Shadow Slave

Projected onto the wall, a languid jade beauty with a slim waist and long eyelashes was traversing a labyrinth of crimson coral, her voluptuous figure barely covered by a flimsy seaweed attire. A teenage boy of about thirteen years of age was scurrying along as he shouted:

"...Are you crazy?!"

Sitting on the sofa near the real Changing Star, Rain felt like sinking into the earth. As the movie went by, her cheeks slowly turned bright red. The daughter of the Immortal Flame clan, on the contrary, became increasingly more deadpan and devoid of emotion. By now, her face was so still that it seemed paralyzed.

Rain awkwardly cleared her throat.

"Uh… come to think of it, the actress they chose does not look like you at all. You are much prettier!"

Nephis shifted and briefly glanced down. Then, she said evenly:

"Thank you."

After a while, she added:

"Why would they cast a child to play Sunny? What a strange decision. Only a complete fool could mistake him for a young boy."

Rain let out a nervous laugh.

"Yeah! Yeah… definitely…"

She looked away in utter embarrassment, and then forced out:

"And what is up with that stupid catchphrase? That does not sound like something Sunny would say at all!"

Changing Star moved, suddenly becoming a little more lively.

"Oh, no. That actually happened. A lot!"

Shore and eventually reached the Dark City. The brief moment of liveliness passed, and instead, Changing Star seemed to grow more rigid and cold with each scene. Rain felt so uncomfortable that she could not

idiot

with broad shoulders and a noble bearing appeared on the screen. Rain glanced at Lady Nephis curiously, wondering how much

how her apparent relationship with Sunny fit into

it be… that there had been an actual

failed to glimpse anything from Changing Star's stoic face. The movie progressed,

passion. Holding the grief-stricken jade beauty by the hand, he looked her in

long as it burns, humanity still

Rain shifted uncomfortably.

it me, or is it

a single muscle moved on Changing Star's face. She

projection, however,

Rain frowned.

'Huh?'

that she smelled smoke. Turning around, the teenage girl noticed

'That's strange...'

opened her mouth to say something, but

The projector suddenly exploded.

***

the movie was suddenly and violently interrupted, Rain only stayed for long enough to help Changing Star clean up the debris

knew what was going to explode

the teenage girl was gone, Nephis was once again left alone in the empty house. She lingered for a bit, then went back into the guest bedroom and rummaged through Effie's closet. She

worn armor for the better part of the last

on, she found a pair of gym shorts to match it. Sadly, other articles of Effie's clothing did not fit her too well. She was going to have to do

matters again felt very

a while, trying to deal with the disturbing oddity of not being in danger. Then, she shifted uncomfortably, looked around, and took

at it for some time, then tentatively