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?'

in this loathsome purgatory — and

in the whole wide world, with

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

as his insecurity threatened to break out of

"Here. Take Cassie inside."

hand, then

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 deal with all

"Why me?"

simply raised an eyebrow. Shaking his head, Sunny offered her a

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

him for a while, and then said

never been noble.

she was awake. Had she met herself? If she wasn't noble, then who

Star shrugged

much more about what is going on in the castle than

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

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

at him

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

'Trade? What trade?'

had made 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.

of its existence 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

took the soul shards from her hand and

Then… I'll meet you in a

turned away. Stepping aside, he gave the

blind girl, remained silent

"Are you ready?"

answering. When she did, there was a hint of sadness in