Shadow Slave

The colossus staggered back, swayed, and then moved his foot to balance himself. The island quaked once more, and the giant grew still, bent slightly and grasping the gaping wound with his one remaining hand. His head turned, staring at Noctis with the same empty, unmoving expression.

However, his polished steel eyes, which had been burning with the blinding reflections of the sun, became submerged in deep shadow.

For a moment, there was silence.

Sunny gritted his teeth, then slowly exhaled and raised a hand to wipe the sweat off his brow.

…After the initial panic of being sold out by Noctis, he had forced himself to calm down and think. It was then that Sunny had realized that they were not in real danger, and told his friends to stand down.

The immortal sorcerer was many things, including a liar and a cheat. Sunny did not doubt that Noctis had lied to him on many occasions, and about many things — sometimes for a specific purpose, and sometimes simply for the fun of it. However, one thing that Noctis was not… was a fool.

Sunny could imagine many situations in which the immortal would betray and damn him to death, but not without a good reason. And surrendering the cohort to Sun Prince was the opposite of what Noctis wanted to achieve — at best, it would have bought him some time, at the expense of losing the three knives to the other Chain Lords.

One thing that Sunny did not doubt was the sincerity of the sorcerer's desire to free Hope. And so, he had understood that the immortal's sudden betrayal was just another deception.

It had not been hard to guess what the purpose of the deception was, as well. After all, Sunny had already guessed the fateful meeting between rebellious Noctis and the herald of the Chain Lords was going to end, and how the Iron Hand island would get its name.

Sun Prince had walked right into the sorcerer's trap, and Sunny… Sunny had been used as bait.

Not for the first time, and probably not for the last...

So, he wasn't very shocked by the sight of the giant's missing arm and of the streams of molten steel that flowed out of it, slowly cooling on the broken stones… or at least he wasn't supposed to be.

it was simply impossible to remain untouched by

Still…

a moment, and then let out

could have warned me, you

him with sincere

my mind at the last moment? Then, warning you would have made me a liar! I

winked at him, then

smile slowly disappeared from the sorcerer's face, making way for something cold and frightening. His

Madness.

suddenly appeared to be taller than he had been, his previously contained presence spreading over the world like a flood. Sunny shivered, feeling… feeling like prey being stalked by

seemed to smell of blood, the light of the sun appeared slightly dimmer, and in the echoing silence, they could almost hear

Sunny knew and somewhat trusted Noctis, he suddenly

even the focus of the immortal's furious gaze. Instead, it was aimed at the hunched

and spoke, his clear

old friend… if I

blocked his path exploded into a rain of shards and stone dust,

I'll kill you

step and then stopped, staring at Sun Prince with

take the knives, you'll have to take them

laughed again. This time, the sorcerer's laughter did not seem carefree and infectious…

at him from above, unmoving. His face was motionless and unexpressive, like that of a statue. However…

shook his head, and then said

you can try, of course. Go back… go back and return with the Sun Legion, with the Dragon Sevirax, with the Warriors of the Red