Chapter 14: Agitation

Third POV:

Their journey continued through the canyons and on top of the giant statue that was rooming the forgotten shore in his eternal patrol.

Days had passed by now since they left the Marble Arch which was their resting spot after escaping the harrowing catacombs and leaving the Dark City.

The cohort had definitely seen better days, especially after surviving the terrifying events that occurred on top of the giant statue.

They had survived a day-long clash with the swarming Flesh Reavers but soon got entangled in the middle of a battle between two tribes of nightmare creatures.

The cohort fought with everything they had and miraculously survived the clash, only to brace the storm and be welcomed by the Dark Sea and the dwellers of its depth. Luckily the Giant statue had taken care of the most horrifying one of them but Sunny still had to chase away the other Jelly-like invader that wanted to claim the lives of his cohort.

For Sunny, Those battles weren't completely fruitless. It at least put a few things into perspective regarding his memories.

Firstly: Sunny was able to maintain the Memories that were still 'Linked' to his Soul before the regression.

Like most of his memories.

Secondly: The Memories that Sunny possessed during the period of his stay in the cathedral but later lost, were 'relinked' to his Soul.

Like the Prowling Thorn and Eye. It was as if Sunny from the previous Round inherited some of the memories that were possessed by the Sunny of the Current round, which Sunny from the previous round had either lost, given, or sacrificed. Additional to his own.

Thirdly: The memories that he still hasn't gained at this point in the previous round, still required his efforts to be required by him again.

Like the Blood Arrow that he gained from the Blood Sucking creature in the catacombs, which he gave to Kai a few days ago. He also gained The Blood Blossom from killing the Blood Flower Hosts. Which He was supposed to give Belle in the Antarctica campaign later on.

Lastly: Sunny realized that he wouldn't be able to acquire the same memory twice if he already had it.

Like the Dark Wing.

That was mostly an assumption of his, Since No matter how many numbers from the Flesh Reavers Sunny killed, he couldn't obtain the Dark Wing again which he was already in possession of.

But that was most likely the case.

His luck was already below the bottom line when it came to his journey throughout the dream realm, and his luck with memories and echoes wasn't any better of course.

'There is No way for the Spell to show me that kind of kindness.'

Sunny inwardly threw a fit of curses but eventually shook his head and looked ahead with a sigh.

By the middle of their second day of traveling through the Labyrinth atop the ancient colossus, an ominous dark line appeared on the horizon. With every minute, it slowly grew closer. Pretty soon, Sunny was able to tell that they were headed toward a vast mountain chain.

The mountains seemed to serve as a border between the Forgotten Shore and the rest of the Dream Realm. They were tall and jagged, piercing the skies like the fangs of a giant dragon. Their distant peaks were covered in pristine white snow and wrapped in a veil of mist that streamed into the ravines and onto the ridges below.

This was the place where the first lord of the Castle had disappeared all those years ago, as well as the goal of their own perilous journey.

The Hollow Mountains.

Legends say that a terrible creature was slain by the gods once, at the dawn of time, whose blood seeped into the earth, forming true darkness. The dark creature must have been a being of the Void, greater than an Unholy Titan.

The Hollow Mountains are a scar left by the creature's death, and most of the true darkness remains below them. Nether made his home in this area, but it was not entirely empty during his rule. Many others were living in the darkness.

Followers of Nether. They were the remains of the army he led to wage war on Storm God.

They lived in the great hollows within the peaks.

The Stone Saints. And They are the children of Nether.

They lived below the Mountains, in the Heart of the Underworld.

And lastly, there was the discarded and outcast creature, They lived near the very bottom of the dark abyss exposed to whatever dwells in the darkness.

In fact. Many creatures in the Underworld were abandoned and discarded, some the result of Nether's failed attempts to create the Stone Saints, and some were outcasts and derelicts.

Besides the abandoned creatures, there were other terrifying things as well that were born from the darkness and hunt creatures. There were also ancient horrors dwelling in the very depths of the abyss that would crawl from below to devour other creatures.

Sunny Glanced at Nephis who was sitting by his side. Her slender legs were extended forward in a comfortable position, her hands rested on the ground behind her back as she slightly leaned on them. She was exhausted from everything that transpired during their journey but that didn't show in her face.

Her face might not have been as sharp as Sunny remembered but still as beautiful. Tilting her head back, her face faced the sky. Her smooth alabaster skin glistened softly. As her Silver Locks danced against the breeze Nephis wore a small, and faint smile on her lips clearly enjoying the warmth of the breeze.

Even if Nephis was still Sleeper, she was Sunny's ideal embodiment of divine beauty.

Nephis's Eyes were closed but that didn't mean she couldn't feel Sunny's burning gaze. She just lost the timing to open her eyes.

As for Sunny.

Unbeknown to him, he wore a pained expression on his face.

Memories of their stay in the fissure on top of the Great Turtle resurfaced in his mind.

Neph's trembling figure was still vivid in his head When she was talking about her second nightmare in the dark.

In her second nightmare, Nephis was the weakest among the abandoned creatures. Out in the darkness, her strength was pitiful. She had always relied on her own strength and thought that if she was the strongest then she wouldn't break apart and people around her wouldn't suffer on her behalf. That was how much pride she had in herself before her Second Nightmare.

But in the Nightmare, she realized that personal power was a deceitful mirage and that she had to learn to accept her weakness and learn to survive despite being weak.

Since down there. There was no one who would protect them from the ancient horrors that dwelled in the darkness. The forsaken had to fend for themselves but they were weak, pitiful, and, divided.

The lesson was harsh, demeaning, and painful, but she had no choice but to learn it. She coaxed, persuaded, deceived, enticed, and cajoled other forsaken creatures living in the darkness. She realized that there was something sharper than her wit, persuasive words, and lies, and that was desire.

Nephis sought to instill a desire for a better life and companionship among the creatures of the Underworld. They built a village with tall walls, stone houses, and a large hall for them to gather and enjoy each other's company. They believed they were on the right track. The old creatures taught her their knowledge and wisdom. There were also former warriors, whom she learned from, as she was the weakest but also liked and valued because she could create light.

However, the village was attacked, and the villagers disappeared after each passing day. They tried to find and confront the creature, but nothing worked. They set traps, carved sorcerous runes into the stone, placed lures, and sent an envoy to plead for help from the children of Nether, but still nothing worked.

Eventually, everything collapsed, and the surviving creatures cursed Nephis and tried to abandon the village but didn't make it far. Eventually, only two people remained, she and another broken statue, the first one who had become her companion, and followed her from the very start. They locked themselves inside the village hall and barricaded the doors. However, the creature still came, as she felt the darkness around them became alive.

As soon as Nephis sensed it, she knew there was no hope and not something she could fight. So she tried to speak to the creature, trying to appease it and persuade it, even knelt and begged. In the end, the creature took her companion and spared her. The darkness felt empty again, and she was the only one left in the village.

Nephis' Second Nightmare differed from his own just like her First Nightmare, she had not battled immortal Saints to free an imprisoned daemon from divine chains.

Instead, she had saved a small group of pitiful and forlorn creatures, only to watch them die.

She had been so strong but the Nightmare made her weak. She had been so proud but the Nightmare made her beg for mercy. It was unimaginable how painful it was for her, to sacrifice the two things that were at the core of her sense of self.

The Spell always tried to break her in a crueler way.

Without him realizing what he was Doing. Sunny's hand reached out to Neph's Face, toward a straying strand of her silver locks that stuck to her lips. In a gentle manner, Sunny slowly dragged the strand of hair and tucked it behind Neph's ear.

Sunny only woke up from his trance when a pair of Gunmetal-Silver eyes gazed at him. His arm still dangling between them.

Nephis silently stared at Sunny unable to say anything.

Sunny stared back. But Now he was lost in her eyes.

Sunny thought that Her Eyes held a glimmer of determination and resolve that she had long lost through her lonely journey in the dream realm.

Her second nightmare had extinguished what little remained of it and shook Nephis to her core making her doubt her own existence.

Her eyes weren't dull as it might appear to others but in fact, it was brimming with life. Passion and determination for her goals ignited from within. The light of an innocent resolve beamed through her eyes.

That light....was something Sunny wanted to protect at all costs.

Even if it meant flunking her growth a bit.

Sunny wanted to hold onto it for a bit more.

"...uny."

Even if it meant changing the course of history.

"Sunny."

Neph's voice brought him back out of his thoughts. Sunny refocused his gaze on her and asked. His voice coming out lower than intended:

"...yes?"

Nephis fell silent for a moment, her eyes darting back and forth between his eyes. Apparent only to Neph, Sunny wore a dreamy and gloomy look on his face.

His previous action had startled her. She didn't think that Sunny would make such a move, but then she saw the look on his face and couldn't say anything.

The boy seemed too lost in his thoughts to even retrieve his hand!

It wasn't like his hand was bothering her...So she simply stayed silent, waiting for him to come back to his senses.

Currently, Sunny and Nephis were sitting alone on the right shoulder of the colossal statue.

Sunny had first come down here to avoid the blind seer from peeking into his Attributes. Since she hadn't shown any reaction yet, Sunny wanted to minimize the time he spent around her and eliminate any chances of her discovering his Attributes sooner than needed.

But soon enough Nephis followed him and asked for a light spar. A way to spend their time.

Effie and Caster were quite doing the same on the other Shoulder of the Colossal....hopefully. So the Severed surface of the Neck was occupied by Cassie and Kai.

Sunny didn't refuse her request.

Once their Spar was done, they simply sat right beside each other in a quiet close proximity. Considering that the space provided by the colossal's Shoulder was wide enough to fit more than fifty people. They sat quite comfortably side by side.

The two of them made for quite the contrast. Sunny was wearing a tunic of black silk embroidered with silver thread, his hair black as a raven's wing. Nephis was wearing the inner black leather suit of her Armor. That clunk tightly around her lithe graceful body. Her long silver hair was moving slightly in the wind.

One's eyes were like two pools of unfathomable darkness, the other's were grey, calm, and hid within them a boundless, immolating heat.

Both would have seemed too flawless and beautiful to a mundane human, with perfectly smooth alabaster skin and faces that seemed to have been chiseled from precious stone by a divine sculptor.

As Sunny finally noticed the Questioning look on Changing Star's face, his eyes landed on his hand which was still trying to keep that one strand of hair tucked behind Neph's ear.

Sunny Quickly retrieved his hand and quickly turned around.

Nephis blinked for a moment then a faint smile graced her face. She leaned forward and bent her left knee till it reached her chest and hugged it, while resting the side of her face on top of her knee, facing Sunny.

She simply stared at his side image, which now gained a faint pinkish hue as he tried to avoid her gaze by looking ahead.

Now, it was her Turn to stare back at him. The difference being that now Sunny was very aware and wary of her every move, while trying to keep more blood from rushing up his face.

'Why did I have to do that??!'

Sunny inwardly exclaimed.

Neph stared at him for a while with a funny expression.

Then, she tilted her head slightly...

And stared at him some more.

Sunny suddenly felt like he couldn't take it anymore.

"...Sorry I didn't mean to do that...I was....thinking about so many things....uh...Why are you looking at me like that? I'm not Crazy okay?!"

Sunny stuttered while taking a quick glance at her face.

Nephis wore a faint smile on her face that was widening with each word that came out of his mouth.

And something about her eyes made him even more flustered.

'...what was it hidden in the depths of her calm grey eyes? Was it... amusement?!'

Nephis just remained silent.

"Wh—"

Luckily, Kai's shouting interrupted his question before he could embarrass himself even more.

"Sunny! Lady Nephis! I guess We would need to get off this thing soon!"

Without batting an eye, Sunny dissolved into the shadows and reappeared on top of the Colossal's neck.

Sunny groaned in frustration. He felt quite flustered.

He couldn't get Neph's image out of his head!

'Pure thoughts!'

Soon Effie climbed from the other side and made her way toward them. Noticing Sunny's expression, a mischievous grin crept up her face.

"Welcome back Sunny! Ah, what's with that expression of yours eh? I knew you guys have been getting quite physical down there but did something pleasantly unexpected happen?"

Her questions drew another groan from Sunny. It made him more flustered and irritated than how he already was. Eventually, he was  forced to answer:

"Yeah, yeah...Glad to see you too. Obviously, I'm just a bit frustrated. And before talking about getting physical, how about you fix your clothes or at least summon your armor first huh? And No. nothing happened that would at least require your attention."

Her clothes were almost undone. Tattered with cuts and tearing marks, it seemed that the scion legacy had made quite a mess of her.

Caster of course wasn't any better. He followed her to the top of the platform, his body riddled with bruises, and there were purple spots all over his body.

Cassie and Kai remained the same.

Soon Changing Star climbed the platform and joined the cohort and they all looked ahead.

As the stone giant came closer to the mountains, Sunny finally understood just how tall, magnificent, and imposing they were. Even the colossus himself looked like a tiny ant in front of these towering peaks. It was hard not to feel small and insignificant in their oppressive shadow.

Slowly, the terrain of the Labyrinth began to rise. The mounds of coral grew smaller, and the distance between them increased, until finally there were as much black soil and stone outcroppings visible beneath as there were islands of vivid crimson. Finally, the blades of coral became scarce.

It was as though the Labyrinth was reluctant to approach the foothills of the misty mountains... or simply unable to.

As the gargantuan statue approached the border of the crimson forest, its steps slowed. The colossus seemed to be struggling to move any further. His body was slightly bent, as if he was fighting against strong wind or some invisible force that was relentlessly pulling him back into the Labyrinth.

Even his prodigious might was not enough to defeat the pull of the ancient curse.

Finally, the stone giant staggered and stopped.

This was the moment they were waiting for.

Sunny was the first to get down of the colossal statue.

Caster, Effie, and Nephis were already climbing down, while Cassie and Kai stood at the edge of the circular platform.

Soon they too followed.

A few moments later when the cohort reached the ground, the colossus trembled. Slowly, it turned around and took a giant step. The ground trembled as his feet landed on it.

The six humans stood silently, watching the ancient statue walk away. It was heading east, moving parallel to the impregnable wall of the draconian mountains. Sunny suspected that the stone giant had walked all around the Forgotten Shore thousands of times, and now was at the start — or the end — of another loop.

Soon, the ground stopped trembling and the figure of the mechanically marching colossus disappeared into the grey fog. A few moments later, Sunny sighed at it and turned around to face the mountains.

It was time to find a place to spend the night.

Tomorrow morning, they were going to start their search for the lost expedition.