Chapter 2

"No one is more of a slave than the one who believes they are free without truly being so."

Johann Goethe

The man in the mirror bore a resemblance to Morgan; he was a slender young man, dressed in dark armor, with fair skin and hair as black as raven feathers. His face was sharp and thin, not exactly handsome, but charming and attractive. His eyes, seemingly lacking a color of their own, reflected the world like two pools of liquid silver.

"Interesting, very interesting," whispered Mordret Of Valor.

The Transcendent Cor looked around the room before asking, "Does anyone have anything to add or would like to discuss about this first part?"

Everyone shook their heads, signaling no.

The Transcendent Madoc then fixed his gaze on Sunny, analyzing him for a moment before asking:

"Do you think there's any reason we're being shown things about you? After all, the Spell wouldn't show someone without a reason."

Sunny frowned, pondering how to respond.

"I don't know... I'm not someone special compared to you all. If the Spell had to show someone, I thought it would be Nephis."

He really didn't understand why the Spell was focusing on him. Although he possessed a divine aspect, so did Nephis, which meant that couldn't be the reason.

Nephis looked at Sunny for a moment, surprised by his words, before turning her attention elsewhere.

Sunny let out a small sigh, muttering quietly to himself:

"I hope she's not angry."

The Transcendent Cor nodded, noticing there was nothing more to discuss. With that, everyone turned their attention back to the screen, which began to light up again, ready to reveal the next chapter of their fate.

Sunny dreamt of a mountain.

Jagged and lonesome, it dwarfed other peaks of the mountain chain, cutting the night sky with its sharp edges. A radiant moon bathed its slopes in the ghostly, pale light.

On one of the slopes, the remnants of an old road stubbornly clung to the rocks. Here and there, weathered paved stones could be seen through the snow. To the right side of the road, a sheer cliff face rose as an impregnable wall. To the left, a silent black sea of nothingness indicated an endless fall. Strong winds crashed into the mountain over and over again, screaming in powerless rage.

Suddenly, the moon fell over the horizon. The sun rose from the west, streaked across the sky and disappeared in the east. Snowflakes jumped from the ground and returned into the embrace of clouds. Sunny realized that he was seeing the flow of time in reverse.

In an instant, hundreds of years flew by. The snow retreated, baring the old road. Cold shivers ran down Sunny's back as he noticed human bones littering the ground. A moment later, the bones were gone, and in their place, a slave caravan appeared, moving backwards down the mountain in the clamor of chains.

Time slowed, stopped, and then resumed its usual pace.

"Ah..."

Sunny sighed again, a bit irritated. A small part of him had hoped the focus would shift to someone else, but fate, it seemed, was cruel.

Nephis watched closely, interested in what would be revealed about Sunny's first nightmare.

Cassie turned to him and asked, "Was this the place of your first nightmare? It looks awful."

Sunny shuddered at the memory of the terrible cold.

"Yes, it was terrible."

Kai observed the time reversing on the screen and commented, "When I saw the time reversing like that, I was amazed."

Effie nodded in agreement. "Yes, it's really impressive. Even seeing it again, I'm still a little surprised."

[Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell. Prepare for your First Trial…]

'What… what the hell is this?'

Step. Step. Another step.

A dull ache was radiating through Sunny's bleeding feet as he was shivering from cold. His threadbare tunic was nearly useless against the biting wind. His wrists were the main source of agony: badly hurt by the iron shackles, they sent a sharp pang of pain every time the freezing metal touched his broken skin.

Effie blinked in surprise before letting out a curse.

"Fuck, what a shitty situation you ended up in."

Kai was also surprised by Sunny's condition. Although his own nightmare hadn't been the worst, it was still horrible for him. But compared to Sunny's, his seemed easy.

Nephis turned to Sunny, concern evident in her voice.

"Did you become a slave?"

Sunny nodded, his face expressionless.

"Yes."

Cassie, worried, looked at Sunny. Even though she knew he was by her side now, seeing him in the spell was painful. Remembering her own vision, she felt even worse.

Morgan, who had heard about terrible nightmares, was impressed by what she saw. This was undoubtedly one of the worst. Sunny, chained and injured, suffering from the biting cold, was in one of the worst possible situations.

"Well, I must say I'm impressed and quite curious to know how you managed to conquer your first nightmare under those conditions. There might be something truly special about you."

Morgan smiled at Sunny, as if it were a privilege to have his attention. For anyone, the admiration of a beautiful woman from a noble clan would be a point of pride.

But Sunny was not just anyone. For him, it was a curse. Damn, I'm really screwed. Why does this only happen to me?

'What kind of a situation is this?!'

Sunny looked up and down, noticing a long chain winding up the road, with dozens and dozens of hollow-eyed people — slaves just like him — shackled to it at small intervals. Ahead of him, a man with broad shoulders and a bloodied back was walking with a measured gait. Behind him, a shifty-looking guy with quick, desperate eyes was quietly cursing under his breath in a language that Sunny did not know, but somehow still understood. From time to time, armed horsemen in ancient-style armor would pass by, giving the slaves menacing looks.

However you judged it, things were really bad.

"Absolutely" Effie exclaimed, impressed. 'The way Sunny had survived those conditions was almost unbelievable. Even she, with all her strength, wasn't sure if she could have endured something like that. Perhaps he had received a very good aspect or developed a skill that helped him, but she clearly remembered Sunny saying that he hadn't received any special abilities. Other than that, Effie couldn't imagine how he had escaped that situation.'

Sunny was more bewildered than panicked. True, these circumstances were not like what the First Nightmares were supposed to be. Usually, freshly chosen aspirants would find themselves in a scenario that presented them with a fair amount of agency: they would become members of privileged or warrior casts, with plenty of access to necessary weapons to at least try to tackle any conflict.

Starting out as a powerless slave, shackled and already half-dead, was as far from being ideal as one could imagine.

Sunny muttered sarcastically, "Yeah, completely fair, they said." The anger from his first nightmare still burned within him, and hearing people claim that the Spell was fair only fueled his frustration.

Kai, visibly uncomfortable, tried to lighten the mood. "Well, it seemed fair to me, and with those conditions, you should have received a powerful aspect."

Sunny's irritation grew as he looked at Kai. It was almost impossible to resist the urge to punch that face. Grumbling, he replied, "That's why I said it wasn't fair. Did you forget I mentioned I didn't get any good abilities?"

Kai, realizing his mistake, looked a bit embarrassed. "Oh—sorry, I guess I was distracted, thinking about other things at the time."

Sunny looked at Kai, not hiding his frustration. "Distracted, huh? Well, I hope you're paying attention now."

Kai smiled, a bit awkwardly. "Of course, I'm paying attention now. And honestly, I think it's impressive that you got through it, even without amazing abilities."

Sunny merely snorted, trying to control his irritation. "Yeah, it was a real marvel," he muttered sarcastically, as his mind continued to replay the horrors of his first nightmare.

However, the Spell was as much about challenge as it was about balance. As the old policeman said, it created trials, not executions. So Sunny was pretty sure that, to counter this abysmal start, it would reward him with something good. A powerful Aspect, at least.

As Sunny watched his past self, a wave of melancholy hit him. He saw the expectation in the eyes of his younger self, the naive hope that something good might come from that terrible situation.

"Ah," he sighed, his thoughts sinking into harsh reality. "Hope is truly the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torment of man," he murmured to himself, almost in a whisper.

Those words carried the weight of his experiences, of all the times he had hoped for something better, only to be disappointed by the World. But despite everything, there was a part of him that never stopped fighting, even if hope was a burden.

Nephis and Cassie watched him in silence, feeling the depth of bitterness in his words. Kai, still a bit unsettled, tried to find something to say, but the words seemed inadequate at that moment.

The screen continued to show Sunny's first nightmare, relentless and indifferent to the weight it held for him. The projected images did not hesitate, revealing his deepest fears, the pains he had endured, and the secrets he guarded so closely. It was as if the Spell, in its almost divine coldness, treated all of it as mere events to be recorded, with no respect for the anguish he felt.

Sunny's gaze hardened as he watched. It felt as though he was being stripped bare before everyone there, every detail of his internal struggle being exposed. The fear that his secrets might be revealed, that his freedom could be compromised, crushed him like an incessant wave.

He could feel the others' eyes on him, but the screen remained impassive, displaying his pain and struggle as if they meant nothing. That feeling of powerlessness, of being observed and judged for something he preferred to keep hidden, was almost unbearable.

It was as if the Spell were a God, immune to human emotions, treating everything with absolute coldness, as if all of it were just another piece in a game Sunny never asked to play. He knew he couldn't change what was being shown, but that didn't make the experience any less agonizing.

'Let's see… how do I do this?'

Remembering popular webtoons he read as a child, Sunny concentrated and thought about words like "status", "myself" and "information". Indeed, as soon as he focused, shimmering runes appeared in the air in front of him. Once again, although he did not know this ancient alphabet, the meaning behind it was somehow clear.

He quickly found the rune describing his Aspect… and, finally, lost his composure.

'What?! What the actual fuck?!'

Seishan tilted her head, her curiosity piqued by Sunny's response. "Is it really that bad?" she asked, her voice soft but laden with interest.

Sunny shivered, bitter memories surfacing with force. "Yes," he replied in a somber tone, "you'll soon see just how awful it is."

Sunny's words caused everyone present to lean in a little further, their attention focused on what was to come. The curiosity was palpable in the air, mingled with a growing tension. It was hard to imagine what else could happen to make Sunny's situation worse, and that only heightened their fascination.

Name: Sunless.

True Name: —

Rank: Aspirant.

Soul Core: Dormant.

Memories: —

Echoes: —

Attributes: [Fated], [Mark of Divinity], [Child of Shadows].

"Mark of divinity? Is that bad luck?" Seishan asked, raising her elegant eyebrows at him.

Sunny looked at her before responding. "Not exactly. What's coming is more important. Besides, the mark of divinity is due to the fact that I was placed in the position of a slave in a temple."

Saint Madoc turned to him, curious. "Which temple were you a slave in during the nightmare?"

"Of the God of Shadows," Sunny replied.

Saint Madoc raised his eyebrows, surprised. "I see. Interesting. From what I know, the followers of the Temple of the God of War destroyed the temples of the God of Shadows."

Who would have thought this boy had any connection to the God of Shadows? Perhaps he inherited some aspect of that god. Madoc decided he would keep an eye on Sunny; if they managed to survive this situation, he could prove useful to his clan.

Nephis leaned in and whispered in Sunny's ear, "The Valor clan is descended from the God of War."

"Oh," Sunny understood the reason for Morgan and Saint Madoc's interest after mentioning he was a slave in the temple of the God of Shadows.

He watched Saint Madoc attentively, noticing the growing interest in the saint's eyes.

Aspect: [Temple Slave].

Aspect Description: [Slave is a useless wretch with no skills or abilities worth a mention. A temple slave is just the same, except much rarer.]

The words that appeared on the screen shocked everyone. Although Sunny had already said that his ability was terrible, there was still a small doubt in everyone's minds about whether he was telling the full truth. Now, it proved conclusively that his words were absolutely true; Sunny really did not have an ability that helped him at that moment.

The situation was horrific and desperate, but the irony of the words was almost amusing.

"How unexpected. I never thought I'd say this, but this is the worst aspect I've ever seen," Seishan commented, perplexed, as she ran her fingers through her hair and turned to Sunny. "I'd say you're very lucky to have survived with these skills, but in reality, you're the unluckiest person I've ever met."

Sunny could only agree with her words. Because of his destined attribute, he was placed in horrible situations.

Beastmaster raised an eyebrow and, with a melodious voice, said, "Even with this aspect, you managed to survive. That's quite interesting and proves your survival skills, as well as your intelligence. Only those who are strong, smart, and adaptable can survive in this world. Congratulations, kid."

Although Sunny didn't want to admit it, he felt a bit happy with the praise, being recognized by one of the great clans. Even if he would never admit it to anyone.

Saint Cor nodded at Beastmaster's words. "She's right, kid. This is indeed proof of your skills. Even without sufficient knowledge or abilities, you managed to overcome your first nightmare. Congratulations."

Sunny's eyes widened, a bit surprised and touched by the praise. Bowing his head, he thanked the saints, "Thank you very much for the compliment."

Master Jet was also surprised by the old man's praise for Sunny. Not that the kid didn't deserve it, but because the old man was known for rarely giving compliments. Being a legend who had protected the world since the first generation, few things could impress him, as he had seen a lot over the years.

Saint Madoc looked at Sunny, narrowing his eyes to evaluate him. He was a hard person to impress, but even he had to admit he was impressed by Sunny. Besides possibly having a lineage from the God of Shadows, the kid was smart and adaptable enough to survive with these abilities. If things worked out and it was confirmed that Sunny had the lineage of the God of Shadows, perhaps they could offer Morgan to marry him. That would be of great interest to him, and he would discuss Sunny with his brother as soon as he got home.

Sunny suddenly felt a chill run through his body and mentally exclaimed, 'Damn, I'm sure something's going to go wrong.' Even if Sunny wasn't having a panic attack, the persistent fear of becoming a slave enveloped him like darkness. He knew there was no way to escape or win this fight; his fate had already been decreed since they entered that room.

If Morgan had been a bit interested in Sunny before, she was now completely engrossed. She was determined to find a way to bring him to her side. Initially, she considered doing it just to annoy Nephis, as they seemed close. Bringing Sunny to her side would surely irritate the girl. However, now Morgan didn't care about that anymore; she knew Sunny would be an excellent addition to her servants. Besides, his slave aspect intrigued her. Morgan wondered if she could make him completely hers. Perhaps, later, he would reveal something she could exploit.

Kai looked at the words on the screen, frozen. He blinked, trying to calm down, but his mind still struggled to believe what he was seeing. All he could feel was pity for Sunny, for the brutal reality he had to face to survive. It wasn't just Sunny's physical condition that was terrible; his ability also didn't help him at all. Kai knew Sunny had spoken the truth about his aspect being useless, but he didn't expect something so cruel: chained, starving, freezing, completely weak, and with a useless ability. What a nightmare. The irony of his words did not go unnoticed by him, and his lips curled slightly into a melancholic smile as he turned to Sunny.

"I'm sorry for what you went through."

Sunny froze at Kai's words. When he turned to him, he saw Kai looking as handsome as always but with a sad and melancholic air. The kindness and sadness in Kai's eyes as he watched him left Sunny at a loss for words. He merely nodded, lost in thought. Sunny didn't like when others felt pity for him; he had fought hard in his life and despised others' compassion. But he couldn't express that to Kai, perhaps because of the kindness he saw in his eyes. So, he did what he always did when he didn't know how to handle a situation: he ignored it. He turned his attention back to the screen, wishing it would all end soon.

Nephis knew Sunny was skilled and that his aspects and abilities were good enough to help him survive on his own in the Dream Realm for a while. But this was different. Although she knew the Nightmare Spell was cruel, she also believed that, in a twisted way, it was fair. However, where was the fairness in this? She realized that, in this case, only Sunny's cunning and intelligence had helped him survive, without any support from abilities or advantages that others might have.

The similarities between them were indeed many, but at the same time, they were opposites in almost every aspect—both in appearance and in their abilities. They formed a perfect contrast. Romantic souls would say that they were soulmates, halves of a whole that completed each other.

Cassie didn't know what would happen next. Her visions seemed to have been erased from her mind, as if fate had been completely distorted by the spell, molded at its whim, regardless of the consequences of its actions. But who could stop it? Those who created the world and dictated the rules were the Gods, and they were dead. Now, the one who commanded and dictated the rules was the spell, which seemed omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient.

There was no one to save them, no choices they had. People loved power, but there was a price to be paid for that power. In a way, everyone there was a slave to the spell, controlled by it, with no choice at all. They were all subjected to the spell's tests, as it used to be in ancient times when slaves were thrown into the coliseums, challenged with no option. If they failed, the only fate was death. The spell was the leading cause of death in the world, and yet, their only choice was to submit to the challenges, monsters, and madness that the spell brought. How cruel. Truly, there is no freedom in this world.

Effie would normally mock these words describing this ability, but even she knew this was not the right moment. Although she didn't know Sunny well, seeing him go through such trials and being exposed in front of everyone was terrifying. The most frightening thing was being placed together, which indicated a possible connection between them. This meant she could also appear and be exposed in front of everyone. It was truly a terrible feeling, something she wouldn't wish on anyone, but unfortunately, this situation was happening right before her eyes.

Mordret briefly fixed his gaze on Sunny, with a smile that never left his face, before turning his attention back to the enormous screen showing Sunny's aspect. "What bad luck he has. I wonder if this aspect was modified or remains the same? And if there's a way to bind him to someone, like a slave, what would be the necessary condition? A true name?" he mused. For now, that question would have to wait to be answered. He decided to focus on his current situation in the room for now, pondering that, despite the restrictions, the situation was not comparable to the temple where he was trapped. Perhaps he could use the room to escape, he reflected, before lamenting his situation.

His gaze returned to Sunny as he thought about how they were somewhat alike, both affected by the spell. "What a funny situation. Well, aren't we all slaves, both to the spell and to our desires? If you act as you want, you're a slave to desire; if you let emotions control you, you're a slave to emotions. What a paradox! Is there truly free will in this world? I too am a slave to my emotions and desires, governed by this endless hatred and by this repugnant darkness in my mind. I'm trapped, chained with no choice. They cast me out, turned me into this, and refuse to accept it. Hahahaha!"

"I REALLY HATE THEM!"

Speechless, Sunny stared at the runes, trying to convince himself that he was maybe just seeing things. Surely, he couldn't be that unlucky… right?

'No useless Aspects my ass!'

As soon as this thought appeared in his mind, he lost the rhythm of his steps and stumbled, pulling the chain down with his weight. Immediately, the shifty guy behind him screamed:

"Whore's bastard! Watch where you're going!"

"Tsk." Sunny clicked his tongue, remembering those guys. His hatred for the spell grew with every moment, forced into a situation he never wished for. In reality, when given the chance to choose, he certainly would not have chosen this.

Although Sunny appeared composed on the outside, the truth was that he was simply ignoring everything happening around him. It was as if he was dissociating, being consciously present only to observe what was happening, while his thoughts remained frozen, as if he had forgotten how to think.

Sunny hurriedly dismissed the runes, which were only visible to him, and tried to recover his balance. A moment later, he was once again walking steadily — however, not before inadvertently pulling on the chain one more time.

Effie gave Sunny a pat on the back, jokingly saying, "You really are a cheeky bastard." She was trying to lighten the mood, especially for Sunny, who had seemed terrible from the beginning of this chapter—completely quiet and indifferent, almost as if he didn't care—which she doubted.

Sunny gave her a small, mocking, and mischievous smile. "You have no idea."

He remembered how he ended up killing that guy later. Although it was for survival, he wouldn't deny that he felt a dark pleasure in getting a bit of revenge.

"You little shit! I'm going to kill you!"

The broad-shouldered man in front of Sunny chuckled without turning his head.

"Why bother? The weakling will be dead by sunrise anyway. The mountain will kill him."

"Ah, idiot," Sunny scoffed, recalling that in the end, he was alive and strong while they were dead. He had won.

Master Jet turned to him with a smile. "Why do I have the feeling that you just wanted to beat the spell out of spite, just to prove you could defeat them?"

"Hahaha." Sunny let out a small laugh, finding her words amusing, especially because she had hit the nail on the head.

"Well, that's exactly why," he admitted, without any remorse.

Kai blinked, impressed by Sunny's words and by how petty his reason for wanting to survive was.

"I really have no words to respond to that," Kai said, shocked by the simplicity of Sunny's motivation for continuing to live at that moment.

Sunny found it amusing to see Kai so surprised by his motivation. To him, the will to survive, even if for a petty reason, was natural.

4o mini

A few seconds later, he added:

"It'll kill you and me, too. Just a bit later. I really don't know what the Imperials are thinking, forcing us into this cold."

"Although monsters are a problem, the worst thing to face is the cold, relentless nature," Saint Cor said, his voice firm. "The all-consuming cold or the searing heat that destroys everything. I could keep listing others, but nature is the greatest danger in the Dream Realm."

The sleepers present agreed, especially Sunny, Nephis, and Cassie. They knew very well what Saint Cor was describing. Each of them had been sent into the relentless waters where the darkness seemed intent on drowning them and the lurking monsters were always ready to devour them. The brutality of the environment in the Dream Realm was a foe as lethal as any creature inhabiting its depths.

The shifty guy gasped.

"Speak for yourself, fool! I'm planning to survive!"

Sunny silently shook his head and concentrated on not falling again.

'What a charming pair.'

Suddenly, a third voice joined the conversation from somewhere further back. This one sounded gentle and intelligent.

"This mountain pass is usually much warmer this time of year. We just had really bad luck. Also, I would advise you against harming this boy."

"Why is that?"

Sunny turned his head slightly, listening.

"Haven't you seen the markings on his skin? He is not like us, who fell into slavery due to debts, crimes or misfortune. He was born a slave. A temple slave, to be precise. Not long ago, the Imperials destroyed the last temple of the Shadow God. I suspect that this is how the boy ended up here."

"So, the temples of the Shadow God had already been destroyed…" Saint Madoc commented, slightly disappointed that he couldn't learn more about the most mysterious god.

"Unfortunately, there is little information about the Shadow God," Beastmaster said with a small smile. "Even though the last temple was destroyed, perhaps we can still learn a bit more through Sunny, since he became a slave of that temple."

The broad-shouldered man cast a look back.

"So what? Why should we be afraid of a half-forgotten, weakling god? He couldn't even save his own temples."

"Insignificant," Nephis said with calculated calmness. "I doubt any god is weak, especially when so little is known about them. They say the Shadow God is also the God of Death." Although she had suspected Sunny's connection to the Shadow God, it was reassuring to have confirmation. Now, Nephis was almost certain that Sunny, like herself, possessed a divine aspect.

Sunny nodded in agreement, not because he felt a special connection to the Shadow God, but because any entity associated with death was certainly not to be underestimated.

Morgan smiled calmly and commented, "Actually, Shadow is considered the weakest god, from what I know, but as they said, he is also the most mysterious god, so it's unclear how powerful he really is."

"The Empire is protected by the mighty War God. Of course they're not afraid to burn down a few temples. But we here are not protected by anything or anyone. Do you really want to risk angering a god?"

These words stirred a sense of pride within the Valor clan, who were linked to War.

Mordret, trapped in the mirror, mocked his relatives with scathing disdain: "Truly disappointing. You take pride in this achievement, but what have you done to deserve it?"

Sunny was quite curious about the abilities of those associated with the God of War. If his own skills were already considerable, he imagined that the followers of this god must possess extremely powerful abilities.

The broad-shouldered man grunted, not willing to answer.

Their conversation was stopped by a young soldier riding a beautiful, white horse. Clad in a simple leather cuirass, armed with a spear and a short sword, he looked dignified and noble. To Sunny's irritation, the asshole was really pretty, too. If this was a historical drama, the soldier would definitely be a male lead.

Cassie let out a small laugh at Sunny's reaction. "Is that really what you thought in a situation like this?"

Sunny responded with a mocking tone, "Well, that guy's face annoyed me."

Effie, with a mischievous smile, made a shiver run down Sunny's spine. "Are you sure it's not because you liked him? With his looks, it makes sense that you might have some interest."

Sunny merely grumbled in response.

Effie's laughter echoed through the room, easing the tense atmosphere that had formed.

Sunny turned beet red with anger and embarrassment, stammering as he tried to explain. "I'm not like that. I like women, okay?"

"There's no need to lie, no one's going to judge," Effie replied with a challenging tone.

Sunny looked at her with a small smile, but his eyes were deep with darkness. "Well, too bad we won't meet in the future."

Effie raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why's that?"

Sunny, keeping his smile, answered, "Because you'll be dead."

Effie felt a slight chill at Sunny's words. Raising her hands, she said, "Calm down, I'm just kidding."

"What is going on here?"

There was no particular menace in his voice, even something resembling concern.

When everyone hesitated, the gentle-voiced slave answered:

"It's nothing, sir. We are just all tired and cold. Especially our young friend over there. This journey is truly too hard for someone that young."

The soldier looked at Sunny with pity.

'What are you looking at? You're not much older than me!' Sunny thought. L𝒂aTest nov𝒆ls on (n)𝒐velbi/𝒏(.)co𝒎

Of course, he didn't say anything out loud.

The soldier sighed and took a flask from his belt before extending it to Sunny.

"Bear with it a little more, child. We will stop for the night soon. For now, here, drink some water."

'Child? Child?!'

Sunny's irritation with Effie's joke only grew stronger with the memory.

Cassie, standing next to him, tried to soothe him. "Don't worry, Sunny. I'm sure you're going to grow a lot."

Sunny was touched by Cassie's words. In the midst of so many fools, it was comforting to know he could rely on her.

"Thank you, Cassie. I'm glad to know I can count on you."

Cassie responded with a small smile.

Meanwhile, Kai was trying to cover Effie's mouth to prevent her from teasing Sunny further and making him even more upset.

"Can you take your hand off my mouth?" Effie mumbled.

Kai smiled apologetically. "I couldn't let you annoy him any more."

Effie rolled her eyes at Kai. "You're really annoying. Besides, I wasn't going to provoke him."

Kai raised his eyebrows, shocked. But given his own flaw, he knew she was telling the truth.

Due to his thin body and small stature, both caused by malnourishment, Sunny was often mistaken for someone younger. Usually, he didn't hesitate to use it to his advantage, but now, for some reason, being called a child really irked him.

Cassie's lips curled into a small smile at Sunny's words. As she got to know him better, she began to understand more about the type of person he was. Turning to him, she asked:

"What did you do to make the most of your height?"

Sunny let out a light laugh, a mischievous smile appearing on his lips.

"Well, I got involved in all sorts of things. Sometimes I had to do odd jobs, and other times I ended up stealing a few things. Because of my height, people were less suspicious of me and often underestimated my skills."

Cassie raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by Sunny's response. She looked at him with a mix of curiosity and skepticism, trying to discern whether he was being serious or just joking.

"Is that so?" she said, trying to keep her tone light and interested. "And did you manage to get out of those situations without much trouble?"

Sunny gave a slight shrug, still wearing that enigmatic smile. "Let's just say I knew how to keep myself out of bigger trouble. But it wasn't always easy. Sometimes, the adrenaline made the risk worth it."

Cassie laughed, impressed by his audacity. "You must have some interesting stories. Can you tell me one?"

Sunny thought for a moment, his gaze becoming distant. "Well, once I got myself into quite a fix trying to steal an old watch from a collection. I ended up locked in a room, not knowing if I'd be able to get out. It was one of those situations where the exit seemed impossible, but I always had a talent for improvisation."

Cassie leaned forward, fascinated. "And how did you manage to get out of that?"

Sunny winked at her. "I'll leave that for you to imagine. Sometimes, it's better to keep a little mystery, don't you think?"

Still, he was really thirsty.

He was just about to take the flask when a whip cracked in the air, and suddenly Sunny was in a world of pain. He stumbled, once again pulling on the chain and causing the shifty slave behind him to curse.

"Tsk," Nephis clicked her tongue upon seeing that bastard hitting Sunny, but soon a smile appeared on her face, imagining how Sunny would likely seek revenge.

Noticing the smile, Sunny asked, "What's with that smile on your face? Are you really a sadist who enjoys seeing me get beaten, or are you still upset about what I said earlier?"

Nephis raised an eyebrow, trying to recall what he was referring to. When she remembered him saying that if there was any reason for the spell to show someone, it should be her, she smiled slightly and asked, "Do you think I was upset about that?"

"Weren't you?" Sunny asked, a bit uncertain.

"No. And do you think I'm a sadist?" She tilted her head, her face completely indifferent, though internally she found Sunny's nervousness amusing.

Sunny shivered at the question and answered hurriedly, "Of course! You've seen what you've made me go through, and that smile on your face when you see me getting beaten."

Sunny froze as soon as he finished speaking. He was so nervous that his thoughts had slipped out loud.

"Pff," Nephis laughed at his words, rolling her eyes before replying, "I wasn't laughing at you. I was thinking about how you must have gotten back at that guy for hitting you."

"Oh... so you're going to stop making me face monsters like that with you?" He asked hopefully.

"No."

"Tsk," he grumbled, frustrated. "And you say you're not a sadist, making me fight monsters like that..."

Another soldier, this one older and angrier, stopped his horse a few steps back. The whip that sliced the back of Sunny's tunic open and drew blood belonged to him. Without even glancing at the slaves, the older soldier pierced his younger colleague with a disdainful glare.

"What do you think you're doing?"

The young soldier's face darkened.

"I was just giving this boy some water."

"He'll receive water with the rest of them once we camp!"

"But…"

"Shut your mouth! These slaves are not your friends. Understood? They're not even people. Treat them like people and they'll begin imagining things."

The young soldier looked at Sunny, then lowered his head and put the flask back on his belt.

"Don't let me catch you making friends with slaves again, newbie. Or next time it will be your back tasting my whip!"

As if to illustrate his intention, the older soldier cracked his whip in the air and rode past them, radiating threat and anger. Sunny watched him go with well-concealed malice.

Master Jet smiled, tilting his head towards Sunny and remarked, "Well-hidden malice, huh? Just by looking at you, it's clear that you want to kill them. It's as plain as day."

Sunny shrugged and leaned back, responding in a nonchalant tone, "Well, they certainly didn't notice."

Master Jet chuckled softly, but his eyes retained an intense curiosity as he observed Sunny. "You're truly an intriguing piece, kid. Hiding your true feelings so well, yet still letting your intentions slip through. Quite a mix."

Sunny gave a slight smile, but his eyes revealed a shadowy glint. "The world isn't kind to those who are too transparent. I've learned that sometimes it's better to let people see what they want to see while planning your next move."

Master Jet nodded, acknowledging the wisdom in Sunny's words. "You really speak like someone from the margins. A natural survivor."

Sunny smiled faintly, but his eyes maintained a dark gleam. "The margins teach lessons that other places can't. I learned to survive there, which means hiding what needs to be hidden and showing only what's necessary."

Master Jet continued to watch him, admiring the young man's resilience. "In the margins, people learn to make do with what they have, and often that means hiding the truth to ensure survival. But it seems you've done more than just survive, Sunny. You've learned to play the game, and that's something not everyone can do."

Sunny merely shrugged, leaning back again. "The margins taught me that no one's going to do anything for you, so you have to learn to fend for yourself. And if that means hiding what I really feel to win, then that's what I'll do."

Master Jet smiled, impressed by Sunny's maturity. "Keep it up, and you'll go far. Just be careful not to let that darkness consume you."

Sunny, still smiling, responded calmly, "The darkness and I understand each other. For now, we're at peace."

'I don't know how, but I will watch you die first.'

Then he turned his head and glanced in the direction of the younger soldier, who was falling behind with his head still lowered.

'And you, second.'

Sunny observed with a mischievous smile. 'Yes, I saw both of you die, and yet here I am, alive and far beyond what anyone could imagine. Just surviving my first nightmare is a point of pride, especially considering I had nothing to help me.'

Saint Cor, noticing the screen darkening, stood up and addressed the attendees. "It seems that's all for now. Does anyone have any questions or would like to discuss anything about what we've seen?"

Silence fell over the room for a moment as everyone processed what they had just witnessed.

When Morgan turned to Sunny with a small smile, he felt a chill run down his spine. For some reason, his whole body froze, and an overwhelming nervousness took over him. The hairs on his arms stood on end, and a terrible premonition filled his mind, as if he knew something awful was about to happen.

Morgan then opened her mouth and asked, with a small smile but a seriousness that made Sunny's heart race:

"Is your aspect still a temple slave, or has it evolved into something more?"

The question seemed simple, but the tension in Morgan's words indicated she was searching for something deeper. Sunny felt a shiver run down his spine, and his flaw began to act up, demanding that he answer the question. He froze, unsure of what to say, while the pain began to throb, amplifying his anguish. Each second of silence felt like an eternity, and the pressure to respond grew along with the pain pulsing in his chest, forcing him to confront the truth, even if he didn't want to.