Shadow Slave

This was the last secret about the fate of the lost expedition that Cassie had gleaned from her visions. But even then, the knowledge she had received was fragmented and incomplete.

All she could tell the members of the cohort was that, once they crossed the dark river and until reaching the next boundary, they had to keep their eyes closed at all cost, no matter what happened. No living thing could see what lay beyond these cold waters and remain... whole.

At least that was what she told them.

Cassie didn't really know herself what would happen if someone failed to follow that rule, but said that she had never felt more terror than in the short moment before the vision showing her the fate of the lost expedition had shattered and everything had grown dark.

This was telling a lot, considering what kinds of horrors the blind girl saw in her vision routinely.

…In any case, this was where Sunny came in.

While looking through the eyes of the shadow was still too dangerous, he could lead the cohort to their destination with the help of his ability to sense space through the shapes of shadows populating it.

At least in theory.

Standing on the shore of the dark river, six humans tied the golden rope around their waists. When everyone was ready, Nephis took out six strips of cloth and a block of wax. Lighting a small white flame on her palm, she sighed and turned to Effie.

"You're first."

The huntress made a complicated face, but then obediently approached their leader.

What followed next looked simultaneously intimate and disturbing. Using her flames to melt the wax, Changing Star gently took Effie's face in her hands and, after the huntress shut her eyes tightly, sealed them with melted wax. Then, she tied the strip of cloth around Effie's head to hold it in place.

When Sunny's turn came, he shifted slightly when Neph's cool hands

later,

is… is this

utter darkness. However, he still had it better than the blind girl. His Shadow Sense was still working,

vastly different

Sense in the past. This was how he

and untied the rope holding it in place. Then, Sunny found the oar and pulled on it, propelling the

mist shrouded everything

the mist they sailed, the more it felt like

much darker, much more ancient, much

speak, so the silence was broken only by the murmur of rushing water and the creaking of

Yeah. I am not scared witless,

with these silly thoughts,

thing kept making

mist and having to keep his eyes closed, Sunny couldn't help but remember the harrowing encounter with the being that

this where

some time had passed — he couldn't tell how much no matter how hard he tried — Sunny suddenly sensed a solid mass in the distance. This was the opposite shore of the

drawing near

the pier and tied the rope around the

sensed another shape swaying on the surface of the water. There was

oracle in their ranks.

why none