The next morning, Sunless was staring at the ceiling. He didn't sleep last night, still thinking of the Dream Realm, about Seishan…
Truthfully he knew why such a coincidence was happening, his attribute, [Fated].
And he didn't know if he should thank it or hate it.
On one hand, he would have a chance to reunite with his sister and even save her…
On the other, the place where he was going was most probably a Death Zone, where creatures were way above his own rank.
He sighed. And looked at his runes.
Name: Sunless Song
True Name: Hollow Death
Rank: Dreamer
Class: Monster
Shadow Core: Dormant
Shadow Core: [2/7]
Shadow Fragments: [93/2000]
Memories: [Silver Bell], [Puppeteer's Shroud], [Nine's Regret], [BloodRaven], [Bone Fang], [Steelbone armor], [Endless Torture], [Weak Link].
Shadows: [Soul Serpent], [Dire Wraith]
Echos: -
Attributes: [Fated], [Ember of Divinity], [Child of Shadows], [The Blood's Shadow]
Aspect: [Shadow Purpose]
Aspect Rank: [Divine]
Aspect Ability: [Shadow Control]
[Your shadow is more independent than most. It is an invaluable helper.]
'Am I ready?'
Was all he could think.
But the door suddenly opening snapped him out of his thoughts as a small girl entered, bolting to his bed and jumping onto his body. He felt a heavy blow being dealt to his stomach.
"TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?"
Rain shouted right into his face, not caring for his poor ears.
She slept in the manor in one of the guest rooms, she called her adoptive parents to let her, they still were her legal guardian after all.
"Owww… Rain… Yes, it's my birthday, yes, I didn't tell you, but how did you not get lost on your way here?"
"I showed her the way, the girl wanted to talk to her brother, who was I to stop her?."
Howl was leaning on the door, speaking smugly.
Sunless ignored her and grabbed Rain, putting her beside him easily.
"Let's go have breakfast, Rain, let your slowpoke brother get ready."
"Okay big sis Howl!"
Rain happily got out of the bed and followed the Saint elsewhere.
'One day and already calling her big sis???
They are definitely not letting her go back.'
As Sunless lamented for Rain's adoptive parents, he got up, already feeling sleepy. Picking a set of clothes and dressing himself.
'Today… I'm going to the Dream Realm…'
He got out of his room.
—
He was standing outside the dining room.
'Well… that spoiled the surprise.'
He could feel through shadow sense, 15 people inside it, it was his birthday, everyone there, it was obvious.
'I expect 7 sisters, 4 mentors, 1 great driver and 3 maids.'
He was correct.
Opening the door, he was met with 15 people screaming and throwing confetti on his face. A big (HAPPY BIRTHDAY) on the ceiling.
"Happy Birthday!"
He stood still, smiling through the whole scene.
"..."
His reaction made everyone go into silence.
Rain got angry.
"Is that the right way to treat this?! Where's the surprised face? Or thank you!? Does he always react like this?!"
"Well he did learn from the best…"
Eunbin looked at 3 of the 4 Saints that teached Sunless.
Undying Blade crossed his arms annoyed.
Frostblade ignored the comment.
Lunae coughed in embarrassment.
All three were stoic, emotionless, no nonsense people. Sunless learned to be like that from them.
Sunny finally let out a laugh.
"C'mon… Let's just eat okay?"
And then, they all began to eat, it was a nice, normal breakfast, with normal chats, and normal things, no talk about Dream Realm, or nightmare creatures…
Just a moment where they could just be people. The perfect birthday in Sunny's eyes, he could even feel mother's gaze from time to time.
After a couple of Sunless noticed that Revel was leaving without telling anyone, worried, he followed her to the theater room.
"What's wrong Rev?"
She looked back with a sad gaze, tears threatening to show.
"You know what is…"
Of course… She's worried, scared, that he won't come back.
He sat next to her.
"....."
"Won't you say anything?"
"What is there to say? I am scared too…"
She laughed humorlessly, cleaning her eyes.
"Damn it! I can't do anything! I wished I could just bring you to Ravenheart and force your Awakening."
"You know what Hel and Jin always say…
Don't try to change Fate, it will only make things worse…"
"I know! I know!!.... But still!"
Sunny couldn't console her, he couldn't take away her fears…
But there was someone he could do…
"Say my True Name."
Revel looked at him puzzled, so he repeated.
"Say my True Name, trust me."
"Hollow Death…?"
He felt a force, a will, trying to link with Revel, the first time, when he told them his True Name, he didn't allow it to connect… Now he did.
A sudden warmth enveloped Sunless, like he had finally found what his life was missing, but the feeling stopped, like there was still space for more connection.
'So it's not limited to one…'
As he thought, his sister was looking at the air, seemingly at her runes.
"Sunny… What is…"
"My innate ability to connect with anyone that I chose as long as they say my True Name."
"I… can see your runes…"
Sunless then looked at his own runes, noticing he could see Revel's runes as well. They labeled her as [The Darkness Connection].
'Darkness? Is it because of Revel's source element?'
"I think there's more to this ability than just this… But for now… Is it enough?"
With this, Revel could check on Sunny anytime, his progress, how he was..
Revel hugged Sunless too fast for him to react, he had no choice but to hug her back.
"Damn it… I love you little brother…"
"Love you too big sister…"
—
Revel wanted to be left alone for a while, so Sunny got out of the room.
'It's the second time now…'
First Eunbin, now Revel, his family was never the type to show emotion, it was mostly because of Ki Song's way of parenting, but just like the Sovereign loved her children, the children loved each other. It was just that it was harder to show that love.
Case in point, one of Sunny's other sisters walked up to him.
"Hel… Sorry for not talking to you."
"It 's fine! No one wants to talk with the one who foresaw their death!"
The weirdest one of his sisters by far…
Always talking about death, always describing the worst possible outcome to all of us… But other than that, never being wrong about what would happen.
Sunny looked down as he asked the question that was haunting him for a month.
"Hel… Will I survive? Will I find Shan? Will I… come back."
Death Singer did not answer for some time, her iconic smile threatening to fade.
"I don't know everything… I had three visions, one where you were in the same castle that the Divine Strategist described Shan would be…
Another, you were in a cathedral, bleeding out as a dark knight stood above you, shadows reaching for you, begging for you to survive…
And the last one, you were in a crimson spire, staring down a boy with brown hair and green eyes."
The first confirmed that I was going to the same place as Shan.
The second was a probability of death, but she did say I was bleeding out, not that I was dead.
The third… A boy with green eyes…
"Caster…"
He murmured, hoping Hel wouldn't listen.
She got closer and smirked, leaning her body to get into his line of sight.
"Why the long face brother? When you die, I am sure Shadow will be merciful to you!"
"Not funny, good night sister… See you afterwards… When I return."
Sunless said with full confidence, like he would bend the world itself if he needed to.
—
Hel stood there as Sunny left. Feeling guilty over her lie.
'Ahh… But how could I tell him the truth?
How could she?… That one day his sisters would betray their only brother and their eldest sister?
Hel spent days trying to get something else out of that vision, but it always was the same.
Eunbin, Terra, Caera, Moon, herself… And Seishan… Pointing their weapons to Sunny and Revel
It didn't have context, and it raised so many questions.
Why were they fighting?
Why was Revel the only one on Sunny's side?
How did they even get to that position?
Either way… The vision always ended the same.
With Sunless kneeling and Seishan holding his neck, her face twisted in desperation and pain, the other sisters are nowhere to be found.
Sunny always said the same thing…
["It's okay…"]
And as Seishan was about to cut his neck… She always said something, but Hel could never hear it.
Hel's questions amplified again and again every time the vision ended.
'Why? Is it really inevitable that we are going to face each other?'
She always put a carefree attitude towards fate, she knew she was going to die, but still… It was unnerving. The idea of her siblings fighting each other…
There had to be a reason, Sunny did say ["It's okay…"] on the vision, were they under a mind hex? Probably…
At least she knew Sunny and Shan would come back from whatever hell hole they went.
Her hands were tied, every one always lost against Fate…
But there was something she could do…
After all, the vision never had an ending, so Hel would make one, and she was already making preparations. Well, she and her mother.
—
Sunless got back to the dining room, everyone welcomed him, the rest of the afternoon was Sunny having fun with his family, Revel and Hel returned and joined them
The last day of the Prince of Song in the waking world for a while was spent having fun with his sisters, with his mentors, with his found family.
When evening came, Sunny felt sleep coming and said goodbye to everyone.
Revel, Eunbin, Caera, Hel, Terra and Moon, hugging all of them.
For Rain, he leaned down to hug her, she didn't want to let go.
"Rain… I have to go."
"But I just saw you…"
"I know… And soon, I'll be back."
"Promise?"
Sunny hesitated, he didn't want to give her false hope, but in the end.
"I promise"
His voice was confident, ready.
Reluctantly… Rain let go.
Sunny patted her head and turned to the 4 Saints that teached him.
"They'll take care of you, make sure you survive."
The four Saints nodded, smiling.
Rain didn't respond and looked down, accepting reality.
With this, Sunny walked out of the room, his sisters uneasy, but the teachers simply smiled, a rare sight.
"Stop worrying girls, he'll be fine."
The Divine Strategist said laid back.
Moon snapped her head at him, her voice not betraying her anger and panic.
"How can you be so laid back?! He's going to a Death Zone for all we know!"
"But Seishan survived no?"
Lunae cutted her. All looked at him.
"And if he has the recklessness and grit that Ki has… He'll come back eventually."
—
Reaching his room, Sunny breathed in. It was time.
His sleeping pod was in the center of the room covered in shadows.
He touched the pod…
And felt someone wrapping their arms around his neck from behind, slender arms, corpse like skin…
"Mom…"
She affectionately patted his head.
"It's been a while since you called me that."
Her voice was full of longing and emotion. It was rare to see her like this, Supremacy has taken a toll on her, yet she still loved each one of her children.
"Come back safely okay? I don't want to lose my only son."
"He… Should have adopted more boys."
She smiled even more, it was good to see her human side…
Even if it may have been for one… Last… Time.
Ki Song let go and let him lie down on the pod.
"I will come back. With Seishan."
"I know, you are my children after all."
The pod closed, and Sunny fell asleep.
The Nightmare Spell thundered.
[Welcome to the Dream Realm, Sunless!]