Shadow Slave

1540: Clouded Judgment.

The feeling of restlessness Sunny had felt after leaving Twilight returned. Something strange was going on with Cassie... had been going on for a long time, maybe. He was almost sure of it.

But it was the «almost» of it all that made the situation so difficult. He did not know what to do... confront her? Share his concern with others?

What would he say?

That Cassie should not have survived Twilight? None of them should have survived there, really. That she kept journals? There was nothing wrong with that, and claiming otherwise would only make him seem strange. That she was too quiet and unassuming, which made him feel as if she was hiding something vital from them? That sounded like paranoia talking.

In fact, it was — it was the Sin of Solace whispering into his ear. The Sin of Solace, whose only purpose was to drive him mad. Was he a fool to listen to these whispers?

Sunny was not even sure himself what he was suspecting Cassie of, just that he did not feel comfortable with her secrets. But…

Was it really because there was something off about the blind girl, or was it simply because he had never trusted her? Was he still secretly holding on to the grudge after what she had done on the Forgotten Shore, which painted his perception of her?

Sunny would be lying if he said that he had let go of that grudge completely.

None of the others seemed to suspect Cassie of anything, so why was he the only one looking for faults in her actions?

«Ah, damnation.»

he

he even need to

she kept secrets? Was he

why she had closed herself off, to begin with — he was the one who had told her how destructive of a poison her visions were... in

they had in the medical complex of the

knew much more than she was letting on, too. She had

why was Sunny reacting

we are so

their chances of returning to the waking world,

them, and so, she was as frightening as their imaginations could

just a substitute for all

was really something ominous going on with the blind

she is definitely planning to betray you.

smiled, looking at

cursed and threw a wooden tray at the sword wraith. The tray passed through

The hateful wraith laughed.

ended up being made a slave by her... ah, and she never even apologized. I bet

then took a deep breath. He slowly calmed

least try to be convincing when you are spouting

Cassie... that much was apparent. Deep in his heart, he still harbored resentment toward her. He valued and cared for her, as well, but that was beside the point. Humans were complicated and contradictory creatures, indeed... just like Nephis had said, they could love and hate someone at

judgment was clouded, it was easy to find fault with Cassie. But if he flipped his perception and looked at the situation from a different angle, trying to find the opposite, any suspicion that the blind girl could have been doing something to harm the cohort would crumble. It was a