Shadow Slave

Sleep was avoiding Sunny. For a while, he sat silently in the darkness, listening to the calming rumbling of the waves. In this rare moment of respite, memories of the past few days came flooding into his mind. However, he was too tired to seriously think about anything. He was warm, full, and relatively safe. For now, that was more than enough.

Soon, the rhythm of Cassia’s breathing changed, indicating that she fell asleep. Nephis was guarding the camp, motionless and, as always, a bit distant. With her silver hair and fair skin, she looked like an alabaster statue.

Sunny sighed. He struggled for a bit, and then said quietly:

“Hey. Can I ask you a question?”

Nephis glanced at him and shrugged. The lack of an audible response clearly indicated that she remembered about his ability to see in the dark.

“Sure.”

‘Would it be too personal?’

Sunny hesitated.

“I thought you Legacies come into the Spell with a whole inherited arsenal of Memories. I mean, that’s supposed to be your main advantage. How come you only had three?”

Nephis was silent for a few moments.

“Actually, I only had two. The rope came from Cassie.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Oh. I see.”

Realizing that her answer wasn’t really an answer, Nephis thought for a while and added:

“We lost most of our Memories when my father passed away. The ones that remained were sold one by one over the years, to keep the family afloat. This sword and armor came from my First Nightmare.”

So that’s how it was. Sunny realized that the fall of the Immortal Flame clan might have been more thorough than he had thought. Still, something about it didn’t make sense.

“Surely, with your clan’s reputation and standing, there were other ways to make money.”

Without any strong reaction, Nephis simply said:

“There were other reasons.”

Then, she unexpectedly turned her head in his direction.

“Can I ask you a question in return?”

Sunny swallowed.

“Yeah, go ahead.”

Nephis tilted her head.

“How did you know that I’m a Legacy?”

‘What? That’s it?’

“Simple. I heard Caster mention it. He was scolding other Sleepers to make them treat you with respect.”

She gave him a nod and turned away. What thoughts were hidden behind her calm grey eyes, Sunny did not know.

Some time had passed before he gathered enough courage to ask the question that he really wanted to ask. Before doing it, though, he made sure that Cassie was sound asleep and lowered his voice.

I ask another

negative response,

are you burdening yourself

corner of Changing Star’s mouth curled up

“Why? Wouldn’t you?”

pushing the truthful answer

“No.”

to believe to the last moment that the answer would be “yes”. But one of the things he had lost after the Nightmare was the ability to lie to himself.

that Sunny did not pity the blind girl or didn’t want to help her. It’s just that he knew with certainty that it was simply not something he could do. He was barely able to save himself, let alone carry a helpless person across the Dream Realm. If he tried, they would

couldn’t help but be a

showed no reaction at all. After a few moments,

“Because I want to.”

‘Because… she wants to?’

response Sunny expected to hear. He was pretty sure that she would either lecture him about virtue and compassion or disclose some obscure way

expected him to believe that she was putting her life in danger, to the point of sacrificing an awakened armor-type Memory, because that was something she simply wanted

‘Ridiculous!’

her response as a non-answer. But the

maybe, it was actually

he was doing them because he needed to. It was never a

perspective? Nephis had certain advantages in her upbringing, but they weren’t as ample as he had imagined. She had no wealth and no arsenal of relics to empower her. However, she did have

impossible for her to have the audacity to disregard need in favor of something as frivolous as desire, and

simply because that was what Nephis wanted to

that mentality was the greatest

that was the real barrier that separated Legacies from the rest

lot to think about. However, before Sunny

“My turn.”

mean it’s her turn

meant. Changing Star once again turned to Sunny and, after

you know the

What sort of a

shook his head. Then, remembering that she couldn’t see him,

“No.”

away. A few

with an Aspect of indestructible body, Diomedes that was so ferocious even the God of War was

at

Where did this come from? Why is

Meanwhile, Nephis continued:

wander the seas, never to return. Over the years, he survived one horror after another and lost all of

strangely wistful voice resounded in the darkness, creating an enthralling atmosphere. Sunny couldn’t

with all kinds of wonders, delicacies and delights. As long as loving Calypso was by his side, Odysseus was even immortal. But… the longer

Nephis smiled.

and abandoned the island, leaving all its delights, the beautiful fairy, and

Sunny blinked.

‘What?’

but it didn’t seem to

‘Weirdo!’

for a bit, and then said without too

it was because he

smile appeared on

from