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.

the statue will be submerged underwater. We

sighed

"So then… we're dead?"

Sunny smiled darkly.

Stone doesn't conduct electricity too well, so we will be safe from lightning. Most likely. What you should really be afraid of are the things that all that commotion might

that, he bent over in another fit of

that stings a

Effie. Walking over, she kneeled and

of

did you

tried to grin, but ended

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

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

and

be fine. Take a look at

for a few

"But doesn't it hurt?"

away and

as bad as it going to hurt

Nephis frowned.

am used to

for a long time, his expression hard to read. Then, he

know. But I don't want you to be used to it. You shouldn't be. Especially

left unsaid hung between them for a few moments. Nephis titled her head

his head and remained motionless for a

it's better

Nephis silently endured the terrifying torture of her Flaw, a part of her humanity was burned away by the merciless purity

in the world that Changing Star should have been helping.