The storm raged on for hours, only beginning to ease as the sun started to rise. My bloody will strained against the edges of my mind. Time stretched oddly—both fast and slow—as each droplet collided with the small dome I'd formed, made of something not quite blood, not quite flesh. A substance that pulsed but refused to settle.
With a non-existent hmph of exhaustion, I let my bloody will fade. I didn't even have the strength to keep my legs solid. I collapsed, catatonic, unable to move.
"You good, Silex?" came Kai's ethereal voice. He gently picked me up like I weighed nothing.
"As good as a rock can be. Not at all."
He let out a small chuckle. "Thank you, Silex, for keeping us all safe."
"Thanks? What for? I'm just a hired merc with Father. If anything, my little nap probably tanked our rep. Stupid-ass carrot."
"Carrot? Haha, I can see that," Effie snorted, her laugh a little strained. The storm had taken a toll on all of us.
Sunny was still asleep, curled on the far right of the platform. Cassie sat nearby, keeping her usual distance. Effie and Kai were resting too, chatting quietly, getting to know each other better.
Nephis and Caster, per canon, were sparring. Their swords clashed in steady rhythm—neither using their full power. That Immortal Flame style—calm, adaptive. Not that I'd know. I'm not a sword expert. I'm just a rock.
After gathering enough strength, I reformed my legs using bloody will and trudged toward Sunny, away from the small circle of warmth the others shared.
Skittering closer, I reached his unconscious body. His eyes twitched ever so slightly beneath closed lids. He was dreaming.
I extended one of my limbs over him, wiping away what blood remained from that eel-like nightmare creature. Then, I smeared some of it onto myself.
The blackish blood turned coppery, sprouting moss. It pulsed, then receded—absorbed into me.
"What's that?" Kai asked, his soft green eyes glancing over. Effie didn't react. Cassie looked confused—understandable, given she's blind.
"Like I said. I can grow stronger too. I just need to feed."
"Wow," Kai said. "That's kinda like those webtoons—you know, where nightmare creatures evolve and stuff?"
"Yeah. Totally know what you're talking about," I said, skittering over.
"Does it work with Sleeper blood too?" Cassie asked gently, her soft, maiden-like voice almost shy.
"Well, yeah. That's how I became Sunny's... uh, son, I guess. First time I had a sense of self, I drank his blood. Gained some kind of enchantment based on his aspect or attributes."
"Damn, that was a lot of exposition. What are you, the narrator now?" Effie muttered.
"Anything for you, my peanut-brain queen ."
"You little—"
Right in the middle of our bickering, Cassie's delicate face turned thoughtful. Her floating blade hovered beside her like a silent dancer. Without a word, she nicked her fingertip with it. And before I could protest, she touched me.
"Urrgh. I'm being touched without consent. Help," I groaned.
Her cheeks turned a soft pink. "Oh—I'm sorry! I forgot to ask. I just wanted to see your... blood moss."
"Well... if it's you, I don't mind. Tehe."
As I spoke, the thin line of her blood on my rocky surface gleamed. It shimmered copper, foamed, then transformed into moss—and vanished into me.
"Well, well, ladies. Don't get too excited. We won't know what I got till Father wakes up." I wagged my nonexistent index finger.
When I opened my eyes—yes, I have eyes. How else would I see? Had them since I popped into existence, and no, they're not googly, just two holes in my rocky self—I saw something strange.
In front of me hovered a set of words.
Ruins?
[Ordinary Rock]
Memory Rank: Awakened
Memory Tier: I
Memory Type: Tool
Memory Description: [Just an ordinary rock]
Blood Moss: [1032/10,000]
Enchantments: [Not Really] [Ego] [Hungering for More] [Growth] [Child of Shadows] [Shadow Kin] [Bloody Will] [Flesh Mold] [Breathless] [Flight][Strengthen][Sheltered] [Keen Eye] [Slumbering]
Enchantment Descriptions:
[sheltered]:A house is a body, living as your soul. To find a home is to find safety, comfort, and rest—why not carry your home with you?
[keen eye ]:Some see fate. Others see knowledge. You, however, see only yourself—as one might in the reflection of a lake. That is enough.
[slumbering]:You do not sleep, yet exist within a dream. To eat is to become—to consume the dreams of others and stitch their fragments to your own. A beggar's tiger cloak of stolen truth.