Shadow Slave

Raising his hand, Sunny gave Aiko and Stev a signal to remain quiet. Then, with a frown, he commanded the shadow to abandon its hiding spot and find the Guards.

'They can't be near us… I would have heard them.'

Then where did the bastards go?

Soon, he had his answer.

The three Guards were in the corridor a hundred or so steps from Sunny's current position, just behind a corner. In a place where they shouldn't have been, since it was way off their previous route.

They were also dead.

Two had their skulls smashed in. Sunny did not know what weapon, tool, or limb was used to kill them, because their Memory armors had already disappeared. It had to have been something capable of piercing through steel, though, because the Guards had been wearing helmets the last time he saw them.

The third was even worse. His throat was torn, seemingly with terribly sharp fangs… to such degree that the young man's head was almost separated from his body. One would expect a sea of blood to come out of such a terrible wound, but in fact, there was surprisingly little of it on the floor.

However, the corpse of the Guard was unnaturally pale, as if devoid of blood completely.

'Curses…'

Sunny felt a cold shiver run through his body.

The shadow cautiously looked around, but didn't notice anyone else present on the scene of the gruesome slaughter.

Aiko and Stev were staring at Sunny with alarmed expressions. After waiting for several minutes, he finally relaxed a little and motioned for them to follow.

"What happened?"

He hesitated for a few seconds, then said in an even tone:

"The Blood Lord has just been here."

Their eyes widened.

"That fiend?! Then why aren't we running?!"

Sunny glanced at them with a calm expression.

worry, it's already

however, he was

he would be scared of. One that managed to get past his shadow and slaughter them just a hundred steps away without making enough noise

what kind of an abomination is

the place where the Guards had been killed to reach their destionation. Soon, the

Sunny frowned slightly, while Aiko and Stev had to struggle to keep

"Gods… poor bastards…"

with a dark expression. He was hoping to notice something that his shadow had

no signs that anyone except for the three Guards

Can we please leave? This crap doesn't seem to bother you, but I… I mean, Stev seems to be really scared. Just imagine what is going to happen if he faints and falls. The whole Castle will hear,

hesitated for a

something glint in the pool of blood. The shadow had not noticed it earlier

of metal, then brought it close to

an intricate silver earring in the shape of a flower blossom. It wasn't a charm Memory, though… just a simple piece of

is that thing doing

lingered for a few moments

out of

***

Changing Star's territory. The Sleepers standing watch were surprised to

Aiko raised an eyebrow.

going to inspect us?

each other, and then

would.

young

he in very high regard around

watchman gave a strange look, then coughed with a

It's just that starting a conversation with

stared at him with

supposed to

hurriedly

Uh, I need to inspect

made a

scam him out

away and led