Shadow Slave

The night passed with no incidents. In the morning, Sunny was woken up by the sound of the surging waves and opened his eyes to see the sun slowly rising from beyond the horizon.

Rubbing his face, he sat up and looked around, noticing that most of the cohort was still asleep. Only Kai, who had been the last one to stand watch, was awake, sitting on the edge of the arch and admiring the dawn with a dreamy look on his face.

Sunny wanted to call out to him and warn the charming archer not to sit this close to the edge, but then remembered that Kai could fly.

'Yeah. Like I would forget it again!'

Using the opportunity, he dove into the Soul Sea and summoned Stone Saint from the depths of the Shadow Core, where she was sleeping in the embrace of nurturing black flames. Just like before, the Shadow did not appear from a sphere of light like an Echo would, but stepped out from a whirlpool of dark fire.

Then, she stood motionlessly in front of Sunny like an actual statue, seemingly indifferent both to his presence and the wounds covering her body.

Sunny walked around the Stone Saint, studying the extent of damage done to her by the undead horde. The armor of the taciturn knight was battered and broken, pierced in several places by the claws of the countless skeletons she had fought. The ruby dust wasn't flowing from the breaches anymore, but he could see deep gashes on her smooth, grey skin.

'Bastards.'

Who dares to hurt his Shadow?

Shaking his head, Sunny dismissed the Saint, sending her back into the restorative darkness of the Shadow Core.

The damage, while extensive, was not really threatening to her existence. In a couple of days, his pet monster should fully recover.

In fact, she already looked better than she had yesterday.

Leaving the Soul Sea, Sunny inhaled the fresh air, lingered for a few moments, and then turned to Kai:

"Hey, Night. Are you stupid? Don't sit this close to the edge!"

at

can fly, remember?

Sunny scoffed.

cursed sea. I am worried about something dragging you off into

with himself, he grinned and turned

a nice way to

***

and recuperate, they decided to spend a day on the marble arch and

Sunny was currently staring at the sight that wasn't really funny, but filled him with

in the real world, when he had time to consume some entertainment, Sunny had noticed a certain popular trope. In most dramas, webtoons, and cartoons aimed at young boys

that it was just an

he had anything

going to end up in

'This is… simply hilarious!'

from laughing out

were damaged during the battle in the catacombs, they had to keep these Memories inside the Soul Sea for a

— including Sunny himself — were currently wearing nothing except for some loincloths and, in

barely be considered a beach even at night…

all half-naked and relaxing in the middle of a something that someone could

'Ha!'

was in a rather

was a fire in the middle of the arch, with roasting meat filling the air with an appetizing aroma. Effie

it was cut from stone, as if she was a sculpture of an ancient goddess come to life. Sunny tried to count her abs

thoughtless bliss, Sunny had to hurriedly look away. The last thing he wanted

'Pure thoughts!'