Shadow Slave

It happened a few weeks after he left the castle behind. Back then, Sunny was just starting to feel confident in the absolute darkness of the cursed night. He stalked the ruins, searching for prey and slaying one monster after another.

Looking back, those few victories might have gone to his head a little. Or maybe he was just too sane to survive alone in the Dark City.

It was the first meeting with the Black Knight that caused him to lose that state of mind.

Sunny did not become interested in the ruined cathedral by accident, nor was he led there by empty curiosity. In fact, he had noticed something strange about the ancient temple and decided to explore it after careful consideration.

Because the thing he saw was too alluring to ignore.

At dawn, for a few short minutes, he could see a weak, ethereal golden glow emanating from the dark cathedral. The same golden glow he had seen twice before.

Once deep within the ruby droplets of his own blood after consuming the Drop of Ichor, and another time exuding from Changing Star's unconscious body after her battle with the horror of the depths.

Without having to guess, Sunny knew what this golden shine was.

It was the light of divinity.

With his own eyes altered by the drop of divine blood, which was left on the talons of the Vile Thieving Bird after it had stolen Weaver's eye, Sunny was somehow able to perceive it.

Considering that both Nephis and he possessed some measure of divine affinity, it wasn't hard to come to this conclusion. More than that, the circumstances surrounding the awakening of his ability to see the golden glow supported it.

Thus, hoping to find another treasure equal to the Drop of Ichor, Sunny entered the ruined cathedral. Then he froze for a second, awed by its grandeur.

That second was all it took for the Black Knight to skewer him on his sword.

Sunny didn't know how the massive devil managed to avoid being seen by his shadow, nor how he got so close without making any noise. All he knew was that a menacing black giant suddenly stepped forward from the darkness that enveloped the temple and pierced him with a wrathful gaze.

There were two scarlet flames burning in the impenetrable emptiness behind the visor of the knight's helmet. Looking at them, Sunny felt as though he was staring into the eyes of death itself.

However, even though Sunny was caught by surprise, his body moved on its own. Countless hours of practice did not go to waste.

In the end, it were the reflexes that Sunny had engraved into his muscles and bones that saved his life, even if only by a hair's breadth. Because of his quick reaction, the massive greatsword of the evil creature did not cut him in two.

Instead, it simply disemboweled him.

Feeling a blinding pain pierce his abdomen, Sunny staggered and looked down, only to see a river of blood flowing from his stomach, which was cut wide open. The red ropes of his intestines were clearly visible in the terrible wound, already on their way to falling out.

The horror of seeing something that should have been inside of him moving to the outside was much more powerful than the excruciating pain of his flesh being torn apart.

Pressing one hand against the wound, Sunny fell on his back and weakly tried to crawl away. However, the Black Knight was already moving, rising his greatsword to deliver a finishing blow.

For a fraction of a second, everything froze. Sunny didn't have time to come up with an elaborate plan, nor even think things through. All he knew was that he had to buy himself a chance to crawl away… somehow.

to be of use. Not the austere and razor-sharp Midnight Shard, not the ominous and powerful Puppeteer's Shroud. His mighty tier-five armor did not even slow the

shadow, they were not a match for the terrifying devil of the ruined

fly from it into the depths of the ancient temple. His shadow wrapped itself around the little

howled, replicating the scream of the last Nightmare Creature that Sunny had killed. Augmented by

Black Knight stopped, then looked over his shoulder in the direction where the howl was coming from.

staggered away, almost slipping in the

The Black Knight stopped in the doorway, simply following the small figure of the mortally wounded human with the burning flames that served

it indifferently turned away and slowly

***

Dark City. He had found his way to this ditch and crawled into it, hoping to

by pain,

was this how it was all going

this how he

cry for help, but

some reason, nothing but laughter

it was just too

him,

What a fitting end.

Why wouldn't he laugh?!

was all just

into an ocean of suffering. Every time he moved, it felt as though invisible blades were cutting into his abdomen,

yet, he

thing of all was that he

give up. Guided by Blood Weave, it desperately tried to repair the damage done to his body. However, the damage was just too extensive. Even augmented by the shadow, the Blood Weave couldn't contend with

an endless cycle of excruciating agony, not quite alive, but also unable to die... yet. Minute after minute, hour after hour, nothing but pain and suffering drowned

wouldn't have

up, then disappeared again. This happened a few times

enough. He couldn't take it

time to

a

how could anyone endure all

He wanted to die.

He was ready… ready…

Are you really

bit... and then suddenly

Fuck no.

He was not ready.

Give up?

was never