Shadow Slave

Everyone seemed stunned into a grave silence by these words... even Noctis, who must have heard and seen a lot during his long life. Frozen, Sunny stared at Cassie, his lightless pupils narrowing into two vertical slits. Everyone… was dead?

Everyone?

Had Mordret... slaughtered an entire region? Thousands of people, or even tens of thousands? Mundane humans, Awakened, Ascended… even the Transcendent Lady of the North herself?

Suddenly, a cold shiver ran down his spine.

Sunny knew, of course, that the Prince of Nothing — the owner of the friendly voice he had heard once, in the darkness of a bottomless abyss — was formidable, and would have grown more formidable still after being sent into the body of a Terror. He also knew that Mordret was not completely of sound mind, and that the influence of Hope would have only exacerbated that subtle fissure.

But a slaughter on such scale… he had never even thought that Mordret would be capable of committing something like that… and why? What goal was the banished prince pursuing? He was never cruel without a cold and calculated reason… or at least he had not been, in the past. Every monstrous act that Mordret had perpetrated before was full of perverse, but deliberate practicality.

How could something like that be practical? Even forming a seventh core would not have demanded a hecatomb of that magnitude...

Sunny really did not know how to feel. On one hand, the news of a Chain Lord's demise was beneficial for his plans… in that sense, the Prince of Nothing had already accomplished more to conquer the Nightmare than the four of them combined. But on the other hand, Sunny just couldn't help but feel uneasy about it… about Mordret.

What was the son of Valor planning?

His thoughts were interrupted by Noctis, who let out a deep sigh.

"Everyone is dead… ah, I barely remember the last time something like that happened. But when I was young, at the dawn of the Age of Heroes, things like that were rather common… you wouldn't remember, I guess. That is what happens when human champions grow unfit for their duty."

He looked away with a dark expression, and then added in a grim tone:

of this kingdom, have been unfit for quite a while now… if the Lords can even be called champions, still. Come to think of it, I am surprised that this

sighed again, then shrugged and turned to Cassie, seemingly having no desire to

If everyone in the

woman lingered for a

Noctis pursed his lips.

sorry. For what it is worth, you are welcomed to stay here, in my Sanctuary. This is a

interest in the conversation, but at that moment, Cassie suddenly

indeed something

stopped, then looked at her with a

then tell me! I am sure I'll be

hand on the hilt of her rapier, and then said, her

looking for my friends. I wonder if you would be able to help me find them, Lord

of times, then glanced at Sunny, Kai, and Effie with a strange expression on his face.

Gladly. But... uh... do you, perhaps… not know how your friends look, where they are, and what they are called? If

her head, remained silent for a few moments, and

a cripple with a grating voice, and a little girl. Their names are Sunless, Nightingale, and

Noctis smiled radiantly.

that would be very strange! Gods, finally, someone

then he slowly

speak again, however, there was a sound of little feet pattering on soft grass,

"Cassie! You're alive!"

was going to tackle her, a bewildered expression still appeared on her beautiful face. She remained frozen for

I am happy to see you