Shadow Slave: Immortal Ice

Inside Eirwen's Soul Sea

Eirwen stood amidst the black, almost violet, and barely visible flames. The bright white star still hung in the sky, illuminating the upper half of his vision. His feet were soaked in a thin layer of water.

But Eirwen's attention was fixed on something entirely different. It was fixed on Leviathan.

"What are you doing?" he asked, arching a brow.

This incredibly strong and horrifying person was comfortably resting on a beach stool, gazing up at the radiant sun with his arms crossed. 'Where did he get a beach stool from...'

Leviathan glanced over his shoulder toward Eirwen expressionlessly. 'Why is he wearing sunglasses too now…'

But then his voice suddenly echoed, but it came from behind Eirwen now.

"I was waiting for you." He said 

In the blink of an eye, Leviathan vanished from his previous spot -as if he had never been there- and reappeared behind Eirwen, the sunglasses and beach stool gone.

Eirwen immediately spun around, his tone leaked irritation. "You know I have a ton of damn questions? You said you'd answer them after I finished the Trial."

Leviathan looked down at Eirwen, tilting his head slightly to the side. "I said that? Either way, child, alas, I can't answer everything. But I'll answer whatever I can."

"Whatever," Eirwen mumbled, rolling his eyes. "First of all, why do I have two Cores?"

His answer was rather simple, "Just pretend you only possess the Cursed Core." 

"You needed the Sacred one to avoid corruption and turning into a Nightmare Creature," Leviathan explained further in his deep, echoing voice.

Eirwen paused, thinking for a moment. "But why can I evolve the Sacred Core too? Wouldn't evolving both Cores make me stronger? So why ignore it?"

Leviathan shook his head. "You cannot choose to evolve both, child; you must decide on one." He tapped the center of his chest with a long, black nail. "The Cursed Core is something I gave you, torn directly from myself. It holds more potential than you can imagine."

Eirwen nodded in response, but then he had another question, one he actually had for quite a while, "But what do you want from me? I know you haven't been assisting me out of charity."

Leviathan chuckled. "Obviously. But that's something I'll reveal after I've answered all your questions."

"Sure," Eirwen replied with a shrug before continuing his line of questioning. "If you gave me the Cursed Core, then where did the Sacred one come from? Is that the regular Core that everyone gets after completing the first Nightmare?"

Leviathan shook his head again, silently telling Eirwen to move on. 'He is hiding something. Of course he is, he is a demon!' Eirwen cursed internally.

"Why did I receive your and Abaddon's Soul at the end of the Nightmare? And who is Kazadiel? Why did I gain his trust, and what does that even mean?" Eirwen shot off his questions one after another. He didn't question who the Serpent of the Sea was though, he already understood that. It was Leviathan himself. The Nightmare Spell itself called him that when it was praising him.

"To escape that weird trap They set up for me, I had to somehow merge with you and escape the Nightmare Trial. As for who Abaddon is, don't worry about that too much -it's just another extension of me," He chuckled at the last part, as if recalling something amusing.

"And who is Kazadiel?" Eirwen arched a brow, thinking, 'Why did he ignore that question?'

"No one of importance, child. Do not worry," Leviathan replied, his long fingers interlocking as he stood there, looking down at Eirwen with an air of mysterious authority. Even without the suffocating pressure, it was still difficult to exist near him.

Eirwen didn't press further, knowing he wouldn't be able to pry the answers out of him anyway. And he simply didn't wish to annoy him.

"What about the whole Deal thing? How did you just... integrate that into the Nightmare Spell?" Eirwen asked, his curiosity now real. For humans, the Spell was something akin to a god at this point. There were even various cults that worshipped it as a true deity.

Leviathan glanced back at the burning Star. "I don't think you can fully understand it, but to simplify, I simply willed my thoughts into existence through the Spell."

Eirwen stared up at him in confusion. 'So he just used it to transmit his thoughts? No, it wasn't that simple. He probably used the Spell as a medium to influence the Trial itself with his own powers. That would explain why he used the Spell and only truly appeared once, when I promised to let him out of the Trial. Am I overthinking this again'

"No, you aren't overthinking. You were on the right path, child," Leviathan clapped his hands gently akin to an aristocrat, startling Eirwen since he has read his thoughts just now. "I indeed used the Spell to will my thoughts into reality. And my thoughts are a part of my power. Of course there is much more to it though."

Before Eirwen could ask another question, Leviathan raised a long finger, stopping him. "Enough questions. Let me explain what I need from you now."

"I'd love to say it's not difficult, but unfortunately, it's something quite challenging. However, with me by your side, it should be relatively achievable," Leviathan said as he began to circle around Eirwen. He would think he was simply floating if not for the sound of Leviathan's steps on the thin layer of water.

"What I need from you is to grow stronger. To do that, you'll need to go to Cocytus, and then to Judecca. On your winter solstice, I'll transport you and any other dreamers you choose to Cocytus," Leviathan explained, dumping a wave of information on Eirwen, making his head throb. "There, you must first awaken. Surviving won't be easy, but don't worry, I'll be helping you, child."

Eirwen sighed and crossed his arms. "Doesn't the Spell choose randomly where to transport me on the winter solstice? And why would I need other Dreamers with me? If it's supposed to be so difficult for me, how will they manage?"

Leviathan chuckled, his voice echoing through the space. "You think highly of yourself, don't you, child? But you will indeed need others. Don't worry, there are a few Dreamers you're destined to meet who will be of some help. And as for how I'll transfer you there, don't concern yourself. For now, your only goal is to awaken and grow stronger."

Eirwen arched a brow but decided to move on to his next question. "And aren't you going to explain anything about these weird places I am supposed to visit?"

The tall figure stared at Eirwen in confusion for a moment before sighing and gently stroking the air with his hand.

In an instant, two thick books materialized in the air above Eirwen's hands. "Read through these," Leviathan said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "I can't guarantee you won't catch aflame from all the blasphemy in them, though."

Though Leviathan's beautifully scary face remained mostly expressionless, there was a clear hint of sarcasm in his words now and then. Somehow he was charming and terrifying at the same time.

"And now, out with you," Leviathan said, waving his hand dismissively and shooing Eirwen out. "Oh, and by the way, I woke up your girl from her Nightmare. She should be quite the strong Dreamer now."

Eirwen raised an eyebrow, but before he could retort, he was forced out of his Soul Sea once more.

He looked ahead, his brows furrowing as he found himself back in his bathroom, clad in a white bathrobe. "He has to stop kicking me out of my own damn Soul!"

---

After tossing the two books onto his table -nearly crushing the table in process-, Eirwen changed into lighter clothes and made his way down to the main hall.

As he descended the stairs, his mind replayed everything Leviathan had told him. 'I'd be lying if I said I understood it all. But in the end, it seems I just need to awaken and focus on evolving my Cursed Core. Doesn't sound too difficult... except that it is.'

His gaze was distant as he descended the stairs, his bare feet still cold against the floor. 'I've never heard of that Region, Cocytus and Judecca. Is it something unexplored, or is it being kept hidden by the higher-ups? And on top of that, I need to choose Dreamers to accompany me? Wait... No, I'm destined to meet them. It's unavoidable, no matter what I do or who I choose.'

"Eirwen!" A scream suddenly interrupted his train of thought. It was Gale, his voice echoing through the main hall.

Eirwen acknowledged him with a nod, continuing his steps toward the doors leading to the garden.

"Andromeda just woke up," Gale added.

'I completely forgot about her! Leviathan even said he woke her up,' Eirwen nearly face palmed in realization, his eyes wide.

"Where is she?" he asked impatiently, changing the direction of his steps and walking towards Gale instead.

His mentor spoke in an excited, loud tone, "In her room. She needs some time to process everything, but overall, she looks alright-" He moved to Eirwen's side and chuckled, elbowing him playfully. "-and prettier."

Eirwen rolled his eyes and made his way toward her room. It wasn't far from his. After all, Andromeda had originally been his personal maid.

But after seeing how close Eirwen and Andromeda became in their childhood, his mother decided to simply let her remain as her son's friend.

Despite Eirwen's popularity with everyone -thanks to his charisma and looks- he never sought out any real and lasting friends. As a child, he would always say, "Why? I have Andromeda. She's the best friend I could wish for. She always does what I tell her to."

---

The door to Andromedas room flew open as Eirwen barged in, Gale following him, "Good morning!"

Andromeda leapt up from her bed, startled like a cat, her eyes wide with surprise. But within a second, she regained her composure, calming down.

Normally, her face was devoid of emotion -almost doll-like-but now a clear smile curled on her lips as she looked up at Eirwen. "Afternoon, I must correct you."

Eirwen rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he said, taking a few steps before sitting down on the bed next to her. "Congrats on completing the Trial too."

Silence hung for a moment before being interrupted by Gale's booming voice. "Alright, lovebirds!" He clapped his hands. "Hop hop, get up! Your awesome teacher really wants to know what exactly happened. I also really wanna know what kind of trouble-filled powers you two received, but that can wait."