Shadow Slave

Sunny stared at Nephis, stunned by her answer. He didn't expect her to admit it so easily.

Meanwhile, she just shrugged.

"What? Was I supposed to deny it? Why should I? You are the one who is obsessed with lies, Sunny, not me."

The corner of Changing Star's mouth twitched.

"Actually, I have to thank you. If it wasn't for you, I would have never learned how to deceive people so easily. I had a very sheltered upbringing, for obvious reasons. Communicating with others had always been something I knew very little about."

She smiled darkly.

"How fortunate it was to meet you, of all people, on this forsaken shore. Lucky me. Right?"

Sunny blinked. What was she talking about? He remembered how, during their journey to the Dark City, Nephis had tried to mimic Cassie in how she spoke to people. Had she been studying him, too?

Neph took a step forward and pierced him with an intense, burning gaze.

"No one survives in the Dream Realm alone. I knew that I won't be an exception to this rule, so I watched Cassie and you and tried my hardest to learn from you both. That's when I noticed that nothing you ever said — or did — was true. Wasn't it?"

'Crap.'

Sunny felt a cold shiver running down his spine.

She scoffed.

"No matter what happened, you somehow always managed to keep your real thoughts, desires, and reasons hidden. I've never seen anyone so adept at deception. Congratulations, Sunny! The mind games you played with us were almost as devious as the mental hex of the Soul Devourer. It was nothing short of inspiring."

paused and

How… brilliant. I never even knew that such a thing

She smiled.

me, I was learning how to use people from you. So please, Sunny, accept my sincere

hand and stabbed a finger at him. Then, with anger in

me for doing the same thing you do to everyone you ever

telling the truth? Did Neph actually learn how to be this manipulative and vile…

'Oh, no…'

cruel twist of fate, to be sent into the Dream Realm together with a

Sunny gritted his teeth.

"That's not the same…"

Changing Star scowled.

just enough truth to make them deceive themselves, just like you taught me. But what, now that it was turned around

She smirked.

Gunlaug. After he is dead, the Bright Castle will become engulfed in a civil war, with each of the five lieutenants vying for the throne. I am going to kill them, too. And when I am the

Her eyes glistened.

the Gateway. That is my promise. That is the salvation I offer to the people of Dark City — a chance to return to the real world or die like a human should, standing tall and with a sword in their hand,

How could… how could she be so nonchalant about the idea of

his own perspective, the perspective of someone who was used to

coming to the Forgotten Shore, Sunny had learned that there were things more valuable than staying alive. And he

that much worse than a worthy death. Maybe, in her

to make that decision on

his head,

bad that you would rather see all of us die

appeared on Changing Star's face. With cold contempt ringing in

things. But I won't judge him for those. Who knows if any of us would have done any better? Keeping a thousand hopeless people alive in this hell is the kind of task that can turn a saint into a demon. No… there is only one crime he committed that I can

Sunny raised an eyebrow.