Shadow Slave

Sunny sighed, then dismissed the runes, feeling the familiar heat igniting deep within his soul, growing stronger and stronger with each breath.

Effie and Kai looked at him, curiosity and concern mixing in their eyes. Cassie silently retrieved the Quiet Dancer and turned away, listening to the dark forest that surrounded them.

A few moments later, the little girl asked:

"So, uh… what exactly happens now?"

Sunny gave her a grim look.

"...Now I will scream and thrash for a while. Forming a new core is probably the third worst pain I have ever experienced… and that was just the Demon core. Damnation."

Effie blinked a couple of times:

"What are the second and the absolute worst, then?"

He hesitated for a bit, and then said hoarsely:

"Attaining a daemon's lineage was pretty bad. But the most terrible thing, by far… was catching a glimpse of fate. That one I only survived by accident."

The gloomy shadow shivered, remembering their past. Sunny, meanwhile, scoffed.

'Being gutted by the Black Knight did not even make the list, huh… maybe I need to rethink my life choices.'

At that moment, the heat burning within his soul reached a critical point, and the Spell whispered into his ear:

[Your shadow is taking shape…]

A blinding pain exploded in his chest, sending Sunny to his knees. He gritted his teeth and remained silent, refusing to let out a shriek, a wail, or even a growl. This was not his first time experiencing that pain… even though, this time, it was far more intense.

A human soul was not meant to contain many cores…

That was the conclusion Sunny had come to a while back, thinking about how the process of Awakening was pleasant and euphoric, but gaining new cores and a daemon's lineage was harrowing and torturous. Humans were meant to walk the path of Ascension, but becoming a different type of creature was against their nature.

And Weaver's lineage was simply against all nature… it was aberrant and forbidden, something that was never meant to exist at all.

'Argh!'

The pain grew stronger, and stronger, and then stronger still. Just like before, he felt as though his soul was being torn apart, something rising from its depths and cutting his very being with its sharp edges. However, Sunny was used to this torment. He accepted it, allowed himself to dissipate into it, and endured.

However, then, something entirely unexpected happened.

through a transformation, his body followed suit, as well, catching him by surprise. This time, Sunny failed to suppress a scream, and

What… the

was on fire. Sunny clawed at the ground,

across the forest, the roar

the heat consuming his soul grew cold, and his tortured body was released from the cage of suffering. Sunny exhaled hoarsely, then relaxed

from the darkness, echoing between

[...Your shadow is complete.]

a few moments later, he heard another

is

***

at his runes. However, even before that, he noticed

further down than it had been

'Huh?'

Luckily, Cassie was still vigilant… Sunny frowned,

transformation into a Devil changed it, too. The shadow demon… devil… grew even taller, now standing at almost three meters

that his horns had grown longer and sharper, as well. More than that, there were now four

his eyes, which had been entirely black previously, now seemed like two

he was simply terrifying. Even Sunny himself would not

his head, then

Is this how

hesitated, the smiled

that they are

The little girl snorted.

one! You've been hanging out with Sunny way too much, it seems! Or...

Sunny curiously

after all… what would its personality

four-armed devil were there, staring at each other. Nevertheless, to Sunny, they seemed

and glowering, full of bad mood and disdain. The other… was

being the exact copy of the other shadow, looking at it with arrogant contempt. They were of the exact same height, and yet, the haughty shadow somehow

shadow, however, did not seem impressed even a little bit. It was as though the very thought of looking away was

of them just continued to drill holes into each other with

covered his

there's two

***

was beginning to miss the happy shadow, that hopeless fool — something that had never thought he

looked away from

shimmered in the air in front