Shadow Slave

Left on the top of the tall mound of crimson coral, Cassie stood alone in the darkness.

Now that the Quiet Dancer had left her side, she was back to her previous self.

Lost.

Weak.

Frightened.

Utterly helpless.

The oppressive nothingness surrounded her from all sides.

But that nothingness was full of sound.

It swelled with the deafening cacophony of the nightmare horde's onslaught. Cassie heard howls, growling, inhuman screams, shrieks, and the scraping of chitin.

She heard the clangor of steel and the sound of flesh being ripped apart.

She also heard countless human voices calling out to any kind of deity that could save them. Full of fury, agony, bravery, fear, resolve, sorrow, strength, helplessness, hope, faith, despair, disbelief.

She heard them dying.

Standing above it all, Cassie shivered. She wanted to press her hands against her ears, but didn't.

…Her terrible vision was coming true.

And she was back to being lost in the darkness.

Just like before. Worse than before. Almost like on that first day in this cursed, forsaken, lightless land.

In this forgotten hell.

Back then, she had found herself stranded on a similar mound of coral. Only what surrounded her was the dark sea and not a horde of Nightmare Creatures.

But Cassie didn't know that. She didn't know where she was, and what was hiding in the boundless darkness. She only knew that she was alone, and helpless.

That she was going to die in that lonesome, cold nothingness.

hard coral, she hugged her

a cold and

"...What are you doing?"

asking anything in return, not before, and not after learning of what Cassie's Aspect was

she

brought her out of the darkness and destroyed the bitter, all-encompassing prison of her loneliness. How was Cassie supposed

to be callous and cruel, but was

had to

had to live with that

Or die with it...

the sounds of slaughter, a sudden gust of

turned to face

face paled, and her

'No!'

alone, away from the battle and anyone who could have heard her, Cassie

storm… there is a

***

Dreamer Army became much smaller, but still held on. In fact, it was slowly pushing the horde of the

to replace them summoned their melee weapons and joined the vanguard, reinforcing its dwindling numbers. The Artisans had done the same, abandoning their siege engines and throwing themselves into the

endless reserve of fresh bodies. With no more abominations crossing the bridges of crimson coral and lunging forward

with Effie stalling the entire horde to give the rest

seemed to

the humans to turn that balance in their

"Come on! Hold strong!"

"Lit yourself on fire!"

"Follow the Immortal Flame!"

of this battle was about to be decided, a gust of wind suddenly blew over the battlefield, bringing with it the

The light dimmed slightly.

for a few moments. Their faces became as

devouring the world. It was approaching

A storm was coming.

black water

it began to crawl

then faster and faster, the black whirlpool swelled and moved forward, swallowing the crimson coral meter after a meter, its dark vastness

cursed sea was coming to devour

guarded the Crimson Spire, however, did not react in

away to find shelter, they howled and shrieked in eerie triumph, and