Please, read the notes first for further explanations.
---------------
On the Forgotten Shore the dawn had still a long way to go.
All that seawater thrown onto the cliff by that tentacle before has made the air around saltier and a bit more wet.
It tickled their noses a little.
Sunny sat with his legs bent on the edge of the cliff, his feet didn't touch the water directly but were close enough to levitate above its surface.
Cassie had fallen asleep a few steps behind him and was now resting on the Shadow Priestess's lap, using her legs as a pillow.
After all these emotions the blind seer had collapsed from exhaustion, she had really a peaceful look on her face right now, as she curled up in a fetal position against the beautiful Shadow to sleep.
Meanwhile, the dislocation in Sunny's right arm had now long settled down with the help of Serpent. He wondered to what extent this trick with [Shadow guide] and the Shadow lineage could heal him.
Well...
He certainly wasn't so in eager to find out by experimenting on himself.
Sunny looked at his right hand, where he was holding his new Memory.
It was an azure sphere, but upon closer inspection, it looked more like a pup of the Corrupted Devil shark from before curled up in a ball. Its scales were aquamarine, with dull, almost lifeless colors; the Memory didn't seem very comfortable out of the water.
Sunny opened the runes.
***
Memory: [Abyssjaws]
Memory Rank: Trascendant.
Memory Tier: IV.
Memory Type: Weapon.
Memory Description: [Born as a slave on the Forgotten Shore and identified as the "Chosen One" destined to bring balance to the mortal Realm, he became a powerful Knight commanding the Starlegion army. Fearing the loss of his loved ones to the Great Titan crisis, particularly his wife and Queen of the mortal Realm, and the manipulation of the darkness, he succumbed to corruption, transforming into a ravenous, heartless beast.]
***
"..."
Sunny blinked, staring at the runes of his Memory.
'What the...? ... But this... this; this is literally the life story of Anakin Skywalker. Did you happen to copy George Lucas, Spell?'
...
No answer.
Sunny looked now at the enchantments.
***
Memory Enchantments: [Abyss dweller], [Predator], [Sea Tyrant], [Fish out of water].
[Abyss dweller] enchantment description: "This weapon provides its master with everything he needs to hunt underwater with ease."
[Predator] enchantment description: "This weapon is an infallible predator, as soon as it has scented its prey, it will not tire, it will not stop, until it has sunk its teeth into the enemy."
[Sea Tyrant] enchantment description: "This weapon is stronger and more cruel against enemies of equal or lower rank than itself."
[Fish out of water] enchantment description: "If this weapon is not completely submerged in water, it will become useless and lose all its enchantments."
***
Upon reading the runes, a diabolical smile appeared on Sunny's face, he was really grinning right now.
A Trascendant Memory was surely a big deal for a mere Sleeper.
'Good! This is very good! With this I don't need [Gift of the Sea] anymore. I can even consider feeding it to one of my Shadows later; or maybe just keep it as a reserve should things go South.'
It was a shame, though, that it offered him no advantage on the mainland, but who cares? This weapon was really cool.
As for [Rivers of blood], Sunny tried to call it back in his Soul Sea after that big tentacle leave them alone, but something was preventing him from doing so.
A will.
That tentacle was a limb of a Great Nightmare Creature, otherwise there is not other explanation. He knows for a fact that Shadow step or abilities alike didn't work inside the body of a Great creature due to the will, and if that thing really swallowed the uchigatana, this explain why.
He didn't know about this fact.
You definitely learn new things every day!
However...
That wasn't what Sunny was thinking about now, another problem was tormenting him at that moment: the Heart lineage.
During the fight with the Corrupted Devil, it offered no aid to him; only his nature as a Shadowspawn and [the Shadow] supported him.
Sunny had tried everything these past days to see if it still showed signs of life after [the Shadow] had put him to sleep for whatever reason, but nothing!
It was final!
At this point, one wonders what the Heart God blessed him to do, or why Sunny had the lineage in the first place if this was the outcome.
Heart could have just as well remained in his slumber, right?
Sunny turned once again toward the vast plain that was the dark sea.
His thoughts were interrupted by Cassie yawning behind him, waking from her sleep.
Pulling herself up with a hand and rubbing her eyes with the other, she stood up and walked toward him.
The Priestess let her do so, raising the hand she had been using to stroke her hair as she slept, like a mother rocking her child to sleep.
Cassie sat down next to Sunny a few inches apart. As she approached, Sunny watched her silently, without saying anything.
What happened before between the two had yet to be forgotten and the embarrassment still lingered between them.
'What am I supposed tell her now?'
Sunny was considering whatever diving into the waters below to test his new Memory, just to escape this, but on second thought...
Looking at the dark sea again, between this and sleeping with a hand out of the bed, ignoring every warning given by horror movies, Sunny didn't really know what was more dangerous.
The two sat in silence for a couple of minutes, neither looking at the other.
The silence was broken only by the blowing of the wind and the waves crashing against the edge of the cliff.
After a while, Cassie decided to break the silence first.
"Sunny?" She called him.
"Hm?" He snapped toward her.
Cassie took a long breath, "Thank you!"
...
Sunny blinked, not knowing what exactly to say to her.
"Oh! About the shark? Why? You're welcome! For you, my sweet friend, I would have done this and even more. After all, I'm a gentleman and the most honest person in two wolds, didn't I tell you this already?"
Cassie shooked her head, lifting a small smile on her sweet lips.
"Not for that, idiot! ...oh! At least, not just for that."
She paused for a moment, lowering her head slightly before finally looking at him.
Cassie was smiling, a smile of relief rather than joy.
"Have I ever told you what my Aspect says?" She asked him.
Sunny eyes widened. Indeed! A part from himself and Nephis, he didn't know the exact description of the Aspect of the other characters.
He was really curious!
"Go ahead!"
Cassie took a long breath.
"It says: you are a seer, a puppet of fate." She clenched her fists, "As a puppet, you can only peer in the strings of fate unfolding before you, never able to change the outcome."
She paused for a moment, as her next words were not just a statement; but a condemnation.
"Everyone hated the seers, because they knew too much...
...
...and spoke too little."
...
Silence fell again between them.
Cassie's words echoed in his mind and in the air around.
Hearing this, Sunny clenched his fists in sorrow and anger.
'FUCK! Are you kidding me!?'
...
...
'She was supposed to be hated from the very FUCKING BEGINNING!!!'
The grip on his fists tightened.
The sound of his teeth grinding with anger was drowned out by the waves crashing against the edge of the cliff.
'...why her?'
Why her?
It hurt to think about it, it wasn't fair! Not fot her, and not for anyone!
Before he could wrap his mind around the question, he felt Cassie's hand on his; she continued: "Ever since I received my Aspect, I have had the same vision: me sinking into darkness, alone and helpless, tossing and turning, making my death only more painful."
Sunny paled, looking at her. It was definitely chilling! No wonder it was so hard to get her self-confidence back.
She practically witnessed her own death and was told she couldn't have prevented it FOR A WHOLE MONTH!
"But then... you arrived, Sunny!" She smiled broadly, a radiant smile, "and from that moment, I don't know how, the future began to change. It's as if you were some kind of pendulum that, as it swings, causes a ripple of change in fate itself."
At this Sunny raised an eyebrow to her, "Oh my! What a coincidence, I am!"
But Cassie wasn't finished yet.
She held his hand with both of hers, gently lifting it to heart height in mid-air, between them, in the middle.
"And that's why, I'm really grateful to you! Thank you, Sunny! Thank you for showing me that fate it's not absolute, that it can change. Really!
...thank you."
Sunny gazed at her intensely, his heart pounding. She was so beautiful, so ethereal. Her blond hair blew to one side for the wind. Her lapis lazuli blue eyes were sparkling. Her pink lips were alluring. And she was so sweet.
Kiss her, you idiot! Kiss her now!!!
Screamed a voice in the depth of his mind and the Gloomy shadow under him.
Sunny leaned forward, ready to kiss her, but before he could do so...
Cassie took her hands away and said: "And speaking of which, Sunny, there's something I'd like to ask you."
Sunny was taken aback, he blinked; he had expected this kind of question sooner or later. He just wasn't expecting it now.
Cassie can see other people's runes, and his were definitely special if you know certain secrets.
It was about the Heart or the Shadow lineage?
No!
It was surely about his [Foreign] attribute.
For a puppet of fate like her, it was certainly a godsend!
Meanwhile, the Gloomy shadow was cursing out aloud, holding its head between the hands. Come on, man! It was done! you were almost there, sooo close.
"Oh! Sure! Ask me anything you want, I'll always answer." He said.
Cassie nodded, "Good! Because I wanted to ask this to Yuki and Master Jet also."
...
'Eh?'
Eh?
Sunny blinked, perplexed.
"You already know that I have visions of the future from time to time, well! That's actually my Innate ability. My dormant ability, instead, let me see the other people's runes."
Sunny paused to give her the impression he was surprised by her revelation. He already knew everything.
"Ohhh! OH! wauh! WOW! That's crazy, Cas! Not gonna lie."
What a clown!
Cassie asked her question: "What I can't explain, though, is... Sunny, why can't I see your runes? Or these of Yuki and Master Jet as well?"
...
'Eh?'
Eh?