Shadow Slave

Sunny landed on the very edge of the island and froze there, looking forward with a dark expression on his bestial face. The others remained silent, too, feeling his unease and tension.

The land in front of them seemed tranquil… beautiful, even. There was an expanse of vibrant green grass, and some distance away, it made way for the calm waters of a vast lake. Its surface was perfectly still and reflective, making it seem as though a piece of the blue sky above had somehow gotten embedded into the ground.

A gentle wind caressed their faces, and nothing broke the peaceful silence except for the rustle of grass and the distant rattling of chains.

…And yet, Sunny couldn't help but feel a sense of imminent danger.

He sighed, and then glanced at his friends with uncertainty.

"...Should we summon our armor and weapons?"

Kai hesitated for a moment, then said:

"Wouldn't that be seen as a sign of distrust and hostility? Pure heart, pure thoughts… whatever that means… does not seem to fit with being armed and ready for a fight."

Sunny grimaced.

"Yeah… however, what if we do have to fight?"

Effie smiled.

"The four of us should be able to at least retreat safely, should things go wrong. I mean, how terrible can that thing be?"

Sunny shivered, then shook his head.

"Terrible enough for Saints to fear it. I've… I've been to this island a few times, in the future, but stuck to the edges, never approaching the lake. So I don't actually know what kind of a creature lives in its depths. However… I did see bones laying on the shore. And just those bones alone looked like they had belonged to things I would not want to meet."

He hesitated for a while, then glanced at Cassie.

"What do you think?"

The young woman tilted her head a little, then said calmly:

"I don't feel any danger. Maybe Noctis was honest, this time."

Sunny sighed. Cassie's intuition had guided each of them through countless dangers unscathed… if she felt that it was safe, there was a good reason to listen.

didn't mean that he had to be happy about

weapons or armor, for now.

they crossed the stretch of land between the edge of the island and the shore of the lake, stopping just a few steps away from the calm water. Because of how still and reflective it was, no one could peer

He shivered.

a bit, then cleared his throat and, feeling extremely stupid, addressed

I am here to retrieve the

a gust of wind…

Or all the things I've done to survive in the

few moments later, Effie

are not

gritted his teeth, then growled at her

and try

girl shook

ever accused me of being pure, I

a bit, and

in the body of

climbed down from Sunny's shoulders, approached the water,

have the knife, uh… Aunty

Effie remained there for a few moments, then

"...Figures."

turned and stared

hesitated for a few

think Cassie should

each other, a little surprised, then shrugged and made way for the blind girl to approach the water. There was no harm

and walked toward the shore. Stopping mere centimeters from the calm water, she lowered her

for the Ruby

first, Sunny thought that she had failed as well… but then, the

the surface of the lake… and although the vast shadow hidden within

knife, which seemed to be

it to Cassie, who suddenly trembled with her

a straight line, and, gritting her teeth, the young woman returned to the shore. There, she

hand let go of it easily and disappeared back into the water, and soon, nothing but a slowly dissipating ripple remained to remind

of this in

the shadow did

then, the water rippled again, and another hand emerged — this one black as coal and holding nothing. It slowly moved toward Cassie, then rose, and softly caressed her cheek. The young woman flinched when the black flesh touched her, but remained in place. A few