章 3: 3: Who is he?
The unknown name on the letter that her past self wrote to her, "Sunless".
Cassie have already connected the dots about him being the man-shaped void, and now, the answer might very be in front of her.
This day had been strangely eventful.
He was busy washing the kitchen utensils when the Silver Bell suddenly rang again. Surprised at the appearance of a late customer, Sunny raised an eyebrow and walked into the dining hall.
"Aiko, he's your boss right? Why couldn't he hire another helper. "
A fire keeper who used to gamble on the Dark City asked Aiko.
"I've already told him about that but he's as stubborn as always. He said he just want a helper, which is me, so the cafe will be peaceful and pleasant. "
Aiko lied as she breathed. She can't just say that his boss have this weird ability to multiply his self. After all, she doesn't want her salary to decrease if for some reason her boss hears discovered this fact.
"That's master Sunless for you"
Effie added as the screen resumed the footage.
"I'm sorry, but we are about to close..."
The words died on his lips.
"Oh? I only saw him a few times but I have never seen Master Sunless this confused."
A man adjusted his thick glasses, commenting about the anomaly.
"I agree sir Julius, it is a rare sight for me too even though I'm a regular."
The famous researcher and student of Professor Obel, Proffesor Beth added.
Noctis meanwhile is interested even more about the man Sunless.
"Him being introduced and the people here connected to him... It's as if this whole thing is orchestrated to watch him and his life. Interesting isn't it?"
He looked at the woman beside him.
The woman beside him, ignored his gaze and rested her head on her palm resulting her raid her to cover a part of her face.
"Why are you even talking to me?"
"Well dear priestess of war, I haven't talk to anyone for ages. I only talk to my beautiful self and my beautiful puppets."
"You truly are a lunatic. "
"If you are surrounded by a barba- I mean a beautiful woman like you, a crazy dragon, and a man trapped in a giant walking chunk of steel, I surely would go mad."
Solvane sighed and looked at Noctis.
"Why did you lie to them?"
Noctis smiled, a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"What do I say? This gentle, gorgeous looking man who looked so peaceful wields the knowledge and skills of a daemon?"
Noctis' smile disappeared. He looked seriously at Solvane and added:
"This information is too dangerous for them. And I even think that this weird mechanism will show it to them eventually. "
Solvane who doesn't want to talk with this lunatic anymore nodded and returned her sight to the screen.
Out there, in front of him, stood a delicate young woman in a seawave cloak. Her hair was like a cascade of pale gold, and her eyes... were hidden behind a strip of blue cloth.
Despite the blindfold hiding her eyes, the young woman's ethereal, otherworldly beauty was simply breathtaking.
"Song of the Fallen?"
Saint Rohan, husband of Saint Tyris exclaimed.
"Cassie... do you know him?"
Nephis asked Cassie.
"No... this has never happened before. I suspect that this is the future."
Cassie said, sparking many reactions from the crowd.
"What!?"
"How could that be?"
"Impossible!"
It was mostly Saints who reacted badly. The knowledge that the future cannot be seen anymore were only known to them.
After Sunny has broken fate, it was in shambles meaning the future cannot be seen anymore. Thus resulting to all oracles being basically without their future sight.
"So in the future you will meet Master Sunless?"
Effie asked
"If what is being shown true then yes."
"And here I thought Master Sunless and princess would look good. Maybe this could work too, but both him and Cassie is a little bit on the soft side. I wonder who will be the top of that happens."
Effie whispered under her breath.
"Effie, why are you so smart at dumb things?"
Jet who have heard everything whispered back.
"Anyway who do you think will it be?"
Effie answered her question with a question.
Jet lungered for quite a while and then said:
"Cassie, she's a saint after all. "
"I agree"
Meanwhile Kai who have heard everything could do nothing about the two and face palmed again.
She lingered for a moment, then turned her head in the direction of Sunny's voice.
"Oh... I am sorry. I'm afraid I'm a bit late, then."
Sunny remained silent, trying to overcome his shock.
'What... what is she doing here?'
"It is not surprising that he knows Song of the Fallen but this reaction... it's not right."
Saint Rohan commented.
"Maybe she's his idol? You know how men fantasizes about their idols right? Oh boy! He might even thought of-
"Sir Jest!"
"C'mon, everyone got that. Right?"
The two valor saints exchanged some words but soon was stopped by Summer Knight.
He suppressed his emotions and put on the polite smile of a humble shopkeeper.
"Now we're talking... Is he a two faced bastard?"
A fire keeper lowly said which was heard by Effie.
"What'd you say?! If this eye candy get the hell away from Bastion I'll stomp on you while I'm on my transfo-
"Effie that's enough."
"But princess! The pancakes!"
"He is an unkown master with unknown origins, and with this clip we saw his strange reaction already. Although we can't be sure if he's evil, I'm sure this video will show us. So just continue to watch"
Nephis stated making the room quiet. Her authority were engraved on every people im the room except the saints.
"No, no. It's no trouble. What did you want? I'll prepare it quickly. "
"Is he kind or this is just an act?"
The same fire keeper voiced out his thoughts again causing Effie to glare at him.
'I swear to god if the cafe and Master Sunless transfer to Ravenheart because of this bastard... I'll die of hunger!'
The young woman tilted her head a little, then said hesitantly:
"My name is... "
He interrupted her, trying to put an appropriate amount of respect and reverence into his voice:
"I know who you are, Lady Song of the Fallen. Who in Bastion doesn't? I am Master Sunless, the owner of the Brilliant Emporium. It's an honor to meet you."
"If this is all an act then I'll be damned. I liked his waffles so bad."
A fire keeper commented.
"Nah, nothing beats his coffee... especial in the morning."
Another awakened of Bastion commented.
"The pancakes!"
Effie shouted at them, making them shut their mouths, avoiding a debate with the saint.
The video then continued.
Cassie sighed, then nodded curtly. Eventually, she said:
"...I heard that you can procure rare Memories. Or make them."
Sunny froze for a moment.
"Ah."
"He seems relieved, Lady Aiko can he be trusted?"
It was Song Seishan who asked Aiko. Even though this two aren't close, they have known each other in the Dark City.
"Of course! He is my boss!"
The whole cohort looked at Kai in anticipation. Kai immediately nodded in response, marking Aiko's words the "truth".
But Kai himself isn't so sure about the answer. Because Aiko didn't specifically said that his boss isn't evil and also she only said that he is her boss which sparked doubts in Kai's heart.
'The possibility of her being deceived is also possible.'
Kai couldn't help but grit his teeth in silence.
One of the Fire Keepers must have recommended him to her. And knowing Cassie, it must not have taken her long to discover that the owner of the Brilliant Emporium did not just sell Memories, but also crafted them.
"Did you guys?"
"Nope"
"Nah"
"I talked about it, maybe Lady Cassia heard?"
"Maybe someone recommended it to her in the future."
The fire keepers voiced their own thoughts about the situation.
But why would she come to him? All the enchanters of Clan Valor were at her disposal.
"I agree, why would a saint who have the backing of a sovereign ask a master for a memory?"
Saint Rohan commented.
"Father, your armor is made by him."
Awakened Telle immediately rebuked him.
"Really? I take back what I said then haha. It's an amazing memory."
The peoples view about Sunny eventually increased. Although the wariness is still there, they knew that the Master made a memory worthy for a saint. His reputation has increased.
Sunny took a deep breath.
"Are you interested in commissioning a Memory, my lady?"
She nodded again.
"In a way."
He smiled. Now, he was in familiar territory.
"Great! I am sure that you won't be disappointed in my services. Just today, a member of the renowned White Feather clan purchased a Memory from our stock. They were extremely satisfied with its quality."
"Now... It seems that this happened in the near future."
Saint Tyris commented as she spoke for the first time after she introduced herself.
Cassie smiled, then shifted slightly as if looking around.
"That is good to hear. The Memory I want you to make must be of the highest quality."
"Well, I could vouch for him!" Saint Rohan exclaimed with a laugh.
She lingered for a few moments, then turned to him and added in a neutral tone:
"Oh, and by the way..."
Her smile wavered a little.
"...Happy Birthday."
For a split second, his mask cracked.
The light atmosphere from Saint Rohan's joke turned heavy. The room have confirmed that Master Sunless wears a mask.
No one spoke, even Rain who thinks she knew her Master the best waited for the video to play again.
Sunny's face did not move, but his gaze changed. For a short moment, his eyes were much deeper and darker than before - the lightless depth contained within them was much too vast, much too cold, and much too unfathomable to fit the image of a harmless shopkeeper.
Thats short moment gave even the saints a bad premonition on how dangerous this Master could be. They looked at Changing Star... who have slain a saint while she was a master and back at the screen showing Master Sunless.
Chill went down the people's spine causing some reactions.
"What!?"
"What in the actual... "
"He looks like he can kill, no he will kill."
Nephis looked at Effie from her side.
"I told you, not everything looks like what you see. "
"I-I know princess but... "
"Now, now... Calm down will you? maybe we will get an explanation later."
Kai mediated and comforted Effie who is still in denial.
He froze, a storm of emotions raging in his heart. For a second, Sunny was stunned, not knowing what to say.
The shadows stirred.
"Shadow?"
"His aspect must be connected with the shadows. "
"This whole scene is connected well from the last scene. He said that no one in the world knew his birthday... but Saint Cassia did. "
Saint Cor expressed his thought about the matter.
"I agree with this. He probably thought no one knows this information but Saint Cassia who is an oracle knew, shocking him. "
Saint Jest added.
Everyone who have heard the two veteran Saint immediately realized how experienced they are and how they connected the dots.
"Heh, I may be old but I'm not senile HAHA"
"yet"
Saint Rivalen of Aegis Rose added, making the old man laugh even more turning the situation light again.
But then, he quickly composed himself.
"Why, thank you. But how did you know?"
An irrational, but desperate hope had ignited in his chest, trying to burn away his judgment. A hope that someone anyone remembered him... that Cassie did. The thought of it was both blindingly sweet and ruthlessly painful.
"It's portraying that Saint Cassia knows him?"
Morgan looked at Cassie as if demanding for answers.
Cassie calmly replied without taking her eyes off the screen.
"I have never met this guy before. "
Kai who is just a seat above her nodded, confirming what she has just said.
Morgan, satisfied with the answer looked back at the screen, looking forward on what will happen next.
Because it was impossible, The [Fateless] Attribute, as he had called it, was thorough. So, Sunny discarded that futile hope and hid his rattled state.
"Fateless?" Awakened Kimmy who is a part of the devils of Antarctica voiced her thoughts out.
Almost all of the people inside the theater looked at the saints, some even looked at Noctis for answers but no one can answer what [Fateles] is.
"Is it even possible for a being to be born without a fate?"
Morgan asked Jest who is old enough to know more than anyone in the room.
"I don't know. Fate runs through everyone and not just in the Dream Realm... maybe we can ask him."
Saint Jest looked at Noctis which everyone noticed as they followed behind his action.
"I do not know anything about fate nor how it works. But fate is the domain of Weaver, the daemon of fate."
Noctis smiled and looked at Solvane on his right.
"Why don't you explain the rest? Explanations is not my suit."
"Do not make me involved in your business, Beast of Twilight."
Noctis laughed and and removed the hairs that covered a part face with his hand.
"Weaver is a daemon involved in mysterious practices, one of them is a strange type of sorcery which is... what this 'Sunless' have in his mantle."
Silence enveloped the whole room. The words said by Noctis were plenty but two specifically stood out.
One is that 'Sunless' might be connected to the daemon of fate, Weaver.
Then the way he said the name 'Sunless'. It made them think that if the man has a mask on, then there is a possibility that his name is also fake.
Meanwhile, Nephis frowned aftef hearing thename Weaver. A memory of an old woman crossed her mind.
"Ananke..."
Nephis' whisper was heard by Cassie. Knowing Neph's relationship with Ananke, she couldn't help buy frown.
'Could Master Sunless be connected with Ananke? If so then...'
It clicked.
The thought of the third nightmare and Ananke brought Cassie to a single conclusion.
'Everything... it connects.'
How had she known that today was his birthday, though?
"If this is really the future, then it's impossible for Saint Song of the Fallen to know about it since at this time the tapestries of fate should be in shambles."
Summer Knight said looking at Cassie.
Morgan narrowed his eyes at Summerknigt.
"Are you saying that this is the past?"
Summer Knight shook his head and smiled at Morgan.
"Unfortunately, I don't know and I am not saying that this has already happened, rather... something must have happened in the past. If someone knows something, it should be Saint Cassia but with the looks of it, she is also confused. "
Effie sighed and rested her face on her palm.
"It seems that all we can do is watch."
'Maybe... just maybe...!
Cassie was facing him, remaining silent. Her smile slowly dimmed, replaced by a strange and solemn expression. Sunny felt uncomfortable because her eyes were hidden by the blue fabric, but he did not show it.
Come to think of it...
He had not noticed it immediately, but Cassie looked a little strange.
How could he describe it? She seemed a little... haggard.
Of course, a stranger would not have noticed, blinded by the stunning beauty of the blind seer. But to Sunny, she looked out of sorts. Her clothes, which had always been neat and tidy, were a little messy. Her hair was like a waterfall of pale gold, but it did not seem properly combed. There were signs of fatigue on her delicate face.
"I told ya! he's a fan boy! An obsessed one!"
"Sir Jest. Just please shut it"
She finally turned away and walked a few steps, as If studying the dining hall of the Brilliant Emporium.
"It's strange. I've been delivered a note asking me to find a person named Sunless and wish him a happy birthday. On a winter solstice, of all days. It happened a while ago. But, the strangest past? The sender of the note... was me. And I don't remember ever writing it."
Confusion was took over the room. Saint Summer Knight's theory rang in their brains.
"Woah... so something truly happened in the past. As expected of Sir Gilead."
Sunny remained silent, wanting her to say more. Sometimes, silence was the best way to make people talk.
Cassie traced her fingers across one of the tables and turned her head slightly.
"Sunless is a rather peculiar name, so I didn't think that finding him would be difficult. But, to my surprise... that person didn't seem to exist. Not in the government databases, Academy records, or the archives of the Great Clans. You might not know it, Master Sunless, but I am a rather knowledgeable person. One might even say that there's no one better at collecting information than me"
Sunny tilted his head a little.
Oh, he knew.
"This suggests that he knew Cassie but she doesn't know about him? at all? "
Kai voiced his confusion which confused the now even confused people in the room.
But even though no one answered Kai, they knew that the answers is just infront of them. All that's just left is to watch and wait.
"That is indeed strange."
His voice was pleasant and even.
She smiled.
"A person named Sunless had not existed in either of the two worlds... until this year, when you found your way to Bastion. Naturally, I was curious. So, I studied you a little. I hope you don't mind."
Sunny hesitated. Even if he did mind, no one in their right mind would rebuke Song of the Fallen, a prominent Saint and one of the most valued seneschals of the Great Clan Valor.
"I agree, even though we all strive to be equal before, that dream have died for humanity after the spell arrived. A simple command from someone much powerful than you coud destroy your life and the lives of others surrounding you."
Saint Cor commented. He opened his mouth again and added:
"But we can now confirm that this 'Sunless is someone that no one knows and remembers. And his [Fateless] attribute could be involved with this."
In the middle part of the theater, the cohort were silent. Then Effie broke the ice.
"So maybe he's your boyfriend but you just forgot?"
Effie looked at Cassie, earning her a cold glare from the rest of the cohort for her joke.
"A Saint Jest wanna be huh?"
Jet teased to lower the tension.
"I'm funnier than that old man. "
Cassie turned her head left and right, as if looking around.
"I must admit, you are a fascinating man. Not only do you seem to have appeared out of nowhere, but your establishment is even built inside of an Ascended Devil. How inventive."
"What!?"
"You're saying that I've been relaxing inside a Devils mouth every week!?"
"Is he really a master?"
The last statement brought silence to the room.
"Hey, hey you can't just say that! We're already full with the skinwalkers and you're adding a saint that we know nothing about?"
A former Antarctica refugee from Ravenheart spoke.
"That is quite impossible, someone going to the third nightmare without anyone's knowledge is not possible!"
A fire keeper said, contradicting the woman's point.
"He's been forgotten so it's possible. Maybe he's even a former comrade of you."
Mordret, the nothing wrong and normal saint spoke.
This gave them the thought of how difficult Sunless' life could have been. Everything and everyone you had connection with was purposely cut off, making all your connections with them disappear.
Amidst of the thoughts of everyone, the video continued.
He tensed.
Well... it wasn't a surprise. Cassie's Dormant Ability allowed her a measure of insight into all living things, Marvelous Mimic was not an exception, so she would have realized its nature as soon as she approached the Brilliant Emporium.
"So he does know her. Very much that is."
Jet exclaimed, looking at Cassie.
"Don't tell me he's really your former boyfriend? "
Effie asked, not a joke but an honest question.
Cassie looked at her with a frown.
"No..."
"How can you be sure? He knows a lot about you, and you forgot about him."
"My intuition."
If there is one thing you shouldn't doubt about oracles are their intuition. And that made Effie close her mouth. The brawny giant woman couldn't help but just sigh.
And yet she had stepped into the maw of an Ascended Devil without much worry, Was it confidence or indifference? Sunny was not sure.
He coughed.
"Ah. Well, why not? My house might not be able to fly like your Citadel, but it can walk. it's convenient."
"Although we don't know how dangerous he could be... He sure does have a very smart mind. A walking house is very ideal in this realm."
Awakened Julius who is a knowm professor said.
"Is he really a master? Next time we'll know that he has a walking citadel or something."
An Ascended joked, earning him some laughs but he mostly received criticism from his joke.
Nevertheless, Sunny was not worried. He was mostly certain that Cassie's powers were based on a subconscious ability to perceive the strings of fate, and sense when they were trembling. Since there were no strings of fate connected to him anymore, she should be powerless against him.
As if to confirm his words, Cassie spoke calmly:
"Do you know what I sense when I look at you, though? Nothing. You are like a black void, completely empty."
"Did you experience something similar to this in the past? "
Nephis finally spoke again, questioning Cassie.
"No, something similar happened with anti divinations but that feels as if you're perception is being blocked, not an empty vision like this."
Neph couldn't help but just nod and looked back at the screen.
Sunny raised an eyebrow.
"That is not something a man wants to hear on his birthday, Saint Cassia."
"He might be an unknown variable but at least he got some sense of humor in him... unlike someone I know. "
Saint Rivalen couldn't hold back his mouth and finally commented making Saint Jest just looked at him with an unamused expression.
She did not seem to have heard his words, continuing in the same tone:
"But this is perfect. This is exactly what I've been looking for, Oh, Master Sunless... you seem to be strangely well-informed about my abilities, considering that you are not at all surprised to hear these things. Well, just in case, let me tell you... I used to be able to see the future."
"So it really is in the future."
"I hope we get some answers. "
He hesitated for a while, a little startled by that statement.
"...Used to?"
Cassle nodded.
"Yes. This ability of mine has been in complete disarray after my Third Nightmare. Not just mine, actually... all Awakened with high affinity to fate are suffering a reduction in their ability to discern the future. Not that there are a lot of us. It is almost as if fate itself has been thrown into chaos."
"We confirmed it, that something happening has to do with fate and the [Fateless] attribute, but what does it really mean?"
Kai pondered, sharing his thoughts to everyone.
No one wanted to convey what they have concluded in their mind and stayed sileny until the video continued once again.
Sunny forced out a smile.
"How terrible."
She remained silent for a while, seemingly distracted. Then, she said with a subtle hint of relief:
"Yes. It has been rather terrible. And I've been... I've been trying to find the cause for the past four years, without any success. So, the message that I seem to have sent myself made me think that you might be of help. And won't just think that I am crazy"
Silence still enveloped the whole room, they waited for the next scene to play.
Cassle paused, then faced him and said tensely:
"Master Sunless... how would you react if I told you that there is a man-shaped hole in the world?"
The screen finally turned back as it finished with a cliffhanger.
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