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…"

hunter took a step forward, his monstrous voice permeating

his mind

Sunny laughed again.

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 horror,

glanced at his sword, then at

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

Awakened hunter with a concerned

you have already been gutted once, nothing else can impress you that much. Or if you have already watched your mother die once, the second time won't be as… well… maybe it would? I don't know… I am a bit confused about what is real, and what is not. Maybe I

face painted with fear. The

"What?"

Sunny shrugged.

At least not to the point where I'll

and pointed it

always 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

forward, a confused expression on

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?

position, waiting for the terrifying Awakened hunter

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

meet his

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

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

is… why does this

in the opposite direction from where the hunter's sword flashed, abandoning

the wet stones, Sunny dove under the flying blade and jumped to his feet, putting all of

at the menacing killer… instead, it was directed at the