Shadow Slave

Sunny studied the old woman's armor, hesitated for a few moments, then looked at the Chain Breaker with doubt. He felt rather impatient to meet Dusk of Fallen Grace, but reminded himself to keep calm and take it one step at a time.

"...We've yet to moor our ship."

The old warrior bowed again.

"Everything will be taken care of."

'How convenient...'

These ancient soldiers did not seem like much of a threat. The old woman was an Awakened, but the rest were mundanes. Sunny had no doubt that he would be able to escape any ambush or trap they could potentially lure him into... and it didn't even seem like there would be a trap.

Still, he didn't like the idea of leaving their only means of escaping Fallen Grace behind.

...That said, if Dusk had really anticipated their arrival, wouldn't she have also anticipated his reluctance? If she knew that he would be wary of a trap, wouldn't she have been able to construct a trap insidious enough to fool Sunny?

Suddenly, he was full of apprehension.

'Damnation...'

Sunny had mostly been blessed by finding himself on the right side of people with prophetic powers. Now that he was about to meet an unfamiliar oracle, though, he fully realized how terrifying of an enemy one could be.

His unease wasn't helped one bit by the fact that he had actually already met Dusk of Fallen Grace once... in a way. There were deep scars left on his psyche by the Terror of LO49.

'Whatever. What else can we do, demand that she comes to meet us here on the pier?'

After exchanging a glance with Nephis, Sunny shrugged and followed the group of soldiers deeper into the city. The old man who had greeted them joined, as well, which caused an irritated sigh to escape from the lips of the old woman in charge of the soldiers.

"Cronos... why are you tagging along with us, kid?"

The old man simply smiled.

"Why, I'm the one who greeted the esteemed guests first. Surely, they'll feel better having someone familiar escort them!"

shook her head and didn't say anything else. The old man... Cronos... seemed satisfied and hurried

woman, to be calling a fossil like him

couldn't help but look around with a

people. Ranging from elderly to ancient, the inhabitants of Fallen Grace all had white hair, wrinkled faces, and frail bodies of people living out the last of

it was because of their status as guests in the city

Sunny and Nephis, there was not a single young

'They are all Riverborn.'

pondering the implications of this

of their birth. The process was supposed to be gradual, happening over the span of generations as the city migrated

mean if everyone here was... no,

far upstream for a reason other than ushering in a new generation,

somber as he looked

had called him a kid not because she was incredibly ancient, but because the old man

hesitated for a few moments,

it? Say, how old

old man smiled, his face turning into a labyrinth of deep

seventeen in a few days, to be precise. But

inhaled deeply, disturbed by the cheerful

figured out the reason for why everyone in Fallen Grace looked so old, as well. Hearing Cronos confirm it,

aren't you at

face of the old woman leading the soldiers darkened. While Cronos lingered, she

of the city during those dark days. And if it wasn't for the Lady, we would have lost

reverence and love appeared on the faces of Cronos and the old soldiers. But there was also something else, hiding behind the devotion. A hint of... sorrow? Fear?

moment that they reached the point that should have been the center

it was its edge

bridges leading to them had been cut, their remnants singed and floating aimlessly in the water. The closest buildings to the edge bore scars and burn marks, some of them tilting sideways or laying in

halves, one still drifting on the crimson waves, the other long gone,

that's how

of it had been lost in

with a grim

because

lips, then nodded with a