Shadow Slave

After Effie gave Kai a call and let him know that Sunny was alive and back in the real world, they spent a minute in awkward silence.

Sunny looked around, taking in the sight of his once pristine and orderly living room. Now, there were dirty dishes everywhere, as well as empty packets of take-out food… at least he thought that that was what they were, since he had never actually bought one before.

Effie was such a slob!

There were even several pieces of clothing thrown into a corner!

Speaking of clothing…

'Crap!'

"By the way, Sunny… when did you get this badass tattoo? A big, long snake no less! Makes a girl wonder…"

He sighed heavily, cursing the fact that he had not adjusted the Puppeteer's Shroud after summoning it back in the basement. There were no burns on his skin now, after all.

"...It's not really a tattoo. It's a magical serpent that helps me control and regenerate essence faster. Don't ask why it manifests as a tattoo, because I have no idea, really."

He hesitated for a bit, then asked:

"So you've been just living here for these past few weeks?"

Effie shrugged.

"Sure. Someone had to monitor your vital signs. Plus, my family… well, they deserved a break after taking care of my comatose body for four years, and everything before that. So I bought a very nice place for us, and then, sort of… moved out."

Then, an animated expression appeared on her face:

"Don't worry, though! The stuff you keep in your bedroom remained a secret. I can't even go up the stairs, remember?"

Sunny stared at her in outrage.

"What stuff?! There's no stuff! I don't even use the bedroom! I can't really sleep, can I?!"

Effie laughed.

"...Right. Makes sense... that you are not doing it on the bed kind of guy. Oh, yeah! What happened to your fridge?"

He glared, then looked away in embarrassment.

"Ah, that… I sort of broke it. By accident."

Then, a sudden smile appeared on his face.

"...Wanna go buy a new one?"

***

Since Kai wanted to meet, Sunny and Effie decided to visit an elite shopping center in the center of the city, and then wait for him in a posh restaurant nearby. The former huntress also told Sunny that she would hold off on asking questions about his unexpected adventure until all three of them were together, so that he didn't have to repeat everything twice.

Which suited him fine, since he needed time to decide what he wanted to tell his friends, and what would be better kept to himself.

There was so much he needed to think about, and do… the journey into the Sky Below had not only disrupted his plans in the real world, but also added new things to his agenda. From training to wield a spear better to setting up a shop to sell the soul shards he had brought back with the help of the Covetous Coffer, there were just too many opportunities in front of him.

He also had to decide what to do about Rain. And continue practicing Shadow Dance in the Dreamscape... everyone had forgotten about Mongrel by now, surely. No doubt about it.

'Adult life is hard…'

They reached the shopping center with the help of a passenger PTV, which seemed a bit too luxurious to Sunny, but was a necessity, considering that it would have been hard for Effie to move around in public transport.

Not only because of her disability, but also because she was somewhat of a celebrity.

He had noticed at least three propaganda posters depicting her — the way she looked in the Dream Realm, to be exact — on buildings as the PTV drove toward the heart of the city. Even he had to agree that Effie looked… impressive. Like a beautiful goddess of war that knew no fear or would never surrender to anything, not even the hopeless darkness of the Forgotten Shore.

Triumph and perseverance… that was what people needed to see, considering how hard and dire life in the real world could seem sometimes. Even if it was just a sweet, benevolent lie.

It gave them hope, at least.

A hope gave them strength.

...Noticing his gaze, Effie grinned.

"Looking good, am I?"

He had no choice but to tell the truth:

"...Yeah."

She giggled.

"Do you remember how Scar and Park came up with a story to make me seem like some kind of a folk hero in the outer settlement, back when Gunlaug's people were searching for me? Well, the government ran wild with it, as you can see. Plus the fact that I was in charge of the first line during the siege… they made me into a poster girl for the young generation of the Awakened. Right after Nephis, of course."

Her face suddenly grew dark and solemn. After a long pause, Effie added:

"...It's a shame that neither of them lived long enough to see their stupid story become a worldwide hit. Park would have been so full of himself now, if he did. I can just about hear him boast."

And that was the bitter truth that people didn't get to see. The terrible price of the triumph they celebrated was known only to those who had gone through it, and somehow emerged alive on the other side.

The two of them spent some relaxing time in the shopping center, Effie resting in her wheelchair, Sunny pushing it from behind. From time to time, someone recognized her as the famous Raised by Wolves, and politely expressed their respect and admiration. He, on the other hand, seemed almost invisible.

Sunny didn't mind. It was better that way, really.

Being invisible suited a shadow very well.

More importantly, the act of buying a stupid refrigerator filled him with pure delight — he had been fantasizing about it for so long in the Sky Below, after all. In a sense, this whole thing had just been a giant obstacle on his epic quest to buy a fridge. And now, after overcoming countless dangers and hardships, that deadly quest was over!

Sunny worked out the details about the delivery, and soon, it was time to meet up with Kai.

He had never been to a posh restaurant before, but it seemed as though his outer appearance was decent enough to not look out of place — the mundane clothes he wore had been chosen with the help of the charming fashion icon himself, after all. Or maybe it was Effie's presence that made everyone there extra polite and a little bit reverent.

They entered a tastefully decorated space and saw a tall individual in a black cap and an ordinary face mask standing nearby. The weirdo was wearing sunglasses inside.

Before Sunny could understand what was happening, the masked individual quickly approached and gave him a big hug.

'Uh… does he really think that his disguise is fooling anyone? And why is he always trying to hug me?!'

Of course, it was Kai.

No amount of masks and sunglasses could hide the glamorous aura of the enchanting Nightingale.

It only made him stand out even more.

Sunny sighed.

'That dashing bastard…'