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…"

a step forward, his monstrous voice permeating the

so weak… his mind is

Sunny laughed again.

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

at his sword, then at the approaching

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

at the Awakened hunter with a concerned

you have already watched your mother die once, the second time won't be as… well… maybe it would? I

girl slowly backed away from him, her face painted with fear. The Awakened

"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. And notice things. Oh, and

and pointed it at the approaching

seems ache, doesn't matter 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 both the

forward, a confused expression on

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? Or

defensive position,

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

smiled, ready to meet his

nightmares, I met all kinds of creatures. Awakened warriors, Corrupted monsters… even Transcendent immortals. Some of them had one

enemy, at the mighty black steed

is… why does this damned

the opposite direction from where the hunter's sword flashed, abandoning the young girl he was sworn

wet stones, Sunny dove under the flying blade and jumped to his

the menacing killer… instead, it was directed