Shadow Slave

After the shocking revelation about the cruel futility of their long and arduous journey to the Dark City, the desire to reach the promised castle that kept the three of them going for so long had diminished significantly. However, they still wanted to get there as soon as possible. There was a tiny remnant of hope still burning in Sunny's heart. Perhaps… perhaps Effie was lying to them, or wrong about everything.

Somehow.

He didn't really believe it, though. The beautiful huntress seemed sincere and competent, if a little eccentric. More than that, her words made too much sense.

But Effie wasn't in a rush to leave the granite tower.

"There's not enough daylight left to traverse that much distance. Moving through the ruins is a slow ordeal. Get comfortable and rest. We'll leave tomorrow at dawn."

After that, she got busy dressing down the monster carcasses with a long knife that appeared in her hand. She even summoned a Memory that looked like a leather apron to avoid getting blood on her tunic. Whistling an upbeat melody under her nose, the vigorous young woman looked like an enthusiastic gourmet chef.

Nephis, Sunny and Cassie were in no mood to talk. Each of them sat somberly by themselves, trying to digest the awful reality of their new situation.

Sunny was utterly disheartened.

He felt as though someone had pulled the batteries out of his body, leaving him with no strength or desire to do anything. The world had become dim and tiresome.

'That's hope for you.'

He didn't even have enough motivation to get angry. It was as though… as though he had run an exhausting marathon and crossed the finish line, only to find out that there was another race waiting for him on the other side.

he would have to keep running

maybe even repay their kindness. He would never become an Awakened and learn more mysteries of his strange Aspect. Most importantly, his dreams of becoming rich and spending the rest of his life in

Which hurt the most.

'Figures.'

effort to find some semblance

you think about it… I'm still alive. That has to be

glanced at him, not

for the worst, but our immediate situation has actually improved a lot. We are safe from the constant threat of drowning or being

castle, there were hundreds of people living there. Numbers and experience meant everything in the Dream Realm. By becoming a part of a human collective, they were going to shed most of the burdens that had been silently crushing them all this time. Compared to the infernal gauntlet of the Labyrinth, life in the castle was going to be

to its thug of a master, of

if they were to refuse, there was still the outer settlement. Effie seemed to be doing just fine as an independent hunter.

just be the most contented person I've ever seen. Seriously, how can she

cast a sidelong glance at the unreasonably tall

let's ponder about it. She has a roof over her head and a limitless supply of delicious food, provided that she hunts it down herself. That is already better than my life

life was not how he had envisioned his future, but it was not that different from struggling to survive in the slums of the real world. Actually, in a lot of senses, it was way better. So, maybe, the situation seemed to be so bad not because it actually was, but because it simply didn't fit his

why she was so damn happy and lively even in the

be

and turned away. Sunny sighed. Despite his somewhat rational attempt to find the bright side in this calamity, he didn't feel any better, at all. In fact, thinking about how inescapable and bleak their future

dread and unease flooded his mind, only now, it was so much more profound and

the Crimson Spire had fallen on the

of waves crashing against stone informed them of the coming of night. Not in the mood to even stand up, Sunny silently