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.

to think

it immediately, but Cassie looked a little

describe it? She

had always been neat and tidy, were a little messy. Her hair was like a waterfall of pale gold, but it did not seem properly combed. There were signs of

hint of restless intensity to her which had never been there before. As if Cassie was... not quite stable, having lost her innate

seen all the other members of the cohort after returning, even if from afar, but it was his first

and walked a few steps, as

Sunless and wish him a happy birthday. On a winter solstice, of all days. It happened a while ago. But, the strangest past? The sender of the note... was me. And I don't remember ever writing

Sometimes, silence was the best way to make people

seemed to have known that she would not

He suddenly felt stifled.

fingers across one of

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

his

Oh, he knew.

"That is indeed strange."

voice was

She smiled.

had not existed in either of the two worlds... until this year, when you found your way

no one in their right mind would rebuke Song of the Fallen, a prominent Saint and one of the most valued seneschals of

and

appeared out of nowhere, but your establishment is even built inside of an Ascended Devil. How

He tensed.

Mimic was not an exception, so she would have realized its nature as soon

yet she had stepped into the maw of an Ascended Devil without much worry, Was

He coughed.

My house might not be able to fly like your Citadel,

all the way in Godgrave, and while the Nebulous Mantle could hide his presence, it