Shadow Slave

In the next ten minutes, the foundations of Sunny's worldview were shaken to the core. Kai had drowned him in a torrent of questions… all of which had nothing to do with anything even remotely important!

What interested the charming Sleeper were very strange things like what types of shoes were in fashion, which celebrity wore what to some pompous award ceremony, who of them had a scandal and what was that scandal about, what was the latest dance craze, and so on.

He was endlessly curious about that type of stupid crap and absolutely indifferent about all of Sunny's dark secrets.

It was almost insulting.

What's worse, Sunny felt like a complete fool because he couldn't provide even a single answer. What did he know about fashion and high culture? Nothing!

After a while, Kai's enthusiasm had waned. Looking at Sunny with a comically disheartened face, he sighed and gently asked one last question:

"Sunny, tell me honestly… were you a hikikomori in the real world as well?"

Sunny blinked.

'What is this fool talking about?'

"A hik… a what?"

Kai cleared his throat and offered him an apologetic smile.

"Ah, you know… a recluse? A shut-in? Someone who lives under a rock?"

Sunny stared at the gorgeous young man, feeling like the world completely stopped making any sense ever since they had met.

"What are you talking about? Why would I live under a rock? You would freeze to death! I lived in a cargo container once, but it had four walls and a roof, at least…"

Kai sighed one more time and turned away.

"I see. Well, sorry to bother you. It's just that I've been stuck in this place for about two and a half years now, and life here is so monotone."

His beautiful profile was radiating melancholy and sadness, as though Kai was lamenting something serious, as opposed to utter rubbish.

'Two and half years… that dimwit survived here for two and a half years?'

Sunny was surprised to hear that. Kai seemed like a nice guy, but not exactly someone well suited for the ruthless nightmare of the Forgotten Shore. Perhaps he had underestimated the charming Sleeper… or perhaps there was another, much simpler reason.

Sunny frowned.

There was a group of people who tended to live here the longest. Suddenly suspicious, he asked in a cold tone:

"Are you a part of Gunlaug's gang?"

looked at

Then, he chortled.

rather die than become one of Gunlaug's minions.

that, he suddenly grew quiet and added after a few seconds in a dejected

time. That is

bit, but then decided that he believed the other Sleeper. He really didn't look like one of Gunlaug's thugs. Besides, if he had been one of them, no sane person would have dared to kidnap and imprison him.

Kai was, indeed, much more capable than Sunny had given him credit

'Interesting.'

that the eerie sobs of the Fallen beast had grown sufficiently distant, he shifted his

dismissed the glass bottle and

safe now.

prepared to take the first step forward.

ask you

Sleeper smiled, honesty and

"Of course!"

of seconds, then

yours… do you wear it because it's the best one you could get, or because

at him with confusion. Raising one exquisite eyebrow, he

understand the question. Is there

eyes, sighed, and

"Never mind. Let's go."

horizon, they went deeper into the city,

***

grand and magnificent, with dozens of towers rising into the air, each supported by

the castle was as impressive as the castle itself. It was narrow and heavily fortified, circling the hill in a way that allowed the defenders of the castle to endlessly

been a vast stone platform, meant to serve as the gathering ground for the soldiers in case the enemy was to somehow breach all but this one last line

of stone, wood, and anything else the inhabitants of this slum could get their hands on standing chaotically here and there, forming messy groups

look like the outskirts where Sunny had grown up, but it had the same unmistakable air

the outer settlement, several Sleepers greeted

to see you, man. Where have

Kai smiled in embarrassment.

Flying around. What about

man was exchanging pleasantries with his acquaintance, Sunny cautiously looked

imperceptibly changed since the last time he was here. The settlement itself seemed to be almost the same, with just a few buildings slightly changing shapes. The people, however… people somehow seemed more energized

there was a strange sense of

she was busy in these three months,

end the conversation, Kai turned to

"Sorry about that."

Sunny frowned.

they

man stared at him, then cleared his throat and said