Now that Rain's upbringing as an Awakened had been exposed, she could only hope that no one would come after her for it. But, as Sunny had told her, the only real reason to keep it a secret was the Sovereigns and their tyrannical grip on humanity to control the number of powerful Awakened.
With the Song Sisters having accepted the inevitable death of the Ghouls, Rain no longer worried about them trying to silence her.
On the contrary, they seemed intrigued by the idea of witnessing someone walking the path of natural ascension.
After all, it was something they had never seen before, an Awakened who had never interacted with the Spell, never heard its voice, and never seen its runes.
And for sisters who had witnessed nearly everything the realms had to offer, it was a welcome change.
But there was something else that piqued their interest, something they had learned from Rain.
Seishan seemed to have come to a decision. Now, it was just a matter of asking the right question.
"Say, Rain, how many of those Marks can Sunny bestow on people?" An intrigued smile curled on her lips, though none of her sisters seemed to understand where she was going with this.
"I have no idea. But why are you asking?" Confusion clouded Rain's face as a sudden realization dawned on her.
'She's not seriously considering… there's no way.' Her eyes darted to Seishan, who was already deep in conversation with her sisters, discussing whatever plan she had in mind.
"So, what do you say, girls? Now that we're without a clan..." Her smile widened slightly as she waited for her sisters to catch on to her meaning.
"What do you mean?" Silent shook her head, clearly confused. Bin and Hel exchanged puzzled glances but remained silent.
It seemed she was expecting too much.
Seishan sighed, exhausted by the constant need to spell things out for some of her family members. But if she couldn't share her sharp intellect with them, who else would she share it with?
"I guess I'll have to say it out loud then." Her expression grew serious as she finally addressed the elephant in the room.
"I'm talking about joining the Shadow Clan, of course. I mean… we're already allies with Sunless and Changing Star. Wouldn't it make sense to have more than just a shared goal binding us together…something deeper?"
After the initial shock faded, her three sisters fell into deep thought. All except Rain, who was still struggling to process what Seishan had just proposed.
"You… you want to get the Mark of Shadows too? But aren't you, like… strong enough on your own?" Rain's voice was filled with confusion and a touch of awe as she stared at Seishan.
Her reasoning wasn't wrong, of course. But there were more motivations at play than just the practical benefits of the Mark.
And Seishan wasn't too proud to admit that.
"Do you know how many times I've lost a battle and had my mind changed?" Her tone was sincere as she awaited Rain's response.
"I… I'm guessing… never?" Rain shrugged uncertainly. She wasn't far off.
Seishan chuckled softly and stood up, making her way toward the dining room. As she reached the doorway, she glanced back over her shoulder, her expression filled with unshakable determination.
"Not until I met your brother, that is. For the first time, I'm choosing who I follow, and I won't regret that decision." Without waiting for a response, she disappeared down the hall.
The remaining sisters exchanged glances before rising one by one and turning to Rain.
"I hope we'll have more conversations in the future," Hel said with a sly smile. "I have a feeling you're going to become quite an important figure someday."
Before Rain could respond, Hel's eyes rolled back, and her body stiffened. A ghostly, untamed voice escaped her lips, filling the room.
"OH… YOU WILL DIE… EVERYONE WILL DIE WHEN THE SKY SWALLOWS THE VOID'S CHILD."
Hel gasped for air as her body relaxed, clearly drained. When she came back to her senses, she wasn't surprised to find everyone staring at her, this always happened when her Flaw triggered a prophecy of insane structure.
She opened her mouth to explain but was promptly shoved forward by Silent.
A moment later, Silent shot Rain an apologetic look while pushing her sisters down the hallway.
"It's her Flaw, don't worry. She just means everyone dies eventually."
Rain remained seated, alone. Silent's attempt to dismiss the incident didn't stop her thoughts from spiraling.
"The sky… swallowing a child… from the Void?" She repeated the words quietly to herself, her True Name suddenly feeling far more significant.
Meanwhile, Seishan, Bin, Hel, and Silent continued down the hall, searching for the master of this place, with the intent to become part of his domain.
None of them had any reservations about the decision. If anything, they felt a growing sense of devotion to Sunless, both to his strength and his unique approach to power.
After all, he had no interest in ruling over anyone. His Shadows served him, yes, but from everything they had learned, the connection between them went beyond that of a master and his servants.
They followed him out of loyalty, not obligation while being dependent on his Soul…for now at least.
When the sisters entered the familiar dining room, they spotted the rest of their family…playing Uno again.
It seemed the infamous card game had sparked both amusement and frustration in equal measure.
Sunny had even brought them extra decks after they destroyed the last one through sheer overuse. And when the frustration of being hit with multiple +4 cards became too much, they had found a new outlet…Fiend.
The towering Shadow had become their designated punching bag, and he took the hits without flinching, but not without throwing hands himself. It was a perfect solution, especially since the brute was tough enough to withstand their combined efforts and skilled enough to give them a real challenge.
They had been shocked to learn that Fiend wasn't just some powerful creature, he was a Supreme Being. And a Devil, no less.
The explanation for how Sunny had come to possess him was even harder to believe, but by now, the sisters had learned to take such revelations in stride.
Revel looked up from her cards as the group approached, raising a hand in greeting while carefully shielding her hand from Moonveil's prying eyes.
"Hey, guys. Want to join us for a few rounds?"
Seishan blinked in surprise. In just a week, Revel had come completely out of her shell.
Then again, it made perfect sense. The warmth of Sunny's home, and the man himself, was hard not to grow fond of.
And for what he had done for them, and what he planned to do for humanity, their admiration only deepened.
Still, Seishan wasn't here to play cards. As always, she got straight to the point.
"I'm looking for Sunless. We talked with Rain, and she showed us something… interesting."
Revel's smile widened knowingly as she gestured toward the kitchen.
"He's making dinner, but don't bother offering to help. He's a control freak when it comes to his culinary domain."
A chuckle rippled through the room as the sisters recalled the last time they had tried to assist him. With how fast and precise he was, their efforts only got in the way.
Seishan stepped closer to the table, her eyes flicking over the cards, silently calculating who would win.
'Poor Howl. Revel's holding back at least two +4 cards, she's ruthless.'
Finally, she spoke. "Have you heard of the Mark of Shadows?"
She expected confusion. Instead, her three sisters simply rolled up the sleeves of their black shirts, revealing the dark serpent coiled around their arms.
Seishan's jaw tightened. It was painfully clear that in this matter, she and her group had been left behind.
With a smirk Howl finally glanced back up from their intense game. "We are one step ahead sisters. But I'm sure you will be happy to finally catch up to us."
"Maybe then you will learn how to ascend stairs without toppling down like a fool Shan. I think Hel will be grateful for that too." Howl chuckled while holding her last card now.
It was a bit frustrating but Seishan and the rest were more happy that the rest of them had chosen to share the same fate as them.
It displayed just how similar they had all come to think when it comes to bonding together.
Like it had been meticulously orchestrated, the kitchen door swung open. Out stepped no other than the Master of this Place beyond realms. He dried his hands with A towel while the delicious smell of his most recent creation filled the Dining Room.
In an instant Seishan, Bin and Hel dropped to one knee and bowed their heads low.
Seishan took the lead while speaking for the 3 of them.
"Lord Shadow, we too wish to become part of your Clan and Future Domain. It would be an honor to us." She pleaded just as she had learned to do so when in the face of a ruler worth her loyalty.
Sunny just stood there, confused and irritated with the whole ordeal. He looked over to the table. Revel looked like she was about to explode….with laughter.
"Is this a bad joke or have they lost their minds?" He sighed while he couldn't fully believe the absurdity of the situation himself.
Revel contained herself while barely keeping it together.
"Stand up you fools. This is really the wrong approach when asking for something like this." Finally she couldn't hold back and a chuckle escaped her lips as she added. "Sunny is no King, I thought you figured that out yourself. Especially you Shan."
Sunny rubbed his temple with a sigh. "Right, if you want the Mark of Shadows you can just ask me. Seeing people bow their heads to me is nothing more than embarrassing. Stand you 3, I can't believe you would do something like that." A slight blush graced his cheeks through the frustration.
Reluctantly the 3 followed his Command. Not because they still thought they had to. But because they recognized their mistake and tried to keep a little bit of dignity after needlessly degrading themselves to one of equal Rank.
That said they weren't seeing him as an equal. It was hard to look over his superiority while he tried to show them that he had no wish to be seen as something laughable like a King.
Seishan took a deep breath swallowing the feeling of regret. "But...you are the leader of your Clan…are you not?" Her voice lost the measured clarity and wistfulness as she found it hard to meet his gaze.
"I'm, well…sort of. To be entirely honest there is no Shadow Clan, at least not like the Clans you try to compare it to." He took a deep breath, feeling like a teacher berating his students once again.
"The Mark of Shadows is linked to me, true. But it's not there to bind you to me or make you a servant. It's to make you recognized by Shadows and gives me the opportunity to protect your soul if need arises. If you are unfortunate enough to get haunted by something like Mordret." He scoffed. "That bastard is Too wary of me anyway after he invaded my Soul Sea as he tried to take over my body. So you will be safe from him when you show your Mark."
All 3 of them stood in silence with thoughtful expressions. Though Hel found her voice soon after.
"So it's more like an organization, like the Government?"
Sunny nodded along as 3 small onyx snakes slit out of his mantle. All 3 heading for their individual companion.
"You can call it whatever you want. I just wish you would keep quiet about this. I bet Rain told you since she was too nervous to refuse an answer as Seishan catched a glimpse of it." His reassuring voice helped wonders as they all watched the snake crawl up their bodies.
The snakes manifested as tattoos around their arms. At least for Seihan and Hel it did.
Bin chose to wear it on her thigh for some reason. Sunny sighed inwardly as he sensed it on her. 'The woman will never give up. At least I'm not the most crazy person around anymore.'
"There, I hope you can utilize it to its full potential. I guess Rain already told you what it can do." He headed back into the kitchen, leaving the sisters to explore their new found power.
But before the door fully closed Hel called out to him. "How do you know it was Rain who spilled the secret?"
Sunny piqued his head out the door as he gave her a calm smile. "I can sense your Shadows, how else do you think I know about everything that is happening with Rain." He chuckled softly. "I'm glad you all try your best to console her. The girl is more shy than she leads on to be."
The Door closed a moment later. Seishan turned around, having glanced over her runes after sensing the Change.
She shook her head in disbelief as she watched Bin's giddy expression. "You're impossible." Her tone was somewhere between exasperation and fondness. She had long since accepted that Bin's antics were a force of nature, one that not even a Saint like Sunny could entirely control.
Bin seemed to be a little too happy about the gift. Not even the Dead gods would dare to pry into the secrets of what she would do with it once Noone else was around.
'I will have a wonderful night.' The smirk on her Face hides horrors beyond human comprehension.
Hel, on the other hand, was still staring at the black snake curling around her arm, her mind half-lost in thought. "An attribute tied to the soul…" she muttered. "That means its potential could grow with us, doesn't it?" Her eyes glinted with curiosity as she considered the possibilities.
Silent was the first to push herself off the wall, flexing her fingers as the black snake flickered around her hand before forming into various weapons. "I won't lie. This is going to be useful. But…" She cast a glance toward the closed kitchen door. "I wonder if he even realizes just how much we owe him now."
Seishan's smile faded slightly as she let the weight of those words settle. For all his casual indifference, Sunny had given them something profound, power, yes, but also a sense of belonging they had thought lost. He didn't want to be a king, and yet, here they were, willingly choosing to follow him.
"It's not about owing him," Seishan finally said, her voice quieter but no less resolute. "We made this choice ourselves. And that means everything."
A soft snort came from Bin, who had already started making playful shapes with the black snake on her thigh. "Yeah, yeah. Deep words, Shan. But let's be honest, we also just wanted cool powers."
That earned her a smack on the back of the head from Silent, who shook her head but couldn't entirely hide her smile. "Don't embarrass us."
Revel, who had been watching the whole exchange with a lazy smirk, finally leaned back in her chair. "Well, congratulations, ladies. You're officially part of our very dysfunctional 'non-clan.' Welcome to the chaos." She raised her Coffee in their direction before turning back to her Uno game. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a wolf to crush."
Howl growled under her breath but didn't take her eyes off the now 9 cards. "Keep dreaming, Revel."
Seishan exhaled softly, feeling the new power settle into her bones. This was only the beginning, of what exactly, she didn't know. But for the first time in a long while, the path ahead seemed clearer. And she had no intention of walking it alone.
With one last glance at her sisters, she spoke quietly, but her words carried the weight of her conviction.
"Together, then. No matter what comes next."
And somewhere beyond the walls of the dining room, Sunny, still pretending to focus on his cooking, allowed himself the faintest of smiles.