Shadow Slave

A few days later, Effie found herself standing on the shore of the sea. In front of her, the people of the fallen city, who had left the safe harbor of her Soul Garden, were busy working. Some were clearing the bay, some were salvaging the wrecked ship that had been pulled from its depths.

Their work was hard, but they seemed cheerful enough. Haunted and unnaturally quiet, yes, but nevertheless full of vitality. And, most of all, undeniably alive.

The gaunt bodies had filled up somewhat, and they did not look like walking corpses anymore. The quiet despair had also disappeared from their eyes, replaced by tranquility... hope, even.

With anticipation of a brighter future.

Effie quite liked the sight.

There was activity boiling throughout the city, as well. However, it did not look like the citizens were trying to clear away the rubble. Instead, they were simply searching for anything that had survived the fire and could be of use.

Soon enough, the other members of the cohort joined her to observe them.

Effie raised an eyebrow.

”Where’s the prince?”

The prince had called them out here to discuss something, but now, he was nowhere to be seen.

Kai remained silent for a moment, then sighed.

“His father had taken a turn for the worse. So, the prince is with him.”

Effie lingered a bit before nodding. She turned back to the sea.

Despite everything that had happened in the past two years, the sea was clear and beautiful beyond the harbor. It stretched toward the horizon, glistening in the sun, its waves murmuring steadily, like they always did.

She let out a heavy breath.

”Did he mention what their plans are? Are they going to rebuild the city?”

Jet, who had approached quietly, shook her head.

“The prince said that the city — what remains of it — is a place of death and sorrow now. To them, it is a graveyard. So, they are planning to build ships and sail somewhere else... somewhere far from conquest and war, somewhere far away. To start anew.”

Looking at the sea, Effie smiled.

”Well, I can’t say I blame them. It must feel nice to have somewhere else to go.”

Back in the real world, there was nowhere far away from war. War was everywhere. That didn’t mean that humanity couldn’t start anew, though.

Turning to her friends and companions, Effie studied them for a few moments.

”I guess this is it, then. We won.”

The others nodded in confirmation, even if their expression betrayed a hint of bewilderment.

Nightwalker shook his head.

“It’s astonishing, really. I thought at least half of you would die... if any of us survived at all.”

Seishan smiled.

”Unlike you, most of us have no experience dying over and over again, so we thought we’d pass.”

Morgan simply shrugged.

”I don’t know what you are talking about, either. Look at us. Great Clan Valor, Great Clan Song, Great Clan Night... the best and the brightest of the Forgotten Shore, the most fearsome soldier of the government — if the six of us couldn’t conquer the Nightmare, then who could?”

She paused for a moment, then looked to the sea and sighed.

“Although... I feel that this is it. There probably won’t be new Supremes for a long, long while after us.”

This one Nightmare had already gathered the best of what humanity had to offer. The next generations, if they would get to be born, were not going to experience a world as terrifying as the one the six of them had been raised and tempered by. New champions might rise from among the descendants of humanity eventually, but it would take a long time.

Jet studied them for a moment, then smiled.

”Still. We did well, didn’t we?”

Effie could not help but agree. Leaning on her crutch, she grinned.

“I’d say.”

With that, they fell into a relaxed, exhausted, peaceful silence.

There was not going to be a lot of peace after they returned to the real world, so they had to enjoy this precious moment as much as they could.

Soon, a strange, imperceptible change rippled through the world. It was as if the weight of the sky had changed, and the scent of the air had become a little colder. As if something old had come to an end, and something new was beginning.

A few moments later, a deafening, roaring crash resounded from the distance. Turning to look across the blackened ruin of the burned city, Effie and her companions saw the impregnable wall they had defended bitterly for two years crumbling into a cloud of dust. It collapsed entirely across its length, pulled down by its own battered weight and erased from existence. They all knew what that meant. Somewhere nearby, within the walls of the Stone Castle, its creator had finally breathed his last breath.

The Mason King had endured long enough to see his people to safety... but now, he was dead.

Effie looked at the beautiful walls of the distant castle, considering.

They had met two Supremes in this Nightmare, which couldn’t have been more different from each other. In many senses, the Mason and Azarax were opposites of each other, both representing distinct extremes.

Azarax was powerful and ambitious, proud, and impossible to ignore. An epitome of a tyrant.

The Mason, on the contrary, was quiet and unassuming, so much so that his presence was almost imperceptible at times. He had not been a powerful warrior, but created beauty and prosperity wherever he went.

Effie was not sure which of them would have fared better in the Age of the Nightmare Spell, where abominations and dreadful perils besieged humanity on all sides... but she knew that she wanted to be a Supreme like the Mason. She wanted to inspire and protect her people instead of using them as fuel for her own benefit.

She smiled.

‘Rest well, old man.‘

With that, the beautiful view of the Stone Castle, contrasted sharply against the blackened ruins behind it, suddenly grew vague and indistinct.

Effie inhaled deeply, breathing in the bitter air of this forgotten city for the final time.

Their Nightmare had come to an end.