Shadow Slave

As Sunny studied the bodies, Master Jet went away to talk to the police officers, and then returned with one of them. There was a disappointed expression on her face.

"No usable recordings left. Figures… places like this one only exist because they value the privacy of their clients. And the few cameras they did have show nothing but darkness."

Sunny looked at her, then sighed:

"Not much to tell from the victims, too. The murderer just used their fists."

She shrugged.

"That's how it usually goes, in situations like this. The most likely scenario is that the murderer was one of the clients, who went on a rampage because of either alcohol or stimulants, and a momentary failure to hold on to their sanity. So I doubt that this mess was premeditated."

Master Jet remained silent for a moment, and then added:

"He was lucid enough to use his Aspect to obscure the cameras, though. So dealing with him won't be too simple."

With that, she turned to the police officer and asked:

"Any survivors? Do we have witnesses?"

He hesitated for a bit, then gave her a strange look.

"That… yes, actually, there are a few. But…"

The officer didn't finish the sentence, and just stared at them with an uneasy expression.

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

"But what? Are they refusing to talk?"

The policeman shook his head slowly.

"No, they're not refusing. They just… I don't know, something is wrong with them. They just don't speak, or even react really. I've seen a lot of people in shock, and sometimes, they can seem almost catatonic. But this… this is something else. Gave us all the creeps, to be honest."

Sunny and Master Jet glanced at each other, and then, one of them said:

"Lead the way."

The officer sighed, then escorted them to the back of the club, where an inconspicuous door led to the service rooms. The witnesses were gathered in a small office, standing there motionlessly, with nervous paramedics trying to determine the reason for their condition.

five of them, all sharing the same blank, strangely peaceful expression on their faces. They were completely silent,

were calm and

Sunny paled.

how is this

took him a second to recognize

survivors at all. These people

precise, they

can a mundane human be

cold shiver run

at Master Jet, he saw that she had a deep frown

this, this just made the whole situation frightening and eerie. If before Sunny was just disgusted, now, he was starting to

"What the hell?"

the five Hollows for a few moments, then turned to the

break, guys. Let these people

a mature woman with short blond hair

but they're

out a heavy

souls are destroyed. There is nothing you can do to help

at her for a while, then glanced at the ground and silently walked away. Her colleagues followed, expressions of regret, anger, and horror clearly written on

standing as far away from the Hollows as he

silently for a few moments,

your question, I don't

hesitated for a

human become a Hollow? It's only supposed to happen

silently shook her head. Eventually, Master

small chance of a powerful soul attack creating a Hollow. But beings capable of dealing direct soul damage are very rare, so

to the five empty humans and studied

you do something

lingered for a bit, then answered

I am

not just the fact that they were Hollow. There

feeling of subtle,

reached out with

Jet did not miss

Did you

gritted his teeth,