At the edge of the Voiceless region, where the sun never set and darkness never came, a man sat meditating on a hilltop bathed in endless light.

His bare, muscular chest glistened with sweat. His long dark hair swept back. Eyes closed, breathing shallow, utterly alone.

This was the Eyes of the Night, Liam.

As a servant of Destruction, sunlight was his bane, eternal sunlight, worse still. He'd forsaken everything, his purpose and his friends, to forge himself into something inhuman, strong enough to face his enemy. If he could endure this sun, he could face anything.

Even while deep in meditation, he muttered softly: "Until we meet again, Halo."

The journey would be grueling, he might lose his skin's pigment entirely, but with a Flaw like Anxious, he could only proceed carefully and hope nothing unexpected happened when he finally encountered his Nemesis.

When he finally met HIM.

***

'A burning hatred that never dies, huh?'

Halo shook his head in disbelief. He hadn't received his own Nemesis yet, but the dread he'd seen in those who had wasn't something he was sure he could handle.

Currently, Jihriel acted as though he were about to die. The burning light had dimmed a little, and now they could blink, but not entirely. Sleep still wasn't an option. It was a sign, though, that the next and final sea was nearby.

Even so, Jihriel acted as though he'd gone mad. He smiled weirdly and spoke utter nonsense, repeatedly bragging about how he'd survived this long without using his True Ability.

It was obvious the Ancient Light's overwhelming strength was getting to him, but a few things he said in his daze had Halo thinking.

Jihriel mentioned that he'd been honing his True Ability just for the Ancient Light. His sword could grow up to sixteen feet tall and could erase countless people with just a swing.

Crazy as it was, Jihriel hadn't used his True Ability before, and he'd confirmed that himself. How did he know how much his True Ability had improved if he hadn't used it?

He mentioned something else that brought Halo's mind back to something his sister, Delilah, told him about Jihriel's gift. Jihriel said he had the Voice of the Void and knew everything.

Delilah had said there was once someone known as the Father of Darkness, who could communicate with darkness, and she believed Jihriel must have inherited that gift.

If Jihriel wasn't spitting nonsense, Halo believed he had a fair idea of what made him truly formidable.

But he needed Jihriel to keep bragging. Before that could happen, the light disappeared completely, replaced by a soft lullaby that immediately had them feeling unsettlingly at ease.

Halo blinked in confusion. He could blink now! The entire crew hurried to their feet.

"Yes! I'm free!"

Leto and Brave screamed in perfect unison.

Everyone departed, hurrying to finally sleep. Halo turned to see Jihriel lying on the floor, murmuring.

Before he could get near him, Thor and Hazard closed in on him.

"Wake him up," Hazard said.

Halo watched in confusion as Thor began forcing Jihriel up. Hazard, however, removed his blindfold slightly, not enough for his eyes to be visible.

His expression darkened.

"Shit!"

Halo was startled. He hadn't heard Hazard curse before.

Hazard turned to Halo. "Don't sleep!"

After he spoke, Hazard hurried after the others. Thor forced Jihriel out of the room, and before Halo knew it, he was alone in the training room.

There was a gentle sound in his head that made him feel very calm. At first, he thought it was because they'd left the Light Sea, and his mind was rejoicing.

Pathetic.

As the sound continued, he realized the lullaby was unnervingly alluring. His eyes began to feel heavy, and his body was more relaxed than it should be.

He rose to his feet, trying to fight off the creeping comfort. He still didn't know what was going on, but he knew he couldn't sleep. It had something to do with the seventh sea.

While he stood there pretending there was something in his eyes, his clones took form. He exhaled in relief.

"I thought the light killed you or something."

Light leaned against the wall. Kysa's head snapped in all directions. Saint reached for Halo's hand.

"We were forced to emerge with you. Though we vanished, we saw everything through your eyes."

Light said.

Halo met him with a confused look.

"Huh?"

Saint clutched Halo's hand tightly.

"I heard everything Jihriel said… and I think I have an idea what his True Ability might be."

She frowned.

"He's a monster!"

Dark Saint's words made Halo even more confused. But before Saint could clarify, Kysa interrupted.

"I know the one behind this sea. I thought she was dead. She's always lied to people with sweet dreams and poison underneath."

Halo turned to Kysa, waiting for more information. His eyes were already giving out. He hadn't slept in days.

"The Grand Fairy herself. One of the castle's legends. I kicked her out ages ago. Didn't think she was old enough to pull this off. Tsk. Doesn't matter. I don't sleep, so her lullabies won't do a thing."

Halo nodded in understanding.

He'd heard of the Grand Fairy before. When he lived at the Galactic Castle, he was told she'd been there for only a year and gave people the most beautiful dreams they ever had.

Halo began massaging his forehead, trying to hold back his tears.

He couldn't blink on the Light Sea and couldn't even sleep. His head was already aching like hell, his face partially numb. And now that he could finally blink, he couldn't sleep?

Kysa closed in on Halo and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Go on, kid. Sleep as long as you like. You won't wake up anyway… but at least you'll dream of yourself."

Halo frowned.

"You know if I die, you'd die too, right?"

Though she had no facial features, the painful realization was evident.

"Oh. I nearly forgot… that bitch."

She sneered.

By now, Halo could see them just fine, but the lullaby kept getting sweeter and more calming. He began stretching the fatigue from his body, his eyes dozing off as he couldn't help but embrace the relaxing feeling.

His body grew leaden, and his legs threatened to buckle. But before sleep could claim him, Light casually approached and stood before him. Without hesitation, he kicked Halo right in the balls.

The pain lanced through his entire body, sharp enough to banish all traces of sleep. Even Saint and Kysa hadn't anticipated such brutality from Light.

"Just shut the fuck up and be a man. Do you think I want to die?"

Tears leaked from his eyes. It was brutal, but strangely, he was grateful for it.

"Tsk. I wish I could pay you back somehow."

BANG!

Halo sprang to his feet. Something heavy had crashed into the ship. Sinners?

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