Shadow Slave

The embrace of impenetrable darkness was broken by the furious white light of Changing Star's incandescent sword. Illuminated by it, six people were standing on the shore of a raging river. Their faces were pale and grim.

The canyon had disappeared, consumed by the rising surge of the black water. Now, the cursed sea was flowing over its edges, ready to swell and flood the narrow passages of the great Labyrinth in an unstoppable wave.

Sunny felt cold water wash over his feet and shivered. The rest of the cohort reacted exactly the same — even Kai, who could escape into the lightless skies at any moment, seemed to be deeply unnerved by the closeness of the encroaching sea.

Among the six of them, only three had truly experienced the perils of this dark abyss. They knew that the real dread came not from the sea itself, but from the terrors that hid in its cursed depths.

Like the host of the of whispering voices that they had heard beneath the branches of the Soul Tree.

Or the gargantuan creature that had almost cost Nephis her life.

However, Sunny was not going to make a remark to educate the rest of the cohort. After all, what they were trying to do right now was to summon one of these terrors from below.

One that was different from all the others.

"Sunny?"

Peering into the darkness, he lingered.

"I don't see anything… yet."

The water was already to his shins and rising swiftly. Sunny grimaced and struggled with the desire to turn around and run away without looking back.

If he was fast enough… if he was lucky enough… he could still make it to the giant statue before the torrent of darkness drowned him under its crushing weight.

at Nephis and

this secret of the Forgotten Shore in her visions and shared it with

that they were going to

of his former companions, not anymore. But he

the edges of his vision. Turning his head, Sunny

"...It's here."

by the light of Changing Star's incandescent blade. The sea seethed and

somehow made her flames burn even brighter, forcing the

"Get ready!"

creature was a true giant, easily towering above

…Well, no surprise.

terror and awe, Sunny watched as the thing they were waiting for came closer. Soon, he could discern the general shape

And right between them,

was nothing

only six marks on the map created by Nephis. Not because she had failed to learn of

the seventh statue never stayed in one place for too

of its walls. The wide chest of the headless giant pushed the water away, creating whirlpools in

bridge that got in

and safe — comparatively — method of traveling to the

by the sheer

think of it, it was really ironic. The next day after he had decided to return to some semblance of sanity, something this crazy was about

as though the whole world

head, Sunny turned

"He's coming!"

the cohort tensed and prepared themselves for what was