Shadow Slave

Some time later, Sunny waiting in a cafe, looking out of the window at a lively street outside. People were rushing past, in a hurry to get inside before the heavy clouds covering the bleak sky erupted with rain. The subtle smell in the air told him that this was going to be a bad one — maybe not toxic enough to burn through clothes, but still unpleasantly hazardous.

The acid rain didn't bother Sunny too much, since it was something everyone was accustomed to. Even in the outskirts, people knew how to avoid getting caught in one. Here in a prosperous part of the city, citizens had much more protections.

What he was thinking about was the street itself.

This was the same cafe he used to visit when observing Rain, and the same street that had become a scene of panicked evacuation during the Gate incident several months ago. Armored vehicles of the government had torn apart the road, and several violent skirmishes had spilled into the peaceful surroundings.

And yet, there were no signs of the furious battle left. The road was long repaired, and the battle damage mended. The cafe was open again, and people went on about their business as though nothing had happened. They had endured the disaster and moved on, showing the astonishing resilience the human race possessed.

Not even the Nightmare Spell could overcome it.

At least it had not managed yet.

Sunny sighed and glanced at the pastry in front of him. At that moment, the door of the cafe opened, and the familiar sensation of phantom cold enveloped him.

Master Jet looked even more disheveled than usual, her uniform jacket actually sporting several small holes, their edges charred. However, she looked just as relaxed and strong as ever, her icy blue eyes radiating fierce energy. She seemed dead tired, but also, somehow, brimming with life.

Jet looked around, noticed Sunny, and offered him a smile. Then, she flicked a few flakes of soot off her epaulet, walked over, and crashed on the chair.

"I hope that this pastry is for me…"

He smiled, and pushed the plate and a cup of fresh coffee toward her.

"Of course."

Master Jet took a bite out of the pastry, closed her eyes in delight for a few moments, and then cradled the cup of coffee in her hands. After a while, she looked at him and sighed.

"So… Second Nightmare, huh?"

Sunny simply nodded.

Soul Reaper Jet was the only Ascended he knew well enough to trust… a little… so he had asked her to meet him, hoping to receive some advice. Nothing he could read on the network, or even in the staff library of the Academy, could be as valuable as talking to a person who had actually conquered a Seed once.

She took a sip of coffee and shook her head.

"Crazy kid…"

A slight smile appeared on his face.

"Kid? I am not that much younger than you. Well… I think?"

Jet glanced at him with a dangerous grin.

"Are you asking me about my age? Damn. I guess I haven't slapped you in a while..."

The two of them stared at each other for a few moments, and then laughed.

In truth, Sunny knew that Master Jet was in her late twenties, so the age gap between them was not insignificant. Considering how much had happened to him in the past two years, ten seemed like a lifetime. But at the same time, he wasn't a kid anymore… not by a long shot.

He looked down, thought for a few moments, and then said:

"Now is as good a time as any. I thought things through before deciding to challenge a Seed. This is for the best."

She studied him for some time, then nodded.

"I see. Well, there are a lot of benefits to being an Ascended. There are certain… drawbacks, too. But you don't need to worry about that for now. Right now, you need to concentrate on surviving the Nightmare."

Sunny smiled.

"My thought exactly. So… is there any wisdom a venerated elder like you can share with this ignorant junior?"

Master Jet glared at him, then took another bite of the pastry.

"Elder? Maybe I really should slap you…"

She lingered for a few moments, then sighed.

"The Second Nightmare… it is a lot like the First, but at the same time very different. The Spell will send you and your cohort into an illusion of the past, one centered around a central conflict. To conquer the Nightmare, you will have to resolve that conflict — one way or another. There is no right or wrong way to do so. You just have to end it somehow."

Jet fell silent, as if remembering her own trial. Her icy blue eyes stared into the distance.

"...That won't be easy, of course. Your friends might die. You might die, too. But you know this already… let's talk about the differences, then. The first one is rather obvious — the Nightmare will be larger, longer, and harder than your First one. The Nightmare Creatures populating it will be of higher Ranks and Classes, usually either Awakened or Fallen. But if you're unlucky, you might meet a Corrupted one, too."

Sunny grimaced. His First Nightmare had pitted him against an Awakened Tyrant… what were the chances that he would get lucky this time and only encounter abominations within his ability to handle?

…Slim.

Master Jet, meanwhile, continued:

"The other difference is less talked about, but very important. Unlike the First Nightmare, this one won't be tailor-made for you personally. You're smart enough to think through the implications of that fact on your own, but I'll mention one thing that very few people consider. The Spell will try to find you a body that closely resembles your own, but due to what I have just mentioned, it might not be as similar as what one might expect."

Sunny tilted his head and frowned.

"How different are we talking?"

She shrugged.

"You will be of the same Rank, that is certain. Your build will be more or less the same. But that's the thing… if you are unprepared, in a fight, "more or less" might cost you your life. A specialist has to rely on his or her body… it is our first and most important tool. Imagine that you are suddenly slightly higher or shorter, your limbs are of a bit different length, your center of gravity has shifted a little. Many people died because they weren't quick enough or couldn't adapt to that sudden change."

Sunny closed his eyes for a moment.

For a fighter, their body was like a well-oiled machine that they knew in and out. They knew every detail about it, how it moved, how it performed in any given situation, what it could accomplish and what was beyond its ability. All battle techniques were finely tuned for that precise machine… changing its parameters was like throwing a wrench into the mechanism, potentially causing its collapse.

He had not known that detail. Luckily, now that he was informed, he would be able to prepare and shorten the adjustment period as much as possible.

"Thank you. That is a very valuable piece of information."

Master Jet shook her head.

"It's not like it's a secret. People just don't think about this stuff."

She hesitated, then said in a darker tone:

"The last large difference… hopefully, you won't have use for that knowledge. But if worse comes to worst, it is better to be prepared."

Sunny looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

She glanced at her cup, took a sip, and then carefully put it on the table.

"The thing is… I said that there is no one way to conquer the Nightmare. That means that some solutions can contradict each over. And people participating in the trial are not forced to aim for the same result."

He scowled.

"Uh... what exactly are trying to say?"

Master Jet looked him in the eye and said, her voice cold and grim:

"I am saying that not all challengers have to be on the same side. That rarely happens… but you should keep that in mind, anyway."

Sunny stared at her for a few moments, then turned away.

He wondered what she wanted him to realize…

Was Master Jet warning him that his allies could betray him and turn into another obstacle he would have to overcome to escape the Nightmare?

Or saying that he… could betray them, if needed?

…They talked for a while, discussing various matters having to do with the Nightmare Seed and the trial itself. Sunny acquired a lot of useful information, as well as several pieces of valuable advice.

But throughout the whole discussion, he continued thinking about that one statement.

'Rarely happens… but you should keep that in mind, anyway…'