Shadow Slave

There were thirteen humans desperately trying to escape the pursuit of the Great abomination.

Or rather, there had been.

Without anyone noticing the reason, one of the Masters stumbled and fell. No one had attacked her, and the pursuing corpses were still out of sight. The woman grabbed her neck and screamed.

A moment later, she rose with a strange smile on her lips.

Where a radiant soul core had been, there was now nothing but spreading darkness.

'Curse it all...'

Sunny commanded the sole shadow that had remained with him to wrap itself around his body, and ran.

Someone's hoarse shout reached his ears:

"S-split up!"

'No! You fools...'

The logic of that desperate call was simple and not without reason. There were seven vessels of the Gate Guardian - eight, now - and twelve surviving humans. If they escaped in different directions, some of them would have a chance to survive.

But it was pointless to apply logic to Great abominations. These beings existed outside any kind of human rationale, outside reason. Only by staying together and helping each other would the survivors have a chance to preserve their lives, no matter how small.

It was already too late to try and explain that to the frightened Masters, though.

While Morgan, Seishan, and the members of Neph's cohort chose to stay close to each other, the other five Ascended turned and ran in different directions.

Not a second later, a dark blur intercepted one of them, and a fountain of blood shot into the air.

Up ahead, Morgan looked back from the saddle of her steel mount and cursed. Then, she hesitated for a moment and jumped off its tall back. The Echo then galloped in the direction of the approaching corpses, lowering its horned head.

As a whirlwind of scarlet sparks rose around her, Seishan stopped and turned around. Her exquisitely beautiful face was cold and somber.

looked at each other, and

'What are they doing?'

of them. Effie was maybe the fastest runner among the group of survivors, so she was ahead of the pursuers, as

Nephis were falling

he felt the nurturing warmth of her flames pour into his soul and body. Instantly,

was still not

sent to scout were still moments away from reaching him... he knew

Seishan outstretched her hands, bringing her thumbs and index fingers together in a perfect triangle. Then, a drop of dark

Sunny suddenly felt a hint of

blood swirled, and then, the whole world was suddenly painted in shades

'What... what is this?'

the Queen of Worms was doing, but he felt as if something vast and

There were screams.

at him suddenly slowed

didn't dare turn

Seishan, the hurricane of scarlet sparks raging around Morgan formed into scores of beautifully forged swords. The swords trembled slightly, hovering in the air, and then suddenly shot forward like

wrapping themselves

a white dune as she

the sand shifted. Several dunes collapsed, with a

They ran.

***a

"Hurry up!"

"Damn it all..."

"Stop! Look there..."

as he threw himself to the ground, hitting

and they were still running as fast as they could. His exhaustion had long transformed into something much more dire and primal. Sunny had not even known that an Ascended body could be that drained of...

augmentation of the burning shadows nor the tenacious nature of Blood Weave were enough to overcome that terrible fatigue

stop for a dreadful reason, he still welcomed the short moment of

his battered body

'Curses...'

still pursued them, never letting the group - now reduced to only seven people - stop and rest for even