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?'

the human civilization — well, whatever passed for one in this loathsome purgatory — and the tentative connection that

to change now 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

whole life, Sunny had never managed to last long in any group. He didn't

to break out of control, Nephis sighed and handed him

"Here. Take Cassie inside."

at her hand, then looked up

strange storm of emotions erupted in his heart. There was surprise, joy, concern… but at the same time, irrationally,

"Why me?"

his head, Sunny offered her

just curious why are you so kind all of a sudden. Is it out of

for a while,

noble.

sure that she was awake. Had she met herself?

shrugged and

be able to learn much more about what is going on in the castle than I ever would.

Did Neph just… reveal herself to be as cynically pragmatical as he was? Once again, he

the fact that she simply assumed that they were going to continue working together, as though it was a given, had not avoided

looked at him

end. Your promise was to give up on your share of spoils on the way to

'Trade? What trade?'

Star to get her to teach him swordsmanship and hide the fact that he had no way to absorb soul shards. He has almost forgotten about

But she didn't.

realized that it was over, he felt a sudden pang of regret. It was as though

soul shards from her hand and

I'll meet you in a

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

the blind girl, remained silent for a bit, and

"Are you ready?"

did, there