Mother, have you ever regretted a decision you made?"
Ki Song looked at her adopted son and smiled.
"I am a Sovereign Sunny… There is blood on my hands every time I make a decision.
There's not a single person with more regrets than Me."
— — —
As they entered the outer settlement, the Sleepers there seemed to be in a state of panic, debating with each other, going from one side to another until they saw Changing Star's cohort.
Immediately, many ran to her, happy to see her return, at the same time, wanting to report on what had happened.
"Lady Nephis!"
"Lady Changing Star! We're so glad you're back! The Bright Castle- it has been–"
But Sunny ignored them all, he already knew what transpired here, and kept walking, his dark expression showing deep indifference… And regret.
Noticing this, his companions decided to follow him. Some were confused, but Nephis and Cassie knew.
There were craters on the road of the settlement, deep evidence of something heavy passing through, leaving a trail from the wall of the outer settlement… To the entrance to the Bright Castle.
Destruction followed the craters, claw marks and debris from buildings littered the ground, there was some blood on it too. Looking around, Sunny found a few Sleepers crouched down and leaning on the walls, getting treated for wounds. Their pained expressions were replaced with awe and surprise as soon as they spotted the cohort and a few dozen Sleepers moving to the Castle.
The trail of destruction did not end in the entrance of the Bright Castle, in fact, it seemingly only really began at it.
Four mangled bodies of guards were laid down on the stairs, the enormous doors torn in half and ripped away, deep claw marks on the frame of the walls.
Sunny froze, yet his dark expression remained still. The guards were dead, the Bright Castle was defiled… Seishan's plan… His plan succeeded, but he felt no joy.
Nephis noticed this and touched his shoulder, snapping him out. She took the lead, walking up the stairs to enter the Castle. Sunny followed her without saying a word, so did the rest.
Entering the Castle, they weren't met with the usual intricate and incredible design and grandeur of it but rather…
Kai almost puked.
"By the God's…"
The entrance hall was filled with blood and bodies, of guards, some hunters… Even tenants. Pillars were destroyed, walls seemed to have been shattered by a massive body, concrete eaten, even the ground was torn apart.
A few torches were still illuminating the place, but most were erased, like they never existed, darkness ruled.
And yet, they could see the main dining hall, the walls separating the sections of the Castle were destroyed after all, the grand rooms of the place were even more open, but it only showed even more the destruction that permeated the Castle.
Including the massive body of the culprit behind so much death.
It was laying on the ground, its body was a mass of flesh and exposed tissue, like the skin was peeled off it. It had multiple thin bony arms with sharp claws and six main arms that had more mass and even sharper claws that resembled fingers, multiple mouths protruding out of it, each one with jagged teeth made to cut a being in two.
And the seemingly human head… Was simply another mouth for it. Revealing a singular, giant eye.
But that eye was lifeless, so was the body, the abomination was dead, the corpse was lying on the cracked floor. Surrounded by blood, corpses, and the survivors of the abomination.
And right in front of it, was someone with golden armour stanned in blood, kneeling with their head down in shame and guilt.
Gunlaug didn't move, he couldn't, he had failed.
Around him, multiple tired guards, hunters and handmaidens stood in shock and fear, the battle had just ended a few minutes ago.
His wards were also there, Harus stood not too far from his master, breathing heavily as he clutched his hand on the claw marks on his body. Tessai was leaning on his double bladed axe, blood was flowing out all around his body, his left arm mangled and barely hanging on.
Gemma was holding Kido, embracing her tightly, he had no visible injuries, only having blood imprinted in his skin, but was as distraught as the rest, the woman he was holding was dead after all.
And Seishan… She was fine physically, but numb, looking around her with an empty expression, until she saw the body of a handmaiden, a blood drop slid from her forehead to her eye, then fell from her cheek, as if she was crying. She had failed.
The pile of bodies was a disturbing scene, the arriving Sleepers of the outer settlement held horrified expressions, grasping their mouths and looking away.
Changing Star's cohort were not immune to it either… Especially the one who agreed to the plan.
Effie and Caster widened their eyes in surprise and confusion, they didn't know the plan, neither did Kai, who froze and closed his eyes.
Sunny walked diagonally to the right, stepping in between the bodies of the slayed guards, hunters, artisans… And tenants, the corpses of the people slain by the creature… By him.
He grabbed the helmet of one of the guards that was dead, then looked at the face of its dead owner. He was the same guard that had confronted him on the first day Sunny came to the castle. The guard got what was coming for him, and yet… Sunny didn't feel anything.
Soon, more and more people entered the now massive destroyed hall of the once great bastion of humanity in the Forgotten Shore. The only place they were safe… Now nothing more than a morgue of dead Sleepers.
All of the residents of the Bright Castle and of the outer settlement were now looking at the failure of the once thought unbeatable Bright Lord.
The Shadow Watchers also arrived, moving to stand behind the Sunny, they held the same feelings their master had. Kira touched Sunless' shoulder, but didn't say anything. There was nothing to say.
Kin and Lan saw some of their old companions on the pile, not knowing how to feel. Lauma laid eyes on Kido and went to Gemma, starting to cry when she understood that her old leader was dead, they weren't close, but the ward still let her stay in the Castle. Mei gripped the hilt of her katana, Lycon's signature smile disappeared, Tach's corpse lost its bottom half. Merlin crossed her arms in discomfort.
Nix gripped herself, all the anger she was supposed to feel to herself turning into sadness. Motza touched her head and turned to himself and pulled her into a hug, he didn't want her to see this.
Nephis finally breathed in and approached the Bright Lord with confident steps. Gunlaug finally moved, turning his heat towards her slowly, his muffled voice was weak, broken, hopeless.
"Immortal Flame… You came back…"
"Gunlaug."
The Bright Lord gripped the ground, he tried to get up, but his legs betrayed him, not from physicall, but mental exhastion, he chuckled humorlessly.
"Came to see me at my worst?"
She stared at the blood stained helmet of the Bright Lord.
"What happened here?"
Her voice was even, but showed an accusation, as if he was the culprit behind what happened.
"Isn't it obvious? A Fallen Demon decided to enter the Bright Castle… And so it did."
Nephis gripped her fist.
"That's it? You let all of this happen because of a Fallen Demon?!"
Gunlaug shifted his gaze back at Nephis, not uttering one word as a response, his blood stained helmet portraying no emotion.
"You gave all of them your word that they would survive, that all humans were safe under the protection of the Castle, under your protection. And how did it end? Dozens of bodies on the floor."
She pointed her blade at him.
"That's the consequence of your actions, you knew it was only a matter of time before a strong nightmare creature was drawn to here, and yet you did nothing."
She pointed at the ground filled with bodies.
"You gave up reaching the Crimson Spire, to find a way out, to free them from this hell, and now they are gone!"
Gunlaug lowered his head in shame, having to hear Changing Star's painful words.
"Everything you did, deluding yourself that being a tyrant was the only way to keep order and security, killing those who resisted, was for nothing."
The Bright Lord finally spoke, asking her in a loud, but weak voice.
"And what would you do? Die in vain against the Crimson Terror?"
A moment passed, and Changing Star answered evenly, no hesitation in her voice, white flames dancing in her eyes.
"And? So what if I can die? You could have died when you hunted into the Dark Sea, I could have died every time I went on hunts, Masters and Saints could die every time they enter a Nightmare. But we still do this all the same, because it is our duty, because it is our way to defy the Spell.
I would rather die fighting for my right to go home, fighting the Fate the Spell imposed on us, than wait for my death with the illusion of security."
All Sleepers present looked at the scene with mixed reactions, but most understood the weight of Changing Star's words, what she meant.
Before, many would disagree with her, call her crazy, delusional. But the body of the Fallen Demon made them understand that the Bright Castle was not a safe haven, staying in it for the rest of their lives was just prolonging the inevitable.
They remembered the lives they had, before the Spell, before the Forgotten Shore, their families, friends, the world they called home… They wanted to go back.
The guards that once rolled eyes to her presence now respected her, the hunters that got used to their neverending fight to survive wished to follow her to the waking world, the artisans and tenants understood that the comfort of the Castle was not what they wished.
And the outer settlement would now follow her to the end.
The determination in her eyes made their will elevate, their will to resist was set ablaze by the Immortal Flame.
But there were still those who believed that the Bright Lord was right.
Gunlaug stared at the silver haired beauty... And gritted his teeth.
An unexplainable anger grew inside him, this girl, who was here for mere months, is saying he failed? For a decade, he protected the Castle, for a decade, he created order, for a decade, he made sure the Sleepers had a place to live.
And now that he lost once she is saying that he was wrong?
His golden armor manifested an axe. He got up, ignoring all his pain and exhaustion. Glaring at Changing Star, he roared in rage.
"Don't you dare judge me!"
Sunless moved to dash, summoning [Moonlight Shard], ready to protect Nephis. But Kira stopped him. The black knight placed his arm in Sunny's way, looking at Gunlaug with a somber expression, and Sunny understood.
Nephis raised her blade to parry the Bright Lord's axe, activating the [Dawn Shard] to augment her memories. Making them capable of clashing with Gunlaug's Echo.
His assault was relentless, each swing carried a decade of his life, anger towards the girl who challenged him, but his experience and skill were being overshadowed by his aggression and exhaustion, the Bright Lord looked like a shadow of his former self.
Nephis was not only able to keep up, but dominate in the duel, her skill and technique let her meet Gunlaug blow for blow, for each strike he launched, she delivered a perfect counter.
Changing Star's technique was far superior to her opponent who was lost in monstrous bloodlust, if in his right mind, their battle might have been different, but now, Nephis danced through her opponent.
And yet, Gunlaug's experience and the muscle memory of his body let him react to her, still being able to clash on equal footing, even if he received more blows than her.
She slashed the Transcendent Echo again and again, each crack inflicted on the armor made Gunlaug care less and less about self-preservation, he looked more like a beast than a warrior, the anger that boiled inside him clouded his mind.
But then again, why was he angry? Was it because of the girl? No… Was it because he failed to protect the people of the Bright Castle? Close, but it wasn't the whole reason…
He once again swung his weapon at Changing Star, only for the blow to be deflected by Nephis, who then forced the two weapons into a bind. Using it, she led the axe into the floor, embedding it into the ground and making Gunlaug wide open, thrusting her blade into the visor of the golden armor, shattering the right side of it and revealing one of his eyes.
Time seemed to slow down, Changing Star was preparing another slash, and Gunlaug… He saw himself in the reflection of her sword…
'Ahh… I see, I am angry at myself…'
If he hadn't given up, would they have been able to breach the spire? If he hadn't restricted the soul shards, would they be strong enough to face the nightmare creatures? How many strong people did he kill? How many dreams did he crush? He didn't know, he lost count.
'Everything I did… It was all pointless.'
A white sword slashed at his torso…
And blood splattered on the floor.
'Why did I give up…?'
Silence was the only thing that was heard. Gunlaug kneeled, a diagonal line passing through his golden armor, blood flowing out of it. The armor showed no sign of reconstructing.
"You're right."
Gunlaug's words surprised everyone. Even Nephis's eyes widened.
"I tried in the beginning, I really did, but in the end, I lost hope… I let the Spell defeat me… I gave up."
He looked at Nephis, his singular exposed eye that was full of exhaustion met hers.
"I am no longer worthy to be the Bright Lord."
Time seemed to stop as silence filled the Castle, all Sleepers were trying to understand what Gunlaug had just said. The fearsome Bright Lord had just abandoned his title and gave all power to Changing Star, to Nephis.
For what seemed like an eternity, all present couldn't move, couldn't understand. The image of the immortal tyrant slowly being destroyed, and the human known as Gunlaug appeared.
The human that admitted the sins he made, and kneeled to Changing Star. In the end, she was right, because one day, a strong enough nightmare creature would come to the Bright Castle and if Gunlaug isn't able to defeat it, it would all be over for them anyway…
If they are going to die, they might as well die fighting. The rest of the Sleepers that still believed in in Gunlaug now understood that.
However, one person was different from everyone else.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN GUNLAUG?!!?"
All eyes turned to the owner of the voice. Tessai stood up, bloodied and wounded, he limped towards Gunlaug, who slowly turned his head to the ward.
"You will stop now?! After so much time?! After everything we accomplished?!"
He barked at the past Bright Lord, anger apparent. Turning to his guards, he shouted orders for them to follow.
"What are you waiting for?! Kill them!"
He took another step towards Nephis… But no one followed.
No one had any more faith in the ward of the guards, if the Bright Lord surrendered, why would the guards follow him?
Noticing this, Tessai cursed in anger, and rushed towards Changing Star, using all his strength to kill the one he saw as responsible for disrupting his power, his life.
He raised his axe and empowered it with his aspect, strengthening with ice.
But soon all his strength was lost and he stopped suddenly, pain surged on his chest.
He looked down, a gauntlet with claws, made from a dark crimson metal, the sharp edges made from solid blood had destroyed his armor and pierced his chest, reaching his heart and lungs.
Tessai's mouth filled with blood, he puked it, then looked at the culprit. She had grey skin and beautiful dark raven hair.
Seishan stared emotionlessly at Tessai, no empathy in her gaze, her voice was cold and distant.
"Let your blood be the last one spilled by human hands in this place…"
She ripped out his heart, letting Tessai's limp body fall.
From that day on, no humans slept on the outer settlement.
— —
Days later, Sunny stood in front of the graves of the graves that were made for the victims of the Fallen Demon on the outer settlement, which was relatively close to the Castle, opposite to the main entrance.
It was night, the weather was the same as it always was, a constant grey sky, for once, he wished it was raining. He was alone, he wanted to be alone. Their blood was in his hands after all.
His expression was hollow, like the eyes he gained after the First Nightmare…
He was lost in thought, thinking back to his mother.
('What makes a good ruler?')
('The essence of combat is failure.')
('You must learn from your mistakes.')
('There's not a single person with more regrets than I.")
'Is this what it means to be a Sovereign mom?'
He looked at the gravestone of the handmaiden that was killed in the massacre.
'Do you deal with this everyday? Or did Divinity already consume your mind?'
He crouched down and touched the gravestone.
'Did any of this even matter? Was it even necessary? Or was it meaningless? Is what I am fated to bring is meaningless death?
Is this why my True Name is Hollow Death? Hollow Moon? Because all I will bring is Hollow Purpose?'
He kneeled completly.
"I'm sorry…"
He gripped his fists so tightly they turned white beneath the armor.
'Am I really the Heir of Peace?'
"I'm sorry…"
'Or is this the reason I was supposed to be the Heir of Weaver? The treacherous Deamon of Fate?'
"I'm sorry…"
'Was all of this even worth it…?'
The shadows began to react to his despair, they reached for him, embracing him without his command, as if trying to console him, console their future God.
"No… I… Don't deserve this… Leave me alone…"
For the first time since he gained Shadow God's lineage, the shadows ignored him, and followed their will to bring as much comfort as they could to Sunless. He could feel it, their sadness, their despair for seeing him like this.
As if Shadow God himself wished for his Solace.
Sunless grunted in frustration, then sighed, exhausted…
"I am no Heir of Shadows…"
If he was, he would have brought all sleepers out of the Forgotten Shore… He would have brought them all Peace.
"...."
A hand touched his shoulder.
Sunless got caught off guard, he didn't sense it, he must have been too distracted to use shadow sense. He snapped his head around to face the unknown owner of the hand. Only to notice it wasn't a stranger, it was someone who should hate him.
Nephis looked at him, her once indifferent face now shared his sadness.
She didn't try to console him, or convince him that it wasn't his fault…
She simply kneeled and stood beside him, letting silence settle in the cemetery of Sleepers.
Sunless and Seishan may have been responsible for the death of dozens of Sleepers, but now, in two months, over eight hundred and fifty Sleepers were going to march to the Crimson Spire, ready to reclaim the life the Nightmare Spell denied them.