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.

credits I had earned through doing all kinds of horrid crap. And after four or five years of this, by the time I was nearly seventeen,

He smiled.

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

few moments, then asked in a

what happened? Did you

face, glanced at the sky,

actually met her near the tram terminal. Only at that time, I didn't recognize her. You see, despite my lofty ideas 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 the same direction as me. I only realized that it was her after

silent for a while, then

situated in a really nice district. They actually had the whole house to themselves. Just one family living in it, can you imagine? Well, I guess you can. Anyway… there was even a

of it, his own embarrassing astonishment, and tried to smile.

the shadows just outside the edge of that light, I observed her family for a while. She had parents who loved her and treated her well. She had real food, and enough of it to never go hungry. She had pretty clothes and expensive textbooks. She

looked at

what did

those happy people. How he looked down at his own frail body, his dirty and ragged clothes, the bruises

probably didn't even remember that he existed.

and rainy night, while Sunny was standing in the shadows,

kind of situation he would find himself in after this, nothing would

he slowly backed away, turned around, and

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

rest

unpleasant memories, Sunny pretended to be carefree

the only selfless thing that I have ever done. I turned around and

shook

the anger finally finding

his saving. So please tell me, Neph, why is

stared at him, a deep frown

that I lied about my intention to help these people? If