Shadow Slave

The crowd poured into the castle, their faces contorted with anger and resentment. However, as soon as the slum dwellers passed beneath the swaying skulls that hung above the gates, their fury turned cold.

In the echoing stone halls of the Bright Castle, it was hard to forget that Gunlaug's power was absolute. For as long as any of them remembered, he had ruled over the Dark City with an iron fist, elevating those who bowed to him and destroying those who did not.

Countless men and women had tried to challenge the Bright Lord in the past… great people, terrible people, and everyone in-between. It was their skulls that now stared at the crowd, darkness nesting in their eyes.

Finally, doubt and fear appeared in the hearts of the inhabitants of the outer settlement. Many of them stared at Nephis, their faces turning dim and listless.

Changing Star did not react to this sudden change in one way or another. Looking straight ahead, she calmly walked forward, an indifferent expression on her face. Her usual mask was in its place once again, preventing anyone from knowing her true thoughts.

Trying to remain unnoticed, Sunny made his way to the front of the crowd to be closer to Nephis, Effie, and Caster. No one paid him any attention. In the grand scheme of things, people thought of him as an insignificant piece, if at all.

Just like he wanted them to.

From his point of view, the atmosphere in the Bright Castle seemed to be a bit strange, and not because of the invading horde of slum dwellers. Its halls and corridors were too empty, too lifeless. He didn't see any people hurrying on their daily business, as they always would. Even the opulent desk in the entrance hall was empty, the clerk usually present behind it absent for some reason.

'Where is everyone?'

was

of Sleepers standing along its walls, waiting to meet them. It seemed as though the whole population of the Bright Castle had gathered here. There were the Guards, the Hunters, the Artisans, the quiet Handmaidens.

large man in charge of the Memory Market, stood uncomfortably near the members of the Host. There was also Aiko, the owner of the gambling den, and many others whom he remembered from his brief stay

the throne room of their own free will. Many of

standing among the humans. Those were the Echoes belonging to

are they out of their owners'

end of the great hall, illuminated by the false stars that were carved into the wall of the dark alcove, the four lieutenants of the Bright

…and Harus, of course.

the dreadful hunchback, who just stood there

was pretty sure that today, at least one

Sunny did not look away. He stared straight into the hunchback's glassy eyes, a calm and

without being seen even once. With so many victims, somebody had to catch a glimpse of this butcher hard at

amusement. A

hall and threw Effie down, forcing her to kneel on the floor. Then, he gave Nephis a dark look and joined the other lieutenants on the steps leading to

standing at one end of the throne room, their faces grim and full of dark apprehension. With the exception of those directly serving Changing Star, most of them were dressed in dirty rags, with only a few wearing a proper armor. Some were unarmed, some had Memories or makeshift weapons hanging on their belts, and some even had swords hastily fashioned out of the