Shadow Re: Slave

Back in the cathedral, Sunny leaned against the stone wall of his chamber, expression darkening as a sudden thought struck him.

Damn it.

He had forgotten something.

No—not just something. Something important.

He hadn't told Seishan his terms for the negotiations.

And worse, he hadn't given her the bag of soul shards meant for Nephis.

He let out a slow breath, fingers drumming against his thigh.

The moment her name crossed his mind, his mood soured.

Nephis.

Even now, the sound of it unsettled something inside him. Not anger. Not longing. Something heavier. More complex.

He still didn't know what he wanted from her—not really. Not after everything that had happened. Not after everything that brought him near to her and that he thought that nothing brought her near to him. He didn't know what he expected from her now… or what he even could expect.

And that uncertainty bothered him more than he liked to admit.

Future Sunny can deal with it, he decided, pushing the thought aside.

⸻

Another Hunt

Elsewhere, under a pale Dream sky, Kai loosed an arrow into the chaos of battle.

It struck cleanly, piercing through the eye of a spined abomination mid-charge. The creature dropped, convulsed, and fell still.

He exhaled.

The fighting was dying down.

Around him, the hunting party moved like a living machine.

Nephis led the charge—flames rippling in her wake. Her sword glinted with blood and flames her stance quiet, precise.

Beside her, Effie crushed another nightmare beneath with a massive fist, laughing as she swung her axe through another.

Caster, cold and efficient, moved like a scalpel behind them—striking only when necessary, always where it mattered.

There were others too—hunters whose names Kai still hadn't learned—but all of them moved with purpose.

He remained in the backline, bow drawn, scanning for threats.

At first, he'd thought Sunny was the strongest Sleeper he'd ever seen.

Two thousand soul shards. Shadows. Madness in motion.

But now, watching Changing Star carve through monsters with quiet certainty…

He wasn't so sure anymore.

The hunt ended without a single casualty. Only a few light injuries.

It felt… practiced.

Like they'd done this a hundred times before.

⸻

Settling In

After that, the days began to pass quickly.

Kai found himself growing closer to the cohort.

He joined every hunt. Spent long hours talking with Nephis, Effie, and Cassie—the blind girl with a warm smile and disarming clarity.

He already knew Athena, which helped. The huntress was sharp, quiet, and didn't waste time with pretense.

Even Nephis, despite her social awkwardness, was… pleasant. Not warm, not exactly—but present. She listened. She didn't pretend. And she made space for people in her own way.

It surprised him how easy it was to be around them.

It's like they've already accepted me, he realized. Even though they shouldn't.

Even so, he didn't forget why he was here.

Sunny.

The one who'd sent him. The one who'd asked for reports. The one who was still hiding in the dark city.

Kai wanted to see him again.

Ask why he was watching from the shadows. Ask what his true plan was.

But… he didn't want to go alone.

And he couldn't bring himself to ask the others for help—not yet. He wasn't sure what Sunny would think of that. Or what price it would carry.

So, he waited.

Quietly.

And knew—deep down—that Sunny would come when he was ready.

Whether Kai wanted him to or not.

⸻

Sunny met Seishan again the next morning.

When he appeared behind her—silent, unannounced—Seishan didn't flinch.

She had been expecting him.

From the moment she left the cathedral, she knew he would return. He had said he would share his demands. And Sunny, for all his unpredictability, had a certain consistency when it came to following through.

So she had waited.

All morning.

Not idly, of course—she was still a handmaiden of the Song clan. She'd spent the time preparing herself, both physically and mentally. Dressed carefully, controlled her breathing, rehearsed her posture.

Still, there had been a lingering uncertainty.

He wouldn't show up while she was undressing, would he?

She hadn't put it past him.

But in the end, he had the decency.

So when she felt the subtle shift in the air behind her—when the shadows grew slightly colder—she allowed herself the faintest smile.

Then, just as quickly, her expression returned to its usual form: composed, elegant, and emotionally sealed behind a layer of control.

She turned slowly to face him.

"I assume you've come to finish our earlier conversation."

Sunny tilted his head, grinning faintly.

"Sharp as ever."

He handed her a heavy bag.

"The soul shards," he said simply. "For Changing Star. Use them during your next negotiation."

She took the bag and weighed it silently. It felt heavier than last time.

Before she could speak, he continued.

"Tell her we'll support her completely—every way possible. We'll bring down the Lord of the Dead on our own, and we'll accompany her cohort to the Hollow Mountains. But…"

He paused.

"She and her people will have to face the Second Nightmare with us."

Seishan blinked. "When?"

"No later than a year after we return to the waking world," he said. "The exact details will come once I've secured everything. Until then, she doesn't need to know more."

His voice was calm. Cold. Certain.

Then he looked at her with that same irritatingly warm, knowing smile.

"And you," he said, "I know you're still thinking about betrayal. Back in the real world. You believe the moment will come when you can choose between me and your mother."

She said nothing. She didn't have to.

Sunny shrugged. "That's fine. I don't expect loyalty. I don't even demand trust. But I do intend to make things clear."

He stepped forward.

"Give me your arm."

Seishan hesitated. Her body tensed.

But eventually, she extended her arm toward him—slowly, uncertainly.

Without a word, Sunny stepped closer and gently took her wrist in his hand.

Seishan's breath hitched—but she didn't resist.

She watched him warily, her eyes narrow with suspicion… and something colder beneath it. She was used to control, used to power. But this boy—this young man cloaked in shadows—had a way of brushing past all that as though none of it mattered.

Then he gave a subtle command.

From beneath his sleeve, Serpent emerged.

The shadow moved with liquid grace, silent and smooth. Its snout brushed against her bare arm—delicately, almost reverently.

And then… it began.

A single drop of inky black essence bloomed from Serpent's touch. It spread like oil across her skin, flowing outward in fine lines and impossible geometry.

The sensation was cold. Not painful—just wrong.

Within seconds, the mark had wrapped around her entire forearm, forming the image of a slender serpent coiled in an intricate spiral. Though small in form, the tattoo extended over every inch of flesh—winding, perfect, alive.

Seishan stared at it.

Her composure cracked for just a moment.

She recoiled.

"What the hell?" she snapped, eyes wide. "Did you just brand me?"

Sunny looked entirely unfazed. "Yes. I told you—our partnership will continue, whether you want it to or not. Now we understand each other a little better."

Seishan's expression twisted, somewhere between disbelief and fury.

He continued. "I won't ask you to raise a hand against your mother or your sisters. I'm not that cruel. But I also won't let you stand in my way when the time comes."

He leaned back slightly, hands tucked behind his back.

"If it comes to war, I'll even fight on the side of the Song clan. I swear to you ill never hurt your sisters if they don't hurt me. And since I can't count on loyalty, I made sure to take a physical… guarantee."

He gestured to the mark again, more casually this time.

"Besides, it's not all bad. That mark gives you new perks. You can now sense shadows. See in the dark. Very handy."

Then, as if revealing a birthday gift, he added with a bright smile, "And it will help you awaken naturally. Maybe even ascend. Possibly… transcend."

Seishan said nothing.

She didn't like it. Any of it.

She hated how he could force his will on her like it was a game. How he turned every threat into a joke, and every act of control into something clever.

But she had to admit—he had given her something in return.

The benefits were real.

And… he hadn't asked her to betray anyone. Not outright. He just wanted her silent. Still.

And with that… she could come to terms.

Not now. Not yet.

But soon.

She already knew—whether she liked it or not, whether she resisted or played along—it was only a matter of time.

She thought of her mother.

Of the last time they'd spoken before she was sent into this world. The distance. The coldness. The way Ki Song saw her daughters—not as people, but as legacies to be cultivated. Her love has gotten twisted.

She hadn't always been like that.

But Seishan had long stopped pretending she didn't notice the change.

She sighed and nodded once.

Sunny gave her a look.

"You're pouting," he said, grinning. "You look like a sulking noble child. Not a feared handmaiden of Song."

She glared, but said nothing.

He clapped his hands together.

"Let's go hunting. Every day, if possible. Bring a few of your handmaidens if you trust them. I'll ensure their safety. We'll need firepower for the Lord of the Dead—you and I are more precision fighters, and my Aspect's not built for wide-area destruction. Actualy i have a utility aspcect. We need coordination to win that fight cleanly."

She nodded again, silent and thoughtful.

Then, after a moment, her eyes narrowed slightly.

Something clicked.

Wait.

What had he just said?

He mentioned that his Aspect was utility-based. That he didn't have wide-area destruction. That the Lord of the Dead would require teamwork—not because he couldn't hurt it, but because precision wasn't enough on its own.

But that meant…

He had killed a Fallen Devil—a being capable of annihilating cohorts—with a utility Aspect.

Not strength.

Not fire.

Not overwhelming force.

Just… skill. Technique. Shadows and ruthlessness.

No wonder he always spoke so calmly, so casually, as if nothing in the world could truly threaten him.

It wasn't arrogance.

It was understanding.

Seishan looked at him, really looked this time. And for the first time, the realization sank in fully:

Sunny wasn't terrifying because of some secret Aspect.

He was terrifying because he himselfe.

Sunny turned, already moving toward the edge of the cathedral.

"Oh—and before I forget. I sent Kai to Changing Star. He's joining her cohort.

Seishan tilted her head, curious. "May i ask if to help her?"

Sunny shrugged. "To help her, sure. But he reports back to me."

He said it like it was nothing.

Seishan blinked. "May i ask why?"

Sunny smirked over his shoulder.

"Although…" Sunny added, his grin returning, "his Flaw's actually pretty useful."

He turned slightly, voice casual but sharp beneath the surface.

"He always knows when someone's lying. Especially in negotiation, that's priceless. And if you watch him closely… you'll know it too. You'll see it in his face when someone isn't telling the truth."

He gave a small shrug. "It's like carrying a human truth mirror. Not very subtle, but incredibly effective."

Seishan stared at him.

So infuriating.

And yet… effective.

She sighed again. "You're exhausting."

"Better than being boring," Sunny called back.

And with that, the conversation ended—not with closure, but with forward motion.

Like always.

Seishan didn't know what to make of Sunny.

At times, he felt… ancient.

Not in the literal sense, but something deeper. The way he spoke. The way he moved. The way his onyx eyes stared at the world—not with fear, or wonder, or hope—but with the calm detachment of someone who had seen too much, too often, and no longer expected anything good.

It was unsettling.

She, a legacy raised in the shadows of Sovereigns, often felt older than her years.

But next to him?

Sometimes she felt young.

And yet, in the very next breath, he could shift entirely.

Smile like a mischievous child. Make some dry, ridiculous joke. Wander through life as though it were all a strange, stupid game, and he was just here to amuse himself until the end.

It could change without warning.

No transition. No logic.

One moment he was a ghost wrapped in shadows, the next—a boy laughing at his own cleverness.

And that contrast… that unpredictable, impossible contradiction…

Was what made him so hard to read.

And so dangerous.