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?'

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

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

last long in any group. He didn't know if this time was

break out of control, Nephis

"Here. Take Cassie inside."

stared at her hand, then

emotions erupted in his heart. There was surprise, joy, concern… but at the same 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

curious why are you so kind all of

him for a while, and then

never been noble. I have never

sure that she was awake. Had she

Changing Star shrugged and looked

With the help of the shadow, 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 will meet in a

Did Neph just… reveal herself to be as cynically pragmatical as he was? Once again, he felt a weird mix of emotions.

assumed that they were going to continue working together, as though it was a given, had not avoided his attention. For some reason, this small detail

at

spoils on the way to

'Trade? What trade?'

teach him swordsmanship and hide the fact that he had no way to absorb soul shards. He has

But she didn't.

and realized that it was over, he felt a sudden pang of regret. It was as though one of the few strings that connected them together had been suddenly

sigh, he took the soul shards from her

I'll meet you in a

his mouth, wishing to say something else, but then just turned away. Stepping aside, he gave the

at the blind girl, remained silent for a bit,

"Are you ready?"

she did, there was