Shadow Slave

Changing Star frowned. There was a hint of surprise visible in her cold, grey eyes.

"My… goal? Isn't it obvious?"

She gestured to the slum that surrounded them and the magnificent castle towering above it.

"I'm trying to help these people. What else?"

Sunny sighed.

Then, turning his face away, he asked:

"Hey, have I ever told you about my sister?"

Nephis blinked.

"No. Why bring this up all of the sudden?"

He smiled wistfully.

"I just was reminded of her recently, so I thought I'd share. You see… our parents died when we were little. She got adopted, but I ended up on the streets. Life wasn't really sweet for me. In fact, it was nothing but unsavory and bitter. So, young as I was, I simply imagined that it was the same for her. That's why I got obsessed with the idea of finding her. I had this fantasy in my head, you know, of saving and protecting her. Becoming a family again."

Sunny grimaced.

"But how could a penniless undesirable like me find anyone? You know how the city databases are. Even if they're functional, unsealing anything requires you to be a citizen, and one of a considerable rank, too. However, I was ready to do anything to accomplish my goal. So, I saved up money. A street kid can't earn much, but even then, I saved up as much as I could."

A dark expression appeared on his face.

of credits I had earned through doing all kinds of horrid crap. And after four or five

He smiled.

hired us nobodies to gather information for him. His services weren't cheap, but I trusted him. Or in him, at least. So I gave all my money to that guy and told him to find my sister. And you know

moments, then

happened? Did

rubbed his face, glanced at the sky,

of being her savior, I couldn't even really remember what she looked like. There was this girl, around twelve years old, wearing a tidy school uniform. She was walking in

a while, then continued, his

can you imagine? Well, I guess you can. Anyway…

the splendor of it, his own embarrassing astonishment, and tried

her family for a while. She had parents who loved her and treated her well. She had real food, and enough of it

at him

did you

at his own frail body, his dirty and ragged clothes, the bruises on his bloodied knuckles. And realized how utterly out of place

remember that he existed. More than that, returning into her life would not bring anything good to her. He didn't have anything pleasant

and rainy night, while Sunny

himself in after this, nothing would

motionless for a long time, he slowly backed away, turned around,

after that, he began showing the first symptoms of being infected by the

the rest

the unpleasant memories, Sunny pretended to

I have ever done. I turned around and went away. Do

slowly shook her

anger finally finding its way

to realize that the person he wanted to save didn't need his saving. So

at him, a deep frown appearing

intention to