Cade and Maya exchanged a glance before turning their attention back to Sunny, who still wore that devious smirk.
Maya considered the proposition carefully, but she knew it wasn't that simple.
Sure, they could kill the Soul Devourer. Hell, she and Cade could probably do it without outside help. At the end of the day, it was only an Awakened Terror. A terrifying opponent, yes, but not invincible.
With Cade's Corrupted weapon and her own Echo, they could deal enough debilitating damage to bring the fiend down.
But it wasn't that straightforward. There were complications too.
Firstly, the Soul Devourer's influence still held Nephis and Cassie in its grasp. Sunny was barely holding on himself. Attacking the tree would mean fighting Changing Star head on, and with Sunny compromised, he wouldn't be at his best in battle.
But even that wasn't the biggest problem. Changing Star wasn't her usual self— she was battered, broken, her mind on the verge of shattering. Her Aspect revolved around flames, and Maya's own abilities could almost completely nullify that advantage.
Under normal circumstances, Nephis would wipe the floor with her, Maya had no illusions about that. But right now? Her chances weren't so bad.
Still, she wasn't sure if revealing herself to Changing Star just yet was the right move. This could be the perfect opportunity to win her trust… or the worst possible time to get involved.
More importantly, this wasn't her moment. Or Cade's. This was Sunny's opportunity. He was the one who had to save them.
Secondly, she had no way of knowing if the tree had other thralls buried beneath the ashes of the Barrow. If it did, the battle could spiral into something far more brutal than anticipated. Worse, they might suffer unnecessary injuries and draw in even deadlier abominations— hardly a trade worth making for the Soul Devourer's demise.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly— at least, according to Cade— Sunny killing the Soul Devourer as a Transcendent was a key moment in the story. Cassie had only been able to trust the Lord of Shadows because she had witnessed that memory.
Of course, that future was still distant— if it even existed in this timeline. But what if it did?
So, there were too many uncertainties, too many unpredictable consequences tied to killing the monstrous tree. That was why Cade and Maya had never even considered it an option.
She glanced at Cade again. I hope he doesn't get excited and just agree with him. This guy really can't control himself when it comes to killing Nightmare Creatures.
Cade seemed to be deep in thought. After a long pause, he shook his head and spoke. "I get why you'd wanna do that. Hell, I want to burn that thing to the ground too. But I'm sorry, Sunny. We can't."
Sunny's expression turned detached for a moment, but he quickly snapped back. "And why not? You two are obviously strong. Maybe even stronger than Nephis. I mean, this girl— Veil of Ashes— has an Awakened Terror for an Echo. And I'm guessing she got that here. If you could kill one Awakened Terror, why can't we kill another? One that's a damn tree that can't even defend itself, no less."
"It's not that simple, Sunny," Cade said.
"Oh yeah? What's so complicated about it?"
"I'm not denying that we can probably kill it," Cade replied. "But it won't be simple. That thing controls your friends' minds. They'll fight to protect it. You might have broken free, but the moment you go back there, you'll be too busy keeping yourself from slipping again. You won't be able to help. And that's not even considering the possibility that a creature of its Class probably has lower-Class thralls buried beneath the Ashen Barrow, waiting for us to make a move."
Sunny gritted his teeth as realization set in.
Without waiting for a response, Cade spoke again. "And besides... do you really want someone else to kill it?"
Sunny looked at him, his dark eyes flashing with something venomous. Then, slowly, a hint of utter hatred crept into them.
"Not a chance..."
Cade smiled. "I thought as much. So, we're going with our plan?"
Sunny huffed, shaking his head. "Not like we have a choice. Still… I don't think it's gonna work."
Cade nodded. "I get why you'd think that. But it's alright. Maya's Echo has an ability that disrupts other abilities. We believe it can interfere with the Soul Devourer's mind hex. Though, considering it's of the same Rank and Class as the tree— and only an Echo— the effect might not be that potent."
Sunny exhaled sharply but gave a small nod. He could tell Cade and Maya had put thought into this.
"Alright then. Build a boat with Demon bones, convince the girls to abandon the lair of an abominable Terror, and sail across the Dark Sea to the west." He let out a short, humorless chuckle. "Do you know how insane that sounds?"
Maya shrugged. "It's your best option. You and Nephis will build the boat today, and you'll set sail today, too. It's already late afternoon—you don't have much time."
"Today?" Sunny's eyes widened. "How the hell am I supposed to convince her and help her build a boat? I'll barely be able to keep myself together when I go back there. And I don't suppose you two plan on helping, either?"
Cade rubbed the back of his neck, looking almost sheepish. "Don't take it the wrong way, Sunny. But it's better for everyone if Nephis doesn't find out we're here— or that we've been watching you from the shadows all this time."
Sunny remained silent for a while, his scowl deepening. "Oh yeah? How so?"
Cade met his glare evenly. "Well, you already know me. You know I'm weird, that I know things I shouldn't. You've made your peace with it. But Nephis? She's different. How do you think she'll react when she finds out what we just told you? And more importantly, what do you think she'll do if she starts associating you with us?"
Sunny clenched his jaw. "Bastard... you're asking me to keep your presence here a secret? To deceive her?"
"It's in your best interest, too," Cade countered. "Think about it. If you save them, and you take credit for it, imagine how that strengthens the bond between the three of you. You remember Master Jet's advice: 'No one survives in the Dream Realm alone.' This is your chance to secure allies— ones who might stand with you for a lifetime."
"You son of a bitch..." Sunny scowled. "You're actually trying to sell this to me as a good idea?"
"Don't tell me you don't think it is one," Cade shot back. "Besides, it's not like we'll stay hidden forever. We will have to confront each other sooner or later. But just to save ourselves some unnecessary awkwardness, I'd rather it be later. And lucky for you, that works in your favor, too."
Sunny held his glare for a long moment, then exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. "Fine... I get it. I won't tell her you were here. But that still doesn't change the fact that we won't be able to finish the boat today. And there's no way in hell I'm letting them spend another night near that nightmare."
Cade smiled and stepped closer to Maya. Taking her hand in his, he let something akin to a spark of electricity pass between them. At the same time, the crown resting atop his head dissolved into a wisp of Darkness.
Maya barely had time to process the sensation before the voice of the Spell rang in her mind:
[You have received a Memory, Crown of Stillness.]
[You have received a Memory, Radiant Eye.]
She scowled, her gaze snapping to Cade. She clicked her tongue in frustration. "Tsk... you're really gonna make me do this?"
Cade only shrugged, that damn smirk playing on his lips. "How else is he gonna explain it to the two of them?"
Sunny's eyes darted between the two of them, suspicion flashing across his face. "What the hell are you two talking about?"
Maya ignored him, too busy glaring at Cade. Her fingers twitched with the urge to punch him— harder than Sunny had earlier. Huffing, she wrenched her hand free and stalked toward Sunny.
Cade's eyes followed her, brimming with amusement. That devious smirk of his deepened.
That bastard... Maya seethed. He's doing this on purpose. Getting back at me for laughing at him...
Maya took a deep breath, steeling herself, then fixed Sunny with a sharp glare. "Listen here, short stack. Don't get any wrong ideas, okay? This is just part of the plan."
Sunny looked at her, utterly baffled. His confusion only deepened when Maya dropped to her knees in front of him and took one of his hands into her own. He jerked slightly, caught off guard.
"What the—"
"Stay still, asshole," Maya snapped.
She inhaled deeply, then forced the words out. "Sunless... you... are the man of my... dreams." Her voice strained with effort. "You... are my prince in... shining armor and I can't... bear... the thought of being separated from you. So, I am going to give you something very precious to me. Please, take good care of it. It will remind you of me... and it'll be like I am with you all the time."
She nearly choked on the words, but it was too late to take them back.
Ignoring the look on Sunny's face— and definitely ignoring Cade's barely restrained laughter— Maya willed the Crown of Stillness to leave her Winter and enter Sunny's soul. She wasn't even sure if it would work, but thankfully, the Memory slipped from her grasp, transferring successfully.
Maya swiftly let go of Sunny's hand and shot to her feet, her face burning with secondhand embarrassment. Behind her, barely restrained snickers filled the air.
She turned, already knowing the culprit.
Cade was on the verge of breaking down, his shoulders shaking, his hand clamped over his mouth as if that would stop the inevitable outburst. His eyes gleamed with pure, unfiltered amusement.
Son of a bitch... I'll definitely kill him one of these days.
She tore her gaze away before she did something drastic and turned back to Sunny.
He was still staring at the spot where she had knelt a moment ago, his face frozen in pure bewilderment.
Maya exhaled sharply and snapped her fingers in front of his face.
Sunny flinched and finally seemed to return to reality. His wide, stunned eyes slowly rose to meet hers.
"Wh... wha—what… the hell… was that?" he stammered.
Maya scoffed, crossing her arms. "That was so you'd have a reason for owning that Memory when the girls ask about it."
Sunny blinked, still dazed. "Memory? Oh… yeah. Memory. Right. I received a Memory."
Shaking his head, he quickly turned inward, scanning his runes. His eyes widened in surprise. "This… this is a charm. And such a high Tier. Why did you give it to me?"
Maya shrugged. "It's useless to me, and Cade will manage without it somehow." She tilted her head slightly. "You, on the other hand, are in desperate need of protection from that monstrosity. Besides, you can't exactly help build a boat if you're struggling just to stay sane, can you?"
Sunny exhaled sharply, his grip tightening. "…No. I can't."
He looked between Maya and Cade, his expression uncertain. "Are you really sure? Isn't this a little… too good to just give away?"
Wait till you find out this guy has a Corrupted weapon of the same Tier… Maya thought, amused. Aloud, she simply shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Maybe if we see each other again, you can give it back to me. For now, your need for it is much greater than ours."
Sunny hesitated, then nodded. Sparks of light flickered in the air as the Crown of Stillness materialized. Thorn-lined vines and dark branches wove together, forming a circlet atop his head. The moment it settled, his shoulders eased, tension draining from his posture.
"…Th—thank you," he muttered, almost reluctantly.
"You're welcome," Maya said. "Now, wrap your shadow around it, and let's go. We can't waste any more time."
Sunny raised an eyebrow. "Wait—you two are coming with me? What if the girls see you? I thought you didn't want that."
"Not Cade. Just me," Maya clarified. "As soon as the boat is built, you'll talk to Cassie, and I'll use my Echo's ability. Hopefully, that'll be enough. In the meantime, I'll signal Cade and he will join me there. Then, you'll leave immediately. If all goes well, we'll be right behind you."
"Right behind us?" Sunny repeated, eyes narrowing. "You already have a boat?"
"No, but my Echo can swim too," Maya said, indifferent.
Sunny's eyes widened. "Then why the hell are we building a boat? Let's just ride your Echo!"
Maya shook her head. "No, we can't. While I don't doubt it could carry five people, it's too risky. If we're attacked, we all die. Besides, the Echo is louder. We'd be more likely to draw the attention of the depth dwellers. Who knows? Maybe your own journey to the Castle will be uneventful."
Sunny stared at her, then at Cade, his expression shifting from surprise to outright disbelief. "Are you insane?! Why the hell would you want to be noticed by those horrors?"
Cade chuckled. "Of course, we don't want to be noticed. But if we are, we've got a better chance of surviving than you three. We have experience. So, don't worry about us."
"Worry?" Sunny scoffed, almost embarrassed. "Who's worried? Honestly, you two dying would be pretty convenient for me. You know too much."
Cade smirked. "Alright, alright, we get it. Now, go. We've already wasted almost an hour."
Sunny huffed and turned to Maya. She gave him a curt nod before summoning the Mawshade. A shimmer of frost coalesced into the massive ice-clad serpent, its sleek form rising before them.
Sunny raised an eyebrow. "Why i—"
"Some other time," Maya cut him off. "Get on."
Sunny didn't retort. He simply nodded and climbed onto the massive Echo. Maya moved to follow, but just as she was about to pull herself up, a hand on her shoulder stopped her.
She turned, brows knitting together. "What's wrong?"
"Uh, no. Nothing's wrong," Cade said, a little awkwardly. "I just... we should talk. Y'know, later."
Maya narrowed her eyes. Talk? About what?
She studied his face for a moment, then gave a slow nod. "Alright."
Cade returned the nod— shallow, almost hesitant— before letting go.
Without another word, Maya climbed onto the Echo and ordered it forward.