Shadow Slave

After Effie gave Kai a call and let him know that Sunny was alive and back in the real world, they spent a minute in awkward silence.

Sunny looked around, taking in the sight of his once pristine and orderly living room. Now, there were dirty dishes everywhere, as well as empty packets of take-out food… at least he thought that that was what they were, since he had never actually bought one before.

Effie was such a slob!

There were even several pieces of clothing thrown into a corner!

Speaking of clothing…

'Crap!'

"By the way, Sunny… when did you get this badass tattoo? A big, long snake no less! Makes a girl wonder…"

He sighed heavily, cursing the fact that he had not adjusted the Puppeteer's Shroud after summoning it back in the basement. There were no burns on his skin now, after all.

"...It's not really a tattoo. It's a magical serpent that helps me control and regenerate essence faster. Don't ask why it manifests as a tattoo, because I have no idea, really."

He hesitated for a bit, then asked:

"So you've been just living here for these past few weeks?"

Effie shrugged.

"Sure. Someone had to monitor your vital signs. Plus, my family… well, they deserved a break after taking care of my comatose body for four years, and everything before that. So I bought a very nice place for us, and then, sort of… moved out."

Then, an animated expression appeared on her face:

"Don't worry, though! The stuff you keep in your bedroom remained a secret. I can't even go up the stairs, remember?"

at her in

stuff! I don't even use the bedroom! I

Effie laughed.

that you are not doing it on the bed kind of guy. Oh, yeah! What happened to your

looked

sort of broke

smile

go buy

***

Effie decided to visit an elite shopping center in the center of the city, and then wait for him in a posh restaurant nearby. The former huntress also told Sunny that she would hold off on asking questions about his unexpected adventure until all three of them were together, so that he didn't have to repeat

decide what he wanted to tell his

to think about, and do… the journey into the Sky Below had not only disrupted his plans in the real world, but also added new things to his agenda. From training to wield a spear better to setting up a shop to sell the soul shards he had brought back with the help

Rain. And continue practicing Shadow Dance in the Dreamscape... everyone had forgotten about Mongrel by now, surely. No

'Adult life is hard…'

seemed a bit too luxurious to Sunny, but was a necessity, considering that it would have been hard for Effie to move around in public

disability, but also because she was somewhat of

— the way she looked in the Dream Realm, to be exact — on buildings as the PTV drove toward the heart of the city.

life in the real world could seem sometimes. Even

them hope,

gave

gaze,

"Looking good, am I?"

but to tell the

"...Yeah."

She giggled.

a story to make me seem like some kind of a folk hero in the outer settlement, back when Gunlaug's people were searching for me? Well, the government ran wild with it, as you can see. Plus the fact that I was in charge of the first line during the siege… they made me into a poster girl for the young generation

suddenly grew dark and solemn. After a