Shadow Slave

As Sunny was standing still, petrified by what he saw, Noctis finished brewing the tea and poured the amber liquid into a beautiful porcelain cup. Then, the sorcerer raised it to his face, inhaled the fragrant steam, and let out a satisfied sigh.

Then, noticing an unexpected guest, he glanced at Sunny and smiled:

"Sunless! What a nice surprise. Wait… did something about you change?"

The sorcerer tilted his head with a confused expression, studied the towering figure of the shadow devil for a few moments, and then suddenly brightened up.

"Oh! It's your horn! When did you break it?"

'Really? That is what he noticed?!'

Sunny stared at the cup in the immortal's hands, then grasped the Extraordinary Rock. He didn't really have to hold the Memory to make use of it, but at the moment, Sunny was experiencing a desperate need to hold on to something… anything.

Taking a careful breath, he gripped the Roack and said hoarsely:

"...Back in the Temple of the Chalice. You… you are drinking tea?"

Noctis lingered for a bit, glanced at his cup, and then smiled.

"What a prudent observation. Come… let's not let this nice tea get cold."

With that, the sorcerer turned around and headed deeper into his residence, gesturing for Sunny to follow. The teapot flew into the air and hovered above the immortal's shoulder, as well.

As soon as Sunny made a step forward, however, Noctis suddenly turned, looked at him with a strange expression, and said:

"That, uh… try not to step on anything that seems to be… actually, just don't move at all! We don't want for anything to happen, right?"

At that moment, the chamber trembled again, and more cracks appeared on its stone floor. Sunny stared down with a somber expression, then sighed and used Shadow Step to appear near the sorcerer.

"Why? What's under there?"

Noctis smiled.

a, uh… a memento from

a complete fool… the vast circle of runes, the torrential flood of soul essence that the sorcerer saturated it with, the pool of blood that the ancient stones had absorbed — all of it pointed to something dreadful being imprisoned, or maybe created,

thought better of asking any questions and simply followed Noctis to the stone stairs

menhirs and sat down at an elegant wooden table. The sorcerer leaned back in his chair, gazed upon the breathtaking vista of the Kingdom of Hope,

a few moments, giving Noctis time to enjoy himself,

Chain Lords, they

sorcerer took another sip, sighed, and then said

you might want to relax for a bit. Enjoy the tea. This will probably be the last moment of peace you will have for a while, Sunless. Or maybe even the

mind. But then, he simply shook his head, chased them away, and poured some

them spoke for a while, enjoying the fragrant drink and

approaching doom, the world felt tranquil and warm

while, Noctis sighed and said in a

am going to miss

asked with

surprise that someone like me would want to free Hope. But what would compel a shadow like you to attempt it, as well? You must

for a few moments, then

from the chains of fate. And maybe… maybe I harbor those desires still. But after coming to this cursed land and being ground into dust by it… now, everything is so unclear. And my ardent desires

paused, looked down,

just me who is lacking. And

glanced at him, took a sip of tea, and asked with

it that you think you are lacking? And from

inside his soul for a few moments. Then, he said

answer for that, I

chuckled, and

legend

a couple of times, then

of that guy. A legend, really? Huh. Strange that some third-rate hero I don't even know got to have a whole legend