Shadow Slave

Sunny smiled and leaned back on his chair, then looked at his friends with curiosity.

There was a question he really wanted to ask, but tried not to up until now.

"...What's your second Ability, anyway?"

His words hung in the air for a few moments. Suddenly, Kai coughed with embarrassment and looked away. After a couple of seconds, he said in a strange tone:

"I, uh… can see really far now, when I want to. Even when there's no light. I am also supposed to be able to see through illusions and all forms of obfuscation, whatever that means. And… uh… I can also see through objects.

Sunny and Effie stared at him and asked almost simultaneously:

"Like, through walls?"

"Like, through clothes?"

Kai hid behind his glass, lingered for a bit, and then answered in a small voice:

"...Yes. But I would never!"

While Sunny tried to imagine why would Kai refuse to look through walls, Effie laughed out loud.

"I see, I see. What a great Ability!"

She shook her head, then turned to Sunny and asked:

"Hey, doofus. I bet you often wanted to stab me with something sharp. Wanna try?"

He frowned in confusion, then raised an eyebrow.

"No. Why would I stab you?"

on her face, then sighed

demonstrate my second Ability to you. Basically, it makes my whole body invulnerable. Well… comparatively, of course. Skin

very powerful Ability. Combined with Effie's previous one, it turned her into

glanced at him and asked

"Well, what about you?"

He shifted slightly.

of conditional short-distance teleportation. Kai can see through walls, I can go through walls… while you can

Effie grinned.

choice of words.

hurriedly changed

guys?

the conversation. For a while, a strange silence settled among them. All three had

inevitable, really, but they tried to avoid the discussion for as long as possible. Mostly because it was both slightly awkward and slightly sad. Back on the Forgotten Shore, the three of them had forged a bond, and now, depending on their choices, that bond would most likely either weaken or break. The future was going to lead each on their own path, perhaps

better or worse, they were about to go their separate ways. Perhaps fate would bring them together again, one

a while,

I have received invitations from both clan Valor and clan Song, but… you know me. I don't do well with authority. Plus, none of them have moved a finger to help me when I really needed it.

her wheelchair, then slumped

for the Second Nightmare would be. Maybe I'll have a better chance of becoming a Master soon if I stay independent and don't have to compete against the

rank of a Master would free Effie from her terrible disability, so Sunny understood her

that for her, striving

his own, Sunny had ended up in a similar

few moments. Then, he

I'll be going there soon. I won't have to fight another Nightmare Creature for a long, long time. I guess. Maybe even

his life, he didn't sound too happy. There

Sunny frowned.

person should, not having to worry about being eaten every goddamn day. Don't even think about feeling bad

charming young man smiled sadly and

ungratefulness. But what about

the back of

my way into receiving a salary from the Academy as a research assistant, whatever that means. So, uh… actually, I haven't decided on a particular Citadel yet. But I can pick pretty much any of them, since the government is being very