Shadow Slave
chapter-1965

The afternoon light streamed through the stone chamber's windows as they sat across from each other at the table. Nephis delighted in the meal Sunny had prepared, her bright eyes reflecting the sunbeams as she savored each bite. Though she maintained her usual composure, a gentle flush still colored her cheeks.

Sunny simply watched her eat, a slight smile playing on his lips. He tried to convince himself he was at peace, but his racing heart told a different story. Every fiber of his being felt electric, and it took considerable effort to maintain his collected demeanor.

He definitely needed some fresh air... preferably somewhere very cold.

It was almost unfair. Nephis was new to all of this, unaware of how her innocent gestures affected him. Did she really expect him to remain calm after she had shown such genuine affection? True, their earlier embrace had been sweet, but Sunny was finding it increasingly difficult to maintain his carefully cultivated gentlemanly image.

'I should have presented myself as a gruff shopkeeper from the start,' he thought ruefully, letting out a quiet sigh. 'This refined persona is becoming quite challenging to maintain.'

Still, he wouldn't have it any other way. He cherished every moment of their budding relationship - the playful banter, the comfortable silences, the spark of connection between them. Each moment was precious in its own right.

Yet beneath his joy lay a subtle hesitation about moving forward too quickly. While they were both mature adults who understood their feelings, Sunny couldn't ignore the disparity in their perspectives. Nephis had grown fond of him, certainly. She enjoyed his company and trusted him deeply.

But to her, Sunny remained somewhat of a mystery. Their few months together, though intense, paled in comparison to the years of history that lived in his memory alone - history she had forgotten entirely.

So he hoped, somewhere in his heart, that she would develop deeper feelings for him before they took any significant steps forward. He had waited years to be with her; he could be patient a while longer.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Nephis looked up and gave him a playful wink.

Sunny felt his resolve waver.

'Perhaps patience is overrated,' he thought, watching her with darkening eyes.

Nephis laughed softly. "You look amusing."

"Do I?" he asked, his voice slightly rough.

She popped a grape into her mouth, considering him. "You're trying to look intense, but you keep yawning. It's rather endearing... the contrast, I mean. Haven't you been sleeping?"

Sunny blinked, suddenly self-conscious.

'Have I been yawning?'

He cleared his throat, mortified at the thought.

"Ah... truthfully, I haven't slept in weeks. I've been practicing new sorcery since the battle at Vanishing Lake. In fact, I've created several new Memories. Let me show you..."

He reached for his Bag of Withholding but paused. "Actually, before that..."

He summoned his shadow form, creating a duplicate of himself nearby. Nephis watched in surprise as the shadow-self stumbled, clutching his chest, and dropped to one knee.

The wound from the black arrow refused to heal. Usually, a Saint could recover quickly, but this injury proved surprisingly resilient. It wasn't worsening, but it showed no signs of improvement either.

"What happened?" Nephis's voice carried clear concern.

Sunny looked up at her with a wan smile. "Well... I may have visited the Shadow Realm and taken an arrow to the heart?"

Nephis pushed aside her plate, her hands beginning to glow with white radiance. "And you're just telling me this now?!"

Sunny coughed - this time from actual pain rather than embarrassment - and gave her an apologetic look.

"I simply... didn't want... to cause you pain…”