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?'

question was soon

as though the whole population of the Bright Castle had gathered here. There were the Guards, the

noticed a few familiar faces. Stev, the 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 them had troubled, frightened expressions on their faces. Others were relaxed and joyful, waiting for an

humans. Those were the Echoes belonging to

are they out of their

carved into the wall of the dark alcove, the four lieutenants of

…and Harus, of course.

there with

sure that today, at least one

suddenly turned and glanced at Sunny. This time, however, Sunny did not look away. He stared straight into the hunchback's glassy eyes,

had to catch a glimpse of this butcher hard at work. What Aspect Ability does

few moments, then tilted his head and smiled with strange amusement. A second later, he

floor. Then, he gave Nephis a dark look and joined the other

hundred or so slum dwellers were 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