As soon as Sunny's shadow—silent and watchful—had recognized that there was another person, another *survivor*, at the Bone Ridge, they quickened their pace, urgency creeping into every step.
They couldn't afford to waste a single moment. The lone survivor's fate, hanging by the thinnest of threads, was too important to leave to chance. Not when every breath, every heartbeat, every fragment of hope was needed more than ever. Especially not when someone—anyone—had managed to survive for nine harrowing days alone on the Forgotten Shore.
The girls shared the excitement, but it was in different ways. Nephis, ever the quiet one, didn't speak much. She only asked for any details that might tell her more about the mysterious inhabitant of the dead leviathan. But the energy in her movements spoke volumes—she was more focused than ever on their goal, and there would be no more distractions. No more ambushing weakened Nightmare Creatures, no more veering off course. This was the moment they'd been waiting for.
Cassie, however, was a different story. She was practically glowing with excitement—there was no other way to describe it. The blind girl, so full of life, nearly fell off the scavenger she was riding, that's how giddy she was at the thought of meeting another human, another *survivor*. It wasn't just that, though—it was the possibility that maybe, just maybe, there was hope for them all. That this survivor, this sign of life, meant there might be others along the way to the city Cassie had seen in her vision. That the world wasn't completely lost, and there was still a chance for something better. She couldn't stop smiling, couldn't stop bouncing on the scavenger in sheer joy, even as the fear of what lay ahead began to twist in the pit of her stomach.
But that shared excitement, that rush of optimism, didn't last long.
Sunless felt it first—an unmistakable shift. It wasn't the thrill of finding another survivor anymore. It was something darker. A creeping sense of fear.
Fear that he might be leading them into danger. That the lone survivor wasn't a survivor at all, but a trap—a cruel trick set by a Nightmare Creature.
Fear that, with this new person, he would be forced to hide his *True Name* in ways he hadn't anticipated. This person, whoever they were, might turn out to be even more unpredictable than the others. What if they saw through him, detected the treachery in his eyes? What if they wouldn't be so easily manipulated, so easy to deceive or trusting and trustworthy like Cassie or Nephis? That thought gnawed at him. He had no choice but to keep his secret, and with someone new in the mix, the risk was higher than ever.
Nephis, on the other hand, wrestled with a different emotion. *Trepidation*. She didn't know what to expect. Would the survivor be like Cassie—trustworthy, kind, if not a bit naive? Or would they be someone like Sunless—cunning, unpredictable? Worse still, what if they were an assassin sent to end her life, a deadly shadow sent by the Clans of Song and Valor to finish what had already been set in motion?
Cassie, for all her excitement, was starting to feel the weight of uncertainty, and it was eating at her. She couldn't sit still, couldn't stop fidgeting. She nearly slipped off the Echo, so distracted by the swirling thoughts in her head. How would the lone survivor react when they found out she was blind? Would they treat her as weak, as something to be discarded or left behind? The idea of being rejected, of her blindness becoming a reason to be abandoned, gnawed at her.now with the possibility of meeting another human, someone who wasn't reliant on them for everything or could run , she couldn't shake the fear that they might decide she was more of a burden than a companion. Or worse—what if they, too, had a flaw as devastating as hers? What if they, too, were someone who needed to be cared for, and now it wasn't just about looking after *one* person, but *two*?
'*'
It was only logical—*painfully* logical—that Sunless would be the one to enter the misshapen skull of the leviathan and attempt first contact with the other survivor. Out of everyone, he had the best odds. He could actually move through the Mist billowing out from the creature's gaping, bone-splintered maw without immediately choking or going blind. He was the most likely to catch a trap before it sprung. The most likely to escape if things went sideways—or, at the very least, alert the others.
Of course, none of that meant he was *happy* about it.
He didn't even consider walking straight into the leviathan's mouth. That would've been suicidal. Or, more accurately, *idiotic*.
One does not simply wander into someone else's territory expecting tea, cookies, and a peaceful conversation. Violence was the default in these places. He'd had to demonstrate that truth to plenty of would-be heroes who thought they could take on the Çelik and live.
So instead, he stopped just a few meters short of the skeletal gate—just outside the teeth, jagged as ancient spears, jutting from the skull like a natural warning sign. He already knew the survivor was in there. Nestled up somewhere along the upper jaw.
He drew in a slow, precise breath. Then called out:
"Hey, is someone in there? We're Sleepers. From the Academy."
The words sounded ridiculous hanging in the damp air—obvious and unnecessary—but this was not the time for ambiguity. He had to make it perfectly clear that they were human. Not monsters. And definitely not worse.
No answer came. Not in words.
But something shifted. He saw movement, deeper in the skull—someone repositioning, sliding into a spot where they could see him. Watch him.
He braced himself to step back.
Then—
"Ahhhh! O.M.G, you *tots* are—!"
And the girl jumped.
Not climbed, not eased her way down—*jumped*, from the jagged bone teeth.
From *at least* ten meters up.
And face-planted. Right into the grime-caked skull floor.
"Owwyyy~!"
Sunless stood frozen, momentarily robbed of thought.
He had prepared for any number of things. A cunning ambush. A half-mad survivor. Maybe even an emaciated killer crouched in the ribs of the leviathan, waiting for prey. What he had *not* prepared for… was this.
He immediately dispatched a shadow to Cassie and Neph, whispering through the tether to bring them *now*. Reinforcements were officially required.
"Heyyy~," the girl chirped, already upright again and completely unfazed by the fall, "you're, like, *seriously* short, y'know? I was *so* expecting my rescuer to be, like, a swoon-worthy knight orrrrr a total babe in shining armor on queen-time. But you?" She gave him an exaggerated pout. "You're a total pip-squeak! Such a major bummer."
She sauntered toward him, Mist parting in small, reluctant curls as she bounced her way across the graveyard floor. Her arms flailed in animated bursts, her voice practically *sparkled* with glitter and drama, and every motion of her body demanded attention—if only because it refused to be normal.
"No, I don't know," Sunless replied, monotone. "Anyway—are you injured?" If she was, it might be a vulnerability. Something to exploit. Later.
"Pfff—nahhhh. I'm, like, *top-tier right now, baby!*"
She threw her arms into the air like she'd just won a pageant, finally close enough for the full visual impact to land. She was taller than him—just barely—but with a presence that filled the space like perfume. Her wild brown hair frizzed in every direction, her cloak shifted through brilliant natural hues with every sway, like a living rainforest, and her golden reptilian eyes shimmered with curiosity. Her claws glinted, dangerously sharp.
For a fraction of a second, Sunless nearly drew *Twins Bane*. Reflex.
But no—Neph had warned him. Some Awakened *just looked weird*.
"Damn," the girl said, eyes trailing lazily up and down his all-black everything. "You're *really* going full emo-chic, huh? It's kinda cute! Like… *tragic survivor prince realness*."
She didn't stop. She kept strutting forward like a runway model who'd just downed five shots of espresso, and before he could react, she was right in front of him, arms out—and then she *hugged* him.
And promptly collapsed into his chest.
Her knees buckled, and suddenly she was sobbing—*wailing*—into his front. Not quiet tears. This was *full* breakdown: hiccups, snot, mascara that wasn't even there somehow smudging anyway.
"Whhhhaaaa… *sob* you're, like… *soooo* late and reeeek!" she wailed. "But I totes forgive you 'cause I'm soooo happy right nowww!"
He stood there like a statue, arms stiff, mind trying to recalibrate to a language this girl clearly spoke fluently and exclusively.
That was the exact moment Cassie and Neph finally arrived.
The girl lifted her tear-streaked face just as quickly as the crying had started—*and stopped*.
She locked eyes with Neph and *lit up*.
"GIRRRRL! You look *absolutely fab*! Like, you're totally giving TIGRESS with those claws, meow~!"
She struck a bizarre cat-pose, complete with claws and ears and a little swish of invisible hips.
Neph blinked, clearly processing a dialect of social interaction that had never graced her reality before.
"…Thanks? Uh, who are you?"
And just like that, in one awkward, unsure question, Neph had made more progress with the strange girl than Sunless had through all his careful calculations and measured logic.