Shadow Slave

Sunny grimaced and turned away, feeling a terrible headache. The sun was almost gone, and the night was following in its footsteps. He didn't have much time left.

With a desperate smile, Sunny looked and Changing Star and asked:

"What can be so damn important? What can be so valuable that you are ready to condemn everyone here to death?!"

He shook his head, guessing that he already knew.

"Don't tell me that it's some stupid crap like bringing the glory of the Immortal Flame clan back. Duty of the Awakened? What, you gave a terrible oath to become the first human to conquer the Fourth Nightmare, like your father conquered the Third, and your grandfather the Second? Or even worse, is it something even more foolish? Are you planning to save the damn world?!"

Nephis stared at him for a few moments, and then grinned. Something dangerous and unfamiliar awakened in her eyes… no, not completely unfamiliar.

It was the same strange, maniacal glimmer he had seen once before, right after saying the three strange words to her.

Aster, Song, Vale.

Back then, for a few moments, Changing Star had turned from a calm and composed young woman into someone he wasn't sure he recognized anymore.

With a soft chuckle, Neph shook her head.

"Save the world? No, I'm not going to save the world, Sunny."

Then, the smile disappeared from her face, and white flames suddenly ignited in the depths of her cold, grey eyes. With dark and frightening conviction, she said:

"I'm going to destroy it."

Her words echoed in the darkness, making Sunny feel an irrational feeling of dread. He stared at her, both failing to comprehend and afraid to believe in what she had just heard.

Destroy... the world? What?

Deeply inhaling the cool air, Changing Star looked up at the sky.

"This world, Sunny. This cursed place. The Dream Realm. No, I won't be the first one to conquer the Fourth Nightmare. I will be the first one to conquer every Nightmare. I'll go through them one after another, destroying anything and anyone who stands in my way. And when I get to the heart of the Nightmare Spell, I'm going to obliterate every part of it, I'm going to rip it to shreds, I'm going to decimate and bring it to ruin."

him in the eyes

think a Fallen Terror can stop me? Those three ghouls can stop me? No, Sunny. Nothing will stop me. Anyone who dares will die.

step back, Sunny stared at her with

back of his neck. Then, he grimaced and asked, a hint

do you want to destroy the Spell so

corner of Changing Star's mouth curled up slightly.

"Because I hate it."

stunned by the simplicity of that answer. If it was someone else, he would have thought that

strange, stark world. She did things simply because she wanted to, and apparently wanted to destroy an eternal,

Why the hell not?

his eyes

"You are actually insane."

Neph smiled.

mad?

Then, she sighed.

here? Or do you have more questions? The sun is almost gone, so you'd better hurry

his head and said, his voice

Yeah, Neph. I'm

that, he slowly turned around and took a

Left behind, Nephis frowned.

going?

and said in a suppressed

errand to run.

back, Changing Star gritted her teeth

come back, Sunny! This conversation

was

standing alone in the alley that was brightly lit by the last light of the dying

***

shoulder. The young man was very gaunt back before he had been killed, so it wasn't much

…Physically, at least.

was the early hour

emotions. But, strangely, both his heart and mind were empty. He couldn't be bothered to think or feel anything right