Dodging the blade of the silver sword, Sunny got down on one knee.…
And he swung the Midnight Shard in a horizontal slash, the blade pierced Neph's stomach and came out of her back in a stream of blood.
Carried away by the momentum of the attack, Nephis took a step forward and stopped abruptly. When the sword slipped from her fingers and clattered onto the cold stone, she staggered slightly.
And then she fell heavily to the ground.
The glow of her skin was slowly fading.
Standing with his back to her, Sunny stared into the darkness. After a few moments, he closed his eyes and sighed.
"...The end."
A second later, he got up, turned around, and walked toward the broken figure of the girl, who was still trying to reach for the sword, blood gushing from her mouth.
When Sunny's shadow fell on Nephis, she clenched her teeth and hissed:
"This... is not over yet… I can still… I can..."
Ruthlessly throwing away the silver sword with the toe of his boot, Sunny looked down at her and said wearily, lifelessly:
"You can't. It's over, Neph."
Then he looked away at the shining Airlock platform. His face was in shadow.
"You've lost."
A chill ran down many spines at Sunless's words. In the end, he had prevailed, which was astonishing. Almost everyone had heard of the power of the Changing Star, and there was evidence of it in the words of many awakened survivors from the Forgotten Shore. The way she had been praised, called a savior by even some saints, not to mention that she had become a public hero, with people bringing flowers to her memorial and praying for her survival.
But now they knew it firsthand.
They themselves were witnesses.
Even the saints were stunnedher martial skill, not typical of a sleeper, her willpower.
It was remarkable…
Yet she had lost, lost to an uneducated rat from the outskirts. Ironically, wasn't it?
Watching the battle, they became witnesses to an unimaginable will to live, his progress, the way he, on the brink of death, created his own martial art. It was just as astonishing… if not more so.
Truly, a worthy bearer of the divine aspect.
That thought ran through the minds of each of them.
The cohort was even more astonished. They had gone through this hell with her and had seen her strength firsthand, yet she still lost.
"Princess… lost?" Effie asked in a voice full of disbelief. But she received no answer. Everyone in the cohort was so stunned they could not form words; deep down, they had expected Nefis to sacrifice herself to save Sanless.
Which was why she had been stuck there for two years.
But he had exceeded all their expectations.
Looking at the shining Gates, Sunny got a taste of that word.
Why was it so bitter? Why is it so painful?
Why wasn't it sweet and joyful?
He looked at Nephis with a dark grimace, then turned away.
What could he say to her that would make sense? One of them had to get out of this hell, and the other had to stay. One won, the other lost.
One had to live, the other had to die.
Any words he could find would be empty…
But they are not empty enough to express the emptiness in his heart.
His legs were shaking as he took the first step towards the Gate.
'...To hell with it!'
Why did his heart have to feel so heavy?! Why didn't he celebrate?!
He's the last one standing!
Sunny approached the iron ring.
Now he was only one step away from freedom.
...But instead of making it, he suddenly froze, staring into the distance with a gloomy expression.
A second passed, then another. The Crimson Spire shuddered again, sending more rocks down.
Sunny staggered slightly, then turned around and walked back to Nephis..
Standing over her, he slowed down for a moment, then knelt down so that their faces were on the same level.
Looking Neph straight in the eyes, Sunny raised his hands and clapped several times.
Finally, he said in a terrible, furious voice:
"Congratulations. You almost tricked me..."
At first, everyone was simply confused by Sunny's words. After such a brutal battle, after everything that had happened, why was he doubting now? Why did the one who had clung desperately to life every second of the fight falter?
But it was his last words that confused them even more.
"What does he mean?"
"What is he talking about?"
"How should I know!?"
Whispers flared up and spread across the hall like a small fire. No one understood exactly what was happening, and the rumble and heavy tremors rolling through the space only reminded them of the looming end.
Several cautious but insistent glances fell on the Changing Star. Everyone seemed to silently ask her:
'What did he mean?'
'Do you know?'
'Say something.'
But the questions withered, never leaving anyone's lips.
Because they saw her face.
Nephis sat motionless, her eyes wide as if she had just witnessed something impossible. Her pupils were glued to the screen, the sounds around her the whispers, the rumble, lost all meaning. Her heart pounded so fiercely that it felt as if its echo could be heard by everyone. Hands trembled ever so slightly.
'How did he understand?'—the only question burned in her mind. From the very beginning of their battle, she had known how it would end. Of course, who could know it better than her?
But it turned out that someone did know.
Someone had understood.
Someone had managed to see what she had been hiding even from herself.
The audience didn't have to wait long. The screen seemed to come alive, as if responding to the viewers' curiosity.
Nephis looked at him wearily, trying to understand his words.
The glow under her skin disappeared, and instead, white flames appeared again, faintly licking her wounds.
After a few seconds, she opened her mouth, letting the blood run down her lips, and said softly, barely audibly:
"What... are you talking about?"
Sunny grinned.
"Stop pretending. You played it masterfully. But don't forget who taught you to lie in the first place. Did you really think you could trick me?"
She was silent for a few moments, then whispered:
"I don't... understand."
He looked at her and asked, his voice trembling with anger:
"Why did you do that? Why is that?"
Nephis blinked and took a shaky breath, but did not answer, looking at him with pain and bewilderment.
Realizing that there would be no answer, Sunny hissed:
"Why did you give up the fight?!"
She hesitated, then said softly:
"I didn't refuse."
A bitter smile appeared on Sunny's lips. He shook his head.:
"You almost pulled it off, you know. I almost fell for it! But when it was over and I was able to think clearly, some things just didn't add up. They didn't make sense! No matter how you look at it, something was wrong."
Finally, everything became clear to everyone. Of course, whoever they were, first and foremost, they were close friends. If one was willing to sacrifice themselves, the other would never agree to it.
And here they were.
One decided to deceive the other for the greater good, so that there would be no regrets later. But no matter how noble her intentions were, Sunless understood everything.
Aurora's eyes softened and grew moist, her gaze flicking from the screen to the silver-haired girl. Part of her felt gratitude, part sorrow. She had wanted to save her son's life, but at the same time, it meant giving her own.
"Neph, why did you do this?" — Effie whispered softly.
Nephis hesitated for a moment, choosing her words carefully, and only after a heartbeat found the strength to answer:
"I… I don't know. I guess we were too close, and I knew he wouldn't leave me. Probably… that's why I made that decision."
At her words, Effie's brow twitched in frustration.
"Gods, Princess, you always make everything so complicated!" — she sighed with a sad smile, immediately earning an approving nod from the handsome archer.
"I agree with her on that," — he added.
Nephis' face twisted slightly at their remarks, but after a moment, she allowed herself a strained, almost resigned smile.
"Seems… that's how it is."
In the rows above, near a small family, an elderly woman smiled gently.
"What a kind child…"
Her words caught the attention of a young girl sitting beside her.
"Even though I agree she's kind, damn it, there was another option!" — Rein shouted angrily, earning a few chuckles from her parents.
"Oh, what kind of child is that?" — the elderly woman asked. Many nearby were drawn into the conversation and listened with interest.
"Why couldn't they have stayed together? At least the chances would have been higher… to reach the end together and challenge the nightmare, together." — she said with a surprisingly firm, almost stern voice, looking straight ahead.
Her words hung in the air, heavy with silence. Several people nearby exchanged glances, frozen in astonishment. It was strange — her conclusion sounded entirely logical. And yet… logical isn't always simple.
Internally, everyone understood: if they had gone together, they would have had to share water, food, double the need for memories. Any mistake would have been twice as dangerous. But… the thought of enduring all that hell not alone, but beside someone who would share the fear and hope, that was worth a lot. Perhaps much more than it seemed at first glance.
Hearing her words, Ananke laughed softly and gently.
"Well… next time, we'll have to send you. I'm sure you'll solve all the problems in the blink of an eye." — she said with a light, almost playful smile.
Rein shivered, as if startled awake, and flushed, trying to take back her words.
"Why the hell did you pretend to be fighting seriously when you were planning to lose from the very beginning?!"
Nephis stared at him for a moment, her face pale and unreadable.
Then she sighed and looked away.
After a moment, she said softly:
"Maybe because I'm far from home too."
Sunny stared at her, then hissed:
"what? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Shooting Star turned her head and looked at him calmly, then smiled.
"Okay, Sunny. You've got me figured out. Now go. This tower won't last long."
As she said that, the white flames streaming from her wounds suddenly flared up, becoming stronger and brighter. Her injuries began to heal again, not as fast as before, but still noticeable. Her eyes lit up with an eerie glow.
He gritted his teeth.
"What the hell! Not until you give me an answer."
"A lovers' quarrel? At a time like this?" — the silence was suddenly broken by the naive, almost childlike voice of the mage. His question sounded so out of place that several people blinked at once, as if slapped. Even Effie managed to choke on her own saliva.
Solvein slowly turned her head, raising an eyebrow slightly, as if observing a rare specimen of human foolishness. She let out a heavy sigh, as if drawing patience from an empty well.
"You… have no sense of timing at all, do you?" — she asked with icy calm, carrying the weariness of someone long resigned to the fact that he would never be taken seriously.
The mage drew in a breath, raised a finger to defend his opinion, preparing to present arguments about the importance of different interpretations of events… but he never got the chance.
"That was a rhetorical question. Idiot!" — she snapped, her words accompanied by a look of such genuine pity that it seemed as if she were saying goodbye to the last remnants of his self-esteem.
At that look, Noctis literally deflated. His shoulders slumped, his eyes dulled, and he slowly sank into his chair, as if trying to merge with the upholstery, dissolve into it, and escape from a world that treated his… analytical abilities so unfairly.
No one even thought to defend him. Everyone already knew: he had only himself to blame.
Yet, in a way, he was right. The audience understood on their own that time was running out, and the rising hum confirmed it.
— ...No. I can not. I can't let you stay, Sunny. Go on! Go and meet your sister. There's something waiting for you in the real world, at least. And all that awaits me is emptiness, bloodshed and graves. If I go back, the same thing that happened in the Light Castle will happen over and over again until there is nothing else left. So leave while you can.
The Gate's runes flickered as if on the verge of disappearing.
He gritted his teeth.
"...No."
Nephis opened her eyes and looked at him, an expression of sadness on her face.
"Leave me alone, Sunny. You are welcome. Go away.
He shook his head stubbornly.
"I don't want to."
"He turned out to be surprisingly… kind?" — the Beastmaster said, bewildered, raising an eyebrow.
"Indeed. It's… a bit confusing," — Seishan agreed, tilting her head thoughtfully.
Many shared their surprise. Yes, everyone remembered his harsh, sometimes ruthless actions; even the casual, almost offhand mention of killing six saints still stirred the imagination. Yet even then, in every such episode, his regret was apparent. And now, with the chance to save himself, he hesitated… and ultimately refused to abandon his friend, despite the opportunity to escape this hell.
This touched three of them particularly deeply: George, Aurora, and Jet. All three were from the outskirts and knew well the price of survival there. They knew how cruel a person could become when cornered by circumstances. Yet Sunless had preserved his kindness, and that said a lot.
Had he ever told her this?
Rein couldn't take her eyes off her heroine. Her heart swelled with even more respect… and gratitude. Even at that moment, Nephis thought of her brother, worried for him so much that she would have willingly stayed in hell. Alone.
Once, Rein could not have believed this, but now… she was truly happy.
Happy that they had found each other.
"They are both worthy of each other," — Daeron said, his voice simultaneously soft and stern, carrying the weight of years of experience.
"One was ready to sacrifice himself for the other… and the other refused to leave his comrade behind."
A warm, slightly tired smile appeared on the Monarch's face. He watched quietly, pride welling within him; for the first time in a long while, he felt the heavy burden of responsibility slowly lift from his shoulders. The future truly seemed to be in reliable hands.
The Professor, hearing his words, laughed loudly and contagiously.
"Indeed, both are admirable!" — he remarked, as if summarizing the moment.
And in that instant, the faces of everyone gathered lit up with genuine smiles.
…
But within moments, those smiles twisted into fear.
For a moment, the Changing Star fell silent, looking at him with a pained expression. Then she spoke, and her words made his world collapse:
"Go… lost from light."
His eyes widened.
Deep within his soul, something stirred and rose from slumber, exultant. Unbreakable, eternal, irresistible. Perfect, immaculate, and sweet.
…Before Sunny realized what he was doing, his hand shot forward, and the ghostly blade of the Moon Shard appeared in it.
"Stop."
His hand froze, the stiletto's tip just a few centimeters from Neph's eye.
Trembling, he stared at his own hand and forced it to move through sheer will.
But it did not move. It didn't move at all.
As if that hand no longer belonged to him.
Everyone stared at the screen in stunned silence. At first, a low hum emerged, barely perceptible, vibrating like an echo, as if the very reality on the screen itself had begun to tremble. The light gradually dimmed, as though someone were slowly drawing an invisible curtain, leaving everything bathed in deepening shadows. The air grew heavier, tauter—a harbinger of the scene's end, the episode's end… the end of what had been bright just moments ago.
"WHAT HAPPENED?!" — Effie shouted, bewildered.
"How are we supposed to know?!" — Jet snapped indignantly.
Everyone exchanged confused glances, lost, trying to extract some meaning from what was happening, until a single voice cut through the hall like a blade.
"Gods… that's his true name!" — Noctis whispered reverently. Even so, it echoed through the room like thunder.
"So that's his true name?"
"Lost from light?"
"Quite… beautiful!"
Whispers, murmurs, questions—all mixed together, growing into a wave, until the Professor's loud voice rang out.
"But why wasn't it censored?" — The professor's tone was genuinely perplexed. His sincere confusion instantly silenced the room. He was right: everyone knew this. Every other time, Sunless's true name had been hidden, obscured by a misty veil of censorship, as if it were a secret too great and dangerous to know. As if this place itself forbade it from being seen.
But why now?
Silence fell. The room was heavy, almost suffocating, until a bold statement pierced it.
"Maybe because it's his weak spot?"
Every eye turned to the source of the voice—Prince Nothing.
Mordret, slouched in his chair, lazily leaned back. A devilish smirk played across his face, as if he were delighting in knowing what others could not understand.
His words hung in the air like a drop of poison, slowly seeping into everyone's minds.
Because he was right.
Everyone remembered the moment Sunless's hand had stopped mere millimeters from Nephis's face. How his own limb had ceased to obey him. How, for the first time, he had faltered.
And now everything became clear.
Even a monster with a divine aspect has a weakness…
"H... how."..
A sad smile appeared on her lips.
"How did I know?" ...Cassie told me.
Neph sighed and looked away.
— She was the first one who understood the meaning of her vision. She knew that the two of us would end up fighting each other, and that I would lose. Maybe even die. She just didn't know how, when, or why. That's why Cassie told me your secret in the hope that one day it will save my life. But I... I hoped that I would never have to use it.
Sunny stared at her, too shocked to say anything. She smiled sadly.
— Something like that. I think... I think this is goodbye. ...I hope you'll take care of yourself, Sunny. Now go. Run before it's too late.
Although Sunny wasn't doing anything, his body was moving on its own. Standing up, he turned around and walked towards the shining ring of Gates.
Everyone watched motionless as Sunless slowly moved forward, as if dissolving into the darkening corridor. His steps were steady, mechanical… unnatural. There was no resistance left in him, no choice; it seemed as if only a shell of the man remained, a shell whose strings someone else was pulling.
Something chilled in the hearts of many. Eyes widened in shock, for only now did it fully sink in how easily his freedom had been broken. Two words. Just two. And even the possessor of a divine aspect had been turned into a puppet. It was wrong, inhuman… and all too real.
Nephis could not remain still. Her gaze flickered between the dimming screen and her friend beside her, Cassie, who seemed to shrink into herself. She sat with her head bowed, fingers trembling, hair obscuring her face. It was as if she feared raising her eyes, afraid to see judgment, fear… or her own guilt.
And in that silence, she barely whispered:
"Why?…"
The whisper trembled in the air, shattering the silence into fragments. In her voice was everything, confusion, fear, and a faint hope that someone would explain that it hadn't been true.
But no answer came.
Only Mordret's signature, sickly, almost grotesque smile spread across his face. It was too wide, too pleased, as if everything happening merely confirmed something he had long suspected and openly awaited.
In that moment, he was the only one who found pleasure in what was unfolding.
Step, step. One more step.
"Wait. Wait!"
But his body wouldn't listen. It just kept moving forward, indifferent to his commands. A dull ache settled somewhere in the center of his heart.
"Stop!"
There was nothing he could do. He was a wonderful shadow attached to the master; once the master gave an order, he had no choice but to obey.
Sunny slowly climbed the steps of the dais and approached the circle of runes, then, without slowing down, crossed the iron ring. As soon as he did, the runes shone with intense light.
His body also began to glow.
"No way! I refuse!"
The unearthly glow grew brighter and brighter, until it became difficult to discern the human figure in its center.
"No way!"
...And suddenly she was gone, leaving only a void.
Sunny left, finally freed from this long and painful nightmare. The journey to reality that took him more than a year is now over.
He got out alive.
Just a few seconds after it disappeared in a flash of light, a crack in the stone reached the circle of runes and tore it apart.
At the same time, the artificial sun of the Forgotten Shore flashed one last time with a bright, intense burst of light, and then went out.
...Left alone in the crumbling tower and with no more light to illuminate it, the battered, broken figure of the Changing Star disappeared into the shadows.
With those words, the glow of the screen slowly faded, as if someone had blown out the last candle in a dark room. Twilight enveloped the hall, and in the suffocating silence that followed, even the quietest breath could be heard—the atmosphere had become thick and heavy.
***
In a hidden room, shielded behind dozens of barriers, half-light reigned. Only the soft glow of magical symbols on the walls traced the outlines of two figures. One was massive, clad in armor black as starless night. The metal absorbed the light, like a living shadow. It sat in a chair, leaning back in relaxed posture, yet within that relaxation was a taut, dangerous silence.
Before him, suspended in the air, hung a mirror—perfectly smooth, shimmering silver. Yet it did not reflect the room, but a vast hall filled with countless people. Those who, by all rules, could never gather in one place. Those who were never meant to share the same space, the same time, the same knowledge.
The armored figure did not avert its gaze. Its eyes were fixed on the large screen in the reflection, the one that was slowly dimming until it vanished completely.
And in that silence came a cold voice:
"Now they know… You promised something entirely different."
The cold voice was full of hostility.
Not far from him, in a soft chair, sat another figure—light, free. He reached for the table, lifted a steaming mug of tea, and lazily took a sip.
"Oh, don't worry! When they leave, they'll forget what they were never supposed to know," he replied carelessly, leaning back further and swinging his leg.
His voice carried a dangerous amusement.
The figure in black armor slowly rose. He approached the mirror and froze, staring at the vanished image as if trying to discern something invisible to others.
"I hope it will be so."
The second man laughed clearly.
"Of course, of course. And while we wait, don't you want a snack? There are freshly baked waffles here, slathered in the most delicious honey!"
The black figure flinched sharply, barely noticeable, yet enough to be called a reflex. His shoulders tensed, as if from an unpleasant touch. Without turning, he ground through his teeth:
"No, I hate honey…"
The second man laughed again, as though hearing a child's confession.
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So, the episode about the Forgotten Shore has come to an end. I hope I did a good job, I trust your feedback on this.
I didn't want to mention this at the beginning, so as not to spoil anyone's mood, but I'll probably take a break from working on this fanfiction. I want to focus on my original work. It may upset some of you, I'm not sure, but I apologize in advance.
I do not know when I will return to this fanfiction, so I will not make any promises. To be honest, I had so many ideas for this story, and maybe one day I'll bring them to life. I hope for your understanding.
I was sincerely glad to read your comments and feel your support. And when we got our rating, I was over the moon with happiness!
It really meant a lot to me. I decided to give myself a chance to combine the useful with the pleasant, because I really fell in love with writing. I will continue to write, but now it will be a completely different project. Maybe not everyone will like it, but I really hope they like it.
And I guess that's it for now!
Once again, thank you so much to all of you for your support!
I love you!
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