Shadow Slave

After that statement, the room was silent for a while. Sunny frowned, thinking about what he had just heard.

He wasn't really surprised to learn that Mordret was a scion of the great clan Valor. He had already known that there was some connection there… he had also considered that one possible explanation for Mordret's strange insistence on calling himself a prince was a blood relation to one of the Sovereign.

Now, it was more or less clear that Anvil of Valor… was the mysterious prince's father.

What made Sunny frown, however, was that Welthe called Mordret the Prince of War. Was that an indication that clan Valor had inherited the lineage of War God, just like the Immortal Flame clan inherited that of Sun God?

If so… what lineages did the other two Great Clans possess?

…And where did it leave him, who was supposed to become the inheritor of Shadow God, but ended up stuck with a forbidden lineage of an elusive daemon instead?

Meanwhile, Cassie spoke, her voice slightly surprised:

"...of Valor?"

Master Welthe sighed again, then nodded.

"Yes. Prince Mordret was… is the eldest son of Saint Anvil, one of the patriarchs of our great clan. As a young child, he was given as a hostage to a… powerful ally. To keep peace and ensure prosperity for all. No harm was meant to come to him. And it didn't… or so we thought. Years later, the prince was returned to us as a valiant Awakened, to our joy and relief."

Pierce's face darkened, and he looked away. Welthe lingered for a few moments, and then continued:

"But our joy was shortlived. Soon, it became apparent that the boy had grown up to be… disturbed. He was cruel, uncaring, and had… certain impulses that couldn't be controlled. The more powerful he became, the less human he seemed. And he was powerful, incredibly so. More powerful than any Awakened was supposed to be."

She looked down, then grimaced.

"In the end, Prince Mordret left the clan and, breaking the command of the elders, sought out a Seed of Nightmare to become a Master. Knowing that he was too dangerous to be allowed to Ascend… or even to walk freely in the waking world… it was with a heavy heart that a decision was made to eliminate him. Monster or not, he was our responsibility, after all."

Sunny rubbed his temples. There was a lot of new information in what they were told… provided it was true, of course. Which he wasn't sure that it was.

Had Mordret really been given away as a "hostage"? Was he really disturbed and dangerous? Maybe he was, and maybe he wasn't… or had not been, at least. Whatever the case, Sunny had no doubt that it had no bearing on Anvil's decision to get rid of his firstborn son. The key phrases in all the noble-sounding words Welthe had spoken were "too powerful" and "couldn't be controlled".

Mordret had probably been forbidden from challenging the Second Nightmare for that very reason… that was why he had come to the Chained Isles alone, seeking a Seed that had not been discovered — and thus, couldn't be guarded — by the forces of the Sovereigns.

Which eventually led to his downfall.

One thing, however, didn't make a lot of sense…

Sunny glanced at the Masters, and then asked doubtfully:

"If that Mordret was so dangerous… why didn't you just kill him? Why go to all this trouble and imprison him, instead?"

After a short pause, it was Pierce who answered, his voice grim:

"...Do you think we haven't tried? His physical body was destroyed… his spirit body, too. But that still didn't kill him. No matter what we attempted, that thing simply refused to die. Many of my comrades did in the process, however. In the end, we could only bind him… and even that was only possible with the help of the Saints."

Sunny stared at the fearsome Master, dumbfounded.

'Both his physical and spirit body destroyed, and yet he still exists… how is that even possible?'

He opened his mouth, then closed it… then opened it again.

"...What is his Aspect, exactly?"

Pierce and Welthe glanced at each other. In the end, the woman spoke:

"It has to do with mirrors, reflections, and souls. Prince Mordret is able to travel through mirrors and control the reflections. His second Ability… his second Ability, though, is much more terrifying. If one looks at him through any form of a mirror, their soul will be devoured, and their body will become his. By taking a vessel, the prince inherits their Memories, Echoes… and even their Aspect. But also their Flaw — similar to the being you have encountered on the Reckoning Island, which was one of his creations."

She fell silent for a few moments, and absentmindedly touched the amulet in the shape of an anvil hanging around her neck.

"...Pierce and I are immune to his powers. The rest of our soldiers, though, are not so fortunate. He had been taking one after another, using their bodies to kill the rest. The latest vessel of his was especially dangerous, since it possessed an Aspect that allowed him to create puppets out of… out of the dead bodies of our brothers and sisters. We managed to destroy the vessel, but the prince himself got away… just like before. We weren't able to use the binding and imprison him again."

Sunny tilted his head a little.

…Now, finally, a lot of things had become clear. Why Mordret had been imprisoned, why the Night Temple was closed off to strangers, and why only the Echoes and the Lost were allowed to guard the prisoner — the former did not possess souls and couldn't be taken, while the latter could not return to the waking world even if the prince somehow escaped and took them as a vessel.

Back in the waking world, catching him would be all but impossible, so…

Suddenly, Sunny shivered.

Noticing his expression, Pierce grinned darkly.

"I see you finally understand. Yes… don't think that you can reason with that beast or make use of the fact that his hatred is aimed at clan Valor, and not you. Currently, there are only four people in this Citadel whose bodies can allow him to eventually return to the waking world. Welthe and I cannot be taken, and neither can Lady Cassia, due to her blindness. Which leaves…"

Master Pierce stared at him with his cold, dangerous eyes.

Sunny cursed.

"...only you."