Shadow Slave

Kai landed on the stone platform, gently placing Cassie down. The blind girl was deathly pale and visibly hurt, but her life didn't seem to be in danger. The archer smiled reassuringly and gripped her shoulder.

Then, just like the rest of them, he turned his head and silently looked south.

A wall of impenetrable, furious darkness was approaching from there, devouring vast spans of the Labyrinth with each second. To Sunny, it felt like an endless ocean of deranged shadows was rushing to drown them. The pressure he felt was almost as bad as that of the ominous Crimson Spire.

The colossus was marching toward the darkness, completely indifferent to its menacing oppression.

The wind rustled Sunny's hair. In the stunned silence, Effie suddenly fell to her knees with a pained groan. Her hands were pressed against the breach in her archaic cuirass, bright blood streaming from beneath them.

That sound brought everyone back to reality. With a grim expression on her face, Nephis walked other to the wounded huntress and gently placed her hands on her body. A moment later, soft white radiance shone through the cracks of Effie's armor, healing her wounds and taking the pain away.

Changing Star closed her eyes and bit her lip, drops of crimson blood rolling down her ivory skin.

To take away her companion's suffering, she had to endure a much more harrowing torture.

Sunny coughed, bloody foam flying from his lips, and weakly lowered himself to the ground. He didn't feel too well.

The wall of darkness was growing closer with every moment. The wind was picking up, whistling in the cracks of the ancient statue. It brought the smell of the sea with it.

Sunny grimaced and commanded the Stone Saint to walk over and stand above him.

"What are we going to do now?"

Kai shivered, glanced at the raging wall of clouds, and said:

"Climb lower? The lightning is bound to be drawn to the neck of this giant."

Sunny shook his head.

rise, so most of the statue will be submerged underwater. We will be lucky if the waves aren't high enough to reach this

sighed and looked

"So then… we're dead?"

Sunny smiled darkly.

safe from lightning. Most likely. What you should really be afraid of are the things that all that commotion might

he bent over in another fit of painful

stings

that time, Nephis was done healing Effie.

of sincere worry

did you inhale

to grin, but ended

A little. But don't fret, it's not… there are no flowers growing in my

and she outstretched her hands to place them on Sunny's chest. However, he caught them in the air with his own and stopped

was soft and cool

bother. I'll be fine. Take a look at

stared at him for a few moments. Then, she suddenly

"But doesn't it hurt?"

her hands away and shook

as bad as it going

Nephis frowned.

am used

at her for a long time, his expression hard to

be used to it. You shouldn't be. Especially not on

head slightly, then turned away. Finally, she sighed, lingered for a few seconds, and walked away without

lowered his head and remained motionless

better

terrifying torture of her Flaw, a part of her

that he was the last person in