In the morning, Aisling left the castle with several errands to see to.
Over the past few years, he hadn’t given up on the idea of returning to the waking world, though he’d certainly had his share of discouragement.
Much of the reason he went unnoticed came from how little he was actually around in the Dark City, not because he himself wanted to go unnoticed — more than half his time living in the Forgotten Shore had been spent inside the labyrinth.
He had no wish to be under anyone’s command, nor did he want Gunlaug keeping an eye on him.
Even with his ability, and with Seishan’s help, he couldn’t bring Gunlaug down in one piece.
In a duel, he was confident he could kill him, but it wouldn’t be such a simple matter, and he’d sacrifice a great deal in the process, leaving himself extremely vulnerable — not to mention the other lieutenants who would take advantage of it.
If he obeyed Seishan himself, it was because of her intelligence and their relationship of several years by now.
“I had to go on several trips just to get my hands on this thing.”
An elegant dagger with a long, slender blade appeared out of nowhere in his hand.
Name: [Aisling]
True Name: [Hollow of Inevitability]
Rank: [Dreamer]
Soul Core: [Inactive]
Soul Fragments: [1000/1000]
Memories: [Insidious Tunic] [Cian] [Fox Mask] [Claws of Sacrifice] [Skin of Sacrifice] [Seeker Below] [Moonlight Shard] …
Echoes: —
Attributes: [Supernatural Body] [Supernatural Mind] [Supernatural Soul] [Enemy of the World]
Aspect: [Devourer]
Aspect Rank: [Dormant]
Aspect Description: [Your crime has no redemption.
You will be treated as a monster, all for going against the world.]
Innate Ability: [Negation]
Description: [You are a fugitive who enjoys freedom.
You nullify unwanted anomalous intentions.]
Aspect Abilities:
Aspect Ability: [Body Consumption]
Description: [Use bodies to be whole.
Pain is the core of your strength.]
Aspect Legacy: [Feast of Blasphemy]
Description: [The insignificant does not reach the divine.
Only a drop or a sea of blood is needed to do battle.
After all, Hollow of Inevitability is a cycle of suffering.]
Beast Sample: Claimed.
Sample of ???: not obtained.
Sample of ???: not obtained.
Sample of ???: not obtained.
Sample of ???: not obtained.
Sample of ???: not obtained.
Sample of ???: not obtained.
Flaw: [Cannibal]
Flaw Description: [You can only feed on your own kind.]
He used to have many more Memories, but he always gave them to Seishan for her Handmaidens.
“Now I’ve got to reveal myself a little to find a way out.”
He’d already received a mission, and he’d carry it out; it wasn’t all that complicated anyway.
With dawn barely breaking, sunlight revealed itself over the grey clouds, lighting up the whole main road through the district.
Along the way, he instantly recognized a head of silver hair, unique in belonging to only one person in the entire Forgotten Shore.
Nephis was walking at a slow pace, giving off nothing in particular; he sensed she was almost desolate.
“Silvery Nephis, what a surprise to find you here.”
She looked at him for a moment, with a bit of doubt and surprise.
“Aisling.”
“I’m glad you remember my name; it’s an honor and a pleasure to see you again.
Would you mind if I walked beside you?”
Nephis shook her head, continuing to walk along the lonely path.
Aisling noticed her mood seemed lower than usual; she was even out on her own, a little way off from the settlement, with no one at her side.
“Sorry if I’m being too blunt, but your situation is a bit unusual.
You look a little down, and right now you don’t seem much like a leader.
I can help you, the way you helped me with my problem, and we can talk about it.”
Nephis felt a bit disbelieving that she’d let herself be seen that way by someone, and at how blunt his words were.
She sighed inwardly and only said:
“It’s not important; thanks for worrying, though.”
“That’s fine; a person has to do what they can.”
Nephis straightened up and breathed deeply, looking at the clouded sky.
“Aisling, are you coming from the castle?”
Her voice came out calmer, without a trace of whatever she might have been thinking.
“Yeah; I usually go now and then to see a friend or gamble at the gambling den.
You should go sometime… oh, I forgot: you’re not exactly welcome there, though we could always start our own den, but Aiko might not take it well.”
Nephis blinked a couple of times.
“What I mean is, it seems like you tend to visit the outer settlement and the castle in short stretches of time.”
“Oh… are you keeping tabs on me?”
“Naturally.
I don’t want to distrust you, but if I have to, I won’t hesitate to point my sword at you to keep all our effort from falling apart.”
They kept walking without any conflict between them, passing by a group that greeted them; they returned the greeting without dragging out the conversation and carried on their way, moving farther and farther from any crowd they might run into.
They headed in the direction of the outer settlement, but at some point they veered off course and ended up at the edge of the slums, without a single sign of life.
“You have good reason to be suspicious.
Someone from the castle asked me to find out more about you.
So I’ll ask you this the nicest way I can — do you have plans to escape the Forgotten Shore?”
Nephis glanced at him sideways.
“Yes.”
“How honest.”
“I asked around about you, but everyone has a strange opinion.
No one knows enough to give me a solid answer.”
Aisling let out a light laugh.
“I’m a walking mystery, but if my loyalty worries you, you can ask.”
“Then let me ask you.” Nephis stopped dead.
“Are you from the castle?”
Aisling kept his smile in place and stopped a few steps away.
“That’s a dilemma.
Why can’t I be from both?”
His words were simple, drawing out Nephis’s steady stare.
“Will you answer me?
Yes or no.”
Nephis summoned her sword in silence.
The distance between them wasn’t much; if she wanted to separate Aisling’s head from his body, she’d have the chance.
Aisling didn’t move or panic; he only raised his arms.
“I surrender; I don’t want to get skewered.
I’m just here to bring you a message from the castle.”
Nephis looked confused.
“What are you playing at?”
Aisling shook his head.
“I’m not on anyone’s side.
If you crumble before Gunlaug, that’ll be a terrible shame.
If you rise up over his corpse, that would be for the best.”
“And what are your intentions?”
“My intentions don’t matter.
Someone believed you could pull off your crusade; as for me, I’m just the messenger.”
Nephis didn’t lower her sword and eyed him with suspicion.
“Messenger for whom?”
“Song Seishan.”
Nephis’s eyes widened slightly and, as if she’d understood, she asked:
“I’ll hear you out, but you should know what happens if you try anything clever.”
“Relax; I like you a lot.
I wouldn’t be talking to you so openly if I didn’t.”
“Why the suspicious act, then?”
Aisling scratched the back of his neck, letting out a half-hearted laugh.
“I thought it’d be fun. Get faster updates on g.com.
Guess it wasn’t.
My turn: did some boy turn you down, and that’s why you’re depressed?”
Nephis kept walking toward the settlement as if she hadn’t heard him.
“I wasn’t turned down; he just left.”
Aisling followed a few steps behind.
“Silence hurts more; I get it.
My most loyal companion doesn’t talk.
We already have our routine down, but I’d love to hear her, to talk things through and argue face to face; I feel like she’d complain a lot if she could.
You remind me of her.
In fact, the first time I saw you, my first thought about you, aside from your eye-catching hair, was that you’re like her: your lack of chattiness, and the hair — hers is very shiny too… Look, here she is.”
Nephis looked back at him.
Seeing the doll that Aisling presented with total enthusiasm, she stared at the doll, then at him, without a word.
Several seconds passed and her expression shifted too; now she was looking at him with…
pity.
“You must have been through some hard times.”
“I think you’re misreading something here… Doesn’t matter.
This is Cian; she’s a bit shy around strangers, but there shouldn’t be any problem with you.”
Aisling walked at her side.
“She’s pretty, don’t you think?”
“Don’t you have a message to give me?”
“Right.
But first, wouldn’t you like to introduce yourself to Cian?”
Nephis wanted to flee right then and there.
* * *
That night, two Dreamers met within some ruins in an abandoned corner of the Dark City.
A beautiful maiden of exquisite loveliness, in a wine-colored dress.
An intricate silver necklace rested against her chest, accentuating her slender figure, along with two bracelets on her wrists.
Seishan smiled politely.
“I hope I’m not intruding on your time, Lady Changing Star.”
Facing her stood a tall, silver-haired Dreamer, her armor accentuating the graceful curves of her slender, agile body.
Nephis held the hilt of her sword, its blade planted in the ground.
For obvious reasons, she wouldn’t have entered that place without a weapon in hand.
“You say interesting things, but I don’t think you actually care.”
“Do you say that because you see me as one of Gunlaug’s lieutenants, or because I’m a Legacy?
That stings a little.
Honestly, I’ve only just learned what happened with the Immortal Flame Clan, but I understand my Clan’s part in the blame.
Still, that’s not what matters.
You want out, and so do I.
What’s stopping us from working together?
I can offer you a little that, given your position, will be valuable enough to keep you a step ahead,” the maiden said clearly.
Nephis nodded, agreeing with her words.
“Cooperation wouldn’t be a bad thing.
It’s quite beneficial for my cause.”
Drawing closer, Seishan kept her lovely, fixed smile as she walked over unarmed.
Raising her hand, she offered it to Nephis.
“I’m glad you have your priorities straight; it’s best not to linger too long in places like this.
Do we have a deal?”
Nephis looked at the hand, then at Seishan’s vulnerable stance.
“Do you think you could stop me if I decided to act?”
At her words, Seishan’s smile widened and grew brighter.
“You have no reason to.
You think the same way I do, and you know there’s no other way.
We won’t be given another chance.”
Nephis lowered her head, looking at her sword planted in the ground.
“The world isn’t some meaningful story; it’s so raw and terribly simple that we people are too irrational to understand it.”
“True.”
They shook hands and sealed the deal.
They discussed several details and clarified a few points before parting ways.
Before leaving, Seishan spoke.
“One more thing: you’re right.
I don’t think I could stop you completely.
I’ll admit I’m not that bold.
But I’m confident your sword won’t be able to reach me.”
With that, she vanished into the darkness of the night.
Nephis didn’t watch her go; her attention was on the hidden presence.
From deep within the shadows the Spectre emerged, stepping out from behind Seishan.
She couldn’t help but tighten her grip on the hilt.
She remembered the first time Sunny told her about his spying, back in his first days after entering the Bright Castle, and the bad luck he’d had running into him.
Now she understood the feeling Sunny must have had.
Whether he was more dangerous than Harus, or even Gunlaug, Nephis understood it wouldn’t be simple.
She sensed something strange in that powerful body, something hard to put into words, marking firmness in his every step — it wasn’t indifference, boredom, or coldness; it was a restrained vividness.
A quick assumption, given she’d only just seen him, but not impossible to make sense of when she thought of a certain ash-haired young man.
It was almost by instinct that these two incompatible figures came together into something that made sense.
Nephis shook her head and sighed.
* * *
Several days passed after the message was delivered.
Seishan and Nephis met and reached an agreement.
In the end, Aisling was placed at Nephis’s service for whatever matter required it.
He was a companion who acted as a helper, but one who could be used as a slave.
Inside the outer settlement, he was led to a meeting area, finding Nephis, Effie, Cassie, and Caster there.
Caster was the first to react, standing up quickly and making a loud noise in the space; he obviously had plenty to say, but he seemed to still be processing what had happened, and said nothing.
Bringing a finger to his lips, Aisling made a sign at Caster.
The man could only frown and accept it in silence.
“Fool Boy, what are you doing here?
When I said you could use your skills to help out, I didn’t mean climbing all the way up to the top brass.”
Effie greeted Aisling as soon as she saw him.
Aisling was about to answer, but Nephis spoke first.
“His name is Aisling.
He’ll be joining us to share information.”
Recovering from the small commotion, Caster put on his rehearsed smile, though the disdain still showed in his eyes.
“Pleased to meet you; I’m Caster.”
“Light Feet, likewise, pleased to meet you.”
Caster’s eyebrows twitched, but he didn’t say anything out of line.
Cassie just sat there, not looking at him on account of her blindness, with a small smile.
“Welcome.”
Nephis moved to the head of the table and signaled to Aisling.
Aisling understood and pulled out a scroll, spreading it across the table.
“Take a good look, guys; except you, Blondie, just listen.”
Was that a joke, or just how he was?
Everyone wondered the same thing, but they kept the comments to themselves and listened closely.
On the map, a small black line could be seen representing the Crimson Spire.
The red labyrinth stretched out, coloring the whole map.
To the left was a circle with a tower drawn in the middle — the Dark City — and beside it, joined to the smaller circle, a much larger one representing the immense crater.
North of the Dark City sat the shape of a skull.
The map also had four red cross symbols marked across it.
One between the Crimson Spire and the Dark City, one on the west side of the crater near the Dark City, another at the sinister skull to the north, and the last one to the south, a week’s distance away, with a drawing of an arched bridge.
“It’s not much, but it’s a start.
You’re free to work with it.”
Nephis stepped closer and, on the east side of the crater, drew a tree, then marked another red cross further east.
“That leaves us with one statue, not counting the one that wanders back and forth.”
“Where did you get this map?”
Aisling shrugged.
“I made it.
It’s a little embarrassing, honestly; I don’t have much talent for drawing, but it’s good enough.
I took into account several maps the previous rulers of the Bright Castle had left behind from their travels and filled in certain gaps as best I could.”
The room fell silent; the three of them, except for Nephis, who already knew about it, were left stunned.
Caster snapped out of his shock, pointing at the locations on the map.
“You must have some special aspect.
Do you really want me to believe you survived all these dangers on your own?”
He asked carefully, wanting to know more.
Aisling was going to indulge him.
“That’s exactly what I did.
My Aspect is very useful for surviving… No harm in telling you, since we’ll be working together.
My Aspect heightens my senses, and I don’t need to eat; combined with several of my Memories, I’m more of an expert at surviving and avoiding danger.”
Effie whistled.
“I knew you had a few surprises up your sleeve, but exploring the labyrinth alone… you’d have to be crazy for that.”
“That shouldn’t matter much; being sane is the weirder thing around here.”
Aisling scanned the room, noticing one person was missing from the group.
“I don’t see Sunny; I was looking forward to meeting him.”
He turned to Nephis, but she avoided his gaze.
Cassie flinched slightly.
Effie didn’t think much of it.
Caster looked conflicted.
“Seems like he left us.”
“Oh… what a shame.
Without further comment, I’ll take my leave for now.”
Aisling felt disappointed.
He turned toward the door, not without first flashing everyone a friendly smile.
“See you around, Light Feet; eat slowly, Effie; try not to trip, Blondie; and whenever you want to talk about that, Silvery Nephis.”
And he swept out like a storm, leaving the mess to the others and hurrying off.
“That was weird.”
Effie admitted, with the rest thinking the same.
As soon as Aisling was gone, Nephis spoke:
“Cassie, what can you tell us?”
“Nothing… This has never happened to me since our first meeting: it’s not a blank page — there’s simply no page to see at all.”
Nephis only nodded thoughtfully, looking at the map on the table.
Her gaze stayed fixed on the Crimson Spire.
* * *
Cassie was walking through the settlement when a hand landed on her shoulder, making her jump.
“Oh… I didn’t think you’d jump like that.
I hope you don’t mind if I steal a bit of your time.”
Cassie recognized the voice, one that stirred a certain revulsion in her; it was Aisling.
She knew about the natural repulsion he gave off, from what Effie had told her, and even so, she couldn’t help feeling it herself.
“You’re Aisling… Do you have some business with me?”
“No.”
Cassie thought she’d misheard.
“No?”
“No business; I just want to ask about Sunny.
Do you know where I might find him?”
Cassie clenched her fists, but shook her head.
“It was very sudden; one day he just wasn’t there anymore.
I’m sorry I can’t help.”
Her words trembled a little; she didn’t understand what was making her feel this way, so vulnerable in front of this Dreamer.
Aisling went on, showing no sign of catching the inconsistencies.
“That’s the trouble with shadows: shine a little light on them and they vanish… though you wouldn’t be able to see it happen.”
Aisling circled around her, feeding Cassie’s nervousness, since all she could do was listen to his footsteps.
“What can you tell me about him?
Besides being a slippery shadow, you two spent a couple of months together in the labyrinth.”
“He… is one of my best friends.
He can be cynical, but he cares about others; he’s very reliable when it counts.”
“But…”
Cassie fell silent, then said after a few seconds:
“There’s no ‘but.'”
She couldn’t see, but she knew he was scrutinizing her.
“Mm… I see.
That’s enough, I won’t bother you anymore.
See you later, Cassie.”
Then he walked off, leaving Cassie unsettled.
Aisling took a stroll through the outer settlement.
He’d only been away for a week, and it had already become a place covering the needs Gunlaug’s rule offered.
He spent his time snooping around everywhere, with no shame at all.
“I’m in a position of power now.
Who could possibly stop me?”
“Aisling, what are you doing?”
Caster showed up to see him.
“Spying?
Honestly, you could say I’m part of the castle’s forces now.
With my new position inside the den, it’s easier to look around without being judged.”
Caster frowned.
“I’m asking you not to cause unnecessary trouble.
We’re already in a difficult enough position without having to deal with another problem.”
“Was there someone who turned into a problem you had to deal with?”
Caster gave him a cold look, but didn’t move or speak.
“What a sour face.
Come on, spit it out.
I know you didn’t come just to tell me that.”
“How did you survive?” Caster asked, in a dangerous tone.
He kept his sword hanging at his waist instead of stowed away like any other Dreamer, letting his hand rest on the hilt.
From the outside he was a protector, but here he was, not knowing how to handle an ash-haired Dreamer, trying to pry out information just to feel more secure.
Aisling took his time.
Just as he was about to answer, he acted instead.
His hand shot out fast, catching Caster’s face and sealing his mouth shut.
He shoved him back, pinning him against the wall, and used pure strength to lift him off the ground.
Caster was about to respond to the danger, but his eyes went wide when he felt the hand catch him before he could even reach for his sword.
“Careful, we don’t want this to escalate,” Aisling whispered, amused.
“I’ll say it quick, so pay attention: I’ve got nothing against you, Caster.
It’s just that a straight-arrow kid doesn’t interest me — you’re predictable.
There’s not much mystery behind you.
Understand?”
Caster couldn’t speak; he only glared at him, seething, brows furrowed.
Aisling didn’t look away.
“What a bad decision.”
He pulled him off the wall, still gripping his face, and slammed his head back into it.
A loud sound echoed out.
Releasing his grip, he left Caster staggering, grasping for anything to keep from falling.
Leaving the Legacy to his own devices, Aisling said:
“You can relax; I’ll keep myself in check.
And don’t worry about what happened — it’s already behind us.”
“You!” Caster wasn’t about to let him off.
“What are you planning?”
“Me?
Nothing… yet.”
A group of hunters came rushing over at the sound.
Using them as cover, Aisling left Caster behind and walked away.