Prologue

In a place so distant that even time itself seemed unable to reach, in the vastness of the void, there was an ethereal and radiant being, whose nature could not be defined. An existence that seemed like a God.

The undefined being looked at the threads of fate surrounding it and, with a voice that distorted the very space around it, cried out in a loud

"Awaken, Lost From Light!"

Its voice tore through the space around it.

…

"Aah!" Sunny woke up startled, struggling to breathe.

Cassie, hearing him scream, asked anxiously, "Sunny, what happened?"

Nephis, upon hearing Sunny's voice, also came to see what was happening. "What happened to him?" she asked.

Cassie replied hesitantly, "I don't know."

Taking a deep breath, Sunny said, "It was nothing, sorry to worry you."

Cassie retorted, "Nothing? Sunny, you woke up screaming and struggling to breathe. How can you say nothing happened?"

Sighing and running a hand through his sweat-soaked hair, Sunny explained, "I had a nightmare, I think."

Nephis looked at him, puzzled. "A nightmare in the realm of dreams? That's impossible."

Cassie shook her head. "Maybe it's not a nightmare. It could be a vision, like the ones I have. Sunny, what did you see?"

Sunny looked at his hands, confused. "I don't remember exactly, but it seemed to be me, only older. I had long hair that reached my back. But I was lying on the ground, covered in blood, and everything around me looked corrupted, filled with darkness. The place seemed to have been the scene of a battle between gods, with unprecedented destruction."

He looked at them nervously. "Then, I heard a voice calling my name. It was calling my name, and everything seemed to perish before the vastness of its voice, as if the very heavens were calling my name. My mind couldn't handle it, and I felt consumed by madness, until it seemed like my mind was destroyed."

Cassie looked at him, surprised. "THIS sounds like my visions, just like the one I had yesterday."

Sunny looked at her, confused, and replied, "I know, but I don't have any attributes that would give me visions or revelations. My power has to do with shadows, remember?" He pointed to his shadow, which was staring back at him with crossed arms.

Nephis looked at him thoughtfully before saying, "True, but no one really knows everything about the nightmare spell and how it might affect people. It's almost alive, and if it wants to give visions to people, who knows if it can't."

Sunny grimaced at her words because she was right: no one knew everything about the spell. "So, it doesn't mean that this dream might be real," he said, growing a little pale at the possibility.

Nephis nodded in agreement. "Yes."

Sunny grimaced at her words and muttered sarcastically, "You're as empathetic as always, thanks for the consideration."

She looked confused by his words and, turning to Cassie, asked, "Did I do something wrong?"

Cassie, a bit nervous, replied, "Well, in his vision, he's literally dead; you could have responded a bit less rudely."

"Oh."

Sunny waved his hand. "Forget it, it's better if we focus on getting to the tower soon."

Nephis looked at him and said, "Sorry for being rude."

Sunny turned to look at Nephis. "It's okay, it doesn't matter much."

After all, he was used to this since he was a child; he didn't know if he would live or die. Although the vision showed him bleeding, it was unclear if he was really dead, and if he was, he would just need to change that.

Suddenly, they heard a noise like something breaking.

Nephis drew her sword and moved closer to Cassie. Sunny also approached Cassie with his weapon in hand; both were tense, expecting a confrontation.

Nephis, beside him, asked, "Did your shadow spot anything?"

Sunny shook his head and replied, "No, I don't see anything unusual."

Cassie suddenly began to pale and tremble. Sunny looked at her with concern and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Cassie, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

Nephis also looked worried but didn't leave her defensive stance; she left that to Sunny.

Cassie, trembling, started murmuring nonsensical things: "He's here, we're dead, we're all going to die, it's begun, the end has come."

Ending her words, Sunny and Nephis looked at her in confusion due to her words, but before they could say anything, they heard the sound of something breaking again, this time louder and closer; it was the space around them shattering. A huge crack appeared in front of them.

Sunny, seeing this, picked up Cassie in his arms and called his shadow to wrap around his body. Turning, he began to run away from the crack.

Nephis, seeing Sunny picking up Cassie, also started running.

"We need to get away from this as quickly as possible."

Sunny nodded. "But where do we go?"

Nephis turned her head to look at the crack; it was getting bigger, and a part had already broken off, affecting the place they were in. It was breaking apart, and small things were flying into the darkness of the crack.

"Anywhere away from this."

Sunny turned to look at the hole forming as the crack shattered completely, revealing the enormous darkness that awaited them.

"Damn."

Sunny was violently pulled backward as he tried to cling to something. Unfortunately, he couldn't do that as he had Cassie in his arms. "I'm going to die here."

"Sunny!"

Nephis drove her sword into the ground and took out the golden rope, throwing it to Sunny, who tied it around himself, holding Cassie close to protect her.

Unfortunately for them, the cliff they were on began to crack before collapsing, throwing them towards the maze below. The stones hit their bodies, injuring them, as they fell uncontrollably. Before they could reach the ground, the void of the crack pulled them into the darkness, swallowing them completely.

…

Unconscious after being swallowed by the crack, Sunny, Cassie, and Nephis awoke in a vast, illuminated hall. The light was soft, emanating from small crystals embedded in the ceiling, casting a faint glow over a small crowd of people around them.

Sunny blinked several times, trying to get his bearings. Pain throbbed through his body where the stones had injured him. He looked around and saw Cassie and Nephis also beginning to regain consciousness, looking just as dazed as he was.

Sunny stood up from the floor, still confused about where they were, as he observed the other people in the room. Then he spotted a familiar face. It was a woman with short, raven-black hair and icy blue eyes. Her skin, flawless and as white as snow, had a softness and flexibility that seemed unreal.

"Master Jet."

Hearing someone call her name, Master Jet turned and saw Sunny already awake. With a smile, she greeted him: "Hey, Sunny. What a coincidence that you fell here too."

Sunny looked around, still trying to grasp the situation, before asking, "Did everyone here get swallowed by a crack in the space?"

Master Jet nodded: "Yes. And from what we've discussed, it seems the stronger the person, the bigger the crack in space, making it impossible to escape it. Even Saints have been captured."

Sunny blinked, surprised by the revelation: "You're joking? Even a Saint? Then it was truly impossible to escape this."

Master Jet confirmed with a nod: "Yes. Though no one knows why, it seems you were the last ones to be brought here."

Before Sunny could respond, he heard his name being called.

"Sunny."

Sunny turned upon hearing Cassie call his name. Approaching her, he asked with concern:

"Hey, Cassie, are you okay?"

"A little sore... Where are we?"

"We're in a hall. There are some people here with us, and from what I've heard, they were all sucked into a crack in space too."

"Oh..."

Cassie tried to stand up but was still weak from the injuries. She stumbled and nearly fell again, but Sunny reached out, holding her firmly and helping her stand, gently supporting her by his side.

"You're hurt; you shouldn't push yourself if you're feeling too bad."

"Thank you, Sunny."

Cassie thanked him, though she felt useless. If she hadn't been dead weight, maybe Sunny and Nephis could have escaped.

Nephis approached Cassie, placing her hand on her shoulder. Cassie gave a small start at the touch, lost in depressive thoughts, not hearing Nephis's footsteps as she approached.

"Cassie, I know what you're thinking, but this wasn't your fault."

"If I hadn't been there, I wouldn't have gotten in the way."

"But without you, we wouldn't have survived this long. You saved us many times. Besides, even Saints were sucked in, so it would have been impossible to escape."

Cassie nodded, remembering that Sunny had said something similar: "Thank you, Nephis."

While Cassie reflected on Nephis's words, Sunny stepped away, returning to Master Jet's side, seeking more information about the situation. However, before he could ask anything, a man caught everyone's attention in the room. He was tall and slender, appearing to be almost fifty years old. Though his skin showed signs of age, his hair remained perfectly black, like raven feathers. His features were sharp, and he exuded an aura of authority that made it impossible to ignore him.

"As we were told, the cracks would disappear when the last ones arrived. And now that they're gone, it means no one else will appear. I think we should introduce ourselves, even though most of us have heard of each other or even know one another. Still, it's good to introduce ourselves so we can better understand why we were chosen to be here."

Seeing that everyone seemed to agree, the man continued:

"I'll go first. I am the Transcendent Cor, also known as Wake of Ruin."

After Saint Cor, Master Jet stepped forward to introduce herself: "I am the Ascended Jet, also known as Soul Reaper."

Next, another man advanced. He was tall, strong, and stern, with a chiseled face and piercing blue-gray eyes. His black hair showed silver touches at the temples. He wore an elegant outfit that, somehow, looked like impenetrable armor, even though it was made only of black fabric, with a red cape.

"I am the Transcendent Madoc of Valor, also known as Whispering Blade."

After him, a young woman stepped forward: "I am the Ascended Morgan of Valor."

Morgan was an imposing figure, with dark, wavy hair and alabaster skin. She wore intricate, matte black armor and a red cape, the same color as her clan's banner. Her appearance was sharp and austere. Her eyes, as cold as the sharpest blades, had a strange and vibrant color — a bright red that matched her full lips and cape. With her alabaster skin and jet-black hair, she was both beautiful and terrifying, like a lethal blade.

After her, another woman stepped forward: "I am the Sleeper Seishan."

Seishan was an impressive and exquisitely beautiful woman. She wore a simple, yet majestic, velvet dress in the color of dark wine. An intricate silver necklace rested on her chest, accentuating her slender figure, and two bracelets adorned her wrists. Her most striking feature, however, was not her grace or beauty, but her skin — gray like storm clouds, smooth as silk, and devoid of any imperfections. Her teeth were perfectly uniform, pearly, and immaculately white.

"You may call me Beastmaster. I am a Transcendent."

Beastmaster had long hair that cascaded like a waterfall of black silk, wearing a simple crimson dress that nonetheless appeared majestic and mesmerizing on her slender figure. Her face bore a slightly indifferent, yet captivating expression. She was almost irresistibly attractive, breathtaking, and tempting. Tall, with fair skin and sensuous lips, her cold beauty was made even more striking by her dark and powerful eyes, full of willpower.

"I am Effie, a Sleeper."

Effie was a tall and attractive young woman. Her brown eyes and beautiful hair, tied in a simple braid, matched her athletic build, with lean and perfectly defined muscles moving under her olive skin with every movement.

Finally, a handsome young man stepped forward: "Pleased to meet you all, I am Kai."

Kai was a young man wearing light lamellar armor, with dark brown hair and mesmerizing green eyes. His well-fitted armor was made of polished brown leather, with deep blue embroidered robes underneath. Tall, slender, and incredibly handsome, his face was perfectly chiseled, with high cheekbones and flawless ivory skin. His green eyes were electric, and his lips, soft and full.

Sunny watched Kai with an increasing urge to punch him, wondering how anyone could be so good-looking.

Nephis, meanwhile, stared intently at Kai, her face pale and eyes wide. Sunny was completely shocked — it was the first time he had seen Nephis make such an expression. He wondered what kind of abomination Kai was to provoke such an intense reaction in her.

"Uh... Neph?"

She flinched and averted her gaze from Kai. Sunny had never seen Nephis show fear before, let alone be truly horrified.

Instantly, all the muscles in his body tensed, and a chill ran down his spine.

'It can't be, it can't be!' He thought, feeling panic beginning to rise. Nephis was someone who faced demons and abominations without flinching. What could scare her so much?

Could Kai be someone even more powerful than the Saints, to the point that she feared him so much? How could that be?!

Panicking, he turned back to face the charming young man, who now looked at them with a cute expression of confusion.

No, it didn't make sense.

Then, what was wrong with Nephis?

Keeping his shadow's gaze on Kai, Sunny slowly turned back to the Changing Star. She was still standing there, seemingly paralyzed by fear.

What was going on?

"Uh... Neph?" He repeated.

She shuddered again and looked away from Kai. After a few seconds, Changing Star cautiously leaned in and whispered:

"What is Night doing here?"

Sunny frowned. "Night? Who?"

Nephis looked at him with an expression that mixed incredulity and nervousness. She opened her mouth to respond but closed it again, hesitant.

Finally, she forced herself to speak:

"You... you don't know who he is?"

Meanwhile, Kai, who had been politely silent throughout this strange conversation, smiled dazzlingly at them.

Sunny shot him a dark look.

"How would I know who he is? Make sense, please."

Neph was silent for a moment, then whispered loudly:

"It's Night, you idiot! Night from Nightingale! The Night!"

What was she talking about?! He had no idea what that meant!

Sunny rubbed his face in frustration.

"What are you talking about? What's a Nightingale?"

Nephis looked at Kai, paled even more, and finally said in a low voice:

"It's... just the best and most famous idol group of the last decade. Triple Orpheus winners, a hundred weeks straight at the top of all the charts, six diamond albums. That... that Nightingale. That Night. The lead vocalist…"

Sunny just stared.

'Wait. You're telling me…'

She was out of sorts because Kai used to be a member of some boy band in the past?

Changing Star wasn't horrified; she was... starstruck?

He remained silent for a while, and then burst out laughing.

'God... oh god! Nephis is a fan! This is hilarious…'

Come to think of it, when they first met, she was always wearing headphones. He should have realized Neph was a music fan long ago. The powerful and stoic Changing Star, taken down by a delicate idol…

This was just hilarious!

He wasn't even jealous. What were the chances of running into her favorite idol in the damn Dark City? Nobody could make this up!

As he was dying of laughter, both Changing Star and Kai looked at him with hard-to-read expressions. However, Sunny simply couldn't stop. His laughter only subsided when he started gasping for air.

"Sorry, sorry. I just... didn't expect this. From you. Ha! Oh, gods. As for your question, I think you should ask him."

Kai looked at her with a smile and replied, "Well, I became a Sleeper too. It's just that, when I was sent to the Dream Realm, I simply had bad luck and ended up there for two and a half years."

Nephis seemed thoughtful for a few moments, then looked at Kai with wide eyes.

"Two and a half years? But... I thought Nightingale was just on hiatus because of Gale's solo project…"

'Oh, there's a Gale too. I can't even…' Sunny thought, holding back laughter.

Kai smiled, somewhat apologetically.

"I'm afraid not. In fact, I spent all that time in the Dark City. My agency had to come up with some story to cover it up, I guess. With things the way they are, they can't even release a posthumous album, poor them. You know, since technically I'm not dead, not even Hollow. Just... asleep."

Neph nodded shyly.

"Ah, I see."

She stepped forward and introduced herself to the rest of them: "I am Nephis of the Immortal Flame, or Changing Star, a Sleeper."

All eyes were on her. Even the great clans were interested in Changing Star.

After Nephis, Cassie spoke: "Uh... I'm Cassie, a Sleeper."

Sunny sighed before introducing himself:

"I am Sunny, a Sleeper."

When everyone finished introducing themselves, the voice of the Nightmare Spell echoed in their ears, reverberating unmistakably:

[Aspirants! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell. Prepare to react to the future that is destined for you… sit down…]

Sunny was surprised to hear the Spell mention the future: "This has to be a joke... the future, seriously?"

Transcendent Cor looked at the huge screen in front of them before saying:

"So that was our purpose in being summoned to this place."

Transcendent Madoc replied:

"It is well known that the Spell is somehow connected to fate, but no one yet understands its motives. Being summoned to this place might help us better understand what is happening in the world."

Cassie, standing in her spot, listened attentively as they talked. Suddenly, the Spell whispered in her mind:

[Defect temporarily disabled.]

She blinked in surprise, raising her hands to her eyes. When she rubbed them and opened them again, she realized, with overwhelming shock, that she could see once more.

Cassie looked at Sunny and Nephis, her voice overflowing with happiness:

"Sunny, Nephis... I can see again!"

Sunny looked at her in disbelief. "What? Are you serious?"

Cassie nodded, smiling broadly.

"Yes, the Spell said it's temporary, just so I can see what's going to be shown."

Nephis gave a small smile and said gently:

"That's wonderful, Cassie, even if it's just for a while."

Sunny slightly nodded, but his thoughts were going in a different direction. This is only going to hurt her more… giving her something that was taken away, only for her to lose it again in the future... this is cruel.

[Prepare to face your true fate. Those who fail will be forgotten in the darkness of time.]