Shadow Slave

The world was falling apart.

The fate of humanity was hanging by a thread, and all of existence was being consumed by war.

And yet, Sunny felt at peace.

It was peculiar and borderline immoral, but he was content and happy. He was happier than he had ever been before, even. Objectively, his life had become a never-ending nightmare. All seven of his incarnations were constantly engaged in bloody battles, and more often than not, he returned from the battlefield battered and broken.

Worse than the violence and the pain of having his body ravaged and torn was the crushing weight of responsibility that pressed down on his shoulders. Humanity was facing extinction, and Sunny was responsible for humanity — his failures cost countless lives, and his victories were never swift and decisive enough to make him feel like he couldn’t have done better.

Scores of cities, billions of lives… the very future. All of it depended on Sunny — on him personally — and that burden was too harrowing for anyone to carry.

So, by all accounts, he should have felt suffocated and exhausted.

But he didn’t.

Instead, every morning, he woke up with a smile…

Well, not every morning. Sleep was a luxury Sunny could not quite afford at the moment, after all, so he slept no more than once a month.

Other than that, though, his life was weirdly idyllic.

He got to spend his days side by side with the woman he loved — and who loved him back, knowing who he was. And even if their days as a couple were a bit peculiar, spent all across the two worlds battling harrowing Nightmare Creatures, they found time to enjoy each other’s company amidst the carnage.

There were quiet moments, as well. The mundane moments that were as sweet as moments of passion. Having meals together, watching the sun rise in the silence of an early morning. Talking about meaningless nonsense, sharing stories of the past. Cutting each other’s hair. Confessing nonsensical opinions and arguing over them. Reading a book over the other one’s shoulder. Witnessing your partner in their most natural, ordinary moments…

And so much more.

Sometimes, Sunny caught himself watching as Nephis quietly read the reports that piled on her desk or meditated between battles, feeling like he couldn’t be happier.

As for the endless clashes against Nightmare Creatures… despite the grotesque violence and agony of it all, Sunny was enjoying himself on the battlefield, too. After all, whether he liked to admit it or not, battling Nightmare Creatures was more or less his profession. Sunny had spent his entire adult life slaying abominations… and he was damn good at it.

And there was immense satisfaction in doing what you knew best, and doing it well.

The wounds, the bloodshed — Sunny did not mind it. Not only because that was all he knew, but also because it was not meaningless. He was not fighting to survive… no matter the cost.

He was fighting so that others could survive, and his wounds were the cost.

So, no matter how screwed up it sounded, he was doing what he loved side by side with the woman he loved. What was there to be unhappy about?

At the same time, he was spending time with his sister — and his sister knew that they were family. He was watching her grow into a person who was softer and gentler than he was, but also immensely strong in her own way. Rain did not have to receive the same scars he had received, and be forged into the same kind of adamant blade he had become.

And that… was wonderful. That soothed Sunny’s weathered heart and brought warmth to it.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, Sunny had watched Rain through a window and then turned away, choosing not to reveal himself. Because she did not need him — because there was nothing good he could offer her, and nothing positive he could add to her life.

But now, he could offer her the world, and her life was brighter and warmer because of him. There was no cold glass between them, and even if she liked to tease him… like a brat… they had grown as close as siblings were meant to be.

Sunny had Nephis and Rain. He also had Cassie, who had once again become his friend and companion.

The two of them had gone through so much, had achieved so much… their turbulent and complicated relationship spanned most of their adult lives, encompassing both deep affection and scathing resentment. Now, finally, those tumultuous emotions settled, cooling to reveal a profound bond.

Sunny and Cassie continued to develop sorcery together, reinforcing the Citadel Cities of humanity to help their walls withstand the incessant attacks. Her voice accompanied him into every battle, guiding him and helping him understand his foes. That felt nice. Having grown used to it, Sunny knew that he would feel lonely if Cassie suddenly stopped watching over him one day.

There were a lot of other things Sunny enjoyed, as well…

His ragtag group of misfits, led by Revel, helping him defend the Forgotten Shore. Academic pursuits with Teacher Julius. Teaching Ananke how to weave. Developing his own skill as a sorcerer. Exploring the limits of Shadow Dance…

In short, Sunny was enjoying being alive. Well… technically, he was dead. But even then, he felt more alive than ever.

The dissonance between his own personal happiness and the dire state of the world was nothing short of jarring.

Sometimes, Sunny wondered if he had finally gone completely crazy — after all, only a lunatic would feel content while watching the world end.

But then again…

If he really thought about it, he had been born into a dying world. In truth, the apocalypse had always been there, hidden in the background. Now, it had merely entered its final act.

Sunny must have developed a tolerance to it.

Months passed, then a few months more. And just like that, in the blink of an eye — but also in what felt like an eternity — another winter solstice came along.

It was then that the situation began to change once more.