From Nephis's modest lodge perched near the edge, the ruined Dark City stretched out beneath the pale morning light in a haunting yet strangely beautiful expanse.
The view was breathtaking in its desolation, with crumbling spires piercing the gray sky and distant shadows hinting at unseen dangers below.
When Sunny questioned her choice to live so close to constant peril, Nephis simply offered a small, knowing smile that softened her usually disciplined features.
"Besides, what can compete with this view?" she replied calmly, her protective nature making the dangerous spot feel almost like a deliberate sanctuary for their group.
A distant, haunting scream echoed across the ruins, sending a chill through the air that reminded everyone of the world's unforgiving reality.
Sunny shivered slightly, his cynical instincts flaring even as the warmth of the Shadow Bond from Elysia and the others steadied him.
After the hearty breakfast of roasted at, Nephis leaned forward with quiet determination, the question she had been holding back finally surfacing.
"What did you learn in the castle?" she asked, her voice steady yet carrying that responsible anchor-like tone the group had co to rely on.
For the next several hours, Sunny explained everything he had uncovered, his observant eyes recalling every detail with blunt precision.
He described the six rigid social castes within the Bright Castle, the complex relationships between them, and the distinct roles played by the ever-watchful Guards, the daring Hunters, the inventive Artisans, the enigmatic Handmaidens, and the struggling tenants who clung to what little security the fortress offered.
Cassie occasionally added her own thoughtful insights, her empathetic heart helping to paint a fuller picture of the human struggles hidden behind the power structures.
Elysia chid in through the Shadow Bond with cheerful observations, her affectionate presence lightening the heavy discussion while pointing out emotional undercurrents Sunny might have missed.
Senrix sat nearby, his massive fra relaxed yet attentive, occasionally letting out a low chuckle or a sarcastic quip to ease the tension, true to his role as the group's cheerful shield who carried burdens lightly.
One piece of information imdiately caught Nephis's full attention, her calm eyes sharpening with interest.
"There are five hundred people inside the castle?" she asked, her voice reflecting the leader's quiet concern for the bigger picture.
Sunny nodded firmly, his pragmatic side kicking in as he elaborated on the numbers.
Nephis frowned thoughtfully, the figure not quite matching what she had observed in the sprawling outer settlent.
Together, the castle and the settlent held roughly a thousand souls, most of them young enough to have been claid by the Nightmare Spell in recent years.
By those numbers, hundreds of new Sleepers should have been arriving annually, yet among the settlent's weary residents, she had seen almost no one from their own generation.
Sunny explained the strange mystery they had uncovered, his tone laced with that familiar sarcasm tempered by growing trust in the group.
According to the information gathered within the castle walls, the arrival of newcors followed an unpredictable pattern that defied simple logic.
Fifteen years ago, only a handful had appeared each year, but the numbers had steadily increased until recent years brought hundreds flooding onto the Forgotten Shore.
Then, suddenly this year, eleven new Sleepers had arrived, all of them still alive and sohow making it through the initial horrors.
The number felt significant, especially with the Spell's known obsessions, leading many in the castle to believe a long cycle had shifted into sothing new and uncertain.
Sunny also revealed that Caster was present in the castle, prompting a nod of recognition from Nephis.
Caster had learned about the year's arrivals through an Artisan possessing a unique tracking Ability, one capable of locating people connected to soone she examined.
By paying her with precious Soul Shards, he had discovered that six of his acquaintances had reached the Forgotten Shore alongside the larger batch.
Elysia shared a gentle wave of curiosity through the bond, her bright optimism sparking questions about how this might affect their growing found family.
Senrix leaned back with a friendly grin, complaining lightly about the complications while his reliable courage reassured everyone that they could handle whatever ca next.
After that, Sunny continued explaining everything else in careful detail, his voice growing steadier as loyalty to the group overrode his old suspicions.
He spoke about Gunlaug's political system and the tribute economy that kept everything flowing toward the Bright Lord, the growing power of the Host, the brutal execution of Jubei, Harus's terrifying strength enhanced by his unique weapons like the soul sickle and chain, and the near impossibility of opposing the ruler through open rebellion.
As the explanation unfolded, Nephis's expression darkened with quiet resolve, her compassionate leadership shining through even in the face of grim truths while she remained the emotional anchor.
Cassie listened with gentle empathy, her self-sacrificing nature making her worry visibly for those trapped in the system.
When Sunny finally finished, he summarized his pragmatic conclusion with a dark edge softened by the bonds they shared.
"Gunlaug controls everything here. Food, shelter, power, hope, fear—every resource eventually flows into his hands. Out here, he might as well be a god to these people."
Nephis imdiately disagreed, her voice firm yet softer than it might have been in lonelier tis, reflecting her attachnt to the group and human warmth.
"He isn't a god. He's just an impostor, tired and burdened like the rest of us, especially after losing his wife."
Sunny laughed darkly, though the sound held less bitterness now thanks to the trust earned through the Shadow Bond.
"In this place, is there really a difference?" he asked, his wounded survivor side peeking through before Elysia's affectionate reassurance and Senrix's light joke ward the atmosphere.
For a while, they sat together in thoughtful silence, the found family dynamic allowing each mber to process the weight in their own way—Sunny the realist, Cassie the heart, Elysia the light.
Senrix eventually broke the quiet with a relaxed comnt, his courageous spirit redirecting toward solutions as he complained good-naturedly about the politics.
Eventually, Nephis asked an important question, her protective instincts guiding the conversation.
"If his rule is so oppressive, why hasn't anyone simply assassinated him? Why hasn't one of his lieutenants betrayed him?"
Sunny sighed, rubbing his neck as he recalled the details with blunt honesty.
"Because his personal power is even more overwhelming than his political control."
He then told her the full story of Gunlaug's rise, painting a more nuanced picture that matched the kinder, weary man they had glimpsed in rumors.
Eight years earlier, Gunlaug had arrived in the Dark City as a seemingly powerless outcast, his Aspect granting extraordinary speed and mobility underwater but proving nearly useless amid the land-bound ruins.
At that ti, the castle was far more brutal, with raw strength determining everything and weakness treated as less than human.
Yet Gunlaug had proven more relentless than anyone expected, driven by his own hidden pains and losses.
Instead of accepting defeat, he began scavenging the dark sea with reckless determination.
Every dusk, he dove into the black waters searching for Soul Shards from creatures crushed by the rciless tides.
Every dawn, he returned with at from monsters slain by the horrors lurking in the depths.
The practice was effectively suicidal, yet he survived against all odds through sheer will.
Then fortune—or tragedy—changed everything when he was swept away by powerful currents and discovered a dying leviathan stranded after the sea's retreat.
As he carved at from its massive body, the creature finally perished, and because his blade had been the last to wound it, the Nightmare Spell credited him with the kill.
The reward had altered the course of the Forgotten Shore forever.
The leviathan granted him a powerful mory—a golden suit of armor so formidable that no ordinary human weapon could damage it.
Sunny explained that the creature was likely many ranks above anything humans normally faced, rendering even strong weapons useless against such high-rank protection.
Worse, the armor had no obvious weaknesses visible to most, its liquid-tal form shifting unnervingly.
With that armor, Gunlaug returned to the Dark City, gathered loyal followers, crushed his enemies, and seized the Bright Castle, earning quiet respect from figures like Effie.
No one had seriously threatened him since, the skulls above the gates serving as grim reminders.
Nephis listened carefully, her stoic exterior hiding deeper compassion.
"What abilities does the armor possess?" she inquired, always the responsible leader seeking every edge.
Sunny shook his head, admitting limited knowledge shared through the bond with the others.
Almost nobody knew the full extent, but the confird traits included its liquid-tal nature and terrifying psychic pressure.
However, Sunny had uncovered a secret during his investigations.
The armor didn't affect everyone equally—the pressure only struck those who saw their reflection in the mirrored visor.
Cassie, being blind, had been completely immune, a detail Elysia highlighted warmly through their soul connection.
It was an important weakness, though it still didn't solve the larger problem of confronting him.
Sunny's true goal throughout the conversation had been simple: convince Nephis that challenging Gunlaug directly was impossible for now.
Looking at her carefully, he finally asked with pragmatic caution.
"So what do you think?"
Instead of answering imdiately, Nephis surprised him with her quiet resolve.
"I learned sothing too."
Sunny frowned, sensing the shift.
Then she dropped a bombshell that rippled through the Shadow Bond.
"There is a Gateway on the Forgotten Shore."
For several seconds, Sunny forgot how to think, the revelation hitting hard.
A Gateway? A path ho?
If one existed, why had nobody escaped before?
Why had Effie and others insisted there was no way out?
Trying to steady himself, he asked through a tight voice.
"Where is it?"
Nephis looked toward the window, her determined gaze steady.
"In the Crimson Spire."
Sunny groaned, the weight settling in as Senrix offered a supportive nod and Elysia sent optimistic encouragent.
Of course it was in the most dangerous place imaginable.
The enormous crimson tower dominated the Forgotten Shore, looming over every corner like an ominous beacon.
Part of him had always suspected the Gateway would be there, yet the confirmation brought mixed feelings.
Still, the revelation raised another pressing question.
If the Gateway existed, what prevented people from reaching it?
The answer arrived imdiately, chilling the group.
"A Fallen Terror," Nephis said calmly, though her protective tone showed concern for them all.
Sunny felt his stomach sink deeply.
A Fallen Terror—a creature with six soul cores, an abomination far stronger than the Tyrants they already feared.
No group of Sleepers could hope to defeat such a monster, making the possibility not just unlikely but seemingly impossible.
Suddenly the truth beca even crueler than before.
The people of the Forgotten Shore weren't trapped because there was no exit.
They were trapped because they could see the exit every day and still could never reach it, a despair Elysia gently countered with her refusal to surrender hope.
The first ruler of the Bright Castle had tried exploring the Labyrinth for a path to freedom and died.
The second ruler had attempted to reach the Gateway itself and t the sa fate.
After that, everyone stopped trying, resigned to their cage.
The group sat in heavy silence for a mont, the found family drawing strength from each other through the mutual bond.
Everything Effie had said was true, yet their trust in one another offered a spark of defiance.
Finally, Sunny broke the silence with his realist perspective.
"So what's the plan?"
Nephis stared out the window, then answered with quiet determination.
"We create a hunting party."
That at least sounded reasonable and achievable.
Independent hunters could survive outside the castle while gathering strength and resources.
Dangerous, certainly, but a path forward that fit their cohort.
Sunny nodded, his loyalty shining through.
"We'll need a pathfinder—soone familiar with the city, monster routes, hunting grounds, and survival tactics."
Nephis agreed, her leadership clear.
"I already have soone in mind."
Sunny raised an eyebrow curiously.
"Who?"
"We'll talk to her later," she replied softly.
Then Nephis leaned forward, her eyes sharpening with focus.
"But first, tell everything. Every na. Every Aspect. Every Ability. Every rivalry and secret. I want to know all of it."
So Sunny continued for hours, sharing every piece of information he had gathered while spying throughout the castle, his blunt sarcasm mixing with genuine care for the group.
By the ti he finished, his throat hurt from talking, but the shared bond made the effort worthwhile.
The final subject was the Pathfinder accused by Jubei.
Sunny explained that the man was an excellent fighter but also a degenerate gambler who spent most of his earnings in Aiko's gambling den and often resorted to intimidation or violence to avoid paying debts.
So rumors even suggested that the hunter had sacrificed the young Sleeper partly to finance his gambling addiction.
When Sunny finally finished, Cassie smiled warmly at him, her kind soul shining.
"You did an amazing job gathering all that."
He felt oddly embarrassed, his emotional side showing beneath the defenses.
"Well, that's what my Aspect is actually ant for. Spying and gathering information. Fighting monsters is honestly a misuse of my talents."
His shadow seed deeply offended by that statent, prompting a light laugh from Elysia and Senrix through the bond.
Ignoring it, Sunny turned back toward Nephis.
"So who exactly is this pathfinder?"
Nephis hesitated briefly, then sighed with quiet acceptance.
"Everyone worth recruiting already belongs to a hunting party."
That was unfortunate, but not unexpected.
Still, one exception existed.
Nephis finally spoke, looking directly at him.
"There is one person available."
Sunny waited expectantly.
She t his gaze steadily.
"You already know her."
A strange expression crossed her face.
"It's Effie."
Suddenly, everything made sense to the group.
The powerful huntress who knew the Forgotten Shore better than almost anyone else and who respected Gunlaug more than most due to his efforts.
The girl who had warned them about the dangers.
The girl who lived alone but carried her own quiet strength.
If anyone could guide a new hunting party through the Dark City, it was Effie.
The only problem was convincing her to join their found family and take the risk with them.
________
A/N: I'm starting to think to stop writing all together, not because I'm getting hit with hate or all that but because I'm just finding it boring now.
The only driving idea right now that I have is that maybe after the forgotten shore my writing will go for the better.
But I'm starting to think that it will not happen, my writing is basically 70% my own 30% ai.
And even by now that I changed chatgpt to grok I still find it too boring.
This boredom started from the start of volu 2 and are still crawling to my head right now.
But the sheer amount of ideas I have earlier on the story is vanishing one by one due to my own ideas contradicting each other now.
I will try to write more but I'm not gonna promise anything when I stop all together.
See you all, I'm on a burial right now so it's gonna be extra slow for to write.
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