Light, Shadow and Darkness

His head turned around. 

----------

Shadows and light.

Their battle had come to a close. It seemed as though Sunny had grasped victory by the skin of his teeth. However, his intuition was too strong to allow him to be manipulated like that.

Confronting Nephis regarding her reasoning for throwing the battle, she revealed her motivations. Her desires to not compromise on her goals while also not willing to become something that she would not recognise.

It made no sense to Sunny. Why could they not stay in the dream realm together? Try to find another gateway and return home together.

It was surprising. That Sunny would offer a choice like this and not just leave her. 

The usually conniving and shrewd Sunny let his true feelings take control this time. Showcasing just how deep his feelings for the girl truly were. Even if he or she did not recognise it. 

His feelings of not wanting to be separated from Nephis changed the moment she uttered his name. 

His true name.

"Lost From Light."

With that, what could have been or what might have been was completely shattered. To never be repaired again.

To never be equals again. 

With that, she had ordered the shadow, her shadow, to return to the waking world and leave her. 

Approaching the gateway like a marionette. His body exploded in a shower of light.

With that, he was gone. 

Lifting up her broken body, she now focused the entirety of her aspect on healing herself. With the lack of needing to trick Sunny, she could now repair herself. Albeit extremely slowly, with her diminished reserves. 

Making her way down the spire, she avoided most of the destroyed rubble threatening to crush her. Having reached the ground floor of the obelisk. It was time to find the answer to her lingering thought. 

When the dreamer army had left Aldric to battle a creature of an unknown rank and class by himself, they had been immediately attacked by the soul beams of the Crimson Terror. 

With Nephis splitting from the group, taking away its attention, she had battled the fallen as it was in the midst of evolving into a titan. 

Between that and her final duel with Sunny, the condition of Aldric had slipped her mind. 

It was unknown whether he had left for the waking world or perished in battle.

With a subconscious hope that she was not the only human in this corner of the dream realm, she walked across the hall for any sign of life. 

Nephis noticed where a battle must have taken place. With massive craters embedded into the ground, as if there were scars littering the earth. She could not imagine how this battle concluded.

After observing the area, there was not a single sign of life. While she knew that he would not perish here, she was unsure if Aldric was in the condition to escape. 

What she would do if she found his unconscious or injured body, she did not know. 

However, that was a possibility that did not need to be considered. As the ground floor was devoid of any sign of life. 

With that, the small ember of hope fizzled out of her heart. 

Cementing her resolve, a pale fire burned in her eyes.

Leaving through the main gate, the battered and broken body of Changing Star faded into the now starless Forgotten Shore. 

----------

Earlier

'Should I interfere?'

Aldric thought. 

His face screwed into a look of deep thought before he relaxed.

He relaxed and began to laugh. 

From a snort to a chuckle.

"HAHA"

It seemed that he would not stop. With his chuckle turning into full-blown laughter, he clutched his stomach.

"HAHAHAHAHA"

It was as if someone had told him the funniest joke ever. The kind of hysterical laughter that would come from an inside joke. However, this one seemed to be hidden from the world itself.

It was not evil or coming from a place of hatred. 

It was similar to when you laugh at a stranger falling on the ground. Laughing without thinking about how they feel or their pain. All as a detached observer.

That's what he felt like.

The sound of laughter echoed through the entire hall, reverberating against its walls.

But Aldirc didn't care.

Wiping the small tears around his eyes, he calmed himself.

Since the gateway was situated on a balcony by a wall, small sections of the wall had collapsed since the defeat of the Crimson Terror. Allowing a view of the entire Forgotten Shore facing in the direction of the Dark City. The ever-encompassing sea of darkness had been completely sealed, brightening the landscape with the iridescent rays of the artificial sun.

Taking in the view one last time, he entered the rings of runes surrounding the dais.

Touching the gateway with his left hand. A feeling of coldness spread through his body.

His body shimmered into a formation of light before disappearing.

All without ever turning back.

Leaving nothing but an empty and cold room behind.

[End Of Volume 1: Beyond]

**********

Thank you for reading. 

That is the first volume done. Might as well pay homage to G3 and follow his volume sequence at least this time.

So how was it? Did what you think or what you hope to have happened, happened? Let me know. 

Was looking forward to writing this chapter for a while now, feels good to resolve an arc. 

Game_pit_offline: Appreciate the comment: I'm trying to expand on the lore and give it my own spin rather than take it as gospel.

The next volume will be up in regular timing. No break. Onto the next one.