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…"

his monstrous voice permeating the darkness like an

weak… his mind

Sunny laughed again.

I am very, very weak. But I am not weak enough, I guess? Somehow, I have a feeling that I wasn't supposed to be able to last that long. Who would be able to endure that much pain, that much

his sword,

did. Actually, while some of those nightmares… gods, how cruel they were… did hit a nerve, overall… I am surprised to admit that... they really weren't that

concerned expression, then scratch the

die once, the second time won't be as… well… maybe it would? I don't know… I am a bit confused about

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

"What?"

Sunny shrugged.

or not, I am really... really, really hard to break. As it turns out. At least not to the point where I'll be unable to think. And notice things.

sword and pointed it at the approaching

whether it's in a nightmare or in the real life. So, that demands a question… if the heartache is the same, then maybe the nature of

took a step forward, a confused expression

reactions don't really make sense. Sometimes my hands will try to do something on their own, 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 a dream… not so much in the waking world. And I am awake, am I? Or am I?

laughed again and assumed a defensive position, waiting for the terrifying

took me a few nightmares to realize that those were soul cores. Strangely, once again, this ability pursued me from the nightmares into

ready to meet

kinds of creatures. Awakened warriors, Corrupted monsters… even Transcendent immortals. Some of them had one soul

lingered for a moment, and then looked past his enemy, at the mighty black steed

why does this damned horse

that, he dashed in the opposite direction from where the hunter's sword flashed, abandoning the young girl he was sworn to protect without

to his feet, putting all of his weight into an

menacing