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"Contact a sexy girl💦😰😘Let's 1 on 1!! Chapter 1Bang!The doors to the event room burst open.""Something happened to Lydia!"" a man shouted as he stumbled in, panic all over his face.The words hit like a bomb.The room—decked out in flowers, ribbons, and romantic music, buzzing with excitement over the proposal—instantly went still.The man in the spotlight, still down on one knee, ring in hand, spun around in shock.""What did you just say?""Quade Zimmer, his blue-dyed hair as loud as his voice, blurted, ""Mrs. Lancaster just called—Lydia's been in a car accident! She's at the hospital right now!""The words had barely left his mouth before chaos erupted—chairs scraping, heels clacking, people rushing for the door.It wasn't an exaggeration to say Lydia Wallace was the it girl of their circle—beautiful, talented, fragile in that heartbreaking way that made people want to protect her. Everyone adored her, pitied her, worshipped her.And now that their goddess was hurt?No one had the heart to keep celebrating a proposal everyone already knew the answer to.Even the guy proposing dropped everything and bolted.""Jasper—""The voice that called his name came from behind—soft, barely more than a breath.That was when everyone finally realized: the woman being proposed to hadn't said a single word this whole time.Somebody must've hit the lights in the chaos, because the room dimmed. The only glow came from the soft wall lights.In the corner, half in shadow, half in light, stood Claudia Lancaster. Her beauty wasn't the sweet, gentle kind—it was sharp, striking, unforgettable.But right now, her calm was unnerving. Her expression gave away nothing.""You don't want to hear my answer?"" she asked quietly.Just a minute ago, Jasper Fenton had asked her to marry him.Now, halfway out the door, he froze.He didn't even try to explain. ""Claudia, I'm sorry. I have to go to the hospital. Go home first, okay?""""What if I don't let you go?"" Her voice stayed steady. ""Jasper, you know I hate her.""Jasper sighed, exasperated. ""Claudia, not now. This isn't the time to start a fight.""""My answer… you might only get it once,"" she said, calm as ever.Something about her tone made him pause. Normally, the moment Lydia's name came up, Claudia would explode—snapping, rolling her eyes, cursing Lydia under her breath.But tonight, she was cool, detached. Almost like she'd been expecting this.A flicker of unease crawled up Jasper's spine.""Oh, please,"" Quade cut in, rolling his eyes. ""You've been obsessed with Jasper since, what, middle school? The guy finally proposes and we're supposed to believe you'd say no?""""Yeah, someone might actually be dying. You can get proposed to any other day."" Someone else chimed in.""Exactly! The families arranged this ages ago—this whole thing's just for show.""The comments stung, but Claudia didn't so much as blink. Her dark eyes stayed locked on Jasper. Waiting.Jasper let out another sigh and came back to her. Like always, he ruffled her hair like she was a kid. ""Be good, okay? Don't make a scene. Lydia could be seriously hurt. This isn't the time for a tantrum.""It was always like this. Whenever Lydia was involved, Jasper never asked who was right or wrong.He'd run to comfort Lydia first—and then come back to scold Claudia, soft and patient, like she was a spoiled child who just didn't understand.That was what loving someone from below felt like. No matter how you screamed, your anger was just ""cute."" Never serious.This proposal? It had never been a real question. Jasper already knew what her answer should've been.""Oh, screw this—I can't keep my mouth shut anymore!""Whitney Sawyer slammed her clutch down, fury flashing in her eyes. She'd been holding it in ever since Quade barged in, but enough was enough.""Jasper, are you her boyfriend or her personal EMT? How is it that every time Lydia gets into 'an accident,' she calls you? Always perfectly timed, always ruining your plans. Last time it was a date, now it's your proposal! What, she couldn't hold off dying for five minutes?""As Claudia's best friend, Whitney had spent weeks planning this proposal. And now, once again, Lydia had hijacked it—and Jasper fell right into the trap.Whitney's fury spread like wildfire. ""And the rest of you! What are you running for—visiting her or planning her funeral? At this rate, Lydia should've died a hundred times already!""""Whitney!"" Jasper's face darkened; the gentle, mild-mannered man vanished. His voice snapped like a whip. ""Watch your mouth.""""Oh, spare me."" Whitney's voice rose, sharp and furious. ""You can't stand to hear your precious Lydia criticized? Jasper, do you even remember who your girlfriend is?""Jasper's eyes iced over. Claudia caught Whitney's arm, voice quiet but firm.""If you walk out that door, Jasper, we're done.""Too much time had already been wasted. Jasper pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.""Don't say something you'll regret. Claudia, we'll talk when I get back.""He turned and strode out without another glance.He didn't even know how bad Lydia's injuries were—he just knew he had to go.He told himself, When I get back, I'll make it up to her. I'll give her an even better proposal.He also made a mental note to tell Claudia to stay away from Whitney; clearly that girl was filling her head with nonsense.The room sagged under the weight of it all. Even those who thought Claudia was being dramatic kept their mouths shut. No one wanted to cross Jasper—or the Sawyers.One by one, they slipped away.In minutes, the place was unrecognizable.Crushed rose petals and ribbons littered the floor. Wine bottles rolled under chairs. Frosting smeared across the carpet. The whole scene looked like a parody of what it had been—mocking the ridiculousness of it all.As the last few lingered, someone frowned. ""Wait—Lydia's the Lancasters' adopted daughter, right? I heard she's Claudia's cousin. Why didn't anyone call Claudia too?""""Call her? What, you want to make Lydia's injuries even worse?""""Whoa, what's that supposed to mean?""""The usual. Miss Lancaster's cold, cruel, ungrateful… you know how it goes.""The whispers started again—soft, poisonous, and familiar. They always did whenever Lydia's name came up next to Claudia's.Whitney's face burned with anger. She turned to Claudia, suddenly worried.Strangers' gossip didn't matter—but betrayal from someone you love? That always hit deeper.Claudia watched Jasper's back as he walked away, each step pulling him further from her. It felt like watching the years slip through her fingers—the boy she'd grown up with fading out of reach.Whitney had asked her once: If nothing had interrupted tonight, would you have said yes?But honestly?No matter what her answer was, the ending would've been the same. Lydia would never let her win.And Jasper would never choose her.The moment he turned his back, he didn't realize—while the future might feel endless, the woman willing to wait for you doesn't last forever.Jasper… this time, I'm really letting go.On the table amid the mess, Claudia's phone buzzed. A WhatsApp notification popped up, short and smug.""You lost.""Chapter 2Three days earlier, Lydia had cornered Claudia.""You know Jasper's about to propose, don't you?""Her pretty eyes sparkled—not with excitement, but with jealousy and malice.""I heard both families wanted to skip straight to the engagement party, but he insisted on doing it right. Said he needed to hear your 'yes' himself, or it wouldn't mean a thing. Aww, how romantic, isn't it?""""So what?"" Claudia looked up, her tone flat, unbothered.Lydia's smile curved, sharp and poisonous. ""So what? Claudia, what makes a sinner like you think you deserve happiness?""She leaned closer, voice sugary-sweet but dripping venom. ""Wanna bet? In three days, that proposal won't even happen.""Claudia just stared at her. To everyone else, Lydia was pure perfection—soft-spoken, gentle, all grace and light. No one would clung to the rocks. Here and there, weathered paved stones could be seen through the snow. To the right side of the road, a sheer cliff face rose as an impregnable wall. To the left, a silent black sea of nothingness indicated an endless fall. Strong winds crashed into the mountain over and over again, screaming in powerless rage. Suddenly, the moon fell over the horizon. The sun rose from the west, streaked across the sky and disappeared in the east. Snowflakes jumped from the ground and returned into the embrace of clouds. Sunny realized that he was seeing the flow of time in reverse. In an instant, hundreds of years flew by. The snow retreated, baring the old road. Cold shivers ran down Sunny's back as he noticed human bones littering the ground. A moment later, the bones were gone, and in their place, a slave caravan appeared, moving backwards down the mountain in the clamor of chains. Time slowed, stopped, and then resumed its usual pace. [Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell. Prepare for your First Trial…] 'What… what the hell is this?' Step. Step. Another step. .me A dull ache was radiating through Sunny's bleeding feet as he was shivering from cold. His threadbare tunic was nearly useless against the biting wind. His wrists were the main source of agony: badly hurt by the iron shackles, they sent a sharp pang of pain every time the freezing metal touched his broken skin. 'What kind of a situation is this?!' Sunny looked up and down, noticing a long chain winding up the road, with dozens and dozens of hollow-eyed people — slaves just like him — shackled to it at small intervals. Ahead of him, a man with broad shoulders and a bloodied back was walking with a measured gait. Behind him, a shifty-looking guy with quick, desperate eyes was quietly cursing under his breath in a language that Sunny did not know, but somehow still understood. From time to time, armed horsemen in ancient-style armor would pass by, giving the slaves menacing looks. However you judged it, things were really bad. Sunny was more bewildered than panicked. True, these circumstances were not like what the First Nightmares were supposed to be. Usually, freshly chosen aspirants would find themselves in a scenario that presented them with a fair amount of agency: they would become members of privileged or warrior casts, with plenty of access to necessary weapons to at least try to tackle any conflict. Starting out as a powerless slave, shackled and already half-dead, was as far from being ideal as one could imagine. However, the Spell was as much about challenge as it was about balance. As the old policeman said, it created trials, not executions. So Sunny was pretty sure that, to counter this abysmal start, it would reward him with something good. A powerful Aspect, at least. 'Let's see… how do I do this?' Remembering popular webtoons he read as a child, Sunny concentrated and thought about words like ""status"", ""myself"" and ""information"". Indeed, as soon as he focused, shimmering runes appeared in the air in front of him. Once again, although he did not know this ancient alphabet, the meaning behind it was somehow clear. He quickly found the rune describing his Aspect… and, finally, lost his composure. 'What?! What the actual fuck?!' *** Name: Sunless. True Name: — Rank: Aspirant. Soul Core: Dormant. Memories: — Echoes: — Attributes: [Fated], [Mark of Divinity], [Child of Shadows]. Aspect: [Temple Slave]. Aspect Description: [Slave is a useless wretch with no skills or abilities worth a mention. A temple slave is just the same, except much rarer.] Speechless, Sunny stared at the runes, trying to convince himself that he was maybe just seeing things. Surely, he couldn't be that unlucky… right? 'No useless Aspects my ass!' As soon as this thought appeared in his mind, he lost the rhythm of his steps and stumbled, pulling the chain down with his weight. Immediately, the shifty guy behind him screamed: ""Whore's bastard! Watch where you're going!"" Sunny hurriedly dismissed the runes, which were only visible to him, and tried to recover his balance. A moment later, he was once again walking steadily — however, not before inadvertently pulling on the chain one more time. ""You little shit! I'm going to kill you!"" The broad-shouldered man in front of Sunny chuckled without turning his head. ""Why bother? The weakling will be dead by sunrise anyway. The mountain will kill him."" A few seconds later, he added: ""It'll kill you and me, too. Just a bit later. I really don't know what the Imperials are thinking, forcing us into this cold."" The shifty guy gasped. ""Speak for yourself, fool! I'm planning to survive!"" Sunny silently shook his head and concentrated on not falling again. 'What a charming pair.' Suddeere further back. This one sounded gentle and intelligent. ""This mountain pass is usually much warmer this time of year. We just had really bad luck. Also, I would advise you against harming this boy."" ""Why is that?"" Sunny turned his head slightly, listening. ""Haven't you seen the markings on his skin? He is not like us, who fell into slavery due to debts, crimes or misfortune. He was born a slave. A temple slave, to be precise. Not long ago, the Imperials destroyed the last temple of the Shadow God. I suspect that this is how the boy ended up here."" The broad-shouldered man cast a look back. ""So what? Why should we be afraid of a half-forgotten, weakling god? He couldn't even save his own temples."" ""The Empire is protected by the mighty War God. Of course they're not afraid to burn down a few temples. But we here are not protected by anything or anyone. Do you really want to risk angering a god?"" The broad-shouldered man grunted, not willing to answer. Their conversation was stopped by a young soldier riding a beautiful, white horse. Clad in a simple leather cuirass, armed with a spear and a short sword, he looked dignified and noble. To Sunny's irritation, the asshole was really pretty, too. If this was a historical drama, the soldier would definitely be a male lead. ""What is going on here?"" There was no particular menace in his voice, even something resembling concern. When everyone hesitated, the gentle-voiced slave answered: ""It's nothing, sir. We are just all tired and cold. Especially our young friend over there. This journey is truly too hard for someone that young."" The soldier looked at Sunny with pity. 'What are you looking at? You're not much older than me!' Sunny thought. Of course, he didn't say anything out loud. The soldier sighed and took a flask from his belt before extending it to Sunny. ""Bear with it a little more, child. We will stop for the night soon. For now, here, drink some water."" 'Child? Child?!' Due to his thin body and small stature, both caused by malnourishment, Sunny was often mistaken for someone younger. Usually, he didn't hesitate to use it to his advantage, but now, for some reason, being called a child really irked him. Still, he was really thirsty. He was just about to take the flask when a whip cracked in the air, and suddenly Sunny was in a world of pain. He stumbled, once again pulling on the chain and causing the shifty slave behind him to curse. Another soldier, this one older and angrier, stopped his horse a few steps back. The whip that sliced the back of Sunny's tunic open and drew blood belonged to him. Without even glancing at the slaves, the older soldier pierced his younger colleague with a disdainful glare. ""What do you think you're doing?"" The young soldier's face darkened. ""I was just giving this boy some water."" ""He'll receive water with the rest of them once we camp!"" ""But…"" ""Shut your mouth! These slaves are not your friends. Understood? They're not even people. Treat them like people and they'll begin imagining things."" The young soldier looked at Sunny, then lowered his head and put the flask back on his belt. ""Don't let me catch you making friends with slaves again, newbie. Or next time it will be your back tasting my whip!"" As if to illustrate his intention, the older soldier cracked his whip in the air and rode past them, radiating threat and anger. Sunny watched him go with well-concealed malice. 'I don't know how, but I will watch you die first.' Then he turned his head and glanced in the direction of the younger soldier, who was falling behind with his head still lowered. 'And you, second.' Chapter 3 The Strings Of Fate For a few minutes after that, Sunny was in a dark mood. But then he pulled himself out of it and inhaled deeply, trying to enjoy the fresh air. Indeed, air like that was hard to come by in the real world: micro dust and other pollutants made it rough and unpleasant, not to mention the general stench of the outskirts. In the better parts of the city, sophisticated filtration systems worked diligently — however, filtrated air tasted sterile and stagnant. Only the very rich had access to truly pleasant breathing. And here he was, able to enjoy an unlimited amount of pristine, delicious air like a second-generation chaebol. 'Truly, being chosen by the Spell has its benefits.' If only there was no dreadful cold, his feet did not ache, and his wrists and back were not in agony! The slave caravan slowly dragged itself up the mountain, with more and more slaves stumbling and periodically falling to the ground. A couple of times, those who could not walk anymore were taken off the chain and unceremoniously tossed off the road, down into the abyss that loomed to the left of it. Sunny watched them fall with a bit of compassion. 'Poor fellows. Rest in peace, you pitiful souls.' All in all, he was in good spirits. It was a bit strange to feel good amidst this disaster of a Nightmare, but, thankfully, Sunny had time to prepare himself for this eventuality. When the symptoms of the Spell first appeared, he did not handle it well. Dying before you even turn seventeen was not something one could easily cope with. But, in the end, it only took Sunny several days to come to terms with it. After visiting his parents' makeshift resting place — well, actually, since he was too poor to afford even the cheapest slot in the remembrance facility, it was just two lines carved into an old tree — and adding a third line for himself, Sunny suddenly became relaxed and carefree. .me After all, he didn't have to worry about earning money, finding food, protecting himself and planning for the future anymore. Once the worst that could happen had already happened, what else was there to fear? So, becoming a slave and slowly freezing to death was not that much of a shock. Besides, he knew that cold would not kill him — simply because he had already seen what fate was awaiting the caravan further up the mountain. The picture of piled bones littering the ground was still fresh in his mind. Most likely, it was a pack of monsters that were going to do the caravan in… and by the look of it, the attack was going to take place in a matter of hours, not days. So he still had a chance. Using the opportunity, Sunny decided to take another look at his status and summoned the runes again. The last time he was too outraged by the Aspect and didn't study the Attributes well. While not as important as one's Aspect, the Attributes were often the deciding factor between life and death. They represented one's natural traits and affinities, sometimes even providing passive abilities and effects. [Fated] Attribute Description: ""The strings of fate wrap tightly around you. Unlikely events, both good and bad, are drawn by your presence. There are those who are blessed, and there are those who are cursed… but rarely both."" [Mark of Divinity] Attribute Description: ""You bear a faint scent of divinity, as though someone briefly touched by it once, a long time ago."" [Child of Shadows] Attribute Description: ""Shadows recognize you as one of their own."" 'Hmmm… Interesting.' Sunny quickly recognized the first attribute, [Fated], as the main culprit of his predicament. At first glance, it seemed to indicate that he was destined for a certain fate — to die miserably and vanish without a trace, for example. But after reading the description, he realized that being fated actually jnfire was blazing. The stronger slaves tried to find their way closer to the fire, while the weaker ones, like Sunny, were forced to sit at the outer end of the circle, with their backs freezing in the cold. Of course, any movement was encumbered by the fact that they were still shackled to the chain. That's why the familiar broad-shouldered slave ended up just beside him. ""Damn Imperials!"" he hissed, clearly irritated. The soldiers walked among the slaves, giving them water and food. Sunny, just like everybody else, received a few sips of icy water and a small piece of rock-hard, moldy bread. Despite its unappetizing look, he forced himself to eat the whole thing, just to be left as hungry as he was before. By the looks of it, he wasn't the only one. The shifty slave that had been walking behind him looked around in anguish. ""By all the gods, they used to feed me better even in the dungeons!"" He spat on the ground, desperate. ""And most of us innocent men in the dungeon were there waiting to visit the gallows, too!"" A few steps away from them, where the paved road ended and sharp rocks began, a scattering of bright-red berries were growing from the snow. Sunny had noticed them before, clustering here and there along the road, and even noted how pretty those resilient things looked contrasted against the white. The shifty slave's eyes glistened as he tried to crawl towards the berries on all fours. ""I would advise against eating those, friend."" It was the gentle-voiced slave again. Sunny turned around and finally saw him in the flesh for the first time. It was a tall man in his forties, lean and strangely handsome, with a dignified look of a scholar. How a man such as him ended up a slave was a mystery. Yet there he was. ""You and your advice again! What?! Why?!"" The scholar smiled apologetically. ""These berries are called Bloodbane. They grow in the places where human blood was spilled. That's why there's always a lot of them along the slave trade routes."" ""So what?"" The older man sighed. ""Bloodbane is poisonous. A few berries might be enough to kill an adult man."" ""Curses!"" The shifty slave flinched back and glared at the scholar. Sunny did not pay them a lot of attention. Because, while looking around, he finally recognized the site of the camp as the place where, in his vision at the start of the Nightmare, the bones of the slaves were buried under the snow. And he was willing to bet that whatever it was that killed them all was going to happen soon. As if to answer his thoughts, a thundering noise rang from above. And in the next second, something massive came crashing from the sky… ou pitiful souls.' All in all, he was in good spirits. It was a bit strange to feel good amidst this disaster of a Nightmare, but, thankfully, Sunny had time to prepare himself for this eventuality. When the symptoms of the Spell first appeared, he did not handle it well. Dying before you even turn seventeen was not something one could easily cope with. But, in the end, it only took Sunny several days to come to terms with it. After visiting his parents' makeshift resting place — well, actually, since he was too poor to afford even the cheapest slot in the remembrance facility, it was just two lines carved into an old tree — and adding a third line for himself, Sunny suddenly became relaxed and carefree. .me After all, he didn't have to worry about earning money, finding food, protecting himself and planning for the future anymore. Once the worst that could happen had already happened, what else was there to fear? So, becoming a slave and slowly freezing to death was not that much of a shock. Besides, he knew that cold would not kill him — simply because he had already seen what fate was awaiting the caravan further up the mountain. The picture of piled bones littering the ground was still fresh in his mind. Most likely, it was a pack of monsters that were going to do the caravan in… and by the look of it, the attack was going to take place in a matter of hours, not days. So he still had a chance. Using the opportunity, Sunny decided to take another look at his status and summoned the runes again. The last time he was too outraged by the Aspect and didn't study the Attributes well. While not as important as one's Aspect, the Attributes were often the deciding factor between life and death. They represented one's natural traits and affinities, sometimes even providing passive abilities and effects. [Fated] Attribute Description: ""The strings of fate wrap tightly around you. Unlikely events, both good and bad, are drawn by your presence. There are those who are blessed, and there are those who are cursed… but rarely both."" [Mark of Divinity] Attribute Description: ""You bear a faint scent of divinity, as though someone briefly touched by it once, a long time ago."" [Child of Shadows] Attribute Description: ""Shadows recognize you as one of their own."" 'Hmmm… Interesting.' Sunny quickly recognized the first attribute, [Fated], as the main culprit of his predicament. At first glance, it seemed to indicate that he was destined for a certain fate — to die miserably and vanish without a trace, for example. But after reading the description, he realized that being fated actually just meant that improbable things had a higher chance of occurring when he was around. 'I guess this is how I managed to receive one of the super rare useless Aspects — and a weird variant of it, at that!' If [Fated] was his innate Attribute, then the other two came from the [Temple Slave] Aspect. [Mark of Divinity] was more a less straightforward — it was supposed to allow passage into certain sacred places inside the Dream Realm and enhance several types of sorcery. Since there were no sacred places in sight and Sunny's Aspect had nothing to do with sorcery, it was useless, too. [Child of Shadows] was a stranger one. He had never heard of it and had no idea what it was supposed to do — at least not until the sun hid behind the mountain and the sky began to darken. To his surprise, Sunny found himself able to see perfectly in the darkness, as though it was still as bright as day. This ability alone was nothing to scoff at, and it was quite possible that shadows would reward him with some other, yet unknown, gifts. 'Finally something good. I wonder if…' ""Stop the caravan! Prepare to camp!"" Following the head soldier's order, the slaves stopped and fell to the ground, shivering and exhausted. The small clearing where the road widened was somewhat protected from the wind by a protruding mass of rock, but it was still too cold to rest with ease. The soldiers got busy herding the slaves into a tight circle, forcing them to share warmth, and lighting up a large bonfire in the center of the camp — although not before tending to their horses. The heavy wagon carrying food, water and other cargo, to which the main chain was firmly affixed, was pushed forward to block the wind. While looking around, Sunny noticed the young soldier from before watching the mountain with a complicated look on his face. 'What a weirdo.' Soon, the bonfire was blazing. The stronger slaves tried to find their way closer to the fire, while the weaker ones, like Sunny, were forced to sit at the outer end of the circle, with their backs freezing in the cold. Of course, any movement was encumbered by the fact that they were still shackled to the chain. That's why the familiar broad-shouldered slave ended up just beside him. ""Damn Imperials!"" he hissed, clearly irritated. The soldiers walked among the slaves, giving them water and food. Sunny, just like everybody else, received a few sips of icy water and a small piece of rock-hard, moldy bread. Despite its unappetizing look, he forced himself to eat the whole thing, just to be left as hungry as he was before. By the looks of it, he wasn't the only one. The shifty slave that had been walking behind him looked around in anguish. ""By all the gods, they used to feed me better even in the dungeons!"" He spat on the ground, desperate. ""And most of us innocent men in the dungeon were there waiting to visit the gallows, too!"" A few steps away from them, where the paved road ended and sharp rocks began, a scattering of bright-red berries were growing from the snow. Sunny had noticed them before, clustering here and there along the road, and even noted how pretty those resilient things looked contrasted against the white. The shifty slave's eyes glistened as he tried to crawl towards the berries on all fours. ""I would advise against eating those, friend."" It was the gentle-voiced slave again. Sunny turned around and finally saw him in the flesh for the first time. It was a tall man in his forties, lean and strangely handsome, with a dignified look of a scholar. How a man such as him ended up a slave was a mystery. Yet there he was. ""You and your advice again! What?! Why?!"" The scholar smiled apologetically. ""These berries are called Bloodbane. They grow in the places where human blood was spilled. That's why there's always a lot of them along the slave trade routes."" ""So what?"" The older man sighed. ""Bloodbane is poisonous. A few berries might be enough to kill an adult man."" ""Curses!"" The shifty slave flinched back and glared at the scholar. Sunny did not pay them a lot of attention. Because, while looking around, he finally recognized the site of the camp as the place where, in his vision at the start of the Nightmare, the bones of the slaves were buried under the snow. And he was willing to bet that whatever it was that killed them all was going to happen soon. As if to answer his thoughts, a thundering noise rang from above. And in the next second, something massive came crashing from the sky"