Shadow Slave

The outer wall of the mundane district was thick and tall. Rain passed through the gateway, still thinking about what her teacher had said...

'Pretty? I'm pretty? He was teasing me, right? That scoundrel! Maybe if he allowed me to have a mirror at home, I wouldn't have had to ask!’

Her thoughts were interrupted by an Awakened warrior who suddenly appeared in her way. His equipment was visibly more potent than that of the young men and women whom she had met outside, and his face was much more mature.

Unlike those inexperienced greenhorns, he was a true warrior of Song.

"This way, please."

Rain obediently followed the Awakened to the side, where a cohort of veterans like him was keeping a watchful eye on everyone entering the city. They were led by a stunningly beautiful woman wearing an enchanted robe of fine wine-colored silk.

A Master.

There was no sign of Rain's teacher, as if he had dove deeper into the shadows. She approached the beautiful woman and bowed respectfully.

The Ascended smiled.

"Oh, it's you, little sister, Rain, was it? Please don't move”

A torrent of ethereal sparks swirled around her hand, and a red flower appeared on her palm. Its dark petals seemed to be glistening with dew, and it emanated a pleasant fragrance.

The woman raised her hand, as if offering the flower to Rain. Of course, Rain did not take it. Instead, she froze and looked at the crimson blossom solemnly. A few moments passed in tense silence, then a few more.

She glanced at the beautiful Master. The woman was still smiling, but her eyes were cold and full of dark... something.

'Murder math.’

Rain remembered the strange term well, because he often lamented the fact

the powerful Ascended was calmly calculating how to kill her, should

reached her eyes. Moving her hand, she dismissed the red flower

back. Have a

bowed one more time and

Internally, she sighed.

entering Ravenheart or any other Citadel in the Song Domain, she would imagine - had to go through. The Sword Domain

dreadful bane, Skinwalker, from

Chain of Nightmare were either slain or remained in Antarctica, Skinwalker was different. It had entered the siege capitals by pretending to be human before the Dream Gates were even opened. Once there, Skinwalker

had been stopped, but Rain heard that the government forces led by Wake of Ruin and the great clans had joined forces to eradicate the creature. The Sovereigns emerged, and Lady Nephis returned from the Third

they had not managed to destroy

out there, in the shadows, hiding in the vast reaches of the Dream Realm or in the poisonous wilds of the waking world. Worst of all, the creature had learned

were true, a several cities in the Eastern Quadrant

the appearance of the Dream Gates and the great wave of colonization that followed, the existence of Skinwalker had caused the single most

mind being checked while entering Ravenheart. If she had indeed been taken by the harrowing fiend, the

was one thing she did not quite

enough from the

can I ask you

came

"You sure can."

lingered for a

done if I was truly a vessel of Skinwalker? A cohort of Awakened and a single Master... no matter how powerful she is, a Great Nightmare Creature can wipe them out in seconds. They

a longer pause before

noticed a bronze mirror

Rain nodded.

mirrors like that everywhere in

He sighed.