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.

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, by

He smiled.

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

hesitated for a few moments, then asked in

happened? Did you meet

rubbed his face, glanced at the sky, and

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,

was silent for a while,

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 that shined

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

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 even had cute younger siblings. They were all smiling, laughing, and

at

did

just stood there, watching those happy people. How he looked down at his own frail body, his dirty and ragged clothes, the bruises on his bloodied knuckles. And realized how utterly out of

the simple fact that she… she never really needed him. She probably didn't even remember that

on that dark and rainy night, while Sunny was standing in the shadows, something in his heart was extinguished forever. Something inside

what kind of situation he would find himself in after this,

time, he slowly backed away, turned around, and

began showing the first symptoms of being

rest

memories, Sunny pretended to be carefree and

have ever done. I turned around and

slowly shook

grinned, the anger finally finding its way into

to realize that the person he wanted to save didn't need his saving. So please tell me, Neph, why

at him, a deep frown

I lied about my intention to help these