Shadow Slave

Sunny found himself in the tranquil darkness of his Soul Sea.

It seemed as empty and silent as usual… the three black suns burned with dark flames above him, arranged in a perfect triangle. Small spheres of light — his Memories — floated between them like dying stars. The silent waters were vast and motionless, and some distance away, just beyond the periphery of his vision, the rows of lifeless shadows stood, unmoving.

However, this time something was different.

Sunny did not remember entering the Soul Sea, or even wishing to do so. More than that, he couldn't perceive the real world at all. Usually, visiting this place resulted in a strange split of his consciousness, with one part of it exploring the depths of his soul, while the other remained aware of his actual surroundings. It was akin to imagining a landscape… doing so did not turn you blind and deaf.

But now, he was here and only here, as nothing existed outside of this dark and silent sea.

Come to think of it, it was a lonely and frightening place. Untethered from the real world and surrounded by nothing except for deathly silence, Sunny did not feel as calm and comfortable as he usually would.

…And he wasn't really alone in the darkness.

"What a strange soul you have…"

Hearing those words, Sunny flinched, then turned around.

The voice that had spoken them did not belong to Welthe. It was familiar and pleasant, just like it had been in the lightless abyss of the Sky Below… Mordret was speaking with hi real voice once again.

The Prince of Nothing stood some distance away, looking up with a curious smile on his face. Now, for the first time, Sunny saw how he must have looked before his true body was destroyed.

Mordret was tall and slender, with pale skin and raven-black hair. He seemed to be in his twenties, older than Kai and Effie by a couple of years. His face was sharp and thin… not exactly handsome, but at the same time charming and strangely beautiful. His most striking feature, though, were his eyes, which didn't seem to possess a color of their own, and instead reflected the world back on itself like two pools of liquid silver.

Currently, they were as dark and lightless as the endless abyss of the void.

color. He wore no armor, and didn't seem to bear any

him, however, was that Mordret's face seemed familiar. In fact… he looked exactly like a slightly older, male version of Morgan of Valor.

another thing that Sunny saw which

a pale golden glow. The same kind

'Curses…'

Sunny's soul curiously, then looked at him with

Sunless! I really do wonder what your little friend was thinking,

the

thinking? Trying to understand an oracle is a fool's errand, you

Mordret chuckled.

been said. Well, I guess we will find

then

already? What's so great about it that you would rather have me than

of

says I can't have

wasn't. Sunny had already experienced Mordret's habit of dodging questions to be misled this way. He frowned and

The invader laughed.

Awakened, but then, who else should I make a vessel if I wish to Ascend myself? Plus, your body suits my current needs perfectly. You have an Aspect that gifts

another step forward

when I found out that you were just like me. And that thing you have… I am very curious to find out what it is that allowed you to make me blind, back in the Ebony Tower. Such a powerful anti-divination artifact will make my life much, much easier… so, you see, although I am not too happy about it, taking you as a vessel is a regretful, but inevitable choice

Ebony Tower? Sunny had worn Weaver's Mask to read the

Sunny from his spying, as well… and more than that, the Mirror Beast had not managed to glimpse its secrets. So, Mordret did not know what it was, just that there was something in Sunny's

eyes, though, something else