Shadow Slave

A few days before, far away from the harsh splendor of Ravenheart, Sunny was looking at Cassle while hiding his emotions behind a polite smile.

"Oh, and by the way..."

Her tone was neutral.

"...Happy Birthday."

For a split second, his mask cracked.

Sunny's face did not move, but his gaze changed. For a short moment, his eyes were much deeper and darker than before - the lightless depth contained within them was much too vast, much too cold, and much too unfathomable to fit the image of a harmless shopkeeper.

He froze, a storm of emotions raging in his heart. For a second, Sunny was stunned, not knowing what to say.

The shadows stirred.

But then, he quickly composed himself.

"Why, thank you. But how did you know?"

An irrational, but desperate hope had ignited in his chest, trying to burn away his judgment. A hope that someone anyone remembered him... that Cassie did. The thought of it was both blindingly sweet and ruthlessly painful.

Because it was impossible, The [Fateless] Attribute, as he had called it, was thorough. So, Sunny discarded that futile hope and hid his rattled state.

How had she known that today was his birthday, though?

'Maybe... just maybe...'

Cassie was facing him, remaining silent. Her smile slowly dimmed, replaced by a strange and solemn expression. Sunny felt uncomfortable because her eyes were hidden by the blue fabric, but he did not show it.

think of

it immediately, but Cassie looked

describe it? She seemed a little...

clothes, which had always been neat and tidy, were a little messy. Her hair was like a waterfall of pale gold, but it did

to her which had never been there before. As if Cassie was...

from afar, but it was his first time

walked a few steps, as

birthday. On a winter solstice, of all days. It happened

Sometimes,

extinguished. Cassie did not remember... however, she seemed to have known

He suddenly felt stifled.

traced her fingers across one of the tables and turned her head

so I didn't think that finding him would be difficult. But, to my surprise... that person didn't seem to exist. Not in the government databases, Academy records, or the archives of the Great Clans. You might not know it, Master Sunless, but I am a rather knowledgeable person.

tilted his head a

Oh, he knew.

"That is indeed strange."

voice was

She smiled.

named Sunless had not existed in either of the two worlds... until this year, when you found your way to Bastion. Naturally, I was curious. So, 1 studied you a little. I

rebuke Song of the Fallen,

her head left and right,

man. Not only do you seem to have appeared out of nowhere, but your establishment is

He tensed.

Marvelous Mimic was not an exception, so she would have realized its

Ascended Devil without much worry, Was it confidence or indifference?

He coughed.

be able to fly like your

when looking at him? Weaver's Mask was all the way in Godgrave, and while the Nebulous Mantle could hide his presence, it was nowhere nearly as potent at