Shadow Slave

Far away, Cassie was walking through the corridors of the Ivory Tower.

The great pagoda felt empty now that Nephis and Sunny were away. Most of the Fire Keepers had departed, as well, sent to put out numerous fires consuming humanity.

At least Rain was here… the young woman spent most of her time meditating, though, hard at work to make her Ascension happen. So, Cassie often felt that she was the only person left on the Ivory Island.

The only person left in the world.

Of course, it was only her body that remained on the flying island. Her mind, meanwhile, encompassed all of the world, sharing the senses of countless people across the Human Domain. Witnessing them.

She was communicating with dozens of people at any given moment, as well. After all, humanity was in the throes of a global crisis, quaking as it was besieged from all sides.

The waking world continued to be consumed by the ever-increasing number of Nightmare Gates and the waves of abominations they unleashed. In the Dream Realm, hordes of Nightmare Creatures were prowling the edges of the Human Domain, driven mad by the scent of human souls. Asterion’s plague was spreading like wildfire, slowly consuming everything.

And on top of that, the King of Nothing had invaded the Human Domain from the north, posing a threat that was more dire than even the Dreamspawn.

Cassie was merely a Saint, but at the moment, she represented the throne of the Immortal Flame. She was the stand-in for the ruler of humanity, and therefore, it was her duty to guide the Human Domain through these calamities…

Or try to, at least.

There was so much she had to do, so much she had to coordinate, so many things she needed to observe, comprehend, and react to accordingly.

There was a litany of voices in Cassie’s head, all asking for direction.

It was overwhelming, but she methodically responded to each of them, providing the necessary information, making countless decisions, and giving orders. Creating a semblance of order out of the raging ocean of chaos.

[The campaign is over, Commander. You must abandon the forward camp of the expedition and pull your forces back. Retreat west, then march north toward the Black Mountains posthaste to bolster the local garrisons. Speed is of utmost importance…]

[No reinforcements will be available in the foreseeable future. You must establish a strict curfew and transition the city to martial law, evacuate fringe districts, and relocate all troops to protect the city core. Ensure that the Special Directives are strictly adhered to…]

[There will be no supply shipments this month, and perhaps next month as well. Your only hope to avoid mass starvation is to ration food while sending out hunting parties to slay and slaughter Nightmare Creatures. Use emergency funds to double the reward independent Awakened receive for donating salvaged materials, as long as they are edible…]

[Relocate all Awakened engineers north immediately. The existing fortifications are woefully insufficient for what is about to come, so we must establish a robust defensive line in a matter of days — two weeks at most. Recruit specialists among the veterans of the Southern Campaign…]

[You must hurry, Kai. You can sacrifice the Citadel, and you can sacrifice the Lake of Tears as well — but people come first. As long as people survive, we can rebuild whatever is destroyed.]

Mordret had already taken the Glass Hell. Godgrave was as good as lost. He was not going to attack Ravenheart — at least not yet — because the defenses of the city were too formidable. Whoever ruled the Jade Palace could awaken the volcanoes and incinerate anyone trying to attack the city from the north, as well.

However, all the other regions bordering the Hollow Mountains were doomed to fall. Jet had already evacuated the Sanctuary, but the Lake of Tears had to be defended until its citizens could flee to Ravenheart and other cities of the former Song Domain.

At the same time, in the East, all Citadels north of the Black Mountains had to be abandoned — simply because they were not defensible enough, and there was no time to establish a robust defensive line on any terrain there. So, Cassie had to take measures in order to stop Mordret’s advance at the Black Mountains, which was why she was mobilizing all available forces and sending them north.

…And all the while, Asterion continued to spread his plague, enthralling even Saints now.

‘Nephis, Sunny… you must hurry.’

Cassie grimaced and massaged her temples, dazed by the mad kaleidoscope of senses and perspectives she was experiencing.

Her Transcendent mind was far more potent than that of any mundane human. No, in fact, she was outstanding even among Saints… but she was still a mere mortal. Pushing herself that way was taxing, and even then, she had already hit her limit.

At times, it felt as if her mind would shatter under the weight of all these memories. But it never did.

It had not shattered yet, at least. Continuing on her way, Cassie continued to send countless mental messages.

[Retreat three hundred kilometers west and establish a new camp. The forces of the Aegis Rose clan will rendezvous with your soldiers there.]

[Yes, the Fire Keepers have received the data. A cohort is already on its way to contain the emerging Gate. They’ll be there in time.]

[Burn the crops. Losing the latest harvest will be a setback, but if these plants escape from under our control, the damage will be far more dire.]

[You have my permission to arm the civilians. I will take authority.]

[This is the will of the Immortal Flame. Lady Nephis will act when she thinks it’s needed.]

Cassie stumbled.

All these perspectives made it difficult to remain aware of her own body. Her missing eye pulsated with a dull pain, and she felt uncomfortable without the Quiet Dancer on her belt.

But, still…

‘We will prevail.’

Cassie believed it wholeheartedly. She had to believe it.

She was just not sure how much would be sacrificed to achieve that triumph…