Sunny remained silent for a while, still blind. His expression was somber, and there was an irritated twist to his lips.

'When did I figure it out?'

He grimaced.

"Just now, really."

Which was rather embarrassing.

Sunny hesitated for a moment, then shrugged.

"Well, can you blame me? Sure, I should have known much sooner. But there were so many things happening all at once… so, it took me some time to put the dots together."

He raised the Guiding Light and put it on his shoulder, still unable to see the radiance of the sacred staff.

"I mean, it is rather obvious in hindsight. Cassie was sent into the body of Dusk of Fallen Grace. Jet and Effie were sent into the bodies of two River Nomads. Kai and Mordret were sent into the bodies of two Riverborn warriors in Twilight. But what about me and Nephis? Who were the people that we replaced? And what were they doing so far upstream, in the distant future, way further than even Weave?"

He shook his head.

"I really should have understood it when we found the Chain Breaker. But I was so overwhelmed by how bizarre everything in the Tomb of Ariel was that I let it rest with the rest of the unresolved mysteries. And even as those mysteries were solved one after another, that one remained buried under the pile of startling revelations. I just sort of assumed that someone in the past — Noctis, maybe — had visited the pyramid, leaving their imprint in the Great River."

Sunny tiredly rubbed his face and smiled.

"But it was the opposite, wasn't it? It was not someone from the past. It was someone from the future. It was Nephis and me. We are going to return to the Tomb of Ariel one day, right? Not the illusion of it conjured inside this Nightmare, but the real deal. And just like Daeron had left his imprint to exist in the Nightmare, so will we. So… the bodies the two of us took. They have always been our own bodies. The roles we took are of ourselves."

The voice remained silent for a while, then scoffed.

Right. I remember now. Yes, we should have figured it out much sooner.

Sunny gritted his teeth.

I must say, though… it's a bit unfair. The Spell gave us our own roles, but made us mere Ascended. The two of you must be much more powerful, no? To brave the Nightmare Desert and enter the real pyramid. So, what are you? A Saint?

The voice remained silent for longer now, then sighed.

Yeah… a Saint.

Sunny frowned, judging how long the pause before the answer had been.

Bastard… did you just summon Weaver's Mask?!

The voice laughed.

Did I? No, I absolutely did not. Trust me, I'm telling the truth... I'm the most honest person in the world, after all. Two worlds, even.

Did he summon it or not?

Was this future version of Sunny really a Saint? No, like hell he was… a mere Saint would not have been able to turn the shadows against Sunny so easily, and neither would his voice possess such an harrowing power to it.

Sunny shivered.

"You… you're a Sovereign? Damnation, what the hell?! After everything we experienced in this damned place, why would you go and challenge another Nightmare?! Are you that tired of living?"

The voice did not respond for a while. Then, his answer came, calm and insidious:

"I am not a Sovereign, though."

Then, it added, its tone devoid of any emotion:

"Nor am I alive. I'm not even a human, really. Just a phantom of a lost shadow, conjured by the Spell. Ah, but this Estuary is a strange place. Time does not exist here, and so, everything exists here simultaneously. Even though you have already taken my role, here we are, having a chance to meet each other."

Sunny shivered.

Meeting his future self was already shocking enough, especially considering how terrifying the power of that version of him was. It felt no less oppressive, and even much more so, than the power of the Great Nightmare Creatures that had torn their way into the waking world during the Battle of the Black Skull.

But why was that guy hiding in the darkness?

Why wasn't he showing his face?

Come to think of it… why was Sunny unable to sense a human body anywhere in the shadows?

And what did his future version mean by saying that he was neither human nor alive?

At this point, it was impossible to tell if the voice was lying or telling the truth. Whether he was wearing Weaver's Mask or not. All of it…

Left Sunny quite unsettled.

He cleared his throat.

"So… that's great, then. You can tell me everything about the future, how to deal with all my problems better, and how not to end up in the same sorry state as you."

The voice remained silent.

Sunny lingered.

"Right? Come on. Start talking."

There was no answer for a while.

Then, the voice said in a dark tone:

"I don't think I will. You know how it goes… knowledge of the future will just make that future happen faster, and all that. Haven't you been burned by trying to exploit Cas and her visions enough times already?"

The future version of Sunny laughed.

"Yeah, yeah. I know what you want to say. Frustrating, isn't it? I remember cursing my future self with all kinds of nasty words at that point, in my mind. No, it really is strange, to be that annoying future self now!"

His joyless laughter died down, and Sunny was once again surrounded by chilling silence.

After a few moments, the voice spoke again:

"It's of no use, anyway. Aren't you here to become banished from fate? If you do go further and your wish comes true… there's no telling what your future will hold."

The voice grew harder to hear, as if the two of them were being slowly separated by a great distance.

"Still, I ask of you. Turn back. Do not go further. You… are not ready for what lies ahead."

Sunny remained silent for a while.

Eventually...

He scoffed.

"If you truly are the future version of myself, then you already know my answer."

Turn back? Abandon his chance of breaking the shackles of fate and the slave collar wrapped around his neck?

Never. He would rather die a thousand deaths.

"I refuse."

His voice was resolute.

There was a distant, dejected sigh.

Then, the voice resounded once again, barely audible:

"You stubborn fool… well, as expected. Go on, then. Hurry up! This Nightmare won't last much longer."

And just like that, the voice disappeared, leaving Sunny alone in the cave. The shadows embraced him again, and his ability to see in the dark returned.

'Damn traitors...'

The radiance of the Guiding Light pointed forward again.

He took a shaky breath, trying to compose himself.

"What… an insufferable bastard."

What was up with his future self and his attitude? Was it really necessary to laugh and chuckle at everything Sunny said? And did he really have to keep all the knowledge of what was about to come a secret?!

The voice did say one thing, though…

It was that the Nightmare was about to end.

Cursing under his breath, Sunny rushed forward.

'That guy... gave me the creeps. He was a bit scary, though. Which meant that I will be, too. That... is good news? Right?'

He had no time to ponder that eerie conversation right now, and was in no mood to, either. There would be time for that later, but right now... his freedom awaited.

He crossed the cave and followed the Guiding Light into another tunnel, venturing deeper and deeper into the dark mountain.

And then, finally…

He reached its very heart.

Entering a dark cavern, Sunny stumbled and came to a halt.

The cavern was vast enough that he could not see its ceiling, its walls drowning in darkness. Its floor was covered in shallow water, and at a distance, a small island rose from the glossy surface.

There was a beautiful tree growing in the middle of the island. And, nestled beneath its branches…

Sunny's eyes widened.

'What? What is this… why?'

1579 Forgotten Sunny had reached the very heart of the Estuary. There, hidden in the depth of a towering mountain, a vast cavern was filled with darkness. A single ray of bright light fell from somewhere high above, illuminating a small island rising from the glossy black water. There was a beautiful tree growing on the island, its leaves a sea of pale magenta. As the branches of the tree swayed slightly under the wind, the leaves fell down on the surface of the water, making its reflection ripple. And in the shadow of those branches, a simple stone sarcophagus stood, its lid covered by withered leaves. It made... for a vivid and breathtaking sight. The heart of the Estuary was peaceful, like an island of safety and tranquility in a world full of nothing but dread. And yet... it was also poignant and mournful. As soon as Sunny entered the cavern, he felt a strange melancholy fill his heart, as though an echo of a great sorrow that had been experienced here by someone, sometime, still resided in this sacred and silent sanctuary. He shifted slightly. 'Why... why is there a grave here?' The great black pyramid was called the Tomb of Ariel, but it was not the place where the Demon of Dread had been buried. Instead, it was a place he had built to bury unbearable truths. So, it was not really a tomb. ...Or was it? Sunny stared at the unadorned sarcophagus, struck silent by the overwhelming sorrow that remained here even now, thousands of years after the daemons and the gods were no more. He knew that the Tomb of Ariel was not a burial place for someone because of the words the Demon of Dread had shared with Weaver. Ariel had said so himself — what he had buried here were the hideous truths he did not wish to remember. But that was the thing. If Ariel did not remember what he had buried in this tomb of his, then didn't it mean that his words could not be trusted? Who was to say that he had not buried someone precious here, and then chose to forget about his sorrow? Suddenly, Sunny remembered the description of the Mirror of Truth. Weaver's strange words... 'I have not known that you've built a tomb, nor have I ever seen it. How would I know to admire it? I just happened to be here by chance. Now that I've seen it, my heart is untouched. I feel nothing.' 'You wanted to be free of the truth, so you didn't deserve it.' Why did it feel... that although Ariel had forgotten his sorrow, Weaver remembered? Had the Demon of Fate really happened to visit the Nightmare Desert and stumble upon the great pyramid by chance? And if it was not a coincidence... Then who was buried here, at the heart of Ariel's Tomb? Forlorn, and forgotten. Looking at the sarcophagus that rested under the branches of the beautiful tree, Sunny inhaled sharply. 'Oblivion. The answer... is Oblivion.' The Tomb of Ariel was where the Demon of Oblivion had been buried by her brother. Somehow, he was sure of it. Wasn't it sad, even for her death to be forgotten? 'Wait, no... no, that doesn't make any sense!' Suddenly, Sunny was confused. How could Oblivion have been dead? Six daemons had risen in rebellion against the heavens, while the seventh —Weaver — refused. Because of that, the Demon of Fate had been despised and hunted both by the six daemons and the six gods. If Oblivion had been dead all along, then how could there have been six daemons participating in the war and pursuing Weaver? Something... fundamentally did not make sense about all this. And yet, Sunny could not shake off the feeling of certainty about who it was that had been buried in the heart of the Tomb of Ariel. It was the Demon of Oblivion 'What does it mean?!' Taken aback and awestruck, he winced and closed his eyes for a moment. More importantly, what did it mean for him? Cassie had said that he would gain freedom from fate if he reached the very heart of the Estuary. Well, here he was, at its innermost sanctum. Even if there was a grave of a daemon in front of him... how was it supposed to break the chains of fate that bound him? Sunny hesitated for a while, feeling a sense of solemn awe at the sigh of the peaceful grave. Then, he took a deep breath and took a step forward. If he had any doubt that an unimaginable being was buried here, it disappeared as Sunny crossed the still expanse of dark water and approached the small island. The closer he got, the more sacred the silent cavern seemed, and the more pressure he felt. Even in death, the being resting in the stone sarcophagus emanated enough of it to crush a mundane person and make their soul collapse. Sunny, meanwhile, was able to reach the island and step onto its soil, albeit with difficulty. As the withered leaves rustled under his feet, he walked to the sarcophagus and stopped in front of it, looking at the weathered surface of the stone lid. Then, following an impulse, he raised a hand and cleaned it from fallen leaves. There were no runes on the sarcophagus, no carvings. Nothing to indicate who was buried inside, as no mark left to remember them by. It was nestled between the roots of the ancient tree, as if they were growing through it... or from it. Taking a deep breath, Sunny fell silent and listened to his intuition. What was he supposed to do here? His intuition... was telling him to look up. He did just that, and noticed that one of the branches of the tree was hanging low, pulled down by the weight of a beautiful golden fruit. The fruit glistened as it basked in the light falling from the ceiling of the cavern. Sunny hesitated for a few moments, then raised a hand and easily plucked the fruit off the branch. His mind was in turmoil. 'Am I... really doing this?' There was no answer. But he had already made it so far... Letting out a sigh, Sunny brought the fruit to his mouth and sunk his teeth into its succulent flesh. It was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted. Without wasting any time, Sunny satisfied his hunger and quenched his first by consuming the mystical fruit. He did not know what to expect, exactly, but felt that it would be like the fruits of the sacred tree growing on the deck of the Chain Breaker — which contained soul essence within them. Granted, it could also be like fruits of the Soul Devourer, which contained soul fragments, as well as enthralled those consuming them with an insidious hex. However, nothing of the sort happened. After finishing the divine fruit, Sunny received neither essence nor fragments. He was not enthralled, either. Instead... There was a strange feeling in the depths of his soul. A chillingly familiar feeling. Sunny's eyes widened. 'Don't tell me...' In the next moment, he let out a terrible shriek and fell on the lid of the sarcophagus.