Shadow Slave

As the last spark of light disappeared, Nephis tilted her head to the side and remained silent for a few moments. Then, she lowered her gaze and said, addressing the First Lord:

"Thank you."

She hesitated, as though wishing to say more, but eventually just took a step back.

Kai, however, wasn't that reserved. Bowing deeply, he remained with his head down for a while, then straightened his back, looked at the skeleton, and voiced something that a few of them must have been thinking:

"Thank you. We will… we will finish what you started."

His words echoed above the cold water, eventually disappearing into the darkness. A heavy silence settled above the shore of the underground river.

A few seconds later, the charming archer turned to the rest of them and asked with uncertainty:

"I think… should we bury him?"

The members of the cohort looked at each other. Before anyone could voice their opinion, though, Sunny suddenly spoke:

"No. Just leave him as he is. He wanted to be closer to his friends when he died, so… just don't touch him."

With that, he turned his head and looked away.

Since the First Lord died outside of the terrible maze, his shadow was gone, too. Now it was just dumb and empty, like most shadows cast by inanimate objects. He had not shared in the harrowing fate of his companions, which meant that Sunny couldn't help him reunite with them… even slightly.

Neither could they bring the remains of the First Lord back outside, to bury him near the girl who had died in the quarry.

It was better to just leave him be.

'Forget about it. Think of something else.'

Sunny had other matters to consider, anyway.

That strange Memory that Nephis had absorbed… he had never even heard of a Memory that could exist outside of someone's soul. Had the First Lord somehow relinquished the ownership of it, or was this a quality that all Shard Memories possessed?

was, without a doubt, another Shard Memory — just like Effie's spear and his own stalwart blade. That Memory was the reason why Changing Star had ventured on this expedition, to begin with. The thing

at Nephis,

No, actually,

at him and didn't answer. Her ivory face

Sunny grinned.

secrets,

in her cold grey eyes. A few moments later,

the one who made it clear that you don't want to be a true member of this cohort? You chose to be a hired blade yourself… did you not? Why should I share my secrets with

remained silent for a bit,

I did, and you have no good reason to

Suddenly, Nephis smiled.

change your mind, you know. If you do, I'll naturally tell you

stared at her for a while, then

one question, though. How exactly is that thing

a bit, then simply

"See for yourself."

moment later, the headband left behind by the First Lord weaved itself from sparks of light on her forehead. The

something about the

'W—what…'

his gaze

the spellweave beneath

saw

served as nexuses for the complicated

Much, much brighter.

those inside the black onyx armor he had purchased at the Memory

An Ascended Memory.

'What the hell?'

his armor and stared at it,

peer into the inner

single, but also singularly powerful enchantment. It empowers all Memories around it. The area of effect of the enchantment is very large… but the enhancement it provides is ever

'...You don't say!'

was the right word to describe the effect of the Dawn Shard. He had never heard of a Memory being capable of rising