Shadow Re: Slave

They followed the huntress—Effie—into a dim chamber carved from cold stone. She was already crouched near a small fire, hunched over a slab of meat. Her hands moved quickly, stuffing chunks into her mouth like it was her first meal in days.

Nephis and Cassie sat across from her, saying nothing at first. The fire crackled between them, casting twitching shadows on the walls.

Effie glanced up, chewing.

"Haven't seen you two before. You new?"

Nephis gave a short nod.

"We just reached the city."

Her voice was even, almost cold. But there was something different in her tone—an effort, however small, to appear normal. Sunny might've been proud, had he been there to see it.

Effie raised an eyebrow, a bit of amusement curling on her lips.

"Huh. My condolences."

She paused, studying them more closely.

"…Wait. You two made it through the Labyrinth? For real?"

When Nephis nodded again, Effie let out a low whistle.

"Damn. Two whole months and still breathing? That's not bad. Not bad at all."

Nephis hesitated, then spoke.

"We started with three. Last night, one of us left while we were crossing the Dark Sea. It was the only way to ensure we made it across."

Effie blinked.

"You actually crossed the sea? In a boat?"

She leaned back, wide-eyed.

"You must've been seriously desperate. Or just crazy."

Nephis replied calmly.

"We had no other choice. From where we entered, there were no visible landforms. Only darkness. And the sea."

Cassie shifted slightly. Her voice was quiet but hopeful.

"Are you from the castle? There are people living there… aren't there?"

Effie looked at her, and for a moment, something flickered in her expression. It might have been pity—or maybe just caution.

"…Yeah. There are people."

"Can you take us there?" Cassie asked.

Effie shrugged.

"Sure. You got any shards?"

Nephis frowned slightly, confused.

"Soul shards?"

She reached into her pouch and retrieved four of them. One was the ascended shard Sunny had handed her at the Ashen Barrow, without a word of explanation. The other three were less remarkable, their origins blurred by fatigue and chaos.

Effie glanced down, uninterested—then froze.

One of the shards pulsed faintly in the firelight. The pressure it gave off was unlike anything a shard from creature could produce. Her casual expression vanished, replaced with disbelief.

"…Wait a second."

She leaned in, inspecting the shard.

"That's not just any soul shard. That's from a… No way."

Her voice dropped.

"You killed a Fallen creature?"

Nephis shook her head.

"No. We didn't."

Effie's brows drew together.

"Then how do you have this? And how would you even know it's not Fallen?"

Nephis paused.

"Because it's from a Great one."

The firelight danced in Effie's wide eyes.

"You're telling me this thing came from a Great Nightmare creature?"

Nephis nodded once.

"He gave it to me. Before we parted ways. He said he killed it."

For a moment, Effie just stared at her, stunned. Then she let out a breathless laugh.

"He… killed a Great one? While still a Sleeper?"

Nephis was quiet, then added:

" When we first met, he also had just survived fighting Great Beast. Alone. In the Dark Sea. He stole a kill from it, it was Corrupted Devil. But he lost both legs and an arm."

She allowed herself the faintest smile.

"But he survived."

Effie stared at her like she was hearing myth instead of memory.

"…What the hell kind of Sleeper were you traveling with?"

Nephis stared into the fire, the shard still faintly glowing in her hand.

"Hope you never meet him as an enemy," she said softly.

Her voice was quiet, almost wistful. She didn't look up. The mention of Sunny brought a cold heaviness into her chest again, the same silent weight that had been following her since he'd left.

Cassie, perhaps sensing the shift, broke the silence.

"We were hoping to reach the Citadel," she said gently.

"And access the Gateway… as soon as possible. How long will it take to get there?"

Effie blinked at them. Then something broke on her face—a grin, crooked and sharp.

The next second, she doubled over in laughter.

It was wild, honest laughter—the kind that sounded like it hadn't seen daylight in years. She laughed until her eyes watered and she had to clutch her stomach to breathe.

Nephis and Cassie watched in silence, confused. There was no mockery in their expressions—just calm observation, like they were watching something broken play itself out.

Finally, Effie wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and sat upright.

"Ah, sorry. Really. I just couldn't help it. Please forgive my complete lack of manners."

She inhaled deeply, her expression sobering as she met their eyes.

"Look… I can take you to the castle. But there's no Gateway there. Not anymore. Not for a long time."

She paused. Her voice grew heavier, colder.

"There's no way out of this cursed hell at all. Not unless the sky falls or some god decides to get involved."

"I've been stuck here for three years."

Effie leaned back and spread her hands in mock grandeur.

"So… welcome to the Dark City. Abandon hope, all ye who enter here."

She watched them carefully, waiting for the collapse. Fear, panic, maybe even tears.

But it never came.

The two girls simply exchanged a glance. Cassie nodded once, quietly. Nephis followed suit.

Then Nephis said, without flinching:

"We suspected as much. Can you still take us to the castle?"

Effie stared at them for a long moment, something unreadable flickering behind her eyes.

Then, slowly, she smiled.

Effie stared at them for a moment longer, then let out a low breath and gave a crooked smile.

"Yeah. I can take you."

She stood up, brushing ash off her hands, then glanced down at the soul shard still resting near the fire. Her tone shifted slightly—quieter, more serious.

"And… don't show that other shard around. The powerful one."

Her hazel eyes locked onto Nephis's.

"Things could get problematic real fast."

Nephis simply nodded, slipping the shard back into her pouch without a word.

Effie turned toward the tunnel leading deeper into the ruin.

"Alright. Come on. We'll move at first light. Until then, you can rest here. Just don't touch the meat. I fought for that."

She grinned over her shoulder, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Cassie leaned in slightly toward Nephis and whispered,

"She seems… nice."

Nephis gave her a blank look.

"She eats like a beast and laughs at misfortune."

Cassie smiled faintly.

"Still. Better than what we've met befor.