Shadow Slave

Nephis changed a lot since the last time Sunny had seen her.

Outwardly, she looked almost the same — tall, firm, and strangely distant, as though existing slightly apart from the rest of the world. She was still wearing the Starlight Legion Armor, which accentuated the graceful lines of her slender, lithe body. Only now, there was also a white cloak draped over her shoulders, close in color to the pristine metal of the elegant plate armor.

Changing Star's silver hair was much longer now, almost reaching her shoulders. Without the short tomboyish cut, she looked strangely mature and feminine, making Sunny's heart beat a little faster. Her calm grey eyes were as striking as ever.

The true changes, however, hid much deeper. Perhaps only a person who knew her as well as Sunny did could notice them, or perhaps it was precisely because he had come to know her so well that the veil of detached indifference shrouding her true self cracked, revealing the deeper feelings beneath.

Nephis seemed to be much more alive now, much more present. Her eyes shined with resolve and determination, radiating an almost infectious feeling of temperate confidence.

…This was her power. The power of conviction.

Sunny shivered under that gaze.

Neph was the person he longed to see the most and, at the same time, hoped to never see again. She was the true reason why he had to leave the castle.

Stirred awake by this fated meeting, a torrent of memories rose to the surface of his mind.

If only he had known at the time…

Well, it would not have changed anything, really.

***

Four months ago, on the night that they had ventured into the cursed sea on a boat made of demon's bones, Sunny was shivering in the wind.

…After an eternity spent in the cold embrace of darkness, the endless night of their escape was finally drawing its last breaths. He shifted and turned to the east, where a ghostly line of pale lilac appeared over the horizon.

Trembling, he licked his lips and said in a raspy voice:

"Cas. Cassie. It's morning."

After he uttered these words, the last remnant of strength that had kept Sunny going disappeared, and he slumped on the stones, his chest rising heavily and then falling.

dawn was ready to bathe the desolate hell of the Forgotten Shore in

stone hand that protruded from the black waves, as if held above the lightless abyss by a goddess. Sunny and Cassie were holding each other for warmth, while Nephis was lying in the center of

'We did it.'

Devourer, sailed through the cursed darkness, and even

From the moment he had learned about the enthrallment hex put onto their minds by the ancient fiend, he felt that the chances of

yet, somehow,

his eyes and listened to the dark sea as it retreated to hide from the coming sun. Without even noticing it, he slipped into

now that adrenalin had left his battered body, but, to his surprise, he wasn't in even half as much pain as he had anticipated. Blood Weave was truly

finger wasn't hurting that

still had to groan while sitting

drained by the events of the previous night as he was… perhaps even more so. Her delicate face seemed vulnerable and pale, twisted in an anxious

blind girl had used her cloak to cover Changing Star, helping her to preserve some warmth. Neph lay still and motionless, her face drained

Nephis, bringing her unimaginable pain and suffering. Who knew what price she had paid to pull herself away from the doors of oblivion? He had not

why she had never done so in the past.

time to assess the

from Changing Star, Sunny looked around, trying to discern their current circumstances.

only to find themselves stranded in the middle of the cursed sea, with no way to continue forward, that would be a truly macabre

but the empty expanse of the colossal

in the distance. That was… that was the western edge of the crater. They had almost crossed

his heart, Sunny quickly turned around and looked west. His

moments, his head was silent and empty. Then, a single

'We were so close…'

everything else. A few hours later, Cassie finally woke up.

"Sunny?"

He licked his lips.

"I'm here."

and stretched her

why do you sound

look at the

found it. We have

***

the end, Nephis had remained unconscious for