Shadow Slave

Sunny stared at the terrifying fiend for a few moments, then suddenly grimaced, clutched his chest, and fell to one knee.

A bestial growl escaped through his sharp fangs.

'Argh!'

His heart was beating wildly, sending waves of pain rolling through his exhausted body. He felt weak and light-headed, beads of sweat glistening on his obsidian skin. This condition was only worsened by the usual sense of frailty that came from utterly depleting reserves of essence.

Sunny felt… infirm.

'God… damn it! Am I… am I having a heart attack?'

He groaned, remained motionless for a bit, and then slowly stood up. Still clutching his chest, he hunched awkwardly and looked around, trying to determine which island he had found himself on, and what wicked creature might have kept the Corrupted monstrosity at bay.

His pupils widened slightly.

'No way…'

The night was slowly advancing, and the island was drowned by the dimming resplendence of a beautiful crimson sunset. Despite only having been here once, Sunny recognized the place… the vastness of the island, the emerald grass that veiled its surface like a soft carpet, the rolling hills, the moss-covered ruins…

He had reached the Southern island, where the crumbling fortress lay at the estuary of the Great Chain, one of the anchors which connected the Isles to the mainland of the Dream Realm far below.

Well… the fortress had been ruined in the future. Currently, it might have been still standing.

'...Such luck.'

Sunny was glad to learn that he had arrived at the southernmost point of the Chained Isles during his mad escape from the Black Tar fiend. However, he was still uneasy about the fact that the abomination refused to approach it.

to fight anything, let alone a creature capable of

what choice

were simple: he could either jump back on the heavenly chain and try

for a bit… and then started limping away from

was familiar… but who knew, maybe he was going to get

going to turn out friendly

not? Sure. Statistically speaking, a thing like that

***

already descended upon the world, and a full moon was climbing up the velvet surface of the starlit sky. The hills became shrouded in

in his chest had subsided somewhat, but Sunny

boundary fortress, and studied his surroundings carefully in search of any sign of danger. If there

veiled by the shadows, he looked at a shimmering white light that danced some distance away, in the center of

'What… what is this?'

for a moment, then commanded the gloomy shadow to slide off from his body and get closer

the shadow hesitated,

Sunny blinked.

you waiting for?! Get down there! You can run away if things go

gave him a long look, then

saw

his face obscured by the falling hair. He

a stone in front of him, a diamond sickle lay, its

pale moonlight, was eerie and strangely beautiful. Sunny found himself slightly hypnotized by

a while, the man let

then, suddenly, spoke in a bright and melodious

Share the warmth of this fire with me,