As it turned out, Nephis had not found a Gateway to escape the Dream Realm and Awaken.
Instead, after two long years of solitude and relentless battles for survival, she had found a Seed of Nightmare and conquered the Second Trial of the Spell as a Sleeper.
She had done it alone.
At least that was the only way Sunny could explain the runes he was staring at.
Ascended.
'That is impossible.'
Surviving the Second Nightmare was already not easy for a cohort of prepared Awakened. More people perished while trying than returned victorious. How could a lone Sleeper accomplish the same?
No one had done it before.
However… no Sleeper had been a Tyrant before.
No Sleeper had escaped alive from a battle with a Corrupted horror of the depths before.
No Sleeper had slain a Fallen Terror before.
Nephis had long established her penchant for accomplishing the impossible. Why was Sunny so surprised that she had done it again?
No, he wasn't surprised. He was… dismayed.
A deep, unsettling emotion nestled in his chest, making his face grow dark and his eyes grow dim. The shadows around him seemed to become deeper.
'...Doesn't matter. That doesn't change anything. The important part is that she is back. Who cares how she returned?'
But it did matter. To him, it was of paramount importance. His obsession with becoming more powerful than Nephis was not born out of simple vanity or empty pride. Someone else might have been tempted to chase power just for the sweetness of it, but to Sunny, being anything else than the strongest was an existential threat.
As he sat in stunned silence, the sound of hurried footsteps resounded near him. Looking up, Sunny saw Effie pushing her way through the crowd. She was not shy about using her prodigious strength, so people did not really have any choice except to let her pass. Even Instructor Rock, who had appeared ten minutes earlier, had to politely make way.
…The big man had been the person to send Nephis into the Dream Realm. It was no wonder that he dropped everything to come and wait with the rest of them. Sunny felt a bit touched.
The huntress finally reached them and froze for a moment, then asked hoarsely:
"Sunny, Cassie! Is it true? Princess is back?"
Sunny looked at her for a bit, then simply nodded.
"Yes. I… I passed her to the healers with my own two hands."
Effie did not move for several seconds. Then, a wide grin split her face. It looked as if she was on the verge of starting to howl again.
"Hell yes! I never had a doubt! No Nightmare Creature exists that can keep that pampered psycho down!"
Sunny couldn't help but smile a little, infected by her jubilation.
Before too long, Kai arrived, as well. Usually, his appearance would have caused a stir, but right now, no one paid the former idol any attention.
When he received the confirmation, an expression of profound relief appeared on the young man's beautiful face. Kai swayed a little, and then leaned on the wall to keep himself upright.
"Gods… thank the gods…"
Sunny had not realized it, but his friend must have been blaming himself for leaving Nephis behind all that time. He was truly too decent of a person for this vile world, and infected by a misguided sense of nobility to boot. Knowing that he had escaped the hell of the Forgotten Shore because of someone else's sacrifice must have pressed down upon him a lot.
The four of them huddled together and waited. Sunny silently observed the faces of his friends, seeing sincere happiness and relief written all over them. Some… Kai especially… looked on the verge of getting emotional.
Unlike him, they had no reason to feel a strange ambivalence about Changing Star's return.
And looking at them, Sunny decided to ignore the darker part of his mind for a bit, too.
Whatever happened, he would have to deal with it then. If he had to die to avoid becoming a slave, he would. If he had to kill in order to remain free… that was not out of the question, as well.
But for now, he chose to just share this rare moment of joy with his friends.
The founder of their cohort was back, after all.
Soon, the armored doors finally opened, and one of the Awakened healers in the employ of the Academy appeared from them.
Everyone gathered in the waiting area held their breaths. Even Morgan of Valor looked up from her communicator, strange sparks igniting in her vermillion eyes.
One of the government agents couldn't contain herself and asked:
"How… how is she? Lady Changing Star is really back?"
The healer lingered for a moment, and then nodded.
"She is. Her physical condition is fine… better than fine, even. Perfect. As for her mental condition, we will know when she wakes up. Lady Nephis is currently sleeping."
Someone from the crowd immediately spoke:
"Sleeping? Do you mean that she is back in the Dream Realm?!"
The healer hesitated, then slowly shook her head.
"No. Lady Nephis seems to have… Ascended. So, she is simply asleep."
For a moment, the crowd seemed to have lost the ability to speak.
And then, all hell broke loose.
Despite the government's attempts to stall for time and control the narrative, just in a few minutes, the incredible news of Changing Star's return spread across the network.
Not long after that, another explosive rumor appeared, claiming that she was now a Master.
Just like that, all of humanity learned that Nephis of the Immortal Flame clan, the descendant of the two legendary pioneers and the famed hero of the Forgotten Shore, had become the first human in history to conquer the Second Nightmare as a Sleeper, thus jumping Ranks, and returned to the waking world unscathed.
Her already prolific fame and exalted status instantly soared as high as the sun.
While Nephis slept, her arrival was already creating titanic waves in the mindset of millions of people.
In front of the Awakened Academy, a hundred thousand candles continued to burn despite the falling snow.
...And cast by their flames, a hundred thousand shadows danced on the ground.