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.

had

or armor,

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 beneath the surface… however, Sunny could feel something deep beneath the water. A

He shivered.

for a bit, then cleared his throat

the Ruby Knife. Please… give it to

a gust of

Harper? Or all the

moments later,

I guess you are not pure, Sunny… who would have

gritted his teeth, then growled at

and try

little girl shook

ever accused me of being pure,

thought for a bit,

I am in the body

from Sunny's shoulders, approached the water, and

the knife, uh… Aunty from

remained there for a few moments, then sighed and took

"...Figures."

them turned

man hesitated for a few moments, then

think Cassie should

glanced at each other, a little surprised, then shrugged and made way for

for a few moments, then sighed and walked toward the shore. Stopping mere centimeters from the calm water, she lowered her

am here for the Ruby

thought that she had failed as well… but then, the young woman suddenly paled and took a step

ripple on the surface of the lake… and although the vast shadow hidden within it did

that held a long knife, which seemed to

it to Cassie, who suddenly trembled with her whole body and took another step back, shaking her head with

the young woman returned to the shore. There, she knelt and leaned

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

all of

the shadow did not even

— 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 seconds later, the black hand retreated back into the lake as