Shadow Slave

They stood silently under the tree for a while. Eventually, Nephis looked at him and said evenly:

"You did well."

Sunny glanced at her with a pale smile, then nodded.

"I guess I did, didn't I? My mom would have been very happy. If she was alive, that is. I am healthy, well-fed, and have a house in a good part of the city. I even found my… a student. These things might not sound like much to you, but to her, they would have been like a dream."

He turned to the tree and added after a short pause:

"I don't really remember my dad too well, because I was too little when he passed away. But my mom, I remember her perfectly. She was… like a ray of sunshine. The strangest thing, though, is that when I was a kid, she was the whole world to me. I thought that she knew everything, could do anything. But now, I realize that she was barely older than we are. She was more or less a kid herself."

Nephis looked at him and said:

"But we aren't kids."

Sunny tilted his head, then shrugged.

"That is true, I guess. We are adults, which is a strange thought. I don't really feel very different from how I was before, at least not in terms of being confident and knowing what the hell I am doing."

Changing Star sighed, then shook her head a little.

"That is because you have been an adult for a long time. People like us have to grow up early."

Sunny thought about it for a moment.

"I don't know. I have a suspicion that when I look back on today in a decade or so, I will be dismayed by how big of an idiot I was."

Nephis smiled with the corner of her mouth.

"...That has nothing to do with adulthood."

He spared her a short glance and scoffed.

were supposed to say that I am not an

stared at him with a deadpan expression, then

"I know."

help

I don't really understand why I wanted to come here. I guess I expected

Eventually, he said with a hint

to say something

for a while, then shook his

gone. They only exist in the memories

the fridge full of food he

And Nephis.

bond with her was a dire thing,

future was not

had mostly been in Neph's company, doing nothing but training and spending time with her. He had

pleasant time was coming to

Nephis was going to finally leave to face the Fire Keepers. About a week after that, they were going to accept

futures were going to be decided

a crossroad, not knowing where any of the roads actually led. Even worse, he was not the only one making the decision

of it was

to the tree and touched it for a brief

guess. Rain is well, too. She looks like you very much. You would

at the same time, strangely soothed. He hesitated

to visit again for a long time. Not that you're really here. Oh… that young woman right there is Nephis. She is my… well… it's complicated. In any case, I think you would have liked her. I have several other friends, too. So I am in

back, looked at the lonely

"Let's go."

they walked away, Neph looked at

"Are you alright?"

smiled crookedly

course. Why wouldn't I

at that moment, several figures suddenly appeared from behind a corner, surrounding them. They were all dirty and disheveled, looking like typical outskirts thugs. The leader, a muscular man with a chemical scar on his face, pointed a kinetic handgun at them and