Shadow Slave

'Technically dead? What does she mean?'

Sunny glanced at the others and saw that they, too, were confused. Everyone except for Caster, that is, who seemed like he knew something.

A few moments passed in tense silence, which was broken by Changing Star's sigh. Looking at them, she said evenly:

"My mother is one of the Hollow. She became Hollow while pregnant with me, actually. So I never really met her. Just her… body."

Nephis grew silent. After a while, a strange smile appeared on her face.

"It's funny, really. When my grandmother was still alive, I made a point of treating that body as nothing but a corpse. But once she passed away and we were the only ones left… well. I found myself getting a bit confused."

Nephis shrugged and turned away once again.

"Anyway, before leaving for the First Nightmare, I used what little money there was left of our estate to buy her a VIP spot in a specialized Hollow care facility. They are treating her really well. But still… I don't like the idea of her being alone there. So when I return, that's what I'm going to do. Visit her."

No one said anything, heavily affected by her words.

Sunny stared at Changing Star, trying to imagine what it must have felt like, growing up in the company of your parent's soulless shell. With death staring at you through those empty eyes every day, always looming over you like a dark shadow... both of your past and your future.

Maybe that was a part of the reason why Neph hated the Spell so much.

Sensing the heaviness in the air, Changing Star glanced at them and smiled darkly.

"What? Is this your first time meeting a hollowborn? Well, I can't blame you. Creatures of my breed are pretty rare. In fact, even I have never met another one."

Then, she sighed and stretched her legs, moving them closer to the fire.

"So yeah, that and dye my hair. These are the things I would do in the real world first."

Sunny blinked.

"...Dye your hair?"

Nephis nodded.

is that a

that he was missing something, Sunny scratched his head

"Why?"

at

do you mean, why? I'm not used to it, and it's weird. Do

expression. Noticing it, Changing Star frowned and asked with a tiny hint of amusement in her

that this is my

was silent for a while, then opened his

"...It's not?"

at him for a while with a strange expression, and

laugh was melodic, pure, and very pleasant to the ear. With regret, Sunny

wished that their lives were different, so that people could hear Nephis laugh more often. But they weren't, and would probably

while, she glanced at him

for Spell's sake.

that point, Kai

it's natural too. Ah… it suits you very

an expression of utter

The huntress nodded.

me too. I mean… who knows what you Legacies

blinked a couple of times, then shook her head in

natural. It became like that

forward

was your hair

She shrugged.

A normal

stared at her, and

Lady Nephis. Ah, I can just

eye-catching silver hair simply could not fit into

look so wrong!

turned out, life was full

about the person he had thought

guessed that this would

for skimpy swimsuits to these beach episodes,