Shadow Slave

On the evening of the first of the two days that they had at their disposal, Sunny climbed all the way to the highest point of the statue and sat there alone, looking at the setting sun.

He felt as though he had to find a sense of balance that he had lost at some point along the way. Not because he missed it, but because he was going to need that balance to remain firm and steady when the moment of truth came.

If he was right about the future, then this was probably the last day of peace he would experience until this whole thing was over. Not only the expedition…

But all of it.

Looking back, his behavior in these past few months was highly erratic. Where were the cold rationality and ruthlessness that saved him so many times in the past? The caution and devious cunning that allowed him to survive the First Nightmare? He had not been acting like himself for a long time.

Yes, his mental state had suffered greatly because of everything that had happened. But was it the only reason?

Come to think of it…

The first blow dealt to him was the bitter revelation that there was no Gateway in the Bright Castle. After everything that Sunny had endured to make it to the Dark City, the crushing intensity of their journey through the Labyrinth, the diabolical trap of the Soul Devourer and their escape from it, the cold and harrowing night of traversing the dark sea… all of it turned out to have been for nothing.

Not only were they not rewarded for their efforts, but all of their hopes were mercilessly destroyed and obliterated instead.

This alone was enough to drive a person mad.

Then came the feeling of alienation he felt while living with Nephis, Cassie, and all the newcomers in the outer settlement. Instead of finding support and solace in the company of his friends, Sunny fell into his old habit. Unconsciously, he turned himself into an outcast to prevent anyone from making him one.

This was the most noticeable, but not the only instance of him regressing to his old self. After fighting so hard to change and grow, Sunny ended up abandoning most of the lessons he had learned after becoming infected by the Nightmare Spell.

He was almost like an addict relapsing after a few days of sobriety and giving up completely because of this one small mistake.

But who could blame him?

Sunny was already shaking under the pressure of the situation. One little push, and he would fall under its weight.

In the end, it was not one, but three blows that shattered him completely. As though the world wanted to make sure that he was truly broken.

First was the terrible epiphany of what Cassie's vision really meant. Almost instantly after that, while Sunny was still reeling, came the fatal mistake in the conversation with Harper and the brutal murder that followed. And if that was not enough, the person he relied on the most to keep his sanity in this cursed place, Nephis, made it impossible for him to trust her any longer.

Anyone would have collapsed under that weight. And yet Sunny managed to keep his balance, even if just barely.

The final straw that finally broke him was the excruciating, neverending sea of torturous pain he suffered after being mortally wounded by the Black Knight.

After that, Sunny had relinquished all pretense of having control.

And now here he was. Playing the fool, acting like a fool, and fooling around with Kai and Effie. Wasn't it fun? Wasn't it easy?

Yes, his mental state wasn't great.

But it was also very convenient to blame everything on this condition. The truth of it…

The truth of it was that Sunny did not try to reign himself in at all. In fact, he welcomed this madness. Being a bit crazy was comforting, simple, and safe.

It protected him from having to look at the heartbreaking truth and remember it. Sunny needed the shield of madness to save himself from the bottomless despair that threatened to destroy him completely.

So what if he was prone to act recklessly in this state? So what if he made mistakes here and there and took unnecessary risks? Anything was better than having to face that despair.

Just like Nephis had said, one had to become a little insane to survive in the world that had gone mad.

…And yet, Sunny knew that what he was doing was nothing but hiding his head in the sand.

And now that the end was approaching, he had to stop hiding from the truth. He had to admit and endure it.

This was the only way for him to survive.

…As the sun disappeared behind the horizon and the absolute darkness drowned the Forgotten Shore, he sighed deeply and whispered:

"Alright. Alright. It's time to wake up."

***

The next day, six humans were standing at the edge of the vast canyon as the twilight of dusk drowned the world in shadows. Far below them, the black waters of the cursed sea were raging, rising from the depths in a terrifying, obliterating wave.

In a few minutes, all light was going to be completely gone. And then, the flood of darkness would wash over the world, destroying anyone left standing in its path.

…And yet, the humans were not rushing to get away. Instead, they just stood there and waited.

Looking down into the canyon, Sunny gritted his teeth and shivered. Then, he glanced at Nephis and licked his dry lips.

"Are you sure about this?"

Changing Star did not spare him a look and simply nodded. Despite the fact that the rising black water was quickly approaching them, her face was calm and composed.

A moment later, the last vestiges of sunlight disappeared, leaving them in utter darkness. The silence that surrounded them was broken only by the sound of waves rushing against the walls of the canyon.

Getting closer and closer.

"Prepare yourselves."

Sunny sighed.

'Here we go.'

Suddenly, a blinding burst of white light pierced the darkness. Holding the incandescent sword in her hand, Nephis closed her shining eyes for a second…

And then raised the sword high above her head, as if calling the monsters of the depths to come take her.