The dark see began to return.
Sunny unstrapped the saddlebags from the Echo before dismissing it, the creature vanishing in a wisp of shadow. The top of the ridge immediately felt more open.
All four of them were filthy, their skin caked with grime and dried blood.
Nephis and Cassie walked off to wash, leaving the boys to take a moment for themselves. Sunny and Asher walked a short distance away and collapsed onto the ground, their tired bodies grateful for the rest.
Sunny's eyes glazed over as he stared into the sky, his mind thinking. Asher realized he was reading his runes.
A sly grin spread across Asher's face as he summoned his own.
[Soul fragments: 173/1000]
'Not bad...'
Progress slowed down, definetely... but it was going better for the cohort as a whole than the canon timeline. That was because they fought so many Nightmare creautures due to Asher antics, it frankly suprising none of them lost even a limb!
Finally, Sunny stood and wandered off to wash, leaving Asher alone beneath the infinite expanse of the black sky.
He tilted his head back, staring into the dark sky above. It was strange. Most people, if thrown into a nightmare like Shadow Slave, would be consumed by despair. The knowledge that death was waiting for them would paralyse them. But for Asher, the thought of dying didn't stir the same terror.
He had toyed with the idea of death before—entertained it, even. In his past life, the thought had come and gone like an uninvited guest, lingering long enough to whisper its temptations before he pushed it aside. Social bonds had tethered him to life back then, a flimsy anchor at best.
But fear of death? He'd never truly felt it. Not until now.
He didn't want to let go of this life.
He laughed.
It felt strange saying it, but at the same time. He didn't have so much fun in a long time...
"What are you laughing about?"
The question startled him. He turned his head to see Nephis approaching, her silver hair damp and her expression as plain as ever. She sat beside him, her gaze on his face.
"Nothing," Asher said with a faint smile, turning back to the empty sky. "Just… thinking about how dying wouldn't be so bad."
Her frown deepened, her eyes narrowing. "Why would you say that?" she asked, her voice low. "Dying is horrible."
Asher leaned back on his hands, his gaze distant. "You wouldn't get it," he said, his tone light. "You're ambitious, Nephis. You've always been moving toward something, fighting for something. For someone like you, life has purpose. For someone like me… dying feels like a relief. Better than living in—"
"You're wrong."
Her voice was sharp, cutting him off.
Asher turned to look at her, her eyes igniting in a little white spark.
"Dying isn't relief. It's surrender."
"It's giving up. It's letting every nightmare, every scavenger, every force that ever wanted to see you broken, win." She leaned forward slightly, her gaze burning into his. "Living in pain is hard. But dying? Dying is letting them take everything from you. Do you really want to give them that satisfaction?"
Asher stayed silent, looking at her with a shocked face. Then, he chuckled, "You sound like Sunny you know?"
Nephis frowned, "perhaps I'm copying him too much." She muttered to herself.
Before he could say more, Sunny's voice rang out, breaking the tension. "Hey, Ash! I'm done. Go wash up while we figure out dinner!"
Asher stood, brushing himself off as he grabbed the Endless Spring. He glanced back at Nephis, a toothy grin playing on his face.
"Let's leave this conversation here for now," he said softly.
Nephis nodded, watching him walk away.
_______________
Nothing.
Asher stood in empty space. No light. No sound. Nothing.
Everything was black.
He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound emerged. His throat constricted, threatening to choke him.
He tried to move, but his legs were leaden, frozen in place. A cold, sinking sensation twisted his gut. He wanted to puke. He wanted to gag. But his body didn't allow him to.
Then, after what felt like an eternity... Hefelt something.
A touch.
It was a hand, no doubt.
It gripped his shoulder—light at first, then tightening, each finger slowly digging into his flesh with unnatural pressure.
Then came a voice... A low, raspy voice.
"You're here..."
Asher jerked his head around, his heart threatening to jump out of his chest. There was nothing but the void at his back. He felt his heart grow quicker. His breathing quickened.
Panic clawed at him as he scanned the void, his eyes darting wildly.
Where was he?
He looked down.
His legs were trembling. No—melting. Dissolving into the darkness.
He was sinking.
Slowly, the void dragged him down, swallowing him inch by inch.
He tried to scream. To cry. To beg.
But the void stole the sound from his lips.
Then, a voice, echoing throughout the void, rang into his ear.
"I'm coming for you..."
And then Asher woke up.
_____________
Asher's eye lids felt heavy.
A sharp, splitting pain shot through his skull, forcing a groan from his lips. The world around him swam, disjointed and unfocused, as faint voices filtered through the haze.
"Don't show him your hands. I'm pretty sure that was the trigger," a woman's voice hissed, hushed but urgent.
"Do you think he's… lost it?" a man replied, his tone uncertain, laced with unease.
"Highly doubt it," the woman said curtly. "He mentioned having some attribute that lets him think fast. He'll piece it together soon enough."
Asher blinked slowly, the voices sharpening as the haze began to lift. His head throbbed in protest as he turned toward the source.
"Oh, he's awake."
Sunny looked at him with his usuaul frown. It was weird to see him nice and clean.
"Great," Asher muttered, his voice hoarse. "How is your face the first thing I see after a nightmare like that?"
Asher sat up slowly, his muscles stiff and aching. Something was wrong. He could feel it, he felt as if her ooverworked himself.
"What happened?" he asked, though the words felt hollow. He already knew the answer wasn't going to be simple.
Sunny hesitated, glancing at Nephis, who stood nearby with her arms rigidly tucked behind her back. Asher's gaze flickered between the two of them, the dissonance in their expressions unsettling.
"Where's Cas?" Asher asked, a pit forming in his stomach.
"We moved her somewhere safe," Nephis said flatly, her tone as sharp as the ache in his head. "In case you attacked again."
Asher's brow furrowed, his thoughts stalling as he tried to process her words. "Attacked? What are you talking about?"
Sunny sighed heavily, but Nephis cut him off with a nod. "So you really don't remember."
Before Asher could press further, another spike of pain lanced through his skull. He staggered, clutching the side of his head as the world around him tilted.
"Allow me to explain what happened" Nephis said.
________________________
[A/N: With this, we almost caught up to the original. This is the daily chapter.]