The cave was silent.
Not the silence of peace, but the suffocating weight of something watching, waiting, pressing down on them like an unseen hand.
Auro sat still.
His hands rested lightly on his blade—posture relaxed, but ready.
There was no fire.
No warmth.
Only darkness stretching in every direction.
"The beast is too close," Auro had said earlier, voice steady, absolute. "No fire."
Sunny hadn't argued.
Auro leaned against the cave wall, thoughtful.
He had not sharpened his sword today.
A small detail, but it meant something.
Sunny studied him in the darkness, unwilling to fall asleep.
Then, softly, Auro spoke.
"You know, it's strange. Usually, I can feel someone's presence even in absolute darkness. But with you… there's nothing. It's like you are just one of the shadows."
With only silence to answer him, he smiled.
"Are you asleep?"
Sunny had tried his best to lighten the mood with hero.
Hero had always been reserved
But tonight—tonight was different.
And maybe the darkness gave him courage.
"Why? Are you waiting for me to fall asleep before you kill me? Or will you do it in the morning?"
The smile froze on Auro's face.
He lowered his head, as though in shame.
A minute passed in silence.
Then—softly—he answered.
"Yes. I thought that if I do it when you sleep, you won't have to suffer."
Unseen to him, a bitter grin appeared on Sunny's face.
Auro sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"I don't expect you to forgive me," he murmured. "This sin, too, will be mine to bear. But, please… if you can, find it in your heart to understand. If things were different, I would have gladly faced that monster to let you escape. But my life… does not belong to me alone. There is an unencompassable duty I am sworn to fulfil. Until it's done, I cannot allow myself to die."
Sunny laughed.
"You people… Look at you! Planning to kill me and still insisting on having a good excuse. How very convenient! I really hate hypocrites like you the most. Why don't you be honest for once? Don't give me that crap... just say it! I'm going to kill you because it's easy. I'm going to kill you because I want to survive."
Auro closed his eyes.
"I'm sorry. I knew you wouldn't be able to understand."
Sunny leaned forward, voice sharp.
"What's there to understand? Tell me. Why do I have to die?"
Auro finally looked up.
Though he couldn't see in the dark, he turned toward Sunny's voice.
"You can just let me go, you know. We'll part ways. After that, whether or not the monster finds me won't be your problem."
Auro shook his head.
"Dying in that creature's maw… is too cruel a fate. It's better if I do it myself. You are my responsibility, after all."
Sunny scoffed.
"How noble of you."
He leaned back, dejected.
For a long moment, silence lingered.
Then, quietly—
"You know… when I just came here, I was ready to die. After all, in this whole world—two worlds, actually—there's not a single soul who cares whether I live or die. When I'm gone, no one will be sad. No one will even remember that I existed."
There was a forlorn look on his face.
A moment later, however, it was gone—replaced by mirth.
"But then I changed my mind. Somewhere along the way, I decided to survive. I must survive, no matter what."
Auro studied him.
"To live a life worth remembering?"
Sunny grinned.
A dark gleam appeared in his eyes.
"No. To spite you all."
Auro was silent for a moment, then nodded, accepting the answer.
He rose to his feet.
"Don't worry. I'll make it quick."
Sunny smirked.
"Aren't you overly confident? What makes you think you'll be able to kill me? Maybe I'll kill you instead."
Auro shook his head.
"I doubt that."
Then a noise echoed outside the cave.
The sound of movement.
Heavy.
Deliberate.
Familiar.
Auro stiffened.
Sunny's pulse steadied.
Future Sunny felt his breath hitch. This wasn't supposed to happen.
The Mountain King had found them.
Auro moved immediately, adjusting his grip.
Sunny followed, scanning the cave's narrow entrance—but the angle of the entrance blocked his view.
The ground trembled.
Auro remained focused.
"We kill it," he said simply.
Sunny exhaled.
Past Sunny hoped this was possible.
Future Sunny knew it wasn't.
The Tyrant smashed through the narrow crevice that was the cave's entrance, Pushing through stone with ease. It growled and Both Auro and Sunny stiffened.
"Was this it?" Sunny thought.
Emotions stirred. Sunny felt Something crack in his mind. The shadows deepened. They heard the call of their master. His command.
And they answered—
From Sunny's shadow, something emerged.
A shadow-wraith.
The strongest avatar Future Sunny could currently manifest, barely stable, but real.
It lunged, gripping onto his past self and the Mountain King with impossible force.
And then—
Shadow Step.
Darkness swallowed the world.
Light disappeared.
Space collapsed.
And suddenly—
The Nameless Temple.
Silence.
Cold.
Nothingness.
Past Sunny collapsed onto the altar.
Future Sunny stood, wavering.
But the Mountain King remained, towering in the temple's emptiness.
The Nightmare would continue unchanged.
Future Sunny exhaled sharply.
Then—shadow step again.
The cave.
Auro stared.
His blade remained raised, his breath steady—but his eyes betrayed his shock.
Sunny reappeared.
His shadow-wraith form flickered, barely stabilizing.
Auro didn't speak.
Couldn't speak.
Sunny stepped forward, his voice low
Auro tensed.
"Tell me everything."