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.

at least those who had awoken at the Academy or could make

was strange to see all these people back in the

and so much to split them apart.

Sunny couldn't

'...Weird.'

with warm greetings. Sunny smiled awkwardly and did his best to reciprocate their goodwill. After a few

his friend for a

'I'll be damned…'

could that guy become even

luscious dark auburn hair was now neatly cut and styled, his clothes were simple and exquisitely fashionable, and

'Such… such injustice!'

friend. Kai noticed him from afar, and then, the conference hall suddenly seemed

You are

froze for a second, noticing a stranger next to the charming young man. A sickly, terribly

over brittle bones and a strange twist to her spine. Her legs seemed lifeless and weak, tucked awkwardly on the step of her wheelchair. Her

only when the young woman

You've been struck dumb by my

spun her wheelchair, as though giving him the

'Effie… that's... that's Effie?'

beautiful, and full of vigor — to this weak, gaunt young woman. He only spoke when the pain of the Flaw

What… what the hell

Effie smiled and shrugged.

I've always been, in the

of them

of us, the real world was more of

was what Effie had said, back

the strange expression on his