Fate's Slave - Shadow Slave X Honkai Star Rail

[All power has a price.]

[You have recieved a Flaw.]

[Your Flaw is: Heart of Thorns.]

Flaw Description: [You can only tell lies.]

***

Sunny walked through the desert, hiding behind dunes to stay out of the gaze of those Great Abominations. A single vibration was enough to turn him into all kinds of strange bodily fluids. Caution was key.

His footsteps were silent, not leaving any trace on the rustling sand below him, picking up clouds of dust in the wind. Silent like a deadly assassin. There were a few moons in the sky. Shining down as if they were mocking him.

Sunny smiled back, mocking the moons back.

So what if they thought he was pitiful? What did they know about him?

Nothing, that’s what. He hasn’t spoken the for a long time.

"Inanimate objects are so intelligent and knowledgeable. They must know everything."

That was sarcasm, if anyone couldn’t tell.

He was safe to talk to himself — it was something he’d do quite often. As long as he kept his voice low, he wouldn’t be heard. Staying on the peripherals of the Nightmare Desert would keep him... relatively safe.

’Man, this place is hot.’

Despite it being night, Sunny felt like he would be cooked into fried chicken — or whatever meat humans are turned into. It’s not like he knew any cannibals — none that liked to cook their kind’s flesh, at least.

’What am I even thinking?’

Either way, once the sun comes up, he’d actually be toasted. He needed to find some shelter before then, but... he didn’t think he needed to.

His path was right before him.

Looking south, Sunny gazed at the fog-covered mountains, jaggedly reaching towards the Dream Realm’s sky. These mountains must have been larger than some planets — they were certainly larger than Earth.

The Hollow Mountains. His only escape.

Actually, Sunny had been walking a couple thousand kilometers away from the mountains for a while now. Withstanding the terrible burns brought upon his body from the incandescent sun in the sky, and having worried time and time again that his ragged, scorched armor would be destroyed from the elements, he kept relatively close to mountains that marked the end of the desert.

The mountains that would lead him to civilization.

...But did he even want to go back? He was False Sanity. Wherever he went, ruin followed.

What happened a few years ago — assuming he counted correctly — was undeniable proof of that.

’Ah... but who cares? I’ll just... keep moving forward. Just like I’ve always had.’

In truth, the night brought along its own set of dangers. While Sunny had to worry about the sun in the day, at night... there were those... it’s best not to think about it.

A mad chuckle escaped his bloody lips. With the things he’s killed recently, he must have been the greatest hunter in history.

Far ahead, there was a tree with scarlet leaves and a scattering of something that looked like pale fruit hanging from it’s wide branches.

"Trees... my favorite."

His water had long run out, and the thirst was slowly taking hold of his mind. His tortured body was a sea of pain, but he could still walk. He could still fight.

He was still not willing to give up.

...After a while, the tree grew closer.

Sunny stopped and stared at it’s white bark, its scarlet leaves, and the shapes he had thought were fruit. But they weren’t. Instead, tens of thousands of skulls hung from the beautiful branches, fastened to them with glistening threads of black silk.

A spring of water formed a clear pool in the shadow of the great tree, and on its bank, with his back to her, laid a figure clad in a strange, rusted armor.

All burnt to a crisp. Not to ash, but completely charred.

"What a beautiful work of art. Whoever did that must be one kind fellow."

Then, he reached into the pool with trembling hands, put his palms together, and brought a handful of cold, sweet water to his lips.

Finally, his terrible thirst could be quenched

’What I would do for the Endless Spring...’

After drinking his fill, Sunny sat silently on the edge of the pool for a while, staring into the distance.

His eyes, however, were moving, as if reading an invisible book that floated in the air above the calm waters.

Some time later, he smirked.

"Scared of everything my ass. She definitely wasn’t scared enough if she went and challenged the Second Nightmare."

In reality, she was probably horrified.

Either way, it looks like his little buddy went and got another Rank up on him. And she said he was the crazy one.

"Ridiculous, really... don’t you think?"

Sunny shifted his gaze to a weathered skeleton, cruelly nailed to a tree. It stared at him with empty eyes, it’s teeth set in an eternal grin.

After some time, the skeleton said:

"You... you are one of Weaver’s."

Sunny stared at the skeleton in surprise.

"And... you are not a talking skeleton. How adorable."

In response, the skeleton growled, deep and full of rage.

"Tell me, Divine Shadow... how did you become intertwined with the Daemon of Fate?!"

Sunny’s gaze lingered on the weird creature for a few moments, before shrugging.

"Well, it’s pretty simple, actually. I, the most popular and desirable bachelor in the world, two worlds, even, came from an unholy union between Weaver and Shadow God. Turns out, holding hands are a quick and easy way to get stuck with parenthood."

Obviously, that was a lie. Everyone knows that kids are created when two people kiss.

"Anyways, I need to get back to the Waking World. You got any ideas, new best friend of mine?"

He didn’t really need to. He could stick around, but... he didn’t want to live his whole life in a murderous desert. Honestly, he may have wanted to return, but he didn’t need to.

The skeleton scoffed.

"It matters not. Soon your world will be consumed just like all the others."

Sunny tilted his head, then looked towards the charred corpse.

"Who did that?"

The skeleton lingered for a few moments.

"...Some millennia ago, a spirit of Flame walked past here, desiring to return to this Waking World you come from. She took that wretched Eurys of the Nine with her as a guide. Foolish..."

Sunny’s eyes widened.

"The... the Nine?"

What a coincidence.

"You know of them, boy? That girl was completely clueless."

Sunny laughed hysterically.

"Ah, yes... the Nine, huh? I know all about them. Well, me and Auro were the bestest of friends. That guy... what a lovable person. I really didn’t want to kill him."

With a grin, he glanced at the skeleton.

"What do you know? Who are you?"

The second skeleton strained to free himself, chuckled darkly, as if what Sunny said was amusing to it, and then roared:

"I am Azarax the Mighty, the Plague of Steel, King of Kings, conqueror of a hundred thrones! Free me, child of Fate! I will guide you to the shores of the Underworld and through it’s dark expanse, back to the world of the living! You will need a powerful guide if you wish to escape!"

Sunny hummed.

"And why are you here?"

The skeleton who had called himself Azarax growled:

"Don’t you know where you are, bastard of Shadow and Fate?! I am here because I led my armies into the great war, slaughtered a myriad of souls, and was punished for my strength and my pride!"

Sunny crossed his arms, pretended to ponder, then shook his head in disappointment.

"Eh, no. I don’t really need a guide. I never get lost, you see, and frankly, you deserve a much better companion than me. So, I’ll leave you here for a gentle sunbathe in the morning."

Sunny began to walk away, hearing the shouts and curses the skeleton started to spew out. After a few moments, he grinned.

"Oh, but, if you, King of Kings, are willing to share with me all that you know, then I could free you without worry."

Azarax may try to kill him, which was worrisome, but he was willing to risk it. It wasn’t everyday you found a talking skeleton who knows about the Nine.

Well, Sunny has met a lot of silent skeletons.

***

Black. Light.

That was all there was to see.

In a place that seemed like it was torn from the abyss and pasted under a world of light, the land of the departed stood. Desolate dark hills rolled into the distance, displaying an endless expanse of nothingness. Above this barren wasteland, a storm of light raged, fighting to circulate in the sky as it was drawn from the land below.

Underneath that light, a lone shadow watched.

But it wasn’t just any shadow.

It was Divine.

It didn’t walk, didn’t breath, and didn’t even twitch. The dark figure had no sense of movement, no sense of self. And yet, it stood, the vague humanoid figure emptily gazing at those who did move.

Before the Divine Shadow, a group of shadows — shadows of humans and beasts — began to rise from the dark sand, before walking ahead. They slowly travelled across the dark land, some weak, some strong.

As for the motionless Divine Shadow, it was certainly weak. Not even Awakened.

As the shadows migrated in small groups, the Divine Shadow’s gaze shifted. Maybe it was longing, or possibly solace.

Either way, this change brought about a shift in the world.

Or rather, in the world as the Divine Shadow viewed it. As it’s head slowly turned to follow the path the group of shadows took, a strange feeling rose up within it.

No, not a feeling. Rather, a mere shadow of a feeling.

Hate.

Spite.

The weak little creature remembered; it hated this world. It hated it’s rules. It’s unfairness. The world was simply a boundless furnace where the strong gain everything, and the weak lose everything.

Who decided that?

The Gods, evidently. Maybe it was the same God that he was a shadow of.

Deep within the soul of the Divine Shadow, a shadow who’s master was far beyond this world, the seven points of darkness began to surge. Within them, a boundless energy rushed out, swirling and orbiting these seven points of dark light through nothing but sheer will and animosity. The flowing Essence condensed, solidified, and rang through the Divine Shadow’s mind as it slowly reconstructed itself.

At some point, those points that seemed to lack light expanded, forming seven dark suns. Below them, in a sea of dark water, a legion of still shadows shifted, their gazes shifting from an unseen force.

[The Second Seal is broken.]

[Awakening dormant powers...]

The shadow did not move despite the changes in it’s soul. The process of accumulating Shadow Essence into a single point — seven of them — did not stop either. Instead, the seven Shadow Cores continued to circulate Essence through themselves, honing and refining the latent energy.

During this process, the barriers that separated the body and soul was becoming slowly eroded, causing a collision of the tangible and intangible, the physical and metaphysical. Undergoing this process so soon after the soul Awakened should have been suicide... but the shadow was relentless.

After all, a shadow was the binding between the body and soul, a concept that could be explained with both science and sorcery.

So, as soon as the two worlds clashed within the shadow, his soul did not collapse. His body did not crumble from the excessive amounts of Essence that it hadn’t adjusted to. After all, the shadow had no body...

Until now.

Suddenly, the shadow dissipated into dark liquid, before separating into seven anchors — Shadow Cores. In the next moment, a grotesque rearrangement of flesh, divine blood, and muscles occurred, appearing out of thin air as they wove together in a brutal tapestry of gore. And yet, not a single drop of blood, nor a single chunk of flesh fell.

In the next moment, a beautiful man with features reminiscent of a porcelain doll appeared. His gaze, absent as it was, flickered with an endless darkness as a second set of notifications assaulted him.

[The Third Seal has broken.]

[Awakening dormant powers...]

A deep, animalistic growl escaped the man as the shadows around him rippled. Suddenly, a spear of darkness manifested and impaled a human shadow that just spawned in next to him, causing it to dissipate into nothingness.

[You have slain an Awakened Beast, unknown shadow.]

"I’m sorry. My soul is much less peaceful than this amazing place."

That, evidently, was a lie.

False Sanity looked up at the motes of light that began to depart from his body, unraveling his soul. A moment later, a set of fearsome onyx armor encased him, slowly decreasing the rate that those motes appeared.

The man... no, Sunny. That was his name. He grimaced at the visual sight of Shadow Fragments being taken from his soul, and knew that if he didn’t move fast, he would die.

That was ignoring the massive pressure of an unknown entity pressing upon him.

"...Shadow God."

Sunny’s gaze narrowed with murderous intent. How long had he been stuck in this Nightmare? How many years had gone by since he was thrown into the Shadow Realm?

With an unfocused gaze, crumbling sanity, and a soul on the verge of collapsing, Sunny stepped forward.

Step.

Step.

Another step.

With each step, the shadows around him shifted. They parted, reached, and flowed around him. Here, in the depths of Death, the shadows reacted to the young heir before them, parting way for their master as he began to sprint towards the storm of light.

No... not merely their master.

Their lord.

"Move!"

At his roar, the shadows surged into tangible forms, pushing him towards the closest group of dead shadows with delight and reverence. Streams of energy surged from the realm, flowing into Sunny’s soul through his spirit... his Will.

[The Fourth Seal has broken.]

[Awakening dormant powers...]

His strength grew immensely, causing him to miscalculate as he accidentally jumped in the direction of the migrating shadows. Sunny’s eyes widened as he suddenly bashed through the dark silhouettes, killing them while his mind found itself wavering and hazy as his perception of the world slowed down.

"What... the hell?"

Fourth Seal? Transcendence? How? He had just been a mere Sleeper?

’Awakening, Ascendence, Transcendence...’

He vaguely remembered going through the first two. And yet, the Nightmare that Azarax led him to wasn’t over.

’Did I... find the natural method? From luck?’

He’d need to ponder on it later. Firstly...

Cresting over a black hill, Sunny grimly looked upon the crowds of dead creatures migrating towards an unknown location; the source of the godlike pressure pressing down upon him.

As if it was second nature, Sunny made the shadows below him smooth and slippery, sliding down as he approached the dark figures for the purpose of regaining his lost Shadow Fragments. He wasn’t quite sure why, but he could tell...

That the Shadow Realm was crumbling.

And it’s God was dying.

***

[Your nightmare is over.]

[Prepare for appraisal...]

[...Transcendent! Your trial is over.]

[Led by the harbinger of war, a lonesome shadow returned to his homeland. After a relentless battle for survival, the shadow lost himself. And yet, through sheer spite and will, the weak creature broke through the binds holding him down, bringing chaos and destruction to the land of death and peace.

As the shadows raged at this defiance, the Divine Shadow fell his kin, becoming the sole survivor of the carnage.

In the end, as the very God that cast the shadow was teetering on the edge of his life, a treacherous blade of shadows fell on his neck.

And so, a spiteful wretch claimed the throne of shadows for himself.]

[You have slain an Awakened...]

[You have slain an Ascended...]

[You have slain a Transcendent...]

[...You have slain your God.]

[You have broken your chains.]

[Final appraisal: Inconceivable. Even the Void would turn to look at what you’ve done.]

[Your Aspect is evolving...]

Aspect: [Godless Shadow].

[Your Innate Ability has evolved!]

[...The Fourth Seal has already broken.]

[You have committed the ultimate act of defiance.]

[The Fifth Seal has broken.]

[Forming Domain...]

[Awakening dormant powers...]

***

"Oh my... a Supreme?"

Sunny stared at the massive skeletal remains of Soul Serpents, deep in the depths of the Shadow Realm — the real one, not the recreated one from a Nightmare. Humming in intrigue, he turned to the talking skeleton before him.

He was immediately reminded of Azarax, the self-proclaimed Plague of Steel. Arching a brow, Sunny asked:

"Nah, I’m just a normal guy... are you Eurys?"

A lone human skull laying amidst the serpent bones, attached to a partially destroyed human skeleton. There was no spark of life in the battered skeleton, and even when Sunny shifted his gaze, there was neither the radiance of Soul Essence nor the vile darkness of Corruption inside the old bones.

However, as he watched, he noticed a tiny mote of light drifting into the air from inside the gaping black hole of the skull’s empty eye socket. Just then, the skeleton spoke:

"My, oh my! When you look at me like that, boy, I get shy. Who would have thought that someone as esteemed as you would recognize me?"

Sunny tilted his head. Then, summoning Weaver’s Mask, he asked:

"I’ve heard you’ve slit a God’s throat. Is that true?"

The skull’s gaze suddenly deepened.

"And where have you heard that?"

Sunny shrugged, the darkness of the mask’s eyeholes concealing his gaze.

"From that Azarax guy. And the Spirit of the Flame that you led to the Underworld."

Summoning the Shadow Chair, he took a seat, leaning forward.

"So, uh, I have a lot of questions. As you could probably tell, I’m Weaver’s heir, and I’m also a Divine Shadow. Technically, at least. That’s how my Aspect works."

Sunny paused for a few moments, before meaningfully asking:

"From what I understand, the Nine were given tasks. Like how you had to be a slave for the Empire. And how you were all Fated. So... what really happened in the end? After that huntress supposedly killed Weaver?"

A few particles of light escaped from the empty eye sockets of the skull before it answered in a neutral tone:

"It seems you do not know me, not really, child of Fate. Ah, how tedious! We went through all that trouble to kill Weaver, and now ’Their’ bastard son has come to interrogate me! Good heavens!"

Sunny smiled darkly. He was a little curious in the manner Eurys referred to Weaver.

"I know that you are avoiding the answer, though."

Eurys sighed.

"If our tale has been forgotten, then let it remain so. It’s not something to be proud of, anyway... and all of us are dead now, hopefully."

He seemed reluctant to share.

Sunny considered his next words for a few moments. He wanted to know the secrets of the Nine desperately, but at the same time, he was wary of the motionless skeleton.

Sunny finally spoke:

"You don’t seem that dead, though. And yet here you are... how did you end up in the Shadow Realm? You’re not a shadow."

The little bug left Eurys in the Underworld, so how did he get to the Shadow Realm?

The battered skeleton laughed.

"How did I end up here, indeed? Simple, really... I walked here."

Sunny continued to stare at the white skull, not amused.

Eurys sighed.

"What? I really did. It was hard to reach the Shadow Realm before, but now that it has no master and all the realms seem to have been fused together, it’s easier to travel from one to another. The Realm of Death always shared a connection to the Underworld, which served as the boundary between the lands of the living and the lands of the dead. Now, it simply lies beneath it. If you jump into the Abyss, you’ll end up falling into the Shadow Realm... that was what I did."

Sunny’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he couldn’t help but look up.

Slowly, it dawned on him that the starless black sky above him was not a sky at all. In fact... he was deep underground. Deeper even than the Underworld, which lay beneath the Hollow Mountains.

However, the Shadow Realm was vast. So, it seemed that there was an entire subterranean world beneath the known surface of the Dream Realm, stretching all the way from the Forgotten Shore to... who knew where. He would only find out if he crossed the entirety of the Realm of Death and found a way to the surface on the other side, if it even existed.

Did other entrances to the Shadow Realm exist?

He was suddenly fascinated by the question.

If they did...

Then maybe one was hidden in the caverns under the Forgotten Shore, where the dark sea had once sought shelter from the ruthless sun. Another could be hidden in the empty abyss below the Chained Isles...

This matter was not exactly important, but as an explorer, Sunny could not help but be enchanted by the mystery.

The presence of the Creatures of Darkness could be explained by proximity to the Underworld, as well. It was very curious.

However, he had more pressing issues to address. For example, the motives of the mysterious skeleton.

Glancing at the expressionless skull, Sunny frowned.

"Why would you come here, though? The Shadow Realm is not exactly a hospitable place. In fact, everything here is screwed to bits!"

Completely unlike the peaceful Netherworld! Well, now it is, at least. It took Sunny’s involvement for that...

Now, he kind of wanted to return.

Eurys of the Nine chuckled.

"What an apt description! But that is exactly why I wanted to come here. You seem to have been blessed by Shadow God, boy... but I, on the contrary, was cursed by him. Me, Azarax, Kanakht, and a few others — my, oh my! What a bunch of pitiful wretches we are. We were banished from death, and so, we are unable to die."

He remained silent for a few moments, and then added:

"Shadow God is gone, though. So I’ve made the journey myself and came to the Realm of Death to be annihilated. Ah... but it’s taking a while. So tedious."

Just as he said that, another mote of light drifted into the air from within the white bones, proving that the Shadow Realm was, indeed, slowly destroying even the... whatever it was that Eurys was.

Behind Weaver’s Mask, Sunny’s lips curled into a bargaining smile.

"So, would you say that this curse can be considered... a restraint of the Gods?"

Eurys slowly replied:

"...Yes, it is. Why do you ask?"

Sunny absentmindedly sighed.

"Well, there was a time where I ended up killing said God. Shadow God. That’s how I attained Supremacy, since from what I could deduce, it’s based on defiance. Am I right?"

The skull suddenly scoffed.

"That’s ridiculous. Boy, I knew every Divine Shadow in existence, and I would have surely recalled one such as yourself. After all, you lack the most important necessity of a shadow!"

There was a short pause.

"Unless... you are the last?"

Sunny’s expression darkened.

"That’s right. My world, the Realm of War, is the only one left. It’s a horrible place, really. Even though the strong are aware of incoming doom, they refuse to cooperate, waging endless wars that only dilute humanity’s strength. Really, my people are so pathetic."

Eurys remained silent for a long while, and then suddenly exploded with laughter.

This time, he laughed longer than usual, and his laughter seemed different from before.

It was tinged with mysterious darkness.

After a while, the white skull turned a little to stare at Sunny.

"War God? My, oh my! Such irony."

He paused for a moment, and then added:

"You asked who the Nine were? Well... to tell you the truth, child of War..."

His tone turned a little cold.

"Regardless of who we were, we hated War God and her children the most."

Sunny nodded. It became quite clear, considering what he had learned in that wretched game. It didn’t really matter, not now. Eurys couldn’t do anything to harm him in the skeleton’s current state.

"That’s unfortunate. Still, I came up with a way to protect everything. I needed a second opinion, so here I am."

"My, oh my! Well, what is your solution?"

Sunny tilted his head.

"Lies can become truth given enough people believe them. Though, only a God could convince so many individuals. So that’s what I’ll become."

And that led to Sunny’s final question. Both of them.

"What... what are Divine Aspects? And Nether’s Pathways? What is the truth behind them?"

There was an undisturbed silence for a few moments. As their gazes lingered on one another, Eurys asked:

"...Ah, so that is how you exist. I was wondering how a Divine Shadow could be born after their God. Did you know? Aspects that change a human’s race are quite rare. I’m sure you have seen mutants and the like, with your vast experiences. And yet, the changes brought upon by a Divine Aspect... are not even remotely the same. Tell me, how many of you are there?"

Sunny thought of those other individuals, who, like him, couldn’t be considered human.

"Four, including me and the Spirit of the Flame. I’m not exactly sure how to describe the other two... but one of them is linked to Nothing."

At his answer, Eurys started to cackle — like he was a madman that accepted that the world was doomed.

"My, oh my! How horrid! It’s madness, truly!"

His laughter died down, replaced by a serious tone.

"Listen, boy. There have never been more than ten Divine Aspects in existence. If there were more, than they died before they could be relevant to history. Producing four in the same Realm, you all must truly be cursed."

Sunny frowned.

"What? Why?"

The depths’s of the skull’s eye sockets darkened.

"There is some knowledge that cannot be known. Not as you are now. To resist the Corruption it’ll spread, you must become Sacred. For now, just know... if that number ever reaches seven, then things will be very bad for your Realm. You’ll need to become gods as soon as possible, then, if you’re especially lucky, you’ll learn of the route you must follow to save your world."

Sunny exploded into a cold sweat. Seven Divine Aspects, and the world was as good as over? How did that work? And... what exactly did they represent?

’Seven Gods. Seven Daemons. Seven Divine Realms. Seven Ranks. Seven Classes. Seven Divine Aspects."

...Six Nightmares.

Why was that the exception? Was that simply how the Nightmare Spell developed, or was it purposeful? Sunny’s mind operated frantically, slowly connecting the dots...

’No, stop thinking.’

He immediately quarantined the portion of his mind that almost reached the answer. He could intuitively feel that he would face insurmountable consequences if he came to an understanding. Scowling, Sunny asked:

"...There has to be a way to prevent it, right? And what about Nether’s Pathways?"

The words that came out of the skull next baffled Sunny.

"Why, those cannibals serve the same purpose as Divine Aspects. A defense mechanism against what comes next. Except, this was also a method to free humans from the limitations of Aspects, granting them Choice. Of course, all power has a price, and those cannibals are stuck in an endless struggle against Corruption."

Sunny digested Eurys’s words. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Sunny stood, dismissing the Shadow Chair. Then, summoning Serpent in the form of a great odachi, he asked:

"You wanted to die, right?"

Eurys remained silent for a while, then sighed:

"My, oh my... I would be grateful, but... what makes you think you can kill me?"

Sunny smiled under his mask. A solemn smile.

"There’s no chain I can’t break. Even one placed by a God."

The inky blade fell with the weight of a galaxy—

***

Somewhere, deep in an unknown sewage system:

Sunny held out his hand, the Coreflame resting there like a living jewel. It’s crystalline shell shimmered faintly, the golden coiling symbol etched into it’s heart twisting like a serpent — but never quite settling. His eyes reflected both fascination and a grim determination that felt like a weight pressing on his chest. Then, almost reluctantly, he let the Coreflame slip into the depths of his own Shadow Cores, absorbing it’s power.

He checked his runes, sighing in disappointment. The demigod of Trickery’s powers didn’t shift based on whose Coreflame he wielded. Speed? Useless to him — he could already vanish and reappear anywhere he wanted.

His gaze flicked toward the bound figure struggling in the dark tendrils nearby.

Cipher. Her silvery hair was a wild contrast to the shadows that wrapped her like chains. Her cat-like ears twitched beneath her hood, now fallen back, revealing the full sharpness of her features — sharp as a blade, poised and dangerous, even when captured. Her silver eyes flashed confusion, awe, indignation — maybe all at once.

Sunny’s lips curved into a crooked smile, the kind that said he was teasing but also hiding something heavier.

"Cifera. Your Coreflame? A total disappointment. Lies that bend reality? Useless to me."

Muffled noises escaped her gag, and her eyes narrowed with playful fury. Then Sunny, with a faint embarrassed chuckle, lifted the shadows binding her, freeing her mouth. She spat out nothing but saliva, then shot him a suspicious look that was almost amused.

"Has anyone told you that your shadows are weirdly sterile? They tasted like nothing."

Sunny squinted his eyes in confusion.

"Uh... yeah. People say that all the time."

...He’s never tasted a shadow before.

Cipher awkwardly shrugged, her shoulders still stuck in the dark bindings.

"So... why exactly did you kidnap me? Should I be scared for my purity? Is this all some ploy to get your hands on my ears? Because if it is... well, that’s just... undignified. You could’ve asked."

Her eyes darkened with a dangerous spark.

"And what exactly do you plan to do with that?"

Sunny tilted his head, amusement flickering in his eyes.

"Why did I kidnap you? Because it’s fun. Your purity? Yes, it’s in danger. The ears? Well, that’s for some intimate conversations. Your Coreflame? I’m just going to destroy the world. No big deal."

Cipher’s brows knit as she tried to decode his words, then she let out a breath, relieved.

"Heh. Almost had me there. Listen, Shady, these pups are off limits!"

Her ears twitched sharply, the subtle motion catching his eye.

Despite her bindings, she radiated that sharp, dangerous energy — like a predator playing with her prey, even when caught. Black and gold wrapped her lithe form; her silver hair framed a face too composed to be innocent. Her sleek outfit, decorated with crescent moons, was designed to tempt and strike. And yet now, all tied up in shadows, her tail pulled taut, even her fingers bound, she looked both ridiculous and compelling.

She struggled, trying to escape while his gaze was baited. It was no use. The shadows, fueled by a Divine soul, refused to release her.

Her playful expression hardened into something colder, her glare sharper.

"Listen, Shady. I know what you’re trying to do. It won’t work. Not for good. Do you even have a failsafe?"

Sunny nodded casually.

"Options."

Cipher scowled, voice dripping sarcasm.

"So... no. Great. We’re doomed. Boom! More dying noises!"

Then her tone shifted, softer, almost vulnerable.

"Can you even keep yourself alive long enough? Until the end, if there is one? Do you even want to?"

Sunny leaned slightly toward her, ignoring the foul stench around them.

"Sure. I’m unkillable. Sounds fun."

Her silver eyes flashed anger, but underneath it something else — a flicker of something softer, harder to place.

"...You’re a selfish prick. Choosing the easy way out. Fine. Do what you want. I didn’t need it anymore. Just let me go."

For a moment, Sunny’s face softened.

Almost.

But he didn’t untie her.

"You won’t try to steal the Coreflame back."

He spoke quietly, a warning, question, and accusation.

Cipher sneered, though he could see the flicker of hope die in her eyes. Her fingers twitched against the bindings, desperate for freedom, for control. But she didn’t push it, not yet.

"Too smart for your own good."

Sunny’s smile twisted, bitter and dry.

"For my own good, huh? What a joke."

He turned and walked down the dank tunnels. Then, he froze, summoned Weaver’s Mask over his face, and spun back around.

"The masses have been convinced. Quietly. No one noticed."

He knew better than to rush taking the Coreflame — too many eyes would be on him, and he needed the world ready first.

Indoctrination before theft.

He raised a shadowy hand, and through the hollow eyes of the mask, his gaze settled on Cipher.

Suddenly, a dark shadow slithered from his own into hers. She shivered, unease flashing across her face.

"...What’s this?"

Sunny waved it off with a smirk.

"Rejoice. You’ve earned a God’s grace."

She blinked, skepticism and something like reluctant awe mixing in her eyes.

"Uh, right. Nobody asked for it. Take your pet back."

"Nope. Not happening. Besides, I know you want it."

In response to his teasing cruelty, she scoffed.

"In your dreams, Shady. Why would I want a huge... world-ending... death... snake?"

Sunny watched her, amused as the greed sparked in her eyes — a flicker of hunger. He stepped into shadows and vanished, reappearing galaxies away on a quiet, lush planet.

There, he untied the shadows binding her.

A bird in the sky froze mid-flap, then slowly began to move backward, time rewinding around Sunny like a fragile bubble. To have reached this far, it could only mean one thing.

Then, the shades inside his soul surged, tearing apart a Cipher-shaped worm coiled tightly around his Shadow Core.

The link severed. Time resumed its flow.

He whispered, almost to himself, but loud enough that the shadows might carry the words to her:

"It’s sad, isn’t it? You can have everything if you tried... but you’ll never have me."

Before Cipher could close the space between them, he was gone, leaving behind only a shadowy decoy.

Back with Cipher, she caught a small note drifting into her palm.

Her jaw tightened as she read:

"Thanks for being my buddy! If I die, what’s mine is yours! Don’t spend it all in one place! Or not. Couldn’t care less!"

Beneath the message, a childish doodle: Sunny’s smug face, her frowning one — a strange pairing that somehow felt... tender.

She crumpled the note in her fist, the paper almost blinking out of existence.

Her eyes hid beneath her bangs as she muttered softly:

"Well, now you have none. Real funny, isn’t it?"

A brief, almost imperceptible sigh escaped her lips — a secret she wouldn’t admit, even to herself.

***

Sunny’s boots sank just a little into the soft, metallic sand with each step, leaving behind faint marks that disappeared almost immediately. He noticed, kind of — just didn’t think it mattered. His black hair shifted slightly as he moved. It hung loose around his face, messy but not wild, like he hadn’t bothered to fix it in a while. His face didn’t show much.

His eyes were the same. Black, dull, unreadable. They didn’t catch the light, didn’t reflect the ocean or the sky. He could see just fine.

The sea didn’t move. The sky felt wrong, like it was too big and too still at the same time. Far off, some kind of broken ruins stretched along the edge of the horizon, but they didn’t matter. None of it did. It all looked familiar anyway, even though he was sure he’d never been here before.

All lies.

There were no signs of life. No people, no ships, not even birds. Just the sound of his footsteps and the strange way the air pressed against his skin — heavy, quiet, like it didn’t want him there. He kept walking.

The world hated and loved liars.

He didn’t have a weapon. Didn’t wear anything special. Just a long, dark coat with dust clinging to the edges. The kind of dust that didn’t come off easy. His hands were uncovered. Sometimes his fingers twitched.

Up above, something that used to be a moon — or maybe a planet — hung in broken pieces across the sky. It didn’t glow, didn’t move. The sky around it flickered sometimes, like it was glitching. Like this place was fake, or unfinished.

He supposed that was true. Almost everything was fake. Even himself.

Unfortunately, not even the perfect lie could fool an Aeon. There were imperfections in his veil. But that was fine. Only he could see it, anyways.

He stopped once.

Sunny stared at the surface of the sea. For a second, his reflection showed up. Warped. Faint. It looked like him, but didn’t move when he did. Then it was gone. He didn’t stare long.

He just kept walking.

What had he come here for? Nothing. What was he running from? Also Nothing.

’Ah... but, Nothing isn’t really nothing, is it?’

Sunny cracked his neck. Smooth, practiced motions. The sound was loud in the deafening silence. Closing his eyes for a few moments, he sighed.

"So, it’s not you. How many times do I have to tell you? You snooze, you win. Uh... you don’t get what I mean."

Stupid Flaw, twisting his words.

Once he opened his eyes, he was surrounded. Divine and Unholy. Gods, blessed and profane. Some were somewhat humanoid, none of ’Them’ recognizable. Although Sunny was bitter, he was relieved. There were certainly better outfits for His Highness to choose from.

That meant his precautions worked.

The pressure around him was simply stifling, really. It was like the world was trying to rearrange itself to accommodate so many conceptual beings.

A woman-shaped silhouette wrapped in a tangle of unraveling ribbons — each strand a decision that could never be taken back. ’Her’ hair flowed upward, caught in a wind that had no source, and ’Her’ fingers bled golden thread that stitched nothingness into permanence. ’Her’ eyes held a quiet cruelty: the smile of a consequence arriving too late to change. Wherever ’She’ stood, time curled in on itself and refused to move forward again.

Sunny was a little nostalgic, staring at the threads that stitched reality together. He almost thought ’She’ was Divine, if it wasn’t for the Corruption within. A Nightmare Creature in the form of a woman.

Near the woman, drifting a foot above the ground, faceless and robed in something like mourning cloth, ’It’ bore a single, massive crown made of bone and rusted steel — yet had no head beneath ’It’. ’It’ had a presence that hollowed out the space around ’It’, eroding light, color, and thought. Those who stared too long began forgetting the words for simple things — names, places, even the shape of their own intentions. ’It’ was the opposite of creation, but not destruction. Something worse: the erasure of meaning.

Surprisingly suitable for the wearer, but a terrible match for Sunny. He was an expert on being something and rejecting Nothing, so it was a little stupid. He had literally thought himself into existence, after all.

’It’ had no single body. Instead, ’It’ was composed of countless mouths — each one a different language, each one whispering the same thing. Over and over and over. The shape hovered in the air like shattered stained glass suspended by tension alone, glowing from within with a sacred, revolting light. ’It’ sang a song with truth so simple it could break a soul into obedient pieces. Even Gods would flinch when it breathed.

Divine human. Most likely using the Transcendent Ability ’It’ held. He didn’t quite know what gender ’It’ was, but that didn’t matter. Sunny knew a lot about truths, and not even a Daemon could corrupt his mind with them.

The next one was human-like in posture, but clothed in centuries-old armor rusted shut at every joint. Moss grew from the cracks, and insects lived where breath should be. ’It’ never lifted the sealed visor. Around ’It’, nothing moved — no particles, no sound, no light. Even the tide halted at those armored feet. ’It’ was the idea that things should never change. That to grow is to sin. Even the presence ’It’ exuded on the battlefield was not to fight, but to ensure everything stayed exactly as ’It’ was, forever.

Unfortunately, ’It’ was controlled by something that wanted nothing but Sunny’s head. That was another advantage. After all, if ’It’ couldn’t exist in the way ’It’ should, then ’It’ would certainly be weakened.

Then, there was a towering figure with limbs that twisted in and out of themselves, fracturing spatial logic as stellar worms squirmed. ’It’ had a face that was like a mirror — always showing the viewer somewhere they had never been. A desert under a black sun. A city underwater. A graveyard where stars fell like rain. ’It’ was the embodiment of the other side of every door never opened, the wrong turn never taken. A vile God controlled by an even worse monster.

’Door, huh?’

An abomination actually became an Unholy being through that method. It was fascinating, and a little worrying. He hadn’t seen that oversized chicken recently, but Sunny knew that it had to have some malicious scheme.

Well, he left Serpent behind, so everything was fine. Probably.

The next one had no upper body — just a cloak, dragging along the ground, with thousands of blinking eyes scattered across the hem. They all moved in sync, even when nothing was there to see. ’It’ had a voice that sounded from nowhere, repeating moments from lives Sunny had never lived. A child’s scream. A confession whispered before death. The final breath of a Forgotten God. ’It’ had no hands, yet one could feel ’It’ grasping behind their thoughts.

Sunny shivered in mock fright. Why was this thing aware of his grandfather’s death? That was invasive on so many different levels.

"Yuck."

He shifted his attention to the last of ’Them’.

Shaped vaguely like a person twisted from tree bark, ’It’ had limbs that were split and blooming with flowers that wept blood. ’It’ never stood still, with a body that shivered with endless, manic tremors. From the mouth spilled laughter that didn’t match the face — high, broken, too human to be safe. Wherever ’It’ touched, the ground cracked and roots twisted up, forming the shapes of faces — faces of things that never had names, calling for their maker. ’It’ was growth without purpose. Life without end. Madness disguised as fertility.

’Irreversibility, Unmaking, Truth, Stagnation, Door, Witness, Root.’

Those were the names that Sunny deigned to give the Gods before him, not knowing their identities. Truth and Stagnation were humans, carrying a singular Divine Soul Core. They must have triumphed in the Sixth Nightmare, just to get their body snatched.

As for the Unholy Ones, their souls were fueled by Corruption, ranging from Devils to Terrors. Looking at their unimpressive sizes, he realized that their bodies must have been rearranged for convenience. Even a Beast of ’Their’ Rank should be massive.

The sand beneath him cracked. Not from pressure — but from his shadow. It moved with a will of it’s own, dragging itself forward like a living stain across the world. It stretched and twisted, impossibly vast beneath the alien light, folding into angles that couldn’t exist. From it came a low hum, not sound but sensation. Eyes opened within that darkness — far too many, few of ’Them’ human — and ’They’ stared back at the gods with a familiarity that bordered on pity.

’I know what you are. I know how you hunger. How you twist. How you beg to be known. The endless struggle of life.’

Before anything even knew it, Sunny’s face bore the mask of a haunting demon, it’s horror obselete in the faces of these Gods. And yet, there was just something about him. Something that would have stricken fear in ’Their’ eldritch hearts, if ’They’ still had any.

That thing was inevitability. The slow churning of time ultimately lead to Death. An unchangeable law in the world, and yet, naturally...

In the face of the one who had slain the hollow shell of Death, fear wasn’t even an anomaly. Of course, these puppets had no understanding of fear.

Instead, that fear was redirected to the one who wore ’Their’ skin.

The seven did not move. ’They’ didn’t need to. ’Their’ existence alone was threat enough. But Sunny stepped forward, and with him came something ancient, something that made even the one pulling the strings hesitate. Behind the fearsome mask, his smile held no joy. No cruelty. Just certainty.

"I’m not here to fight you. I’m not even here to win."

His eyes darkened further behind the mask, if such a thing were possible — devouring the light around them. He didn’t speak to the puppeteer, but to the puppets themselves.

"I’m here to set you free."

The ground shuddered. The stars above flickered like dying eyes. In an instant, the Universe shut down, the sky drowning in an eternal darkness. A blade of ink formed in his hand, it’s blade promising a sweet solace. A solace that has killed many Gods.

Even his own.

"This is the mercy of Shadow."

Then, ’something’ crawled out of Sunny’s silhouette—

***

The sky was on fire.

Not metaphorically — truly. Ash swirled through the air like burnt feathers, and what stars still hung above were weeping blood. The ground groaned under Sunny’s weight, cratered and raw, blackened glass and bone dust crunching beneath each staggering step.

His ribs were shattered. One of his legs dragged like it belonged somewhere else. There was a hole just beneath his collarbone — still smoking, still glowing faintly gold. Something Divine had tried to erase him. Almost succeeded.

He was bleeding shadows. They hissed as they touched the air.

But he was laughing.

It came out broken and breathless, starting as a chuckle and spiraling into something sharp, something dangerous. His steps faltered, but his voice didn’t.

"Aha... ahaha... gods, you’re all so dramatic, so noble. I’m envious, really!"

He coughed. Blood — black and bright — spattered across the dust.

"You thought killing me would end it?"

His voice cracked like glass under a boot.

"You thought this would undo it?"

Another step. Another laugh.

"Oh, no. No, no, no. It’s too late. Far, far too late. Not even death could fix this."

A lie, naturally.

He collapsed to his knees, one hand bracing against scorched stone. His shadow glided behind him like a wounded wing.

"Their belief. That was enough. That’s always enough."

Another lie.

His eyes, black as void, stared up at the fractured sky. Stars shimmered through the cracks in the firmament. Some were falling.

"You burned cities. Killed Saints. You clawed at everything you could, stopping at nothing for your freedom. Ruthless, really."

All lies. His enemies were too soft for any of that. Most of them, at least.

He laughed harder now — manic, joyful, alive in the worst way.

"And yet, you’ve won. This is the end of me, isn’t it?"

He grinned, teeth slick with blood. The shadows under him twitched.

The wind screamed through the ruins.

Sunny leaned back, arms wide, triumphant.

"I’m dead. I’m gone. I’m over. You win."

He laughed so hard it became silent.

Then, softly — almost tenderly:

’...Except for the one last little lie I left behind.’

His shadow rippled.

Far away, light-years from that shattered battlefield, someone else flinched.

In a forgotten corner of the cosmos, inside a flickering candle of shade...

A body breathed. Hidden.

Nested in the shadow of another.

Wrapped in Cipher’s presence.

Unseen.

Unfelt.

Waiting.

Back on the dying world, Sunny’s breath rattled. His smile was wide.

"I promise, you’ll never see me again."

And of course, that was a lie.

His bones continued to crack as gravity intensified. Gazing up at the golden angel in the sky, Sunny felt another wave of amusement. Radiant light fell upon him, exposing the shadows.

Then, the golden-eyed angel rose ’His’ blade, molten just like the wing’s carrying ’His’ pale body. The sword magnified to the length of a star, cleaving through existence itself as it’s might fell upon Sunny, accelerated by gravity itself.

He grinned, his gaze shifting somewhere:

"Are you there?"

He suddenly straightened up, forcing himself on his feet as time seemed to slow down. The golden sword continued to fall without halt as the rules of reality were bent and utterly ignored.

"Are you watching?"

Sunny chuckled hoarsely.

"Watch well then, epigone. Let me show you. How Aeons are born."

That day, a world was cleaved in an explosion of pure light.

Not a single soul was lost.

In the wake of such Destruction—

The Path Space shifted. Aeons turned THEIR heavy gazes.

More room was made. Suddenly, a Path that never existed came into existence.

An Aeon that was never real was woven into truth.

A lie became reality.

THEY opened THEIR eyes. From the shadow of deception, THEY announced THEMSELVES:

THEY were no longer Mythus. THEY who never existed.

THEY were Weaver, and THEY were...

[End of Enigmata IF: The Boy Who Cried Lies.]

***

Sunny stared at the screen. He hummed in curiosity. He may have had more questions if he was drawn from a single point in time. Currently, he was unlearned, learning, and learned, all simultaneously. It was strange, truly.

A Flaw that was the opposite of his own. It was interesting. However, Sunny did not understand, was understanding, and understood that his own Flaw was more of a blessing than a curse. It was proven in the strange movie.

A liar was [Fated] to fall into obscurity and loneliness.

Still, meaning could still be found in that. Meaning so powerful, that a simple shadow rose to the throne of Aeonhood. The existence of Mythus was a lie in and of itself. The Enigmata was simply a fevered dream.

But even lies can become real if enough people believe them.

Sunny never believed in martyrdom. Sacrificing oneself for the ’greater good’ never made any sense to him. That was an undeniable truth throughout his life. As long as someone could do what they truly desired, and protect what they wanted to protect, then even a wretch may be able to survive in this dying Universe.

The Liar must have thought so too. It was simple, really. There were things he had cared about, and if the world would be gone, then there would be nothing left. Unlike those who would passively wait and hope for another to bear the sacrifice, he actively fought for his own survival. In a world that despised him. Threatened to annihilate him.

He must have cried until there were no tears left. Bled until his marrow went dry. Until there was nothing that could stop him in his path.

In the end, he persevered.

For if he didn’t, there would be nothing left.

Sunny wondered, was the real Mythus a lie? Was the Enigmata even real?

He came to a conclusion; yes and no.

THEIR existence must have been hidden between the fabrics of truth and falsehoods. Both real and fake. When the Liar took the throne for himself, THEY became an absolute being, born from lies that couldn’t be unveiled. In a sense, lies that couldn’t be disproven were equivalent to the truth.

So, in a roundabout way, an Aeon that both existed and didn’t... became certain, falling under a different name.

Which was strange, since certainty shouldn’t align with the Enigmata.

Either way, the free entertainment was certainly intriguing. Quite emotional, really. Unfortunately, it lacked action, halting right before any attacks could land. And here he thought that he was going to witness a few Unholy battles.

Speaking of Gods, this variant of Sunny had somehow killed a recreated version of Shadow God soon after stumbling upon the path to Transcendence. Killing a genuine God with such strength, Shadow must have already been at the end. Practically dead.

Sunny had gotten plenty of kill steals, but none were as ridiculous as that. A feat that not only ended a Nightmare — Second or Third, most likely — but caused his Aspect to evolve while attaining Supremacy. Truly astonishing, it was.

’Godless Shadow, huh?’

Based on the way he acted, along with a few things he said, the Liar’s unique Innate Ability must have been related to restraints. Anything could be broken. Even a God’s Will.

Otherwise, killing Eurys as a mere Sovereign was impossible.

At least, that was what he thought. The memories were vague.

Sunny’s brow furrowed.

’Weaver? Of all names?’

It was a strange choice, really, to choose the Daemon of Fate as his moniker. That Divine Titan couldn’t be comparable to an Aeon. It was a little embarrassing, to use that name.

But it was also suitable. Weaver was well known as a master of lies. A liar so great, that the Strings of Fate were manipulated for ’Their’ agenda. Sunny somewhat saw the vision...

But he still had no idea why he was here. Despite not being the real thing, and only existing as fragmented memories, he still desired to live and stay out of danger. He supposed that this was a core part of his being.

Was it really the Remembrance that brought him here? That was the only plausible explanation. But what was THEIR agenda? Did Aeons even have agendas?

Well, the Liar certainly did.

A pretty big one, actually.

And at the end, who exactly had he been talking to?