"Your arms should be fine now. Anyway, I'm heading back to the castle after the others. I'm starving," said Morpheus after healing Sunny's arms. His power had completely closed his wounds, but in return, it created an immense hunger within him. So he left Sunny there and quickly flew towards the castle.
Sunny didn't really care about Morpheus' departure. He was still feeling the changes in his body. His arms, which had been as heavy as stone and useless just moments ago, now felt even stronger than before. Though he had grown somewhat used to this feeling, it still felt strange. Morpheus' power… was beyond logic.
He looked around. On the ground, the shattered corpse of the Fallen Devil they had just slain lay motionless. The creature's massive black armor was broken, and inside, there was nothing—no blood, no flesh. It was just an empty shell.
His eyes involuntarily dropped to the ground. There, among the bloodstained stones, he saw the spot where his own intestines had once been spilled. Just a few minutes ago, he had been on the brink of death right here. He remembered the sensation of his guts spilling out, his body turning cold, and his consciousness fading. If Morpheus hadn't pulled him out at that moment, he would be dead now.
He refused to be weak again.
Never.
He began to search the inside of the cathedral....
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Morpheus flew toward the castle, deep in thought.
"He's progressing faster than I expected…"
Sunny.
Three months ago, he was just a kid who had never even held a sword. He didn't know how to fight. The only way for him to survive was to run. But now… now he was cutting down Fallen Devils.
Faster than expected.
When Morpheus reached the throne room, his meal was waiting for him. He took a deep breath and examined the plates before him. Cooked monster meat, various vegetables, and sweet fruits… the only things that could somewhat satisfy his hunger. He nodded politely to the servants in thanks before he began eating quickly.
He didn't count how many plates he devoured. The hunger inside him felt like a bottomless pit, consuming him. By the time he finished eating, a warm sense of relief spread through his body.
"I should start charging for healing. If I do this outside for free, I'll go bankrupt," he thought, with a slight smile.
Night had fallen. The group had returned to the castle, exhausted from their journey, and had found some time to rest. The trip they had taken to retrieve the keys had pushed their endurance to the limit. Morpheus could have made things easier for them, but he hadn't. He had only helped with transportation and hadn't even healed them until they returned.
It was all for one reason.
To make them stronger.
The group slowly began gathering in the throne room. Weariness was evident on their faces. But planning was more important right now.
The last one to enter was Sunny. Despite his exhaustion, there was a victorious expression on his face. A triumphant grin…
Morpheus narrowed his eyes slightly. Good. His confidence is returning.
"First of all, congratulations to all of you. You made it back safely from this difficult journey," he said with a smile.
Everyone looked at him. Effie seemed cheerful despite her fatigue. Kai gave a silent nod. Nephis remained as serious as ever. Cassie was, as always, the quietest among them.
"Try to get some good rest by tomorrow. We're leaving here in the morning."
Then Morpheus turned his eyes toward Seishan.
"Did you do what I asked?"
"Everything is ready. There's nothing to worry about. There won't be any problems tomorrow."
Morpheus nodded in approval and summoned a Memory. A goblet appeared in his hand—[Will's Wine Chalice]. There was nothing inside the clear glass at first, but when Morpheus let a drop of his own blood fall into it, the goblet began to fill with blood.
"Everyone who will fight on the front lines must take a sip from this. This way, as long as they don't die instantly, I'll be able to save them."
The blood in the chalice didn't diminish. This was the same chalice from his first nightmare—the one Will had offered him his blood in. One by one, everyone took the goblet and hesitantly drank from it.
Everyone except Nephis.
"My Aspect allows me to heal myself. Thanks, but I don't need it."
Morpheus sighed internally. He had grown used to Nephis' cautious attitude toward him. She'll never trust me, huh?
He knew why. Morpheus was a Valor. Even though he had been cast out of his clan, that didn't change the fact that he was still a Valor. And someone like him… would never be trustworthy in Nephis' eyes.
But he didn't dwell on it and handed the goblet to Seishan.
"Suit yourself," he said simply. "Everyone, be careful on the battlefield. I can't heal you instantly, so watch yourselves. Get some rest—we're leaving tomorrow."
With that, he turned and left for his quarters.
-----
Lying on his bed, he stared at the ceiling.
He wanted to save everyone. Weak or strong, it didn't matter. But whether people actually wanted to be saved was another question entirely. Was it right to force them?
Would saving someone who had never even tried be unfair to those who had risked everything?
That was why he had to push them to grow stronger.
Then, he remembered the dream Cassie had told him about months ago.
"In the end, I saw a colossal, terrifying crimson spire. At its base, seven severed heads were guarding seven locks. And at the top, a… a dying angel was being consumed by hungry shadows. When I saw the angel bleed, I suddenly felt as though… as though something so precious that it can't be described with words was taken from me. And there was a sword. When the sword was swung down, I woke up."
Morpheus' eyes narrowed slightly.
The meaning of that dream was obvious.
The shadow… was Sunny.The angel… was Nephis.And the sword… was me.
Sunny was going to kill Nephis.
But that was strange.
Even if he didn't say it openly, Sunny liked Nephis. It was obvious. Why would he do such a thing?
And Nephis… No matter how much she tried to keep her distance from me, I saw her as a friend. I wouldn't let her die.
I had to stop that dream from coming true.
He closed his eyes.
And drifted into sleep.