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?'

was less than ten minutes since they reached the human civilization — well, whatever passed for one in this loathsome purgatory — and the tentative connection that had been established between them in the crucible of the Labyrinth was already coming apart

that they weren't essentially the last three people in the whole wide world, with no one else to rely on but each other. Was it strong enough to endure without that desperate need? He

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

out of

"Here. Take Cassie inside."

hand, then looked

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

"Why me?"

Star simply raised an eyebrow. Shaking his head, Sunny

not refusing. I'm just curious why are you so kind all of a sudden.

for a while, and then said with

been noble. I

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

Star shrugged and

you will be able to learn much more about what is going on in the castle than I ever would. While you are gathering information inside, I will do the same here. We

Once

though it was a given, had not avoided his attention. For some reason, this small detail gave Sunny a warm

looked at him and

up on your share of spoils on the way to the castle. Well, here

'Trade? What trade?'

to teach him swordsmanship and hide the fact that he

But she didn't.

had been reminded of its existence and realized that it was over, he felt a sudden pang of regret. It was

soul shards from her hand and gripped them

Then… I'll meet you in a

then just turned away. Stepping aside, he

at the blind girl, remained silent for

"Are you ready?"

there was a hint of sadness in her