Shadow Slave

Both Sunny and Cassie froze, bewildered by the strange scene.

'Surely, I'm seeing things.'

This was Wind Flower, a misty hell where harrowing abominations and Defiled Saints were imprisoned, not even knowing that they were. A place that slowly devoured the souls of Great Nightmare Creatures until there was nothing left but empty husks. The abandoned stronghold of an ancient Seeker who had left to challenge the Estuary.

How could there be someone sleeping soundly in its very heart?

Sunny suppressed the desire to pinch himself.

...He also suppressed the desire to pinch Cassie.

"Hey... you see what I see, right?"

As soon as he spoke, Sunny suddenly felt a wave of fear wash over him and covered his mouth with a hand. Shaking off his bewilderment, he reminded himself where they were, and why they had come here.

Cassie had said that there was a source of terrible danger at the top of Aletheia's Tower... but there was only this sleeping woman. Which meant that she was that source.

What if his voice woke her up?

The blind girl nodded slowly and answered in a whisper:

"I do."

Sunny lingered for a few moments.

"Is this... Aletheia?"

Indeed, that would be the most rational guess. They were standing in the tower built by Aletheia of the Nine, after all. So who else could it be?

Cassie shook her head.

"It... shouldn't be. The Seeker who lived on this island is said to have left it a long, long time ago. Before the Defilement was even born. Of course, the information I received from the people of Fallen Grace might be wrong..."

She frowned.

"But it is said that only the Serpent King has been able to come to Wind Flower and return alive. I... honestly don't see how any human could have survived this place, let alone how they would have ended up sleeping peacefully at the top floor of this tower."

Sunny studied the figure of the sleeping woman tensely, then rubbed his face tiredly.

who the

remained silent for a

Eventually, though, she answered:

have a

hesitated for a

I think she is

at her in

mean? She is a personification of

girl shook her

However, I noticed something strange about the Guiding Light. It continued pointing to

Sunny nodded.

Cassie sighed.

how it worked for a long time... and after a while, I started to suspect that it's because Jet doesn't have a

Soul Reaper was simply Jet's nickname, not her True Name. Actually, even Sunny did not know

girl,

after we saw Devouring Beast. The Guiding Light only points to Effie, and not her. That is strange, considering that they are the same person. Only... I think that once somebody becomes Corrupted, their very nature start to

of

asked it to point us to Wind Flower... it would have pointed directly

frowned, then asked

Let's say that you are correct... still, the question

coughed and

uh... I don't

at

on and on about the Guiding Light,

his head, he took a

Island... whatever this place is actually called. Do we just wake

Cassie shook her head.

not Defiled. She is a Transcendent

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know?"

blind girl

her runes. You can do... whatever it

a

could

She had a single radiant core, its brightness similar in intensity to

However...