Shadow Slave Cinema (reaction fanfic)

The seven statements continued to blink as everyone stared silently at the screen, unsure of how to proceed. Yes, they had been inclined to see the option, but now that it was presented before them, it almost seemed like too much.

Like ordering a full course meal after gorging on appetizers.

Except in this scenario, there was no refusing food.

"Options, options….so many options!" Noctis exclaimed in excitement, unable to contain himself, he quickly turned to Solvanne.

She looked at him with suspicion, as he smiled.

"Told you so" he triumphantly whispered, as she narrowed her eyes.

"Indeed this is a welcomed surprise" Julius chimed in unison.

Others remained in silence, unresponding, seemingly still processing what they were being shown. Although they didn't know what each option pertained to, or what selecting it would even do, the statements themselves held presence behind them.

Mundane or Awakened, everyone was affected by the flashing statements, as if they were looking down on them.

Some were unfortunately more affected by others due to their status. Kim and Luster both leaned back, lightheaded from the information, unsure whether to be feel impressed or betrayed by the revelation. Telle was coping by indulging herself with popcorn from Windflower, to numb her senses.

Windflower didn't seem the slightest bit perturbed by the extra pair of hands in her popcorn bucket.

In fact, she was secretly delighted to have formed a new ally, with a common ground in appreciating the sacred food.

Julius didn't seem the slightest bit overwhelmed by the information, already having soaked it up like a dried up sponge, as his eyes glistened, darting across the screen, theorising different possibilities.

That left Rain, who couldn't really describe how she felt.

In her mind, she was chaotically recalling all her Master's…no, her brother's ramblings about his past, which she had pushed out of her mind. But like a student unprepared for a test, currently she was desperately trying to resurface key parts which she had deemed unimportant.

"No really, couldn't he be someone else's sibling? I look like a bum next to him…." she grumbled in self-loathing.

The cohort stared at the screen, their minds churning in unison,

'Madness Incarnate, A Light in the Void, Solace in Defiance, Shadows of Wrath, Walking the path of Fate, An Eternal Nightmare and Law of Convergence'

Effie whistled in amusement,

"Princess, princess….I must say, you have snagged yourself quite the man! Truly his name in the game is to impress!"

Nephis looked at her with a blank face, a hint of confusion growing,

"We don't even know the context behind the options" she questioned, causing Effie to roll her eyes and snort.

"Really? Are you getting self-conscious or something? The implication is quite clear, your stylish doll has done quite a few impressive feats in his time!" she mischievously cooed.

Nephis betrayed no look of annoyance or irritation at Effie's goading, her mind still whirring over the context behind what the options meant. To her dismay, they were too ambiguous, no clear answer came to her head.

Or maybe it was clear, but she couldn't hold form of it because she had forgotten….

Her stomach once again dropped at the prospect.

Hidden from the world, deep inside, there was a rare but faint spark of anticipation and excitement; one could say childish, at the idea of what her and Sunny had possibly been.

Or maybe would be…..

"I want to meet him…" she whispered.

Effie turned her head, having caught ear of the whisper, her face comical.

"Hmmmm? What was that?" she hummed, leaning towards Nephis as she fluttered her eyelashes.

Nephis stared at her with annoyance, as she pressed her hand against Effie's face, pushing her away. Effie didn't resist, but huffed in dejection, slumping back as she play-fought with Ling.

"How did you get such a fine specimen before me with an attitude like that? Did you make him your slave or something?" she grumbled in annoyance.

Nephis shuddered, as her heart sank, an alien feeling of dread spreading through her body as her eyes widened, something briefly flashing in her mind.

A memory, of a pair of eyes, covered with blood and grime, a look of pure despair and sadness. But in the next second, it was already gone and she couldn't recall it.

'What reaction was that..?' she contemplated with horror, confused with her own body.

She shook her head to shake off the unease, turning to Cassie for her opinion. Cassie sensed her gaze, as she turned to meet Nephis.

"What do you think?"

Cassie stared at her blankly

"I don't even know what they mean" she said flatly

Nephis stared, her masterfully crafted poker face she had honed, perfectly hiding the embarrassment she was feeling. Unwilling to let her agitation grow, she took a deep breath before turning to look at Julius, signalling him to intervene.

He met her gaze as he coughed, calling everyone's attention.

"I can imagine that everyone is having their own fun with theorising what each option could mean, but I think it would be nice to start using questions to make the options more clear!

"Any objections?" he echoed, looking around.

Everyone held his gaze as they remained silent, some nodding. He smiled, nodding before turning to the screen.

"May we know the context behind each of these choices?" he carefully worded.

The screen began to shift, new smaller subtexts forming in place of each option.

[In a long forgotten tomb, seven entered, filled with hope. But that hope was short lived, just as their lives, before they realised it was all a lie. Yet one remembered, corrupted and broken. They moved forward alone, despair and madness in desperation to go home]

[or]

[Cast away from existence, a lone shadow braved the depths of the Abyss, prying into the secrets the gods had hidden. The Sun God met such curiosity with his eternal wrath. Yet the shadow did not yield, instead it laughed, as it took all the Gods wrath, following its long destined path]

[or]

[In a forsaken land, all will find peace, in the land of shadows, where one will finally sleep. In a time long forgotten, in a world destined for ruin, two Slaves met, and will meet again. They say the dead tell no tales, but these two Slaves laugh at death in solace. One loved. One hated]

[or]

[Two Shadows, their surroundings cold, yet not enough to dim the fire inside. Consumed by wrath, these two beings battled amidst a song of fire and ice, destroying everything in their path. From different origins they came, yet one destination awaits. One must take it all, devouring the other in its wake]

[or]

[On this forsaken land, three were destined to fall, as Fate had governed so. However, its child refused to submit, instead, slaughtering and taking what rightfully belonged. Freedom he attained, unaware of the new chains he placed on himself]

[or]

[In a harrowing Nightmare, two beings refused to yield. They battled across time, witnessing the rise and fall of kingdoms and the change of times. Around them the world kneeled to change, while neither refused to submit. So in the end, the Nightmare did]

[or]

[In this world, there are many lies. Yet one thing is certain, and that is blood never lies. What converges will seperate, and what separates will eventually meet. In this doomed kingdom, two prisoners will be set free, both its creator and destroyer. Despite their positions, these two are Fated to meet]

Once again, the audience was plunged into a silent shock.

Surviving the wrath of the gods…

Land of the dead…

Stealing from Fate….

Destroying a Kingdom….

Fighting across time….

It felt unreal. No, it was completely unreal. They couldn't accept such an existence, it put their own to shame in comparison.

"Never mind, I don't think you deserve him Princess…" Effie mumbled, her eyes still glued to the screen.

Nephis didn't reply, as she also stared at the screen with hidden shock.

Everyone was momentarily brought back to reality by the sounds of clapping from two sources. It was Julius and Noctis.

"Spectacular! You know how to rile an audience you devilish screen! My, if Sunny were here I'd give him a kiss on the cheek!" he laughed in pure ecstasy.

"Truly! This revolutionary information opens a whole new world! Just thinking about all the possibilities and reports I could write has this old dog fired up!" he chimed with equal enthusiasm.

"You know the context behind these choices?" Morgan questioned with rare anticipation, causing everyone's eyes to twinkle.

Noctis paused and reluctantly shook his head to everyone's despair.

"Alas, I do not have an idea about every option…." he slowly replied, causing people to sigh in disappointment.

"But!"

"I do recognize TWO of the statements!" he continued,

"Go on" Solvanne replied, earning a rare look of puzzlement from Noctis, unfamiliar with a look of non-aggression on the priestess's face

He coughed,

"Firstly, the second option, suggests that this madman ventured into the Abyss and survived the Sun God's flames, discovering hidden secrets"

Nephis raised an eyebrow in curiosity,

"Sun God's flames?" she questioned,

Noctis nodded.

"Indeed, if this is in the region I presume, the Abyss is the result of the wrath of the Sun God who brought down his fist on the land, shattering it. His flames eternally reside at the bottom, incinerating everything that graces them"

"You suggest that he survived the wrath of the Sun God?" Daeron boomed in a serious tone.

"Yes" Noctis replied with a smile,

"I can vouch, personally I have not ventured into the Abyss and seen the flames myself, but explorers who did never returned" Solvanne replied,

"What about the second option then?" Saint Cor pushed,

Noctis smiled, continuing.

"The other is a bit more ambiguous than the first, but suggests that he was someone's prisoner, but then managed to escape and get revenge on his captor" he slowly replied, side-eyeing Solvanne.

She rolled her eyes in annoyance, standing up to speak.

"Yes it would seem that he was a prisoner of mine, but ended up escaping" she dejectedly sighed, causing glares of suspicion.

She remained indifferent, not continuing.

"What about the last part then?" Cassie questioned as she faced Noctis.

He paused, clearly deep in thought, before slowly gathering his words.

"That…my dear….is the part I find hard to believe. It suggests that he met…..a Daemon, Hope, who was imprisoned by the Gods" he carefully replied.

Eyes widened,

Though Sunny had been connected to Weaver, possessed his blessing and had possibly met him. It had never crossed their minds that he would have met any other Daemon.

Was he part of some giant secret family?

,

"Meeting a Daemon?" Jest choked in disbelief

"What the hell even happened between them…." Revel muttered in deep thought

Cassie, Jet, Effie and Kai once again gave each other a look, as Nephis noticed it, turning to Cassie for answers.

"It would seem that he might have been the person that conquered our Second Nightmare…" she said in a low tone.

Mordret noticed and smiled,

"What was that Song of Fallen? Something about conquering your Second Nightmare?" he loudly cooed, causing everyone to shift their gazes onto her. The cohort glared daggers at him, but that was all they could do.

Cassie remained silent for a few seconds, before speaking up.

"Yes, it would seem that Sunny did something that involved Hope, resultantly conquering our Second Nightmare" she said in a venomous tone,

Before anyone could continue to question her, she hurriedly continued, changing the topic.

"But you already knew that he was involved in our Second Nightmare….just like you"

"More importantly, now that two options have been somewhat cleared up, does anyone else recognize or have any suspicions of what the other options might be?"

Gazes slowly moved back to the screen as thoughts began to chur, digging into the back of their minds for any clues. Some ideas were formed, but strayed very far from the truth, only some seemed viable in their minds. Kim and Luster seemed to come to a suspicion upon looking at the fourth option.

The mention of "cold" sparked terrible memories associated with Antarctica, growing suspicion about if he might have been involved. More importantly, if he had been someone important to them.

It was not hidden that everyone here played some role, and only theirs seemed to be unclear. They slowly looked at each other.

"You don't think…" Kim shakingly whispered,

Luster met her eyes with a rare look of dread on his face, scaring Kim. He solemnly nodded,

"The devil….the captain" he silently whispered.

Ever since escaping that frozen hell, they had moved far and strived to never be remembered of what they had endured. And yet, it always came back to them, like a recurring nightmare.

Their companions who never returned,

The bodies they buried

But more importantly….

Their captain, who they never saw again, nor could remember.

Tears began to well in their eyes as betrayal tugged at them. So many times, they had unknowingly visited his shop, and yet not once had he tried to tell them. Luster rubbed Kim's shoulders in comfort as she wiped her eyes.

"He had his reasons….he had his reasons…." he reassuringly whispered, as Kim shakingly nodded in reluctant agreement.

She hid her face in her palms, unable to control her expression.

Heads turned around in search of answers, but everyone seemed to be equally lost with what the others could allude to. Although some silently stared at the first, aware that it once again involved something in the cohort's third nightmare. But those obvious questions could come second.

"Hell, I wanna see the fifth and sixth, it sounds like some hell of a fight!" she exclaimed.

"Truly, fighting through time is quite an irresistible…..tease" Beastmaster cooed, causing Effie to shoot her a glare.

"What about the other one?" Morgan questioned,

Nobody answered, as both Kim and Luster nervously exchanged glances, gulping.

Daeron rose,

"Assuming it is a fight of sorts, then that leaves the two most mysterious…"

"The one, where he somehow slaughtered and claimed something related to Fate, and quite possibly the most intriguing…..the mention of TWO slaves…" he echoed.

Two slaves…

The words boomed in the theatre. Who was this mysterious figure that seemingly had a close connection to Sunny, who also shared the title of Slave?

More importantly….why did they seem to be somewhat…close?

Their curiosity was internally tearing them apart. Sunny had referred to himself somewhat as a slave, but never once mentioned someone else as a slave. The idea that he had a potential rival of similar power was tantalizing to say the least. Most moved out of everyone was Mordret.

His face held a look of rare happiness and anticipation, seemingly assuming that this person might be him, although he didn't understand the slave part.

Mordret had no interest in making friends, yet, since he'd been brought here, the prospect that Sunny was possibly his friend in the past left him….joyous. His personality was quite amusing and his potential was alluring.

Julius coughed,

"I agree, it was quite intriguing, the description details that they share a long history, yet I fail to understand what it means by land of shadows" he rambled.

Noctis smiled, "I'm assuming this means the Shadow realm, or promptly known as, the Land of the Dead" he nonchalantly replied.

Julius' eyes gleamed, unable to hide his grin.

"Marvelous!" he exclaimed.

"How does one even meet in the land of the dead? Don't you naturally go there when you're….you know…..dead?" Jet commented in a confused tone.

Noctis tilted his head, "How would I know, you should go ask the Heir of Death, himself!" he laughed

Heir of Death….the title hung in the air.

"But then why would one who is Loved, by death, be so closely related to one who is Hated?" she pressed

Noctis scoffed in annoyance, "Questions, questions! You ask like I'm some wise grandpa! While I am old enough to qualify as one, I hardly share the looks! Pester someone else!" he groaned while slumping back.

"Could it be another person related to him? Like a sibling?" Revel notioned,

"Possibly, although it would seem like they drew the short end of the straw" Jest chuckled,

People slowly started to realize what he had said, as they looked at Rain. She shuddered at the feeling of all the gazes, as she continued to stare at the screen in shock.

'No way…no way! I have another forgotten sibling who is also related to death!?! Apart from making me the most inconsiderate sister ever, how come I never got anything related to a God!?!?'

She nervously scratched her palms, considering the possibility.

"A sister…brother…? Younger or older?"

"Why haven't they ever met me once! No way they can be more stingy than Master!" she rambled in agitation, as the first row looked at her with curiosity

Sensing the growing intensity of the gazes on her back, seemingly poking her with physical force, she turned around with an awkward smile.

"I have no idea", she said with not an ounce of confidence, suspicion failing to cease.

"We should prioritize seeing what this option holds then, and possibly even summoning the person here if we get the opportunity" Tyris flatly responded, saving her.

"Why not clear some things up? We still have three questions, assuming we'll save the last for the next viewing contexts" Mordret cheerfully commented.

Song and Valor stared at him with suspicion. Although it was in his character to spark chaos, in this situation, he seemed to genuinely want to help….for some odd reason.

Julius stood up, having silently been elected as the question's asker.

"So, with three questions available, I say one is used to ask if things can be made clearer while another is used to confirm whether this other slave is related to Sunny or death" he said with charm,

"Does anyone have a suggestion for the third question?" he pondered while looking around.

Eyes narrowed, as thoughts formed, finally an arm raising in the crowd. It belonged to Windflower.

"Ask if there are any dangers with seeing these options, some things are dangerous just by looking at them alone"

Julius smiled, and nodded, turning to the screen.

"Ahem, can any further detail be given about the description?" he questioned.

The screen remained the same, notioning no answer. Some sighs of disappointment rang out, but Julius continued.

"Is the other slave mentioned in the third option related to Sunny in anyway"

Words shifted as people leaned forward in anticipation, an answer finally taking form.

[No]

Murmurs rang out.

So the mysterious figure wasn't family, but still deeply related to Sunny in some way. The mystery of why they were hated by death gained even more weight.

Rain's face relaxed, relieved that she in fact did not have another secretive sibling.

Although there was a mix of disappointment in the revelation.

"Are there any dangers with viewing these options" he finally questioned.

One again, the words shifted, to their horror, forming a statement none of them wanted to see.

[Unknown]

'Unknown?'

Concern and confusion became apparent among the audience. This place, and this entity were at the level of a God….maybe even more!

And yet, it was also uncertain about the dangers in the viewing?

What could they possibly witness that risked their lives? A Nightmare creature? A God or Daemons true form?

Or something even worse….?

"Well that was ominous as hell…" Kai mumbled

"It is expected, such a reward cannot come without equal risk" Daeron sighed.

It was true. They had been getting ahead of themselves with how much they were gaining, they had not once taken into consideration certain risks present, apart from the warning against violence.

But that was conditional, while this new revelation was erratic and unprecedented.

Some began to falter at the threat.

Was it really worth diving into such mysteries when an unknown danger lurked around the corner?

Cassie and Nephis were especially troubled. While others had been enamoured by the possible fights and hidden secrets at the level of deities, their focus was more on one of the other statements which hadn't been brought up.

[Walking the Path of Fate]

While it was enticing regardless, the mention of three made them especially anxious, as secretly, although the cohort had felt there was a missing piece, the two of them felt they were missing something more personal.

A person who completed both of them…

Making the two….three

It seemingly called to both of them, although only one was a Seer. They yearned to witness it, however a unanimous decision would have to be made first. Seishan was the first to act.

"With all the cards on the table, we must now select the winning picks" she said in a hushed tone, the other Blood Sisters nodding.

"Some options are more clear than others, [A Light in the Void] and [Law of Convergence] have been divulged by Lord Noctis, with the most information. Thus, they should be held as later options."

"[Madness Incarnate] is clearly also related to their Third Nightmare, though some parts are unclear. [Shadows of Wrath] and [An Eternal Nightmare] are clearly combat related, which is the most enticing as we get to see more of his aspect…"

"And lastly… there is [Walking the Path of Fate] and [Solace in Defiance], holding the most mystery and should be the subsequent priorities" she finished, before looking around.

"Any objections?" she questioned.

Silence held. Her points were clear and aligned with what most wanted to see, and it seemed nobody disagreed.

All except one person, who had been unusually quiet, now rising.

It was Ananke

"I disagree" she said flatly, causing suspicious gazes.

"Why?" Morgan questioned,

Ananke looked around, smiling, before taking a deep sigh,

"While it may be selfish of me….. I would kindly ask that we pick [Madness Incarnate] first, as I feel it holds a connection to the six plagues, which I have a personal interest in learning about…" she echoed, her tone unusual and dark.

"The plagues?" Beastmaster repeated in confusion

"Indeed, while they hold a history, we will likely learn all of it in this option….more specifically the most mysterious of them all" she echoed, her eyes dimming.

"And who would that be?" Daeron pushed.

Ananke paused, an unusual darkness stirring in her eyes.

"The Prince of Madness…" she echoed

"That fiend is the most powerful of all of them, while holding the most mystery. He appears and disappears, seemingly in multiple places at once, laughing as he wreaks havoc wherever he walks."

She paused,

"....And I suspect, that he might be Sunny," she said in a low tone.

The silence became deafening.

"B-But why would he ever do that!? We've seen how he is!" Rain yelled in a panic protest, refusing to accept that her brother would do such things.

Ananke looked at her with a solemn expression.

"That is what I wish to learn child, I am also in disbelief that the two are one" she murmured.

"It may also let us learn more about the Vile Thieving Bird….how he survived it still shocks me…" Daeron muttered in agreement.

Fingers twitched, as feet began to impatiently jitter. Now everyone was desperate to know.

"So..is it acceptable for me to ask that we choose this option?" Ananke politely asked.

Like an arrow, her smile pierced everyone in the room, not once had they ever felt any animosity or anger towards her, the whole time she had maintained neutrality, supporting all unconditionally like a loving parent. Naturally, they held her in kind regard whether they acknowledged it or not.

How could anyone have the heart to refuse such a kind soul?

"I-I guess we can go with this option, and then follow with the rest as Lady Seishan recommended" Julius stammered

"Indeed, I also think this is the best course," Daeron continued.

Ananke looked around for objections, but was met with none, people returning to their seats to prepare. She smiled, slightly bowing, before turning to the screen. The cohort silently looked at each other. They all also wanted to learn about how Sunny had developed such.

Though they knew about their corruption, their success was still a mystery.

A mystery that lied hidden….in The Prince of Madness.

"[Madness Incarnate], please" Ananke announced, everyone preparing for the screen to change.

Except it didn't, as the entire room began to shake.

Slowly, the curtains on the walls began to move, almost alive, covering every surface, including the screen until the room was entirely red. Everyone stood shocked as they remained motionless, afraid to move.

Suddenly….they began to change.

The red slowly dissipated, instead becoming translucent, the room seemingly being transported to another space. One where the ground was flat and covered by a thin layer of water, mist swirling in all directions. Still confused about what was happening, they noticed a figure not far away slowly manifest.

There was a silent expanse of still water around him now.

The smoke was gone, but a thick mist took its place. It swirled and moved, flowing slowly past the shivering figure of the small spider.

'Where am I?' Sunny took a step and discovered that he could somehow walk on the surface of the water - just like he could within the Soul Sea. Advancing hesitantly, he ventured deeper into the fog.

Some time passed - perhaps only a few minutes, perhaps an eternity - and he had lost all sense of direction.

There was nothing but mist in the world.

"W-Where is this?" Effie stammered in fear, Ling now voluntarily hiding underneath her shirt in fear.

"I-I don't know….this is supposed to be in the Tomb of Ariel, but I've never seen such a place" Cassie said in a disturbed tone.

Daeron shifted forward,

"Ananke, do you know this place?" he questioned as everyone looked at her.

Her eyes narrowed, "No….this is supposed to be set in the Tomb, but I have never seen such a place…" she muttered in equal confusion.

"An Illusion?" Silent Howl inquired,

"Possibly…although I've never seen one at such a level nor of this type.." Beastmaster muttered in admiration.

Eyes widened, moving back to Sunny, as he wandered the mysterious plane.

There was nothing but mist in the world.

...Until something else appeared in the grey void.

Sunny trembled.

There, ahead of him, someone... something... was sitting on the calm surface of the water, staring down.

The figure was dressed in tattered rags, its gaunt body hidden from view. It seemed like a human, or was at least human-shaped. The man's dirty hair was hanging like seaweeds, and his face was hidden from view. A jagged band of dark metal rested on his head like a tarnished crown.

Suddenly, Sunny felt cold.

'The... the Mad Prince?'

Everyone stared at the figure with wide eyes. Indeed, it did resemble Sunny, but it was disheveled and off putting, terrifying compared to the usual Sunny they had seen. But they had taken one terrible thing into account when laying their eyes on this person.

This was no human.

This was a monster hiding under human flesh.

"I-Is that.." Telle stammered in fear.

"Yes" Ananke solemnly replied

"It's him, the Prince of Madness, death and despair incarnate" she echoed.

"B-But he looks normal! Of course less appealing and more disheveled….but regardless, he's supposed to be corrupted! Tentacles and appendages, looking more like a Nightmare Creature! Not like he climbed out of a garbage can!" she complained.

"Appearances can be deceiving" Mordret once again hummed.

Rain stared at the scene, her hands trembling. Her Master had sometimes made her feel uneasy, but never directly fearful.

But now.

That thing before her eyes threatened to effortlessly snuff out her existence, she could feel it in every fibre of her being. It left her petrified.

Even more when realizing it was a supposed version of her own brother.

She remembered how he had joked about thousands of years old and only a few older than her at the same time. And now the impossible truth seemed to be coming to light.

But she didn't want it to, it scared her.

And more importantly, it made her realize how much more he had actually suffered then she could have ever imagined, physical pain permeating her soul every time it was revealed.

Unknown to her, the shadow next to her chair…

Slightly twitched.

All eyes moved across the Mad Prince, trying to find anything unusual, but there was none. Nothing stood out and made him appear inhuman, although they weren't able to hold their gazes long before an uncomfortable chill overtook them.

Daeron was one of the few who didn't avert his gaze.

Steadily locked onto one feature.

His head, and the crown that lay on top. Silently he watched, anger slowly grew on his face, possibilities of how he had taken the crown blooming. How dare he casually lay his hands on a relic that represented his culture and nobility?

Such disrespect would not be tolerated.

Windflower also looked at the scene with serious eyes, equal anger becoming apparent.

A moment later, Sunny suddenly felt profound relief.

A simple realization dispelled his fear and unease: '...I'm sleeping. It's a dream.'

Of course, it was.

Sunny was not a spider. He was currently in the temple of the Nightmare Spell, near Nephis and Ananke - not in the middle of a boundless sea, lost in the mist. The Corrupted Titan in front of him was not real, and the danger the creature represented was not real either.

'Thank the gods...' As Sunny thought that, he was not a spider anymore.

However, he was also not himself - instead, Sunny was tall and nebulous.

He had eight nimble arms, one of them crafted out of pristine white porcelain.

His slender figure was veiled by a dark mantle, and a mask of black polished wood hid his features.

"A dream..?" Saint Cor mumbled

"Though I want to deny it, this place has changed my mindset" Noctis sighed.

A Dream. A Dream? They were in a Dream.

It sounded so casual to claim, but unfathomable to imagine. Is this why the curtains instead changed to the appearance they now saw?

Why did such a change take place?

Why wasn't the screen used?

The more they felt they knew, the sooner they realized their ignorance. A being at the level of a God was in control after all. Their abilities and potential thrived in a realm incapable of a human from even imagining.

"So we're in his mind…." Beastmaster hummed, the Blood Sister shooting her questionable glances, but not pushing it.

Kai looked around in disbelief.

"A dream? Is that what we're going to focus on? Did you not see him transform into an eight armed creature?" he shouted in disbelief,

Eyes narrowed, now focusing on a visage that had seemingly slipped their minds.

"His transcendent form?" Gilead questioned

"Possible" Revel followed,

Murmurs and whispers began to grow at what the form meant or who it could even be. One seemed to know.

"It's Weaver.." she whispered, her eyes wide.

Everyone stopped, slowly turning back to the screen, jaws open.

"WEAVER!?" Effie yelled

"The actual Daemon of Fate is before our eyes?" Saint Roan followed up in disbelief.

Ananke tilted her head,

"No….it seems like he has assumed his appearance, though I don't know how or why" she mumbled.

The words barely met anyone, as they remained glued to the screen.

A Daemon.

A real Daemon was now before their eyes.

Though its appearance was not what they expected, the shock was more than enough. A being close to the level of the Gods was currently in front of them.

And supposedly it was Sunny who had taken his form!??!

Too many questions were born,

"Uncle Sunny looks funny" Ling giggled,

At Ling's remark, some people realized their actions and quickly covered their eyes, prepared to experience a pain beyond their imagination. They had just gazed at a Deity, who knew what would happen to their existence?

Jaws clenched as muscles tightened, prepared for the worst.

Fortunately, nothing happened, as some looked around in confusion and relief.

"So this thing does indeed filter what we see…." Saint Helie said in a careful tone,

Morgan nodded, "This only makes the possible danger mentioned even more deadly"

Everyone shuddered.

If gazing at the form of a deity didn't put them in danger…

Then what had the screen warned against?

For some unknown reason, the hunched figure filled Sunny with dread.

It was just too... too familiar…

As if sensing a gaze, the tattered man suddenly shifted and slowly raised his head. A dreadful face that seemed like a ghastly mask of countless scars and two dark eyes burning with unfathomable madness revealed themselves, making Sunny take an involuntary step back.

Then, a whisper that was like broken glass resounded, scratching at his ears.

The Mad Prince whispered,

"...Who dares dream about me?"

Fear.

That was the only word that could describe in that moment what everyone felt. No matter what they had all been through and achieved, in this singular moment, it meant naught.

Whether religious or not, there is one rule that both atheists and followers could find an agreement in.

'Do not pry into the secrets of God'

And they had broken that taboo, and were now directly staring at one,

All they felt was fear.

A fear so terrible and deep, their body screamed to run away, and they would have rushed to an exit if there was one.

But there was not.

They were trapped in this room, separated from this….from this…..horror by a mere curtain.

"F-Fuck run away!" Jet yelled,

"Gods what the hell…" Windflower whimpered.

"Is that even a human?!?" Effie yelled, while Ling uncontrollably shook under her shirt.

All the other Saints including Daeron, had automatically assumed a battle stance, prepared to fight with their life in the next moment.

Staring at the screen in anticipation.

The next few seconds felt like years, sweat dripping off their hair.

As the Prince of Madness moved his head to look up at Sunny's form, his eyes momentarily moved past the audience, causing them to shiver, but only for a second, not even making eye contact.

Audible gasps sounded out, as they dropped their stances.

"G-Gods I thought he was looking at us…" MoonVeil said in shaking breath,

"Indeed, it was as if he actually saw, us" Nephis said in a flat tone, hiding her unease

"Although it seems vain, we must put our trust in this place, it is our only hope against…that….thing" Daeron echoed in a deep tone.

Despair fully engulfed everyone's bodies, although some hid it better than others.

While this abomination was separated from them, and likely couldn't see, interact or hurt them, it still put them on edge.

Because even a Supreme was seemingly in fear of the Prince of Madness.

Of the corrupted version of Sunny.

Their eyes jittered, as they breathlessly watched the scene before them, too scared to even take a breath.

'W-what? He knows that this is a dream?

No, that is not possible.

'How?!'

The eyes of the Defiled slowly gained refocus, becoming sharp and crushing. Pressed down by the unbearable weight of harrowing insanity hidden in their dark depths, Sunny took another step back and held his breath.

'It's a dream, it's a dream...'

The creature's lips, meanwhile, twisted in a wicked smile.

"Ah... it's you. Which one are you?"

The Mad Prince suddenly froze, then groaned and struck his head with a fist.

"I can't, can't... can't remember. Ah, but it is also an answer."

His ugly face rippled, as if trying to assume a human expression.

"You're... neither. You are an impostor?"

The creature's voice suddenly grew dark and vicious,

"You... murderer..."

An unhinged laugh escaped his lips, and then, the Mad Prince slowly rose. His tattered rags moved, shrouded in mist...

As Sunny took another step back, desperately trying to wake up, the Defiled took a step forward.

"How about it, murderer? Come closer... I'll tell you a secret. You deserve that much..."

There was suddenly nowhere to go. The grey mist became solid, blocking all paths to retreat.

And Sunny... Sunny was, indeed, curious.

Curious against his will.

What little semblance of sanity that remained, was shattered in that brief moment, as everyone's inner voices and concerns rang out, exploding without restrain in the theatre.

"An imposter? What does that even mean?"

"Murderer? Who the hell did he kill?"

"They can't be the same person! It's like beauty and the beast!"

"Secret?! What kind of secret!?"

"Get out child!"

Shouts and yells filled the room, mixed with the fear and curiosity of the unknown. All but few had lost restraint, now seemingly on the verge of Madness.

The truth and mystery behind all of it, seemingly having reached into this space….

Now spreading corruption, confusion and panic.

Even Daeron, was too stunned to intervene, acting as the usual mediator. Because for once in his life, he was also completely stunned by what he was seeing, a rare look of fear on his brave eyes as they widened.

"Gods…" he whispered

Nobody was in their right mind to speak out, and question what the hell they were watching.

It seemed it would be a while before anyone could calm down and form a thought.

Their attention and shock only escalated as the scene shifted, as a new figure came into view in front of them, behind the curtain. Causing people to abruptly rise with wide eyes, almost feeling light headed from what they were seeing.

It was another Sunny.

'What is he doing here?'

The wraith seemed uncharacteristically serious as he stared the Mad Prince down.

Without turning his head, the apparition said in a voice that was neither snide nor mocking... Instead, it was grave,

"What are you doing, fool? Summon your horse and get out of here! Hurry!"

"THERE'S THREE NOW?!?!" Effie yelled out of breath,

"What the hell is even happening…" Cassie whispered with a trembling breath

Everyone watched, unable to fathom a cohesive thought, as the two new Sunny's became a blur, before slowly dissipating from the plane.

Leaving the Mad Prince alone.

He stood there indifferently, looking at where they had just been,

"So soon…" he mumbled, before he groaned, grabbing his head.

Violently twitching….as he then screamed.

Everyone in the theatre covered their ears, their faces laced in anguish. The scream was seemingly damaging their souls directly, like thousands of nails dragging on a chalkboard, causing some spectators to stumble forward and fall down.

Rain and the other weaker lot, leaned over as they screamed in pain.

As he continued to scream, Nephis with a pained look on her face, noticed a change in the room.

The shadows…were shifting…moving erratically in chaos…

As if responding to him…

"What…" she uttered in disbelief.

And then….

It stopped.

In the next second, the terrible wail stopped, like nothing had happened. He lowered his arms and straightened his back, his mouth moving, eerie ramblings reaching their ears to their dismay.

"W-Where…where…a-are….you….where" he mumbled, as everyone clenched their seats in dread.

They held their breaths, in fear that even the slightest noise would cause a change and possibly alert him. They leaned back in horror.

As before them….

The Mad Prince slowly looked around, before turning..

Until he looked directly….at the room

At them.

He smiled, as he whispered a single statement.

"I see you"

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I think G3 would be proud of this cliffhanger

If you love or hate it, you can look at another fanfic author, Sunless (author of school days), for this development.

As he jokingly mentioned that I could maybe have a scene like this.

I played it off, but little did he know….that I was already planning on doing so!

I won't torture you with this cliffhanger, and will follow up in two days :)

Got quiiteee….a lot of stuff to write ´, but I look forward to it!

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