Shadow Re: Slave

But then Harus emerged, stalking into the hall with his eerie, emotionless gaze. He marched straight toward Gunlaug — or at least the golden-armored figure sitting in his place — and barked out:

"What is going on, my liege? Why is this wench still alive? Shall I kill her for you?"

Before anyone could even respond, a shadow passed between them.

And in the blink of an eye, Sunny appeared beside Harus and slammed his face into the floor with bone-cracking force. There was no warning, no flourish — just brutal precision.

Harus didn't even have time to comprehend what had happened. He was unconscious before his body could comprehend it. Blood pooled slowly beneath his head.

Without a word, Sunny turned to Seishan and gave her a small nod.

She understood immediately.

It was time.

Harus would be imprisoned beneath the Citadel, far beneath the Great Castle — in the darkest levels of the Dark City, where even echoes dared not linger. There, he would serve a new purpose: a watcher of shadows, a prisoner who would never again see the sky, a presence to anchor the city with cold dread… and make sure not all who walked the Dark City could leave it.

With the threat subdued, Changing Star walked to the throne. Her pale hair glowed faintly in the golden light, and the warmth of her radiance contrasted with the dreadful pressure still leaking from Sunny's armor.

He stood motionless, towering in golden memory plate.

Then, slowly, he turned to face her.

They looked at one another — silent, steady.

He gave her a single nod.

And then, without a word, Sunny stepped down from the dais and walked out of the hall. No grand speeches. No demands. Just quiet departure.

The others stayed behind — their eyes still wide, their hearts still racing.

Sunny, however, took a detour.

Soon, he was once more on the outer wall of the Dark City, where the wind howled softly through the broken towers, whispering to the ghosts of the past.

At first, Sunny had disliked this place. The shattered heights, the endless desolation, the silence.

But over time — a short time, really — he had come to appreciate the view.

From this vantage, he could see everything.

The Dark City stretched out before him like the fossilized carcass of a long-dead god. Towering black spires clawed at the sky, jagged and broken, silhouetted against an eternally gray firmament.

Ruins sprawled across the land like a corpse left to rot. Districts collapsed inward upon themselves. Stone veins — alleys and tunnels — webbed through the darkness. Crooked bridges, like brittle ribs, spanned the gulfs between towers, some barely hanging on by cracked supports.

And through it all, faint lights flickered — not torches, but something colder. Hungrier.

Silence ruled here. Not peace — not quiet — but something heavier. A silence that crushed the soul. It was broken only by the occasional distant shriek, or the groaning of Nightmare creatures slithering through the forgotten streets.

To one side, the Crimson Coral Sea began — strange, glowing red formations stretching toward the horizon. The land beyond was lost, swallowed by endless crimson.

And behind the Great Castle the Crimson Spire loomed.

It would all come to play, eventually.

But not tonight.

Tonight, Sunny sat alone on the wall, above the broken city of Nightmares.

Changing Star stood at the center of the dining hall—now rightfully her throne room—and gave a calm, steady speech. Her words carried weight, certainty, and a promise of a future. Afterward, she retreated into the private quarters that once belonged to Gunlaug, now hers, accompanied by her most loyal people.

Soon after settling in, she summoned her new lieutenants. It was time for introductions—time to understand each other beyond names and ranks. She brought her own people into the meeting as well Cassie, Effie, Kai and Caster, wanting transparency and cooperation. Each one introduced themselves, shared what they knew, and outlined their areas of strength and knowledge. They weren't just an alliance anymore—they were one command.

After the introductions, Seishan rejoined them. Her expression was thoughtful but guarded. Long hours of planning followed.

The topic now was the expedition: retrieving the Memory of the First Lord of the Great Castle. But just as important was what would happen in their absence. They couldn't leave the castle without a plan. Seishan presented a long list from Sunny—a set of orders for the artisans.

It was filled with strange requests: siege weapons like catapults, new defensive structures, and odd constructs no one entirely understood. But Seishan assured them it was all based on his predictions… and the last time, he had been right.

When she handed the list to Kido, the young woman raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't he coming in person?" she asked.

Seishan shook her head slowly.

"I don't know. He's in a weird mood. When I arrived at the cathedral… he was already gone. He had taken all his things. I don't know where he went."

Kido shuddered slightly. "No wonder… after what he did to Gunlaug. Honestly, it would be scarier if he was in a good mood."

Gemma nodded in agreement, grim-faced. The others exchanged confused looks, clearly not understanding.

But Nephis did.

She was the first to piece it together. She remembered the echo—Gunlaug's Echo. Sunny had it now. And no one like Gunlaug, who clung to his power like a drowning man to driftwood, would ever surrender his Echo willingly.

That could only mean one thing.

"He made Gunlaug hand it over somehow… most likely not in a friendly way."

She didn't need to say it aloud—her expression said enough. Slowly, understanding dawned on the others. Disgust flickered on some of their faces. Silence followed for a few moments.

They shifted topics.

Kido took the lead on organizing supplies, discussing food logistics. Feeding the entire castle was no small task. They broke down numbers, resources, plans for hunting, storage, rationing. It wasn't glorious work, but it was necessary.

Finally, with everything prepared, they confirmed the schedule.

They would soon depart for the mission.

And Nephis already knew when and where they needed to be. Cassie had seen it—the same vision she had in their past life. The pieces were falling into place once more.