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.

kinds of

He smiled.

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 what? He did. One day, about a month after we made the deal, he gave me

few moments, then

what happened? Did

face, glanced at the sky, and

like. There was this girl, around twelve years old, wearing a tidy

for a while, then continued, his voice

house was 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 lawn. And a window… a big window

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

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

looked at

did

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

didn't even remember that he existed. More than that, returning

? ] Out there on that dark and rainy night, while Sunny was standing in the shadows, something in his heart was

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

a long time, he slowly backed away, turned

few days after that, he began showing the first symptoms

the rest

off the unpleasant memories, Sunny pretended to

done. I

shook her

the anger finally finding its way into his

he wanted to save didn't need his saving. So please tell me, Neph, why is it that you, with all your intelligence and clarity, can't

a deep frown appearing

that I lied about my intention