For a moment, there was silence. The rift remained, its edges twisting faintly as Sunny drifted in the endless void. The golden ichor floated before him, its light soft yet piercing, swirling lazily within his grasp. Against its brilliance, the surrounding darkness seemed even deeper, even more absolute. He could feel it reaching for him.
"This... is it," he murmured, a faint smile curving his lips. "The blood of the Shadow God."
All this, for a single drop of blood. Yet there had been a reason he had gone to such lengths to obtain it,though that reason would have to wait. For now, there was only this moment. He raised the ichor slightly, preparing to consume it.
Before he could, the rift shuddered. A ripple tore through the void, distorting everything around him. Sunny's eyes widened in sudden dread. He tried to move, to summon a shadow or grasp at a Memory, but nothing answered. In the void, there were no shadows,no power to command.
"Damnation... what is happening? Did the Memory fail?"
There was no answer. The rift expanded, its pull becoming irresistible. And then, without another sound, it swallowed him whole.
****
A vast city stretched beneath the pale sky, crowned by a colossal fortress that pierced the clouds this was Bastion. Built like an artificial mountain. Its white stone walls rose in spiraling tiers, each ring fortified like a battlefield. Beyond its outer gates lay the Mirror Lake, calm and vast, reflecting the towering citadel above.
Tucked in one quiet corner near the lake stood a luxurious brick cottage. A polished sign hung by its door, etched with graceful letters:
Sunny's Brilliant Emporium.
Inside, the cozy warmth sharply contrasted the austere city beyond. Wooden tables gleamed under soft light, and plush sofas and cushions lent the place the air of a refined café. It was silent and empty, if not for a young woman lying comfortably On one of the sofas, her silver, soot-soaked hair spilled across the fabric. She wore tattered armor, and in her hand was a nicked, almost-broken sword.
Nephis stirred, opening her eyes. 'Where am I? And why was it so comfortable? ',She had forgotten the last time she'd lain on something this soft.
She wondered if she was dreaming, but people weren't supposed to dream in the Dream Realm. Clutching the Dream Blade, she jumped to her feet, waiting for the threat that was using this illusion against her. She had encountered such creatures before,those that used comfort to make their prey drop their guard.
She looked around cautiously, but there was no threat in sight , which only made her wariness deepen. Her fingers tightened around the sword's hilt until the worn metal groaned under her grip.
'Huh... why am I this strong?'
It felt different..as if she had awakened . But that couldn't be possible. Right?
Her eyes swept across the room once more. 'It looks like... a café? ',Everything was neat and warm, furnished with an almost elegant taste. Whoever designed it clearly had an eye for comfort and beauty. Nephis shook her head, forcing the thought away. This was no time for distractions.
Moving toward the door, she stayed tense, every step measured and silent. When she reached it, she grasped the handle carefully, pushing it open with one hand while keeping the other poised to strike.
But the moment the door creaked open, she froze.
Outside lay a vast, shimmering lake and a vibrant city beyond it,a city of white stone and towering walls. And at its very heart, a colossal castle reached toward the heavens.
The sight struck her like a physical blow, making her world tremble.Her aloof composure cracked; her eyes widened in disbelief.
'W-what... why am I in Bastion?'
Even if she had never seen it with her own eyes, she recognized it instantly,the towering fortress city described countless times in records.
Nephis staggered back, her breath catching in her throat. In a rush of panic, she slammed the door shut and pressed her back against it, panting.
'Why am I here?', Her mind raced. 'Is this really an illusion?'
She closed her eyes, forcing herself to recall,the endless desert, the suffocating heat, the black pyramid in the distance... and then the rift. The moment it opened, reality itself had seemed to shatter.
Her hands trembled slightly as she whispered, "That rift... it pulled me in",Nephis forced herself to steady her breathing. Panic would do her no good ,not now. She was in enemy territory. Gritting her teeth, she muttered under her breath, "That ghoul must be here..."
She lowered herself onto one of the sofas .Closing her eyes for a moment, Nephis tried to make sense of it all. Was this an illusion? Or... had she truly escaped the Death Zone?
If it was real, she should've felt relief but instead, unease gnawed at her. If Anvil found out I was here... The thought alone was enough to make her stomach tighten.She was still lost in thought when a sudden thud echoed through the quiet café. Her eyes snapped open. In one smooth motion, Nephis rose to her feet, sword flashing up into a high guard.
The sound had come from behind the accountant's chamber, hidden from her view. She moved slightly to the side, her grip tightening on the hilt, eyes narrowing in focus.
Then,a moment later ,a voice emerged from beyond the wall. A voice so achingly familiar that her breath caught in her throat. It said:
"Damnation"
Her eyes widened, the strength in her arms faltering for the briefest instant. That voice... she could never mistake it. It was Sunny's voice, the one she had longed to hear, the one that haunted her dreams and memories alike. Her heart twisted in turmoil, a storm of a hundred emotions clashing within her,disbelief, fear, yearning... and a fragile spark of hope.
Yet she did not lower her guard.The voice spoke again, unaware of the chaos it had stirred within her.
"What the hell was that..."
From behind the chamber, a figure slowly rose. Its movements were strained, almost disoriented. Then, as if sensing her presence, it froze and began to move toward her with hurried, uneven steps.
Nephis tensed. Her grip on the sword tightened until the worn hilt nearly cracked beneath her strength.And then the figure stepped into view.For a heartbeat, neither moved. The world seemed to still around them.
And then at the same exact moment, in voices that shook with disbelief and aching recognitionthey spoke:
"Sunny... is that you?"
"Neph... is that you?"
For a long, fragile moment, neither of them moved. The silence in the café was thick, Sunny's gaze darted between her face and the sword still trembling in her hands. She looked exactly as he remembered, silver hair, pale eyes like tempered steel,but there was something different in the way she carried herself. Sharper. Harder.
"...You're real," Sunny said finally, voice barely above a whisper.Nephis didn't answer immediately. Her sword lowered an inch, though her posture remained tense. "I could say the same to you."
He let out a shaky laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "I thought I was done for. The rift... it swallowed everything."
Nephis's eyes narrowed. "So are you behind this.", that was a stupid question Nephis knew that however the situation made no sense.
Sunny blinked. "Behind what?"
"This." She gestured sharply to the window, to the impossible view of Bastion beyond. "I was in the desert. Then nothing. And now I wake up here."
Sunny's expression darkened as he shook his head. "I didn't bring you here... nor am I strong enough to do something like this. Where even is this place?"
Nephis looked him in the eye, "it's seems like we are in bastion", sunny frowned, " Bastion huh, pretty sure that I was in my home".
"You have a home, Sunny?" Nephis blurted out before she could stop herself.
Sunny scowled, " Yes I do, you didnt have to ask it like that", They both fell silent, the air between them heavy with everything unspoken. Finally, Nephis sheathed her sword, though her eyes never left him.
"Then we're both trapped," she said quietly. "I think."
Sunny gave a small, humorless smile. "Seems like old times, huh?"