Shadow Slave: Foreign shadow

The water flowed steadily. Warm, gentle droplets fell rhythmically against the face and shoulders of a dark-haired boy, tracing paths down his body in miniature rivers. The streams ran along his back, chest, and legs, cleansing his pores and massaging his milk-white skin.

​Sunny could feel his muscles uncoiling and his mind beginning to drift. A cloud of steam rose from below, thick and stifling, almost lulling him into a new dream.

​After he had finally stopped shaking, Jet had sent him to the police station showers with the blunt excuse that he ”reeked of Nightmare”. The intent was clear: to leave him alone so he could process the trauma he’d endured. In part, it was working.

​The physical exhaustion was slowly being washed away, but the lingering daze and disbelief were harder to scrub off.

​’Two days. I was only gone for two days,’ Sunny thought, leaning his forehead against the tiled wall. He let the waterfall drench his back, his arms hanging limp and heavy at his sides.

​> the Jiminy Cricket mused.

​It was only a voice in his head, devoid of physical form. Yet, Sunny could easily picture him sitting at the top of his arched back against the wall, legs crossed, holding a tiny umbrella to keep the water from ruining a top hat that was comically large for his head.

​’Two days is the time it took me to climb the mountain,’ Sunny noted, his head still pressed against the damp, steamed tiles. The rush of the water was a godsend for his circulation.

​> The Cricket tilted his umbrella slightly, turning an invisible head toward him. >

​’Maybe. Maybe not. Honestly, I don’t care. I’m just glad it’s over. Right now, I just want to rest. Too bad I won’t have the luxury. Jet is definitely going to drag me to the Academy soon, and then I’ll have to figure out how to use the month I have left to survive the Forgotten Shore and everything else.’

​”What a headache,” Sunny sighed, inhaling the thick vapor into his lungs.

​> the Cricket asked, sounding genuinely curious.

​’No. Why? Do I say it a lot?’ Sunny lifted his head from the wall, droplets of water streaking his face.

​> the Cricket replied.

​Then, their internal gazes drifted apart once more.

​Silence—solid and enduring—reclaimed his mind, just as it dominated the room. The only resistance was the incessant drone of the showerhead and the mist growing thicker, fogging up every glass surface in the bathroom.

​After a while...

​’So...’ Sunny decided to break the inner quiet. ’Do you have any intention of turning me into a real boy?’

​The Cricket turned back toward him, adjusting his oversized hat beneath the umbrella. >

​’Really?’ Sunny turned his head, arching an eyebrow. ’Because from what I know, your last client ended up hanged from a Great Oak, dying alone like a dog. He was only saved because the readers of the ”Giornale dei Bambini” protested, and the author, Collodi, was forced to rewrite the ending.’

​The Jiminy Cricket chose not to respond.

Indignant, he turned on his heels and descended Sunny’s arched back as if walking down a staircase, using his umbrella to shield himself from the ”rain” of the shower. As he stomped away in a huff, Sunny could have sworn he heard him grumbling something about his character.

To avoid a physical altercation—well, as physical as one can be with a voice in one’s head—Sunny let it go.

​Finally alone with his thoughts and having successfully fended off his Flaw, Sunny closed his eyes and entered his Soul Sea.

There, a lonely dark sun dominated a desolate black sky. Shrouded in a pale halo, the black star bathed the sea of ink below with a dark light—a somber, perfectly flat expanse.

Neither waves nor storms marred that flawless surface.

​A boundless void above and a bottomless abyss beneath his feet. Yet, for Sunny, this felt like home.

​Looking around, he noticed numerous silhouettes lingering at the edge of the black waters. They were too far away to distinguish clearly, but Sunny knew exactly what they were.

​The shadows of those who had found peace through him.

​By concentrating, he could recognize a few. Among the most prominent were the Mountain King, the Champion of War, and Auro of the Nine. But there was something else in this abyss, a sort of...

​”Mist? Is there mist here?” Sunny asked, confused. He couldn’t quite grasp where this mysterious haze was coming from.

​> the Jiminy Cricket whispered, having reappeared as suddenly as he had vanished.

​This time, Sunny imagined him standing on his shoulder, gazing toward the black sun and waving his cane to point out the invisible fog.

Sunny looked where his Flaw indicated.

​”No, I don’t see anything like that,” he said after a moment, shaking his head.

***

​Finally, Sunny stepped out of the shower.

​Once he had dried off and changed into the clothes Jet had provided, he decided it was time to see his runes.

​”Okay, shall we begin?” he muttered, taking a deep breath and giving his cheeks a sharp, energetic slap. A momentary flash of red bloomed on his pale cheekbones before fading instantly.

​> the Jiminy Cricket said, sounding euphoric.

​Bracing himself with excitement, Sunny summoned his runes.

---

​Name: Sunless

True Name: Everlasting Gloom

Rank: Dreamer

Class: Beast

Shadow Core: [1/7]

Shadow Fragments: [192/1000]

​Memories: [Silver Bell], [Deplorable Dagger], [Puppeteer’s Shroud], [Crimson Cloak], [Hero’s Solace].

Echoes: -

Shadows: [Myriad Shade].

---

​”I’ve claimed more victims than palm oil and I only received five Memories? Stingy Spell!” Sunny grumbled, rubbing the tip of his chin with his right hand.

​Nevertheless, his enthusiasm was sky-high. Then, he turned his attention to the rest of the runes.

---

​Attributes: [Foreign], [Shadow Weave], [Essence of Divinity], [Child of War], [Shadowspawn], [the Heart].

​Aspect: [Shadow Chalice]

Aspect Rank: Divine

Aspect Description: [You are a miraculous shadow left behind by a dead God. As a divine shadow, you possess plenty of strange and wondrous powers. However, your existence is empty and lonesome; no being can cast your existence. The Chalice you bear is your only master.]

​Innate Ability: [Shapeless Shade]

Ability Description: [Your Chalice is full; now only one final step remains for the receptacle to take its shape. It demands sacrifices.]

​Aspect Ability: [Shadow Control].

Ability Description: [Your shadow is more independent than most. It is empathetic and an invaluable helper.]

Aspect Legacy: [Shadow Dance]

Shadow Dance Mastery Level: [0/7]

First Relic: Unearned

Second Relic: Unearned

Third Relic: Unearned

Fourth Relic: Unearned

Fifth Relic: Unearned

Sixth Relic: Unearned

Seventh Relic: Unearned

​Flaw: [Jiminy Cricket]

---

​Sunny clicked his tongue and shook his head. ”Nope! I don’t even know where to start with.” He was ecstatic, yet utterly overwhelmed.

​The hand rubbing his chin began to apply more pressure as his nervousness grew.

​> the Jiminy Cricket advised, showing no sign of hurry.

​Sunny stopped his hand. ”Right. I hadn’t thought of that,” he muttered, and began to read.