Shadow Slave

Sunny watched the sun appear over the eastern horizon, his hearts growing cold. His vertical pupils narrowed, and his fists clenched.

The night… was over? Had it been that long, already?

He had lost the track of time during the vicious battle in the skies, but it seemed as though their desperate assault on the flying fleet had only taken a second.

But in reality, of course, it had not.

He slowly turned to Noctis, whose battered face had almost healed and was now calm and carefree again. The sorcerer was looking at the sky with a strangely neutral expression.

"Remind me… wasn't the plan to defeat Sevirax before dawn, when he was devoid of his vast and terrifying powers?"

The immortal sighed.

"Well, it's good to have a plan. However, plans rarely go as you want them to go."

Sunny gritted his teeth.

"So… what happens now? How are you going to deal with the dragon?"

Noctis shrugged.

"He must be really, really angry right now. After all, we just killed his brother — the only person Sevras still cares about in this world. Congratulations, by the way! I really did not expect you…"

Sunny interrupted him with a low growl.

"Get to the point! Now that the sun is rising, your powers will be diminished, while his will reach their peak. How are we going to survive?!"

The sorcerer remained silent for a few moments, then scratched the back of his head.

"I, uh… will come up with something?"

Sunny stared at him in disbelief.

"You are joking, right? Come on… you must have some devious trick up your sleeve! You have an incredible advantage, after all! You have the knife that can make him mortal, while he doesn't have yours. Should I give you the knives? You have never asked me for the damned knives! Wasn't that the reason you befriended me, in the first place?!"

a while, then simply shook his

or not. Either I

and then

"Ah, except one."

Sunny exhaled with relief.

"Finally! What is it?"

to him with

you, Sunless! Of course. Did I not say that fate brought us together for a

stared at him, his expression

did… but what the

away, at the beautiful silhouette of the flying city.

Sevras goes, it will end near the Ivory Tower. One of us will fall… maybe it will be him, and maybe it will be me. However, that

then

one chain left.

for a moment, and then

you to kill me.

the smile disappearing from his face. Then,

the fate I spoke about. You are my death, Sunless. Didn't you

Noctis suddenly cleared his throat and awkwardly looked

by

him for a while, then faced the

know… you'd better win,

***

the members of the cohort gathered together and silently watched the sun

of them had just accomplished something truly impossible — they had battled an army

army had retreated, the immortals were dead. And the five

of them felt relieved or

the blade of a

the approaching fight

lay on the ground, too battered and tired to move. Cassie was tending to her

to gather. His charred mask was gone, revealing his burned, disfigured

a small statuette that lay in the palm

a human heart