Shadow Slave

Sunny was tired of the silence, the emptiness, and the quiet dread. The fear of the unknown had been pressing heavily onto his heart, and for a short moment, he wanted for this burdensome uncertainty to end, no matter how violent and dangerous the resulting confrontation would be.

But then, he had to grit his teeth and remind himself that giving in to anger and frustration was a sure way to die. Without knowing the scale of the threat, he had to remain calm and keep a cool head.

His hand, already outstretched to summon a weapon, hovered in the air for a couple of moments, and then relaxed.

Sunny sent one of his shadows forward, and soon saw human figures emerging from one of the passages, some of them limping, the others carrying stretchers with those of their brethren who were too heavily wounded to walk.

The Lost… they were the remaining guardians of the Night Temple. In front of them, a woman in a black tunic was walking, her red hair dirty and damp with sweat. There was a grim, dark expression on her face.

'So there are survivors, after all…'

There were a dozen or so warriors who could still fight, although they didn't seem to be in the best shape. Several were carrying lanterns and torches, the orange flames pushing the darkness reigning in the great hall back. They were still too far away to notice Sunny and Cassie, but he had no doubt that they would be discovered soon.

'What to do, what to do… wait, or hide?'

A moment later, the decision was made for him.

As Sunny watched, one of the Lost suddenly approached Master Welthe and whispered something to her, then pointed directly at the shadow that was observing them from the darkness.

'Crap…'

Sunny was more or less certain in his ability to contend with one of the Ascended knights, provided of course that Saint and the Serpent were on his side. With the dozen Lost supporting the opponent, though… it was a fight he would have preferred to avoid.

Especially considering that what he needed the most right now was information, which the survivors possessed.

Soon, a lone figure separated from the group of battered sentinels and headed their way with measured, steady steps. As soon as Sunny saw who it was, his face darkened.

Master Pierce… the man was as rugged and severe as he had been when they first met, his steely eyes cold and hard. The stubble on his cheeks had turned into a short beard and his lusterless scale mail was damaged in several places, but other than that, he looked exactly the same. It was as though the weeks of bloody horror had no effect on him at all.

Now, the odds were really not in Sunny's favor.

sure of his ability to at least escape, though.

central platform and stopped, studying Sunny and Cassie with a heavy gaze. Sunny cleared

gods… we weren't

suddenly tensed. Knowing that she must have sensed something happening in the next few seconds, Sunny prepared for the worst. However, noting that the blind girl remained motionless, he didn't do anything rash,

Pierce spoke, his

What do

surrounded the platform. Sunny cursed inwardly, and watched as ten human figures appeared from the sparks, surrounding them.

a shiver. Their empty eyes, their empty shadows… no, they weren't humans at all. Instead, ten Echoes

stared at

that the two of you are still

about how

"Oh… about that…"

he could say anything, he noticed that Cassie turned her head slightly and glanced somewhere behind him, a small frown

his back thanks to the

the next moment, when something cold touched his neck and a vaguely familiar

"Don't move."

Sunny froze.

guarding the gates on the day we arrived? Why can't I see her, or

able to don some form of invisibility thanks to

one nasty

He pretended to tremble.

I am not

one spoke. Then, Cassie turned her face toward

what is happening. We barely escaped the cage you

at her for a bit,

That is a good joke. Give me one reason

she remained silent for a few seconds, and then said in a calm and

be Ascended, but we did not receive our designations for nothing. How many of your men and Echoes will we

for a moment, and