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.

forgotten the solemn oath we had given? No… no, you are the ones who are blind

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

soul to get so twisted? You, out of all of us, should have been the last to become lost. Your god should

heard his mother chuckle, her voice devoid

need for us to pretend? Just say what you have come to say, and

in a red tunic remained silent for a long time, 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 it come

His mother suddenly trembled.

had never seen her

"You… you wouldn't dare…"

Solvane gritted her teeth.

us wanted this. But in the end, they all

of the Grove fell silent, then

lie. Noctis would never

step forward, and

of your own will, with none of the other Chain Lords giving their permission. Do you really think that they 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 of power between us seven will be no irrevocably broken, obliterated. Are you mad?

trailed off, and she stumbled. Her beautiful hazel eyes

shivered, feeling that, just then, something had gone terribly, terribly

mother stared at Solvane, her face growing

And then, she whispered:

unless you do, better than any of us. Oh... oh, Solvane! How ruthless

his heartache growing stronger. There was a cold sensation grasping his chest, making

about?

looked down for a

voice was quiet and full of

I understand. I should have known… that out of all of us, you are the bravest. This sacrifice, Solvane... even in the Realm of Shadows, I

who was really confused by what was happening,

Please forgive me, if

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

grew firm

hallowed ground. I won't give up

facing her smiled, her radiant eyes

"...Prove it!"

***

"Mom… mom…"

on bitter smoke. Tears streamed down his wrinkled cheeks, evaporating

He could hear the screams of its inhabitants echoing in

this

hands of a useless old man, he crawled toward the delicate figure lying on the ground a few meters… so, so far…

refused to die before he

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

'Mom...'

finally, he reached

of a strange iron dagger sizzling in the bloodsoaked mud around her. Swallowing tears, Sunny awkwardly hugged her body and

familiar? As though he had felt this

you dead? Weren't you supposed to be immortal? How can this be? No, no… this is just a bad dream, a nightmare. I need to wake up! Wake up, you old fool!

did, he couldn't. Even if it was just a nightmare, he was trapped in it, unable