Shadow Slave

Sunny stumbled and looked at his companions in utter shock.

Nephis and Cassie were each holding a large, round, glistening fruit. The skin of these fruits was smooth and black as onyx, while the succulent insides were red as ruby. Their hands, chins and lips were smeared with red juice, making it look as though they were feasting on blood.

The air was filled with an alluring, sweet aroma.

Sunny recoiled...

But his stomach involuntarily growled, reminding him how hungry he was.

Nephis looked at Sunny and offered him a relaxed smile.

"Hey."

He stared at her, lost for words. Finally, after a few seconds had passed, Sunny collected himself and screamed:

"What do you mean "hey"?! What the hell are you doing?!"

His voice was loud, full of disbelief and anger.

Both Neph and Cassie turned to face him. They were visibly confused.

"Why are you shouting?"

Sunny gaped at them, feeling like he had lost his mind. Why were they so nonchalant about this? What was going on here?!

Trying to find some sense in the situation, he took a cautious step forward and looked at Nephis. Did she… wait… what was he thinking about?

He was so hungry. It was hard to concentrate on anything except for food…

Shaking off the unexpected memory lapse, Sunny remembered what he was about to say and pressed:

"Why did you change your mind?"

Changing Star frowned.

"Changed my mind? About what?"

He clenched his teeth, thinking that she was trying to fool him.

"About the fruits! I thought we had agreed to avoid eating them!"

Nephis blinked, a confused expression appearing on her face.

"Did we? ...Why?"

Sunny opened his mouth to answer, but then froze.

Actually, why did they make that agreement?

can't

a reason, but his memory was completely blank. There definitely was an

imagine the whole thing? There really was no reason not to eat the alluring fruits. Especially when the

that's

"Are you alright, Sunny?"

with concern. Suddenly, Sunny felt lost and confused. What were they talking about? Something… something about

What agreement?

knowing how to answer, he just stood there

embarrassing. Did I completely space out while she was talking

She always knew how to

because we started eating without

and noticed the big, delicious fruit in her hands. His

'So hungry…'

"Uh… I guess?"

the ground, where another fruit was placed on the pile of fallen leaves. Her teeth were

three of them,

'How nice of her…'

picked up the fruit, looked at it, and took a bite

his mouth was filled with delightful, cool sweetness. The succulent, juicy fruit was probably the most delicious thing he had ever tasted. It was both nourishing and refreshing, with rich texture and soft, lingering aftertaste. The ruby flesh practically melted on his tongue,

'Wow!'

disturbed for some reason. Something

bite, he frowned and tried to understand the source of this anxious feeling. It was hard to think about anything except for how heavenly the fruit of the Soul

Tree? Since when... wait,

reached out to pick up the fruit, the shadow did not copy his

was motionless, refusing to mimic him eating

What is it

looked at the shadow, lost

If it didn't like the fruit, there had

feeling a sense of dread

something

is it so hard to think about this

was something wrong with the

at Nephis? She broke an agreement… what

remembering something very important. He felt as though he just needed to pull on the thread, and the whole

was going to happen if he

then, Sunny got

something that required his full

he somehow forgot all about the

Spell was talking into his

[Your shadow grows stronger.]

'Wh—what?'

the delicious fruit in his hands. The Spell announced the increase in his power right after Sunny swallowed his third

his head and looked

staring at her fruit with a strange expression on her face. Feeling his gaze, she looked

Sunny licked his lips.

"Did you…"