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.

that a

missing something, Sunny scratched

"Why?"

glanced at

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

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

think that this is my

silent for a while, then opened his mouth and closed

"...It's not?"

with a strange expression, and then suddenly exploded

and very pleasant to the ear. With regret, Sunny realized that

different, so that people could hear

she glanced at him and

Spell's sake. Who has

at that point, Kai

Ah… it suits you very well, Lady

to him with an expression of utter

The huntress nodded.

who knows what

times,

It became like that after

forward

color was your hair

She shrugged.

normal human

archer stared at her,

well too, Lady Nephis. Ah, I can just see

of Changing Star without her arresting, eye-catching silver hair simply could not fit into his head. Let alone the fact that she was a brunette! How was this even

look so wrong!

it turned out, life

entirely new things about the person

would have guessed that this

for skimpy swimsuits to these beach episodes,