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.

had almost nothing to eat, I would keep putting away the pathetic amount of credits I had earned through doing all kinds of horrid crap. And after four or five years of this,

He smiled.

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 what? He did. One day, about a month after we made the

moments, then asked

happened? Did you meet

rubbed his face, glanced at the sky,

really remember what she looked like. There was this girl, around twelve years old, wearing a tidy school

a while, then continued, his

family living in it, can you imagine? Well, I guess you can. Anyway… there was

embarrassing astonishment, and tried to smile.

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

at him

did you

own frail body, his dirty and ragged clothes, the bruises on his bloodied knuckles. And

fact that she… she never really needed him. She probably didn't even remember that he existed. More than that,

while Sunny was standing in the shadows, something

he would find himself in after this, nothing would really compare

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

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

the rest was

Sunny pretended to be

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

slowly shook

grinned, the anger finally finding its way into his

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

stared at him, a deep frown

lied about my intention to