Sunny sat in a quiet room of Steve and Aiko's shop, completely absorbed in weaving new Memories on commission. Ethereal golden strings danced and intertwined between his fingers forming complex patterns, hovering in the air before him—visible only to his pitch-black eyes.
Lately, his schedule had been quite brutal. He had to meticulously divide his time between his nightly excursions into the Dark City to hunt down Nightmare creatures and Gunlag's designated men, and weaving new Memories to stock his Brilliant Emporium.
It was an exhausting routine, but overall, he was making steady progress.
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Name: Sunless.
True Name: Lost from Light.
Rank: Dreamer.
Class: Beast.
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'Still not enough,' Sunny thought. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead as he carefully manipulated a particularly complex string of runes.
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Shadow Fragments: [452/1000].
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Despite his relentless hunting, the amount of fragments he received from human shades within his dark Soul Sea was significantly lower than the yield from consuming corrupted Nightmare Creatures.
'How ironic,' he mused, an amused smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.
Nephis, through her innate Attribute [Halfbreed], could easily absorb soul essence from the Nightmare Creatures she killed, but she received an even greater yield from slaying awakened humans. Sunny, on the other hand, could only saturate his core by stealing the shadows of his victims and—thanks to his forbidden Lineage—subsequently digesting their shades within the dark depths of his Soul Sea for an extra boost.
Yet, while Nephis—the radiant light and shining hope of humanity—profited far more from slaughtering her fellow humans, Sunny—the divine shadow of the God of Death—reaped greater rewards by feasting on corrupted abominations.
The sheer duality of their respective natures was nothing short of sublime. The thought brought a genuine, dark chuckle to his throat.
"What's so funny, boss?" a female voice called out, interrupting the flow of his thoughts.
Sunny immediately wiped the slightly manic smile from his face and turned around. Aiko, his trusty assistant, was leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed, giving him a deeply perplexed look after catching him laughing to himself in an empty room.
"Oh, it's nothing, my dear," Sunny replied smoothly, shifting his attention back to the golden weaves in his hands. "I was just thinking about a very funny thing, that's all."
Aiko blinked, then rolled her eyes. She was more than used to her employer's sudden, bizarre idiosyncrasies by now.
Over the past few weeks, the two had built a highly effective working relationship. Their Brilliant Emporium was currently raking in practically sevenfold what she and Steve used to earn.
Sunny left the finances and administrative headaches entirely in her capable hands, while he supplied the magical merchandise and the old man played the welcoming host to the customers.
"Anyway..." Aiko purred, sauntering toward him with a slow, deliberate sway. Her voice dropped an octave, suddenly dripping with honey and unmistakable intent.
Only then did Sunny truly notice the outfit she was wearing. It was the distinct, elegant uniform worn by the Castle's handmaidens: a crisp white apron over a fitted black blouse, paired with a knee-length skirt and hand-stitched black stockings that hugged her legs perfectly. It was a gracious gift from Seishan for his business, granted in exchange for certain... favors.
Aiko looked incredibly cute in the attire. With her short black hair, intense brown eyes, and delicate, petite stature, she looked as beautiful and adorable as a little doll.
"You've been looking pretty tense lately, boss," she murmured, taking a few slow, calculating steps closer. She rested her hands on her hips, causing the hem of her skirt to hike up ever so slightly. "How about I give you a hand and help you relax a little?" she added, batting her eyelashes playfully.
Their eyes met. Aiko's face was now barely two inches from his. From where he sat, Sunny could easily catch her scent—a crisp fragrance of lavender mixed with something distinctly sweet and velvety.
He tilted his head slightly, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "And exactly how do you intend to help me relax?"
Aiko stared at him. Seeing that her playful advances hadn't landed, she dropped her head and let out a long, theatrical sigh.
"Whatever! I was just wondering, what are you working on right now, boss?" she asked, raising her head and seamlessly switching back to her normal, casual tone.
Sunny glanced at the golden threads still weaving through his fingers before meeting her gaze.
"I'm trying to weave a very specific Memory. An experiment, let's say. Now that I don't have any pending commissions, I can use my share of the profits to focus entirely on my research into Weaving."
Weaving.
Aiko weighed the word in her mind. When they first started their partnership, he hadn't kept it a secret that this was the exact sorcery allowing him to enchant Memories at will—a lost, mythical art that apparently only he possessed.
The more time she spent with him, the more Aiko found herself genuinely attracted to Sunny. Maybe it was the hardened, experienced look in his dark eyes, or perhaps it was simply because he was surprisingly handsome—definitely better looking than the vast majority of men she had encountered since stepping foot on the Forgotten Shore. With the obvious exception of Nightingale, of course. But Kai was far too soft and modest for her tastes; Aiko vastly preferred greedy, fiercely ambitious types. Just like her.
"And what kind of Memory are you making, exactly? Is it a new product for the Emporium?" she asked. A sudden spark of curiosity mixed with raw greed took over as she rubbed her hands together briskly, already calculating the future profits.
A wicked, knowing grin spread across his face.
"A Soulbound Memory," Sunny replied casually, shifting his focus back to his work.
Aiko froze, her hands stopping mid-rub. She stared at him, utterly speechless.
She knew perfectly well what a Soulbound Memory was. How could she not? A Memory capable of binding itself to its master's soul and growing in power alongside them. They were practically myths. Neither she nor anyone else on the Forgotten Shore had ever seen one in person. They were usually only obtained as an Aspect Legacy Relic or, on extremely rare occasions, dropped by terrifyingly powerful Nightmare Creatures.
Procuring such an armament was literally impossible for someone like her. And yet, here was Sunny, casually claiming to be forging one from scratch. Aiko's lips curled into a genuine, warm smile as a pleasant sensation, like a fresh spring breeze, blossomed in her chest.
"Definitely worth giving a shot," she murmured under her breath.
"Eh?" Sunny paused his weaving, turning toward her, not entirely sure he had heard correctly.
Aiko spun around, clasping her hands behind her back over the apron.
"Nothing!" she chimed, and began to walk away, making sure her skirt swayed with a deliberate, mesmerizing rhythm as she moved.
He watched her cross the threshold with a deeply confused expression. Once she was out of sight, Sunny just shrugged and went back to his runes.
But then... smack.
He froze, turning slowly to his right. Aiko was standing right beside him, having stealthily doubled back. Her hands were still clasped behind her back, but the smile and the gaze she offered him were infinitely sweet, framed by a soft, rosy blush dusting her cheeks.
"You know, Sunny? I really don't mind being the third," she whispered, having just planted a soft kiss on his left cheek.
Then she turned on her heel and practically skipped away, giggling softly to herself.
Sunny was left sitting there with a dumbfounded expression, watching her leave for the second time. It took a moment for his brain to reboot.
Soon enough, however, his hands resumed their intricate weaving, and a genuine, subtle smile found its way onto his lips.
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