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

he describe it? She seemed

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

was a hint of restless intensity to her which had never been there before. As

but it was his first time seeing

turned away and walked a few steps, as If studying

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

say more. Sometimes, silence was the

not remember... however, she seemed to have known that she would not remember. And therefore, she had made arrangements for them to

He suddenly felt stifled.

across one of the

Academy records, or the archives of the Great Clans. You might not know it, Master Sunless, but I am a rather knowledgeable person. One might even say

tilted his

Oh, he knew.

"That is indeed strange."

voice was pleasant and

She smiled.

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

right mind would rebuke Song of

left and right, as if

seem to have appeared out of nowhere, but your establishment is even built inside of

He tensed.

Cassie's Dormant Ability allowed her a measure of insight into all living things, Marvelous Mimic was not an exception, so she would have realized its nature as

the maw of an Ascended Devil

He coughed.

to

him? Weaver's Mask was all the way in Godgrave, and while the Nebulous Mantle could hide his presence,