Greetings, everyone!Even though you didn't quite reach the goal of five reviews, I decided to write this chapter anyway. Why?Because I simply enjoy writing :)
This chapter serves as a kind of prelude, so it's not particularly long — around two thousand words.
I've also been thinking about the format: whether to make shorter chapters and release them more often, or longer ones but less frequently. After reading some of your suggestions, I've decided to aim for chapters of about 2–3 thousand words, but publish them more regularly.
Thank you all for your reviews, power stones, and — most importantly — your support!
That's all for now.Enjoy the reading :)
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"Alright, that was ominous," Effie muttered, and no one even corrected her — Why? because everyone agreed.
No one could blame them — every person felt fear; it was in their nature. And how could they not be afraid after seeing such a sight? In the dead silence, Rain screamed inwardly.
"Gods, what was that?! I knew Master was strong — and a little strange — but this is too much. What kind of Soul Sea is that? Are all souls like this?" she thought nervously, glancing around.
The silence was broken by Mordred.
"A magnificent sight, dear Sunless!" he purred.
"That was a very peculiar manifestation of a soul... and a little seductive," the Beastmaster noted playfully, earning several strange looks from her sisters. "Is she serious?" — that was the question running through the minds of all the Blood Sisters.
The screen flickered, displaying a few lines of text.
[The second viewing has ended.]
[Preparing the next episode…]
[During the preparation phase, you may ask five questions.] (I decided to increase the number of questions, since three felt too few.)
[Or you may invite one of your acquaintances to join the viewing.]
"I suggest we start by combining all the knowledge we've gained," declared the Professor.Everyone nodded in agreement, and under their collective gaze, he continued.
"As we've seen, young Sunless set out toward the Hollow Mountains, apparently intending to cross them. We still don't know exactly why, but during the viewing, we learned that even the Nightmare Spell itself has forgotten him." Seeing that everyone was listening intently, he went on. "Or, as he called it — the Arbiter of Fate — has forsaken him. We also discovered some of his abilities, namely that his transcendent power allows him to create avatars connected to shadows."
"Moreover, he commands powerful shadows that can grow stronger over time," noted Seishan. Another voice chimed in.
"And he can turn those Echoes into shadows, enhancing his own strength," added Morgan. "Honestly, I've never seen anything like it. Not even the smiths of Velor can do that."
"My dear, that's not exactly an aspect ability," corrected Ananke, drawing everyone's attention. "Weaving isn't tied to aspects — it was wielded by the gods themselves, and even by the Weaver. Despite that, anyone can learn it. It's an open aspect, though that doesn't make it any easier to master."
"Answering your question — I suspect it was through Weaving that he turned that Echo into a shadow."
The audience fell silent, reflecting on her words."An open aspect, once wielded by gods?" they thought. If they could master it, it would grant endless possibilities — limitless memories, even Echoes imbued with whatever enchantments they desired.But that idea was quickly dismissed; if even gods had used it to shape creation itself, what chance did mere mortals have? Still, one question lingered — how did Sunless master it?And in every pair of eyes there was now a hint of respect for the man.
"All right, I suggest we use the questions now," said the Professor, bringing everyone back to focus.No one chose to summon a guest — they had no idea who could help them in such a situation.
"Who wants to ask the first question?"
Morgan raised her hand. "Ask what this place is," she suggested. Everyone realized they had forgotten the most basic thing — where they actually were. Everything had happened so fast that no one had thought to ask.
The Professor turned toward the screen and voiced the question on everyone's mind:
"Could you tell us where exactly we are, and what this place is?"
[You are in a realm unbound by time and untouched by corruption.]
[This place has a name — "The Theater of Shadows."]
The audience pondered this. There had never been any mention of such a place in any corner of the Dream Realm.
"What does 'untouched by corruption' mean? Are there things here that could harm the viewers?" asked Cassie impulsively.No one blamed her — it was a valid concern. Who could know what kind of knowledge might drive them mad?
The screen shimmered and changed again.
[As stated, this realm cannot be affected by corruption.]
[Any words or actions bearing corruption will be censored.]
Everyone relaxed, realizing they were safe. They began discussing what question to ask next — something that would give them more information. Finally, they agreed to ask about Sunless's abilities.
"Can you tell us what powers the Forgotten One possesses?"
[You will learn that as the viewing continues.]
Everyone groaned in disappointment — that question had been wasted.Then a voice broke the silence, muffled slightly as it chewed something.
"Maybe ask why we were brought here? How we're connected to Master Sunless?"It was Effie, happily devouring pancakes, earning several baffled stares.
"What? After all this watching and talking, I got hungry!" she protested with her mouth full.
Jet sighed. "Effie, sometimes you truly amaze me."Still, it was a good question — odd that no one had thought of it before.
The Professor turned once more to the screen.
"Dear screen, could you tell us why we were summoned here and how we are connected to the Forgotten One?"
The screen changed again.
[Each of you played a role in his story — some as friends, some as enemies. A few fell by his hand. To some, he was a brother; to others, a lover.]
The viewers were equally alarmed and unsettled. Fell by his hand? Enemies?Everyone asked themselves the same question.
Meanwhile, Rain hid her face in her hands and screamed inwardly, "No, no! I've just been sold out — stupid screen, why me?!"
"I'm just an ordinary person surrounded by famous saints and even monarchs… and now this? I'm doomed, I'm so doomed…" she muttered under her breath, which to others sounded more like a squeak.
She truly believed she was finished — but luckily, everyone seemed preoccupied. Lowering her hands, she exhaled in relief.
Then a chill ran down her spine. Turning her head, she met a gaze fixed right on her.It was Noctis, grinning ear to ear.Rain froze. That's it. I'm dead.
But to her surprise, the mischievous sorcerer simply winked at her and turned away.Still, she couldn't relax — instead, she sank deeper into her chair, trying to make herself smaller.
Mordred, on the other hand, smiled faintly, his mind racing.
"I wonder," he thought, "were we friends… or enemies?"
After some time, once everyone had calmed down, they began to ponder what their next question should be.An anxious Cassie stood up and offered a suggestion.
"Maybe we should ask if we'll be given a choice of what to watch in the future?"
Her question sparked heated debate, but after a vote, they decided to go with it.
"Will we be able to choose future viewings ourselves?"
[After the third viewing, the audience will be granted the ability to decide.]
Everyone seemed pleased to finally have at least some form of choice in this strange place. They settled back into their seats — until the silence was broken by Jest, the Saint of Clan Dagonet.
"So, blind witch, how about you finally tell us something?" he barked.
Earning several disgusted glares from the cohort, Jest remained completely unfazed.Cassie stood, her tone sharp and dangerous.
"Saint Jest, I suggest you choose your words more carefully."
Unmoved, Jest met her glare without flinching.Cassie nervously looked back toward her companions — Nephis reached out and gently squeezed her hand in silent support.Receiving several reassuring nods, Cassie took a deep breath and began.
"As you know… my powers are closely tied to fate itself. They allow me to glimpse the future. But that gift was severed after our third Nightmare. According to many seers, fate itself had fallen into chaos…" she said, trembling.
"From the moment I became a Sleeper… I saw the future, and I realized that fate is absolute — that I am nothing more than its puppet, forced to watch helplessly as it unfolds."Cassie hesitated, struggling to find the right words. These were not memories she wanted to recall.
"I saw many things — both good and terrible — but every attempt to change something was met with a backlash a hundred times stronger. After countless failures, a dream began to take shape within me… no, not a dream — a goal."Her voice broke as she exhaled shakily.
"I wanted to create a weapon capable of breaking fate — of tearing it apart piece by piece. And I succeeded. That forgotten man — Sunless — was once part of our cohort. Our friend… our comrade."
She looked at her companions, tears glistening in her eyes.
"During our third Nightmare… I made it so that he lost his fate. I knew what would happen. I knew everyone would forget him. I knew he would be left alone. I knew everything— and still…"
Cassie collapsed back into her seat, trembling uncontrollably as tears streamed down her cheeks. The cry that escaped her lips felt like the outpouring of a tormented soul. Nephis gently wrapped her arms around the girl's fragile frame, whispering softly:
"It's all right, Cass… don't cry. It's all right."
The entire cohort watched in heavy silence, their expressions grim.They had suspected something had gone terribly wrong during their third Nightmare — but none of them had imagined anything this horrifying.
Everything suddenly made sense: Cassie's crushed spirit over the last four years, the strange gaps in their memories shaped like a missing person.
No one could bring themselves to blame her. They all felt certain there had been a reason behind what she'd done.And yet… why did their hearts ache so much?Why did it hurt so deeply?
The hall was steeped in somber silence.Even Jest — usually so cold and detached — felt a pang of sorrow, as though something deep within his soul had quietly stirred.Noctis, ever the lively one, sat still and silent, unable to muster even a single teasing remark.
"Damn… what a grim situation…" he muttered under his breath.
For a brief moment, the emotionless mask on Morgan's face cracked.Meanwhile, Nephis felt something strange stirring within her as Cassie spoke — a flicker of memory: a pair of eyes filled with unbearable pain.And the worst part… those eyes belonged to Sunny. The realization made her heart ache even more.
Reine sat quietly, her head bowed, staring at her shadow with sorrow in her gaze.She worried for her teacher — no, her brother.What had he done to deserve this? Why didn't he tell anyone? Why didn't he tell me? she cursed silently, bitterness rising in her chest.
"Poor child," Ananke murmured softly.
The room fell silent once more. Even those who had tried to remain indifferent were now overcome with grief.It was hard to wish such a fate upon anyone.
Then, the quiet was broken by a faint shimmer on the screen.
[Preparation complete. The viewing will now continue.]
[Episode Three begins — The Shadow Gladiator]
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Also, here's another question for you — do you have any suggestions for who we could summon to the theater?
Because honestly, I have no idea myself :)I'll be waiting for your suggestions!