Shadow Slave

On the evening of the first of the two days that they had at their disposal, Sunny climbed all the way to the highest point of the statue and sat there alone, looking at the setting sun.

He felt as though he had to find a sense of balance that he had lost at some point along the way. Not because he missed it, but because he was going to need that balance to remain firm and steady when the moment of truth came.

If he was right about the future, then this was probably the last day of peace he would experience until this whole thing was over. Not only the expedition…

But all of it.

Looking back, his behavior in these past few months was highly erratic. Where were the cold rationality and ruthlessness that saved him so many times in the past? The caution and devious cunning that allowed him to survive the First Nightmare? He had not been acting like himself for a long time.

Yes, his mental state had suffered greatly because of everything that had happened. But was it the only reason?

Come to think of it…

The first blow dealt to him was the bitter revelation that there was no Gateway in the Bright Castle. After everything that Sunny had endured to make it to the Dark City, the crushing intensity of their journey through the Labyrinth, the diabolical trap of the Soul Devourer and their escape from it, the cold and harrowing night of traversing the dark sea… all of it turned out to have been for nothing.

Not only were they not rewarded for their efforts, but all of their hopes were mercilessly destroyed and obliterated instead.

This alone was enough to drive a person mad.

Then came the feeling of alienation he felt while living with Nephis, Cassie, and all the newcomers in the outer settlement. Instead of finding support and solace in the company of his friends, Sunny fell into his old habit. Unconsciously, he turned himself into an outcast to prevent anyone from making him one.

This was the most noticeable, but not the only instance of him regressing to his old self. After fighting so hard to change and grow, Sunny ended up abandoning most of the lessons he had learned after becoming infected by the Nightmare Spell.

was almost like an addict relapsing after a few days of sobriety and giving up completely because of this one small

who could blame

the situation. One

it was not one, but three blows that shattered him completely. As though the world wanted to make sure that he was

reeling, came the fatal mistake in the conversation with Harper and the brutal murder that followed. And

would have collapsed under that weight. And yet Sunny

neverending sea of

had relinquished all pretense of having

was. Playing the fool, acting like a fool, and fooling around with Kai and

his mental state

it was also very convenient to blame everything on

to reign himself in at all. In fact, he welcomed this madness. Being a bit

heartbreaking truth and remember it. Sunny needed the shield of madness to save himself from the bottomless despair that

this state? So what if he made mistakes here and there and took unnecessary risks? Anything was better than having

to become a little

yet, Sunny knew that what he was doing was nothing

the end was approaching, he had to stop hiding from the truth. He had to admit

was the only way

disappeared behind the horizon and the absolute darkness drowned the Forgotten Shore, he sighed

Alright. It's time to wake

***

edge of the vast canyon as the twilight of dusk drowned the world in shadows. Far below them, the black waters of the cursed sea were