Shadow Slave

When Sunny realized that he was dreaming, the first thing that came to his mind was that there was another soul tree growing somewhere near the white arch. However, after a few moments of panic, he quickly dismissed this idea.

After all, he had never actually dreamt while under the mind hex of the ancient fiend. He had just mistaken the broken memories of his conversation with Cassie for a dream.

But this… this one was real.

The dreamscape that surrounded Sunny was ephemeral, shifting, and shrouded in shadows. Above him, the sun was like a circle of darkness, with crimson light drowning in a burning sea of clouds. However, none of that light reached him.

In the tenebrous hall of black marble, there was nothing but empty silence.

…Which was now destroyed by the sound of a baby crying, of course.

The woman's screams had long grown silent. Peering into the stygian depths of the dark marble hall, Sunny saw nothing but endless shadows. The baby's cries were coming from somewhere beyond them.

…Or from within them.

A subtle thought entered Sunny's mind. The monumental walls, the colossal columns, the grandiose hall… all of it looked strangely familiar. As though he had already been here once, a long time ago.

All that was missing were the signs of desolation and a large altar cut from a single block of black marble. In fact, it should have been standing right where the crying sounds were coming from.

Familiar words appeared in his mind, now full of new meaning.

'...Child of Shadows?'

In the next moment, everything disappeared.

***

The world was swaying. A seemingly endless surface of black stone was flowing past his vision, moving up and down.

but Sunny himself.

'Wh—what?!'

a young woman who was

with soft porcelain skin and long raven

scales so intricately tattooed that sometimes, it seemed as though the creature was moving. Whoever marked the girl's skin with this image was a true

he had seen similar markings in a

the mark of a slave who belonged to

had been in his First Nightmare.

the love with which she held the child and the quiet smile that

own mother at a young age, but he still

the mother is a slave, then the

began to understand

himself in did not belong to him. Instead, it belonged to the nameless temple slave whose role he had

child

was

***

vast hall that was shrouded in darkness. Judging by the black marble walls, they were in another part of

tall braziers were burning with strange, pale flames. On the edges of light, motionless, stood a dozen or so

were not ghosts, but humans. There were several other slaves, while the rest appeared

of the Shadow God did not pursue opulence and status. In fact, many of the priests bore the same markings as the slaves, suggesting that

are they doing here?

the warmth of his mother's chest, the toddler… Sunny… felt

rest of the people gathered

slowly walked into the circle of

stood motionlessly between

beautiful slave, feeling that something important

But… what?