Shadow Slave

The members of the cohort remained silent for a few long moments, staring at the chunk of black rock with complicated expressions. Perhaps for most of them, what had just happened in the small spherical chamber did not hold a lot of meaning... but for Sunny and Cassie, it did. Especially for him.

Letting out a shaky breath, Sunny suddenly felt like his legs were about to give out. Taking a step back, he swayed slightly and lowered himself to the first step of the narrow stairs. His eyes were still glued to the fallen black stone, but his gaze had become distant.

Cassie leaned on the Guiding Light, her face motionless.

Nephis, Jet, and Effie watched them silently.

After a while, the huntress finally spoke:

"So... it's done? Just like that?"

Sunny looked up at her, struggling to answer.

'Just like that?'

She made it sound as if it had been easy. Well, of course... she had just learned about the existence of the loop this morning, and it was gone before dusk.

For him, however...

The memories of the countless harrowing deaths he had experienced and witnessed on Aletheia's Island flooded Sunny's mind. That first time being cruelly executed by Undying Slaughter... the hopeless despair of watching Devouring Beast's giant hand descend from the mist... and so much more.

All of it was behind him now, but not gone. Sunny wished he could have forgotten all this torment, like he had forgotten most of the nightmares about the Kingdom of Hope. But he couldn't. These memories were going to haunt him forever.

'They can stand in line and wait their turn.'

There was a vast museum of heartbreak and horror in his memory, already. What could a few more nightmares do?

He sighed, then nodded.

the loop is destroyed.

lingered for a

then. What's

in his soul, and a flood of essence poured into his cores. Somewhere

He relaxed a little.

future was once again unknown and unpredictable - Sunny felt much calmer now that his reserves of essence were swiftly

so he answered Effie's

wait out the immediate aftermath of our actions. In the next few days, Aletheia's Island is going to be

moment, then

rampage will continue, uninterrupted. They will either eradicate most of the Nightmare Creatures on the island, or be eradicated by them. In any case, we must ensure that

the mist wraith and the bestial giantess many times. He died when he fought alone... he watched his companions die before being killed himself when fighting side-by-side with his allies. The Plagues were simply too dreadful to

the Flaws of the Defiled Saints could finally be exploited. Devouring Beast's hunger and Undying Slaughter's need to kill would become their

In theory.

was going to have plenty of things to eat. Undying Slaughter was going to have

was a

Sunny wanted

slept? He couldn't even

mind makes

had made many mistakes already. Luckily, none of them had been serious enough to doom them - for

of them had done remarkably well, considering the

breath, then stood up and looked around the

We'll be spending the next few days, maybe even weeks there. We should clean it up, if

made their way above ground, where blood, rubble, and ghastly remains of the Great Tyrant's minions littered the floor. The Tyrant itself was still hanging from the broken

at the terrible

is that