4: A forbidden knowledge

"T-this screen do cliffhangers?"

Nephis who was a seat away from Effie managed to hear her mumblings. Although the mysterious screen was indeed helpful for providing them informations, she cannot comprehend why Effie was so disappointed.

After a minute or so, the screen lit up again. The whole theater was basked in the light produced the screen, making some dormant human cover their eyes.

"Yes!"

Nephis looked beside her and saw Effie with her fist up in the air. It looks like she's celebrating that the master he admires will be shown again on the screen.

"Effie aren't you too unaffected? "

Just beside Effie, Jet asked wondering how does this woman changed from being in despair to normal in a span of seconds.

"Who cares if he's the devil himself, his pancakes are still something else. "

Nephis' expression didn't change yet she felt ashamed with Effie's actions. They have been comrades for a very long time, yet it seems that she still doesn't hve any semblance of. embarrassment toward her actions.

The expression on Cassie's face... was tense and somber. Defiant, even. As if she was saying something that she had said many times already, only to be dismissed. Or even branded as a lunatic.

Sunny knew the feeling. He sighed, then pointed to the nearest table.

"Have a seat. I sense that it's going to be a long conversation, so let me make you something to drink."

"Ohoho a nice and warm discussion. I like where this is going."

The man who introduced himself as awakened Julius spoke. Indeed, the information here is something no normal awakened can know. Even so, Nephis is relieved that there are no sensitive information revealed yet that could endanger their lives.

Sunny needed a few minutes to collect himself.

'A man-shaped hole in the world.'

Indeed, to someone else, his absence would have felt like that. It was just that no one was able to remember witnessing the inexplicable void where a man named Sunless used to be.

"The man-shaped hole in the world."

Nephis said as the cohort listened. The term "man-shaped whole" is something the cohort already knows. But for some reason before this whole strange event, they couldn't retain their memories or simply ignored the term.

Cassie was about to explain but unfortunately before she could even utter a word, Effie interrupted her.

"Hey princess, what do you think about Master Sunless?"

Nephis felt a familiarity with the man yet she didn't know him, or rather she had forgotten about him. With the clues provided by the videos led to him being close to Cassie, meaning that he must've been acquainted to her.

Although she wanted to speak her thoughts but with a lot of ears listening, Nephis answered a common thought in everyone's mind.

"He is suspicious. "

Effie sighed, it seems that she already foresaw this answer from Nephis. She simoly smirked at her and said:

"You're no fun at all, princess. "

Cassie, however.. Although she didn't seem to know the solution, she had somehow pieced the problem together.

She knew that something was wrong with her, with everyone else, and with the world itself.

But no matter how hard she tried, she could not prove it. She couldn't even remember trying to solve the problem.

That must have been maddening. Not to mention the fact that her ability to perceive the future had suddenly betrayed her, leaving Cassie without another of her senses. The past four years must have been rough for her.

"Is it Cas?"

Kai was worried about Cassie. She is like the youngest sister of the cohort and because of her flaw back then, the cohort have a soft side for her in their heart. That soft spot still remains but only vaguely. Cassie is already a saint, she can protect herself at anytime. Their soft sides for her are like a maternal love of a mother for her children.

"...Yes it is. But it was taken care of already. "

Cassie answered with a small smile yet this didn't ease the worries of the cohort for her. But knowing Cassie, she wouldn't want to burden them something she had already hid for 4 years. That's just how Cassie takes care of her problem and they knew, that's why Kai couldn't help but reluctantly accept her answer.

"I see... "

And yet, selfishly, Sunny was glad. He shamefully felt a warmth in his heart.

He wasn't quite remembered. But it felt so good, for his absence to be witnessed by someone, at least.

"I would feel the same."

Sir Gilead said. The respected saint then earned a lot of listeners waiting for his next words of wisdom.

"Being forgotten by everyone is a thing I couldn't imagine with myself. Although he felt shameful, I think it's not something to be ashamed about."

"I agree with Summer Knight. Although I am much more curious on how this man became [Fateless]."

For the first time, the Beastmaster spoke. The tides of conversation that was once held by the people of Bastion tilted slightly to the middle.

"I also wonder how will he do against me..."

The Lightslayer, Revel said shocking the whole crowd.

Although a lot have speculated that Sunless is a saint, fighting the Lightslayer is a deathwish even for many transcendence. She is one of the strongest saints of Ravenheart and a daughter of the Queen of worms.

"S-sister! Although you are young, you are already old enough! Mother would not want you to do things only for married couples! "

Hel, the Death Singer exclaimed lowly.

Revel couldn't help but sigh. She looked at Hel with an unamused expression and said:

"In a fight Hel, in a fight."

"Oh..."

Dumbfounded, the Deathsinger could only smile innocently.

A few minutes later, he emerged from the kitchen with a teapot and a couple cups. Cassie was sitting at one of the tables, waiting. Her exquisitely beautiful face was calm, but he could feel a hint of agitation underneath that facade.

Placing a cup in front of her, Sunny poured the tea and sat down.

"A man-shaped hole? You might want to explain, Saint Cassia."

"It seems like he isn't that good with acting? Maybe his former relationship with Song of the Fallen made him act too 'good' "

Beastmaster spoke again, as if she's trying to get people's attention away from the King of Swords' side.

"He was rattled. Someone you used to know unexpectedly came and said something no one else in the world should know. Wouldn't that play with your line of thought as well? "

Someone answered the Beastmaster, he is the most loyal knight under Anvil and the one and only person who left a scar on the Beastmaster. It is Summer Knight, Gilead.

Fortunately, the seats of Bastion and Ravenheart faction was divided by the Firekeepers and Changing Stars cohort as well as the government.

There are four groups of seat in the mysterious theater. At the far right is the people of Bastion, next to them were the fire keepers with changing stars cohort and the government. Following them were the people of Ravenheart, and to the far left are mysterious people who doesn't belong to any factions such as Rain, Noctis, Julius and Beth.

She took the cup and tilted her head a little. At that moment, Sunny realized that he had made a mistake.. in an attempt to hide his rattled state, he had been acting much too calm throughout their conversation, No Master would have been that calm in front of Song of the Fallen, let alone while hearing her say such outrageous things,

He was suddenly unhappy with himself,

"What a glaring oversight!'

"Sadly he's in front of Cassie, it is impossible for her to not notice such mistake. "

Jet said as he smiled at the man on the screen. She felt familiarity to him and she knew at first sight that he is from the slums.

Someone who at least had some experience of normal living will not be satisfied with a cafe, and will surely find other jobs, especially if they're an ascended.

Cassie touched the cup and traced its shape with her finger. When she spoke, her voice sounded even calmer than his:

"Actually, it's not that strange. All of us... the members of Changing Star's cohort.. have long realized that something had happened to us in the Third Nightmare. There are things that don't quite make sense, as if there are gaps in our memory. No, not gaps... it's like parts of our memories are corrupted. Not in the Everlasting Void kind of way, but rather in a very mundane way. Like what happens with old communicators."

"So you're saying that... Master Sunless is with us in that hell hole?"

Effie's cheerful behavior was replaced by seriousness. Even the firekeepers who knew her haven't seen her like this.

"Effie, you should've get that with the 'man-shaped hole' term being mentioned."

Nephis answered. Although she already knew, knowing it face to face is truly unbelievable.

'Someone else have survived from that tomb.'

Sunny stared at her silently. His silence prompted her to continue:

"However, there were a lot of bizarre things that happened to us in the Nightmare, some of them much more so. And because it is almost impossible to remember that there is something that we have forgotten, we simply accepted it as fact and moved on after a while. That is how memory works, anyway. People don't remember what they have forgotten, and therefore don't usually realize it."

"Interesting... so there's a chance that he have been with me too?"

The voice didn't came from the Bastion side, fire keepers side, not Ravenheart. It came from the very left of the theater.

It was Mordret.

"Mordret, you are also there in the tomb. Do you have any memory loss?"

Changing star have questioned the strange saint.

"I actually do, though it is a small portion. Maybe he's a comrade of mine?"

Effie scoffed after hearing his words.

"Small portion of memory means you didn't interact that much right? And there is no way someone would like to be your comrade."

Mordret looked at her with a smile.

"Saint Athena... I guess you're correct."

He shifted slightly, noticing something strange about her words.

Sunny took a breath.

"But you don't seem to have a problem with being aware of the missing memories?"

Cassie smiled faintly.

"Hardly. It is very problematic, in fact. But... my Aspect is uniquely suited to remembering. My powers, you see, have to do with memories. I have a great level of control over my own memory, which has become much greater than before. I can also collect the memories of other people, or even replace and manipulate them."

"This is... this is Saint Cassia's ability?"

"To think she will expose it just like that to a stranger, a dangerous one too."

A laugh emerged from the seats of Ravenheart. It is the Beastmaster.

"I thought this situation will only be interesting but here we are, seeing some of the arsenals of the enemy."

Hearing this, it is Sir Gilead who replied immediately.

"Do not misunderstand, Beastmaster. We are dissatisfied with how our abilities were expose but that doesn't mean that we will lose!"

And then, the massive debate between the two clans began again.

In the midst of this the screen continued the video, stopping all the on going commotion but not the aura they are letting out.

Saint Cor just couldn't help but sigh.

'These young ones will truly be the reason why I die, not some powerful nightmare creatures.'

Sunny shivered. What an insidious power it was...

Oblivious to his subtle reaction or pretending not to notice it, Cassie continued:

"So, you might see how I would be more sensitive to anomalies in my memory. Which was why, unlike the others, I couldn't stop trying to get to the bottom of things. Especially because fate itself seemed to be in total chaos"

"The reason why I couldn't see much in the future!"

Deathsinger exclaimed.

All the other participants who were not informed finally grasped the knowledge on why the future cannot be seen by oracles anymore. It's because fate became unstable.

He took a sip of his tea.

"I'm sorry, but what does fate have to do with any of this?"

Cassie's smile grew a little wider.

"Oh... everything. You see, I always wanted to destroy fate. To create a weapon that could cut it. I always wanted to, but strangely enough, I don't recall ever acting on my desire.

"Cut fate? Is that even possible, Saint Cassia?

Surprisingly, it was Noctis who asked. It is safe to say that he had never encountered such scenario. Everyone then knew that even before the spell arrived, no one ever managed to break fate, or no one have known about it.

Cassie replied, her tone was strangely normal.

"I think you will get the answer in a few second, Sir Noctis."

"You must think that I'm a really timid person."

"Sorry about this Cas but you are."

Effie laughed as she said to Cassie.

"As I told you, do not trust someone else's with their outer appearance."

Nephis replied to her immediately.

"Sorry princess but that's just how I see her even when the first time we met."

The whole crowd agreed. The gentle looking saint in front of the seats couldn't be that far from their impressions right?...right?

Cassie's smile suddenly disappeared. Her tone turned colder, as well:

"But I am not a timid person, Master Sunless. Far from it. So, I can't help but think that, maybe, I have actually succeeded in creating that weapon. It's just that I don't remember it. In any case... I spent years trying to place the missing pieces together and restore my memory. It was... a bit of a hardship, to say the least. I failed to achieve my goal, but I did learn something."

No one spoke as if they are all waiting for Saint Cassia's next word.

She took a deep breath.

"It's that the missing pieces form a person. Someone who was there, with us, in the Tomb of Ariel.., and maybe even earlier than that. A man who has been cut from the world, as if he had never existed. Someone who was... precious to us. To me."

"This confirms it, Sunless is a saint."

Rivalen of Aegis Rose said but everyone already knew that. What everyone wants to hear is what is this 'Sunless' to Saint Cassia. What is his relationship with Changing Star's cohort?

She leaned forward, almost overturning her tea

"So, Master Sunless..."

Before she could continue, he asked neutrally

"You say that the missing pieces form a person. But why are you so sure that it is a man? It might very well be a woman, no?"

Cassie remained silent for a moment, then said tensely:

"Because I think that you are that man."

"Oh shit here we go."

"It's happening!"

Then, she clenched her fists.

"Are you?"

Sunny did not answer for a while.

Eventually, he sighed and answered, his voice even:

*...Yes."

"Damn!"

"So he really is a forgotten Saint. That's kinda awful."

"This doesn't eliminate the fact that he could be dangerous!"

"Dumbass what do you mean! He literally is chilling in his cafe!"

The sides of doubt and sympathy for Sunless became more and more clear. A lot of people are uncertain about his goals but a lot also feel his pain.

The two sides collided even more, saying their opinions and thoughts about this matter.

Although they also knew that arguing will not really give them answer that's why the debate eventually stopped.

Then, he took a sip of tea and smiled bitterly.

"But it doesn't matter if I confirm it. You won't remember, anyway."

Cassie continued to lean forward. A stunned expression contorted her delicate face for a moment, then disappeared, replaced by momentary confusion and then tense anticipation.

"So,,, are you?"

"What the...!"

"That is creepy as hell"

"So this is the power of fate?"

Everyone was shocked, saint Cassia even. She knew what will happen in the video but she didn't knew the effect of fate would be this scary. Her aspect who can retain much more memory from the normal saint immediately forgot what he had just said.

Now, everyone was reminded. On how fate governs their lives. It was immensely powerful and mysterious.

Sunny turned away, hiding an ugly grimace,

There was no point. It was not as if he had not tried to confess his existence to the people he knew before. He had, on several occasions. But just like his past, they could not retain the information about his connection to their lost memories of him.

His confessions were destined to be forgotten, just like he had been.

"This is just sad."

"Poor master Sunless..."

"Coreection! saint."

"Shut up"

The tides of debate between Sunless as dangerous or their sympathy for him vanished. The only one left is sympathy after that clip.

He sighed and answered again:

"Yes, I am."

Sunny waited for a moment. After Cassie had forgotten his answer and before she could ask the question again, he interrupted her:

"Instead of that, do you want to tell me more about that Memory you want me to make? Is it a weapon?"

Sunny tried to evade the question a few more times, but it was too important to Cassie. She stubbornly returned to it no matter what he said, forgetting his answers a few moments later. Watching her lost expression was eerie and a little heartbreaking, like talking to someone suffering from dementia.

"So, tell me... are you?"

"Who's old and senile now?"

Saint Jest joked again, earning him a lot of glares from the people. He just shrugged it and laughed.

Sunny reminded himself to be patient. There were many suitable ways to prevent her from voicing the question. He just needed to find the correct one.

"Yes, I am. But..."

Cassie was stunned, then confused, then tense once more.

"Maybe I should distract her with a revelation or two about what is going on in Ravenheart?"

The seats of Ravenheart grew cold. They have realized that this Sunless also have information about their great citadel.

"It seems like it's not just Bastion who's in trouble."

It was not someone from Ravenheart who spoke but from Bastion. It's Gilead.

The atmosphere even grew colder as the people of Ravenheart didn't say anything.

However, in the end, he did not have to.

Somehow, Cassie did not repeat herself again. Instead, she shifted slightly, reached for her tea cup, and traced its shape with her finger. Her face froze, and she fell quiet.

After a few moments of silence, Cassie said evenly:

"...My tea is cold."

"What does that mean?"

Saint Cor who is just a seat above the fire keeper answered.

"It means that a lot of time already passed yet Saint Cassia doesn't even remember. All she can remember is asking one time but in truth, it already been a while."

"I-I see..."

"tsk tsk.... young ones right now."

Sunny tilted his head a little. Then, his eyes gleamed in the darkness.

It seemed that there was no need to guide her away from the question, after all.

'So soon?'

Cassle was smart. She could not remember that which was forgotten, but she noticed the change in the temperature of her tea. Therefore, instead of remembering, she simply deduced that something had been erased from her memory.

Knowing Cassie, there were countless conjectures being formed in her head. Dozens of theories were being built, scrutinized, and discarded. Only those that could not be effectively disproven remained, leading to several parallel branches of assumptions. Those assumptions were then pitted against each other, turning into conclusions.

The conclusions were used to extrapolate what, exactly, she had forgotten.

Sunny did not say anything, carefully exploring his own emotions. If he was right, then Cassie not only knew that a person was missing from the world, but also deduced that he was that person, or at least connected to them.

She would not be sure, but suspect it strongly.

The taste of his tea was suddenly incredibly fragrant. Sunny drank it silently.

None of them spoke for a long time.

"The silence is killing me."

"I feel the same"

"Me too"

Cassie's delicate face was full of somber intensity, but she did not rush to ask him any questions. She couldn't. Because asking him about all the things she wanted to know would only result in her forgetting the answers.

It was an odd situation.

Eventually, she sighed and turned away. A few moments later, Cassie asked, her voice a little strange:

"Would you... like to look into my eyes?"

"How romantic!"

"Sir Jest just please shut up. "

He was startled by the question.

'Where did that come from?'

Sunny hesitated, not knowing how to answer.

"I'm honestly not sure. Why are you asking?"

She touched her blindfold briefly, sighed, and said with a hint of reluctance:

"My Transformation Ability has to do with my eyes. Few people know about it, and you are now one of them. If you look into my eyes... I'll be able to read your memories."

"So she's an effective interrogator huh? isn't it cruel making someone very gentle and timid do such thing?"

Beastmaster said as she looked at Gilead.

"She already is a Saint, she had seen something more cruel than that."

Everyone knew what Gilead just said. The dream realm is scary, mysterious and cruel. Although some have doubts, they remembered that Saint Cassia was from the Forgotten Shore, a monster of a place, a deadzone in the dream realm.

Sunny blinked.

His first reaction was to reject her vehemently, Who would want their private memories to be exposed to a stranger? Not to mention the fact that Cassie's power was not limited to that. She had already admitted that she could also erase, replace, and manipulate the memories of other people.

'Not everything.'

The memories of his past were forbidden, but the memories of everything that had happened to him after the Third Nightmare were less so.

Everyone got what he meant. Even if he show her the past events, it will be useless and she'll eventually forget about everything.

The question was, what benefit would there be if Cassie saw it all?

She would probably be able to fill the empty void left by him with a few more pieces of logical reasoning, at least.

But then what?

Sunny put his cup down and smiled politely.

"You want to peek at my memories, Saint Cassia?"

She simply nodded, not hiding her desire.

"I do... Saint Sunless."

"Saint Cassia is amazing. If I have her aspect I would probably be clueless."

"Yeah, her aspect fit her a lot. She managed to know even with only a few information. Yet here we are who had seen a lot but still not get it u til recently."

His smile did not falter

She has already connected me to the Exploration Report on the Tomb of Ariel and guessed that i was in the Nightmare with them.

'Damn it... I shouldn't have published it'

But he did not really regret his actions. That report was both for Teacher Julius and Ananke, so it was worth the trouble.

"So he's the author of that?"

"He is unknown"

Meanwhile on the far left seats.

"He seems connected to you Sir Julius."

Julius chuckled.

"No wonder he is a Saint. He probably is a student of mine... How sad I couldn't remember."

In the seats of the cohort.

"Isn't Ananke the woman who helped you princess?"

Effie asked Nephis who's eyes were sharp and in doubt.

"It seems that he have met her as well."

Some of the cohort facepalmed.

"No... princess, we're saying that maybe he's with you in the nightmare."

"Is that so...?"

Nephis couldn't help but tilt her head.

Sunny chuckled, then asked with a hint of amusement in his voice:

"What's in it for me?"

Cassie leaned back and remained silent for a few moments. She might have guessed that he was the person she had been looking for, but she had no idea who he was. What were his motives, desires, and convictions? What was his past, and what was his vision of the future?

What could she offer him to gain his cooperation?

She couldn't even be sure if he was a friend or a foe.

Doubt of whatever side Sunless was in were lit again. They knew that he knows a lot about Saint Cassia that he could be an ally but an enemy's information about their foes is also possible for this situation.

"Well, what is it that you want?"

Sunny contemplated for as long as his Flaw allowed him to.

"Actually, there is something that you can help me with, I must warn you, though... the favor I'll ask might land you in hot water with your venerable superiors from Clan Valor."

Ravenheart who have been quiet for sometime became a little lively. They wanted to learn more about their enemies and their situation.

He shrugged.

"Additionally, you will only access a memory of my choosing. You'll have to wait a bit, too. It can only be done on a full moon."

"Huh? wait that's-"

Before Summer knight could even finish speaking, the video continued.

Cassie suddenly tensed.

"A full moon? Surely, you don't mean..."

Sunny chuckled.

"That's right. I want to sneak into Bastion."

He finished his tea and added nonchalantly:

"The real Bastion, of course. Not this mirage we all live in."

The atmosphere then grew thin.