Shadow Slave

Sunny did not show any outward reaction — the Lord of Shadows was not someone who would be agitated by a mere mention of the Princess of War, after all.

Internally, though, he was troubled.

«Morgan…»

His relationship with Morgan of Valor was not very deep, but it was rather impactful. From their first meeting in the arena of the Dream Tournament, to his brief stint as her sparring partner, to the hellish journey across the Nightmare Desert… he couldn't say that he hated her a lot, but he also couldn't say that there was any sympathy between them.

First and foremost, Morgan represented the Great Clans in his mind. Not only their callousness, but also their dread and might. As such, he could never quite perceive her as an individual… which was, perhaps, a little unfair, but also understandable.

There had been a time when Morgan represented the pinnacle of power in his mind…

That time was long gone.

By now, Sunny was confident that he was superior to her in all but a few aspects.

Morgan did possess a diabolical talent for warfare and strategy… the cruel stratagem she had pulled off in Antarctica would have decimated the forces of Song, costing the Queen of Worms several of her most cherished daughters and the chance to claim the Tomb of Ariel — if not for the sudden arrival of the Nightmare Gates, of course.

And that was despite Mordret scheming to ruin Varor behind the scenes.

However, that was not what troubled Sunny. What troubled him was that he did not know the current Morgan at all.

The old Morgan was dangerous, but familiar, like a sharp sword. The new Morgan was a stranger. There were rumors that she had changed a lot after suffering a defeat at the hands of her brother, and the mystery surrounding her Third Nightmare did not help.

Someone cunning and unfamiliar was the exact kind of person he would have preferred to avoid.

However, there was no avoiding her now.

Sighing quietly, Sunny followed Nephis into a lavish building.

seemed that the elders of Clan Valor were being considerate today. They had not invited him to the heavily guarded compound of the Great Clan, choosing neutral territory to conduct the meeting

more than a little out of place when a dapper maître d' led them to a private booth on the lowest underground level of the luxurious establishment.

as much as

if it was the restaurant that was at fault for

that the way of

entered a spacious underground chamber. The interior here was worthy of being called a work of art, with tasteful decor and softly

have been tranquil if not for the dangerous presence of the woman who sat behind the table, enjoying a glass

never change, I

a flawlessly tailored business suit, which was entirely black — just like the fashionable leather gloves she wore on her hands. Her raven-black hair only made her alabaster skin look paler, and there were only three flashes of vibrant color about her — her ruby cufflinks, her

powerful and cold than it had been in the past. The luxurious chamber was permeated by a sense of lethal sharpness,

most was something that he could not quite put into words. Morgan seemed… different, somehow. Whether it was her sharp gaze or

she had just matured… perhaps it was

found it much harder to only perceive Morgan as an extension of Clan Valor and its ruler, as opposed to

up with

her silently, she put

smile was perfectly pleasant, but looked cold and infinitely sharp despite having

are here,

Nephis simply nodded.

this is my older sister, Princess Morgan

Sunny studied

in white, and the other in black, they

looked at him

heard a lot about you, Lord of Shadows. It is

smile widened

the table and pulled out a chair for Nephis. Once she was seated, he sat down himself

Lady Morgan. I've heard a lot about you,

She raised an eyebrow.

good