Shadow Slave

Soon, he was able to make out the silhouettes of seven people walking across the chain. They were led by a delicate beauty in a light polished armor, her pale blond hair dancing in the wind. Cassie walked with her eyes covered by the silver half-mask, her hand resting on the hilt of the Quiet Dancer. If Sunny didn't know that she was blind, he would have not suspected it.

…The Fire Keepers had returned from their lengthy expedition to the Desecrated Grove.

In the end, it took them almost two months to find the… whatever they had been searching for on that remote and ghastly island. And now, it was time for Sunny to join them in the assault on the ancient shipwreck.

He grimaced.

After two months spent without returning to the real world, members of Cassie's cohort looked weathered and exhausted. They were covered in dirt and dust, and their armor bore marks of countless battles. However, these young men and women seemed to be healthy and in good mood. There was a spring to their steps, and as they got closer, Sunny could see smiles on their lips.

Two of them were carefully carrying a large box fashioned out of crude wooden boards. He assumed that it contained the thing Cassie had spent two months looking for.

Sunny tilted his head, curious.

'What might it be, I wonder?'

Eventually, they noticed him, too.

Cassie slowed down a little, and in the next moment, the Fire Keeper walking behind her gently touched her on the shoulder and said something. Then, he gestured toward Sunny and waved a hand.

Sunny sighed and dismissed the Memory of Fire.

'Ugh… people…'

In the six months spent on the Chained Isles, he had gotten accustomed to only dealing with other Awakened in small doses. Knowing that he was going to have to be in the company of relative strangers for a while and fight with them side by side did not make Sunny happy.

In that regard, Mordret had been a perfect companion. He only appeared once every few days for a short while, helped Sunny with advice, and then disappeared without a trace, not asking for anything in return.

If only all relationships could be so simple…

Sadly, the mysterious prince was still nowhere to be found. Sunny had not heard from him ever since returning from the Ivory Tower, almost making him think that he had simply imagined the whole thing.

The mirror shard he kept in the Covetous Coffer reminded him that he had not, though.

Sunny forced a smile to appear on his face, and waved at the Fire Keepers in return.

"Welcome back, guys! It's good to see you... sort of..."

***

to clean themself up and fill their stomachs, they gathered in a spacious room provided to them by the White Feather clan. Sunny looked around the room

so tiny? Even if his True Name remained a secret, Sunny was still

a corner, and the seven

How have you

few moments, then

"...Busy. Really busy."

young man who had

keeping

his runes, and glanced

It read:

Shadow Fragments: [1936/2000].

He sighed.

Chained Isles. By the way, if any of you want to purchase something, just let me

Keepers gave him

funny? That's a legitimate

was placed, with possible routes to the Shipwreck Island marked on it. From the look of it, they were well-thought-out and

expression appeared

really serious. We are actually planning to attack a Corrupted Monster

him

"Indeed."

He sighed.

me ask you

silent without finishing the question and suddenly

The blind girl frowned.

"Are you alright?"

Sunny waved a hand.

I, uh… oh right, you haven't been back to the real world

raised an

Why is that

looked at him

let's get back to the Corrupted

a few

and Class, the general characteristics, and a few details that the White Feather clan had shared with us. Master Roan had thought the thing