Shadow Slave

Leaving Jet to enjoy her unemployment in peace, Sunny dove into the shadows and emerged in a different part of NQSC.

The strain of remaining in the waking world was growing more and more difficult to endure, but Sunny had not reached his limit yet. He still had a bit of time, and it just so happened that there was another person he had to meet.

Everyone was on a holiday, but Sunny had quite a few items on his agenda instead. It was for a good reason, as well — most of the people he knew had been impossibly busy for the entire year following the Dreamspawn’s defeat, so today was a rare occasion when they could meet and spend some quality time together.

The streets around Sunny were uncharacteristically crowded, even accounting for Remembrance Day. There were hundreds of people around him, all heading in the same direction with excited expressions. The mood was celebratory, and he could feel a palpable sense of anticipation permeating the air.

Sunny looked around, then headed toward an unassuming alley.

As he was passing it, a loud whisper suddenly resounded from behind an artificial tree, calling him over.

“Sunny! Over here!”

Sunny approached the source of the voice and saw a tall man wearing a black face mask and a cap, his eyes hidden behind luxurious sunglasses.

Needless to say, he looked quite suspicious. The man pulled his mask down for a second, smiled, and then pulled it back.

“It’s me, Kai.”

Sunny stared at him with a dubious expression for a few seconds.

“Yeah, genius. I know. I sensed your shadow from a hundred kilometers away.”

Kai seemed to smile behind his mask.

“Why, thank you! It’s good to see you, Sunny!”

The two of them were not exactly separated by distance, considering that one of Sunny’s incarnations resided in Ravenheart, but they rarely had a chance to spend time together as friends — as opposed to the Lord of Shadows and the Steward of the West. Today was one such occasion, though, so Kai put his hand on Sunny’s shoulder.

“Thank you for coming with me today. I really appreciate it.”

He paused.

“But, Sunny…”

Kai hesitated for a few seconds, and then said in a tentative tone:

“Can I ask you something? It has been gnawing on me for an entire year, ever since I remembered who you are.”

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

Kai studied him for a while.

Eventually, he asked:

“Your clothes. You create them by manifesting shadows, right? Which means that you can make them look however you wish. And yet, you just create the same outfit every day, day after day, over and over again… I just can’t fathom why anyone would…”

Sunny let out a heavy sigh and suppressed the desire to toss Kai to the Shadow Realm. He looked down, then glared at his friend.

“What’s wrong with my clothes?”

Kai blinked a couple of times.

“No, no! Nothing. Consistency is a virtue, too! It’s just… uh… you know what? Never mind.”

Sunny frowned.

“Nephis likes my clothes just fine, okay?”

Kai smiled.

“That’s great, then!”

He did not sound very sincere, but Sunny decided to ignore it.

“Anyway, about Nephis — not a word about what we are about to do, understand? She must never, ever find out what the two of us did… without her.”

Kai seemed confused.

“But why?”

Sunny sighed and turned his head, looking at an enormous banner adorning the facade of a prestigious concert hall in front of them.

On it, several words were drawn in a bold font…

The banner read:

GALE: The Last Show on Earth.

The reason why Sunny had traveled to this part of NQSC was the solo concert of Gale — the second half of Night&Gale, Kai’s former band. Having built a successful solo career in the wake of Night&Gale disbanding, Gale was giving his last concert on Earth today.

That was not because Earth was going to explode tomorrow, but simply because he was moving to the Dream Realm.

In fact, numerous artists and creative professionals were. It was not only people who were leaving Earth — culture was leaving it, too. The waking world was still more populous and far better developed, but it was an old and dying world… a world frozen in its ways. The Dream Realm, meanwhile, was young and full of both endless potential and fatal risk.

It was a frontier in more senses than one, populated by people who had no choice but to be active and energetic. The harsh exuberance of a new civilization being built under dire pressure was just what aspiring creatives craved.

So, culture was slowly emigrating to the Dream Realm. Most of it was still created on Earth, but everything new and exciting seemed to be happening across the realm boundary.

In any case, Kai’s former partner in crime was leaving the waking world for the Dream Realm, and today’s concert was most likely the last show he would ever play on Earth — a bittersweet farewell to the cradle of humanity.

Kai wanted to attend, but did not want to come alone. So, he somehow convinced Sunny to accompany him.

Despite the actual risk to Sunny’s life that ensued.

Sunny grimaced.

“Are you kidding me? If Nephis learns that I snuck out to go to a Gale concert without her, I’m a dead man. I mean… a deader man. In any case, she must not find out.”

Kai gave him an apologetic look.

“Oh. I see. Why didn’t you invite her too, though?”

Sunny looked at him with a startled expression.

“Hello? Because she’s addressing all of humanity today? She wouldn’t have been able to come, and knowing what she’s missing would have only made things worse.”

Kai hesitated for a few seconds, then smiled.

“Well. I am still glad that you’ve come.”

He glanced at the banner and sighed.

“It will be great. We’re going to have so much fun… you like experimental post-nightmare pop, right?”

Sunny blinked a few times.

“A what now?”

Kai smiled.

“Exactly! Let’s go.”

He headed for the entrance, making sure to hide his face from the crowd.

Sunny followed.

“No, seriously, what did you mean? Hey? I thought it was going to be music? Hey, why aren’t you answering?!”