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 shook her

even easily turn truths into lies. How… brilliant. I never even knew that such a thing was possible. Silly me. I didn't

She smiled.

I was learning how to use people from you. So please, Sunny, accept my sincere gratitude. I could not have wished for a better

finger at him.

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

trembled. Was she telling the truth? Did Neph actually learn

'Oh, no…'

that inexperienced couldn't have found a worse role model even if they tried. What a cruel twist

Sunny gritted his teeth.

"That's not the same…"

Changing Star scowled.

them just enough truth to make them deceive themselves, just like you

She smirked.

am going to kill Gunlaug. After he is dead, the Bright Castle will become engulfed

Her eyes glistened.

road of bones for the lucky few to reach 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, instead of living in fear like a rat! I thought that you, of all

to read more chapters ? ] Sunny stared at her in disbelief. How could… how could she be so

then he realized that he was looking at it all wrong. He was looking at it from his own perspective, the perspective of someone who was

had learned that there were things more valuable than

worse than a worthy death. Maybe, in her mind, she really was trying

right to make that decision on their

head, he

live here? Is Gunlaug really so bad that you would rather see all of us die than

Changing Star's face. With cold contempt ringing

any better? Keeping a thousand hopeless people alive in this hell is the kind of

Sunny raised an eyebrow.