Shadow Slave

He sat back down, waited for a while, and then turned to Cassie:

"Did you take a look at her Attributes?"

She sat down, too, and sighed.

"Yes. Her, the four Lost with her. Sir Pierce, too. I also saw the name and Rank of their Aspects."

Sunny frowned.

"What? Since when can you read Aspects, too?"

The blind girl shrugged.

"Since my Awakening."

He stared at her for a bit.

'What a useful Ability…'

In worse news, if she had not known some of his secrets before, she surely knew them now.

'...How infuriating.'

Sunny grimaced, lingered for a bit, and then said:

"Good. Chances are, we'll need that information before all of this is over."

He didn't press her for answers yet, since there was a lot he had to think about.

Some more time passed with both of them remaining silent. After a while, the door of the chamber opened once more, and the familiar four Lost entered. The one with a bandaged head was carrying a tray of food and a waterskin.

He studied them for a few moments, a cold expression on his handsome face, and then threw the food and the waterskin through the iron bars without approaching the cage.

Sunny suppressed his anger and opened his mouth, assuming the persona of a cowardly researcher:

"Hey! Sir… uh… sir Awakened! Can you tell us what is going on? Please, we don't even know what is wrong!"

The sentinel glanced at him darkly and spat in a commanding tone:

"Silence!"

was clear and strong, full of arrogant confidence… and deep animosity toward the two of

Lost left, once again

slowly lowered his gaze and glanced at

suddenly, he threw his head

oh, gods! Never thought I'll

in front of him, reflecting the blue glow of the runes, two colorless tubes of synthpaste were lying on

their shape all too

***

supper, which consisted of a synthetic paste that had the consistency of mud and tasted about the same. Still, this vile invention was cheap to produce and supposed

had not missed the damned

to get was called a "universal ration pack"... or simply a rat pack. It contained a tube of synthpaste, a cheap water filter, and several dry, tasteless crackers. This was what he mostly ate before becoming an Awakened, so now,

Such irony...

while, tired and weak without the essence sustaining

of the cage was so small that Sunny and Cassie had to settle with their backs against each other. With nothing but two layers of thin fabric separating their skin, Sunny could feel the heartbeat reverberating

chilly, but at least his back

silence for a while, trying to fall

did, however, Cassie suddenly

"Sunny…"

voice was

how is she

silent for a few moments, then said with no particular

is a devil already.

sighed, and didn't say anything

the night — if it was night outside — he suddenly woke up, disturbed by a sudden change in her breathing. Through the thin fabric of their clothes, he could feel the blind girl's body tense

then turned around and

the runes, her delicate face seemed white and bloodless. It was contorted in a tortured grimace, with beads of

knowing what to

her visions, this one was painful and terrifying. Was he supposed to wake her up? Or

she suddenly sat up with a stifled yelp. Her chest was

feel

them, making Cassie

it. You're in a cage in Night Temple. Stop thrashing

surrendering to his iron grip. After a while, Cassie took

"...I'm alright."

picked up the mostly empty waterskin, and put it

of their water and closed her eyes, her