"...But the game never ends when your whole World depends on the turn of a friendly card."
***
Zachary's ears were ringing and his head throbbed. His cloudy mind and weakened spirit began to clear as Cassie's words sank in.
What had she just said?
"Could you say that again, Cass?" he asked softly, though his voice trembled.
Cassie was silent for a few seconds, then mumbled, "I'm hungry."
Zachary hoped he had misheard. He wanted to believe it was a mistake. But then Cassie spoke again.
"What even is Weaver?" she said, turning her back to him.
"You can read the Attributes' descriptions, Cass?" he asked, more to himself than anything — though deep down he already knew the answer.
His world felt like it was collapsing. With a shaky breath, Zachary realized his mistake.
'Fuck! I'm such a dumb bastard. How could I even forget? How else would she be able to read the description of the [Enthraled] Attribute?' he cursed, banging his palm against his forehead.
Just like the Abyss to the west of the Ashen Barrow, he had actually forgotten another important detail from the novel.
"Didn't I mention before?" Cassie asked with a small, puzzled wonder.
"No, you didn't. You said you felt them in ethereal forms," Zachary replied in a low voice as he moved closer.
Cassie fell silent for a moment, then blurted, "Huh, that's strange. Why would I say that?"
Zachary felt his chest tighten. He exhaled slowly and forced himself to ask clearly:
"So, have you read my Attributes, Cassie?" he said flatly.
"Yes, I have," she answered without much thought.
'Fuck, fuck, fuck!' Zachary thought as his heart raced. 'She knows about me. And if she knows... Nephis does too.'
Now he understood why Cassie had asked him that night on the cliffs instead of Nephis. Even while her vision had shown the wheel being consumed by fire, she had been aiming her question at him.
He forced himself to ask, though a nameless dread gnawed at him. "Why didn't you say anything, Cassie?"
"I think I did." She muttered, then, tiredly: "I'm hungry, Zach."
He couldn't care about hunger now. He needed answers. He pressed harder, voice colder.
"No, you didn't. Why didn't you, Cassie?" he demanded, gripping her shoulders.
This time she didn't answer. Even in her delusion she had secrets she refused to share. The realization chilled Zachary to the bone — she knew, and she had stayed silent.
"Why didn't you?!" he asked again, tightening his hold. A dangerous thought flickered at the edges of his mind.
'Should I kill her?'
"You're hurting me, Zach," the blind girl said softly.
The words snapped him back. He stepped away immediately, hand flying to his mouth as nausea washed over him.
'What was I about to do?' he cursed inwardly. He didn't have time for this. Leaving Cassie to rest, he decided he had to find Nephis.
'Calm yourself, dude.' Zachary kept repeating as he moved west, inhaling and exhaling slowly to steady his heart. He still carried lingering aftereffects of the ichor — panic clinging to him like a shadow.
'You're precipitating. You reacted like that because you already know who you are. Cassie only has fragments — hints from your Attributes. Hell, even the Spell calls you "-unknown-." If the Spell can't classify you, how could a Sleeper possibly do it?' he reasoned, forcing himself to breathe evenly.
'So what does she actually know?'
Zachary revisited his Attributes' descriptions — but this time he forced himself to look at them as a stranger would, without context.
[The Fool] Attribute Description: "It appears you're new in this world, an innocent child who hasn't met hardship. Because of that, you're open to a vast number of opportunities. Your naivety makes you the bearer of infinite potential. Fate will follow you, showering you with events so you can grow into The World."
This Attribute clearly reflects Zachary's novelty in this realm. Even with the existence of the Spell, imagining a parallel world had always been far-fetched — even the Original One found it impossible. To someone without context, it might simply describe someone new to the waking world, or perhaps a "new existence" altogether.
The latter interpretation was reinforced by the next Attribute.
[Mark of Sin] Attribute Description: "It is said that there is no sin in being born, yet you have tarnished this sacred statement by seizing that which doesn't belong to you. You'll forever bear this mark, no matter the penances you undergo."
Zachary knew this Attribute stemmed from taking the life of the Original One — a stigma he would carry all his days. But to someone without that knowledge, it might seem that the sacred statement had always held true... until his birth, which seized life undeservedly. His very existence was cursed enough to defile that truth.
Marking him with sin.
[Conqueror's Soul] Attribute Description: "You were given the opportunity to become a unique existence, paving the beginning of understanding and cooperation between two distinct souls sharing a common goal. Yet your pride and your ego couldn't accept such an outcome. So, you conquered and dominated. Now your soul bears the potency of two, and a craving for conquest."
The meaning behind this Attribute was quite simple: he had taken possession of another's body. Without the concept of transmigration, the only way to interpret this in their world was through the Spell — perhaps a Nightmare Resident managing to overwrite someone's personality, or something born from the Dream Realm.
But Cassie already knew a Dreamspawn, so that possibility was unlikely.
With everything considered, Cassie might conclude that Zachary was actually a Nightmare Resident — one who, by some cruel twist of fate, had seized an Aspirant's body, escaped the Nightmare, and lived under the guise of "Zachary" all this time. But if that were true...
"Why did she befriend me back at the Academy?" Zachary muttered as he reached the western edge.
He couldn't understand. She had known this since the beginning — since that awkward conversation on the bench. So why would she choose to be amicable toward him?
'It doesn't make sense... unless I'm missing something.' Zachary shook his head in defeat and walked toward Nephis.
The girl stood gazing into the distance, lost in thought. Hearing his approach, she turned to face him.
'I can leave these thoughts for later. Right now, I need Nephis' help to build the boat.' Zachary cleared his mind, but just as he was about to speak, Nephis got ahead of him.
"Your eyes have changed," she said flatly.
Zachary blinked, caught off guard. His hand instinctively rose to touch beneath his eyes, but he only managed an awkward cough. It seemed Blood Weave had changed more in Cinder Eyes than just enhanced sight.
"Yes, something happened... That's not important right now, Neph, I need your—"
Once again, she cut him off.
"I hated them before, you know? They reminded me of 'him'." Her tone was slow, distant, as she turned back toward the distance.
'Is she talking about Anvil?' Zachary wondered, startled. Caster had also mistaken him for some Valor spawn, so maybe Nephis had made the same assumption.
But before he could speak, her next words hit him with unexpected warmth. "I think I like them now."
The words hit Zachary like a tide. His dulled emotions burst forth all at once, crashing through the numbness born from pain. With a knot in his throat, his words flowed.
"I'm sorry Neph." He apologized again with a choked voice. And finally, he confessed everything.
He confessed everything. About the Soul Devouring Tree, about the mind-control, how he had been resisting it from the very beginning — and how, even knowing how dangerous their situation was, he had pushed away their escape, placing them in more danger with each passing day.
"But those gazes from the deep... they terrify me, Neph." Zachary's voice cracked as he clenched his trembling hands. "But that doesn't excuse my actions... I've been extremely selfish."
He closed his eyes and whispered, "And that selfishness has put you both in danger."
Zachary could only mock himself inwardly. He remembered how smug he had been when he claimed the essence of combat was selfishness. Now that same selfishness had dragged them into a perilous situation.
When he lifted his gaze, he saw white sparks dancing in Nephis's eyes. She was using her Ability — and enduring the pain of her Flaw — to purge the lingering control of the tree. But it wouldn't last long. The Soul Devourer's influence had weakened thanks to experiencing Zachary's agony, but the channel between them remained. It would only take a moment for the enthrallment to return.
After a silent moment, she finally spoke:
"We have to sail. There's no other option..." She hesitated, then added, "We'll use Cassie's cape as a sail. It might help disguise your presence."
'Cassie…' Hearing her name, Zachary's thoughts wavered — but he forced himself back to focus. He could deal with everything later.
Then it came again — faint whispers flooding his mind, an invasive presence pressing against his consciousness.
The Soul Devourer was attacking once more.
He immediately separated his consciousness. Having done it before, it was much easier now. But if he was feeling it, then…
Nephis clenched her teeth, pressing a palm over her left eye. She turned toward him with visible effort and spoke through gritted teeth:
"My mind is... fading. I don't have much time. If you have anything else to ask... do it now."
Zachary already knew the effect of the armor. Seeing that Nephis wouldn't remain lucid for long, he asked the question that mattered most:
"How do I convince you to leave the island?"
Nephis looked at him, struggling to cling to her last shreds of clarity. Beneath her strain, Zachary saw something else — and this time he recognized it. Doubt.
She still didn't fully trust him.
But just as he wondered what to say to receive those words, the doubt in Nephis's eyes vanished — replaced by a fierce clarity. White flames ignited in her gray eyes, illuminating her pale face.
"Aster... Song... Vale. Say those words to me, and I will listen."
Zachary heard the three meaningful words and nodded sharply. "Roger that."
He exhaled deeply and began to rise when her voice stopped him again.
"And Zach... it's not your fault."
The light in her eyes slowly dimmed. And soon, Nephis was staring west once again — with no memory of their conversation left in her mind.
Zachary was left speechless for a moment, but after biting his lip, he managed to find his voice. "Hey, Neph."
She turned toward him, one brow slightly raised. "Zach? Oh... where have you been?"
"Here and there, you know?" He forced a faint smile. "Hey, how about you help me build a boat?"
Nephis stared at him for a few seconds before simply shrugging and nodding. She accepted his proposition with surprising ease — and since Zachary had already processed the Carapace Demon's corpse, all that remained was constructing the vessel itself.
But Zachary's mind wasn't on the task. Deep down, he kept replaying her words:
"It's not your fault."
Those words didn't comfort him. They didn't make his heart lighter. If anything, they tore open what he'd been trying to bury — the emotions that had festered ever since he saw the girls fall under the tree's thrall. Guilt… and shame.
Because Zachary knew the truth. The truth that—
'This is solely my fault,' he admitted through clenched teeth.
He had delayed their escape because he was afraid of the dwellers of the Dark Sea — afraid that the [Blasphemer] Attribute would draw their gaze. But beneath that fear hid a truth he had been refusing to face: he carried that burden by choice. If he truly wanted to free himself from the trouble it brought, he could.
He just needed to renounce to his True Name.
[Blasphemer] Attribute Description: "You're hated by both the divine and the profane—the former for daring to stand on par with their glorious selves, and the latter for attempting what they failed to do. You'll be persecuted for as long as you bear your foolish name."
He hadn't claimed his True Name yet. Zachary knew that the moment he did, everything would change — and he wasn't ready to face whatever danger that act might bring. Yet he still refused to let it go, enticed by the power it promised. Because of that selfishness, the girls were now paying the price.
So yes, it was his fault.
***
Nephis worked on the boat with cold efficiency. She took the curved plates Zachary had already processed and using bone fragments and the golden rope, began tying them together. Even in her enthralled state, she moved with precise, mechanical focus.
Seeing that she was managing fine, Zachary went to fetch Cassie. He needed to get her focused on something — anything — to delay the enthrallment. The girl was in bad shape, but not as dire as the novel described. That meant they still had a little time.
But Zachary wasn't letting his guard down; anything could happen in these fragile hours.
Looking at Cassie's pitiful condition, his mind tried to drift back to the same haunting questions — but he forced himself to stay focused on the present. With the Soul Devourer's attacks resuming, he needed to maintain the boundaries of his consciousness with unwavering precision.
Once both girls were focused on the boat, Zachary finally turned to his own task: preparing a plan to face the Dark Sea and whatever dwelled within it.
"Where are you going?" Nephis asked, watching as Zachary started walking away.
"Oh, well… you know. If we're building a boat, we should also have something to go along with it, don't you think?" Zachary replied vaguely, not looking back. "Don't worry. I'll be back in a bit."
Nephis stared at his retreating figure for a moment before returning to her work. Meanwhile, Zachary made his way to the massive trunk of the tree and began to climb.
He reached the lower branches quickly and started collecting the fruits. Each time he plucked one, he had to brace himself — biting down on his lip hard enough to taste blood. The aroma and temptation radiating from the fruits strengthened the channel between him and the Soul Devourer, pulling at his mind like a siren's call.
Even the edges of his consciousness began to waver, trembling under the strain. But he endured, teeth gritted, refusing to yield.
'...This is going to be dangerous,' Zachary thought as he climbed back down.
He was going to be working closely with the fruits, and as such, the pull would only grow stronger with time. But if he wanted even the slightest chance of crossing the Dark Sea... he had no choice.
He returned to camp, careful to keep as much distance as possible between the girls and the fruits — just in case anything went wrong — and began his work. Using the fruits as cores, he wrapped them in the Demon's fat and layers of dried leaves. Then, with the branches and spider silk he'd gathered from the nest, he gave final shape to his creation.
Buoys.
Flammable buoys.
This was the desperate plan he had devised to cross the Dark Sea. He knew that with [The Fool] Attribute, the chances of encountering Fallen or even Corrupted creatures were almost guaranteed. The Corrupted ones wouldn't be drawn to the [Blasphemer] Attribute — but the Fallen were another story entirely. They were his main concern.
So his plan was simple: create a diversion. Cinder Eyes was sharp enough to warn him before entering a creature's detection radius. Whenever one drew too close, he would ignite a buoy and send it drifting far enough to distract it.
The idea had come from a memory of how Ananke once fished in the Great River — using Soul Shards and blood to lure Nightmare creatures. Considering that the Soul Devourer's fruits contained fragments of the souls it had consumed, they might serve the same purpose.
Even more promising was their connection to the tree. Since the fruits formed a bond between whatever ate them and the Soul Devourer itself, any creature drawn to the bait might turn its attention back to the tree instead of pursuing them.
It was more a gamble than a plan — riddled with uncertainty and missing pieces. If circumstances were better, Zachary would have taken his time to test and refine it. But time was the one luxury they didn't have.
So this would have to do.
By the time the sun began to set, they were finally done. Nephis and Cassie had finished constructing the crude boat, and Zachary had completed the last buoy. But his condition had worsened far more than he expected. Being so close to the fruits had thinned the borders of his consciousness, and now the tree's influence was breaking through.
With raw, bitten lips, Zachary winced as he pushed back against the enthrallment. He didn't have much time left. Gathering the buoys, he carried them to the boat and began loading them carefully. That's when he realized something.
Cassie wasn't there.
"Where's Cassie?" he asked, turning to Nephis — whose gaze seemed strangely distant.
"She went to rest by the tree," she said absently, as if the words meant nothing.
A bitter taste filled Zachary's mouth at her answer, but he forced himself to stay calm. There wasn't time to panic.
"Could you help me pull the boat to the shore, Neph?" he asked, forcing steadiness into his voice. "I'll go fetch Cassie in the meantime. I want to show you something."
Nephis looked at him for a few secods before shrugging and taking an edge of the golden rope to pull the boat.
Zachary began running in the tree's direcion, he couldn't shake off the bad feeling growing in him. And added to the constant attacks of the tree, his mind was becoming restless and increasingly tired. Finally, he saw Cassie.
The blind seer was resting against the shattered remains of the carapace. She looked utterly exhausted, her face turning toward the sound of his footsteps.
"Zach?" she mumbled weakly. Her condition was deteriorating fast.
"Yes, Cassie, it's me. Come on, Neph is waiting for us," Zachary said, forcing a strained smile. But after a moment, he shook his head lightly — and finally, he let go of any resentment toward her.
This wasn't the time for grudges. And besides, he was the one who had put himself in this position.
He had already come to terms with it back at the Academy: if the chance arose, he would treat her as a friend. But he also knew he needed to keep his goals clear — to maintain a certain distance from her and the rest.
Now, with some of his cards exposed against his will, that decision had been made for him. The real question was: what has Cassie decided?
Her frail voice pulled him back to the present.
"I'm hungry, Zach," she murmured as he helped her to her feet.
"Yeah, yeah. Come on — once we get to Neph, you'll eat to your heart's content."
'Anything but fruits, that is.' Zachary thought as he supported her by the shoulder.
"Are you taking me to the fruits?" Cassie asked, her tone carrying a flicker of hope.
Zachary froze at the question, then sighed and nodded. "There are indeed fruits where we're going."
He winced as the tree's invasive presence pressed harder against his mind, but even through the haze he managed to lampoon. 'Although eating them might be tricky, considering they're the cores of the buoys.'
A faint, humorless chuckle echoed in his head, quickly silenced by a sharp throb of pain. Just then, Cassie stumbled — and he barely managed to catch her by the waist.
Cursing under his breath, he realized her legs could barely hold her anymore. With a resigned shake of his head, he knelt slightly and lifted her onto his back.
"Hang on, Cass," he muttered as he started toward the western shore.
A few minutes later, Zachary finally spotted Nephis in the distance, resting her back against the boat. He was about to call out to her when—
"You're taking me away." The raspy voice came from behind him.
A chill crept up his spine as Danger Sense began to buzz faintly. Cassie had spoken — but that wasn't her voice. Something was speaking through her.
"Sorry?" Zachary muttered shakily, tightening his grip around Cassie's legs.
"You've lied! You're taking us away!" Cassie started struggling, trying to break free, but with his Unity completed, she couldn't overpower him.
He was about to reason with her when a sudden wave of pain and vertigo struck. The Soul Devourer's assault on his consciousness had intensified, tearing at the edges of his mind. He flinched, trying to reinforce his mental barriers—when sharp nails raked across his face.
"Let me go! I want to stay!" Cassie thrashed wildly, clawing at his skin.
Zachary moved his head aside just in time, following Danger Sense's warning, and narrowly avoided having an eye gouged out. But Cassie wasn't aiming for precision — she just wanted to hurt him, to escape his hold.
'Fuck!' Zachary winced, pushing forward. He wasn't only fighting the tree's siege on his mind now — he was also enduring Cassie's frenzied assault from his back.
'Why do you always make things so difficult, girl?' he thought bitterly, forcing his legs to keep moving.
He finally reached the boat — just as Cassie screamed words that froze the blood in his veins.
"Neph! He's trying to take us away!"
Nephis slowly rose to her feet. Her indifferent expression carried a chilling stillness as she lifted one hand slightly.
'No...' Zachary's heart sank.
The Dream Blade materialized in Nephis's right hand, its sharp glow cutting through the darkness — aimed directly at him.
The cold night air froze. Tension rippled through the Ashen Barrow. Zachary trembled as the Soul Devourer's assault clawed deeper into his mind.
'Not—'
"Explain yourself." Nephis's voice was calm — too calm. But behind her composed face, he recognized that dangerous air — the same lethal aura she radiated whenever facing Nightmare Creatures... or enemies.
"Fuck," Zachary muttered, exhaustion weighing on every word. He could barely stand straight.
"Not this development again..."