Shadow Slave: From the Ashes of the World

"Could you please repeat to me, what did you revealed to my colleagues?" a beautiful red-haired woman with three-star insignia sitting across Nephis asked.

"Of course. My true name is Changing Star which I got in my first nightmare. I completed the trial with glorious ranking, while getting divine aspect."

The Master swayed. "Yes, I have heard you clearly... But h-ave... Is it... Are y-yo..." she took a deep breath. "Have you really got a divine aspect? Are you completely sure?"

"Yes, I am," this was for the third time today she has answered this same question. Nephis didn't blame them though. She was the sole human in history who had ever got a divine aspect, after all. At least in the official version of it.

She was akin to a miracle.

What would their reaction be, if she had told them that there was not one but already three people of her kind?

They would probably call her a madwoman.

"So, you are really..." she seemed quite unfocused. Nephis understood that this reaction would be acceptable for a mundane human, or even an Awakened. But as a Master the lady was supposed to show more composure.

Well... Nephis probably shouldn't be one to judge.

After confirming the truthfulness of her statements for the third time, they finally let her go.

And now, she was laying motionlessly in her bed, thinking about all the events which had occurred today.

I really came back.

She still couldn't fully comprehend the fact.

Numerous thoughts were swirling in her mind, but she couldn't concentrate on any of it.

Sunny seemed a little off today, but it was probably just because he was thrown into an unfamiliar environment. I should also enroll in Wilderness Survival. After all, at this Academy there is no course which can really be of use to me. The Combat class could help me in getting use to this body though. Come to think about it, how should I make contact with Cassie? From what I remember she didn't take any courses, since she had to get use to her flaw in the quickest way possible. Approaching her on my own isn't an option. That would mean I would have to be the one who initiates a conversation...

Absorbed in her thoughts, Nephis had finally dozen off into dreamless slumber.

The next day, she woke up to the unfamiliar sound. She immediately opened her eyes, only to find herself in an unfamiliar place. Everything was unfamiliar.

Even her body.

Nephis got out of her bed and stretched out. She was still in her room in the Academy. The unfamiliar sound was just an alarm.

She washed up, combed her hair, and put on an academy issued clothing.

Everything was so weird and unnatural.

After morning hygiene, she went down into the canteen. It was already quite crowded, so she had a quite hard time finding a free place. While roaming around with a plate full of pancakes, she noticed Cassie sitting by herself, with only her assistant by her side.

Should I go sit there? Cassie must have a lot of problems with accommodating on her flaw. I shouldn't disturb her. Yes, I will talk to her later. Definitely.

She took a step towards an empty corner of the room, but then she turned around.

What I'm playing at? I used to fight with great abominations on a daily basis. I shouldn't be afraid of one human interaction.

She glanced towards Cassie.

But what if you mess up like with Sunny?

The cowardly side of her remarked.

She shut her eyes tightly.

Why can't there be winter solstice already? Then I would be alone with Sunny and Cassie, and no other human factor would disturb us. The only thing I will have to worry about is killing as many nightmare creatures as possible. Paradise.

Glancing between Cassie and the free corner, Nephis pulled a spare coin out of her pocket.

If it is a Saint I will go sit with Cassie, if a citadel I will eat alone.

She took a deep breath to calm herself down and flipped the coin. For a while, Nephis stood perfectly still with eyes closed. Then, without looking at the result, she headed out towards Cassie.

After arriving at the table, she sat down, making just enough noise to let Cassie notice her arrival. She turned her head towards the sound a little confused, then nodded towards Neph's direction and got back to her food.

Before she could take a bite, another person made it to the table. Sunny quietly glanced at them and then sat down on the completely opposite side of the table.

Without appetite, Nephis was nibbling in the tasteless pancakes. She side-glanced at Cassie who was eating as refined as her flaw allowed, trying to hide an uneasiness on her face, then shifting her gaze towards Sunny who was gobbling up his food like he didn't eat anything in ages.

But he was from the outskirts, so maybe he truly didn't.

Neither of them spoke a word, eating their breakfast in utter silence.

It sucked.

Although Nephis was never a chatty type, she enjoyed the warm company of her cohort and liked to listen to their quirks. But now, the familiar faces were acting completely alien.

At some point she was even contemplating whether to start a conversation herself. What a desperate thought.

While she was finishing her breakfast, the mood in the hall suddenly shifted. It was as if through the crowd passed an invisible wave. Then, without any forewarning, it exploded in commotion. She felt countless gazes stuck on her back, although she did her best to ignore them.

They had finally revealed the results of the Sleeper rankings.

Unwilling to pretend that she didn't exist anymore; she eyed her companions.

Sunny was staring at her, his eyes full of shock and disbelief, while Cassie was simply confused, trying to figure out the reason behind the turmoil.

Usually, Nephis was accustomed to being the center of attention, but this time it was different.

Maybe it was because she was sitting next to her former friends, for whom she was just a stranger now.

I should've really eaten by myself. Why did I even decide otherwise?

If she could, she would happily sell her soul to Asterion, just to get out of this place immediately. Unfortunately for her, Asterion had currently important business on the moon and was unable to reach her, so she could only grit her teeth and try to survive.

Now all of the Sleepers were paying their attention to her, accompanied by an omnipresent whisper.

There was no way out anymore.

After carefully considering her options, Nephis came to the conclusion that the best way to avoid her problems was to pretend that there are none at all.

So, she just concentrated on her food, behaving like everything was perfectly normal.

But her act was soon interrupted by another intrusion.

"Lady Nephis. I am Caster from the Han Li clan. I see that your trial went well?" the proud legacy seemed to muster the courage to visit their table.

Hey, don't act suddenly so buddy-buddy with me, you bastard! You keep spoiling everything. If you want to kill me so badly then just go and attack me. If you don't then do me a favor and go kill yourself. Most importantly stop bothering us with your presence anymore.

Despite her violent thoughts, Nephis didn't let any of it show on her face. Instead, she just smiled politely but coldly, showing her unwillingness to continue the conversation. "It was alright. Thank you for your concern."

"Ah, I'm glad then," Caster seemed to be at a loss for a words. Did he perhaps still remember their yesterday's encounter? He had to, unless he had senility, but he was too young for it.

She nodded shortly, indicating that their discussion was truly over and returned her attention to the food.

After their short confrontation, no one else came to bother her again.

Later on, she tried to make eye contact with Sunny several times, but he was thoroughly ignoring her for the whole time.

Nephis had arranged her schedule quite loosely. The main reason was that the Academy hadn't have any courses which could be useful to her. The only classes which she took were the Wilderness Survival class in the morning and the Combat class in the evening. The rest of her time she was planning to spend on individual training and working out.

She knew that the progress she can make would be limited. To truly get used to her current state, she would have to fight in numerous battles against superior opponents.

But right now she could only wait for the winter eclipse to come.

So now she was standing in front of the Wilderness Survival classroom. The course itself was useless to her since there was probably nobody in this Academy who knew more about it than her. At least for now.

The person who, sometime in the future, would become a true expert on the subject, was currently standing beside her, staring at her with open alert.

I have really messed up, didn't I?

She forgot to take into account that Sunny was always a cautious person. Thanks to his secrets and the flaw, he had to be super watchful now. And the way she behaved around him could be called anything but natural.

The distrust he showed was in some aspects even worse than after he had become her slave. And since they were complete strangers now, they couldn't talk it out.

But there was no use in crying over spilled milk, so she just had to cope with it.

Resignedly she walked into the classroom. It was spacious, but completely empty except an older man who was sitting behind a large desk. She had recognized Sunny's teacher in him, who she knew by sight.

"Welcome, welcome! I was expecting you."

He was quite energetic, for his age. Much more than Nephis would have been comfortable with.

"I'm Awakened Julius. You can call me Teacher Julius. Let's sit down and introduce yourself," the instructor presented himself while gesturing towards a comfortable-looking chairs.

They obediently sat down.

"My name is Nephis."

"I'm Sunless."

The teacher took a close look at them.

"What an unique names! But they are very nice. Truly. After all, to survive, person has to have at least a little bit uniqueness in them," it looked like he wanted to make them feel less anxious. What a nice person.

"Um, teacher? When are other students coming? Are we here too early?" Sunny spoke up.

The teacher scoffed. "No, you two are only ones who will be coming. The other students are too preoccupied by mindlessly swinging with their swords. At the cost of the knowledge no less. What a barbarians."

He seemed to hold a deep grudge.

Nephis smiled inwardly. For many inexperienced Sleepers, the ability to survive in the wild can sound rather unappealing, when compared to other, more interesting courses. But there is no use in being capable slayer if they aren't even capable of taking care of themselves in the first place. Most of them would have to learn it the hard way.

The monologue still didn't end. "But you don't have anything to worry about. With taking this course, the probability of you going back to the waking world is 100 % at least. But tell me, why did you choose to pursue this kind of knowledge?"

For a while, Nephis considered how to answer. She couldn't just say that she chose the course because she wanted to get closer to Sunny. There was no way to tell how low she would sink in their eyes.

Before figuring out a response, Sunny had already replied. "The Awakened that monitored me during the First Nightmare, Master Jet, had advised me to study it above all things."

So, this is how he got to know her. I never found a chance to ask. Wait. Was it Jet who almost struck me down in front of the gates?

"A very wise advice! That Master truly knows what's important… wait. Did you say Jet?"

His eyes widened.

"Soul Reaper Jet? That murderous savage?! Hm. Who would have thought that a barbarian like her would know the value of intricate knowledge."

"Teacher, do you know Master Jet?" Sunny didn't let the chance to get more information out of his teacher pass. Nephis felt a little left out.

They got so engrossed in gossip that they seemed to have forgotten the true purpose of this class. Only after a brief chatter Teacher Julius remembered that he had also a second student.

"What a manners to gossip with students. We didn't finish our introductions yet and I'm already babbling. Moreover, badmouthing isn't in my character at all!" he turned his attention back to Nephis. "I'm very sorry. It seems I have been carried away a little. Could you please tell us why you chose this course?"

"To know how to survive is the most important knowledge in the Dream Relam. The more of it, the better," Nephis gave a neutral answer, silently thanking Sunny for teaching her how to lie. Well, technically she wasn't lying, just deceiving.

"What a smart student. I can see lot of potential in you!"

Wow, he is really easy to please. Also, how can two sentences determine one's potential?

But the teacher wasn't done with asking yet. "Could you please tell me what other courses you are taking?"

"Only the Combat class. For the rest of the time, I'm planning to train individually."

Her answer satisfied him. "Good, very good. If a person has a too busy schedule, they will learn less than when they look only into few matters thoroughly. You are very smart. We will think out your curriculum later."

Then he glanced towards Sunny. "And what about you, boy? Where else will you be going in the next few weeks?"

"Oh, this is the only course I will be taking."

His answer threw Julius out of his composure, but he quickly recollected himself. "Amazing, absolutely amazing. You are such a brilliant and bright young man. I can promise that your future will be truly successful. Don't worry. In the upcoming weeks, I will make you immortal."

He seemed to be in utter delight.

Nephis was really amused.

I think I know who your favorite student will be. And I'm sure he will surpass even your wildest imagination.

For the next few weeks, her goals were already set. She had to get ready as possible for the upcoming winter eclipse, become closer with Sunny and Cassie, and try to help them with their preparations as well.

But now, she had one more pressing matter to deal with. The matter in question was sitting right next to her.

How should I break the ice?