Shadow Slave

Asterion had said what he wanted to say. And Nephis had, too.

In the end, the champions of the Human Domain were unconvinced. Their faith in Changing Star remained unshaken despite the Dreamspawn’s efforts. As for their wariness of a new conflict between two Supremes... on one hand, those fears were put to rest. It did not seem like there would be another violent war — at least not anytime soon.

However, at the same time, it was clear that there was a deep animosity between their ruler and the last of the original Sovereigns. More than that, even if Nephis had not outright called Asterion a threat, she made it clear that he was not an ally to humanity. That he could not be trusted.

Some had known it, already. Others were only learning it now.

In any case, the council had served its purpose. The leading figures of the Human Domain had been informed of the situation and witnessed a verbal clash between the Supremes with their own eyes. Eventually, they were dismissed and left the Immortal Flame manor.

Only a few people stayed behind.

On one side of the hall, Nephis and the members of her cohort remained in their seats. Across from them, Asterion was still leaning back in his chair, his legs crossed. Sunny quietly emerged from the shadows.

”Did you enjoy yourself?”

Asterion gave him an amused glance.

“Enjoy myself?”

He pondered the question for a short while.

”No... not particularly. To be honest, I don’t really enjoy much of anything — unless I remember to make myself enjoy it.”

The answer solidified Sunny’s suspicion that Asterion did not experience emotions as ordinary people did. In fact, it seemed that he did not feel anything at all — perhaps he had always been that way, or maybe it was the result of having purposefully neutered his heart with the powers of his Aspect. Now, Asterion only seemed to feel emotions that he chose to conjure... or stole, like a sinister spirit that fed on the emotions of the others.

Sunny sighed.

“That’s a pity. I hoped that at least somebody would enjoy that distasteful performance.”

Asterion chuckled.

”Well, I’ll have to admit it then. It was a bit fun, ruffling your feathers like that.”

He looked at Effie.

“Saint Athena, it is a pleasure to see you again. We didn’t get a chance to chat the last time... how is your son? Little Ling is such a precious boy. I hear that he is busy studying right now.”

Effie regarded him in silence, then looked away with a somber expression.

”You really talk a lot, don’t you?”

Asterion shrugged.

“Do I? Well, perhaps. I spent close to decades on the Moon, after all. I couldn’t even escape into the Dream Realm or be expelled from this dreary world by its laws, all because of the Unholy thing that dwells there. And as you can imagine, it was not exactly a good conversation partner. In fact, all I could do was hide and pray that it doesn’t find me — so, forgive me for finding joy in simple things like talking.”

He smiled.

“Ah, but you didn’t answer my...”

However, at that moment, Nephis finally interrupted him in a cold tone:

“I just don’t understand what you are counting on.”

Asterion looked at her in surprise.

”You don’t? Oh, my... and there I was, thinking that I explained my plans quite clearly. Considering that you haven’t been able to offer me any meaningful resistance, I’d say I am doing well.”

Nephis studied him impassively.

“So, what is your plan, exactly? Spread your influence slowly, enthrall more and more people, then drive me into a corner when all of humanity has become encompassed by your Domain?”

Asterion grinned.

”Well... yes. Roughly, that is the plan.”

She remained silent for a short while, then sighed.

“You weren’t wrong, though. About me. About how I only care about my personal goal — that goal being conquering the Nightmare Spell.”

He raised an eyebrow.

”So?”

Nephis looked at him evenly.

“So what do you think I will do when humanity ceases to be my responsibility and becomes an obstacle that stands in my way instead?”

Asterion looked at her with interest.

“What? Will you burn all these pitiful people that you’ve chosen to protect to ash?”

Nephis just stared at him silently.

Then, she raised an eyebrow.

“You think I won’t?”

A faint, eerie smile twisted her lips. Asterion seemed to frown a little at the sight of that smile.

He chuckled.

”Don’t tell me that you took what I said about you being the Star of Ruin seriously. Then again, I guess extinction is also a change...”

He lingered for a few moments, then shrugged.

“I guess we will see when the time comes. You will be a Supreme only in name by then, anyway, while my Domain will have become staggering and immense. With a Domain like that, even dealing with carriers of Divine Aspects like you three shouldn’t be much of a problem.”

Asterion shifted his gaze to Sunny and studied him with a look of regret.

“Of course, I’d much prefer to devour you instead of simply destroying you. But, to be honest, I have never enthralled a Supreme before... I am not even sure that it’s possible. We’ll see about that, too.”

With that, he rose from his chair and looked at them, his gaze lingering on Cassie for a few moments.

Then, Asterion bowed.

”So, what do you think? Do you regret making that bet yet?”

Chuckling quietly, he turned around and walked out of the hall, leaving an oppressive silence behind him.

As soon as Asterion disappeared from sight, his shadow seemed to vanish from Sunny’s senses, as well, as if it had never existed at all.

He let out a heavy sigh.

‘This went about as well as expected.’

”Do you remember how we wanted to stall for time while searching for a way to deal with that creepy guy?”

Sunny turned and looked at his friends with a dark expression.

“I think the time we thought we had was just reduced by half.”