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 the darkness like

his

Sunny laughed again.

supposed to be able to last that long. Who would

glanced at his sword, then

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

hunter with a concerned expression,

die once, the second time won't be

painted with fear. The Awakened killer tilted his head a

"What?"

Sunny shrugged.

not to the point where I'll

his sword and pointed it at

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 dream and the reality is

forward, a confused expression on his

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

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

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 ability pursued me from the nightmares into reality, making the two seem so much alike. So… with

ready to meet his death…

creatures. Awakened warriors, Corrupted monsters… even Transcendent immortals.

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

why does

the hunter's sword flashed, abandoning the young girl he was sworn to protect without a

blade and jumped to his feet, putting all of his weight into an attack

directed at the menacing killer… instead, it