Shadow Slave

Sunny and Nephis remained motionless for a while, carried by the indifferent, inevitable current of the Great River. His heart was heavy... too heavy to bear. It was in so much pain that the suffering felt almost physical. Or maybe it was.

Eventually, the pain turned dull. But the unbearable weight remained.

Slowly raising his hand, Sunny tightly gripped one of Neph's arms. She was still hugging him from behind, so he couldn't see her face. She couldn't see his, either... which was perhaps for the best.

When Sunny spoke, his even voice was low and full of torment:

"Neph..."

He raised his eyes to the distant blue sky.

"Why can't we protect anyone?"

...There was no answer for a while. Eventually, Nephis let out a quiet sigh.

"Because that is not the world we were born into."

She lingered for a moment, her body still pressed against his. Then, she added:

"You and I, and everyone we know... we were born to destroy things, not save them."

Sunny lowered his head, thinking that maybe she was right. The world they lived in - both of the worlds, really - needed killers more than it needed builders. That was the sign of the dire times they belonged to.

But what was the point of slaying Nightmare Creatures and conquering the trials of the Spell if there was nothing to return to except regret and ruin?

A few moments later, he heard Neph's voice again. Holding him, she said in a hesitant tone:

"I don't know if it helps... but Ananke never intended to return to Weave. She knew that she wouldn't be coming back all along."

Sunny's eyes trembled. Shifting slightly, he turned his head and finally looked at Neph.

"What?"

She sighed.

"What kind of future would it have been, to return and spend the rest of her limitless life alone in the graveyard of everything she loved? She had only held out for that long because of a dream about the Children of Weaver... us... needing her help. Once we were gone, her last reason to remain would have been gone, too."

Nephis looked away.

"That was why the supplies we gathered in Weave were only meant for two people, not three. And why she wanted to tell us about its past so much."

Her voice grew forced and heavy.

"...That was why she took us to the House of Parting, as well. Where the Riverborn come to leave on their last journey. To have a feast with their loved ones before saying farewell."

contorted slightly. She remained silent for a moment, then

food, listened to her tales, and kept her company along the way. The order of things might

lowered his head,

'The supplies...'

that all the things they had gathered in Weave were meant for the two of them, and not Ananke herself? How

weight, and found solace in convincing himself that they would think of something later... even though there was nothing they could do to

Ananke was gone.

uselessly to console himself. He told himself that the woman they knew was not the real Ananke. Of course, it didn't help. He told himself that everything had happened according to her wishes... that disappearing in the embrace of the Children of Weaver was the best death

course, it didn't help,

way to lessen the burden

to turn the

he could exact bloody vengeance on those who

'The Mad Prince...'

in front of his eyes. Sunny's face hardened, and his hands slowly turned

bastard might still

eyes gleamed

Six Plagues were. Or rather, who he thought

while, and then said in

know... I saw the Mad Prince in

back, allowing Sunny to turn around and look at her.

for a few moments, then forced himself to

Six Plagues is. They're us... they're us from the future. Cassie, Effie,

vestige of the Defiled madman had attacked him. The deranged voice calling him a murderer, over and over

'Murderer...'

eyes for a moment, he

be Corrupted, and so, we must have killed you.

thought he was scared

his emotions suppressed and looked at Nephis, not knowing what her reaction would

motionless, and her beautiful grey eyes were calm... like always. Sunny could usually read the true emotions hiding behind her expressionless mask, but he failed to decipher

she confused? Unbelieving? Angry?

remained silent for a

looked him in the eyes and

"That's great, then."

Sunny blinked.

the reaction he had

making sure that he

"...Great?"

as if confirming

If the Six Plagues are really us from the future... then we know all about them. We know all their

smiled slightly out of the corner of her

is true... well, then it changes things. If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If the enemy is yourself, though... everything becomes