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.

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

archer sighed and

"So then… we're dead?"

Sunny smiled darkly.

Most likely. What you should really

that, he bent over in another fit of

stings

Effie. Walking over, she kneeled and

there was an expression of sincere worry

you inhale

to grin, but ended up coughing up

fret, it's not… there are no flowers growing

hands to place them on Sunny's chest. However, he caught them in the air

skin was soft and cool to the

be fine. Take a look

a few moments. Then, she

"But doesn't it hurt?"

pushed her hands away and shook

as it going to hurt

Nephis frowned.

used

a long time, his expression hard to

you to be used to it. You shouldn't

moments. Nephis titled her head slightly, then turned away. Finally, she sighed, lingered for a few seconds, and

his head and remained

better

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

he was the last person in the world that Changing Star should have