Shadow Slave

Three months later, Sunny was back at the castle.

Well, to be precise, he had returned here once before, to buy a few items that were hard to come by in the ruins. However, back then, Nephis and her cohort had been away on a hunt.

No such luck today. The moment he had been dreading for so long was finally here.

Hearing Changing Stat's voice, Sunny slowly turned around, glanced at her, and forced out a smile:

"Hey, Neph. Long time no see."

He tried to sound casual, but a slight tremble betrayed the storm of emotions raging in his heart.

Why did she have to be here?!

The turmoil of their sudden meeting was exasperated by the fact of how different they looked. The past months only made Nephis appear more radiant and splendid. Her white armor was pristine and graceful, her silver hair clean and combed. Sunny, on the other hand, looked like a pile of dirt that had somehow come to life. Both he and the Puppeteer's Shroud had seen better days.

He didn't want to see her, but even more than that, he didn't want her to see him in this sorry state. What if Neph gets the ridiculous idea that he was somehow miserable after falling out with her?

Nonsense! He was doing better than ever. He lived in a palace, ate delicious food every day, and had even become incredibly wealthy. If anyone should be miserable, it would be her…

"You do realize that you said that out loud, do you?"

Sunny blinked, remembered where he was, and stared at Changing Star in shock:

"Huh… what?"

She smiled with a corner of her mouth.

"You just zoned out and mumbled "why did she have to be here" under your breath. That was not very polite."

Sunny hid his embarrassment behind a grin and said.

"Yeah, well… I meant it."

Neph sighed.

"I'm glad to see you too, Sunny. It's good that you're alive."

to conceal his discomfort,

me to survive without

a while and slightly shook her

I knew that

she paused for a moment

cockroach like you is not easy

Sunny scoffed.

"Now who's being impolite?"

him in confusion for a couple of moments,

meant it as a

***

much as Sunny wanted to deny it, he had desperately missed her

meeting her was also

their bitter quarrel. Even though the intensity

shock of running into Changing Star disappeared, Sunny took

to absorb while he was gone, but it seemed like it was a lot. Neph was

him into a fearsome creature as well. The months he had spent hunting monsters

little

doubted that any human on the Forgotten Shore had killed as many powerful Nightmare Creatures as he had in the same amount of time. At least not in

and

long time. An awkward silence hung between them,

Like… how have you been? No,

before he could speak, Nephis

to the Bright Castle?

scratched the back of his

know. Just… doing

She blinked.

"Shopping?"

did that sound

Sunny's eyes widened.

I say

shut and looked at Changing Star in

of talking to myself would be so detrimental to keeping

having a swell time basking in his anguish. It was shaking its

seconds later, Sunny was finally able

spare, so