Last Day On Earth

Sleep and fatigue crept up on Sunny like insidious phantoms, gnawing at the edges of his mind. No matter how stubborn he was, no matter how much he resisted, he wouldn't be able to stay awake another night.

This was his last night on Earth.

Tomorrow would be his last day.

And the night was still long.

"You look tired."

Nephis's voice rang out, steady despite the exhaustion beneath it.

Sweat glistened on her face, her silver hair damp and clinging to her skin. Her pale eyes gleamed—not with weariness, but with something sharper. Excitement. Her chest rose and fell with measured breaths, her shoulders sagging slightly. Yet despite her exhaustion, she still pointed her sword at him, the corner of her lips curling upward in something almost resembling a smile.

Sunny let out an amused chuckle.

"Look who's talking."

He raised his spear in response, his disheveled black hair falling into his eyes. He ignored it, keeping his gaze locked on her, analyzing, anticipating, waiting.

The next instant, she moved.

Her sword lashed forward in a blur.

At the same time, Sunny tossed his spear into the air and ducked. The blade whistled past where his head had been a heartbeat ago. Nephis recoiled instantly, readjusting her strike and bringing it down in a merciless arc.

Sunny's odachi was already there to meet it.

The dojo trembled under the clash of steel. Sparks danced between them as Nephis pushed forward, trying to overpower him, and Sunny held firm. For a moment, they were locked in a stalemate—one that would have likely ended in a draw, like always.

If not for the spear.

It was still in the air, spinning, falling…

Straight toward her head.

Nephis had no choice but to retreat.

Sunny caught the spear mid-fall and lunged forward, giving her no time to breathe.

Slash after slash, blow after blow, their weapons blurred into a deadly dance. His odachi locked against her longsword, while his spear forced her to dodge, weaving between the relentless assault.

She was at a disadvantage.

Her swordsmanship matched his, but the addition of the spear tipped the balance entirely in his favor.

The outcome was all but decided.

Soon, her longsword lay in the corner, and she was sprawled on the dojo floor. Sunny's odachi hovered just above her shoulder, his spear poised inches from her throat.

Nephis exhaled slowly, then sighed.

"Dual wielding is not fair."

Sunny chuckled.

"What are you glaring at me for? You were the one who insisted I fight at my full potential."

In the past month, his body had nearly caught up to his mind. It still couldn't execute the myriad of fighting styles he had mastered in his past life with absolute perfection…

But it was getting close.

Back then, he could wield four weapons at once in his shadowspawn form—an ingenious fusion of his Dormant and Ascended abilities, coupled with his Aspect Legacy. But now? Now, he could only manage two with acceptable skill.

Which was a lot compared to his former self.

But still not enough.

Not enough to contain Caster without killing him.

Sunny clenched his jaw, then exhaled, realizing he was still holding his blade against Nephis's throat. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed both weapons aside.

The odachi landed neatly atop a nearby table, next to its sheath. The spear struck the wall and stood still, unmoving.

Then he bent down, offering Nephis his hand.

She rolled her eyes, staring at his smug face for a long moment… before finally accepting it.

Sunny grasped her hand firmly and pulled her up.

When she finally stood on her own two feet, she met his gaze and asked,

"So… did you do it?"

Sunny frowned.

"What?"

"Did you fight me at your full potential?"

He grimaced inwardly. 

Damn it.

He really didn't want her to ask that.

"...No."

Of course, he hadn't.

Among the countless battle styles at his disposal, he had only shown her two—her own, and a variation of it blended with Saint's stalwart technique.

It wasn't that he wanted to hide the truth from her. But an ordinary Sleeper with no background, proficient in multiple battle styles? That was impossible to explain. If anything, it would only reinforce her suspicions—that he was some kind of assassin, trained in secret to kill her.

Nephis stared at him.

For the first time, a flicker of disappointment crossed her face. A subtle shift in her usually emotionless expression, fleeting but unmistakable.

...And just beneath it, a hint of something else.

Betrayal.

Before she could press further, utter the dreadful word 'Why,' Sunny spoke.

"We still haven't used our Aspects, remember? I can't show you my full potential without it."

It was true.

Just not the truth.

Even without his Aspect, he had not shown her what he was capable of.

Hopefully, she wouldn't ask more.

Nephis held his gaze for a long moment, then exhaled.

"...Makes sense."

Then, her eyes flicked down.

"You can let go of me now."

Sunny blinked, realizing he was still holding her hand.

"Ah. Right. Of course."

A hint of embarrassment crept onto his face, quickly masked by a smile.

They left the dojo together, walking side by side through the quiet corridors. Their footsteps echoed softly in the empty halls, neither of them speaking. Eventually, the path split—one leading to his dorm, the other to hers.

Nephis turned to leave.

But before she could take more than a few steps, Sunny called out.

"See you in the morning, Neph."

She froze.

For a second, she stood motionless, as if caught off guard.

Was she contemplating how to respond? Shocked that he had shortened her name? Or perhaps… both?

After a pause, she turned back, hesitant.

Seeing Sunny waving at her with a smile, she held her breath for a moment before raising her hand in return.

And then, ever so slightly… she smiled back.

"See you, Sunny."

Sunny chuckled. "Good. You've gotten a lot better at it."

Then, without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away, leaving Nephis behind—still standing there, still staring, as if trying to decipher the meaning of his words.

Thus, their final duel in the waking world came to an end.

...

Sunny stayed awake all night, gathering his thoughts and finishing the last of his preparations. The month had passed in a blur, but Sunny had utilized every second of it. 

Every class he took, every lecture his shadow sneaked into—it all served a purpose. To make him strong enough to dread the dangers of the forgotten shore from the moment he plunged into that accursed ocean. 

He was far stronger than he was last time, but he also had far more to achieve. 

'That mad bastard must have prepared something for me there. I am sure of it.' 

Whatever it was, he was ready to face it. 

Morning came in a flash.

Sunny felt tired and drowsy, much more than he had last time. He felt drained, far more than he had the last time. The pull of the Dream Realm was stronger now, almost unbearable. If not for the anti-sleep tablets and the other measures he had taken, he would have succumbed to slumber 2 days ago. 

Sunny didn't like this.

He didn't even want to guess why.

'Whatever. I will deal with it when the time comes.' 

He had done everything in his power to prepare.

He had studied relentlessly, trained until his muscles screamed, incorporated Caster's battle style into his own, memorized the weaknesses of countless Nightmare Creatures—especially the ones that lurked in the depths of the sea. He had pushed himself to the limit.

Now, all that was left was to wait.

With a sigh, he went along with his morning routine. 

The cafeteria was packed. Sleepers filled every table, but the atmosphere was heavy. No one spoke. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, silent and brooding.

More than that—no one seemed to have an appetite. Well… no one except Sunny.

"I don't understand why these idiots are just staring at their trays instead of eating," he muttered, mouth full. "It's their last delicious breakfast, for Spell's sake! They'll regret it when they're stuck eating monster meat for the foreseeable future. I am telling you!"

Cassie and Nephis both turned to him. The girls watched him devour his plate instead of eating their own.

Cassie forced a small smile, but Nephis…

Her expression remained unreadable, though there was a flicker of something in her eyes. Confusion. And maybe… amusement?

"You... certainly seem to be in a good mood, Sunny," Cassie said, voice laced with surprise. "Uh, considering the situation..."

Sunny spared her a glance, then shoved another piece of meat into his mouth.

"What do you mean?" he asked, chewing. "I'm just being practical. One should always make full use of the resources available to them. Don't you agree, Neph?"

Nephis gave him a puzzled look, then simply nodded.

"That is right."

Cassie lingered for a moment, her curiosity piqued by the sudden change in how he addressed Nephis.

"Yeah, but, I mean..." 

She hesitated, then shook her head, deciding to let it go.

For a while, the table remained silent as they finished their breakfast. With no classes scheduled for the day, they stayed where they were, catching up on the past month.

"I took some basic training classes," Cassie began. "Not that I can fight with my flaw..."

She looked down briefly, then continued.

"The rest of the time, I spent trying to get used to it. Learning to manage on my own without relying on others."

She spoke about the difficulties she had faced—how frustrating even the simplest tasks could be when the world itself refused to be perceived.

Sunny listened in silence, giving her a sympathetic glance. He already knew how hard her life had been before she Awakened, but hearing it firsthand still left a bitter taste in his mouth.

When Cassie was done, Sunny spoke up before anyone could turn to him and ask, So how did you spend your time? He preferred to control what he shared. There were things he couldn't talk about—like how much of that time had been spent spying on Caster.

"I took a couple of combat classes, and a few on Nightmare Creatures and their weaknesses," he said casually. Then, with a grin, he added, "Did you know that many Nightmare Creatures in Stormsea have an extraordinary sense of smell? They can sniff out human blood from over a kilometer away!"

He chuckled, then leaned back.

"I also took the wilderness survival course. Teacher Julius's lectures were intense—he taught with so much passion, even when I was stuck in the infirmary!"

Sunny stole a glance at Nephis. 

She looked away, just slightly.

Sunny could practically see the faintest trace of color rising to her cheeks.

He knew why, of course. She had been there—waiting outside his room, seeing firsthand how Julius had continued his lessons even while he was recovering.

His grin widened.

Laughing, he carried on in a lighthearted tone, sharing more of his experiences over the past month.

Eventually, he turned to Nephis.

"So, what about you? What did you do all this time?"

Nephis tilted her head slightly, considering the question.

"I took as many combat classes as I could," she said. "And one class on Nightmare Creatures."

Sunny and Cassie exchanged a look.

"Uh, Nephis," Cassie said. "Is that all you're going to say? Come on, tell us more."

Nephis shrugged. She lingered for a moment, as if searching for the right words.

"Whatever free time I could spare, I spent training."

She turned her gaze to Sunny.

"...Other than what you already know. At night, Sunny and I practiced in the dojo. That's about it. Nothing else worth mentioning."

Cassie sighed, shaking her head.

"Alright fine, that's good enough." 

Then there was nothing else to talk about. As the three of them were about to get up, Cassie leaned toward Sunny. 

"Oh, by the way—Happy Birthday!"

Sunny blinked, feigning surprise.

Nephis, on the other hand, looked at Cassie in genuine shock.

"Uh… thanks?" He hesitated, then narrowed his eyes. "But how did you know?"

He already knew the answer. But not asking would seem suspicious.

Cassie smiled. 

"It's because of my Aspect. Sometimes, I get visions… of the past, or the future."

Sunny studied her carefully, then responded with a lighthearted grin.

"So, you saw me celebrate my birthday next year? That's good news." 

Cassie gave her a questioning look. 

"Why did you assume it was the future, and not the past?" 

Sunny froze.

Damn.

He hadn't expected that question.

He braced himself for the familiar sting of his flaw forcing the truth out of him—some reckless admission, something like Because I already know the future or Because I am strong enough to survive whatever hell the Dream Realm throws at me.

But the pain never came.

His breath hitched.

'Why… why isn't it forcing me?'

Then, realization settled in his chest like a cold weight.

Because he didn't actually believe it.

Sure, he remembered the future. But that was before the Mad Prince interfered. Before the timeline was thrown into uncertainty.

And the truth was… he didn't know if he would survive long enough to celebrate another birthday.

For once, he had no answer.

Luckily, he didn't need one.

Nephis spoke up, her voice quiet but firm.

"It's better to assume you lived to celebrate it next year." 

The way she said it… it was both a statement and a promise. 

Cassie nodded, satisfied.

"Alright." 

And that was that.

...

The rest of the day passed in a blur.

Each of them spent their last hours on Earth as they pleased, until, at sunset, Instructor Rock gathered them all in the foyer of the Sleeper Center and led them outside.

The awakened gathered at the medical center along with their batches. They were taken into the medical facility and showed around, until they arrived at that room.

They saw rows and rows of wheelchairs. In each wheelchair, there was a person with a blank, strangely peaceful expression on their face. 

'The Hollows...'

It was exactly as he remembered it to be.

The ceremony ended with Instructor Rock's usual parting words: 

"So don't die out there."

And with that, the Sleepers were sent to their individual rooms, one by one, to prepare for the inevitable.

...

In one of those rooms, Cassie stood helplessly in the unfamiliar space, her delicate hands reaching out to touch cold walls and pieces of machinery, trying to orient herself.

Tears streamed down her doll-like face.

In another, Caster sat on the edge of his pod, staring blankly at the floor. His lips moved soundlessly, repeating a phrase over and over again.

His hands trembled.

Somewhere else, Nephis gazed down at her own hands, watching as soft white radiance began to glow beneath her skin.

Her face twisted in a grimace of silent agony.

And finally, in a small, dimly lit room, Sunny turned away from the sleeping pod and glanced down at his shadow.

"Well?" he asked. "Are you ready?"

The shadow merely shrugged.

Sunny sighed.

"Yeah… me too."

With that, he stepped forward and climbed into the pod.

In the vast, echoing darkness, he heard—

[Welcome to the Dream Realm, Sunless!]

A heartbeat later, the world shattered—

And he plunged into cold, merciless water.

…Yet again.

'What did I even expect?'

AN: Do share your thoughts in the comments. How did you like the academy arc?

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