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?'

reached the human civilization — well, whatever passed for one in this loathsome purgatory — and the tentative connection that had been established between

going to change now that they weren't essentially the last three people in the whole

in any group. He didn't know if this time was going to be any

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

"Here. Take Cassie inside."

hand, then

irrationally, a dark sense of shame and resentment. Not knowing how to deal with all these feelings,

"Why me?"

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

just curious why are you so kind all of a

at him for a while,

never been noble. I have

and make sure that she was awake. Had she met herself? If she

shrugged and looked

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

at her. Did Neph just… reveal herself to be as cynically pragmatical as he was? Once again, he felt a

that they were going to continue working together, as though it was a given, had

at him

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 stone creature was your kill, so

'Trade? What trade?'

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

But she didn't.

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

shards from

meet you in a week,

away. Stepping aside, he gave the

remained silent for a

"Are you ready?"

there was a hint of sadness