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?

Memory was the reason why Changing Star had ventured on this expedition, to begin with. The thing that was supposed to somehow give her a

at Nephis, then

headband… what is it called? No, actually, let me guess. Dawn Shard? Dusk

and didn't answer. Her ivory face was calm and

Sunny grinned.

of secrets, are

her cold grey eyes. A few moments later, she

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

for a bit, then

and you have no good reason

Suddenly, Nephis smiled.

you know. If you do,

for a while, then shook his

me one question, though. How exactly is that thing

a bit, then simply

"See for yourself."

behind by the First Lord weaved itself from sparks of light on her forehead.

the world around

'W—what…'

lowered his gaze and looked

on the spellweave

saw

that served as nexuses for the complicated pattern

Much, much brighter.

as of those inside the black onyx armor he

An Ascended Memory.

'What the hell?'

thread tied around his neck, Sunny fished out the Blood Blossom from under his armor and stared at it, perplexed. The two embers inside the

to peer into the inner weave of Memories,

around it. The area of effect of the enchantment is very large… but the enhancement it provides is

'...You don't say!'

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