Shadow Slave: Foreign shadow

​A girl with hair of spun gold—myriad strands as smooth and shimmering as the threads of fate that had cursed her—and eyes as blue as a still lake, sat alone, submerged in the deepest darkness. For her, the world had shapes and echoes, but neither color nor image. There was only the cold and a sharp, biting loneliness.

But in that perpetual void, there were voices. The whispers of other Sleepers drifted through the hall, but none were meant for Cassia. No one looked her way; no one spared her a word. Why would they? After all, what chance did a blind girl have of surviving the Dream Realm?

​There was, however, one thing in that empty, permanent darkness that kept her company: Runes.

​As her Dormant ability, Cassia could see the runes of others—specifically, their Attributes. Tilting her head to the right, she focused on the shimmering, golden script belonging to a girl chatting with her friends, much like she used to do in a life that now felt like a dream.

​Attributes: [Elastic Mind], [Apprentice].

​Turning her head to the left, she saw the runes of a Sleeper who, judging by the chorus of giggling girls surrounding him, had to be quite attractive.

​Attributes: [Charmer], [Child of Lust], [Silver-Tongued].

​

’A true playboy,’ Cassie thought. A faint, ghost of a smile touched her small, red lips before fading back into a line of sorrow. Perhaps, she mused, her isolation was a mercy that kept her away from such types.

​Suddenly, the blind Seer heard a burst of boisterous laughter erupting from the center of the hall. Shifting her sightless gaze toward the commotion, she saw more runes flickering in the dark.

​Time ticked away, and still, she sat in solitude. Unwanted. Isolated by her weakness and the theft of her senses. She felt like a ghost haunting a room full of the living.

​Then... CRACK.

​Cassia jolted. It was the sound of weight shifting on wood. She immediately turned her head to the left, a spark of desperate hope igniting in her chest—perhaps someone had sat on the bench beside her? Perhaps someone finally wanted to speak?

​But as she looked...

​

’Nothing? There’s nothing there. Was it just my imagination?’ She turned her eyes back to the front, staring into the absolute nothingness, stung by the bitterness of her own illusion.

​Then, a voice broke through the darkness like a beacon of light. It was as clear as a silver bell, carrying a warmth that felt like the first breath of spring after a long, frozen winter.

​”Hi. I’m Sunless, but my friends call me Sunny.”

***

​> The Jiminy Cricket warned from the heights of its wisdom.

​’So?’ Sunny shot back, his pace steady, his heart devoid of fear. ’There will be consequences regardless of what I do. This time, I’m the one making the calls. However irrational or childish it may seem, I choose to follow my heart.’

​> the Cricket corrected him. >

​Sunny let out a mocking huff, a smirk playing on his lips at the expense of cheap metaphors and proverbs. ’Do you really think I care about doors or roads? In my First Nightmare, I promised myself I’d become greedy, selfish, and proud. I decided I would escape the tragedy—and she’s coming with me. Now, eyes on me!’

​A shadow moved toward the golden-haired girl sitting alone on a wooden bench. With every step, his heart grew heavier, but his eyes held shadows fierce enough to eclipse the sun.

​The threads of Fate tightened around him, as if trying to restrain him. Yet, Fate was merely a concept, not a person. It possessed no will, no heart beating to the rhythm of a soul. Sunny, however, possessed both—and much more.

​So, he pressed on. The strings of Fate seemed to slip through his fingers with every stride as he moved to stitch a wound before it could even be inflicted. It was a desire born more from sheer ego than from passion.

​Sunny sat down to Cassie’s left, the wooden bench creaking slightly under his weight. The mere inch of space separating them felt like a distance of light-years.

​

’I wonder how she’ll react to my Attributes,’ he thought as he settled in, digging through his memories of the original story to recall everything about Cassia.

​He saw the girl startle and turn toward him. A wave of complex emotions washed over him as he met those sightless, beautiful sapphire-blue eyes. Cassie searched the air in his direction for a moment, her blind gaze wandering, before she turned back to face the front without uttering a word.

​Sunny crossed his left leg over his right and laced his fingers together, the corners of his mouth curling upward. ’I suppose I have to be the one to make the first move, aren’t I?’ He realized, noting that, for some reason, he hadn’t truly been ”seen.”

​Sunny cleared his throat and spoke in a voice that was calm, steady, and cordially warm: ​”Hi. I’m Sunless, but my friends call me Sunny.”

Cassie’s eyes immediately snapped back in his direction. The blind Seer was visibly stunned to find someone willing to sit beside her, let alone talk to her.

​”Um, hi... nice to meet you, Sunless. I’m Cassia, but you can call me Cassie if you like.” She said with a hint of hesitation, as well as a mixture of fear and wariness.

​Even though she couldn’t see it, Sunny’s smile softened. ’At least Cassie talks to me. Unlike Nephis who treated me like a worm at the gate.’ Sunny let out a mental sigh of relief.

​”The pleasure is mine. But if you want me to call you Cassie, then you’ll have to call me Sunny in return.”

​Cassie seemed brightened by the easy familiarity he offered. She gave him a heart-piercing smile that made his shadow heart melt with tenderness.

​”So, Sunny,” Cassie asked, choosing her words with care. ”Why are you here?”

​Why are you willing to sit with a burden like me?

​Sunny grinned broadly. ”You see, I was wandering through the hall when I happened to spot this very cute girl sitting all alone with her morale in the dirt. So I asked myself: I wonder if I can bring back her smile with a kiss?”

​At his words, Cassie flushed instantly, steam practically rising from her like a locomotive’s funnel.

​> the Jiminy Cricket scolded him with a smug, know-it-all tone.

​’Shut up and let me work!’ Sunny shot back through gritted teeth.

​Cassie looked away, her

embarrassment palpable. ”S-sorry... I-I’m not interested.”

​”Oh?” Sunny arched an eyebrow. ”I don’t recall saying you were the girl in question.”

​Cassie’s blush deepened to a burning crimson. She lowered her head, nervously twisting the fabric of her elegant skirt between her fingers, and let out a tiny, flustered squeak.

​Sunny nudged her playfully, almost huffing. ”So? Do you think I have any chance of stealing a smile from that sweet girl?”

​Cassie couldn’t hold it in anymore. Pressing both hands over her mouth, she shook with suppressed mirth before letting out a graceful, melodious laugh.

​”Seriously, Sunny?” she managed to say through her giggles. ”Is this how you approach girls? You’re quite bold, you know.” She wiped a stray tear of laughter from her eye.

​Sunny, savoring the delicate symphony of her laughter, placed a hand over his heart in mock offense. ”Bold? I’ll have you know I’m a certified ’flower boy’ through and through.”

​> His Flaw chimed in mockingly.

​

’Don’t interrupt.’

​Sunny raised a finger and continued his tall tale: ”Think! Even before I passed the First Nightmare, I had girls courting me left and right. One of them even returned from the dead just to be with me. Ever since then, I can’t let my guard down for a second—the moment I do, she jumps at me.”

​Cassie’s laughter grew louder and more genuine, to the point where she had to clutch her stomach. A few nearby Sleepers turned toward them, watching the duo put on a show in the middle of the hall.

​> the Jiminy Cricket asked curiously, his tone softening. >

​Sunny looked at Cassie, watching the way her golden hair shimmered as she laughed with abandon. ’Hate her? No, never.’

His onyx eyes grew misty. ’I never hated anyone. I was heartbroken, like every other reader. No one expected someone like Cassie to become a traitor back then. That’s why it hurt so much.’

​Sunny looked at her again. He gazed at her lips and the smile that was as radiant as the gold of her hair.

​

’If Fate had offered you thirty pieces of silver, at least I would have had the heart to hate you.’ He thought, a profound ache tightening in his chest.