Shadow Slave

The giant Great Beast was growing smaller and smaller as Sunny rose higher into the sky. The winds were howling, and he was slowly starting to feel apprehensive about how long it would take him to fall back down. The view was simply breathtaking... but even from such a high vantage point, Sunny could not see a single piece of land.

There were no islands, no continents, and no ships. There was not even another piece of flotsam.

He sighed.

'What a predicament.'

"Enjoying the view?"

Sunny flinched and craned his neck, looking at the Sin of Solace.

His identical copy was calmly standing on thin air, looking down at him. The wind was playing with the apparition's long black hair.

Sunny frowned.

'I... really need to get a haircut.'

"You're ignoring me now? Ungrateful."

He glared at the apparition silently, then asked:

"How are you doing that? Why aren't you falling?"

A wicked smile appeared on the face of the cursed spirit.

"It's because, unlike you, I'm not weighed down by sin."

Sunny scoffed.

"Bastard... it's literally in your name..."

The two were silent for a few moments, giving him ample time to enjoy the fact of just how insane he had become. After a while, the Sin of Solace pointed down.

beast's maw. Haven't you heard the stories about people traveling inside a sea creature's belly? With your

stared at the porcelain

die, you

of

spend more time in your company. Have you ever

gritted his teeth,

just a part of me... since when am I

his back and turned into a blur. The

he glided forward. To his right, the world was painted in hues of lilac by the light of dawn. To his left, the water was like a sea of burning blood because of the crimson dusk. All around him, the blue sky was suffused with the bright radiance of

Sin of Solace calmly walked across that sky, following him. His hands were clasped behind his

something - anything - in this Nightmare. It can't

some place where he could land. Otherwise, the trial was too unreasonable... anyone without Memories like the Essence Pearl and the Nimble Catch would be doomed.

been sent thousands of kilometers away from the nearest piece of land. That would not be the first time Sunny

was only one way to find

He could try surviving the [Where is my eye?] enchantment for the third

Sunny with its cloudy eyes, and then dove back into the water. However, its vast shadow remained, moving slowly just below the surface. It was keeping pace

Sunny's expression grew bleak.

to let go,

he offend the serpent's ancestors in

throw a chilling look in his direction.

waiting for him in the river... and if there was one below, there could easily be one above. Being attacked by a flying abomination was the last thing Sunny wanted to happen - but if it did

rise too high above the water nor

felt tense, somber...

What kind of

turned into

for a while, he winced and pushed the black needle back

And so it continued.

Beast stubbornly followed, always staying precisely below Sunny. The hours slowly went by. Sometimes, he would rise, and sometimes, he would descend. The Heavenly Burden continued to poke small holes in his

Sunny grew angry.

Then, he grew depressed.