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?

and his own stalwart blade. That Memory was the reason why Changing Star had ventured

at Nephis, then

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

him and didn't answer. Her

Sunny grinned.

secrets, are

appeared in her cold grey eyes. A few

be a true member of this cohort? You chose to be a

remained silent for a bit, then

did, and you have no good reason

Suddenly, Nephis smiled.

you know. If you do, I'll naturally tell you

stared at her for a while,

need. Answer me one question, though. How exactly is that thing supposed to help

a bit, then

"See for yourself."

from sparks of light on her forehead. The bright

the world around

'W—what…'

a couple of times, then slowly lowered his gaze and looked at the fabric

on the

he saw

embers that served as nexuses for the complicated pattern of ethereal strings permeating the Memory

Much, much brighter.

fact, their radiance was now almost as intense as of those inside the black onyx armor he

An Ascended Memory.

'What the hell?'

Blossom from under his armor and stared at it, perplexed. The two embers inside the intricate pendant

peer into

but also singularly powerful enchantment. It empowers all Memories around it. The

'...You don't say!'

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