Shadow Slave: Foreign shadow

Flaw: [Jiminy Cricket]

Flaw Description: [A voice within you will constantly drive you to give your best, to aim higher, and will never allow you to utter a lie.]

​Sunny opened his eyes, still reeling from the terror of what awaited him. The moment he finished reading the runes of his Flaw…

​”I knew it. I KNEW IT! Spell, you absolute son of a—”

​Sunny unleashed a torrent of insults and curses at the silver weaves of the Nightmare Spell until his vocal cords burned. In the distance, one might have seen a figure—little more than a stickman—ranting furiously, waving two lines that were supposed to be his arms.

​After a while...

​”Huff... huff...”

​Sunny took a moment to catch his breath, wiping the sweat dripping from his chin with his elbow. Once his rage had simmered down and his heated spirit cooled, he allowed his frustration to settle. He slammed both palms against his face, his skin now as pale as a full moon.

​”What a headache!” Sunny groaned.

He was seconds away from starting another cycle of swearing.

​Until now, the ”Jiminy Cricket” had only been a figment of his imagination—a part of himself he had given shape to, inspired by the classic tale of Pinocchio. It was his little spiritual guide, the voice of reason that had helped him survive these hellish years spent in the Outskirts.

​”Why? Why didn’t you just give me [Clear Conscience]? Why do I have to spend the rest of my life with this asshole weighing on my shoulder?” Sunny murmured through his clenched fingers.

​> A voice filled with sincerity and a hint of scholarly wisdom spoke to him from the infinite void.

​”Who’s there?!” Sunny demanded, throwing his hands wide and looking around for the magical creature.

He expected it to appear on his shoulder in the form of a cricket, as per tradition and the name of his Flaw. Yet, nothing emerged on the horizon.

​> the Jiminy Cricket explained.

If it had a physical form, Sunny would have pictured it standing straight-backed on his shoulder, leaning both hands on a walking stick, wearing a top hat far too large for its head, straight out of an old cartoon.

​Sunny pressed his hands over his face again, groaning bitterly.

”Perfect! Now I can officially check myself into a mental asylum.”

​> the Cricket whispered.

Sunny could almost see it tipping its hat.

​”Ah, okay! Thanks for the guarantee,” he replied, letting his hands slide to his sides as his head slumped forward.

​It was an ambiguous situation, smelling vaguely of a dream, yet it was undeniably real.

​Because the Nightmare Spell is known for being not unfair but also cynical to the bone, it saw fit to bid its aspirant farewell with one final barrage of news from atop its majestic silver tapestry.

​[You have received an Attribute.]

[One of your Attributes has evolved.]

[One of your Attributes has evolved.]

[You have unlocked your Aspect Legacy.]

[You have unlocked an Attribute.]

​”Eh?”

>

​Sunny and his Flaw stood stunned in unison. Their jaws touched the bottom of the bottomless void at the same time.

Then...

​[Wake up, Everlasting Gloom!]

***

​Meanwhile, in a villa near the heart of NQSC, a girl with golden hair opened her eyes and found only darkness. From that indiscernible gloom, she heard voices.

​”Cassie! My love, you’re awake!” a melodious, soothened voice of a woman in her forties cried out.

​”My treasure, you’re alright!” a man’s voice added, filled with the same relief.

​Two pairs of arms reached out hastily toward Cassie, pulling her into a tight embrace filled with tears of joy and averted fear. It was warm.

​Cassie recognized the voices of her parents; she felt the familiar heat of their bodies enveloping her, but she could not see them.

Now, it was her turn to weep. Heavy tears of despair marked her doll-like face.

***

​At the same time, in a luxurious mansion far from the filthy slums of NQSC, another girl emerged from her slumber with a spark in her silver eyes.

​A fire burned both in her gaze and in her indomitable spirit.

​Turning, the young woman saw her reflection in the room’s mirror. Her beloved hair, once as black as pitch, had turned to silver.

That gloom Nephis so adored had vanished from her life, replaced by cold metallic silver and pure white flames.

***

Sunny woke up as if for the first time. His body felt supple, pleasant, and warm. As his muscles began to stir, a jolt of vitality surged through him, racing from the crown of his head down to his very toes.

​When he finally pried his eyes open, the first thing he saw was a large black sphere surrounded by a crown of dark feathers. It was like staring into a wreath of black flowers resting atop a glass pane that separated him from the abyss.

​As his vision snapped into focus, Sunny recognized his feathered friend. Crow-Crow was perched to his right, neck tilted forward and head turned so that his left eye could capture his face in full detail.

​Sunny managed a weak, sleepy smile. ”Hey there, little friend.”

​”Saa-my! Saa-my!” Crow-Crow hopped excitedly, flapping his wings and flying in frantic circles above him, leaving the pillow beneath Sunny’s head covered in pitch-black feathers.

​Sunny took in his surroundings: the familiar, drab grey ceiling of the security room at the police station. He remembered being tied to a chair in case he failed his First Nightmare, but now he found himself strapped to an orthopedic cot.

​> the Jiminy Cricket remarked, sounding unimpressed by the scenery.

​’Nah! Once you get used to it, it’s almost cozy... maybe,’ Sunny thought back.

​Looking up, he saw a face he held dear—someone he had missed more than he cared to admit.

​A young woman in her early twenties with raven-black hair and deep, penetrating blue eyes. Her skin was a ghostly, cadaveric white. She wore a bright blue jacket unzipped halfway and black jeans that accentuated the curves of her legs. She sat on a plastic chair, arms crossed beneath her considerable chest, her left leg draped over her right.

​As her icy blue eyes met the boy’s luminous onyx gaze, Master Jet smirked. ”What are you looking at?” she asked, her voice laced with a mix of sarcasm and profound relief.

​> the Cricket urged immediately.

​Sunny didn’t need to be told twice.

Faster than a heartbeat, he tried to drop his gaze to the floor.

Unfortunately, his eyes—and his mouth—betrayed him halfway. ”Your legs,” he blurted out with a nervous, helpless grin.

​> the Cricket sighed, sounding utterly exasperated.

​’Yes! I am!’ Sunny thought defiantly. If he hadn’t been tied down like a Thanksgiving turkey, he would have stood up and pointed a proud finger at the sky.

​Master Jet’s smile widened dangerously. She stood up abruptly, reaching him in three swift strides. With a flick of her wrist, she snapped two fingers against his forehead, leaving a bright red mark behind.

​”Ouch!” Sunny cried out, unable to rub the sting because of his restraints.

​”Saa-my! Saa-my!” Crow-Crow cawed, settling on the shoulder of the Master as she stood over Sunny with her arms crossed and a full, genuine smile on her face.

​”Glad to have you back among the living, little Devil,” Jet said. She sounded offended by his wandering eyes, but her joy was unmistakable.

​Sunny, still nursing his forehead, gave her a melancholy smile, his happiness matching hers.

​Soul Reaper Jet proceeded to undo the ropes and buckles anchoring him to the cot. The moment Sunny was free, the first thing he did was throw himself into her arms.

​Jet was caught completely off guard by the sudden embrace. Crow-Crow took flight, startled, and perched on the foot of the bed.

​Jet was ready to scold him, but when she felt the boy trembling against her, his face pressed into her chest as he began to sob, she went still.

She didn’t push him away.

​Soul Reaper embraced the Shadow, allowing him to vent his emotions and bridge the gap between the lifetime he had spent in the Nightmare and the two days that had passed in the waking world.

​”Welcome back, Sunny,” Jet whispered softly, running a hand through his ink-black hair.

​To him, it had been a lifetime. Here, only two days had gone by.