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.

the desolate hell of the Forgotten Shore in warm sunlight.

holding each other for warmth, while Nephis was lying in the center of the stone palm, still unconscious. Visible through the gaps in

'We did it.'

sailed through the cursed darkness, and even

the enthrallment hex put onto their minds by the ancient fiend, he felt that the chances of ever saving themselves from the gluttonous evil tree were more than slim. Perhaps

somehow,

closed his eyes and listened to the dark sea as it retreated to hide from the

he awoke, the sun was already high in the sky. Sunny expected to feel crippled 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.

finger wasn't hurting

to groan while sitting

the previous night as he was… perhaps

used her cloak to cover Changing Star, helping her to preserve some warmth. Neph lay still and motionless, her

always took a heavy toll on Nephis, bringing her unimaginable pain and suffering. Who knew what price she had paid to pull

she had never done so in the past. Only time could

time to assess

Changing Star, Sunny looked around, trying to discern their

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

east of them, there was nothing but the empty expanse of the

noticing a dark line in the distance. That was… that was the western edge of the crater. They had almost

heart, Sunny quickly turned

was silent and empty. Then, a single

'We were so close…'

everything else. A few hours later, Cassie finally woke up. Feeling that he wasn't next to her

"Sunny?"

He licked his lips.

"I'm here."

sat up and stretched her hand out, finding his

you sound so

then slowly turned his head to look at the blind girl. A tentative smile found its way

we found it. We have

***

Nephis had remained