Shadow Slave

"Why have you come here, Solvane?"

Sunny turned around, looking at the delicate woman who stood behind him, her dress woven out of simple green fabric, a girdle of tree bark wrapped around her thin waist. Despite looking only slightly older than their guest, with soft skin and sparkling hazel eyes, she had a calm and confident presence about her that brought peace and a feeling of safety to all who surrounded her.

The woman looked beautiful, wise… and young. So, so young. She also resembled Sunny very much.

As always, seeing her brought both warm joy and deep sadness to his heart.

Sunny smiled, hiding his sorrow, then said in a tone most gentle and loving:

"...Hey, mom. We have a guest."

The Lady of the Grove — his mother — looked at him for a short moment, and then answered in a voice that rang with tension and urgency:

"Get away from her, child. Now!"

Sunny frowned, confused, then did as he was told, arduously pushing his old body forward with the help of the cane. His heart was sending pulses of pain radiating through his chest… ah, even walking was hard today…

Behind him, a dark smile appeared on the face of the young beauty whom his mother called Solvane. She slowly rose from the grass and faced the Lady of the Grove, her radiant eyes burning with grim light.

"You must know why I came here. There is no need to pretend, Aidre."

Sunny finally reached his mother and stood beside her, turning around to look at the strange pilgrim.

'Something… something isn't right. How does she know my mother's name?'

Was she, perhaps, a powerful Awakened? Well, whoever she was, the eternal guardian of the Sacred Grove was not going to let things get too out of hand. She was not only his mother, but also Transcendent Aidre, the blessed of Heart God, after all. So, there was no reason to worry.

Nothing terrible ever happened in the Sacred Grove.

His thoughts were interrupted by the fact that, suddenly, another brilliant sphere of light appeared in view… this one inside the body of his own mother. Sunny stared at her back for a few moments, then glanced at Solvane. He even looked at the horse.

'Huh…'

Meanwhile, the smile disappeared from Solvane's beautiful face. Her voice turned cold and sharp as she said:

"I have heard rumors that across all of the Kingdom of Hope, a cult of her followers was slowly spreading like a virulent plague. Imagine my surprise… my indignation, my rage... when I discovered that you were the source of this disease. You!"

Sunny's face darkened.

'Ah… so that's what this is all about…'

He had warned his mother that this might happen. Saying anything good about a daemon was tantamount to offending the gods, these days. Maybe he should have followed his own advice and kept his mouth shut earlier…

'Damnation.'

Solvane, meanwhile, clenched her fists.

"I came here wishing to be proven wrong, but instead, saw that the accusations were true. Your own son is infected by this heresy. How… how could you betray us so? You have created a cult of daemon worshippers. You have nurtured the very thing that we were created to prevent!"

The Lady of the Grove scowled.

given? No… no, you are the ones who

the green dress for a while, her expression grim. Then, she slowly shook her

get so twisted? You, out of all of us, should have been the last to become lost. Your god should have protected you… he is

mother chuckle,

no need for us to pretend? Just

then slowly raised her hand. Sunny frowned, noticing that there was now a strange knife forged out of a single strip of dull metal in it. Where did

His mother suddenly trembled.

had never seen her afraid

"You… you wouldn't dare…"

Solvane gritted her teeth.

forced my hand, Aidre. None of us wanted this. But in the

Grove fell silent, then shook her

Noctis would never abandon

a step

would allow something like that to happen? No matter which one of us falls, the one who remains will no longer be fateless. The balance

then, her voice trailed off, and she

that, just then,

Solvane, her

And then, she whispered:

unless you do, better than any of us.

felt his heartache growing stronger. There was a cold sensation grasping his chest, making him clutch at

about? I don't understand... what is going

of the Sacred Grove looked down for a

quiet and full of

see now. I understand. I should have known… that out of all of us, you

Sunny, who was really confused by what was happening, and

child. Please

mother faced the beauty in the red tunic and raised her delicate hand, a knife carved out of a single piece of wood suddenly appearing in it, as

grew firm

on this hallowed ground. I won't

facing her smiled, her radiant eyes shining with

"...Prove it!"

***

"Mom… mom…"

his wrinkled cheeks, evaporating because of the terrible heat. His

him was in pain. And all around him, the Sacred Grove burned, enveloped by incinerating, raging fire. He could hear the screams of its inhabitants echoing in the dim darkness, humans and beasts alike, burning alive as their whole world was being slowly

can this be…

old man, he crawled toward the delicate figure lying on the

die before he

scorching his palms, which were now covered in terrible blisters,

'Mom...'

then, finally, he

fire, shards of a strange iron dagger sizzling in the

he had felt this

No, no… this is just a bad dream,

couldn't. Even if it was just a nightmare, he