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.

would have to keep running

advice and teachings that had helped him survive, and 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

Which hurt the most.

'Figures.'

to find some semblance of solace in

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

at him,

can easily stay alive for the foreseeable future. Yeah, the big picture changed for the worst, but our immediate situation has actually improved a lot. We are safe from the constant threat of drowning or being devoured by the dwellers of the deep dark sea. We

how things were run in the 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

submit to its thug of a master, of course. If Sunny was

still the outer settlement. Effie seemed to be doing just fine as an independent hunter.

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

at the unreasonably

limitless supply of delicious food, provided that she hunts it down herself. That is already better than my

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

anything from life at all, and that's why she was so damn happy and lively even in the

be it.

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

and unease flooded his mind, only

the Crimson Spire

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