Shadow Slave

Hidden in the darkness, Sunny flinched. The image of the piece of wet wood littered with demented runes suddenly appeared in his mind, as did the word repeating in the runes over and over again.

Wish... desire.

Be careful of what you wish for.

Be careful what you desire.

He frowned while Nephis continued somberly:

"All I had to do was instill a desire in the forsaken. A desire for a better life, longer life... safer life. A yearning for things that they had either never known or long forgotten - comfort, companionship, warmth. I had to give them hope. Because we couldn't survive alone, but we could survive together. Most of these creatures were solitary and numb, resigned to their dark existence. The weight of their hopelessness and despair was too great for me to pull them from it. But, by igniting a yearning in their hearts... I could make them push themselves forward with their own strength."

She grew silent once again, and remained so for a long time this time.

When Nephis spoke again, her voice was almost a whisper.

"...We gathered together, and built a village. It had tall walls and stone houses. It even had a large hall for us to gather and enjoy each other's company. And, for a while, life was good. United, we could protect ourselves from the creatures of darkness, and hide from the abyssal visitors behind the tall walls. I thought... I thought that I was on the right track. There were old creatures in the village that taught me their knowledge and wisdom. There were those who had been warriors once. I learned from them, as well. I was the weakest one, but I was liked and valued. Because I could create light, which all of them had forgotten."

White sparks ignited in her eyes before trembling and disappearing.

Neph's face grew motionless.

"But then, someone in the village vanished. And then, someone else. At first, I thought that they had left. But after the third one was gone, the fourth, the fifth... we all realized that something was wrong. They didn't leave. They were taken. After that, every night - what served as night in the Underworld - someone would disappear. We were under attack."

She paused.

our power to find and confront the creature that was killing the villagers. We enhanced our defenses, increased our vigilance. We investigated, we explored the surrounding darkness for clues. We set traps, carved sorcerous runes into the stone, and placed lures. We even sent an envoy to plead for help from

was

on stalagmites for us to see. As though the creature was leaving them there to mock us. It was then that I understood... that I... had not created a safe haven for us... and instead... simply set the table for the

was motionless, and her voice was even. However, Sunny could

took a

me and abandoned the village... tried to. They didn't make it far. There were only two of us left inside the empty walls - myself, and another one of the broken statues. The first one who had become my companion, and followed me almost from the very start. We... we locked

at her

did you defeat

shook her

soon as I sensed it, I knew that there was no hope. That thing... it wasn't something I could fight. So I spoke to it. I tried to appease it. I tried to persuade it. I even knelt and begged it.

while, there

shivered and let out

me. I don't know why. All I know is that the darkness felt empty again, and I was suddenly alone in that darkness. I was the only one left in the village that we had built. Everyone else... all of them... were

voice trembled

was the end of my

sat up, summoning

talked for a while, after all. Her

to clink against the glass bottle a couple of times, to let her know where it was. Nephis took the bottle and

hesitated for a

do you remember how the

Nephis shook her head.

end. I remember standing in the middle of the empty hall. And the next thing I remember was you calling me