Shadow Slave

Sunny and Nephis shared the desserts and enjoyed the tea. Their conversation flowed easily. Time passed slowly, but eventually, she rose and went to check on Jet and Cassie. Soon, the sound of her light steps faded away, and Sunny was left alone.

He leaned on the trunk of the sacred tree, looking into the fog.

His heart felt warm and at peace.

But at the same time...

Sunny could not throw what Neph had said out of his head.

'Do something that I never dared to do before...'

There were a few things he could think of.

He sighed and stared into the distance.

Sunny... had complicated relationships with his closest companions, to say the least. Nephis, Cassie, and he - there was a mess of emotions trapped between the three of them. Most of the things they wanted to say to each other had been left unspoken for a long time.

Especially between Sunny and Nephis.

He hesitated.

At this point, he would have to be a complete fool to remain blind to how he felt. Sunny shifted uncomfortably and lowered his gaze. His heart suddenly felt stifled. He grimaced, then brushed his hand across the wooden deck.

'Just say it. Can't you even say it?'

If he couldn't even say it now, then when would he?

Wasn't he supposed to be the most honest person in two worlds? So why couldn't he even be honest with himself?

Sunny remained motionless for a while, then let out a heavy sigh.

'I... care about Nephis.'

No, that was not it. That was just being coy. He grimaced and looked up, at the swaying branches of the sacred tree.

Sunny remained motionless for a while. Then, he took a deep breath.

And thought:

'I love Nephis.'

His expression collapsed.

It was true. It had been, for a long time. Sunny was not the most emotionally intelligent person, or at least he had not been before. If anything, his emotional development had been stunted - first by the rough life in the outskirts, then by the ruthless reality of the Nightmare Spell.

Who had time to think about emotions when every day was a lethal battle for survival?

it had taken him a long time to recognize the truth of how he felt for Nephis ever since the Forgotten Shore. In truth, he had already been in love with her before they reached the Dark City... hopelessly

why Sunny was so often infuriated with Nephis - if he felt nothing for her, he would not have cared

not faded or disappeared despite the long period of separation, either. If anything, they only grew more intense, almost becoming an obsession. To be stronger than her... to

free

he had claimed, but

he had felt when she unanimously

was no denying

or coincidence, for better or worse, Nephis was... his person. The only one

More than that...

ever dared to say

that hard

a reason why both of them

and closed his

not because both of them did not really know how to handle their feelings and were shy about such things. Emotions were

of those goals were directly opposed to each other. Her pursuit of revenge against the Spell left no space for

As for him...

his reasons to stay

maybe here in the

"How sweet."

flinched and

hateful sword wraith was standing in the mist, staring

watch you two circling each other fearfully for so long that it makes me sick to simply remember. At least you idiot finally admitted it. My, oh my.

Sunny looked away.

"Shut up."

was no energy

of

do now? Gather your courage and

sharp gaze

if

The apparition laugh.

forget everything, isn't

Sunny gritted his teeth.

right. As much as he hated to admit it, the wraith was telling

He hesitated, then spat:

do it after we escape the loop. Why, you think

Shaking his

forgetting something else,

the

you. What kind of relationship do you think is possible between the two of you,

expression grew ugly. Angered, he looked away and uttered through gritted

would never use

Sin of

Even you are no different! Have you ever expected that Jet would brutally murder you one day? Or that Effie would satiate her hunger with your

The wraith leaned closer: