Color soon bloomed from the once white screen finally forming an image.
There was a rustle, and a gentle breeze caressed Sunny's face. He awoke slowly, allowing himself to enjoy the sweet moments of comfort and peace that dwelled on the edge between dream and wakefulness.
His bed was soft, warm, and cozy… today, it was especially hard to abandon its familiar embrace. After a while, he sighed and opened his eyes.
Effie immediately stood up.
"Master Sunless?" she exclaimed in shock.
Eyes immediately fell on her, Morgan looking at her questioningly.
"You know this individual?"
Effie blinked, coming back to her senses, before clearing her throat.
"Yes, this is an owner of a Cafe which I frequently visit and deliver produce to from our farm. He gets along well with my Son and is somewhat of a… friend" she replied with a pause.
"What is the name of this Cafe?" Morgan pried while leaning forward.
Effie opened her mouth, but then quickly shut it, a mischievous smile growing on her face.
"It is called the Eye Candy Cafe, it is quite popular", she proudly exclaimed while winking at Nephis. However she got no reaction.
Morgan remained indifferent, "Never heard of it".
Effie scoffed and returned to her seat.
"Of course a cold hearted brat like you would have never heard of it", she muttered under her breath. Thankfully, before Morgan had the chance to hear the statement, another person spoke out.
"That would mean that this is located somewhere in Bastion, although it's strange this person has never been heard of" Gilead questioningly surmised.
Beastmaster seemingly agreed with the statement, leaning back while rolling her eyes to emphasize her lack of interest.
"Why are we watching such a plain person, he's not even a Saint? Why is he even being shown?"
Silence hung in the air before Kai spoke up, "Maybe he is the forgotten one…"
The question didn't even sink in before Jest snorted in a dejected manner, "Really, a nobody Master who runs a cafe that none has heard of, is the proclaimed "Heir of Death", "Bastard Son of Fate" and the supposed mastermind who brought us all here?".
Silence once again filled the room, signalling the unspoken agreement among all the spectators. All except for one. A girl who was currently shaking as her eyes threatened to pop out of her face in shock.
'Master??'
Rain didn't know what to be more shocked about, the fact that her secretive master was currently being displayed on the screen to everyone or the fact that he was leisurely waking up in a bed above a supposed cafe that he owned.
'I-Impossible, he's always lurking in my shadows and messing with me… how can he be casually waking up in Bastion?'
Questions continued to flood Rain's mind, only stopping when she felt a shiver run down her spine, a chilling gaze piercing her back. She quickly whipped around, scanning for the pair of eyes. To her horror, it was Mordret…and noticing her gaze, he returned a carefree smile. Rain quickly turned around, her shoulders stiffening as she tried to shake off the unnerving feeling.
Unknown to her, Mordret was still staring at her intently, bringing his chin to rest on palm.
'So she is indeed an important piece of this mystery…'
He took a few deep breaths, rubbed his face, and rose from the bed.
His room was not very large and not very luxurious. However, it was very cozy. There was a bed, a nightstand, a case with various books crowding the shelves, a writing desk, and a simple dresser. The furniture was made out of natural wood, crafted with affection and care. There were a few decorations added here and there, as well as plenty of signs of the room being well lived-in.
Well, of course it was. He had been spending his nights here for a long time, after all.
Putting on simple clothes and summoning the Nebulous Mantle, Sunny yawned, tied his hair back, and left the bedroom. He splashed some water in his face, then went to the kitchen and brewed himself a large cup of strong, fragrant coffee.
All the female Saints except Tyris, had their full attention locked on the screen, their eyes gliding over every part of his body, their concentration only snapped back from loud crunching sounds from the first row.
"Damn, what a looker…" Effie mumbled while hurriedly stuffing her mouth with handfuls of popcorn.
"Indeed not bad…but a bit…soft" Beastmaster sighed, while a few of the Blood Sisters nodded.
The only two that didn't seem to be in agreement were Nephis and Cassie, who felt something different when seeing the man. Nephis's fingers twitched as an unusually warm feeling of longing faintly pulsed in her body, as if in recognition of the person in front of her, although she was now seeing him for the first time. Cassie also felt something, however it was quite the opposite, a deep sinking feeling that made her feel anxiety, sadness, stress and weirdly…regret. Before they could understand and process the emotions that were beginning to well up inside them, two people abruptly stood up.
It was Noctis and Ananke.
"What's the matter?" Saint Roan grumbled, his view now blocked.
"Fascinating…truly fascinating, a work of art" Noctis mumbled, ignoring him, while deep in thought.
"What's so fascinating about the image sir Noctis?" Revel questioned while others remained silent, in agreement with the question.
Noctis lowered his hands and sighed, before raising a finger, pointing at the screen.
"That thing he's wearing is very unique" he announced while Ananke nodded in agreement before chiming in.
"Indeed…what he's wearing is a very complicated piece of Weaving at such a high level, I've never seen anything like it before".
Solvanne's eyes narrowed, "You don't mean…"
"Yes" Noctis said while throwing a glance at her before turning back.
"What this man is wearing, uses an ancient sorcery called Weaving, something only the Daemon of Fate and a select few were capable of using.
Julius's eyes gleamed as he leaned forward.
"What is this Weaving you speak of?" he asked in pure excitement. All eyes soon drifted to Ananke, understanding that as the Priestess of the Nightmare Spell, she would likely know the most.
She sighed,
"Weaving is an ancient practice, a sorcery, possibly even the original sorcery that brought life to everything. Weaver was the one to discover it and perfect it, using it in his crafts. However, only a rare few could use it, and only after being chosen by him; even after being chosen very few were able to utilize it at all."
She paused before pointing back to the screen.
"If what I understand is true, what is being shown is of the present time to some, a time when Gods and Daemons have disappeared. The fact that this person by the name of "Sunny" is able to use Weaving at such a high level is a mystery, the bigger question being how was he chosen by Weaver now that he is supposedly gone…"
"His connection with Weaver is a dangerous mystery."
Rain eye twitched as she remembered a specific piece of information from one of her teachers' rants.
'Yes the blood of ancient Daemon does run through my veins'
Her mouth hung open
"No way.."
"You mean to say that this mere Master is somehow deeply connected to, and possibly related to a Daemon, and the one of Fate at that?" Cormac asked in a serious tone.
Ananke simply smiled and nodded.
"It fits with one of his titles "Bastard Son of Fate" that was mentioned earlier" Daeron echoed.
"But he's a master!" Luster shouted in protest
Shock overtook the spectators as the screen flashed once more.
Finally, holding the steaming mug, he left the house and sat down on the porch, intending to enjoy his coffee while watching the sun rise.
It was rather hard to get his hands on coffee beans in the Dream Realm, but today, Sunny wanted to pamper himself. It was his birthday, after all.
He was turning twenty-six.
Rain once again shuddered, unsure of what she should believe anymore, between her master's rants and the information being displayed by a supposed entity at the level of a god.
…Of course, no one in the world knew that.
The mood in the room immediately darkened at the statement.
"Nobody knew that? What is that supposed to mean, I may not know his birthday but i've met him plenty" Effie said while frowning.
"Maybe you haven't met the real him" Jest said in a low chuckle,
"Hell! You haven't even met him! I go and visit his cafe all the time. How would I not know who he is? He's just a delicious lookin-, I-I mean good looking owner who runs and cooks lots of delicious food! Effie remarked while stumbling on her words.
Cassie turned to Effie with a smile.
"Have you already forgotten? This story is about the "Forgotten one", of course you wouldn't "know" him" she said with a smirk.
Effie's mouth hung open in disbelief,
She had just used her own joke against her, the sneaky girl!
Taking the first sip of his coffee, Sunny smiled slightly and looked up. A few of the brightest stars could still be seen, shining in the pale lavender expanse of the morning sky. Just at that moment, the gentle sun finally crested the dark line of the distant horizon, imbuing the sky with a beautiful golden radiance. The soft twilight of dawn was imbued with a hint of bright daylight.
He watched the sun rise while enjoying his coffee.
Despite the beautiful sight, Sunny felt a bit of melancholy. He looked down with a wistful smile.
'...I am older than mom was when she passed now.'
Cormac's eyes dimmed,
"Indeed ever since the Nightmare Spell descended on the world, life seems a little too fast, especially for those who have been infected. Before, life could be anything you want, but after becoming infected and surviving, one's only thoughts turn to becoming stronger and trying to survive or escape".
His paused, his tone even more somber,
"Sometimes we lose sight and fail to remember and appreciate even the most simple of things we take for granted…"
The words hung in the air, seemingly looming over all the Saints like a gloomy fog, they all reminisced with the statement. Most of them couldn't even remember what they wanted to be or aspired to do in life before they first got infected. The past was now a blur, filtered by pain, blood and death. One thing all burned in their minds, being the desire to survive and get stronger.
And yet…what could have happened if they hadn't been infected?
Maybe they could have pursued an education at a higher level they had a passion for? Maybe they could have opened a Cafe like this man Sunny, and spent the day listening to music while eavesdropping on cheerful social banter? Maybe they could have fallen in love and had a family?
But this time had long passed.
Now what stood, were killers that their younger selves would have cried in fear at the sight of. They had lost sight of what the Nightmare Spell had taken away, and only looked to what stood ahead.
Nephis was especially troubled at the sight of the leisurely morning, the sight completely alien to her. She aspired to achieve her goal to rid the Nightmare Spell, to build and experience a world of peace that was momentarily visible in front of her.
And yet…she was scared.
Scared that she wouldn't be able to live that type of life, cutting down abominations and causing destruction seemed much more natural and easy than spending a few hours leisurely reading in the sun.
'Can I exist in a world without a war..?' her mind whispered as her fists clenched.
The only person indifferent to the statement was Mordret, who glanced around at the solemn faces of others before turning back to the screen and smiling.
'What's the big deal?'
It was a strange feeling. When Sunny was a child, his mother was the definition of an adult to him, and adults were magical creatures who possessed wondrous and incredible powers. But now, he was an adult himself, which was why he was able to realize… that his mother had been a kid herself.
She was gone, but both her children were alive and doing well. There was precious solace and consolation in that fact, so Sunny did not feel too sad.
"I wonder how his childhood was.." Jet remarked, a hint of suspicion about a similar origin
"Maybe we'll get to see it later!" Noctis chortled.
"Wonder if she carries the family's looks" Effie whistled.
Her remark earned a few questionable glances before attention was diverted towards Daeron, who stirred.
"Her children.." Daeron muttered as his eyes narrowed. "Does anyone have a suspicion or idea about who this person's sibling might be?" his voice rose.
Heads shook in dejection as people looked around. Rain also looked around for a bit, before her eyes once again caught Mordret staring at her. He squinted slightly, before smiling and looking away.
"None at all," he commented.
At the same time, Nephis and Cassie's gaze swept over Rain for a brief second, causing them to bring their hands to their temples, as if combating a headache. Mordret took sight of this as his smile widened.
"More and more pieces of the puzzle" he whispered as he leaned back, clasping his hands.
Well, alive was a given, but he wasn't too sure about doing well. During these last four years, he had gone through a long rough patch… and had even done a few very stupid things. Still, it was looking better now.
"Four years? What the hell was he doing in all that time? And how come his name never appeared once? Beastmaster observed as she quickly glanced at her sisters.
The entire cohort stood silent, their shoulders rising at the all too familiar piece of information.
"Four years…" Nephis whispered as she glanced at Cassie.
Cassie returned the look and nodded, before Nephis turned to Kai, Jet and Effie giving them the same glance. It took them a bit longer, but they soon connected the dots and returned a similar nod. Unfortunately, they were not quick enough, and Morgan took notice of this action as her fingers rapped on the handrest in agitation.
'A missing member..?"
She turned around shooting Jest a look. His eyes squinted, before he gave a barely noticeable nod, before turning to Gilead and doing the same.
Morgan turned back, her face holding a look of annoyance.
"Troublesome.." she growled.
Sipping on coffee, Sunny watched as sunlight finally reached the lake and reflected on its clear surface. The lake was vast and picturesque, so calm that its surface was like a mirror.
A grandiose, magnificent white castle rose from the lake, with vermilion flags fluttering on its many towers. It almost seemed too beautiful to be real, like something from a fairy tale. But, of course, it was truly there.
The beautiful castle of white stone was Bastion, the Great Citadel of Clan Valor, where the King of Swords held his court. It was also the heart of a populous city that had grown around the lake in the last four years.
Daeron stared at the scene before looking down at Morgan.
"Is this the capital of Valor, which your king rules and oversees?"
Morgan turned around and shot him a diplomatic smile.
"Indeed, this is Bastion, the largest foothold for humanity, ruled by our leader and King, Anvil" she said in a smooth announcer tone.
Mordret scoffed, "Doesn't look that great to me"
"The feelings are mutual, if anything it's a step down from the Jade palace in Ravenheart" Beastmaster cooed as her chin rested on her hands.
It took Morgan all of her willpower to restrain herself, from launching at the two, her only anchor of rationality being the ominous warning of punishment to acts of violence that flashed in her mind. She tightly gripped her chair as she slowly lowered herself down, letting out a heavy sigh.
Even if few understood the true meaning of these events, the gradual exodus of humanity from the waking world had already begun. For now, most of those who left were from the fringes of society — people who did not possess citizenship, and therefore did not receive their share of the scarce resources needed to live a proper life on the dying Earth.
But Sunny knew more than most. He had no doubt that, sooner or later, everyone would leave… if they were given enough time. As the years passed, the situation in the waking world would gradually turn worse and worse. There would be more Nightmare Gates, more powerful Nightmare Creatures, and less space for humans to exist. Until the entire world was swallowed by the Dream Realm.
Granted… humanity was growing stronger, too.
The Chain of Nightmares had been like a turning point in history. Before, the number of Awakened in the world was relatively limited… there were a hundred thousand Awakened or so, a few hundred Masters, and a few dozen Saints.
"Knew more than most…" Cormac's eyes narrowed
'Was he stealing confidential government information about the development of events, or had he truly been someone in the government, before supposedly disappearing? More importantly, why is he just standing by and running a shop while being aware of how things are developing?'
His eyes turned venomous as a low word escaped his throat
"Coward"
Valor and Song were equally threatened by the statement, both shooting each other and the others glances periodically. They had all come to a conclusion.
This man was a danger.
While possibly being associated with a Daemon, something unheard of in history, he also possessed a strong amount of information that was being withheld from the public. Something a simple cafe owner would never see in their life. It was unknown whether he had shared it, planned to share it or was doing something else.
Morgan was especially enraged, with the rat supposedly living under their noses, and within close enough proximity to their base. She turned around to give the Saints a silent command, but they had already understood the severity, and were looking at her. One moment was all it took before they all looked away.
It was the most standard form of secretive communication in Valor.
'This man must be silenced'
The Blood Sisters were also deep in thought at the potential threat, but also at the potential ally. He hadn't shown any clear animosity to Song, yet held crucial information, which made him viable to join their ranks.
The question was how to do so.
'Clearly money doesn't hold an interest to him, since with his proclaimed status from Daeron he seems to have chosen this life style'
She quickly glanced at Seishan, Revel, Moonveil and Silent Stalker
'He's too soft for me…although his face and body are a winner'
'Seishan is too much for him, and honestly he doesn't deserve to stand next to her'
'Silent Stalker will chew and spit him out, he won't survive a week.
Her focus now landing on Revel and Moonveil.
'That leaves these two, although Mother will be reluctant to have her daughters mingle with a man of such low status'
She slumped back in her seat, tired.
"How are we supposed to rangel him in?" she mumbled,
Although not as prestigious as being able to live in the castle itself, his property was on the very shore of the lake, with its back windows opening straight to the water.
It was an elegant one-story cottage, which was seemingly built from brown bricks, with a sloping tiled roof and a tall chimney. There was a small garden in the back and a neat lawn in front of it, with herbs and flowers growing in ceramic pots.
Since it was situated at the end of the street, few people ever passed by.
If they did pass by, however, they would have seen a modest sign hanging above the door of the cottage.
It read: "Sunny's Brilliant Emporium: Café & Memory Boutique"
"Memory boutique.." Nephis mumbled as she once again touched her temple, having felt the same unusual feeling for a second before it disappeared like before.
"This is the cafe you mentioned Raised by Wolves?" Morgan asked in a cold tone
"Yep, in all its glory!" Effie smiled obliviously
She paused for a second, turning around and scanning the second row in thought before her eyes landed on Kim and Luster. Noticing her gaze, they realized what she was going to do, and quickly raised their hands in silent protest, but it was to no avail.
"I only visit periodically; however, if you want to really learn about it, you should ask those two love birds. They're there everyday."
Morgan and the other Saints of Valor swept their gazes onto the couple, like poised daggers waiting to strike.
Kim grabbed Luster's arm in fear as he nervously smiled.
"W-Well it is true we visit it all the time..b-but only because it has a cozy atmosphere and some great snacks!" he stammered nervously as Kim nodded frantically in agreement.
"Is that all?" Jest said in a low voice
Luster paused for a second before nervously swallowing
"To tell the t-truth, we also feel weirdly comfortable there…like its a familiar place we've….forgotten about" the final words quieter than the rest, as realization dawned with the possibility that Sunny had possibly been forgotten in some way.
"Could it be the effects of a memory?" Revel questioned
Noctis laughed,
"Dear, if what I suspect about this man is true, then they have no need for such a scrap of a memory. While we haven't seen it yet, if this man is capable of Weaving, there is almost nothing that they cannot make".
"As in what?" Beastmaster said while leaning forward.
Ananke coughed,
"If he is truly at the level of Weaving which I surmise…"
She paused, readying her words as the others eyes widened in anticipation, the silence deafening.
"Then they can make memories at the level of gods"
The words hit everyone like a tsunami, some even physically staggering. What Ananke had just stated was something they could have never imagined, a human capable of challenging the Gods. Morgan was especially shaken, while her father was renowned as the best smith and crafter in all of two worlds, even he couldn't accomplish such a feat. Her eyes flared with greed, as she smiled and turned around to the other Valor Saints and shot them a new look.
They quickly nodded in response.
Morgan's posture became loose, as she relaxed and sunk into her seat, a satisfied smile on her face.
'Nevermind silencing him, he'll become a part of use, whether he likes it or not'
Effie's jaw hung open.
"B-but he's never advertised memories at such a level before, when i've been there to purchase some!" she whined in complaint.
Noctis raised an eyebrow,
"What did you buy?"
Effie paused, recollecting herself, before responding.
"J-Just some custom things I requested, a memory that could produce and store water, while the other was a weird stick that aids plants grow and fertilizes soil. They were for my farm…"
Noctis stared at her silently before bursting into a fit of laughter, tears visible at his eyes.
"Ahaha! Truly you have been swindled! My…it seems our friend Sunny here is quite the treacherous fellow, don't you agree?" he howled without restrain.
"Treacherous?" Cassie muttered as her hands slightly twitched. She looked at Nephis and noticed that her pinky was also twitching unbeknownst to her.
'Another reaction..'
Moonveil stood up, as others noticed her movement and followed her with eyes.
"How can such a thing be possible, the Spell isn't at the level of Gods, one who is a Master, not even a Saint, should not be capable of utilizing it along to perform such feats.
Eyes once again glided back to Ananke for answers, she smiled.
"Weaving is above the Spell. While the Spell's purpose is to guide people with crafting and forging with their aspects, Weaving is different. The Spell can only accomplish and create such tools through trial and error, and while it may seem beneficial to have a tool that can keep trying until it succeeds, it is in reality quite limited. It can only shape what you "will" through your aspect. In Weaving, one is in complete control, they are aware of every inch of the memory, they see every single function of the Weave. They build it, shape it, guide it and forge it in every step of the process. The final product is the result of one's careful calculation, knowledge and experience, and unlike the Spell which creates a vision, Weaving itself is grabs that vision and makes it reality."
The others were stunned, feeling like children. Weaving sounded like an impossible concept to learn as a modern day person who utilized the Spell. Whether they acknowledged it or not, they relied on the Spell too much, whereas this man, Sunny, had gone back to the source material, and learned from the start.
"Who was his teacher then?" Nephis questioned.
Ananke only shrugged, "I am just as oblivious as you dear. How this individual came to be selected by Weaver is out of my knowledge, and how they built their experience is a shocking mystery to me, he is beyond me and anything i've ever seen".
Daeron shifted, "Could he have been taught by "him" personally?"
Everyone held their breath as they looked at Ananke in anticipation, a tiny part of them screaming in curiosity on whether this person had actually met and been taught by a Daemon. To their misfortune, Ananke shook her head in disagreement.
"In this time displayed, Weaver is likely dead or in an unreachable place. It is also unlike him to personally teach Weaving, let alone take a disciple" she chuckled.
Julius' eyes gleamed, seemingly soaking up all the revelational knowledge that was being laid before him like a banquet, he failed to hide a ludicrous smile on his face.
The screen once again shifted, the colors changing as the others sat back down, preparing for the next scene.
As Ananke quietly sat down she sighed, before whispering a statement too silent for the ears of anyone.
"Perhaps we are witnessing a new Weaver in the making…"
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First official "reaction" part!
Hopefully it was enjoyable and easy to follow :)
If you have suggestions or opinions on how I should change the interactions and dialogue, please fire away in the comments so I can take feedback and make the fanfic as enjoyable as possible!
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