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 voice permeating

weak… his mind

Sunny laughed again.

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, then at

did. Actually, while some of those nightmares… gods, how cruel they were… did hit a nerve, overall… I am surprised

hunter with a 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

face painted with fear. The Awakened killer tilted his head a little, then

"What?"

Sunny shrugged.

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

slowly raised his sword and pointed it at the approaching

or in the real life. So, that demands a question… if the heartache is the same,

a step forward, a

of my thoughts, actions, and 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,

and assumed a defensive position,

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, this

ready to meet his death… once

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

enemy, at the mighty black steed standing

why does this damned

sword flashed, abandoning the young girl he was sworn to

under the flying blade and jumped to his feet, putting all of his

the menacing killer… instead, it was directed at the