Shadow Re: Slave

When Sunny woke up, the first thing he saw was Nephis and Cassie sitting under the massive tree, quietly eating.

They were eating those damned fruits again.

For a moment, rage surged in him. But then he remembered—no matter how strong they once were, now they were still just seventeen-year-old girls. They didn't possess powerful enough Memories to resist subtle mental attacks. Not without help.

He sighed, stood up, and slowly approached.

"…Why are you eating souls?"

Cassie flinched, startled, dropping the fruit from her hand. She looked up at him, pale and confused. "Sunny… what are you talking about? These fruits are harmless…"

Sunny's face remained neutral, but his voice grew colder. "Sure, if that's what you think. But what did I tell you yesterday?"

Nephis looked at him with a frown. Cassie blinked in confusion. They both answered at once.

"I don't know. What did you say?"

Sunny's jaw clenched.

"I told you not to eat the fruits. And you both said you'd listen. I thought I could count on that. But it looks like I was just a fool talking to a wall."

Nephis froze.

She couldn't remember him saying that at all. Her hands trembled slightly, but then… the thought was gone. The next moment, she took another bite of the fruit, her eyes glassy and unaware.

The tree had tightened its grasp on them. It must have realized it couldn't control him, so it focused more intensely on the girls.

Sunny stared for a moment longer, then turned away. There was no point in arguing.

Sunny exhaled slowly and gave a mental command.

The shadow coiled around his shoulders stirred.

Serpent, now an Ascended Beast because he mastered the second step of Shadow Dance while traversind the labyrinth, normally remained in its dormant form — a black tattoo wrapped around him like a sleeping predator. Yet even in that stillness, it was never truly idle. A portion of his mind was always linked to it, directing it, working with it. Together, they refined the essence Serpent granted him, steadily reshaping his body. Little by little, guiding him toward awakening — naturally, and permanently.

But now wasn't the time for patience.

Now he needed a weapon.

The living ink shifted. Black scales shimmered faintly against his skin as Serpent came alive, slithering down his arm in a coil of shadow. It solidified mid-motion, and where once there was only flesh, there was now steel. Not a curved blade, like it usually formed.

This time, it took the shape of an axe.

Heavy. Balanced. Brutal.

The haft was thick and dark, wrapped in leather-like material. The axe head itself gleamed — wide, deadly, the edge catching light in an almost fluid way, as though it wasn't forged, but born.

Serpent pulsed faintly in his grip, recognizing his intent.

Sunny narrowed his eyes.

Normally, it remained in tattoo form. But now he needed the killing power, the weight. A shadow-born axe would do better than a blade against a foe like this.

And it obeyed. It always did.

They wouldn't understand. Not right now. They were under the hex, too deep to reason with, and he couldn't explain the truth without revealing too much. So he did what had to be done.

He attacked the tree.

Despite its appearance, the Soul Devourer was no ordinary plant. Killing it was not easy. For over thirty-six hours, Sunny carved into its gnarled bark, each blow chipping away at the mind-twisting influence it had embedded deep within its victims. His body screamed with pain and exhaustion, but his will never faltered.

Eventually, the tree's resistance collapsed.

Its immense presence faded. The whispering vanished. Its unnatural mind shattered.

Sunny collapsed beside its dying roots, falling into unconsciousness the moment his blade stopped moving.

When he opened his eyes again, something soft and warm was pressed against his face.

Confused and still half-asleep, Sunny instinctively tightened his arms around whatever it was—and felt a soft, curving form in his grasp.

A flustered squeak pierced the air. "Kyaaa!"

His eyes shot open.

Nephis?

Sunny stiffened. For a moment, he thought he'd done something very inappropriate… but then realized, by the feel of it, his hand was resting firmly on her hip, not her chest. Still—not ideal.

His head was lying on her lap.

Nephis was bright red, frozen in place. She hadn't expected him to grab her so tightly, and certainly not to stay asleep with such a peaceful expression. She had only wanted to comfort him—after the tree's influence had finally faded and her memories returned, she'd felt terrible for doubting him. So, awkward and unsure of how to express her regret… she'd let him rest his head on her lap.

What she hadn't expected was his body to relax so completely in her presence. Or for him to hold her like that.

After a long, silent moment, Sunny finally stirred. His eyes, now fully awake, met hers.

"…Good morning, Neph."

His voice was calm, almost teasing. "You and Cassie… are you free of the tree's influence now?"

Nephis blinked at him, still flustered.

"…Yes. I think so."

He smiled faintly and sat up, brushing some dirt from his shirt.

"Good," Sunny said with a soft chuckle. "Then I hope you didn't eat too many souls."

His voice was light, even teasing.

She turned to look at him, studying his face carefully.

For a moment, he looked… happy. Almost at peace. Like a seventeen-year-old boy should look — someone who hadn't fought monsters in the Dark See, who hadn't bled under moonless sky and screamed through soul-burning torment.

But his eyes betrayed him.

They didn't look like they belonged to someone young, or untouched by pain. There was no softness in them, no innocence. Just a calm, quiet awareness — like he saw everything. Every crack, every flicker, every breath. She was no stranger to pain but she knew it. Her eyes didn't look like his.

Still, they weren't dark. At least right now.

Right now, they were simply… observing. Perceiving her. Not judging, not analyzing — just seeing her.

All of her.

And what surprised Nephis most was that she let him.

She didn't flinch or look away. She didn't raise her guard, or pull herself back behind the polished steel of her usual composure.

She just let it happen.

And she didn't even know why.

Cassie was still resting nearby, her head gently leaning against Nephis's shoulder — until Nephis let out a sharp, startled shriek. The sound pulled Cassie from her dozing state, and she quickly sat up, blinking in confusion. Sunny, already stirring, noticed her and greeted her with an easy grin.

"Hey, Cassie. How are you doing? Everything alright?"

At first, she just nodded. But then, hesitating, her expression darkened a little.

"Yes… I think so. But what about you, Sunny? We heard you screaming last night. It was awful… And then, you faced that tree all alone. Are you alright?"

Sunny's smile brightened, though only Nephis could see the faint flicker of exhaustion beneath it.

"Of course I'm alright. Who wouldn't want to wake up like this? Never been better."

Sunny noticed Nephis's expression shift, just for a fraction of a second. A faint blush touched her cheeks — subtle enough that most wouldn't have noticed. But he did. Whether she realized it or not, whether she even knew it had happened… that was another matter.

He didn't mention it. Didn't smirk or tease or even let his expression change.

Instead, he simply looked away and kept speaking, as if he hadn't seen anything at all.

His voice dropped slightly, colder, more bitter.

"And don't worry about the tree. Killing that damned thing was… a pleasure."

Neither Nephis nor Cassie replied. They had expected an answer like this — or at least, had feared it. The two of them had quietly discussed whether or not to bring it up, and if so, how. But there had never been a good answer. After all, Sunny had never shown them anything but loyalty and protection. If not for him, the Soul Devourer — as he called it — would have been their final resting place.

Still, despite everything, they both found themselves wishing he would trust them a little more. Even Cassie's vision of the shadow devouring the angel, strange as it was, no longer frightened her as much as it had. Not after everything they had seen. Not after what he had done to protect them.

Especially Nephis. She, more than anyone, understood how easy it would have been for him to just… walk away. They would never have noticed — not under the influence of the mind hex.

After their short exchange, Sunny stood, stretched his shoulders, and grinned.

"Well then. I think I'll have breakfast too — time to eat some souls. Chop chop."

He turned, walking toward the remnants of the corrupted tree.

"We should stay here for a few more days. I want to clear the rest of those fruits, and we'll need time to build a boat anyway. I assume you saw the next problem coming, Neph."

He smirked over his shoulder.

"By the way — this is what I meant when I said rough days. Although… for you, it must've felt more like a holiday."

Cassie tilted her head, confused.

"Wait… Sunny, why are you eating those fruits now?"

He paused, turning back slightly.

"Because they're made of souls," Sunny said calmly. "Each fruit is worth one soul shard… and since I can't use actual shards, these things are a blessing. There are probably over two hundred left. The tree's dead now, so they're harmless."

Cassie frowned. "But… Sunny, you said it yourself. They're souls. They might be human."

Sunny gave her a curious look, as though puzzled by the hesitation.

"So? What's your point? Just because they were human, I should let their souls go to waste? Not a chance."

His voice was flat, uncompromising.

"I'd eat human flesh if it meant surviving — or if it gave me a boon. And you need to learn that, Cassie. I don't want you to die just because you clung to some stupid idea of morality."

Cassie looked toward Nephis, silently seeking support. But Nephis only met her gaze, then looked away. She might not have said it out loud, but her silence made it clear — she didn't disagree.

So they stayed at the Ashen Burrow. Sunny ate most of the fruits. Nephis, who had no use for fragments, only ate a few — the rest she left for him. Without a word, Sunny also gave her two transcendent soul shards, never mentioning where he had found them. Cassie ate as little of the fruit as she could.

The days passed. Each morning, Sunny trained — refining his essence through meditation and practicing the Shadow Dance. He could feel it: he was nearing natural Awakening. His bond with Serpent had grown deeper — the blade, now often dormant as a tattoo coiled around his shoulder, constantly refined his essence with part of his mind.

It wasn't enough for Sunny. So for one or two hours each day, he pushed his mind to its limits, concentrating fully on the process. Refining essence was like condensing mist into water — possible, but agonizingly slow.

The rest of their days were spent working together on the boat, talking, growing closer. Sunny found himself starting to feel… almost normal around them again. Almost.

Every evening, he sparred with Nephis — sharpening her skills and refining her battle style. She improved, quickly. He was impressed.

Two weeks passed.

By the end, Sunny had devoured every last fruit.

His runes now read:

[SHADOW FRAGMENTS: 854/1000]