Sunny was currently working with two large, soft, round items in front of him. Effie, who was beside him, let out an annoyed sigh and turned to Nephis.
"Just put it in already."
Nephis was sweating and looked troubled. She usually didn't struggle with this, but today felt different, especially with Effie around, who wasn't being much help. Frowning, Nephis expressed her frustration.
"I'm trying, but it's too big."
Effie moved closer, took the item from Nephis, and helped her position it where it needed to go.
"Argh… let me help you. See? That wasn't so hard."
Nephis sighed in relief and nervously asked Sunny, "When will you take it out again?"
He chuckled softly. "Probably in about 20 minutes."
Effie groaned, growing increasingly impatient. She had waited long enough and was eager to satisfy her desires. Rolling her eyes, she said, "I don't know if I can hold out for that long."
Nephis smiled and scoffed. "Oh, I'm sure you'll be fine."
Just then, the door to Nephis' apartment opened, and Cassie walked in. She placed her bag on a chair and headed to the kitchen where the three had been hanging out for the past two hours. With a big smile, she asked, "Hi guys, how's the cake doing?"
Effie chuckled. "I just helped Neph put it in the oven."
Cassie nodded and turned to Sunny. "How are the cookies coming along?"
Sunny paused his work for a moment. "The dough is still a bit too wet. I'll need to add some flour, but once the cake is done baking, the cookies will be ready to go in too."
Cassie nodded as she began unpacking groceries. "That's good. I got everything you wanted from the store. The staff helped me pick the right items."
Nephis walked over to gather what they needed for decorating the cake and cookies. "Good job, Cass. Thanks for going to the store. How's Mordy doing?"
"He's fine. I'm actually about to head back to him. We have a date tonight. I'll see you tomorrow when Rain is supposed to come back."
Nephis hugged her and walked her to the door. "Alright, have a good night, you two."
Cassie waved before heading to her room to prepare for her date with Mordy. She returned to help Sunny with the cookies, playfully bumping his shoulder. "Do you think Rain was successful in her hunt? It's her first time doing it alone."
"I'm sure she's fine. She's far away in a cave. I think she's sleeping since she hasn't moved in a while. At least the Mark of Shadows says she is."
Nephis nodded and chuckled as they prepared the cookies, laying them flat on a tray. Once the cake was done, they put in the cookies and decorated all the baked goods. Sunny wanted to do something special for Rain, celebrating her first hunt as a Divine Aspect holder. The cake had "Happy First Divine Hunt" written on it, while the cookies were a little gift for when she and Rick left for the academy.
Effie, feeling hungry, snuck a few chocolate chip cookies, thinking no one noticed, but the crumbs at the corner of her mouth gave her away. Sunny didn't mind, having prepared plenty of cookies. As they packed the cookies into containers, it started to rain, quickly turning into a storm. Sunny looked out the window, frowning.
"What the… I know that storm. But she's still in that cave… This girl is unbelievable."
He rubbed his face in frustration, feeling a mix of annoyance and pride at how Rain had tricked him into thinking she was still on her hunt. He laughed and shook his head. Both Effie and Nephis turned to him, curious.
"Didn't you say she's still in that cave?"
Sunny scoffed as he put the cookie containers into a bag. "I did, but I guess I'm such a great teacher that she managed to fool me. She probably left her hunt early and left the snake in the cave to make me think she hadn't returned yet. I can't be mad since they're leaving for the academy tomorrow, and it won't be easy for them to spend time together like this."
Effie laughed and flopped back onto the couch. "It's impressive that she would go to such lengths just to have some fun. You've taught her well."
"Seems like I did."
The next morning in Rick's hotel room, sunlight streamed through the window, waking Rick first. He was happy to see Rain snuggled up in his arms, still asleep and smiling. He carefully got out of bed, trying not to wake her, as he needed to pack his bags. Packing was easy for him since he kept it simple—mostly hoodies and shorts. He quickly finished.
He picked up the rose from his nightstand, taking a last sniff before dismissing the memory. Meanwhile, Rain woke up, stretching and opening her sleepy eyes. She soon noticed Rick making his bags smaller with his chains, allowing him to carry more than most people without needing a storage memory.
"I'm excited for our trip to the academy. I hope everything goes smoothly," Rain said, still sounding half-asleep.
Rick chuckled and walked over to her, bending down to kiss her. He caressed her head, speaking calmly. "I'm excited too. I'm sure everything will be fine. I think the others are already waiting for us in the Ivory Tower, so we should head over soon."
Rain nodded and grabbed her clothes. They made their way to the Ivory Tower, chatting along the way.
"Do you think they'll believe me when I say I just came back from my hunt?"
"Not a chance. The storm yesterday was too intense. You can try to fool them, but I don't think it'll work. The best thing is to tell the truth."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. It's hopeless anyway."
Rick laughed heartily as they walked, with Rain leaning on him. "The fact that you're still limping gives it away too. It's pretty obvious you had some trouble walking. I wonder how that happened."
She smirked and scoffed. "Do you want me to praise you for your performance yesterday? If so, THANK YOU FOR…"
Rick quickly covered her mouth, startled by her loud declaration. Luckily, there weren't many people around. He let out a nervous laugh. "No need to announce it to the whole city. I'd prefer you keep that nickname to yourself."
Rain chuckled, biting her lower lip. "Okay, fine, but I'd love for you to make me shut up instead of just telling me."
Rick's eyes widened in surprise. He coughed awkwardly and replied in a low voice, "Are you crazy? We're in public. How are we supposed to do that here?"
Rain's mischievous smile grew as she spotted a small alley. She pulled Rick inside, and they didn't emerge for a while. A few minutes later, they came out of the dark alley, Rain humming a tune and licking her lips, while Rick looked dazed, needing a moment to collect himself. They continued toward the Ivory Tower, Rick exhaling shakily.
"You're absolutely crazy. Where did that come from?"
Rain shrugged, smiling. "A little thank you for your performance yesterday. And like I said, a girl needs her protein."
"I'm still a bit overwhelmed, but thank you."
"No problem. I would've done that this morning, but you woke up before me, so I had to be creative."
"Uh-huh."
Soon, they reached the Ivory Tower. Climbing the stairs was a chore, especially for Rain, who still had some difficulty walking, but they managed. Rick could smell the others' presence from the top floor.
"They're in Nephis' apartment."
Rain frowned at this. "The top floor? Fuck me…"
Rick chuckled, picking her up. He leaned closer to her ear and whispered, "Don't mind if I do, but unfortunately, you'll have to wait until we arrive at the academy."
She giggled, resting her head on his shoulder. He knocked on Nephis' door, which opened to reveal Effie, who smiled brightly at the sight of Rick carrying Rain.
"I didn't hear a storm last night. Don't tell me you still can't walk after what happened yesterday?"
Rain laughed nervously as Rick set her down. "No, it's just that walking up the stairs was a bit tough. I can walk, as you can see."
She limped into Nephis' apartment to greet the others. Effie smirked at Rick. "You're not going to tell me what happened, right?"
He shook his head with a grin. "Let's just say it was… intense. I hope that's enough for you."
Effie scoffed, letting him inside. "No, but I'm sure you won't tell me what exactly happened, even if I beg."
"Even then, I won't change my mind. You'd have to make me."
Effie gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder as they walked toward the others.
"I don't want to hurt a nice guy like you, so I'll back off… for now."
"Thanks a lot, let's see what everyone else is doing."
As they turned the corner, they spotted a small gecko perched on the table in front of Rain. Rain had summoned Apollo while recounting her hunt. Sunny was examining him closely, while Nephis and Cassie were simply taken aback by how adorable he was. The two of them were gently petting Apollo, who was enjoying the attention, lying on his back. Rick and Effie approached and sat down. Effie glanced at the little creature and turned to Rain.
"So, you've got an Echo? That's really lucky; they're extremely rare. How did you end up with him?"
"He was a corrupted beast in the form of an egg. I think he's a mutation, which is why he's stronger than his siblings, who were just awakened like the mother I killed. After I got his Echo, I learned I could turn Echoes into Sparks. I did that, and he transformed from a Mountain Dragon into a Lightning Dragon while keeping his ability to manipulate the ground. I also received a memory from the mother, which I've never heard of before. It was a relic of unknown rank and tier. The description mentioned that the mother sent me her heart so I could save one of her children and guide them on the path of a true dragon. After I gave it to him, his appearance changed. I believe that's how he got the attribute [True Dragon], which is why he's so small right now. Normally, he's bigger than me, but he can shrink and change his appearance."
Everyone was amazed. Sunny patted Rain on the shoulder, pride evident in his voice.
"Great job, Rain! The fact that you can transform Echoes is incredible; it seems quite similar to my shadows. He'll be a valuable ally in the future, so make sure to train him well and raise his class and rank. I hope you don't have to feed him memories like I did with Saint."
Rain chuckled and shook her head.
"I'll have to figure that out first. He has a Spark Fragment Counter currently at [0/100] and a Path of the True Dragon Counter at [1/7]."
Sunny nodded and summoned an obsidian knife with a wooden handle. It was another failed memory, and he wanted to see if Apollo could eat it. Apollo simply stared at the knife and tilted his head slightly. Unfortunately, he only bit it once to check if it was edible before losing interest. Sunny shrugged and dismissed the memory.
"Looks like it's something different. Maybe he just has to hunt his own prey or something. As for how the 'Path of the True Dragon' works, I have no idea. Feeding him parts of other dragons might work, but that's just speculation."
Nephis paused her petting of Apollo and sighed.
"Finding more dragons is going to be tough."
Suddenly, Sunny had an idea. He stood up silently and shadow-stepped into the basement of the Ivory Tower. He grabbed something and shadow-stepped back to the top floor, holding a gigantic rib bone in his hand. It was from the skeleton of the Chain Lord Sevirax, which had been waiting in the basement for a purpose. When Sunny appeared with the rib, Apollo became excited, jumping down from the table to bite it immediately. Sunny laughed and placed it down for him. Apollo began gnawing on the giant bone. Although it was a slow process, he was at least able to eat it. Everyone watched with smiles. Sunny sat back down and said,
"I thought maybe the old Sevirax could be useful this way; his skeleton hasn't seen sunlight in years."
Everyone nodded, realizing they hadn't even thought of the skeleton in the basement, but Sunny kept his second nightmare and its memories in a special part of his mind, so it came to him quickly. Apollo continued to nibble at the rib but eventually stopped. He had eaten quite a bit and was now full. He stumbled over to Rain and yawned heavily, looking adorable. She picked him up and cradled him in her arms. Soon, the little guy disappeared with a small lightning bolt in Rain's soul sea. She checked her runes and smiled.
"He… he's evolving. Thanks so much, Sunny; this is amazing."
"No problem, but I doubt the skeleton will work a second time. Things are rarely that easy. You'll probably need to find another source of dragon material if you want to advance him to the next class."
Rain chuckled and hugged Sunny.
"You're the best brother in two worlds."
"I know, but now I want to show you something."
He stood up and brought over a cake from the kitchen along with plates and forks.
"This is a small gift we prepared for you to celebrate your first hunt. I hope you like it."
She looked at the cake and the inscription on top, wiping away a small tear as she smiled broadly.
"Thank you, everyone; this means so much to me."
Nephis began setting the plates and forks in front of everyone. Sunny cut the cake into pieces, and they all enjoyed it together, filling the room with laughter and chatter. After a while, as they finished the cake, Sunny brought up a more serious topic.
"So, here's what I have in mind. You both have just over four weeks left at the academy, which should be enough time to meet some people. I'd like to visit you one day before the Winter Solstice. Other than that, you should be fine, but promise me you'll be careful. You know what I've taught you about people; they can be much more dangerous than nightmare creatures."
Rain laughed heartily and rolled her eyes.
"Yes, yes, I know. I'll be careful. Rick is with me, after all; nothing can go wrong."
Sunny sighed and turned to Rick, smirking.
"I won't be there, so I'm counting on you. I know you're strong enough to protect her if anything happens. Have a good time at the academy and remember to play your role as her big brother well so nobody suspects anything."
Rick laughed nervously and nodded.
"Sure, Sunny, but I thought we should try to convince people that we aren't siblings as a sort of training."
Sunny just laughed.
"You really think that would work? It would be nearly impossible. You're better off acting like siblings and sneaking into each other's rooms so no one accuses you of anything inappropriate. I know you can teleport between your chain ends, so you'll likely use that to connect your rooms."
Rain and Rick's jaws dropped. Rick shook off his astonishment and asked,
"How did you know that was my plan?"
Sunny scoffed casually.
"Because that's what I would do in a similar situation with Nephis. I have my own teleport ability; I wouldn't hesitate to use it to sneak into her room either."
Nephis laughed and playfully hit him on the shoulder.
"Oh, and why didn't you do that back when we were at the academy?"
Sunny scoffed, smirking.
"First of all, I couldn't shadow step back then, and second, we didn't even talk while we were at the academy. So there was no reason for me to do that."
Suddenly, Nephis became very interested in the topic.
"Okay, but did you think about it back then?"
Sunny took a deep breath, feeling slightly annoyed but knowing he had to answer.
"Of course I did. You were absolutely stunning in front of the academy gates. Every 16-year-old boy probably thought about the same thing. I bet even Caster couldn't help but think about it sometimes."
Nephis kissed him and said,
"And ten years later, we're finally together. I bet you didn't see that coming."
"Nope, I totally expected to be eaten by some terrifying creature. That was until I met you and Cass a few days after we were thrown into the Forgotten Shore."
Rain raised her hand, curious.
"By the way… who is this guy Caster? The one who tried to kill Neph, but when?"
To her surprise, it was Effie who answered.
"Oh, he's just some idiot from a legacy clan who was sent to kill Neph. Apparently, he was waiting for the perfect moment to strike. That was at the end of the Forgotten Shore when we all escaped through the gateway. Unfortunately for him, Sunny intercepted him and took him out."
Rain hesitated but asked,
"Was he your first… kill?"
Sunny sighed and replied evenly.
"No, a guy named Harper was. He asked me about my true name, and I answered, of course. I had to kill him to avoid being enslaved, but that wasn't the only reason. He was also a spy for our enemy. The next one before Caster was Harus, the right hand of the ruler of the Dark Castle, whom Nephis killed in a fierce battle. Every human I've killed in my life was more or less a necessary kill—either to preserve my own life, the lives of others, or for a greater good."
"Was it… hard? Did you have trouble doing it?"
"Harper was a challenge for me. He was my first kill, aside from the ones in my First Nightmare, but that's a different story altogether. After him, it became easier. Taking a life, regardless of the reason, weighs heavily on your soul. Even if you despise the person, killing them will change you in some way. Whether that change is positive or negative is subjective. There's a clear distinction between those who have killed and those who haven't. Part of me wishes you never have to experience this, but another part thinks it might be beneficial. It can feel safer when you can take a life without hesitation."
Rain pondered his words, knowing she would eventually confront a human enemy.
'Will I be able to do it?'
She wasn't sure, but she recognized that if her life were at stake, she would fight back.
"I think I get it. If I ever have to take a human life, I hope I can do it. I can't let myself die before I reach my goal."
Sunny grinned and high-fived her.
"Exactly! But I'd prefer you to stay alive for as long as possible."
Rain laughed and turned to Rick.
"Of course, I have someone to live for."
Rick couldn't resist pulling her in for a kiss. Sunny quickly looked away, muttering to himself.
"This will never get easier."
Effie burst out laughing, teasingly saying, "Awww, the mighty Lord of Shadows is scared of a little kiss."
Suddenly, the shadows under the table shifted and moved behind Effie's chair. Fiend appeared behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. He growled deeply and spoke in his usual dark tone.
"Effie friend… Effie and Fiend play."
Effie immediately trembled, recalling what Fiend had done to her days earlier. She turned around and forced a nervous smile. Sunny chuckled and said, "Would you like to repeat that? I think Fiend couldn't hear you."
Effie turned back to Sunny, her eyes wide, and said, "What I meant was that I'd like to personally take Rain and Rick to the Academy. I have my anchor in the government office, which is close by."
Sunny laughed and dismissed Fiend again. "That sounds much better. I hope you haven't eaten all the cookies."
Effie rolled her eyes and sighed. "I'm not the Cookie Monster, okay?"
Rain's eyes lit up with excitement. "You made cookies? What kind?"
Sunny pointed to the two bags on the kitchen counter. "Your favorite, of course—chocolate chip."
She jumped up and hugged him. "You're the best! I'll make sure to enjoy them."
"That's great, but remember to eat more than just cookies."
Rain rolled her eyes and grabbed the bags. "Yeah, yeah, I will. I think it's time for us to go, right?"
Everyone stood up to say their goodbyes. It took a while, but about 15 minutes later, they finally wrapped things up. Effie took Rick and Rain's hands, and all three vanished in a whirlwind of white sparks.
Sunny sighed and turned to Neph. "I hope she'll be okay."
Neph chuckled and kissed him. "I'm sure she will; she has Rick by her side. I wish you had approached me sooner. Sometimes I can't believe it took ten years and you losing your fate for us to finally be together."
Sunny scoffed, amused. "We both struggled with emotions back then. I can't pinpoint when I fell for you, but it was definitely somewhere on the Forgotten Shore. I can't speak for you, but everyone started making comments about us right after you returned from your second Nightmare."
"I'll let you know when I regain my memories. But I'm pretty sure it was early on too."
Sunny manifested an avatar and locked the door, clearly wanting some privacy.
---
In the government office, Effie remarked, "You both really look like siblings. It's adorable."
Rick and Rain had equipped their memories and changed their appearances. With white hair, green eyes, and similar tan skin, they looked more like twins than siblings. Effie couldn't resist snapping a picture of them.
"Sunny really outdid himself. If I didn't know better, I'd think Rick was actually a sleeper."
Rick scoffed, grabbing his bag and the two cookie bags from Effie. "Yeah, I know. It's going to be tough pretending to be her brother. Just thinking about it gives me the creeps."
Rain laughed and hugged him. "I'm sure we'll manage, 'Brother.' I think it'll actually be fun."
"Fun? How is this fun?"
Rain started walking toward the door and winked at him. "Don't you think a little roleplay could be fun?"
Rick facepalmed and muttered, "I don't know if I'd call incest 'fun,' but I guess I'll get used to it."
Effie placed a hand on his back and guided him to the exit. "I wish I could watch you two pretending to be siblings. Make sure to take good care of your sister."
Rick sighed as he followed Rain out of the room. "Trust me, I will."
Leaving the government office took a while since Effie was quite popular. Soon, they reached the PTV and headed to the Academy. As promised, it was a short drive, and no one had to sit in anyone's lap. Although Rain felt a bit sad about that, it was probably for the best.
"Sorry I can't bring you inside, but then I'd have to greet everyone. You'll be fine; just go to the reception."
"That's alright."
"Thanks for bringing us."
They waved goodbye to Effie as she drove off. Now they were on their own. How difficult could a few weeks at the Academy be? Rain considered holding Rick's hand but quickly dismissed the idea, remembering her role as his little sister.
'Maybe this whole roleplay thing isn't as fun as I thought.'
They both stared at the Academy in awe. The thick metal walls and enormous red gate were impressive. The Academy resembled a small city more than a school. They had seen it from a distance but never up close, so it took them a moment to take it all in. Rick shook off his amazement and said, still a bit overwhelmed, "It's… enormous."
Rain nodded, flinching when the gate began to move and lowered itself to form a giant bridge. "How did they build this? This is human engineering at its finest."
Rick had no answer; he was just as amazed as she was. When the gate finally connected with the ground, Rick grabbed Rain's bags and smiled. "Let's go; we need to register first."
Rain smiled back, and they both entered through the gateway. They reached the reception area quickly and were greeted by an elderly lady sitting behind a desk. She was undoubtedly awakened, exuding a certain presence that came from being elegant and aloof, as if she was born for this role. The old lady gave them a stern look and asked in a steady voice, "What brings you to the Academy?"
Rick stepped closer to the desk and pulled out two government IDs that Effie had provided. They couldn't use their real ones, so Effie had made them fake IDs with new names and a couple of years taken off their ages. He smiled at the receptionist and said, "My sister and I are sleepers looking to enroll in the Academy."
Suddenly, the old lady smiled, which surprised both of them since they thought she couldn't smile at all. It took a lot of effort not to show their astonishment.
'She can actually smile… who would have thought?' Rain thought. Rick had the same idea but kept it to himself.
The receptionist took their IDs and examined them for a moment before saying, "Alright, I'll give you both some documents and your room keys with your room numbers. Please fill out the forms and return them to me by tomorrow at 4 PM."
She made copies of their IDs and handed them to Rick along with the documents. "Included in the paperwork is a map of the Academy and a schedule for events like the greeting ceremony held every Monday. It's unfortunate that you went through your first Nightmare so late in the year, but you're lucky the ceremony is tomorrow. I wish you the best of luck."
They both smiled and replied in unison, "Thanks."
The old lady chuckled and waved as they left to find their rooms.
They decided to go to Rain's room first so Rick could drop off her bags. "7132… 7133… 7134… and 7135. That's it."
Rain's room was on the seventh underground level of the sleeper facility complex. She opened the door with her key, and her eyes widened at how well-equipped her room was.
"Wow, it's beautiful!"
Rick chuckled as he set her bags down on the bed. "Yeah, it's great. They really made sure to include everything a person might need."
The room featured lovely wooden interiors with a large bed, a nice desk with a laptop, multiple cabinets, and a spacious wardrobe. She even had her own bathroom, which was important since she couldn't shower without removing the Puppeteer Shroud, which would also reveal her disguise. They closed the door and sat on the bed. Rain let out a relieved sigh and fell back onto the bed. Rick followed suit and then asked.
"What are we going to say about where we come from?"
"I think we should just say we're from the Outskirts and that we got affected by the Spell recently."
"Sounds good. Let's keep it straightforward during the evaluation. I'll mention that I have enhanced physical strength and sharp senses; a Transcendent Aspect should be enough. What about you?"
"I guess I can't really hide the fact that I can conjure Lightning since I don't have much else to show. An Ascended Aspect seems reasonable. What should I say if they ask how the Spell assessed my performance?"
"Just tell them it was Excellent. But leave out the True Name."
"Yeah, that makes sense. Are you going to share yours?"
"No, Sleepers usually don't have a True Name, and I don't want people calling me 'Age of Extinction.' I'm not a fan of that."
"Alright, so we'll keep a low profile."
Rick leaned in and gave Rain a quick kiss before standing up. He grabbed his backpack and said, "I'll text you later after my evaluation. Stay safe babe, uh… I mean Sis."
Rain couldn't help but laugh. "You too, 'bro.' Good luck."
They waved goodbye as Rick left her room, and she chuckled when she heard the faint sound of a chain ringing.