(ch32)panic, and a disturbing fact

As Rin stirred from her slumber, she shifted onto her side, immediately sensing the absence of warmth beside her. Sunny, her usual source of comfort and warmth, was nowhere to be found. With a sleepy haze clouding her mind, she reached out behind her, hoping to pull him closer or simply confirm his presence, but her searching hands met only empty space.

'he's probably taking a leak or something'

As she yawned and gently shut her eyes, she felt a familiar presence reaching out to her through their unique mind connection. Anticipating Sunny's response, she couldn't help but wonder if he was about to validate her theory when:

*RIN HELP PLEASE IT HURTS SO MUCH!!! RIN! PLEASE*

Without hesitation, she sprang into action upon hearing Sunny's desperate cry for help. The urgency in his voice, filled with agony, indicated that he was facing imminent danger.

She stood there, her heart pounding with adrenaline, scanning the area frantically for Sunny. With each passing moment, her sense of panic intensified as Sunny's position remained elusive, adding to her growing unease.

*SUNNY WHERE ARE YOU?!?!*

*Near….top…of…tree…behind a leaf barrier*

He spoke with evident exhaustion, his words strained by the pain he was enduring. Each syllable seemed to require immense effort, as if he were fighting to stay conscious with every breath.

Without even waiting to hear the rest of his sentence, she immediately began scaling the tree with a speed that seemed almost superhuman, driven by determination and urgency.

During her swift ascent in speed climbing, she defied any discouraging thoughts by summoning her katana. With determination, she drove the blade into a sturdy tree, utilising it as a leverage point for her legs. She then gracefully propelled herself upward, seizing hold of another robust branch and effortlessly pulling herself to greater heights.

Glancing downward, she had a sudden realisation: she had ascended halfway in what felt like the blink of an eye. It had been a mere five minutes since Sunny's distress call, and since then, there had been no response from her friend. Fueled by growing concern, she picked up her pace, her heart racing with worry for Sunny.

'please be okay, please be okay'

*SUNNY!!*

No response

As she climbed up on another tree limb, her gaze caught sight of a fresh branch not too far ahead. It wasn't too thick, nor too slender, and it sat higher up the tree.

With a swift motion, she drew her katana, preparing to strike. As she poised herself in a stance reminiscent of a javelin thrower, she felt the energy surge through her muscles. With a powerful thrust, she released the sword, watching as it pierced the branch, leaving only the hilt exposed—ideal for gripping and leverage.

She paused, inhaling deeply before casting her gaze downwards.

The drop below seemed unfathomable, a fall that would have ended her life. With that sobering realisation, she made the split-second decision to leap, her outstretched arm reaching out for any semblance of stability. The rush of air enveloped her as she plummeted, her eyes widening in anticipation and her heart pounding in her chest. Both hands grasped desperately for purchase, but the force of the jump proved too much for one of them, and she found herself dangling precariously by just a single arm.

With the full weight of her body bearing down on her right arm, she glanced upwards and noticed the sword's handle, lodged in the tree, was loosening, the blade was slipping and she didn't have time to think. Adrenaline flooded her as she adjusted her grip, leveraging her momentum to hoist herself upward with a swift swing.

Perched amidst the branches, she paused to catch her breath, each inhale a desperate attempt to quell the rising anxiety within her. With every step closer, her heart pounded harder, a silent plea echoing in her mind—Sunny had to be alright.

As she ventured forward, confusion gripped her. She had just dashed through a dense barrier of leaves, exactly as Sunny had described it would be.

Her sword was drawn and ready

Right before her eyes, tucked away from prying gazes amidst a tangle of branches, lay a magnificent avian abode, intricately woven and nestled amidst the vibrant scarlet foliage.

Drawing nearer to the nest's entrance, she perched delicately on the branch's edge, endeavoring to peer inside. Alas, her stature fell short, granting her only a glimpse of the inner ceiling. Recognizing the precariousness of her position, Rin opted not to dally, leaping decisively to confront what lay within. Urgency propelled her; Sunny required assistance, and she would not linger around.

Moments later, she found herself upon a yielding surface. The nest's lower expanse was ensconced in a dense blanket of gossamer spiderwebs, weathered by time into a pliable, sand-like texture. Surrounding her in abundance, the webs momentarily deceived Rin into believing she had stumbled into a colossal cocoon, before reality asserted itself—a mere nest.

And there, at its heart, lay an enigma.

Rin blinked.

Within the nest's core rested an egg—a monumental, time-worn relic, its grey facade seemingly petrified, devoid of vitality. Yet, something peculiar stirred. Hairline fractures marred the egg's surface, from which oozed a viscous, ebony substance, defying the sterile white shell.

Forgetting to draw breath, Rin surveyed her surroundings, her gaze alighting upon Sunny.

Her sword dropped to the floor

He writhed in agony on the floor, she noticed his scratched and bleeding face and rushed to his side without a second thought, immediately sitting beside him.

*SUNNY IM HERE*

Despite the lingering effects of pain, he maintained a dazed appearance. She gently clasped his hand, feeling the strength with which he squeezed it, a testament to the intensity of his discomfort.

*Hey im right here, squeeze as hard as possible, just breath*

*IT HURTS!*

She recoiled, feeling a surge of helplessness as she grappled with the uncertainty of how to alleviate his evident distress. All she could do was tightly grasp his hand, offering her own in a gesture of support, cursing her own frantic state for not bringing the team healer.

She sat there, cradling Sunny's head in her lap, gently holding his hand and running her fingers through his hair. She whispered softly into his ear, trying to soothe him as he whimpered and screamed in pain, the agony of whatever transformation was happening within him evident in every cry. She stayed by his side, providing him with comfort and companionship through his ordeal.

*****

She spent hours by his side, cradling his head in her lap, her gaze never straying from him. The scratch on his face had healed within the first hour, yet his eyes remained shut.

There were moments when he lay perfectly still, prompting her to gently place her hand on his chest, feeling for the reassuring rhythm of his heartbeat, ensuring that all was well.

After another hour she heard his voice

"Rin?"

"Im here"

"Im i a monster"

She didn't hesitate in answering

"Too woman, yes"

He chuckled softly, his chest rising and falling with each breath.

"no i meant have i changed in appearance"

"Nope same old Sunny a bit more toned, but don't worry still an Asshole"

"Hey um i got a memory i need to share with you.. Its just after we killed that demon"

"Go on"

She shut her eyes, letting the memory of Sunny wash over her as though she were experiencing it through his own eyes:

******

Cassie gripped their shoulders tightly, her face twisted in unmistakable terror.

"Sunny! Rin! Sunny! Wake up!"

As soon as he snapped back to reality, Sunny leaped to his feet, his heart racing with adrenaline. With a swift motion, he summoned the Midnight Shard, feeling a surge of urgency.

From Sunny's perspective, Rin mirrored his actions, both gripped by fear that they were being ambushed.

However, amidst the deserted surroundings, only Rin stood nearby, observing a distressed Cassie and a cautious Nephis.

Nephis mirrored Cassie's unease, brandishing her sword, poised for action.

Rin delved into the depths of Sunny's memories, immersed in a sea of confusion. As Sunny gazed upon the blind girl before him, he couldn't help but feel a myriad of emotions swirling within him and it hit her too.

"Cassie? What's the matter?"

She gently took hold of him, placing her hands on his shoulders, and drawing him nearer, she leaned in, her face inches away, speaking in a pleading and soft tone, as if urgently requesting something:

"Sunny, you have to stop it! Please! You are the only one who can share it with Rin later!"

Her brow furrowed in confusion as she struggled to grasp Sunny's intentions and why she was pulling me into the situation.

'Did she see another vision?'

In an attempt to soothe her, Sunny spoke calmly and deliberately, aiming to ease her worries.

"It's alright, Cassie. Slow down, breathe. Tell us what happened. Start from the beginning…"

She desperately shook her head.

"There's no time! I will forget soon! We all will! But you, you have to remember!"

'We will all forget soon? What does she mean?'

Not able to see Sunny's dazed expression, Cassie yelled:

"You have to remember, Sunny! Five! It's five! Remember! You have to remember! It's five!"

Rin was completely stunned this memory,

'this is…i've witnessed this too, why am i forgetting so easily?'

The blind girl seemed disoriented and frightened, her words not quite coherent. Sunny gently wrapped his arm around her, sensing her fear through the trembling of her body.

Rin could feel the warmth through the memory

"Alright, Cas. I promise I'll remember. Five, right? See, it's pretty hard to forget."

Nephis was looking at them with a frown, not neglecting to scan the surroundings for any signs of danger from time to time. For some reason, Cassie was only talking to Sunny, not paying her any attention.

What did she believe Sunny could accomplish that Changing Star or I couldn't? She mentioned to Sunny to share it with me eventually.

Hearing his answer, the blind girl calmed down a little. However, she was still terrified.

"Good. Good. Remember, it's five. You promised…"

As her words trailed off, her voice grew increasingly faint, almost as if she were uncertain about what she was saying. Sunny strained to make out her quiet murmurs.

"…the more complex a thought, the harder it will be to hold on to it. That's why I can only tell you this one word, the simplest thing to impart… when the right time comes, it might change things…"

Carefully choosing his words, through Sunny memories she could tell he hesitantly asked:

"Cassie? Can you tell us what happened, exactly?"

As soon as she heard his voice, the blind girl instinctively flinched, tilting her head upward to meet his gaze.

Though fear lingered in her eyes, a wave of confusion swept over her, overshadowing the initial apprehension.

"Huh? Did something happen?"

Rin's eyes widened in disbelief. Wasn't she the one who had frantically woken them up just moments ago?

'Wait… why did she wake us up, to begin with?'

What was weird was that she could hear Sunny's internal monologue too

'I guess I'm still groggy from waking up so abruptly. Lack of sleep affects concentration…'

There she heard sunny's inner thoughts again

"You wanted to tell us something. It had to do with the… uh… number five?"

Cassie raised her eyebrows.

"Five? Why five?"

Sunny was at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond. It seemed he was about to inquire about the same thing himself.

"I have no clue."

Confused, he cast a puzzled glance at Nephis and then at the memory of her, desperately anticipating clarity from them in this perplexing situation.

Changing Star stood a short distance away, her expression distracted. Feeling his eyes on her, she locked gazes with him and inquired:

"Why do you have your sword out?"

Changing Star turned towards Rin and posed the identical question. Sunny cast a fleeting glance at the Midnight Shard, struggling to recall what prompted him to summon the Memory. It appeared that Rin in the memory had done the very same action.

"Uh… I'm not sure. Why did you two summon yours?"

The memory of her spoke

"Were we comparing swords?"

Both of them glanced downward, as if suddenly becoming aware of the swords resting in their grips. A flicker of uncertainty crept onto her features, casting a shadow of doubt across her expression.

'What's wrong with our heads today?'

Recognizing the futility of seeking aid from Rin or Nephis, Sunny let out a resigned sigh and redirected her attention to Cassie.

"Did you see another vision?"

The blind girl trembled. Her eyes opened wide, once again filled with fear.

"A vision… yes, I saw a vision. An awful, awful vision…"

"What did you see?"

There was a brief pause as she wracked her brain, trying to recall. A crease formed on her forehead as she concentrated. After a moment of contemplation, Cassie spoke up in a subdued tone:

"I saw… a mountain… a mountain of corpses. Countless bodies piled on each other until they formed a bloodsoaked hill. And at the top of it, a tiny black seed was floating in a pool of blood… "

She grew silent, then continued:

"That was the past, I think. But then I saw the future… a future. It was us. Oh, gods! We were… we were…"

Her voice trembled. As though not daring to say something aloud, Cassie stopped.

Sunny waited for a while, then carefully asked:

"We were what?"

The blind girl turned to him in confusion.

"What?"

He scratched the back of his head. What were they just talking about?

"You were… uh… telling us about your vision. I think?"

Cassie frowned.

"...What vision?"

Sunny felt a twinge of embarrassment as he struggled to recall the significance of the number five and something about a seed. It nagged at him, hinting that there was something crucial he should remember, but the details remained frustratingly elusive.

"I forgot."

Out of nowhere, Nephis, who had been standing close by, slowly lowered her hands and let go of the sword she had been clutching for some unknown reason. With a hint of confusion in her gaze, she tentatively addressed them, asking:

"Why are you guys awake? We need to rest. Something might get attracted by the demon's corpse, so we'd better return to peak condition as soon as possible."

Sunny, feeling utterly distracted and already letting the conversation with Cassie slip from his mind, blinked a few times, shrugged, and opted to return to sleep. None of it seemed coherent anyway; exhaustion likely had a hand in it.

He was just so worn out.

...Several hours later, as the shadow of sleep lifted, he stirred once more. A winged creature caught his attention, circling the island. But by then, Cassie's warning had become so muddled and fragmented in his memory that it felt more like a bizarre dream.

******

Rin breathed out clutching her head, as a massive migraine hit her, the memory ended and she was back on the nest

'i know now'

Something unnatural was happening to them ever since they came to the Ashen Barrow. Now that she had remembered Cassie's warning, it was apparent that their minds were affected, making them forgetful and easily distracted.

*Something is f*cking with our memories*