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.

hidden here and there. Sadly, the ingenious system of mirrors

one of the features of

was his best

face to chase away the last remnants of sleep. His long, dirty hair was getting

'Let's make some breakfast.'

But first things first…

hand, pulling 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

small line into the stone. All around it, there were dozens and dozens of similar lines,

four months since Sunny came to this loathsome, godforsaken

happened during that

***

with monsters wandering its narrow streets. And in the center

castle was full of people. However, they weren't Awakened, as the three of them had hoped. Instead, they were, each and every one of

no Gateway in the

of humans — those who had managed to survive the lethal hellscape of the Forgotten Shore due to their strength or luck — were stuck there with no

castle, Sunny couldn't help but laugh out loud. Oh, what a fool he had been. So full of hope and newfound faith in

bent over

funny! Good one, Sunny. What do you

at him with reproach. Its silence only made Sunny laugh louder. He

around his third week of living alone in the city. He was more or less alright after leaving

his third week, that damn bastard of a knight had almost disemboweled him, leaving Sunny no choice but to crawl away while using his own two hands 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.

that he had scavenged from the ruins