Warning: The lore I'll tell later on might not be accurate about how the dark city fell, but that's just my depiction of it. Also, darkness is the dark sea.
***
Sunny and Nephis were walking into town after they were done being lovey-dovey in the park, and they both ended up with hickeys on their necks. Nephis didn't heal her kickeys since she was quite happy with them and she was even smiling as they walked. Sunny himself was quite happy with the way things were going for them. They had found the exit, had a planned way to get into the secret house, and were leaving this cursed city tonight. He was even skipping from time to time again which Neph found adorable of him to do.
Although there was only silence between them they were discussing and revising their plan and making back-up plans for their back-up plans with their mental bond. Soon they were out of the park and were greeted by empty streets, stalls, and street lights dimmed significantly. Although there was no day-night cycle the citizens had adapted by using hourglasses to keep time. From what Esteban had told them the city was closed and in curfew from 9 pm to 6 am each day. This gave them 9 hours to work with which was more than enough time for them.
Together they moved in silence in the shadows, with Sunny and his shadows in front and Neph behind him close. Technically there was supposed to be no one out after 9 pm, but there were no enforcers of the laws so people could sneak out just like them and spot them. Sunny was also sure that there would still be guards guarding the house even after curfew and his theory proved to be right as they soon reached the house and hold and behold there were.
It didn't matter much since they weren't planning on breaking in through the front door, but from under. Sunny nodded to Neph which signaled they were starting part one of their plan. Hiding in an alleyway that was only 2 houses long away from the house they each took a side and stayed as lookouts for anyone that might stumble upon them. Summoning Saint, Sunny morphed Serpent into a shovel and handed it to her which she then used to start digging a moment later after a mental command from him.
The plan was that Sunny and Neph would cover a side in the alleyway as Saint dug a tunnel deep enough before going down and digging forward. If anything were to make its way over due to the noise they will alert one another and hide in one of the dumpsters and dismiss Saint and Serpent. Luckily nothing caused them trouble, and if the guards heard them they didn't send anyone to investigate. After which Sunny walked over to the hole with Neph beating him there and standing on the side of it looking down.
"Step two of operation digging our way in is to go," Sunny whispered into Neph's ear.
"You need better naming sense, "poetic soul"," Neph whispered back.
Holding back the need to defend himself he grumbled before summoning his trusty chest and pulling out a wooden board he bought earlier. Handing it to Nephis, who then handed it to Saint who placed it on the roof of the tunnel. Step two was simple, dig towards the building while keeping the tunnel stable using planks as support. After all, the tunnel will be their entrance and exit, so it collapsing on them halfway through their escape would be far from ideal.
They worked as if they were cogs in a machine, with each doing their part perfectly and void of mistakes. Soon they were halfway to their goal around midnight. They couldn't tell the exact time but Neph had made an hourglass with dust from the dead crimson labyrinth and also heated some of that dust and molded it into an hourglass shape. It wasn't very accurate but it got the job done always and for today it most definitely would since they weren't planning on staying long. As they jumped into the hole as passing planks from the surface were getting harder to do with the growing distance, he took a quick glance at Nephs' flower pin.
Sunny found it gorgeous when she first showed it to him but when Sunny saw that embedded into it were golden weaves, things got confusing. His first guess was that it was a memory but when Nephis told him she didn't hear the spell tell her she received one was when Sunny was stumped. He wanted to say that it was a memory and the owner still possessed it but it was missing something. Something he had been doing since ever since obtaining the ability to look at weaves was ironically looking at them. Studying them would be an overstatement since he wasn't able to understand the weave even a little.
But what he did learn was that each memory had three exact weaves in them and with the help of Neph's thinking they were able to figure it out. The three weaves every memory had were what every memory was able to do no matter what which was to be summoned, unsummoned, and have a name. Although the weave for the name changed for each memory it was in the same place each time so he was sure of it. But the weave embedded didn't contain any of the three that make up a memory, but it did have a weave that was an active enchantment. What that enchantment was he didn't know but that was everything he could decipher for now.
His guess and Neph's was that there was someone in the city whose aspect was related to creating memories, after all those were known possible aspects. Valor, Song, and House of Night were all capable of forging memories with awakened that had the right aspects.
"You okay?" nephis spoke, snapping him out of his thoughts as he smiled at her.
"Yeah I am, just deep in thought," nephis nodded knowingly before kissing him on the cheek.
"Well don't lose yourself just yet, we're almost done here."
Indeed Saint had made staggering progress as they were only a few minutes away from reaching a section of the downward spiral of stairs hidden behind a bookcase. They could've dug upwards after being under the house but they could get caught if there were guards inside and it wouldn't be a hassle to do so. Sunny's shadow sense was completely blocked and disabled once they were under so they'll have to rely on his shadows and listen for anything that would be a threat.
*Crack*
Looking in front of Nephis he saw that Saint had turned the Serpent into a pickaxe and slammed it into a concrete wall, giving them an opening to the staircase.
"Good job Saint," Sunny echoed before dismissing her back into his soul sea.
Sunny and Nephis walked out of the tunnel and started going the the staircase as fast as they could. Sunny had no actual idea how deep the stairs went so reaching the end could take only minutes to several hours. Luckily it was the former as they soon found themselves in front of a large library at the bottom of the stairs. Sunny was amazed as there were bookcases covered in cobwebs filling the room and being in neat columns. The room was seen as ancient as it was made of mossy cobblestone that seemed to accumulate cracks over the long centuries without maintenance.
Over all the room was plain but the knowledge it held was of importance to them. These books could hold the answers to why everyone acted weird in the city, possible blueprints for memories that Sunny could study, or maybe even history on the Forgotten Shore. Heading to one of the bookcases, with Neph right behind him, sword out, he pulled a book out. Its title was lost in time as it had faded too much for him to be able to tell what it said and opening the book he saw everything was either gone or faded into unrecognizable gibberish.
"Ok, Neph you handle the right side and I'll handle the left. Try to find some books that aren't faded out too much and meet up in the center."
"Understood, take care, Sunny," Neph said before heading out to the right side and leaving him alone.
Deciding he had procrastinated long enough he moved with heavy legs towards the edge of the library. Once there we started going through every book, looking to see if it had a title and flipping through its pages to be disappointed when he found jackshit. He didn't find any useful books until he picked up what he presumed to be a mundane book and went through the motions before being stopped as he saw it had a title.
History of the forgotten shore, from the beginning to the present day.
'Bingo,' Sunny thought happily before flipping through the pages to see them faded but still coherent enough to read.
He took the book and carried it with his undershoulder and continued looking for any other books that weren't distorted. He did find other books with titles like:
Herbs and medicines,
Blueprints and city layouts,
How to deal with floods.
But looking inside the book the pages were too faded to read like the others. Eventually, he found his way back into the center of the library to find Neph sitting down on the ground crisscross applesauce style which he found extremely cute of her to do.
"So did you find anything?" Sunny called out as he approached her and sat down.
"I did but it's quite out of place with its good quality, so I think it was placed here about 100 years ago or so. Almost all the books here are old and break under the slightest pressure," Nephis said in annoyance as she grabbed a book on the wall, and slightly squeezing it, it left a hole straight through the middle to show her point.
"It's also a journal from a citizen here which is weird for a library this ancient to have."
Sunny also found it quite strange but decided not to think about it too much since it wasn't worth the stress.
"I also found one about the history of this place."
Sunny showed her the book he found and after giving it to her she flipped through the pages before handing it back satisfied.
"Well,"
Nephis said as she lay down on her back slowly while smirking lightly,
"How about you read it to me, Sunny, I do love a good story. I'll read mine to you after."
"You know I'm glad I was taught how to read and write on the outskirts now. Not many can surprisingly." Sunny said absentmindedly flipping to the first page.
Clearing his voice with a cough he started reading the book loud enough for Neph to hear as she looked at him with a hint of amusement in her face.
"Long ago (around 2000 years) there was a grand city named Esteral City that was the capital city for all of the nearby land. They fought corrupted creatures, traded, farmed, and prospered during the glory days. But a harrowing Nephilim came down from the sky, broken and battered from whatever it fought. A priestess approached it and killed the Nephilim, subsequently releasing a dark curse upon the land that drowned the land.
That darkness brought horrors never seen before and not before long cities fell, washed away, and left no trace. The remaining cities united to fight the darkness and creatures of corruption, but to no avail, as they all fell one by one until only Esteral remained. But when all hope seemed lost, 7 heroes emerged during the era of darkness. Their names were:
Hersa, the priestess,
Harold, the builder,
Ares, the knight,
Kael, the slayer,
Elara, the hunter,
Sable, the stranger,
And the leader, Veyran, the lord.
They founded the Starlight Legion and took a terrible oath to destroy the curse or be consumed by it.
Together they built a sun, and slaughtering half the population, brought it to life. They used the population's souls as a conductor for the sun, and the 7 heroes ended their lives by plunging their weapons into their hearts, their essence flowed into the Sun, bringing a new era as darkness retreated with the shining artificial sun. The Heroes used seven sacred seals to contain the primordial darkness deep underground the sun.
The city, forever grateful, built statues in memory of them so that their legacy may never be forgotten. Over time the seals containing back the darkness started to strain, their sacrifice was beginning to wane. Sacrifices of human souls dwindled as the years passed as no one was willing to give up their life or brave enough. So after a millennium and when the city was beginning to prosper again the seals broke and released darkness once more. The Sun and darkness fought, bringing destruction and chaos to the land. And with it harrowing corrupted beast attacked the city walls. They were stopped as the walls were impenetrable, a last gift from the heroes of a dark era.
But the darkness started corrupting citizens into monstrous beasts within the castle walls and especially an atrocious one lay beneath the city in the catacombs. Many died to the Corrupted and others joined or died by the atrocious beast that lay in the catacombs. Only a few thousand were able to escape the castle walls and fled as darkness took over their once glorious city. They fled and searched for a new home, one that would protect them from darkness, and found such a place underground.
United they built a new prosperous city. But the Darkness threatened to drown them all so they built deep pits and pathways to contain the water that flows in every night and disappears every sunrise. But the darkness brought creatures into the caverns so the creation of the White Castle was made, with the ruler of the city being present in it most time to fend off hordes of creatures. They learned from their mistakes by building an exit way under a pond in case of emergencies, one that went west where there's..."
Sunny paused and silence enveloped the room as Neph stared at him confused.
"There's what?"
"Well that's the thing, the rest of the page on the subject is burnt."
Nephis looked at him thoughtfully before saying,
"Continue reading where you can."
Sunny summoned his water battle and took a huge gulp before dismissing it and reading where it was readable again.
"After the construction of the exit under the pond, danger died down as now the Forgotten City fell into a prosperous era. The city grew more each day and new inventions were created, one that stood out was being able to control the water levels outside the city properly. To this day the Forgotten City stands as a monument and symbol that through the worst, united, we will get through it."
Sunny closed the book and took some time to absorb all the knowledge from the book. One thing that grabbed his attention was how the pages that describe what was west were burnt, seemingly as if someone didn't want anyone to know what was out there. Putting the book on the shelf it was now his turn to lie on the ground as Nephis opened the book and spoke.
"Journal of Elric Noll, Citizen of the Forgotten City.
Entry 0 – Today
I bought a journal under the recommendation from a friend. Said it'll help me keep my mind clearer and help recall my days since I have a bad memory. Plus, I always wanted to be a writer of sorts.
⸻
Entry 1 – First Day of the Week
I woke before sunrise—an old habit from my father's bakery days. Went down to the market for bread, eggs, and lamp oil. Crowds thick as always, everyone shoulder to shoulder. A man selling smoked eels kept shouting about "fresh from the pond" though the smell told a different story.
After errands, I spent the afternoon mending the fence in the courtyard. Marla says we should hire a carpenter, but there's no sense in paying for what I can do myself. Evening spent on the balcony, listening to the city hum.
⸻
Entry 4 – Midweek
The tavern by the square tried a new ale. It's far too bitter, but the place was full. A troop of musicians played outside, and a street performer swallowed fire to amuse the children.
On the way home, I passed the guard post. They looked restless. Didn't think much of it at the time.
⸻
Entry 7 – Rest Day
Rainy. Stayed in, read half a novel about sea voyages. The streets below ran with water to clean them, but the merchants stayed out, shouting above the downpour.
Heard an odd thing from Mrs. Pell, the widow downstairs—she said someone told her there's "something moving under the city." A sewer rat the size of a horse, she claimed. I laughed, but she didn't.
⸻
Entry 10 – Late Evening
The rumor's making its rounds now. At the bakery, two men argued whether it was some forgotten beast or a trick by thieves. One said his cousin in the guard swears the king himself called for a full search of the undercity.
Odd for His Majesty to be involved in such a matter. Surely that's work for the watch, not the throne.
⸻
Entry 12 – The Night Before the Search
Trumpets in the streets today. Soldiers marching in formation, headed for the southern gates where the sewer tunnels widen. And there—yes—I saw the king among them, wearing not the ceremonial gold, but armor dulled from use.
The mood in the city was... tense. Children stopped playing to watch them pass. I think we all expected to hear the sounds of battle.
⸻
Entry 14 – Return
They're back. But not quite as I remembered them. The soldiers walk strangely, as if their armor is heavier now. The king didn't wave to the people—he stared ahead, mouth slack, eyes... too wide.
When I called to Captain Vorren, he didn't seem to recognize me, though I've bought him drinks before.
⸻
Entry 15 – A Strange Day
At the market, soldiers wandered without aim, looking at stalls but buying nothing. One leaned close to a jar of pickled onions and sniffed it for almost a full minute before walking away.
The king addressed the people in the square, but his words were slow, halting, and oddly... wet, as if his tongue was too large for his mouth. He implemented a curfew that no one was allowed out from 9 am to 6 pm. No one clapped when he finished.
⸻
Entry 18 – Worry
The royal banners have been hung upside down in the White Castle. No one in the castle has corrected them.
I heard heavy footsteps in the alley at midnight—metal boots, dragging slightly. When I looked, there was no one there, but the smell... gods, the smell was like the river at low tide, mixed with something metallic.
⸻
Entry 21 – Fear
I saw the king today. His face—paler than before, skin drawn tight, lips colorless. He walked past me without a word, but when his eyes met mine, I felt something press against my mind, like a cold hand trying to open a door. His eyes also looked...mad. Not the mad that happens when you're angry but the one when you're insane and have lost all reason.
I closed my shutters early. I don't know if they were able to kill the thing or not. I fear that they did not.
⸻
Entry 24 – Night Noise
Couldn't sleep tonight. Rain pattered on the roof, steady enough to be calming—until I heard it.
From the apartment beneath mine: a crash, a chair scraping, and the muffled sound of someone struggling. It went on for maybe half a minute—boots shifting, furniture breaking—then, silence.
I froze at my desk, pen in hand, listening so hard my ears rang.
Then came the sound of a door opening below. Slow. Deliberate. A pause... and then it closed, just as quietly.
No footsteps on the stairs. No voices in the hall.
⸻
Entry 25 – Morning After
Mrs. Pell didn't open her shutters today. Normally she's the first to gossip in the morning. I knocked on her door before work—no answer.
At the market, the baker smiled at me, but his eyes didn't move. They stayed locked on mine, unblinking, even as he handed me my bread. I left without saying a word.
⸻
Entry 27 – Spreading
It's not just the soldiers now. The cobbler across the street stands in his shop doorway for hours, just... watching. The innkeeper doesn't light his lanterns anymore, but people still go inside. I can't see them come out.
I feel watched everywhere I go. And worse—there's a strange warmth in my chest at night, like my heartbeat has changed rhythm.
⸻
Entry 30 – Realization
I caught my reflection in the basin tonight. My pupils—larger than they should be. My skin feels tight over my face, as though something beneath is pressing outward.
When I try to recall certain memories, they're blurry... but new thoughts slip into my head, thoughts that aren't mine. They tell me the king was right to go below. That we all must.
⸻
Entry 31 – Last Entry
I understand now. Whatever came back from the dark tunnels isn't wearing them—it is them. And now it is me, too.
The warmth in my chest has spread to my bones. My hands move without my wanting, writing these words faster than I can think them. My neighbors stand in the street below, looking up at my window, waiting. I can hear them breathing in unison.
I have been turned too. I can feel it in my soul. I am one with them."
Nephis saw a bloody handprint on the last page that had dried up ages ago. She closed the book to look up at Sunny, mortified. Sunny was mortified, especially at the last part since he had a suspicion of what had happened.
"I think...they were corrupted or mind controlled," Sunny said softly to Neph.
"I don't know, corruption is... a funny thing. We don't know how corruption works and no human has ever been corrupted before. Mind control seems more tempting to believe." Nephis responded though she seemed hesitant to say something.
"You haven't been feeling funny have you Sunny?" Nephis said carefully
"Not in the slightest of what the man felt, have you?" Sunny said softly and slowly.
"I feel nothing,"
Nephis said getting up and putting her book back onto a shelf.
"We should get going now, we've been here for quite a while-"
Suddenly something mental hit Neph's head in the back as she collapsed and crumbled to the ground, and before Sunny could do anything he felt something hard and cold hit him in the back of his head.
The last thing he saw before he became unconscious was a tall blond man behind Neph's unconscious body.