The next morning, Sunless awoke feeling gloomy and restless. The memory of that terrifying dark mirror still hovered in his mind, making every shadow around him seem sinister and threatening. He frowned, in a foul mood.
'What the hell. I am the Child of Shadows. Why must I fear my own domain?'
But he knew that darkness and shadow were not the same thing, although many confused them. Shadows spring from the absence of light—manifestations of emptiness. True darkness, however… is an entity unto itself.
In a way, shadows have more in common with light than with darkness.
'I mean… I suppose so. Do they?'
Philosophical debates with his own inner monologue were hardly the best way to start the day. At least, not in Sunless's opinion. His sour mood only deepened. With a short sigh, he sat up, stretched his arms, and yawned.
"Good morning."
His voice barely rose above the echoing sound of flowing water. As the sun climbed, the dark sea retreated swiftly, and Sunless finally allowed himself a moment's ease.
"Morning."
Nephis, who had kept watch through the latter part of the night, was already awake. As usual, she meditated with her eyes closed—in the pitch black, "watching" was more about listening than seeing, so keeping her eyes open served little purpose.
Except, of course, for Sunless, whose perfect night vision made him the exception.
At the sound of Sunless rising, the Star of Change slowly opened her eyes. A soft glow left by the white flame still danced in her pupils, fading as her vision adjusted to the dawn's light. She looked at him and offered a polite smile.
Over the past weeks, Nephis had been training, perhaps even more intensely than he and Ariandel. But she wasn't only honing her swordplay. She was attempting something different: learning to behave like a normal person. As a result, her interactions had grown somewhat less awkward… most of the time.
Sunless noticed her efforts because they reminded him of a phase he himself had endured years ago. More than once, he'd caught her studying Ariandel and Cassia's gestures and expressions during conversations. Later, Nephis would try to imitate small details of their behavior. The results were… varied.
The first time she greeted him with a morning smile, Sunless nearly panicked and summoned the Azure Blade. Yet Nephis was persistent. Today, her smile seemed almost natural.
He didn't understand why the Star of Change chose to work on her social skills during a perilous crossing of an infernal, monster-infested realm. But he didn't mind.
In fact, he found it rather amusing.
… Seeing her torment herself daily, enduring immense pain as she strove to master her Flaw, was no fun at all. They never spoke of it, but Sunless knew that each time she pretended to meditate, she was actually subjecting herself to the excruciating agony of her Defect.
Thinking of that made his heart ache. He wasn't accustomed to such feelings, but he suspected this was what they called 'compassion'. At least, it felt much like what he'd read in books and dramas.
Not that he was an expert.
After breakfast, Ariandel "awoke" and gazed at the shaft of light piercing the nearest gap between the giant vertebrae. Turning to Sunless and Nephis, he said:
"Let us explore the surroundings."
They needed to survey the terrain and choose their next move. That usually meant finding the nearest natural outcrop high enough to stay above the water's surface, then deciding their next destination.
After a day or two of scouting and hunting, they'd relocate the camp there.
Nephis offered a somewhat forced smile, and Sunless nodded.
"All right."
He summoned Echo to guard Cassia while they departed, leaving his shadow behind as extra watch. Then he followed them to the opening.
He watched as Ariandel, propelled by Nephis, leapt into the air, ran along the bony wall, and at the last moment vaulted higher to seize a ledge of bone. Relying solely on upper-body strength, he climbed until he vanished into the light. Soon after, a golden rope dropped down so Nephis and Sunless could ascend.
After helping them up, Ariandel stood and turned westward. Sunless, shaking out his hands, imitated him, expecting to see the familiar landscape—the endless crimson labyrinth punctuated by rare high points.
But what they beheld left them speechless.
At a distance, the labyrinth seemed to fade. The crimson coral blades had turned gray and warped, as if struck by some unknown blight, drained of all life. The stone-like material looked fragile, ready to crumble at any moment.
Ahead, the labyrinth gave way to a sea of gray sand. That desert looked strange and alien after weeks of uninterrupted red. Sunless felt a shiver run down his spine.
The absence of monsters—which would normally reassure him—only heightened his unease this time.
In that gray desert, only one elevation rose above the dunes. On the horizon, the ground formed an imposing hill—the largest they'd yet seen—large enough to become a true island when the water rose at night. Its surface, shrouded in gray sand, resembled a colossal tomb.
At its summit stood a giant tree.
The tree, as towering as a citadel, spread broad branches that cast shadow across the entire hill. Its bark was as black as the sea's waters, while its leaves glowed a vivid red, like fresh blood.
Against the gray sky, the scarlet canopy seemed to pulse with life.
Sunless swallowed hard.
"What… the hell… is that?"
No one answered at once. Ariandel continued to admire the vista calmly, while Nephis stared at the tree with a thoughtful expression.
Then, a brilliant flash ignited beneath the branches, like the glare of a mirror. The gleam vanished after a few seconds, only to reappear moments later.
'Mirror. A mirror…'
Sunless trembled at the memory of the previous night. For some reason, that glint felt menacing.
After a moment's silence, he turned to Ariandel and asked plainly:
"What do you make of it?"
The Illustrious Artisan of Fantasy paused a beat, then replied with a half-playful tone:
"What do I make of it? Well, my friend… I do not often dabble in curses."
Sunless made a face and looked away. He did not like where this was headed.
"You want to go there, don't you?"
Nephis, still observing, turned her gaze back to the giant tree. As if overwhelmed by its grandeur, she shrugged, hesitant:
"Do we have a choice?"
…
Some time later, they left the remains of the giant sea monster and pressed westward, planning to explore the desert stretching toward the Ashen Barrow.
At first, they had no intention of approaching the strange island, but everything proved unusual once they entered the sands.
With gray grit underfoot and walls of dead coral at their flanks, the group steeled themselves for unseen dangers. Even without a single monster in sight, they felt no true safety—they had learned on the Forgotten Shore that all there was lethal or concealed something deadly. Their first encounter with carnivorous worms still haunted them.
This time, however, the desert was completely deserted. No sign of life, no beast.
The absence of threats should have brought Sunless relief—but instead, it deepened his unease.
This place radiated danger. It felt wrong and unnatural.
If even the monsters avoided it, why did they press on?
Were they foolish not to turn back at once?
Soon they reached where the labyrinth's walls had crumbled into dust. Now, only a vast expanse of gray sand lay between them and the hill crowned by the giant tree.
Nothing could hide in that open sea of ash-like dunes. Yet neither could they conceal themselves from whatever eyes watched them.
Sunless cast a final glance at Ariandel.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
The Illustrious Artisan of Fantasy's long braid dissolved like a mirage, and he adjusted his mantle, which took on the desert's gray hue, enveloping him completely.
With an almost unsettling composure, he answered without breaking his gaze from the horizon:
"Sure… is a very strong word."