Shadow Slave

Leaving the Sleeper Compound, Sunny felt as though even the winter cold could not keep him from feeling sleepy anymore. Wondering what time it was, he looked up out of habit and glanced at the sun.

The sun was all wrong.

Suddenly, Sunny was wide awake, his hand instinctively outstretched to summon the Midnight Shard. It took him a few moments to recognize his error.

'Oh. The sun is normal. It's just not the same as on the Forgotten Shore.'

He also didn't have to measure time by observing the sky anymore. He had a communicator that could show him what time of day it was, up to the exact nanosecond.

Shaking his head, Sunny headed back toward the hospital complex. He was late for a… a memorial. Of sorts.

The survivors of the Dreamer Army were supposed to gather today to celebrate those who remained alive and remember those who had fallen.

Entering the medical center, he headed toward the conference hall, but then lingered for a moment in front of a monitor attached to the wall. There, a hundred names were shown, listing everyone who had made it back.

And on the very top of it, there were three very special ones:

"Raised by Wolves"

"Nightingale"

"Song of the Fallen"

Effie, Kai, and Cassie…

Sunny stared at the three True Names for some time, then slowly lowered his gaze. Right beneath was his own name.

With a grim expression on his face, Sunny opened the doors and entered the hall.

were all there, at least those who had awoken at the Academy or could make it there for the memorial. He looked

strange to see all these people back in the real world. Especially without

were out of danger and had lost their leader, there wasn't a lot to keep them together, and so much to split them apart. Before, they were united by necessity and the irresistible will of

that Sunny couldn't quite understand, but there was no division between them. On the contrary, every

'...Weird.'

best to reciprocate their goodwill. After a few such encounters, he finally noticed

and stared at his friend

'I'll be damned…'

that guy become

electric green eyes even more mesmerizing. His luscious dark auburn hair was now neatly cut and styled, his clothes

'Such… such injustice!'

friend. Kai noticed him

are

next to the charming young man. A sickly, terribly

defective about her body. She was unhealthily thin, with pale skin stretching over brittle bones and a strange twist to her spine. Her legs seemed lifeless and weak, tucked awkwardly on the

the young woman smiled mischievously

the matter, doofus? You've been struck dumb by

though giving him

'Effie… that's... that's Effie?'

moments, trying to connect the image of the mighty huntress he knew — tall, strong, beautiful, and full

what the hell

Effie smiled and shrugged.

I've always been,

in Sunny's memory. He remembered how the two of them sat

real world was

was what Effie

the strange expression on his face,