Some of the Dreamers of the Dark City, like Gunlaug, had gone missing more than twenty years ago. The people whom they had known were now gone or unfamiliar... some were welcomed back, some found their old homes empty and destroyed.
Like Caster — the heir of the Han Li clan was back, but the Han Li clan itself did not exist anymore. Seeing him again had felt very strange for Sunny, especially because Caster was still a teenager, while Sunny himself was now twenty-nine.
The only thing stranger was to see Harper, the young man whom Sunny had killed once, get reunited with his family.
Cassie said that she had chosen to bring the Dreamers of the Dark City back because of their potential, but from what Sunny knew, Harper — and a few others like him — were not in a hurry to realize that potential. In fact, they never wanted to experience anything like the violence and bloodshed they had experienced on the Forgotten Shore ever again.
Most of the former Dreamers, though, were quite motivated.
They had scattered in every direction, quickly making names for themselves. Gunlaug was in the Stormsea now, helping the River People build floating cities. Caster was retained by a Legacy Clan ruling one of the Citadel Cities in the basin of the River of Tears. Gemma and Kido were in Ravenheart, the latter working under Saint Bliss to hasten the agricultural development of the Dream Realm.
Dozens of the former Handmaidens joined Seishan and their sisters in Ravenheart, as well. More than a few of the people Cassie had brought back to life stayed behind to serve as her personal assistants...
But most of them joined the Fire Keepers. It was ironic, really. The original Fire Keepers — those of them who had survived Godgrave — were all gone now, having split into six cohorts to challenge six Nightmare Seeds and become Saints. The Awakened who had been recruited by the Fire Keepers after the war, meanwhile, had all forgotten becoming members of Changing Star's personal guard.
So, the veterans of the Forgotten Shore Cassie had manifested were like the second generation of the Fire Keepers, taking the place of their former comrades while the first generation was away.
Sunny gave Stev a long look.
...None of them was as crazy as this guy, though, who had gone right back to the Forgotten Shore and was now a member of the Shadow Clan, working under Aiko in the Dark Castle.
Sunny shook his head.
‘What a lunatic!"
Why was he constantly surrounded by crazy people?
“Well, anyway. What do you want, Aiko? I was very busy, you know!"
Busy destroying Revel's supply of junk food...
Aiko stared at Sunny for a long while, making him feel unnerved.
And then...
He suddenly found himself in a tight embrace.
“I love you, boss!"
Sunny's blood turned cold.
His hair stood on end.
‘W-what...'
"W—what?! What are you planning?!"
He looked down, and at the exact same moment, Aiko looked up, gracing him with a brilliant smile.
"I really do! Today is the Remembrance Day, is it not? So I just wanted to thank you!"
Frozen by fear, Sunny nodded slowly.
"Yes! It is! So what?"
Was he seeing things, or were her eyes glistening with tears?
No, they really were!
Aiko's voice trembled.
“What do you mean, so what? Boss... do you know how beautiful it is, to be the only person who remembers every scientific advancement, societal trend, and business development that has happened since the Godgrave War — while all your competitors don't?"
She hugged him tighter and beamed.
"Forget war profiteering, boss! Forget colonialism!"
Aiko let out a dreamy sigh.
"Insider trading! That's the way..."