(Welcome to the Dream World, Sunless.)
Sunny plunged into the Dark Sea, the water bone-chillingly cold. Instinctively, he summoned his Puppeteer's Shroud. Rain lashed down from above, and waves crashed around him with eerie force. He glanced around, searching for high ground.
Through the darkness and downpour, he spotted a rocky hill. Without wasting time, he swam toward it—but then, his shadow sense flared.
Something was approaching.
A massive, shark-like silhouette was closing in beneath the surface. Sunny's blood ran cold. Panic surged through him, and he swam faster, slicing through the water with frantic urgency.
Then, another ping from his shadow sense—someone was standing on the hill, waving at him. A figure, motioning urgently.
Relief crashed into him like a wave. He pushed himself harder.
Sunny reached the base of the hill and scrambled up the slick, rain-slicked rocks. Just as he was about to reach the top, the nightmare shark burst from the water. It was easily two stories tall, jaws wide open, teeth gleaming in the dark.
But before it could drag him back into the sea, the figure on the hill reached out and yanked him up to safety.
Gasping for breath, Sunny looked up at his savior.
The man wore a white cloth draped loosely over his frame and a striking white mask with a red dot at its center. He was taller than Sunny, with ivory skin and long, platinum-blue hair that shimmered even in the rain.
Sunny, still panting, managed a weak, "Thank you."
Before he could say more, his shadow sense pulsed again—danger. He turned, eyes widening.
A massive tentacle was rising from the sea.
He and the masked man looked at each other, then ran. The tentacle surged forward—not for them, but for the shark-like nightmare. It wrapped around the creature, dragging it back into the depths. The two monsters collided, locked in a savage, primal battle beneath the storm.
Sunny and the stranger ducked behind a large rock, the howls of the storm muffled slightly by the stone. They stayed silent, not daring to make a sound that could draw attention. The night wore on, cold and wet.
Eventually, without a word, they huddled together for warmth.
The Morning After
Dawn arrived, grey and quiet.
Sunny stirred and looked at the figure still seated beside him, masked and still. As if sensing his gaze, the man turned to meet Sunny's eyes.
An awkward silence stretched between them.
To break it, Sunny spoke. "Thank you... for saving me last night."
The man gave a silent nod.
Sunny tried again. "Since it looks like we'll have to rely on each other, maybe we should introduce ourselves?"
He wanted to lead the conversation—to share only what he chose. The man nodded again, giving him that space.
"I'll start," Sunny said. "My name is Sunless, but you can call me Sunny. My aspect allows me to control my shadow—it helps with scouting and can also boost my abilities in a fight."
He looked at the man expectantly.
The man nodded again, then slowly removed his mask.
"My name is Amon," he said. His voice was soft, androgynous, yet unwavering.
Sunny blinked. The voice, the flawless skin, the delicate features—it all felt too ethereal. His eyes flicked down briefly. Flat chest. Then, back up, to a face so beautiful it almost seemed sculpted. Long platinum-blue hair framed his sharp cheekbones. Pale golden eyes, long lashes, a small nose, and soft, rose-tinted lips.
Is he a guy? Sunny wondered, stunned.
Even before the thought fully formed, Amon's voice cut in, clear and sharp:
"I am definitely a man."
Sunny flinched.
"I can hear thoughts," Amon added casually. "Specifically, negative ones—or at least, what I perceive as negative. It's one of my attributes."
Before Sunny could stammer an apology, Amon continued, "As for my ability—it allows me to phase through physical objects… and store things inside my soul. Clothing, tools, weapons, food—anything I've bound to myself."
Amon looked radiant. Elegant. Otherworldly.
Then Amon unsummoned the white cloth that he loosely draped over himself and summoned another set of clothes. The clothes Amon summoned were weaving into existence around his body. The garment memory consisted of a white sleeveless shirt and long baggy trousers, a pair of black boots, and a golden neck-piece. There was a moment when Sunny saw Amon's bare back.
[image]
Sunny immediately flushed as wild thoughts raced through his mind—then dread hit him. 'Amon can hear thoughts,' Sunny remembered.
[image]
But instead of reacting with annoyance, Amon chuckled. "I don't mind, Sunny. These types of thoughts are natural. What matters is that you didn't entertain them."
Still embarrassed, Sunny muttered, "I'm sorry…"
Amon laughed again, clearly amused. "Don't be. You're far from the first person to think that." He smiled. "Really, it's fine. I've heard worse."
Just as Sunny was collecting himself, Amon spoke again—this time completely casually:
"So, what do you want to eat? I've got cake, donuts, macarons, pastries… and lots of sugar."
"…What?"
"Haven't I already told you? I can store objects in my Soul Sea."
Sunny stared. "Then… I'll have cake?"
As he ate, Sunny thought silently to himself, I never imagined I'd be eating cake in the Dream Realm.
Then he remembered something. "Amon, I never saw you at the Awakened Academy. Did you not attend?"
Amon gave a nod and said. "Nope. I live far away. But even if I lived nearby, I wouldn't have gone."
"Why?" Sunny asked, confused.
"Because I'm strong," Amon said with a wink. "I didn't need it."