(ch30) the hole or abyss

Sunny and Rin were jolted awake by an overwhelming sense of panic emanating from the depths of Sunnys shadow. Still half-asleep and bewildered, they groggily opened their eyes, both sitting up simultaneously.

*Wh—what's wrong?*

*Um Sunny your shadow looks a bit spooked*

Glancing downward, she noticed the shadow beneath her, persistently gesturing upward with an unmistakable sense of tension, even though it lacked a discernible face. Somehow, the unease emanating from the shadow was palpable.

*Trouble?*

*It's your shadow Sunny, you should be able to tell whats making it scared*

Rin glanced upward, greeted by a canopy of scarlet leaves from the towering tree. Though the sky remained obscured, she sensed the lingering presence of the sun, indicating it was still daytime. It felt as though only a brief span of hours had passed since they had drifted into slumber.

*I don't see anything*

*We can't be too reckless, what's got your shadow so spooked?*

Once more, the shadow gestured upward, its impatience evident. Sunny blinked, puzzled, then decided to speak to it once more:

*High in the tree? Higher? In the sky?*

Rin joined in scratching the back of her hair, this was beginning to look like a weird game of Charades:

*Is there something on the branches?*

After achieving a sense of understanding, the shadow folded its arms in a gesture of satisfaction.

*Something dangerous is above the island… that creepy raven thing again?*

She felt a nagging sensation urging her to double-check, but there was a lingering feeling of forgetfulness tugging at her thoughts.

'holes and trees, something about a message in the wood and something else….'

Rin furrowed her brow, puzzled by a nagging sense of something crucial slipping her grasp. What could she possibly be missing? She had drifted off to sleep, only to awaken and engage in a conversation with the shadow of Sunny.

Asleep…

Suddenly, she found herself recalling fragments of an unusual dream, or so it seemed. Questions flooded her mind—was it truly a dream? After all, in the Dream Realm, dreaming was deemed impossible, yet Cassie appeared to be an exception to this norm.

Details of the dream eluded her grasp, slipping away like sand through her fingers. There was a moment—a woman's hand gripping her shoulder tightly, a look of sheer terror etched across her features. Words were spoken, but they were lost to Rin, drowned out by a deafening silence.

But wait, the woman wasn't just any stranger; it was Cassie herself. And amidst the chaos, there was something crucial she was trying to convey...

Rin strained her mind, desperately attempting to piece together the remnants of the dream before they vanished into the ether.

'it was…um…it…. dammit!'

All at once, the clarity of Cassie's fearful, urgent voice pierced through, as she hastily implored both her and Sunny to recall something crucial.

Her words echoed in repetition, each plea laced with desperation.

"...you have to remember, please.. Rin ..Sunny! Five! It's five! Remember! You two have to remember! It's five!"

As she sat upright, she adjusted her posture, a gesture that struck me as unsettling. Why did she emphasize the number five? What importance did it hold in her statement?

Rin glanced at Sunny before gently nudging him. She wanted to catch his attention without being too obvious

*Sunny you got a dream too?*

*Um yeah how'd you know?*

*my genius knows no bound, also was it about Cassie?*

His surprise was palpable as he realized she was fully aware of the contents of his dreams.

*...How did she?! You know what, I don't care. Did Cassie also ask you to remember... um... it's slipping my mind now.*

*Something about five*

*Yep thats it!*

They both glanced over at Cassie, who lay peacefully next to Neph, and Rin shook her head in disbelief. She couldn't quite determine if the scene she recalled was a genuine memory or just a peculiar figment of her imagination before drifting off to sleep. Given the mysterious workings of the Dream Realm, Rin found herself leaning towards the latter explanation.

'but how would Sunny have the same dream as me too'

*Still. We better tell the girls when they…*

Her mind was pulled away from her thoughts when she noticed his shadow waving its hands impatiently, drawing Sunny's attention as well.

*Oh, right. There's a threat in the sky…*

*How are we forgetting this?*

As soon as Rin's mind wandered, her plans to share the peculiar memory she and Sunnys had experienced with Nephis and Cassie vanished from her thoughts entirely. It was as if she had completely erased the notion of its strangeness or significance from her mind. This sudden shift in focus felt odd and out of character for Rin, but she didn't realise it at the time. Oblivious to her own forgetfulness, she carried on with her day, not even considering discussing it with Sunnys.

...Had she taken a moment to reflect, she might have recognized that this lapse wasn't the first instance of forgetting something crucial since they'd arrived at the Ashen Barrow.

Rising alongside Sunny, she called forth her sword while Sunny summoned the Midnight Shard, their gazes falling upon the eerie crimson leaves of the towering tree. Feeling Sunny's reassuring presence, she found a measure of solace.

Their subdued actions roused Nephis from sleep, her eyes meeting theirs, her body instinctively tensing. A silent inquiry lingered in her gaze.

Sunny shook his head.

"I don't know yet. Stay with Cassie while we check things out."

Leaving the two girls in their wake, the duo pressed on, aiming to reach the island's edge. There, the colossal tree's branches thinned, allowing glimpses of the sky through openings in its crown.

While technically, Sunny could have dispatched his shadow for this task, they chose to venture together. In the face of unknown dangers, the companions preferred having the shadow close at hand, ready for any unforeseen threats.

Upon reaching the eastern slope of the Ashen Barrow, she cautiously glanced upward, sheltered by the grand tree's shadow. They maintained a mutual vigilance, ensuring neither of them fell prey to unexpected surprises.

High above in the expansive grey sky, a small black dot circled the island. Rin's chest tightened with wariness, reminiscent of the first appearance of the menacing winged beast from a distance.

Leaving the vigilant shadow to monitor the black dot, they retraced their steps, where Sunny succinctly shared their discovery with Nephis and Cassie.

"Right now, it's just flying above the island. I don't know if it's the same creature or not, and when it is going to land."

Changing Star frowned.

"Last time, it wasn't very interested in searching for live prey. Perhaps it's mostly a carrion eater, and thus is only interested in the Carapace Demon's carcass."

Cassie offered her own opinion:

"Maybe we're too weak and little to satiate it? After all, it never came for the corpses of the scavengers we had slain. As if eating mere beasts is beneath it."

Sunny furrowed his brow, expressing his disagreement with a subtle shake of his head.

"Back then, it did come for the carapace centurion's meat. But it took a few scavengers with it as well before leaving. So it'll be too optimistic to think that this abomination will not try to devour us too if given a chance."

Nephis thought for a while, then gave him a nod.

"You're right. The best course of action would be to stay away from the Carapace Demon for now and hide when it decides to land."

Then, looking up, she added:

"But first, we must observe it to make sure that it's the same creature and confirm its intentions."

With no counter to the undeniable logic, Sunny took charge and guided the group to the exact spot where his shadow had been left behind. Seated on the ground, they watched intently as the shadow moved in a circular motion around the Ashen Barrow.

Their unease grew as they observed the ominous creature in flight, leaving them uncertain of their next move.

As the dark speck drew nearer at times, they could discern its terrifying features, confirming it to be the same monstrous entity they had encountered weeks prior, or at least of the same lineage. However, it seemed hesitant to alight in the shadow of the towering tree.

Their apprehension deepened as hours passed, joined by two more of the grotesque creatures, each as chilling and grotesque as the first. Now, three ominous figures danced above, casting a shadow of dread over Rin's heart.

One of these creatures, with its ghastly pale body and jet-black feathers, boasted a disturbing array of limbs ending in menacing talons, enough to decimate their entire party.

The memory of its effortless breach through the formidable carapace of the centurion still haunted Rin's thoughts. She feared these abominations rivaled, if not surpassed, the Carapace Demon in power.

And now, faced with three of them, the situation grew dire.

*We'd better hide well.*

Sunny thought to her.

*Agreed*

The winged creatures appeared hesitant to venture near the Ashen Barrow, their circling flight pattern suggesting a reluctance to approach. At times, they tentatively neared the structure, only to retreat and ascend once more. Their peculiar behaviour stirred an unsettling feeling.

After a while, Cassie spoke softly:

"Maybe they're not hungry?"

Rin added in:

"I don't think they like this place"

She heard Sunny in her mind

*Can nightmare creatures even get full?*

*How do you want me to answer that Sunny? Do i have a masters degree on monster stapled to my forehead*

After she made that sarcastic remark, he glanced her way, shook his head with a chuckle, and smoothly transitioned to a different conversation topic

"I don't know about these albino chickens, but I'm hungry as hell."

*Sure, we better find you something to eat. Your stomach's growling like a beast, and we don't want it revealing our location to the whole world.*

*I…im…..thats not tr-!.....is it really that loud?*

Nephis glanced at them and asked:

"Want to eat some grilled chicken?"

Sunny's eyes snapped open, widening with surprise, as he let out a hiss, joined by Rin beside him. Their synchronised reaction echoed through the area

"Don't even think about it!"

"Crazy woman!"

She gazed at them for a moment, then broke into a smile and turned away. Her eyes lingered on them briefly before her lips curved into a grin, and she shifted her attention elsewhere.

*That was… a joke?*

*She knows how to joke?*

*At least someone's sense of humour is better than yours*

He glanced over at her, feigning irritation in his expression.

*YOU ASS! MY JOKES ARE AMAZING*

*keep telling yourself that bud*

*RIN!...RIN!.....OI!....STOP IGNORING ME!*

In the end, their greatest worries never materialized. As the sun dipped towards the horizon, the trio of menacing creatures eventually reached a consensus and veered off westward in a scattered formation.

They never swooped low enough to catch sight of the quartet below, let alone touch down on the sprawling expanse of the Ashen Barrow.

Rin and Sunny, their nerves frayed and bodies weary from the prolonged apprehension, couldn't help but feel a twinge of letdown as they realized their fretting had been in vain. Casting a glance at Cassie, who remained oblivious to the passing threat, Sunny remarked:

"They're gone."

The girl who couldn't see breathed a sigh of relief and let her muscles ease, a smile replacing the furrow on her forehead.

"Thank Heavens. Sitting here and waiting was five times worse than hiding from one of them at those cliffs."

They both seemed to react instinctively, a slight flinch evident on their faces. Their eyes met, silently questioning each other's reaction.

Sunny tore his gaze away from Cassie's eyes and addressed her once more.

"What… what did you say?"

"I said that waiting for them to land was very tiresome."

She blinked, puzzled by her own unusual reaction to such a simple statement. And Sunny, too, seemed to share the same perplexity. Perhaps there was a dream involving Cassie and the number five that both of them had experienced. It wasn't something worth dwelling on, really.

"Oh, yeah. You're right."

Then he turned to Nephis and asked:

"What do you want to do now?"

Changing Star gazed towards the western horizon, where the tiny black specks had vanished from view. After a moment of contemplation, she spoke:

"Let's check the western edge of the island and decide on the next high point to reach."

Sunny shrugged, indicating no objections, and Rin mirrored their sentiment with a nonchalant nod.

Cassie responded with a warm smile.

"Good idea! Who knows, maybe we'll finally see the walls of the castle!"

***

As they ventured across the island, they approached its western slope, where the terrain rose before sharply descending, creating a natural barrier that obscured the view beyond.

Nephis led the way, scaling the slope and reaching its peak first. Sunny and Rin followed closely behind, but Rin couldn't shake a growing sense of unease. There was something off about Changing Star's demeanor—stiff and rigid, like she had transformed into a statue.

Stepping onto the ash-covered surface of the slope, Rin glanced worriedly at Nephis, noticing a rare expression of grim resentment etched on her features. It was a side of Nephis she hadn't witnessed before.

Turning her gaze westward, Rin squinted, her expression darkening. A surge of frustration washed over her, causing her to clench her fists and grit her teeth. In her mind, she could only hear Sunny's voice repeating a single word incessantly.

*Damn! Damn! Damn!*

She agreed with him

As Rin ventured beyond the familiar confines of the Ashen Barrow, the scenery along the Forgotten Shore diverged drastically from her expectations, dashing the hopes she held dear.

Here, the terrain took on a much more dramatic incline compared to what she had anticipated. Instead of the flat expanse she had imagined, the land sloped sharply downward, extending into the distance with a gradual yet pronounced descent.

Stretching out before her, the island seemed perched on the brink of an immense depression, resembling a colossal crater etched into the earth by some unfathomable force. Its curved edges stretched beyond sight, leaving Rin to marvel at the sheer scale of the abyss.

The crater's expanse spanned hundreds of kilometers, dwarfing even the colossal tree roots jutting from the earth below, which appeared minuscule against the chasm's towering walls.

The world seemed askew, leaving Rin feeling disoriented as she took in the awe-inspiring sight before her.

In essence, there were no towering landmarks to guide their path westward; the only way forward lay in descent, with no refuge from the relentless onslaught of the darkened sea below.

Their journey had reached an impasse, leaving Rin with a sinking realization that their quest for passage to the real world had reached a dead end.

As she gazed upon the desolate vista, a sense of despair and disbelief washed over her, grappling with the harsh truth that their efforts had been in vain. The evidence lay before her, stark and undeniable.

*Damn it! Damn it all!*

*SUNNY CALM DOWN!*

*IM NOT CALMING DOWN RIN WE ARE F#CKED WE ARE NEVER MAKING IT ACROSS THAT IN TIME*

She noticed a mix of anger and sadness etched on his face, his breaths coming in unevenly. Without a second thought, she reached out, grasped his hand, and gently squeezed it, hoping to offer some comfort amidst the turmoil.

*Hey, take deep breaths …in…and..out… We can't think clearly when we're emotional, but we'll figure this out. We always do. Repeat after me: I am fine. *

*What? No i'm not five Rin*

As their eyes met, a flood of memories threatened to resurface, yet they remained suppressed, buried beneath the surface of their consciousness.

*Say it*

She regarded him with the same level of persistence you'd expect from a dedicated maths teacher, her gaze unwavering and determined.

*NO*

*...*

He averted his eyes from hers, struggling to maintain eye contact. His gaze kept wavering, unable to meet hers for long.

*ALRIGHT FINE…FINE, IM COMPLETELY FINE. YOU HAPPY*

*Very happy… Now let's think about this calmly, we can't go around it*

*true it will take to long*

*We would never be able to climb down and up in time the sea would drown us*

They stole a glance at Nephis, who appeared even more downcast than they felt. Her expression was like a frozen mask, with a deep, bitter resentment shining in her eyes. Sunny tried to speak, but found himself at a loss for words.

In the end, they all lapsed into silence, broken only by the distant rumble heralding the return of the dark sea.

In the depths of the immense crater, torrents of darkness surged from the distant horizon, racing to fill the void. Rin stood transfixed, watching as the water level ascended swiftly, transforming the abyss into a sprawling sea of ebony.

Soon, it spilled over, unleashing an unstoppable deluge into the barren landscape. The flood surged past the Ashen Barrow, crashing against the coral of the crimson labyrinth.

Before them stretched a vast expanse of turbulent black water, engulfing everything in its path. Sunny turned to his companions, With a momentary hesitation, he spoke, his voice hoarse and strained:

"I think we found the source of the dark sea."

Nephis stayed behind, soaking in the fading sunlight as it painted the sky with its final strokes of warmth. As the last glimmers slipped away, she cast a solemn gaze toward Sunny and Rin, her features etched with a sense of cold indifference.

"...Let's head back."

As Rin contemplated trailing behind Nephis, her attention was drawn to Sunny, who remained fixated on the enigmatic expanse of the darkened sea.

*Hey you coming*

He let out a sigh, then shifted his attention toward her without making a move just yet.

*Yeah…hey um Rin?*

*Yes Sunny?*

He appeared to be grappling with the challenge of selecting the perfect words, as if the precise expression eluded him in that moment.

*Thanks…. for um..you know?... calming me down*

***

The discovery hit all four of them like a tidal wave, leaving them adrift in a sea of confusion and heartbreak. Cassie, in particular, wore the shock on her face, her emotions laid bare for all to see.

"It doesn't make sense, it just doesn't,"

she mumbled on their way to camp.

"How could it be?"

Placing her hand firmly on Sunny's shoulder, she picked up her pace and inquired:

"Are you sure that there's nothing higher than the sea level out there? Are you absolutely sure?"

He sighed and spoke

"Yes. We looked quite thoroughly. The whole land just goes down, down, and down. It stretches to the horizon, as far as we could see, in all directions except for the east. The Ashen Barrow is right on the edge."

The blind girl shook her head:

"But how could it be? I've seen that we had reached the castle! There must be a way!"

*What should I tell her?*

*I have no idea*

She stayed quiet, unsure of how to respond. If there was a solution, it eluded her completely.

After a few seconds, Nephis answered instead of them:

"We will try to come up with something tomorrow. Worst… worst-case scenario, we'll have to go around the whole thing."

Rin shuddered at the mere idea. Embarking on such a journey would mean spending months on end navigating this unforgiving terrain. To traverse the colossal crater, they'd need to trek distances far beyond what they'd managed in previous weeks, with each passing day fraught with the possibility of encountering dangers they couldn't handle.

And as darkness fell, the fear of the unknown lurking in the shadows only intensified. The odds of making it through several months in this desolate landscape were slim to none.

She heard sunny in her mind again

*Ha, ha. Abyssal…*

*Um…Sunny? You're not going crazy on me yet right?*

*Not yet. no*

She couldn't help but grimace as she attempted to push away thoughts of the worst-case scenario. The encroaching darkness of the night wasn't exactly the most conducive setting for entertaining such unsettling ideas.

*Tomorrow. We'll rest, recharge, and think of something tomorrow. It is just like Cassie said… since she saw us entering the castle, there must be a way.*

Arriving at their makeshift camp as the sun dipped below the horizon, Rin wearily laid down on a bed crafted from fallen leaves and let her eyes drift shut.

*Goodnight Sunny*

Rin glanced over to find Sunny reclining beside her, and he shifted his gaze toward her before speaking up.

*Night Rin*

***

As the morning dawned, a heavy blanket of silence draped over the four of them, casting a somber atmosphere. Words hung heavy in the air, each of them lost in their own thoughts, their gazes drifting aimlessly between the ground and the swaying branches of the towering tree.

Adding to the weight of yesterday's startling discovery was the gnawing ache of hunger that gnawed at their stomachs. Even the once repulsive sight of the Carapace Demon's lifeless form now held a certain appeal, especially to Rin.

*That meats looking mighty tasty*

*Rin come on, cassie made us swear*

*Fine*

Breaking the oppressive quietude, Nephis rose to her feet, her expression etched with determination as she gazed upwards. With a solemn tone, she finally spoke:

"I'm going to climb to the top of the tree and take a look around. Maybe I'll notice something that we missed from up high."

Rin gazed up at the colossal tree, a sudden wave of insignificance washing over them. Its sheer size was awe-inspiring. Even the towering Ashen Barrow, which already surpassed the stature of the giant knight's statue and every other structure they had encountered, seemed diminutive in comparison to the mammoth tree.

The thought of scaling it seemed daunting; it would require considerable time and exertion. Yet, perhaps from such a lofty vantage point, Nephis could discern something significant.

Sunny, rubbing the back of his head, chimed in:

"Alright. But be careful. Keep an eye on the sky. If you notice those winged abominations again, come back down."

As Changing Star nodded in acknowledgment, she made her way toward the tree. Before she disappeared from view, she spoke in a calm and collected tone, bidding farewell without even glancing back.

"Take care of Cassie while I'm gone. It shouldn't be more than a few hours."

*What to do? What to do? What to do?*

Typically, they'd already be knee-deep in their morning training routine by now. However, today was different; she couldn't ignore the rumbling in her stomach any longer.

Sunny looked at her:

*Training?*

She shook her head

*No i'm too Hungry*

*Nope… Not an excuse*

Stretching out, she playfully complained to Sunny, attempting to charm him with her irresistible puppy eyes

*Sunny please*

*Hunger is not an excuse. Do you think you'll always have a full stomach before a battle? No! So get up and train*

With a sigh, Rin got up.

For a whole hour, they practiced together. Sunny seemed to revel in the smooth, dependable sensation of wielding his fresh sword. The sleek tachi felt like an extension of his arm—light, agile, and fierce. Its every slice through the air was accompanied by a melodious hum. His graceful, precise motions were a sight to behold.

Meanwhile, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy creeping in.

Once the training wrapped up, they brainstormed ways to make the most of their time. Strolling towards the fallen Carapace Demon, they meticulously extracted its soul shard, a task that required both patience and skill. Eventually, after a bit of struggle, they managed to secure all three crystals and carefully packed them into a seaweed rucksack.

Having finished the task at hand, they took a moment to contemplate their next steps.

After some reflection, Sunny was struck with inspiration. Recalling the location from their memories where the Carapace Demon had released the transcendent soul shard into the sand, they eagerly set out to find it. This shard, retrieved by the loyal centurion and brought to the Ashen Barrow, promised to be a valuable find for their group.

Their search led them to the right spot, but despite their efforts, the alluring crystal remained elusive. Hours slipped away as they combed the area, their determination unwavering despite the passage of time.

*Stange. It was quite large. Where could it be?*

*I know right I've been digging pits like its the movie holes*

They were resolute in their determination to press on with the search. However, just then, the silhouette that Sunny had left behind with Cassie caught sight of stirring amidst the branches of the towering tree.

It was Nephis, returning.

As the pair strolled back to camp, their minds buzzed with thoughts sparked by Nephis's discoveries. Could this mean a glimmer of hope amid their trials, or would it just unveil more grim tidings?

Upon their arrival, they found Neph and Cassie lounging comfortably on the ground, their faces serene and at ease.

*She saw something?*

*She looks way to happy*

*That's good right?*

But in the next second, their eyes widened.

The two girls stood there, each holding something in their hands, their lips adorned with a vibrant shade of red. Engaged in a delightful activity, they savored the succulent fruits bestowed upon them by the majestic tree.

*Oh shit*