Shadow Slave

Sunny looked at the terrified young girl, and then… laughed.

...His laughter sounded more than a little bit unhinged.

His lady shuddered:

"Sir, you… you…"

Sunny waved a hand in the air.

"No, no. No need… I understand. I sound crazy."

The night sky above them was covered in an impregnable veil of clouds, and the one below them was empty and dark. The ancient stones they stood upon were slick with rainwater, and it was too dim to see anything except for vague silhouettes.

The silhouette of the Awakened hunter was towering, menacing, and embodied the very concept of terror.

But Sunny didn't care that much.

Massaging his chest, he smiled crookedly and said, his voice hoarse and raspy:

"...But then again, this whole world is insane. Someone told me once… ah, I don't quite remember who… that we can only reflect what is in front of us. Is it my fault that there is nothing in front of me except for madness?"

He looked down, his smile turning into a wicked grin.

"And someone else once told me that they wanted to destroy the world. Back then, I thought them insane… I think… but now, I wonder…"

took a step forward, his monstrous

weak… his

Sunny laughed again.

weak. But I am not weak enough, I guess? Somehow, I have a feeling that I wasn't supposed to be able

glanced at his sword,

some of those nightmares… gods, how cruel they were… did hit a nerve, overall…

stared at the Awakened hunter with a concerned expression, then scratch the back

Or if you have already watched your mother die once, the second time won't be as… well…

slowly backed away from him, her face painted with fear. The Awakened killer tilted his head a little, then asked with

"What?"

Sunny shrugged.

that, real or not, I am really... really, really hard to break. As it turns out. At least not to the point where

sword and pointed it at the

the real life. So, that demands a question… if

a confused

and sometimes fragments of feelings, ideas, and judgments that I have to cause to possess will just appear on their own. Easy to explain in

laughed again and assumed a defensive position, waiting for

and the last thing I noticed were the radiant spheres of light I seem to be able to see inside the souls of living beings… or vile orbs of darkness in those of the Corrupted. It took me a few nightmares to realize that those were soul cores. Strangely, once again,

meet his death…

in my nightmares, I met all kinds of creatures. Awakened warriors, Corrupted monsters… even Transcendent immortals.

past his enemy, at the mighty black steed standing motionless behind him,

question is… why does this damned horse always have

from where the hunter's sword flashed, abandoning the young girl

flying blade and jumped to his feet,

his strike was not directed at the menacing