Shadow Slave

Nephis held the shimmering crystals, looking at them with a heavy expression. Sunny was also staring at the shards, his head full of dark thoughts.

The remnants of shattered souls glowed softly in the dim twilight of dusk.

Around them, the inhabitants of the outer settlement were hurrying to get inside their pitiful hovels before the coming of night. The sun was already hidden behind the cyclopean silhouette of the Crimson Spire, drowning the world in its eerie shadow. The air was full of fear and worry.

He grimaced.

"What are you thinking about?"

Changing Star sighed and looked up. Her ivory face was harsh and thoughtful. She remained silent for a while, and then said in her usual calm tone:

"We need to split up."

Sunny couldn't help but laugh.

"You do know what usually happens when people split up in these kinds of situations, right?"

She stared at him with no humor in her cold, grey eyes.

"This is not a drama, Sunny. We have the means to provide two of us with food and shelter for a week. There's no reason to pass on this opportunity."

Cassie turned to her, a confused expression on her face.

"But… but what about the third?"

An uncomfortable silence hung between them, broken only by the whistling wind. Sunny looked at the blind girl, then at Nephis, and finally glanced at himself. Which one of them was going to remain hungry in the bitter cold while the other two would be eating their fill in the comfortable safety of the castle?

He thought that he had an inkling.

'What else did I expect?'

passed for one in this loathsome purgatory — and

that they weren't essentially the last three people in the whole wide world, with no

never managed to last long in any group. He didn't know if this time was going to

to break out of control, Nephis sighed and handed him the

"Here. Take Cassie inside."

at her hand,

time, irrationally, a dark sense of shame and resentment. Not knowing how to

"Why me?"

eyebrow. Shaking his head, Sunny offered her a crooked smile

me wrong, I'm not refusing. I'm just curious why are you so kind all of

looked at him for a while, and then said with

been noble. I have

make sure that she was awake. Had she met herself? If she wasn't noble, then

Star shrugged and

in the castle than I ever would. While you are gathering

at her. Did Neph just… reveal herself to be as cynically pragmatical as he was? Once again, he felt a weird mix of emotions. He was simultaneously elated and hurt by her lack of

as though it was a given, had not avoided his

looked at him

the terms of our trade have come to an end. Your promise was to give up on your share of spoils on the way to the castle. Well, here we are. That

'Trade? What trade?'

with Changing Star to get her to teach him swordsmanship and hide the fact that he had no way to absorb soul

But she didn't.

was over, he felt a sudden pang of regret. It was as

soul shards from her hand and

meet you in a week,

he gave the girls some privacy

at the blind girl, remained silent for

"Are you ready?"

there was a hint of