Shadow Slave

1519 Reverse Scale

The floor of the floating fortress was tilted, and Sunny could hear the sound of water rushing into the breaches. His sight was obstructed by the cloud of dust, so he closed his eyes and sensed a massive figure stirring in the darkness.

He grinned, forgetting about how torn and battered his body was.

Looking up, Sunny saw two cold silver stars burning in the darkness high above him — the eyes of the murderous dragon, gazing down upon him.

The dragon moved, and at the same time, the shadows moved, as well.

The drowning fortress shuddered.

***

Slumped near a puddle of water, Kai gasped for air. He was suffering from terrible pain and struggling to breathe… that blow Sunny had delivered him before was not a light one. He suspected that several of his ribs had been cracked or broken. His muscles were torn, as well, so drawing the bow was a torment.

'This… really is a Nightmare.'

More than anything, Kai felt lost and confused.

The battle the government forces were supposed to observe had already been a disaster. The terrible journey through the merciless white desert was like a feverish dream. Before he knew it, they were standing in front of a towering block of black stone, preparing to enter a Seed of Nightmare.

Kai had thought that he had prepared himself mentally for the dreadful trial of the Spell, but he had been wrong. Coming to his senses in the dim throne room of a mysterious palace was unlike anything he had ever expected... and much more terrible.

Sunny was there, pulling him away from the falling debris. He heard some outlandish things about an evil dragon, who was also his twin,and an army of alien warriors that were supposed to help the cohort. A few moments later, the dark dragon was in front of them, commanding them to kneel.

Kai knew that Sunny never lied, of course. But hearing that voice and feeling the irresistible authority contained within it, he fully realized that it was all true…

The abominable dragon was, indeed, a copy of him. A much more powerful, vile, and Corrupted version of Kai, who had betrayed his friends and was now trying to kill them.

How could he turn on Sunny, Effie, Cassie, Nephis, and Colonel Jet?

Kai did not know, but the truth was undeniable.

Learning that truth hurt much more than having his ribs broken.

and make sense of what was happening. Sunny warned him to stay away and

somehow become a Saint, already? Kai did not

have to stay away? He

did not understand, but then, there was no real need to. At the core of it, the situation was clear — the

help Sunny fight the dragon, as best

light of seven rising suns. The streets of the

them, though, engrossed by the battle against the vile

by fury, he wasn't able to differentiate between friend and foe. That was how Kai

he wouldn't have left Sunny to fight against

up away from the city, across the vast expanse of water littered with dreadful corpses, in the ruins of a fallen fortress. There was a bright flash, and the deafening

water was

'Ah…'

Ability, Kai could see through the darkness. He could also see through the billowing dust, and even through the stone debris. All around him, the world had gone

possessing seven fingers, tore at the dreadful dragon with sharp claws. At the same time, Sunny was trying to build

cold stones, partially buried in rubble, and so destroyed the giant ruthlessly, each time,

though he did not bleed, Kai could see that his

did not seem to care, consumed by the strange derangement, but

to do

not at all weak. He was an Ascended, too… he had led soldiers into battle and killed dreadful Nightmare

alive in the dragon's flame, and

that Kai

full of dreadful whispers, and the remnant will of the abominable dragon was forcing him to do things he never wanted to

were

an abomination… lured you… abandoned you… traitor…

groaned and grabbed his head, but the whispers only

because of his Flaw, Kai knew that it was all true. He — the other he — had indeed been betrayed,

punish him… take his hope away… take his will away… TAKE

gritted his teeth,

himself very well. That… wasn't

That wasn't them.

it had no time to turn its

Kai turned to the puddle of water and looked at the one who was hiding in the reflections. His