Shadow Slave

Outside Aletheia's Tower, the island was still the same. And yet, it was entirely new. The mist still flowed between the ancient pines, and the frozen Nightmare Creatures were still standing on the white stone bridge. But it was a new day. Sunny could already observe subtle changes.

The fog was growing thinner. Devouring Beast, who should have been in the vicinity of the tower at that time, was nowhere to be seen. He did not dare sending his shadows out to scout, but he knew that the bestial giantess was now somewhere else on the island, hunting different prey than usual. Undying Slaughter was somewhere there, as well.

For a moment, Sunny wanted to release the Fragment of the Shadow Realm. The not knowing of it all was gnawing at him. But in the end, he held himself back.

Nothing was going to change if he knew every minute detail of what was happening to the two Defiled Saints. The only thing that mattered was the end result - whether the Plagues were going to prevail against the prisoners of Aletheia's Island or not. And that question was not going to be answered any time soon.

So, Sunny was left alone with his dark thoughts... for a short while.

Then, he heard the sound of footsteps and saw Nephis climbing the steps. She entered the bedchamber and froze for a moment, looking around with her usual indifferent composure. Her gaze lingered at the soot covering the walls, and then settled on Sunny.

He looked up from where he was sitting on the floor and met it silently.

Nephis lingered for a moment.

"I wanted to congratulate you on becoming a Terror. But... you don't seem to be very excited."

Sunny looked away and shrugged, not knowing what to say. Was he supposed to express his indignation at Wind Flower's inevitable death? That would be... a bit childish. She was not the first person he had met who deserved a less bitter end, and would certainly not be the last.

Saying such things to Nephis, who had lost and buried her own share of precious people, seemed especially cruel.

With a sigh, Neph walked over and sat down near him. She hesitated for a bit, then gently put her arm around his shoulder.

"Did you fulfill your promise to the sleeping Saint?"

by the familiar steadiness of her even voice and the

wanted me to burn her body, so...

a while, a heavy sigh escaped from

the strength of the illusory people who lived, struggled, and died in these

silent for a

don't think it's strange at all. I remember those whom I met in the Nightmares,

adding, her voice a

sometimes, I wish to

Sunny smiled bitterly.

about how nice it would be to forget all the agony he had experienced on Aletheia's Island just recently. It had only

another month...

have indeed grown to resemble

his head, he looked at the soot and embers left in the wake of Wind Flower's deathbed and fell

while, leaning slightly on

people like us are born to destroy things,

did not answer immediately. Eventually,

world doesn't need saviors and builders... their time will come after killers and destroyers like us do our part. If we don't, there will be no world

pale smile appeared on

that it's not something bad. It's a blessing, in

dire blessing it was... well, what else had he expected to hear? She was the Star of Ruin, after all. The last daughter of the Immortal Flame clan, the inheritor

He sighed.

Wind Flower to conquer this Nightmare, you

dark grin appeared