Shadow Slave

Well, actually, it was black. Shrouded in the darkness of the long night, Sunny rode north through the wailing hurricane of snow. To his eyes, which could see through any shadows, the snow appeared as light-grey, bordering on white.

The way back was not long enough to deal with thoughts and emotions raging in his heart, but luckily, Sunny had too many worries about the future to drown in the regrets of the past.

'...Doesn't matter, anyway.'

Verne was dead, and everyone else was also dead. None of the people Sunny had come to know in the past weeks survived. Now, all he could do was make sure that his soldiers, Professor Obel, and Beth did not share their fate.

That was not going to be an easy task.

Soon, the wreckage of the old war machine appeared in view. Sunny dismissed Nightmare, walked into the rusted metal frame and lingered for a few moments in front of the Rhino.

Then, he opened the hatch and climbed inside.

Quentin, Samara, and Belle were keeping watch, each of them tense and ready for battle. Noticing him, the Irregulars sighed with relief.

"Captain. You're back."

Sunny nodded.

"Did anything happen in my absence?"

Quentin shook his head.

"There were no Nightmare Creatures yet. Professor Obel and Miss Beth were both exhausted, so they're sleeping. We settled the Professor in your quarters. I hope you do not mind."

He remained silent for a moment, then added with a hint of melancholy in his voice:

course, we are keeping an eye on them. In case one or

that moment, so he

'No Nightmare Creatures, yet..."

change at

soldiers to sleep and leaving the Rhino, even if one of

in the wild expanse of the Antarctic Center, it was Nightmare Creature country now. Hordes of them moved through the mountains, many spilling

could have stumbled on the cohort's camp at any

security was a thing of the

after leaving the protection of LO49 and its thick walls, he could only choose between different

then, with his [Fated] Attribute, such calculations

a hand and then rubbed it. He was too

going to take a nap, then. Wake me up if

by Professor Obel, Sunny climbed into

risky was it to fall

plunge into the comfortable embrace of darkness, he summoned Saint and ordered her to guard

was all Sunny

***

Sunny woke up, the world was exactly the same as it had been before. The raging blizzard enveloped the world, obscuring the cold dark sky. He

on the wall of the Rhino slid away, revealing a sleeping niche hidden behind it. Dorn's massive figure could be seen inside. The giant man had drawn a short straw when they were

not

that his shadows and Saint did not perceive any threat, he left his niche. Soon, Luster

Belle, Samara

they did not even linger to listen to

Dorn. They looked much better than they had yesterday. Even though one night of rest was not enough to remove all the accumulated

slept a few hours, felt utterly broken instead of rested

"So?"