Shadow Slave

True darkness was different from light and shadows.

Shadows existed in places where light was obscured or could not reach. If the shadow was vast and deep enough, people mistook it for darkness. but all it truly was was the absence of light.

True darkness. however. was more than that. it was an elemental force of its own. one that was both independent turd opposed to light. Instead of a simple lack of light, pure darkness was its rival.

And. since light and shadows always went hand in hand, it was also the enemy of shadows... strange as it may sound.

That was why Sunny suddenly felt the cold touch of unease when he discovered its presence.

True darkness was exceedingly rare and mysterious. He had only encountered it once before, in the ruined cathedral of the Dark City. where it had been born of and controlled by the cathedral's guardian... the Forsaken Knight. The bastard that had gutted him like a pig.

In fact. that unfortunate encounter had been the fault of the darkness that the Fallen Devil wielded. if not for its veil, Sunny might have not allowed the black knight to get so close.

That was because his eyes. which were capable of peering through any shadow. were, as blind in true darkness as that of a mundane human. Sunny had not seen the approaching Forsaken Knight in the Shroud of darkness, and now, he could not see into the depths of the tunnel.

Worse still...

The Fallen Devil ot' the ruined cathedral had only controlled a modest amount of true darkness. Here in the tunnel, however... there was a whole ocean of it.

Sunny grimaced.

goes the hope that there

or two, then

rest here. for

was not in any condition to continue tnoviug, anyway. The vehicles needed to be repaired, and the wounded had

the tunnel before the Dcvouring Cloud moved on? They had to wait

exhausted. as

on one of the seats in the lounge

like we jumped out of the

every time Sunny had, something nasty had been waiting for him there. His distrust

least the

empty his mind and concentrate on circulating what little essence he had

next,

***

the injured soldiers. Kim and Luster were performing field repairs on the civilian transports. The Sleeper was creating a new batch of poisoned bullets to replace those expended during the flight from the Devouring Cloud... Sergeant Gere's ammunition

to do. which was why Sunny chose them to accompany him on a scouting mission. He wanted to find out how far the exit from the tunnel was, or if

where the terrain was too uneven to build straight roads. Whenever a road met a mountain outcropping that was too wide to go around, though. people had often chosen to simply burrow through it to

the Dark Times. Later, when the constant wens, environmental cataclysms, and the descent of

meters long. or stretched forward for a dozen kilometers. Considering the

Cruel Sight, he glanced at Belle and

"Are you ready?"

They nodded.