Shadow Slave

The human shadow stood lonesomely in the mist, strangely aloof and motionless. As Sunny pulled on the golden rope to command his companions to stop, it shifted slightly and turned away, then became still once again.

Sunny sensed a cold, dreadful feeling settle in his heart.

The possibility of encountering another human in this dark and terrifying place was already unsettling enough. He did not consider even for a second that one of the members of the lost expedition could have survived down here, in the darkness, for all these years. Not unless they were no longer human.

But even that was not the cause for the coldness and dread he felt.

The real reason had nothing to do with logic and everything to do with his unique Aspect. Because of it, Sunny sensed that there was something terribly, utterly wrong with the shadow.

The feeling he got from it was one of eerie and utter wrongness. However, it didn't seem to be dangerous or hostile. Instead, it felt lost, empty, and… mournful. The shadow was full of sorrow and anguish that he could not describe with words.

Sunny was not that empathetic when it came to humans, but strangely, he couldn't help but share in the suffering of this lonely shadow. Maybe because, in a sense, they were kin.

As he was observing the shadow, unsure what to do, it made a few steps in a random direction and then stopped hesitantly, lingering there without moving. Then, it walked back and froze once again.

It was as though the shadow was lost.

A few moments later, Sunny finally understood the nature of the deep feeling of wrongness he felt in the lonesome shadow. When he did, a cold shiver ran through his entire body.

The reason why this shadow was so strange and eerie was because it wasn't connected to anyone. There was no human casting it. Not anymore, at least.

The human that the shadow had once belonged to was gone, cut from existence by some unknown power. Sunny couldn't sense any bones anywhere, either. It was as if the human had not been killed, but simply… erased.

While the shadow remained to wander aimlessly in the mist for all eternity.

'What a terrible fate…'

do now? The shadow was in his way. Sunny had to either walk past it or return back and try to find another way

just a shadow, after all. His own couldn't harm a fly no matter how

sigh, Sunny slowly walked forward. With each step he took, he could sense the lonesome shadow

point, it sensed him,

hesitated for a few moments, then tentatively glided closer. He could feel an outburst of muted emotions

its long-lost master,

well of loneliness, anguish and sorrow in

he outstretched

my hand. You don't

it lingered for a few moments and approached him with uncertainty. Finally, it raised its hand and tentatively

moment later, it

Sunny sighed.

[Your shadow grows stronger.]

into the Soul Sea, he walked along the rows of silent shadows standing on the surface of the tranquil water. And there, just as he had expected,

motionless and still as the rest of them. Her anguish, sorrow, and loneliness were gone. The shadow

a few moments, his heart heavy. Finally,

now. Your… your

the silent sea

darkness with his eyes sealed shut, Sunny remained

golden rope and led the

had to search for another path. It was hard to not lose track of all the turns of the twisting tunnels, but he had somehow