Shadow Slave

"Wake up, Sunless! Your nightmare is…"

"Shut the hell up!"

Trying to remain in the blissful embrace of sleep, Sunny hissed through his teeth and stubbornly closed his eyes tighter. He was warm and comfortable under the blanket, on his own bed, where all the problems of the world seemed less serious and dire.

For a moment, there was silence.

'That's better…'

"Wake up, Sunless! Your…"

'Goddammit!'

Thrusting one arm from under the blanket, Sunny summoned one of his Memories. Immediately, a triangular leaf-shaped throwing dagger appeared in his hand, only to be thrown blindly at the source of the irritating voice. Missing its mark, the kunai clinked against the stone wall and fell to the floor.

However, the voice did fall silent.

Sunny sighed. It was already too late. He was awake.

Far in the distance, the waves were starting to crash against the city wall. The night was coming, so it was time to get up.

Opening his eyes, Sunny sat up and looked around.

His room was beautiful and spacious. The stone walls were engraved with intricate patterns, creating an atmosphere of sanctity and elegance. The furniture was made out of pale polished wood, with several mismatched pieces that Sunny had scavenged from different places himself.

room had no windows, however, there were light wells cunningly hidden here and there. Sadly, the ingenious system of mirrors that was supposed to bathe the hidden chamber in sunlight was

one of the features of his secret lair

his best

chase away the last remnants of

'Let's make some breakfast.'

But first things first…

on the invisible string that connected his wrist to the ring-shaped pommel of the kunai. The throwing dagger jumped into the air and landed on his palm. This was a trick that had taken Sunny quite some time to master: in the beginning, he

empty of engravings, he used the kunai to scratch a small line into the stone. All around it, there were dozens and dozens of similar

been four months since Sunny came

happened during

***

a vast, ruined city surrounded by tall walls, with monsters wandering its narrow streets. And in the center of the city,

of them had hoped.

no

hellscape of the Forgotten Shore due to their strength or luck — were stuck there

but laugh out loud. Oh, what a fool he had been. So full of hope and newfound faith in

hysterically, he bent over and slapped his

one, Sunny. What do you think

him with reproach. Its silence only

week of living alone in the city. He was more or less alright after leaving the castle due to that unfortunate falling out with… well,

to stop his intestines from falling out. After finding his way to a secluded ditch and lying there for a few days, too weak to move and simply waiting to die, with not a soul around to

'Good times…'

Anyway, he survived.

from the ruins of a library and glanced at the grey