Shadow Slave

He looked around, studying the barrier and the crowded pier that could be seen through the mesh. Then, suddenly, Sunny heard a familiar voice:

"Move back, damn it! Don't push! If you have a spot in the queue, present an ID! If you are a member of the First Army, come that way! Get a hold of yourself and behave like people!"

He looked around and saw a tall, handsome man with indigo eyes and hair that seemed somewhere between black and blue standing in front of the barrier, struggling to hold back the panicked crowd.

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

Pushing closer to the man, he called out:

"Naeve? What the hell are you doing here?"

The man - it was indeed Master Naeve of the House of Night - blinked a couple of times, then looked in his direction with a confused expression.

"...Sunny? Gods, it's you! What are... ah, doesn't matter. I'm now in charge of boarding, I guess."

Sunny led his group to the barrier, stopping right in front of the Nightwalker. Naeve gestured for a nearby Awakened to assume his position and took a step to the side.

He gave Sunny a somber look.

"That ship over there is where I'm assigned to. We are going to leave once we're at capacity... actually, we are already over capacity. But a few more people can still be squeezed in, so..."

Sunny frowned.

"What about Bloodwave?"

The Nightwalker sighed.

"He led the other ship away a few hours ago, with Saint Tyris aboard. There will be more ships tomorrow, and more the day after that... if the Winter Beast does not arrive sooner. But Uncle won't be coming back. He'll guard the strait until the... until the relocation is over. And then, we will resume evacuating people over the ocean, to the Northern Quadrant."

Sunny nodded.

'Figures.'

"Listen..."

Naeve spoke first, interrupting him:

"Do you need to get on the ship?"

Sunny grew quiet, suddenly ashamed for no reason. Strangely, he felt thankful to the Nightwalker for not forcing him to say it aloud.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Sunny shook his head.

"Not me. I just need to place a tether inside."

Ascended could simply retreat into the Dream Realm whenever they wished. Even if their tether remained in the Antarctic Center, a Saint would then be able to bring them back to the waking world, to a safer region. Granted, there were no Saints on the Ivory Island, so Sunny was a bit more inconvenienced in that regard.

Of course, leaving the waking world was not an instantaneous process. It required some time and absolute concentration, so doing it in the middle of a battle was usually impossible. Any Ascended that remained in the city would have to travel to the Dream Realm before the Winter Beast arrived, or risk annihilation with the rest of the mundane people.

Still, taking up a spot on a ship would be a waste.

...And Sunny had long decided to stay and try to stall the titan, anyway.

He looked at Naeve.

"I don't need one. But my people..."

Sunny glanced at Beth, Professor Obel, and the members of his cohort. Naeve looked at them, too.

His face fell.

The Nightwalker hesitated for a few moments, then said quietly:

"Sunny... I have three spots reserved, as a member of the crew. I will give you those. Beyond that, however... I can get the rest of your cohort onboard, too. Members of the First Army have a priority right to be evacuated. But those additional spots, they will come at the expense of civilians with officially issued tickets. So... it's your decision."

He paused, and then added apologetically:

"Sorry, but you have to make it quick. This is going to be the last batch we let in tonight."

As though to echo his words, the mesh barrier suddenly slid into the ground with a metallic screech. The soldiers started checking the IDs and letting people pass through one by one.

Sunny froze for a moment. His face grew still.

'So...'

His heart grew heavy.

'So this is what it came to.'

Three spots... or having to displace civilians who had a spot in the queue.

His soldiers had all heard what Naeve said. Sunny turned around, looking at them. Kim, Luster, Dorn, Samara, Belle... Beth, Professor Obel...

What was he supposed to do?

'Curse it all...'

As Sunny studied the faces of his soldiers, Belle, Dorn, and Samara briefly glanced at each other.

Then, the giant man looked at Sunny and slightly shook his head.

There were no words spoken. And yet, for a moment, Sunny felt as though his heart was pierced by a sharp blade.

He lowered his head, then looked at Professor Obel. The old man met his gaze, and the two of them remained motionless for several seconds, as if having a silent conversation.

Finally, Sunny looked at the mob of frightened refugees crowding behind the line of the barrier, all desperate to be saved.

He sighed.

'How... terrible. Why the hell did I want to be an officer? Gods... no amount of the damned contribution points was worth it.'

Then, Sunny straightened his back and said confidently:

"Beth, Professor Obel. You go in first."

Beth gave him a startled glance, but the old man gently pushed her forward. They moved past Naeve, the young woman crossing the line first.

However, as soon as she did, Professor Obel silently took a step back.

At the same time, Sunny pushed Kim and Luster. His push, though, was not too gentle. The two stumbled past Naeve, ending up on the other side of the line, too.

The barrier rose with a screech, and a wall of alloy mesh cut off the pier from the rest of the port.

Sunny, Professor Obel, Samara, Dorn, and Belle remained on one side.

Kim, Luster, and Beth were on the other.

The young woman turned around, confused. When she saw the old man behind the fence, her eyes widened.

"Professor! What... why are you..."

Professor Obel smiled.

"It's alright, Beth. We already had that conversation, remember? Stop being stubborn and forgive this old man. Ah, my old bones really can't endure another journey..."

She grabbed the mesh, frantic.

"No, no! You can't! How could you?!"

He sighed.

"I only have a few more years left to live, at best. Beth... I might have accomplished a lot in this life, but it's coming to an end."

The old man chuckled.

"You will accomplish even more, given time. What, do you think I was already brilliant at your age? Gods, no! I barely knew how to tie my shoes. Letting someone young take my place is a privilege of mine... especially someone like you, or Awakened Kim over there."

Beth stared at him for a few long moments, her eyes glistening. Then, she turned to Sunny:

"S-sunny... what, what about..."

He scoffed.

"I'll be fine. It's like you don't know me. There's not a single selfless bone in my body, so you don't really have to worry about my safety."

At that point, Kim finally spoke:

"Captain..."

Sunny glanced at her and frowned.

"You keep Luster and Beth safe. Who knows what will happen? Go board the ship and get the hell out of here, Kim. That's an order."

He remained silent for a moment, and then added:

"Also, it's Major! Damn it."

And that was that.

Soon, Kim, Luster, and Beth boarded a ferry and were taken to the towering vessel.

Sunny and the rest remained in the doomed siege capital. In Falcon Scott.

...The air was getting colder and colder.