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?'

for one in this loathsome purgatory — and the tentative connection that had been established between them in the crucible of the

their relationship was going to change now that they weren't essentially the last three people in the whole wide world, with no one

had never managed to last long in any

as his insecurity threatened to break out of control, Nephis sighed and handed him the soul

"Here. Take Cassie inside."

her hand,

but at the same time, irrationally, a dark

"Why me?"

head, Sunny offered her

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

looked at him for a while,

never been noble.

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

shrugged and looked

is simply the best choice. Right now, we need information the most. 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

cynically pragmatical as he was? Once again, he felt a weird mix of emotions. He was simultaneously elated and

that she simply 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

looked at him and

our trade have come to an end. Your promise was to give up on your share of spoils on the

'Trade? What trade?'

with Changing Star to get her to teach him swordsmanship and hide the fact that he had

But she didn't.

its existence and realized that it was over, he felt a sudden pang

soul shards from her

you in a

Stepping aside, he gave the

remained silent for a

"Are you ready?"

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