Shadow Slave

The three of them entered the Sanctuary, crossed the beautiful garden, and entered the sorcerer's residence through a familiar wooden door, Effie still sitting on Sunny's shoulders with a curious expression on her childish face.

The rooms within, however, had changed since the last time Sunny had seen them.

The luxurious furniture was gone, as well as beautiful decorations covering the walls. Instead, all that met them was barren stone, with a few broken Sailor Dolls laying on it, their limbs disassembled and laid out around the bodies like macabre pieces of art.

The floor of the whole central chamber was covered by a circle made out of a myriad of runes, powerful currents of soul essence flowing through it and dissipating into the ancient stones. Noctis was sitting in the center of the circle, his eyes closed. Without the familiar carefree smile, his beautiful face seemed ominous and strangely terrifying.

Hearing their footsteps, the sorcerer slowly exhaled. The crushing flood of essence slowly thinned, and then dissipated, retreating back into his body. He turned his head slightly and opened his eyes, which shone in the darkness for a moment, as though full of pale moonlight.

Then, they slowly turned human again, and Noctis smiled, returning to his usual laidback persona so suddenly that it seemed almost disturbing.

"Ah, Sunless, my friend! You are back! Sit down, have a drink… welcome!"

He stood up and outstretched a hand, as if trying to gesture at a set of comfortable seats. Then, a surprised expression appeared on the Transcendent's face, and he looked around the empty hall with a bit of confusion.

"Oh, right… I've been remodelling…"

Noctis sighed, then clapped his hands together.

"Well, no matter. Dolls! Bring my guests something to drink! They must be parched after their journey!"

His voice echoed around the residence… however, nothing happened.

He hesitated, then glanced at the broken mannequins lying on the floor and awkwardly shifted his feet.

"Ah. How unfortunate."

The sorcerer shook his head, then shrugged and looked at the three of them with a smile:

"Anyway... welcome!"

He tilted his head and stared at Effie, then blinked a couple of times.

"Ah, you have brought a ch—child with you. How curious. It doesn't bite, does it?"

Suny frowned, but before he could speak, Effie blurted with feigned outrage:

"I am not a child! I am twelve! Uh, almost."

stared at

"...It speaks. How bizarre."

inhaled,

is called Effie. She is the friend I

smile remained glued to his face. He stared at Effie

stumbled upon in my Sanctuary,

Sunny nodded grimly.

chin, and then

To make me value our own beautiful friendship more, perhaps? If so, let me assure you! I value it a great deal already! There's no need for you to feel insecure just because you are not as beautiful, wealthy, wise, generous, and delightful to be around

his teeth and then

Wait… I mean I am sure... that I did not invent them! Are you sure that you really want to know the truth about

a sincere look

"Well, of course…"

stared at him for a few moments, and then

and I are not actually a demon, a cripple, and a small child. We are humans from a distant future whose souls were sent here by a nearly all-mighty entity known as the Nightmare Spell, after the gods had died and this whole world had been destroyed. Oh, and this place? It is not real! You are not real, too. All of it is just a complicated illusion created by the Spell to test us three… no, us five, actually. That's the honest

eyes. Then, he sighed, shook his head,

stupid lies to mock me. If you don't want to

pursed his lips and

you must have successfully infiltrated the Temple of the Chalice, found her, retrieved the Glass Knife, and fled before

for a couple of seconds. Finally, he

We did retrieve Effie and the

looked at him with

"But what?"

Sunny coughed.

destroyed the chalice and

sorcerer stared at

"...You did what?!"

strained

the Glass Knife away,

stared at them with wide eyes, his face turning

How did you manage to kill them?!

them looked at each other with confusion. Then, Effie cautiously spoke

venerable foremother, who was the last Transcendent of the Red Sect, died like two hundred years ago.

a couple

just went and died?

habit of dying from time to time, unlike his own immortal

he had to stop himself. No, that was not right. Noctis was no fool, he just enjoyed playing one. There was no chance that the

a step forward and