality he had to uphold.

'but atleast that guy cared enough for his soldiers. If only these idiots didn't want my nephis dead.' He grimaced inside. 'Then we could even be friends.'

Sunny restrained himself from sighing.

'caster was strong too, what a waste of human resources.'

Han li pushed caster on his back

"I'm doing well, Yunis is recovering thanks to you saving her in time. This is my son, caster. He will be joining you for the academy, I hope you two can be friends!"

Caster looked away in embarrassment, even the legacy had human feelings afterall. And no one likes being shown off in public by their parents.

"Ahh that's wonderful, I hope she recovers quickly. Oh, and Welcome to the academy caster."

"Thank you, I will be in your care..." He looked at sunny with an easy smile, effortlessly shifting back to his kind and righteous persona.

To Sunny's relief, Han li left after that, the air had awkwardness in it, as everyone had heard of their conversation. But after a handshake sunny and caster separated quickly.

Courtesy of Sunny's conversation avoiding skills.

Caster then met up with fellow legacies, and their conversation went as usual. With many of them amazed at his Ascended aspect.

No one seemed to regard him with the same respect as before in Sunny's past life however. Perhaps that diladan guy had more impressive feats.

Eventually, awakened rock started the ceremony, gave the speech, and eventually concluded it.

Sunny had come back to the magical academy.

---

[Author's notes: Yes I copied g3's description of the drop of ichor lol.]