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.

doing all kinds of horrid crap. And after four or five years of

He smiled.

there was this detective who sometimes 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 what? He did. One day, about a month after we made the deal, he gave me a piece of paper with an address written on

few moments, then asked in a

what happened? Did you

glanced at

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

while, then continued, his voice

the whole house to themselves. Just one family living in it, can you imagine? Well, I guess you can. Anyway… there

embarrassing astonishment, and tried to

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 having a great

at him

did you

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

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

rainy night, while Sunny was standing in the shadows, something in his heart was extinguished

in after this, nothing would really compare to the darkness he

a long time, he slowly backed

after that, he began showing the first symptoms

the rest was

the unpleasant memories, Sunny pretended to

did the only selfless thing that I have ever done. I turned

slowly shook

the anger finally finding its way into his

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

deep frown appearing on her

you implying that I lied about my intention to help these people? If so,