He summoned his runes and focused on the newly renamed counter.
Lost Fragments: [73/1000] “So…
back to grinding.” His gaze lingered on the number for a moment before drifting lower.
Flaw: [Detached].
Flaw Description: [You cannot bring yourself to truly care about belonging.
The stronger you get, the less you desire to belong somewhere.] For a long while, he simply stared at those words.
At first, after surviving his first Nightmare, he had believed his exhaustion was entirely mental.
Spending nearly a year fighting and watching countless people die would wear anyone down.
Rest had seemed like the most natural thing in the world.
But now…
Now he realized that wasn’t the whole truth.
During the month he had spent traveling with Sunny, Nephis and Cassie, something had been changing inside him.
At first, he had enjoyed their company.
Their conversations, their arguments, even Sunny’s constant complaints had helped him recover from the crushing weight his first Nightmare had left behind.
Yet as the days passed, he had found himself becoming less interested in whatever they were doing.
Not because he disliked them.
Quite the opposite.
He simply…
didn’t feel the need to be involved anymore.
It had happened so gradually that he hadn’t noticed.
This Flaw…
It wasn’t obvious like Sunny’s.
Sunny knew the instant his Flaw activated.
Nor was it like Nephis’, whose price revealed itself every time she used her Aspect.
If anything, it resembled Cassie’s.
Always present.
Always working.
Cassie’s blindness was impossible to ignore.
His, however, quietly eroded something far more difficult to notice.
His desires.
It didn’t rob him of emotions.
It didn’t force him to isolate himself.
Instead, it slowly weakened his wish to belong somewhere…
to participate…
to become part of something larger than himself.
Orren’s Flaw can also be understood as him not wanting to take part in anything, the stronger he grows the less he will want to be a part of something.
The only reason he even stayed with trio is thanks to his flaw scaling with his strength.
He had just become a dreamer a month ago, so the effects of his Flaw were not obvious at all.
His eyes narrowed.
‘Come to think of it…’ Even during his first Nightmare, after his pseudo-awakening, he had gradually begun distancing himself from everyone around him.
By the final months, he had almost completely accepted that nothing he did could change the inevitable ending.
Back then he hadn’t known what his Flaw was.
He hadn’t even known there was something influencing him.
No wonder it had affected him so deeply.
A dry chuckle escaped his lips.
“So that’s how it works…” His gaze wandered back toward the dark sky.
The trio would survive.
He knew that.
If he wanted, he could simply travel to the Dark City, wait for them to conquer the Crimson Spire, and eventually escape the Forgotten Shore alongside everyone else.
It was the safest option.
The easiest option.
But…
He couldn’t rely on others forever.
Though his Flaw combined with the Soul Devouring Tree’s influence were making him lose his desire to grow stronger, his flame of desire to survive burned the brightest and to survive he must grow stronger, but the stronger he grows the less he will want to do it.
He frowned.
‘Quite the paradox it is.’ He mused.
The thought lingered in his mind.
To become strong enough to survive, Orren must cultivate the very strength that will eventually make him stop caring about surviving.
A similar example would be: A man climbs a mountain because he wants to escape the valley.
The higher he climbs, the more isolated he becomes, until he no longer remembers why he wanted to reach the summit.
His situation was slightly different.
He would remember.
He simply wouldn’t care anymore.
For several seconds he remained silent.
Then, suddenly… “HAHAHAHA!” His laughter echoed across the empty Bone Ridge.
The more he thought about it, the more absurd his Flaw seemed.
Fortunately…
His desire and his instinct weren’t the same thing.
His Flaw wouldn’t make him suicidal.
It wouldn’t stop him from protecting himself.
The instinct to survive ran far deeper than the desire to belong.
Even if one faded…
…the other would remain.
The laughter slowly died away.
A quiet question escaped his lips.
“So…
does that mean I’ll eventually end up alone?” The starless sky offered no answer.
With only silence to keep him company, Orren closed his eyes, and before long, sleep claimed him.
…………..
Almost seven months had passed since they had arrived on the Forgotten shore.
Just like in the canon story, they had successfuly reached the Dark City and spent four months there, growing stronger and preparing for their journey south.
After countless battles and even more close calls, the cohort of six, Caster, Effie, Kai, Cassie, Nephis and Sunny, had finally reached the wandering stone colossus.
Climbing onto its massive neck had been difficult enough, but surviving the long stretch beneath the black waters had pushed every one of them to their limits.
When the colossal statue finally emerged from the flooded canyon and its head broke through the surface, everyone greedily sucked in fresh air.
Kai had been the only one to lose consciousness during the ordeal, his grip failing halfway through the ascent.
Fortunately, Cassie had secured him with the Golden Rope before that could happen, and now he remained slumped against the cold stone, still unconscious but breathing steadily.
For a brief moment, they allowed themselves to relax.
Then Sunny suddenly stiffened.
“…We have a passenger.” Everyone turned toward him.
Only Sunny could see through the darkness.
Clinging to the statue’s broad chest was a hideous eel-like Nightmare Creature.
Its slick body wrapped around the stone while dozens of tentacle-like feelers slowly searched the air.
Hearing the voices above, it began crawling upward with unnerving speed.
Sunny tightened his grip on the Azure Blade.
“I’ll—” He stopped mid-sentence.
“Huh?” Nephis immediately noticed.
“What happened?” Sunny didn’t answer right away.
His eyes remained fixed on the creature below.
“…Something…” he muttered.
“Something terrifyingly fast flew by the monster and injured it.” Before anyone could ask another question, the Nightmare Creature suddenly convulsed.
A deep gash appeared across its body.
Nobody had seen what caused it.
Not even Sunny.
Only a dark blur had flashed past before vanishing into the darkness.
Then it happened again.
The blur streaked by so quickly it barely registered in Sunny’s enhanced vision.
A wet tearing sound echoed through the canyon.
One of the creature’s tentacles spun away into the darkness.
The monster screeched and lashed wildly at empty air, but its attacker had already disappeared.
Again.
And again.
Each pass left behind another wound.
The invisible assailant never slowed, never remained in one place long enough to be seen.
Within moments, the Nightmare Creature’s body was riddled with deep cuts.
It writhed helplessly for several seconds before finally losing its grip on the statue.
Its lifeless corpse slipped silently into the rising black water below.
Silence settled over the group.
Then Sunny’s expression changed dramatically.
His eyes widened.
“It’s coming!” The dark shape broke away from the shadows and shot directly toward them.
“Enemy incoming!” Weapons were raised almost instantly.
To their astonishment the enemy just hovered in the air in front of them, flapping its wings to stay in the air.
Sunny was the only one who was shocked because he could clearly see what it was and stayed silent.
Though not everyone could see the enemy they could hear the flapping of its wing just fine and Effie used it aim her spear, ready to throw.
“Say hello to—” “Wait.” Cassie’s calm voice interrupted her.
“It’s alright.” She smiled faintly.
“It’s an ally.” Effie froze, her spear still cocked back.
“…An ally?” The flying figure slowed before landing lightly on the stone platform.
Only then did everyone besides Sunny get their first proper look.
Dark feathered wings folded neatly behind the newcomer before dissolving into particles of light.
A wooden mask concealed the person’s face.
“I thought seven months would be enough for you to stop jumping at every shadow.” The familiar teasing voice made Sunny roll his eyes.
“I see you’re still a scaredy-cat.” Sunny snorted.
“Not everyone is as crazy as you, you know.” Despite the insult, a grin spread across his face.
“It’s good to see you’re still alive.” Cassie smiled warmly.
“It’s great to have you back.” Nephis remained silent as usual, simply studying Orren for a few moments before giving a small nod of acknowledgment.
Effie looked between the four of them, completely confused.
“…Would someone mind explaining who this mysterious masked lunatic is supposed to be?” Cassie giggled softly.
“He’s Orren.” “The friend we’ve been telling you about.” CREATORS’ THOUGHTS Lost_01 Have some idea about my story?
Comment it and let me know.