Jubei stood frozen.
The man wreathed in shadow repeated, "Hunter Jubei. I have come to you… with an offer."
Silence stretched. Then—finally—Jubei found his voice.
"What are you?"
The stranger dismissed his odachi. It unraveled into a serpent and coiled lazily around his arm, fangs glinting faintly in the dim.
"I could be nothing. I could be something," the man said, voice a slow drawl. "But that doesn't matter. The offer does."
Jubei clenched his jaw. His thoughts turned fast and frantic.
A nightmare? A trick? Was this creature toying with him before the kill?
Before he could ask, the voice returned.
Only—it didn't come from the man's mouth.
It came from a memory, hidden beneath his shroud. Cold, metallic. Almost… amused.
"You intend to accuse Andal of using children as bait for Nightmare spawn."
Jubei flinched, taking a cautious step back.
The man didn't move.
"In two days, challenge Andal to a duel," he said. "When you do… ask the Lightless Heir to represent you. If you don't..."
The man took off the mask partially, his face still hidden behind a veil of shadows,
"I'll kill you myself"
Jubei opened his mouth, a question on the tip of his tongue.
But the man was already gone.
Vanished—as he was but a figment of Jubei's imagination. Like he had never been there at all.
---
(A/N: I don't know the exact timeline of Kai being trapped in the well so urm… let's just say this is fate favoring Sunny)
"Well, now that that's done… time to meet up with my best friend."
Sunny would've grinned, maybe even skipped, if he wasn't currently a formless shadow gliding across the ruins.
Eventually, he reached a ruined courtyard. Rubble littered the stone like broken teeth, and at its center, a large metal grate marked the mouth of an old well.
Sunny approached in silence.
He took form—corporeal, cloaked in darkness. Shadows masked his face as he peered into the well.
And found exactly what he'd expected.
A young man sat crumpled near the bottom, wearing light lamellar armor. His hair was a tousled sweep of dark auburn, his eyes—sharp, green, and just a little too honest.
Kai.
Last time, Sunny hadn't been able to see this far down. Sleeper limitations. But now… now he was something else entirely.
A familiar voice echoed up from the depths—melodic, warm, and just slightly dazed.
"Ah. A guest…"
Sunny chuckled. "Not really a guest. Nice to meet you though."
There was a pause. Then, in a tone that was more anxious than curious, Kai asked:
"Why isn't my voice echoing?"
Sunny blinked. 'Seriously? Out of everything, that's what he's wondering about?'
He responded dryly, "The shadows know how annoying echoes get. So, they absorb the sound. Can't have their god getting irritated."
Kai paused. Then, softly:
"…Why would their god be annoyed?"
Sunny tilted his head, smiling beneath the shroud.
"Because I'm their god," he said lightly. "And having your voice bouncing around endlessly would get annoying. Even if it is pretty."
He waited.
He knew how Kai worked—introspective, analytical. Burdened with a flaw that let him sense truth.
It landed.
"W-Wh—a GOD?!"
Sunny laughed—an honest, amused sound. Kai was panicking now.
"Oh no. It's all over for me. I'm dead. I'm dead. This is it."
Sunny had to take a breath before answering.
"I'm human, you idiot. Or… I was. Doesn't matter. What matters is I'm here to help."
He saw the doubt in Kai's silence, the tremor behind his voice.
"Why would you help me?"
Sunny chuckled again. "Because you're my friend, of course. Some might even say best friends."
He let the words hang for a moment before continuing.
"But that's beside the point. I'm here to get you out. And all I ask… is one thing."
He paused again. Hook first. Bait second.
Kai's voice drifted up, still wary. "Go on."
"First off," Sunny said, "do you trust me when I say I'm here to help—and I have your best interests at heart?"
Technically true. Entirely misleading.
"…It's hard," Kai admitted. "But yeah. I'll believe you."
Sunny grinned. 'Got him.'
"Good. Then I'll get you out. In return, you'll head to the main keep's hall and meet someone. Don't worry—they'll find you."
He waited, then added with theatrical flair:
"Oh—and you get three questions before I lift the grate and vanish like a polite nightmare."
Kai didn't waste time.
His voice was hurried, but still elegant.
"Who are you?"
Sunny considered.
"I go by many names. Lightless Heir. Prince of Death. Scion of Shadows. God of Shadows. Pick your favorite."
Silence stretched again.
These weren't titles. They were truths.
"…Why are you helping me?"
Sunny sighed.
"Humanity's survival might depend on it. Might depend on you. Alright—last question."
There was a pause. Then:
"What… what's the top music video out there right now? Also—I'm Kai."
Sunny blinked. Once. Twice.
'Is he serious?'
Same question as last time.
But this time?
He'd come prepared.
"It's Poker Face."
With that, he lifted the grate—and slipped into the shadows, gone before Kai could say another word.
---
Back in Sunny's room, he, Cassie, and Nephis were enjoying a rare luxury: pancakes. Real ones. While the rest of the camp gagged down another helping of monster meat stew, the trio dined like royalty.
Sunny took a sip of coffee, then set the cup down with a small clink. His expression shifted, something on his mind.
"Oh—right." His eyes flicked to Nephis. "Neph, earlier… do you believe what I said?"
She didn't answer right away.
Instead, she looked down at the mug in her hands, watching the steam rise like a ghost trying to escape. Then, with deliberate calm, she took a slow sip, swallowed, and met his gaze.
"Yes," she said simply.
Relief hit him like a wave. Unseen, but heavy.
He exhaled through his nose, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Good. That means we still have a conversation to finish."
He turned to Cassie. "Enjoy your pancakes, Cass. I need to steal Neph for a bit."
Cassie didn't look up, already halfway through another bite of Sunny's Supreme-tier pancakes. "Mmmhm. Just don't bring her back traumatized."
Sunny looked at Cass with a curious expression,
'Is it just me or has she changed?'
The transition was instant—darkness folding over them like silk, depositing them in the Nameless Temple.
Stone walls rose around them like ancient bones. The air smelled of dust and forgotten power.
"This is my citadel," Sunny said. "Well—technically, we're in its basement."
He turned toward her fully now, tone shifting.
"But that's not important."
His eyes sharpened. "You still only have one soul core, right?"
Nephis blinked, taken slightly off guard. But she nodded.
No point lying. Not to someone who knew her Aspect.
"Alright then," Sunny murmured. "Time for your gift."
He reached into his soul—not physically, but deeper—and pulled out five Sacred Soul Shards. Each one shimmered faintly with raw, condensed power.
Then, without pause, he pulled out a small mountain of Supreme Soul Shards. Far too many. An absurd number.
He gestured to the growing pile, utterly unfazed by her shocked expression.
"Here. This is for you."
Nephis stared at the shards, then at him. Her voice came out steady, but quiet.
"Sunny… what is all this?"
He gave her a look like she'd asked why the sky was blue. "It's a gift. What, you thought I'd let my friend stagnate at one core? Come on now, dig in. I want to see you hit Terror before lunch."
Two chairs of shadow rose from the floor, dark and elegant.
"Sit," he said, taking one himself.
She followed suit, settling into the cold chair like a knight awaiting coronation.
"First things first," Sunny said, holding out the five Sacred shards. "Start with these."
She accepted them wordlessly, one by one. Each one took effort to crush, the sacred shards resisting her strength. But she pressed on.
The fifth shard pulsed in her hand. Sunny could see it—her soul was nearing saturation. This one would push it over.
He raised a hand, halting her.
"Before you do that…" His voice lowered. "This will hurt. A lot."
Nephis met his eyes, silent.
Then nodded.
And shattered the shard.
The reaction was immediate.
Her eyes flew open, then slammed shut as a choked whimper escaped her lips. Her body tensed, spasmed slightly, then froze—hands clutching the chair's armrests hard enough to shake them.
If not for her Aspect's constant healing, she would've bled. She bit down so hard her jaw trembled.
Sunny watched, helpless. It wasn't a pain he could take from her.
But even so, instinct stirred. He reached out—almost without realizing—and took her hand in his. Their fingers locked. She didn't pull away.
The seconds dragged.
Every heartbeat stretched into infinity.
Then, slowly, her breath began to steady. The tremors faded. Her eyes opened, tears in them that evaporated before they could fall.
Her expression was tight with pain, but composed.
Sunny gave her a small, tired smile.
"We'll need to do that a few more times," he said gently. "Hope you're ready, Neph."
---
(Would you like to see Lucien become a recurring character? P.S: He will not conform to canon power-scaling.)
(I could finish the Bright Castle arc by next chapter… should I?)