A Different Story...
Somewhere beyond the boundaries of reality, where one person had the power to watch over, the great Tapestry of Fate stretched endlessly. Threads of countless lives wove together, each strand whispering a story, defining what was and what could be.
In this infinite expanse, three threads stood out among the rest. One was dark as the abyss, shadowed but filled with determination. Another shone like silver moonlight, with the might to back up it's actions. And the last gleamed with a golden radiance, carrying their friends fate in her hands.
The dark thread was knotted tightly with the silver one, their fates bound in a dance of light and shadow. But then, something stirred. A force unseen yet undeniable reached into the weave, shifting the dark thread's course. It twisted, unfurling from the silver embrace, only to be drawn toward the golden radiance.
Fate had been rewritten. A new path unfolded.
And so, the story began anew.
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Nephis
She expected to descend upon the familiar ruins, to see the vast wasteland where the Forgotten Shore awaited. But instead, there was only suffocating darkness.
Cold, salty water rushed into her mouth, burning her throat as she instinctively fought to breathe. Panic flared, but she crushed it. Her body twisted, searching for the surface, yet she could see nothing, no light, no guiding presence. Just a void.
The ocean wrapped around her like a coffin, pressing her down. There was no sun, no moon, just a sky of oppressive blackness.
Nephis stilled her thoughts. Panicking would kill her.
'Up. I have to swim up.'
With powerful strokes, she forced herself through the liquid abyss. Long, agonizing seconds passed, her lungs burning, her body demanding air, until she finally broke through the surface.
Her first breath was ragged, but she forced herself to take another. Then another.
'Breathe. Survive.'
Slowly, her mind cleared enough to assess her surroundings. An endless, ink-black sea stretched in every direction. There was no land in sight, just the vast loneliness of this sunless abyss.
A flicker of unease sparked within her. This wasn't what was supposed to happen.
Then, something shifted. A movement.
She turned.
And her breath caught.
A dorsal fin, towering at least five meters tall, sliced through the water, approaching her with terrifying speed.
Nephis narrowed her eyes. Her hand twitched, grasping for a sword that was no longer there. She clenched her fist instead.
'Survive.'
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Sunny landed hard on the ground, rolling instinctively into a crouch. His body tensed, expecting an immediate threat. But instead of darkness and suffocating waves, there was dry land beneath him.
'Huh?'
He blinked. The sky above was a swirling expanse of grey clouds, casting an eerie twilight over the blackened earth. And nearby, just a few steps away, sat a figure.
A girl.
She was curled in on herself, her knees drawn to her chest, her arms wrapped around them as if she were trying to disappear. Long blonde hair spilled over her shoulders, partially obscuring the blindfold over her eyes.
Something about her posture, about the loneliness clinging to her like a ghost, made his chest tighten.
Sunny hesitated, then exhaled. "Hey."
The girl flinched slightly. Then, after a moment, she turned her head in his direction.
"…Who's there?"
Her voice was quiet, almost fragile. But there was something else beneath it, something steady.
Sunny studied her for a beat, then sighed.
"Just some lost idiot, same as you. Cassie."
Cassie didn't respond right away. She remained still, as if trying to determine whether or not he was real. The wind tugged at her hair, revealing more of the blindfold wrapped tightly around her eyes.
Sunny frowned. This was… strange.
His memories of arriving in the Dream Realm were filled with cold seawater, suffocating darkness, and the sheer terror of drowning. Yet, this time, he was here, on dry land. With her.
Why had things changed?
Cassie exhaled slowly. "Oh, it's you.. Sunny." It wasn't a question.
Sunny snorted. "What gave it away?"
She didn't answer, only hugging her knees tighter. A long silence stretched between them, interrupted only by the distant crash of waves and the occasional howl of wind.
This was the Forgotten Shore. Course, he didn't know that.
His mind whirled. He had prepared for this, mapped out every possibility. But the moment he had arrived, the plan had already fallen apart. Instead of struggling alone, he had landed right next to her.
Cassie shifted slightly, as if sensing his thoughts. "Where… are we?"
Sunny exhaled. "Somewhere very, very bad."
She nodded, as if she had already known the answer. Then, after a moment, she spoke again, quieter this time.
"…Am I alone?"
The words made something tighten in his chest.
Sunny hesitated. He wasn't good at comforting people.
Especially not someone as vulnerable as this girl seemed to be. And yet, looking at her, at the way she seemed so utterly lost, he couldn't bring himself to be cruel, despite the amount of spite he had against the world.
He sighed. "No. I'm here."
Cassie turned her head slightly in his direction. For a moment, she didn't speak. Then, she smiled, just barely, just enough for him to notice.
"…Okay."
Before Sunny could say anything else, a sound echoed in the distance. A low, guttural growl.
His body tensed.
Cassie flinched, her hands tightening around her arms. "W-what was that?"
Sunny slowly rose to his feet, scanning the area. The mist curling around the landscape made it difficult to see, but he could feel it.
Something was coming.
He clenched his fists, his mind racing. No weapons. No armor. No shelter.
He glanced at Cassie.
No choice.
"Get up," he said. His voice was sharper now, more urgent. "We need to move. Now."
Cassie hesitated only for a second before nodding. With a bit of effort, she pushed herself to her feet.
And together, they ran.
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The sound of chittering claws against stone sent a jolt of adrenaline through Sunny's veins.
The creature was fast, way too fast.
His grip on Cassie's wrist was firm but not crushing as he pulled her along, their footsteps pounding against the barren earth. His mind raced, analyzing the terrain, searching for anything that could be used to their advantage.
'Think, Sunny, Think!'
Behind them, the Carapace Scavenger moved with eerie precision, its bladed limbs carving through the ground, throwing up black sand and jagged shards of coral with each step. Its grotesque, humanoid torso swayed slightly, its mandibles twitching as it let out another inhuman screech.
"Left!" Sunny hissed, turning sharply toward a cluster of jagged rock formations. Cassie followed without hesitation, her steps steady despite the blindfold.
He didn't question it. There was no time.
A shadow loomed over them.
Sunny barely had time to register the movement before a massive pincer came crashing down. He yanked Cassie to the side, and they hit the ground hard as the monster's scythe-like limb tore through where they had been standing a second earlier.
"Damn it!" Sunny spat, rolling onto his feet. He yanked Cassie up again. "Keep moving!"
But the creature wasn't letting up. The Carapace Scavenger reared back, its grotesque torso shifting unnaturally. Then, with terrifying agility, it leapt forward, closing the distance between them in an instant.
Too fast.
Sunny's eyes darted wildly. Think.
Their surroundings were barren, nowhere to hide, nothing to fight with. Just open wasteland and the encroaching nightmare.
The pincers rose again.
Sunny cursed under his breath. Then, without warning, he shoved Cassie to the side.
"Stay down!"
The attack came a second later.
A bladed leg lashed out, and Sunny barely twisted away in time. Pain bloomed along his ribs as the tip of the scythe-like limb grazed him, cutting through his memory and leaving behind a burning gash.
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to ignore it. His eyes flicked toward Cassie, she was crouched low.
'Good.'
Now he just had to figure out how to not die.
The Carapace Scavenger scuttled closer, its grotesque humanoid torso twisting unnaturally as it loomed over Sunny.
His mind worked furiously. No weapons. No armor. No way to fight this thing head-on.
Which meant… he had to be smarter.
His eyes darted to Cassie. She was still crouched, her hands pressed against the rough ground, her blindfolded face turned slightly in his direction. She was waiting. Trusting him.
Sunny sucked in a sharp breath, then made his decision.
"Cassie," he called. "On my mark, run right. Stay low!"
She didn't argue. Didn't hesitate. Just gave a small nod.
Sunny turned back to the scavenger. It shifted its weight, preparing to strike again.
Three… two…
He moved.
Dashing forward, he feinted left before suddenly diving under the monster's raised pincer, rolling past its segmented legs. The scavenger reacted instantly, its scythe-like limbs slashing downward, but Sunny wasn't there.
"NOW!"
Cassie bolted, her movements swift and fluid despite her blindness. The momentary distraction of Sunny slipping beneath it had given her the opening she needed.
The scavenger's head snapped toward her.
Sunny's stomach twisted. Not fast enough.
"Hey, ugly!" he barked, throwing a handful of gravel and black sand at its face.
The monster hissed in irritation, mandibles snapping as it recoiled slightly. It wasn't much, but it was enough.
Cassie made it past the immediate danger, reaching a small incline in the cracked earth. Sunny pushed himself up just as the scavenger twisted toward him again.
Damn it, need a plan.
The creature was stronger, faster, armored. The only thing they had over it was maneuverability. Which meant-
His eyes flicked to the jagged coral formations ahead.
That could work.
But he had to be the bait.
"Cassie! Get to the rocks, now!"
Another pincer slashed toward him. He jumped, narrowly avoiding being split in half, then ran.
Sunny pushed Cassie forward. "Go!"
He turned just in time to see the scavenger lunge. Yet again, it moved with horrifying speed, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat.
There was no time to dodge.
Instead of running, he stopped.
The monster's massive pincer lashed out, clamping around his torso. A terrible pressure crushed his ribs, forcing the air from his lungs. Pain exploded through his body, but he grit his teeth and held on.
His armor barely withstood the force, keeping his bones from snapping like twigs.
The scavenger clicked its mandibles, lifting him higher, pulling him toward its grotesque, slimy mouth.
'Why is everything trying to eat me?! Am I that tasty?!'
A rasping breath escaped him. He stayed still, waiting.
The instant the monster's grip shifted, he moved.
With all the strength left in his body, Sunny lunged forward, driving the sharpened bone straight into the creature's eye.
The scavenger shrieked.
Its body convulsed, but Sunny wasn't done. He twisted the bone deeper, grinding it against soft, pulsing flesh.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then-
The monster jerked violently.
Its pincer snapped open, sending Sunny plummeting. He hit the ground hard, gasping as pain rattled through his ribs.
Above him, the hulking nightmare trembled, its limbs twitching erratically. Then, with a final spasm, it collapsed, its lifeless body crashing to the earth.
A moment passed. Then another.
Sunny groaned, struggling to breathe.
Cassie hesitated, then took a cautious step forward. "Sunny?"
He let out a ragged chuckle. "Yeah… yeah. I'm..."
His words cut off as something shifted in the air around him.
[You have slain an awakened beast, Carapace Scavenger.]
[You have received a Memory: Azure Blade.]
[… Your shadow grows stronger.]