Shadow Slave

Sunny had reached the very heart of the Estuary.

There, hidden in the depth of a towering mountain, a vast cavern was filled with darkness. A single ray of bright light fell from somewhere high above, illuminating a small island rising from the glossy black water.

There was a beautiful tree growing on the island, its leaves a sea of pale magenta. As the branches of the tree swayed slightly under the wind, the leaves fell down on the surface of the water, making its reflection ripple.

And in the shadow of those branches, a simple stone sarcophagus stood, its lid covered by withered leaves.

It made... for a vivid and breathtaking sight.

The heart of the Estuary was peaceful, like an island of safety and tranquility in a world full of nothing but dread. And yet... it was also poignant and mournful. As soon as Sunny entered the cavern, he felt a strange melancholy fill his heart, as though an echo of a great sorrow that had been experienced here by someone, sometime, still resided in this sacred and silent sanctuary.

He shifted slightly.

'Why... why is there a grave here?'

The great black pyramid was called the Tomb of Ariel, but it was not the place where the Demon of Dread had been buried. Instead, it was a place he had built to bury unbearable truths. So, it was not really a tomb.

...Or was it?

Sunny stared at the unadorned sarcophagus, struck silent by the overwhelming sorrow that remained here even now, thousands of years after the daemons and the gods were no more.

He knew that the Tomb of Ariel was not a burial place for someone because of the words the Demon of Dread had shared with Weaver. Ariel had said so himself — what he had buried here were the hideous truths he did not wish to remember.

But that was the thing. If Ariel did not remember what he had buried in this tomb of his, then didn't it mean that his words could not be trusted?

Who was to say that he had not buried someone precious here, and then chose to forget about his sorrow?

of the Mirror of Truth.

you've built a tomb, nor have I ever seen it. How would I know to admire it? I just happened to be

of the truth, so you didn't deserve

feel... that although Ariel

Fate really happened to visit the Nightmare Desert and stumble

was not a

was buried here, at the heart of Ariel's Tomb? Forlorn,

sarcophagus that rested under the branches of the beautiful tree,

answer... is

Oblivion had been buried by

for

no, that

had risen in rebellion against the heavens, while the seventh —Weaver — refused. Because of that, the Demon of Fate had

then how could there have been six daemons participating

of certainty about who it was that had been buried in the heart

the Demon of

'What does it mean?!'

his eyes for a moment. More

that he would gain freedom from fate if he reached the very heart of the Estuary. Well, here he was, at its innermost sanctum. Even if there was a grave of a

of the peaceful grave. Then,

still expanse of dark water and approached the small island. The closer he

the stone sarcophagus emanated enough of it to crush a mundane person and make their soul collapse. Sunny, meanwhile, was able to reach the island and step onto its soil, albeit

his feet, he walked to the sarcophagus and stopped in front of it, looking at the weathered surface of the stone lid. Then,

carvings. Nothing to indicate who was buried inside, as no mark left to remember them by. It was nestled between the roots of

deep breath, Sunny fell silent and listened to

was telling him