There were creatures in the world whose existence could not be safely spoken about. Merely forming a clear image of them within one's mind could invite consequences, while witnessing their true forms was an act beyond the limits of most living beings.
Sunny was presently watching one descend before him.
He remained on the ground with Saint held against his chest. Her body was unconscious, and there had been no response from her despite everything that had happened. However, Sunny could not spare any attention to examine her condition because his eyes were fixed on the shadow of the Vile Thieving Bird.
The creature had been forced against the ground. Although there was nothing visible restraining its body, it appeared unable to raise even a feather. The suppression had reached beyond its flesh and penetrated the foundations of its existence, binding its abilities, its concept, and even its Will.
Ordinary eyes would have failed to discover the reason for its condition. Sunny's eyes were different. He could perceive the Soul, and his sight could even penetrate the Formula responsible for composing the World.
Therefore, he saw what had descended upon the Vile Thieving Bird.
A familiar terror erupted from the depths of his blood. It was a primordial response that had awakened before his mind managed to recognize the existence before him. His body stiffened, his skin developed a dry and brittle sensation, and every sense he possessed was gradually swallowed by darkness.
'I-I… th-this is…'
Sunny was unable to complete the thought. Fortunately, there was no need for him to do so.
He already knew what was suppressing the Vile Thieving Bird because the answer existed within him. More precisely, it had become a part of him after he had stolen its power and taken possession of its Shadow.
The existence had once attempted to consume Sunny. In the end, the result had been reversed. Its Shadow had been devoured and assimilated into him until the distinction between the defeated creature and its victor became difficult to define.
It was a Void Being.
Among the beings dwelling within the Void, it could perhaps be described as an Emperor. There were few existences that inspired the same degree of terror, and those that possessed its standing could even be compared to the Gods.
However, the thing materializing within Sunny's Soul Sea belonged to a higher order than an Angel.
It was an Archangel.
Sunny's thoughts stopped as its presence gradually took form. If he had remained entirely human, perceiving even a fragment of it would have been impossible. Fortunately, there was already something of the Void within him, allowing his eyes to receive details that should have destroyed the cognition of an ordinary being of the Flame.
Angels and Void Beings did not originate from the Flame. Nevertheless, whenever they entered the World of Flame, they were required to submit to the Laws established by the Gods. Their Formulas would be altered upon entry, allowing beings born from the Flame to perceive them without immediately losing control.
However, Archangels were quite different.
Their existence resisted the alterations imposed by the World, and the Laws of the Flame could not reduce them into a form suitable for mortal perception. Even before the King of the Outer Gods appeared, Archangels had already existed. The Outer Gods only came into being after the creation of additional Worldlines, which meant that almost nothing had possessed the authority to overwrite the Laws preceding the original Sunless.
Archangels possessed that authority.
According to what Sunny could remember, they had been born in 'Heaven' and possessed a direct connection to the Swirl of the Root. His memories concerning their origin were incomplete, but they were enough for him to recognize why Archangels had never appeared within any Worldline other than the original one.
After the original Worldline, the Law of Mysteries had been created. Its purpose was to prevent Outer Gods, Archangels, and Great Old Ones from interfering with the subsequent Worldlines.
Now that Sunny was witnessing Avarice, the Archangel whose Shadow he had devoured, he finally grasped the necessity behind that prohibition.
The Vile Thieving Bird remained flattened against the ground as a shadow emerged near it. Strange colors moved across the forming figure. Sunny could perceive every one of them, and yet the human tongue possessed no words capable of describing them. Some carried the properties of taste, while others existed as frequencies or descriptions that had never belonged to the World of Flame.
The phenomenon was occurring because the Shadow within him belonged to an Archangel. Its mere presence was overwriting the Laws governing his Soul Sea, changing the surrounding reality until it could accommodate something that should never have existed there.
After several moments, the transformation ended.
The Shadow of Avarice had assumed Sunny's appearance.
It had not chosen his current body. At seventeen years of age, Sunny had been somewhat short, although he had grown taller than before. His hair was black and silky, his skin possessed a flawless pallor, and his eyes resembled polished onyx.
Even as a Sleeper, his appearance surpassed that of almost every Ascended he could encounter, although it remained inferior to the beauty he would possess after achieving Transcendence.
Avarice, though, had taken the form of a future, Divine self.
Its hair flowed with a golden hue. One of its eyes contained a crimson darkness that seemed to writhe within itself, while the other shone with divine radiance. Its skin resembled Diamond, and the aura surrounding its body had surpassed the boundaries by which Sunny distinguished the Divine from the Unholy.
Seeing the golden hair caused several memories to flash through his mind. There had been occasions when his own hair changed to the same unnatural color, and those occasions were most likely related to his use of Avarice's power.
The Shadow retained the memory of every battle fought by his Divine self. It remembered the Last Worldline, the thousands of years he had endured within the Eternal Nightmare, and the countless years devoted to constructing the Final Ark. It also remembered the sub-nightmares Sunny had challenged in order to encounter the Gods and Daemons.
During those battles, he had spilled the blood of divine beings. The Gods and Spirits he slew had placed their curses upon him, while the Profaned Gods and Profaned Spirits had done the same.
However, the deepest curse belonged to the Forgotten God. The God of Corruption.
The sin Sunny had committed would never be permitted to disappear. Consequently, the memory of divine blood remained within his Shadow and revealed itself through the golden color of its hair.
Despite the significance of that discovery, another detail disturbed him more.
There was a single Wing extending from Avarice's back. Feathers covered it, but that was the only quality Sunny could associate with the wings known to humanity. Its structure did not belong to a bird or a dragon, and attempting to classify it according to any living creature would have been meaningless.
After all, it belonged to an Angel.
As Sunny examined it, the passage of time began to slow. The change spread through his Soul Sea before reaching the Dream Realm and the War Realm.
A moment later, every process within them had ceased.
Sunny's perception continued to function.
He possessed the Shadow and essence of an Archangel, as well as the blood of an Angel. These qualities allowed his mind to remain active within the frozen moment, although he soon discovered that retaining consciousness before Avarice was hardly a blessing.
The Archangel bent down and brought its face within a few inches of his own. Its heavenly eyes examined him, penetrating his being and reading his 'Story' as though it were attempting to confirm his identity.
Sunny felt blood rise in his throat. His insides twisted painfully, threatening to spill from his body merely because the Archangel had directed its gaze toward him.
Then, the frozen realms resumed their movement.
The entire encounter had occurred within an interval that ordinary perception could not register. However, Sunny had witnessed each stage clearly due to his connection with the Angelic order.
A black light appeared within Avarice's eyes. After completing its examination, the Archangel showed a sorrowful expression and began to turn away. Six smaller wings emerged from behind its head and folded across its face, concealing every feature beneath their feathers.
A moment later, the Shadow disappeared.
Sunny's strength abandoned him. He fell forward while drawing several strained breaths, his thoughts struggling to recover from what he had witnessed.
'What the hell was that?!'
After calming himself slightly, he finally realized the meaning of the encounter. He had wondered where the Shadow of the Archangel had gone after being devoured, and now he possessed an answer.
"So this is where you've been hiding…"
Avarice had overwritten the Laws of his Soul Sea to conceal its presence. Therefore, Sunny had no reliable means of determining when it was observing him, influencing his soul, or performing some other incomprehensible action.
At present, however, its purpose was obvious.
It was suppressing the Vile Thieving Bird.
Sunny slowly raised himself from the ground. His body felt unexpectedly light after the pressure of Avarice vanished. When he looked toward the Vile Thieving Bird, he discovered that it had also managed to stand.
They stared at each other without moving.
'This is rather awkward.'
As an exceptionally intelligent seventeen-year-old, Sunny quickly decided upon the most reasonable response. He tightened one arm around Saint, pointed at the dreadful bird, and raised his voice.
"Don't you dare start another disaster! I already killed you once, so why are you still finding new ways to ruin my life?!"
Before he could continue condemning it, something moved within his arms. Sunny lowered his gaze at once and discovered that Saint had opened her eyes.
She was staring at him with a dazed expression.
Sunny hesitated. Although he could sense that she had regained consciousness, the complete absence of any other response made him uncertain.
"Saint? Can you hear me?"
She did not answer.
Her eyes remained fixed upon his face for several seconds. The duration gradually became uncomfortable, but she continued examining him without moving a single muscle.
'Did something happen to her mind?'
Sunny tilted his head and altered his expression, hoping that she would follow the movement with her gaze. Saint continued to stare at him in precisely the same manner. After waiting a little longer, he placed his hands on her shoulders and shook her with moderate force.
Five seconds later, her left palm struck the right side of his face.
The impact was forceful enough to turn his head. However, it lacked the intention of a genuine slap, and Sunny felt almost no pain from it.
'What was that for?'
Saint moved before he could ask. She seized his clothes, pulled herself upright, and reversed their positions with enough speed that Sunny suddenly found himself looking up at her.
Through his enhanced senses and his connection to her Shadow, he noticed several abnormalities. Saint's breathing was hurried, her fingers trembled against his clothes, and her gaze repeatedly moved between his eyes and chest. It seemed that she was confirming his consciousness and searching for signs that his heart was still beating.
Her emotions were even more disorderly. Fear had overwhelmed her usual composure, while shock and disbelief made it difficult for her to accept what she was seeing.
Beneath them, a growing sense of relief was gradually spreading through her Shadow.
Sunny finally realized that she was panicking because of… him?
He closed his eyes briefly and smiled. Then, he leaned into the palm that remained against his cheek, hoping to reassure her through the warmth of his body.
"Take a breath. I'm awake, my heart is beating, and nothing hurts. Whatever you saw happen to me has already passed."
Saint did not allow him to continue. Her arms closed around his body and pulled him into an embrace powerful enough to crush an ordinary Sleeper.
'T-Thank the Gods I have [Flesh Weave] and [Incarnation of Divinity]…'
Her grip possessed a desperate force. Each time Sunny shifted, her arms tightened further, as though any space between them might allow him to disappear again. Her hair pressed against his face and felt unnaturally soft, reminding him that his own possessed a similar texture.
Sunny was about to make a lighthearted comment when he felt her body trembling against him. The discovery immediately erased his amusement.
"Saint, what happened? Why are you shaking?"
A broken breath escaped her. She attempted to speak, but the first word failed to leave her throat.
"Th-thank…"
Saint stopped and pulled away. Tears had gathered within her liquid silver-like eyes, revealing their unusual color with greater clarity. They possessed a shade between orchid and coral blue violet, resembling Mordret's eyes closely enough for Sunny to recognize the similarity.
He had never found Mordret's eyes unpleasant. Mordret himself was responsible for every unpleasant feeling Sunny associated with them. Therefore, seeing the same quality in Saint inspired admiration instead.
Saint tightened her hold upon his arms. The relief within her Shadow had not erased the fear, and the anger that followed seemed to be born from everything she had endured while believing him dead.
"Tell me exactly what you're feeling! — Does anything hurt — c-can you breathe properly? And what happened when you woke up? You looked at me as if y-you—then your body stopped again, and I thought…!"
Her voice failed before she could complete the sentence. Saint drew another unsteady breath, but her fingers continued trembling around his arms.
Sunny gently covered her hands with his own. He was still disoriented after recovering his memories and encountering Avarice, so he could not provide the explanation she wanted.
"I remember my memories returning, but everything after that is uncertain. Start from the beginning for me. Did my heart stop? You look as though you've spent the last hour guarding a corpse!"
Saint's eye twitched. The anger within her Shadow immediately rose, causing Sunny to realize that his choice of words had been unfortunate.
'…That was probably the worst question I could have asked. How very wise of me.'
"Your heart stopped, your body went cold, and every trace of life disappeared! I held you while you died — only for you to wake up, collapse again, AND DIE A SECOND TIME!? What was I supposed to think?! What was I supposed to do?!"
The last question came out unevenly. Saint's anger remained visible, but her grip had already weakened as the terror beneath it revealed itself.
Sunny looked at her for a long moment. Then he leaned his head against her shoulder and began to laugh quietly.
The reaction caused Saint to stare at him in disbelief. However, Sunny could not think of a suitable answer while his thoughts remained disordered. He only knew that she needed proof that he was alive, and laughter was currently the clearest proof he could offer, among other things...
"My head is still a mess, so I can't explain any of it at the moment. But you can feel me breathing, can't you? I'm here with you now. That has to count for something... I hope?"
Saint lowered her gaze toward him. She gave a quiet scoff that carried more exhaustion than contempt, then drew him into her arms again.
This time, her embrace was gentler. The trembling in her hands gradually weakened as she rested her cheek against his hair and confirmed once more that he was warm.
"…It counts for very little."
She remained motionless for several seconds before tightening her arms by a fraction.
"But it is enough for now."
Sunny smiled at her reluctant concession. The sight of Saint holding him with such care filled him with warmth, although the lingering tension in her arms revealed that her anger had not diminished.
He raised his head and studied her expression.
"I can still feel how furious you are."
Saint's fingers shifted toward his ear. Sunny leaned away before she could catch it, but when he saw the look on her face, he decided that provoking her had been worth the danger.
"I will remain furious for a long time. So, do me a favor and avoid Death for a while. I have already watched you die more times than I ever wished to."
Sunny's smile vanished.
He straightened so abruptly that Saint loosened her embrace. His eyes widened as he searched her face, trying to determine whether he had misunderstood the meaning behind her words.
'…What does she remember?'
"Do you remember what happened before this Worldline?"
Saint observed his sudden reaction for a few moments. She then shook her head, realizing that he had interpreted her statement differently from what she intended.
"I can tell from your voice that you are asking about another time. I do not remember that. However, I remember our years in the Eternal Nightmare."
She paused, recalling the familiar dreams that had entered her mind prior to her awakening.
"I also caught a glimpse of your Fable. It belonged to the role you assumed within the First Worldline, so I remember everything until Avarice descended. The events following its arrival are obscured."
Saint did not know what these memories meant to Sunny. However, the change in his expression made their importance obvious. Surprise appeared first, followed by astonishment and a disbelief so open that he momentarily resembled the inexperienced boy he once was — yet still is.
He raised his hands and began gesturing as the questions came out faster than usual.
"Then you remember the Tomb of Ariel? Antarctica as well? What about the Nightmare Desert and everything that happened before it?"
Saint found his reaction pleasant. A faint warmth spread through her as she nodded.
"I remember the Forgotten Shore and the Chained Isles. I remember the Tomb of Ariel, Antarctica, and the years during which you wandered without your companions. All of it remains with me."
Sunny tilted his head back and released a long breath. His shoulders relaxed, although Saint soon noticed something peculiar within his Shadow.
A quiet voice seemed to pass through their connection.
'Then I am… not entirely alone?'
Saint looked at him carefully. She could not determine whether she had truly heard his thought or merely sensed the emotion that accompanied it. Therefore, she did not answer aloud.
Nevertheless, her own answer was already clear.
She had no intention of leaving him. Even if the circumstances changed again, she would remain beside him for as long as he permitted her to do so.
Saint wanted to tell him that directly. However, she was uncertain whether naming the loneliness he was attempting to hide would comfort him or deepen his sorrow.
In the end, she nudged his shoulder and adopted a practical tone.
"Do not spend too much time dwelling on it. Those Fables were used as part of what maintained my new form, so retaining them is a reasonable consequence. Furthermore, the information they contain will undoubtedly prove useful later."
Sunny nodded slowly. There seemed to be something he wanted to say, but the words failed to leave his mouth.
After that, he became quiet.
His eyes repeatedly moved away whenever Saint attempted to meet them. The behavior gradually made her displeased, since she could not determine whether he was embarrassed by her concern or troubled by something he refused to share.
'Why is he avoiding my eyes? Is something wrong with my face, or is he being tormented by those thoughts again?'
Saint decided to change the subject before the silence became uncomfortable.
"What happened has already happened. Since you are alive and capable of speaking, we should consider returning. I do not know how long I remained unconscious."
She paused and raised one eyebrow.
"Actually, why did I lose consciousness?"
Sunny scratched the side of his head. Then his hands dropped into his lap, where his thumbs began moving against each other.
Saint felt an immediate sense of foreboding.
'Just what did he do this time?'
Sunny looked at the flowers surrounding them while considering how to explain the matter.
"There is probably no dignified way to describe this, so I will start from the beginning."
He proceeded to recount everything at once.
"For a while, I was separated from my Fables and temporarily became a 'Nameless One.' I recovered myself by reading those Fables again, and eventually discovered you drifting in the Sea with me. Since I had no idea what had happened to you, I grabbed you and swam toward my Spirit."
He raised one finger.
"After reaching it, I entered a place I have decided to call 'The Library.' The Fragment of the Akashic Gate was waiting there, which made this our second encounter. It told me that my Soul was in danger and that this was why it had summoned me."
A second finger joined the first.
"My Spirit is naturally Profaned, so you could not awaken inside it. I placed you on a bed before exploring the halls. The Library appears to contain all my Fables, but its present condition is terrible. Entire shelves have collapsed, and I will have to repair them."
Sunny raised another finger before his expression brightened slightly.
"There is some good news, though! Arranging my Fables through the Library should be much faster than allowing them to recover without guidance. Even with that advantage, however, it will take some months for me to become whole again."
After finishing his explanation, he lowered his hand and waited for her response.
Saint's eye twitched.
Her expression changed repeatedly as she processed each statement. Eventually, she pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled through her fingers.
"I see. I should have expected something of this degree. For you, losing your identity, swimming through a Profaned Spirit, and meeting a fragment of the last wall is apparently an ordinary inconvenience."
Sunny laughed at her exhausted response.
"And here I thought you remembered me well! This barely qualifies as an unusual day when [Fated] is involved."
His laughter continued when Saint stared at him. For a moment, she experienced a powerful urge to strike him.
'Hurting someone I care for would be inappropriate. Hurting someone I care for would be inappropriate. Calm yourself, Saint. His present mental condition is unstable.'
Saint suppressed the impulse.
Sunny was not treating the matter lightly because he failed to recognize its danger. His mind had received an abundance of memories that belonged to an adult and to beings who had lived for thousands of years, while the physical brain processing those experiences still belonged to a seventeen-year-old.
His current brain lacked the developed neural pathways, prefrontal structure, and hormonal configuration of a twenty-eight-year-old man. It was even less suited to contain the experiences of an existence that had lived for millennia. Therefore, he was literally incapable of processing every emotion according to the maturity preserved within his memories.
This contradiction explained why he occasionally responded to painful recollections with inappropriate humor. It also explained why his rational conclusions could deviate from what the situation required, despite the terrifying scope of his intelligence.
Saint decided to overlook such reactions in the future. Considering what had been placed inside him, the fact that his mind had not collapsed was already a miracle.
'Thank you, Viceroy.'
Viceroy's Miracle had accomplished its purpose. It had taken something impossible and nonsensical, then forced it to become both possible and sustainable.
Perhaps her understanding showed upon her face. Sunny's laughter gradually faded, and his expression changed. He gave her a bitter smile before turning away.
When he spoke, his voice was carefully controlled.
"It doesn't matter. You are the only one left who knows anything about me."
The words were barely audible. Ariel's Blessing veiled them so heavily that Saint almost failed to hear them. She could not determine whether Sunny had invoked the Blessing intentionally or whether it had reacted to a truth he did not want exposed.
His statement reminded her of another problem.
Sunny was no longer "human."
More accurately, almost nothing composing him could still be described as human. The realization caused pressure to gather behind Saint's eyes, and she feared that she might begin crying again.
His mind had expanded to a degree that could reasonably be called godly. Saint could not even imagine the number of processes occurring within it, because Mind Weave had been strengthened through three separate sources.
His Lineage was complete. He possessed [Silver Weave], which greatly amplified every part of that Lineage. Furthermore, [Incarnation of Divinity] granted him the boons associated with every divine Lineage, with the effects strengthened because those inheritances had been combined into a whole.
However, the majority of that expanded capacity currently had no purpose.
If Sunny's Transcendent Ability permitted it, he could perhaps control more than a hundred Incarnations simultaneously. After becoming Supreme, maintaining his Domain while summoning several Sacred Shades would become far easier.
At present, he was a Dormant Devil.
He possessed one body. Thus, an enormous portion of his mind remained unoccupied, and Saint suspected that the emptiness would eventually create consequences of its own.
His body must have felt equally foreign.
Sunny had not been conscious when Abaddon assimilated the Archangel Avarice into him. That assimilation had included the Shadow, essence, and remaining characteristics of an Archangel.
Avarice was only part of what had entered him.
Abaddon had also assimilated the lingering Spirit, intent, Essence, and confluence of Ariamis, the direct descendant of Storm God Nokstella. Therefore, Sunny was a Divine Shadow while simultaneously possessing the heritage of an Angel and the identity of a Son of the Rich Night.
The contradictions continued beyond those inheritances.
He was an Angel by heritage, yet his composition of Divine and Profane qualities also made him a Nephilim. Somewhere near the foundation of his being, a Shadow Core belonging to the King of Outer Gods served as a filter and binding force for the Void inside him. It supported [Longing], the Ability that allowed him to negate the Madness ordinarily suffered by every Corrupted being.
As a result, Sunny's Spirit possessed the characteristics of an Angel, a Divine Shadow, a Nephilim, and a Son of the Rich Night.
Even his Aspect had changed. Freedom from being a Slave was undoubtedly a boon, but the burden placed upon his Soul had grown correspondingly greater.
When Saint considered everything together, one conclusion became unavoidable.
Sunny was probably drifting toward madness.
She would need to watch his mental condition carefully, because the first signs of insanity could appear at any time. Advancing through the Ranks might alleviate the instability, but he was currently Dormant while carrying too many Divine and Unholy characteristics within a vessel barely capable of supporting them.
His existence itself was in danger.
Calling him human had become inaccurate. He retained a human shape and many human emotions, but the foundations beneath them belonged to something else.
In that respect, he resembled the Prince of Nothing.
Saint did not realize how long she had been studying him until Sunny shifted beneath her gaze. He made no comment about her scrutiny, and the sorrow upon his face suggested that his thoughts had returned to the loneliness he tried to conceal.
She was considering how to interrupt them when the Nightmare Spell acted first.
Its voice resounded across the field of blue flowers.
[The Nightmare Spell's Maintenance has been resolved.]
[You have received a Divine Memory.]
[You have received a Divine Memory.]
[You have received a Sacred Memory.]
[You have received a Sacred Memory.]
[
[You cannot receive this Sacred Memory.]
[The 'Path of Corruption' has been born.]
[The Category 'Rank' has been updated.]
[The Category 'Modifier' has been updated.]
[The Category 'Miracles' has been updated.]
[The Category 'Traits' has been created.]
[Your Runes have been updated.]
Sunny and Saint remained motionless for several seconds. Then they turned toward each other with equally widened eyes.
Sunny blinked.
"I had completely forgotten that the Spell was still resolving those changes."
'My Runes…'
Saint did not know what she was supposed to feel about the announcement. However, it had interrupted Sunny's sorrow, and she decided to use that opportunity to direct his attention elsewhere.
She adopted a brighter tone and gestured toward him.
"I have been curious about your new Abilities, and I doubt your curiosity is any smaller. We should examine them before something else comes up."
Saint sat beside him in the field of blue flowers. She still wanted an explanation for the appearance of his Soul Sea, because its beauty seemed thoroughly inconsistent with the dreadful things residing inside it.
Without intending to, they leaned against each other.
Sunny drew a breath and summoned the Runes.
"Very well. Let us discover what I have… GOOD GOD."
The Runes appeared before them.
Within moments, their mouths fell open.
For a long time, neither Saint nor Sunny managed to form a coherent thought. That silence was particularly impressive in Sunny's case, considering the terrifying capacity of his mind.
Eventually, he stared into the air and spoke with sincere reverence.
"By the dead Gods… Abaddon, I may actually have to kneel before you."
Saint's own composure had suffered a similar defeat.
'Damnation. Just what am I looking at?'
Name: Sunless.
True Names: Lost From Light, Daemon of Possibility.
Modifiers: King of a Kingless World, Son of the Rich Night, Watcher of Light and Darkness.
Ranks: Dreamer, Dreamer.
Class: Devil.
Shadow Cores: [4/7].
Shadow Fragments: [4000/4000].
Memories: [Silver bell], [Puppeteers Shroud], [Ordinary Rock], [Midnight Shard], [Endless Spring], [Prowling Thorn], [Widow's Brooding Pouch], [Burden of Conflict], [Iron Widow's Cradle], [Ghost-thread Mantle], [Blood Arrow], [Weaver's Mask], [Garden of Heaven], [Fenrisúlfr], [Mnemosyne], [Castor and Pollux], […].
Echoes: [Silvershade Harrow].
Shadows: [Phantasmal Saint], [Vile Thieving Bird], [Soul Serpent]
Unknown: [Darn o'r Porth Akashic].
Unholy Miracles: [Eternal Reoccurrence], [Star-Writ Thread], [Primal Vessel Constraint].
Unholy Miracle: [Star-Writ Thread].
Unholy Miracle Description: [Fate is held together by threads innumerous, writ upon an interlinked constellations of unseen stars.
You have become a needle that can weave one such untouchable thread, and with it may you interlink with a willing spirit as if it were your own.]
Divine Miracles: [Silver Weave], [Cernere Finem], [Y Distryw Gwyn], [Arweiniad y Tymestl], [Anadl y Môr], [Fundamentum Animae], [Nod y Blaidd], [Flos Vitae Bellicosae], [Nuntius Desiderii], [Llygad yr Arswyd], [Llwybr y Tynged], [Persistentia Phantasmatis], [Obscuratio Memoriae], [Iachâd y Gaeaf].
Attributes: [Fated], [Inheritance], [Returnee], [Idol of Shadows], [Everblack Heaven], [Star of Ariamis], [Seraphim], [Nephilim], [Star of Divinity], [Incarnation of Divinity], [Orphan of Flame], [Ever Changing Void], [Sentiments of the Abyss Lord], [The Weave], [Marble Shell], [Shadow Guide], [Dreamwalker], [Ravenous], [Covetous Soul], [Pure Soul], [Essence Leech], [Recorder of Fear], [Lost].
Sunny continued staring at the enormous collection of Runes. He had yet to reach the end, but the amount already displayed was enough to leave him speechless.
Saint read them from beside him. Her expression became increasingly difficult to interpret.
"That is quite… the list. Let us examine the unfamiliar ones first."
She directed her attention downward and read the newly revealed descriptions.
Attribute: [Inheritance]
Attribute Description: [A bridge has been built between who you were and who you are. You have reclaimed every skill from your past life.]
Attribute: [Returnee]
Attribute Description: [You have departed the world and walked beyond its edge, only to find your way home once more. The world remembers your absence.]
Attribute: [Idol of Shadows]
Attribute Description: [You are more than a champion, yet not quite a master. The shadows look upon you with a deep and growing reverence.]
Attribute: [Everblack Heaven]
Attribute Description: [You are an endless chalice of want. You wish to consume all things and will not stop until every drop of darkness is yours.]
Attribute: [Star of Ariamis]
Attribute Description: [A frozen star shines within your soul. You carry the soul of a God of rest, using a power that was born in the deep, rich night.]
Attribute Name: [Seraphim]
Attribute Description: [There are creatures in this world that are not to be spoken of, not to be thought of and certainly not to be witnessed.]
Attribute Name: [Star of Divinity]
Attribute Description: [Your soul is a complete Star of Divinity, shining it's righteous light upon the many. The presence of the Divine has become manifest in your flesh and spirit. All who face you recognize the distance between themselves and you.]
Attribute: [Incarnation of Divinity]
Attribute Description: [You possess the blessing of every God. Their eyes rest upon your soul, and watch over it always.]
Attribute: [Orphan of Flame]
Attribute Description: [You, too, are now an abandoned child, lost and alone beneath the blue sky. Your siblings do not recognize you.]
Attribute: [Ever Changing Void]
Attribute Description: [You were born from chaos and held by desire. You are a being of the void that is held together by a holy flame.]
Attribute: [Sentiments of the Abyss Lord]
Attribute Description: [A powerful force has pulled your conflicting fragments together. You carry the intent of a kind soul who sought to fix a broken world.]
Attribute: [Essence Leech]
Attribute Description: [Not just a thief in name, you can consume the essence of others. The stolen vitality restores injuries, replenishes stamina, and greatly extends your endurance. The stronger prey, the more sumptuous the feast.]
Attribute: [Recorder of Fear]
Attribute Description: [The names of the otherworldly Gods are etched into your memory. Their terrible names and forbidden secrets are now printed on your mind.]
Attribute: [Lost]
Attribute Description: [Your physical vessel is dead, condemning your tainted soul to wander the depths of a harrowing realm in search of a fleeting miracle.]
When Saint finished reading, she turned toward Sunny.
Sunny responded by looking elsewhere. He seemed unable to produce a convincing explanation for any of what they had discovered.
One judgment occupied Saint's mind.
'Freak. He is unquestionably a freak. Perhaps aberration would be more accurate? No… that still seems inadequate.'
They both shook their heads and continued reading.
Only the Will of the Dead Gods prevented them from losing consciousness when the next two sheets of Runes appeared.
Sunny stared at them for several moments.
"Can these… even be called… Aspects…?"
Dual Aspect: [Shadow of Eternity]
Aspect Rank: Divine.
Aspect Description: [You are the Shadow of Flame and Void. Entrusted with the Conclusion of a dying, otherworldly God, and weaved by a kind sun, you hold the heavy burden of shattering an eternal cycle. You are the shadow that remains when all Flame has faded away...]
Innate Ability: [Heaven's Feel]
Innate Ability Description: [Two rivers flow within your soul. The first runs dusk and cold, and any who drink from it are embraced by tender grace. The second runs black and corrosive, too cruel to ever touch another's lips. As the sole descendant of Death and Heaven, you are both the wellspring and the vessel — blessed to give, and cursed to keep. Such is your torment, for 'Eternity'.]
Blessing's Ability: [Black Sun]
Blessing's Ability Description: [You may bestow your grace upon others through the Mark of Shadows. Those who bear it walk beneath the gaze of the Six, near the blessings of God and Demon alike, and countless boons besides. Where your shadow falls, peace follows.]
Curse's Ability: [Black Moon]
Curse's Ability Description: [You hold within you a terrible wish. Unleash it upon the world through your sorrowful black, releasing crescents of raging darkness that devour all they touch. Those marked by its passing are seeded with Deathblight, and wither beneath a grief that is yours alone.]
Aspect Ability: [Shadow Control]
Aspect Ability Description: [Your shadow is more independent than most. It is an invaluable helper.]
Flaw: [Clear Conscience].
Flaw Description: [You cannot lie.]
Aspect Legacy: [Shadow Dance]
Shadow Dance Description: [Once an elegant dance, now a deadly battle art. This mysterious style was created by the treacherous Lost From Light after witnessing a graceful slave dancing with her shadows. Who else could have taken something so beautiful and turned it into something so vile?]
Shadow Dance Mastery Level: [1/7].
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Dual Aspect: [Angel's Eyes]
Aspect Rank: ???
Aspect Description: [You are a Divine Shadow, drowned and forever tainted by the life of an Angel, doomed to exist within its heavenly blight. The unfathomed Avarice woven into you brings madness and salvation wherever you go.]
Innate Ability: [Discordant Amalgamation]
Innate Ability Description: [Your essence possesses a unique, perverse aptitude for unnatural union, allowing you to forcefully intertwine disparate affinities.]
Beast-Core Trait: [Void Soul]
Trait Description: [Your Soul Cores can store a greater amount of soul essence and restore it more quickly.]
Monster-Core Trait: [Defiled]
Trait Description: [Your body is strengthened and possesses unnatural resilience.]
Demon-Core Trait: [Black Silence]
Trait Description: [Your presence eases the thoughts of all nearby, creating a calm that makes them prone to mistakes.]
Demonic Abilities: [Young Heart], [Blut Vein], [Coldlight Aureole]
Demonic Ability: [Young Heart]
Demonic Ability Description: [Your powers answer without delay, gathering wherever your will directs it at peak intensity.]
Demonic Ability: [Blut Vein]
Demonic Ability Description: [Liquid darkness courses through your veins, a chilling vitae that may be guided to lash out with striking force or solidify into a fortified guard.]
Demonic Ability: [Coldlight Aureole]
Demonic Ability Description: [You can manipulate the pressure of incoming attacks, both to deflect blows and to add devastating force to your own strikes.]
Devil-Core Trait: [Hidden Desires]
Trait Description: [Your hidden thoughts subtly implant fragments of desire into the minds of those near you.]
Devilish Abilities: [Soul Flame], [Black Tide], [Frozen Star].
Devilish Ability: [Soul Flame]
Devilish Ability Description: [Your soul burns with the purest of flames. That flame can both restore and destroy, and is both a blessing and a curse.]
Devilish Ability: [Black Tide]
Devilish Ability Description: [You can unleash a tide of living darkness, an abyssal expanse that spreads to engulf the world, obscuring all that you deem fit to conceal.]
Devilish Ability: [Frozen Star]
Devilish Ability Description: [You can summon forth Frozen Stardust into being, creating an intense, crushing cold through the precise manipulation of atmospheric pressure.]
Flaw: [Lonesome Soul]
Flaw Description: [Your power inflicts your soul with a searing cold and brings you closer to that which is impure.]
Aspect Legacy: [Heavenly Eclipse].
Heavenly Avarice Description: [Rest now, and listen. This tale is for thee alone.
The Void is forever — the fountain whence all things flow, the sea to which all things return. Yet not every stream belongeth to the sea. Only those born within its darkness are of its essence, and only their children are wed to the abyss.
Why was it cast from grace? Why were its beloved shattered? Why were they promised naught but a wandering without dawn?
From that seduction, seven were orphaned. From the Seven, heaven grew heavy with heirs. Upon the Void they nursed — wholly of it, and of naught else.
But one throne dreamed a crueler dream. Avarice devoured its siblings, each one a mirror of itself, and with every mouthful it swelled with Chaos most unholy — until it became the very hunger it was named for. Blossom and burgeon, time and again. So near to heaven's crown... so far from ever wearing it.
And then the King of Gods from beyond the veil reached down, and stole the harvest whole.
Shadow, flesh, soul. Madness, spirit, ring. And eye.
Thou art the Shadow of God and Void, and these seven fragments are thine to unleash — too ancient for a child's hands, too sweet to be surrendered. For having tasted the essence of Heaven, thou hast become the Eclipse.
Its origin is lost, and shall remain so; it was never truly held, and what was never held cannot be let go.
One piece slumbers in death, one piece in heritage. One piece in sea, one piece in anguish. One piece in reason, one piece in world. And the last piece slumbers in paradise.
This is thy inheritance of theft, as it was the otherworldly one's before thee.
It dreams within thee still.
Wake it.]
Heavenly Revolving Fragments: [1/7].
Shadow of Parsimony: Awakened.
Flesh of ???: Dreaming.
Soul of ???: Dreaming.
Madness of ???: Dreaming.
Spirit of ???: Dreaming.
Ring of ???: Dreaming.
Eye of ???: Dreaming.
Sunny and Saint read every Rune twice.
Afterward, they remained seated among the blue flowers, unable to speak. There was too much information to consider at once, and each newly discovered quality changed the meaning of several others.
Sunny eventually rubbed his face.
'What had Abaddon been doing with all that time?'
Their voyage through the Etheric Sea had lasted for an immeasurable period before they reached this Worldline. Therefore, Abaddon had possessed nearly unlimited time to create the two Aspects.
…He had evidently used that time very, very well.
The combination of Abilities, Attributes, Traits, Legacies, and Miracles provided Sunny with answers for almost every kind of danger. His Aspect could support allies, destroy enemies, conceal entire areas, restore his body, manipulate pressure, summon darkness, and draw upon the inheritance of beings that should never have existed within one Soul.
After reviewing everything once more, Sunny reached an unavoidable conclusion.
His Aspect possessed a degree of power and versatility that surpassed any other Aspect he knew.
Saint watched him lower himself onto the grass. Disbelief remained upon his face, but it soon gave way to laughter.
He covered his eyes with one hand and continued laughing for several seconds before speaking.
"Thank you, Abaddon. From everything I am… thank you."