Shadow Slave - One Shots

During the time Changing Star was throned as the Queen of the Dark City, she spent her time allocating soul shards to all the dormant humans to get them to their peak.

All of this, to reach the Crimson Spire.

To seize the gateway.

To escape.

At the front of the march, Nephis led the way.

Behind her, the cohort, Sunny, Cassie, Effie, and Kai, walked together.

It had been a long road to reach this point, and soon, they would face the greatest challenge yet.

The night before the battle, the camp was restless. Warriors sharpened blades, checked their Memories, and whispered among themselves.

Some prayed.

Others simply sat in silence, gathering their strength.

Sunny, however, found no rest.

He sat near the campfire, staring into the flames, lost in thought.

Tomorrow, they would fight. And by the end of it, many of them would be dead.

-------------------

As the camp settled into a stop, Sunny sat near one of the fires.

Beside him, Cassie sat in silence, her face half-lit by the flickering fire. She wasn't sleeping either. 

For a while, neither of them spoke. It wasn't an awkward silence but something heavier, as if both were waiting for the other to say something first. Eventually, Sunny sighed and broke the quiet. 

"You should try to sleep." 

Cassie tilted her head slightly, a small smile ghosting across her lips. "You should, too." 

He let out a short chuckle. "Yeah, well… I don't think I'll be getting much sleep tonight." 

Cassie didn't respond right away. Instead, she reached out, carefully placing her hand near the fire, feeling the warmth. 

"You're afraid." She wasn't asking. 

Sunny didn't answer immediately.

"I'd be a fool if I wasn't," he admitted. "Tomorrow's going to be a bloodbath." 

Cassie nodded. "Yes." Her voice was calm, but there was something unreadable in it. "And you still plan to go through with it?" 

Sunny scoffed. "What choice do I have?" 

She tilted her head slightly, her blindfold catching the firelight. "There's always a choice." 

A bitter smile tugged at his lips. "Not for people like us." 

Another silence stretched between them. 

Finally, Cassie shifted, turning her face toward him. "You've changed since the Soul Devouring Tree." 

Sunny tensed slightly but masked it with a shrug. "That tree messed with our minds. It's bound to leave a mark." 

Cassie grew silent, her fingers curling slightly. Then, as if deciding something, she leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder. Her hand found his, their fingers intertwining. 

"Don't worry, Sunny." Her voice was soft, almost wistful. 

For a moment, there was only the warmth of the fire, the distant murmur of the army, the quiet beat of their hearts. 

Then, in a voice so quiet he almost missed it, she whispered: 

"Just… come back to me. Please." 

Sunny blinked, stunned for a fraction of a second. Then, a slow, almost disbelieving smile spread across his face. 

"Of course, Cas." He squeezed her hand gently and rested his head against hers. 

Cassie, in that moment, wanted to believe him. Wanted to pretend that this feeling - this fragile, precious thing between them - was real. 

But deep inside, she already knew. 

She was going to betray him. 

To save him.

----------

The day of the siege had arrived.

The Dreamer Army stood before the Crimson Spire, their weapons drawn, their expressions grim. Five hundred Sleepers had survived the journey. By the end of today, most of them would be dead. 

Sunny stood among them, rolling his shoulders, adjusting the grip on his sword. His armor felt heavier than usual, pressing down on him like a promise. Around him, the others were doing the same.

Effie tightening the straps of her gauntlets, Kai stringing his bow, Seishan murmuring orders to her warriors. 

Cassie was still, blindfolded as always, but he knew she was seeing something. Seeing too much. 

He didn't ask. There was no point. 

Then, the first howls rang out. 

The horde came in a wave of black and crimson, twisting, screeching things that should not exist. The Terror of the Spire loomed somewhere behind them, unseen but felt, like a storm waiting to break. 

Effie bellowed the order. The first line surged forward. 

Steel met flesh. Blood hit the earth. 

The battle began.

Sunny didn't hesitate. He moved like a shadow, darting between the clashing warriors and the howling nightmare creatures. His blade flickered in and out, cutting throats, piercing weak spots, never staying in one place for too long. 

But he wasn't here to fight. Not really. 

His goal was the Spire. 

The cursed black water churned ahead, a roiling abyss at the tower's base. It swallowed everything that touched it, a barrier between them and victory. 

He needed to reach the gate. He needed to banish the Dark Sea. 

As he ran, the battlefield blurred around him.

Effie's spear piercing through a nightmare's ribs, Kai loosing arrows so fast they blurred, Nephis carving a path forward like a vengeful goddess. Cassie stood at the center of it all, unmoving, her lips parted slightly, whispering something only she could understand. 

Sunny didn't stop. 

Then something massive blocked his path. 

The golems. 

Seven towering figures, carved from coral and bone, the remnants of fallen heroes. They stirred as he approached, their hollow eyes locking onto him. Their movements were slow, but each step they took made the ground tremble. 

Sunny gritted his teeth. 

"Of course," he muttered. 

He didn't have time for this. 

But time wasn't something he ever had much of. 

The first golem struck. 

Sunny dodged, rolling under its massive arm as it crashed down, shattering stone. He slashed at its leg, his blade cutting deep but not deep enough. The thing barely reacted. 

The second one swung. He barely avoided it, twisting in the air, landing on a jagged piece of coral. His mind raced. Seven of them. Too many. 

He needed a different approach. 

His shadow flickered, stretching outward. 

Then he smiled. 

Sunny didn't waste another second. With a flick of his will, Saint moved. 

The onyx knight shot forward like a storm given form, her massive sword cleaving into the nearest golem. The impact sent cracks spread across its coral body, but it didn't fall. Not yet. 

Sunny used the distraction. While the golems focused on Saint, he moved - darting between their legs, scaling their bodies like a shadow come to life. His Moonlight Shard found weak points, slipping into joints, digging deep. One golem staggered. Another lashed out at him, but he let go, dropping low just as Saint swung her sword in a brutal arc, carving straight through its knee. 

One down. Six to go. 

They adjusted fast. The remaining golems turned their full attention on him and Saint, their attacks relentless. One nearly crushed him with a sweeping blow, but he twisted away at the last second, using Saint's shoulder as a springboard to launch himself toward the Spire's gate. 

He landed hard, rolling to his feet, breath ragged. The engraving on the doors loomed before him—seven stars, each with a dark keyhole. 

The oath keys. 

No time to hesitate. He reached into his belt, pulling out the first. 

Behind him, Saint fought like a demon, holding back the remaining golems with sheer force. She wouldn't last forever. 

Sunny jammed the first key into place. The stone groaned, shifting slightly. 

The second key. 

A golem lunged for him. He barely ducked in time, the force of the attack nearly knocking him off his feet. Saint rammed her blade into its side, pushing it back. 

The third key. 

His hands moved faster now, shoving them into their places, one after another. 

The fourth. 

The fifth. 

Something slammed into his side. He hit the ground hard, coughing as pain flared through his ribs. A golem loomed over him, its massive foot about to crush him-

Then Saint was there. She caught the strike on her shield, holding firm, even as cracks ran through her dark armor. 

Sunny grit his teeth, pushing himself up. 

The sixth key. 

The seventh- 

A deep, shuddering groan echoed through the battlefield. The gate shifted. The Spire trembled. 

And the Dark Sea began to disappear.