Shadow Slave

Sunny remained motionless for a few moments.

The expression on Cassie's face... was tense and somber. Defiant, even. As if she was saying something that she had said many times already, only to be dismissed. Or even branded as a lunatic.

Sunny knew the feeling.

He sighed, then pointed to the nearest table.

"Have a seat. I sense that it's going to be a long conversation, so let me make you something to drink."

He took a step back and retreated to the kitchen. He could have manifested an avatar instead, but really, Sunny needed a few minutes to collect himself.

'A man-shaped hole in the world...'

Indeed, to someone else, his absence would have felt like that. It was just that no one was able to remember witnessing the inexplicable void where a man named Sunless used to be.

Cassie, however...

Although she didn't seem to know the solution, she had somehow pieced the problem together. She knew that something was wrong with her, with everyone else, and with the world itself. But no matter how hard she tried, she could not prove it. She couldn't even remember trying to solve the problem.

That must have been maddening. Not to mention the fact that her ability to perceive the future had suddenly betrayed her, leaving Cassie without another of her senses. The past four years must have been rough for her...

And yet, selfishly, Sunny was glad. He shamefully felt a warmth in his heart.

He wasn't quite remembered. But it felt so good, for his absence to be witnessed by someone, at least.

A few minutes later, he emerged from the kitchen with a teapot and a couple cups. Cassie was sitting at one of the tables, waiting. Her exquisitely beautiful face was calm, but he could feel a hint of agitation underneath that facade.

Placing a cup in front of her, Sunny poured the tea and sat down.

"A man-shaped hole? You might want to explain, Saint Cassia."

She took the cup and tilted her head a little. At that moment, Sunny realized that he had made a mistake... in an attempt to hide his rattled state, he had been acting much too calm throughout their conversation, No Master would have been that calm in front of Song of the Fallen, let alone while hearing her say such outrageous things,

He was suddenly unhappy with himself,

'What a glaring oversight!’

deceit was his craft,

ة

touched the cup and traced its shape with her finger. When she spoke, her voice sounded

All of us... the members of Changing Star's cohort... have long realized that something had happened to us in the Third Nightmare. There are things that don't quite make sense, as if there are

silently. His silence

lot of bizarre things that happened to us in the Nightmare, some of them much more so. And because it is almost impossible to remember that there is something that we have forgotten, we simply accepted it as

slightly, noticing something strange

impossible to keep any thoughts about his past. People had not only forgotten him, but they couldn't even remember thinking about having forgotten him. That was the insidious

Cassie was perfectly capable of pinpointing the problem.

Sunny took a breath.

have a problem with being aware of the missing

Cassie smiled faintly.

in fact. But... my Aspect is uniquely suited to remembering. My powers, you see, have to do with memories. I have a great level of control over my own memory, which has become much greater than before. I can also collect the memories of other

shivered. What an insidious power it

Cassie's Transformation Ability, then. She

they were having this conversation, even, or if Cassie had

should not have been the case. Even such a subtle power had to have a limit, and his Rank and

least, for him to at least

'Right?’

subtle reaction or pretending

the others, I couldn't stop trying to get to the bottom of things. Especially because fate itself seemed to

a sip

what does fate have to do with any of

smile grew

I always wanted to destroy fate. To create a weapon that could cut it. I always wanted to, but strangely enough, I don't recall ever acting on my desire. You must think that I'm a really

to a stranger was

smile suddenly disappeared. Her tone turned

that weapon. It's just that I don't remember it. In any case... I spent years trying to place the missing pieces together and restore my memory. It was... a bit of a hardship, to say the least. I failed

took a deep

earlier than that. A

forward, almost overturning

"So, Master Sunless..."