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.

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

it! What…

felt as though his bones were breaking, his muscles were tearing, and his skin was on

across the forest, the roar changed,

an eternity later, the heat consuming his soul grew cold, and his tortured body was released from the cage of suffering. Sunny exhaled hoarsely, then relaxed and remained laying on

voice of the Spell resounded from the darkness, echoing between the ancient

[...Your shadow is complete.]

moments later, he heard

He is even bigger

***

look at his runes.

further down than it had

'Huh?'

and Kai were staring at him, forgetting their task of watching out for a potential attack. Luckily, Cassie was

taller, now standing at almost three meters of height. His skin had turned into

horns had grown longer and sharper, as well. More than that, there were now four of them… well, three and a

entirely black previously, now seemed like two pools of

Sunny himself would not have been happy to meet this towering fiend on a

head, then looked

staring at you. Is this how everyone

the smiled

that is presuming that they are looking

The little girl snorted.

Good one! You've been hanging out with Sunny

jabs, Sunny curiously looked

new shadow, after

identical shadows of a four-armed devil were there, staring at

mood and disdain. The other… was also full of disdain,

the other shadow, looking at it with arrogant contempt. They were of the exact same

lost the staring contest to the gloomy shadow. The haughty shadow, however, did not seem impressed even a little bit. It was as though the

continued to drill holes into each other with disdainful stares,

then covered his

there's two of

***

contest, Sunny sighed. He was beginning to miss the happy shadow, that hopeless fool —

his head, Sunny looked away from

symbols shimmered in the air in front