Shadow Slave

They stood silently under the tree for a while. Eventually, Nephis looked at him and said evenly:

"You did well."

Sunny glanced at her with a pale smile, then nodded.

"I guess I did, didn't I? My mom would have been very happy. If she was alive, that is. I am healthy, well-fed, and have a house in a good part of the city. I even found my… a student. These things might not sound like much to you, but to her, they would have been like a dream."

He turned to the tree and added after a short pause:

"I don't really remember my dad too well, because I was too little when he passed away. But my mom, I remember her perfectly. She was… like a ray of sunshine. The strangest thing, though, is that when I was a kid, she was the whole world to me. I thought that she knew everything, could do anything. But now, I realize that she was barely older than we are. She was more or less a kid herself."

Nephis looked at him and said:

"But we aren't kids."

Sunny tilted his head, then shrugged.

"That is true, I guess. We are adults, which is a strange thought. I don't really feel very different from how I was before, at least not in terms of being confident and knowing what the hell I am doing."

Changing Star sighed, then shook her head a little.

"That is because you have been an adult for a long time. People like us have to grow up early."

Sunny thought about it for a moment.

"I don't know. I have a suspicion that when I look back on today in a decade or so, I will be dismayed by how big of an idiot I was."

Nephis smiled with the corner of her mouth.

"...That has nothing to do with adulthood."

He spared her a short glance and scoffed.

"That was the point where you were supposed to say that I am not an idiot, you know."

She stared at him with a deadpan expression, then said in her usual tone:

"I know."

Sunny couldn't help but laugh.

"Anyway. I don't really understand why I wanted to come here. I guess I expected to feel something… and I do. It's just not what I thought I wouls feel."

Nephis lingered for a few moments. Eventually, he said with a hint of hesitation in her voice:

"Do you maybe want to say something to your mother?"

Sunny lingered for a while, then shook his head.

"What is the point? She is dead, and the dead can't hear anything. They are simply gone. They only exist in the memories of the past. I would rather concentrate on the future."

Despite the fact that he had achieved many things that his mother would have wanted for him, it had not been without a cost. His house, his wealth, and the fridge full of food he had back home were only one side of his life. The other side was full of dire things like the Sovereigns, the Obel Scale…

And Nephis.

His bond with her was a dire thing, too.

His future was not cloudless at all.

The past few weeks had been some of the calmest and most enjoyable in Sunny's life. He had mostly been in Neph's company, doing nothing but training and spending time with her. He had hidden his head in the sand and refused to think about all the troubles that loomed on the horizon.

That pleasant time was coming to an end.

In a few days, Nephis was going to finally leave to face the Fire Keepers. About a week after that, they were going to accept Clan Valor's invitation and attend their ball. After that, everything was going to change.

Their futures were going to be decided on that day.

Sunny found himself standing at a crossroad, not knowing where any of the roads actually led. Even worse, he was not the only one making the decision on what turn to take.

All of it was so tiresome.

He sighed, then walked over to the tree and touched it for a brief moment.

'Hey, mom. It's me. I am… doing well, I guess. Rain is well, too. She looks like you very much. You would have been really proud of her.'

Sunny felt rather stupid at that moment, but at the same time, strangely soothed. He hesitated for a few seconds, and then thought:

'Anyway, I don't think I will be able to visit again for a long time. Not that you're really here. Oh… that young woman right there is Nephis. She is my… well… it's complicated. In any case, I think you would have liked her. I have several other friends, too. So I am in good hands. You don't have to worry about me.'

With that, he stepped back, looked at the lonely tree one last time, and turned away.

"Let's go."

As they walked away, Neph looked at him and asked tentatively:

"Are you alright?"

Sunny smiled crookedly and shrugged.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but at that moment, several figures suddenly appeared from behind a corner, surrounding them. They were all dirty and disheveled, looking like typical outskirts thugs. The leader, a muscular man with a chemical scar on his face, pointed a kinetic handgun at them and grinned.

"Not so fast, lovebirds. Rich kids like you really should think twice before coming to where you don't belong…"

Sunny silently palmed his face.

"...so why don't you give us your communicators and other valuables, before something bad hap…"

'Damn it! This is... so embarrassing!'

Before the thug was done speaking, Sunny appeared near him, grabbed the barrel of his gun and squeezed gently, turning it into a deformed steel pancake. The muscular man stared at his weapon in shock, then suddenly let go of it and jumped back.

"A—Awakened! Run!"

The thugs all froze for a second, then paled and dashed away, disappearing as fast as they had appeared a few moments ago.

Sunny was left standing with a broken gun in his hand.

He sighed heavily, then threw it into a rusty trash container that stood a couple dozen meters away. The gun clanked against its edge as it disappeared inside.

'Unbelievable…'

The most disheartening thing about it all was that he knew the leader of the thugs. Growing up in this area of the outskirts, Sunny had run into this particular gang more than once, something being mistreated by them, something running small errands for the thugs in hopes of earning some food.

And yet, none of them had recognized him, instead mistaking Sunny for a rich city kid.

He looked at Nephis and cleared his throat.

"Uh… sorry about that."

She shook her head.

"No need to apologize."

Sunny hesitated for a moment, then shrugged and continued walking away from the park.

'I guess I am really not an outskirt rat anymore…'